when you leave.' Trisa walked to the corner of her room, heaved open one of the drawers of a dark, wooden desk and reached inside to retrieve an impressive pearly orb that emitted a slight humming sound. She sat at the end of his bed, her heavy robe draping over the blanket. “Now, I have something for you to try. If your heart truly desires an answer, you will see it in this orb. Some would believe that knowing answers can alter the path of their lives or bring them closure. Some would rather leave some questions unanswered. I will not force you to take it, but the choice is yours.'
She held the orb out in the palm of her hand, and Aidan couldn’t help but look into it. The orb began to change colour to a light purple and hummed louder.
She smiled at him reassuringly. “Ah yes — it appears that your heart truly does seek an answer. Hold it tightly in your hands and ask of it whatever you wish.”
Aidan gently took the orb; surprisingly, it was as light as a feather. He lifted it up in front of his chest and stared deeply into it, his face hardening as he focused.
Does Vartan live? he thought.
Within the orb, he saw small flashes of movement and swirls of colour. At first it was just a few hues, then suddenly the mist cleared and he saw dragons as they flew higher in the sky than the eye could see.
“It can’t be-dragons don’t exist. Everybody knows that they died out long ago,” said Aidan.
“If you see it, then it is simply as it is,” replied Trisa. “Nothing is trickery in the Orb of Farsight. Dragons, you say? I would never have thought it possible either, but it must be so. That is certainly an interesting turn of events. We have not seen dragons in Marithia for a very long time.”
As the orb took him closer to the flying legends, he made out a man held within the claws of the largest of the dragons, his hair fluttering in the wind. Aidan beamed. “That must be Vartan. He is alive!”
Where are they headed? he wondered.
Suddenly, the vision in the orb flew ahead at incredible speed and lowered its view down to a city within a giant dome of sparkling magic.
Aidan's eyes widened as he blurted, “He’s headed to She’Ma’Ryn? But why would he do that? Surely Kassina will find them there. I have to get out of here and help him!” He tried to get up but fell back into the bed in agony and struggled to catch his breath.
Trisa smiled, but her expression was full of compassion for him. “The way you are now, you will not be helping anyone, regardless of your good intentions. You would instead need the help of others. If Kassina even attempted to set foot in She’Ma’Ryn, she would be torn to shreds within seconds. Have you never been there? The city has hundreds of enchanted guardians, and is a trade port between cities, lands and even between worlds. There are forces there that she would not even begin to understand. Elements that are unknown to Marithia can be traded there, which is likely why Vartan is headed to it. She wouldn’t be stupid enough to venture near the city-well, at least she wouldn’t want to be.”
“If the guardians are so powerful, why don’t they help us in Marithia?”
“My dear Aidan, it is so much more complicated than that. It takes immense power for those guardians and traders to even arrive into the realm of Marithia. The city itself was built to house them, and provide them with all the power they need to survive within its magical walls. The ancients built the city… with some help. They sent out messages throughout the stars with the promise of its protection, and in return for that protection, the guardians watch over it fiercely.”
What would Vartan want in She’Ma’Ryn? he thought.
The orb hummed as its vision flew closer; it got as far as the great gates to the city before it ground to a halt.
“I know of no powers great enough to breach the walls of the city,” said Trisa. “I think that’s enough magic for today.” She gently prised the orb out of Aidan’s hands and returned it to the drawer. Then she slipped into the bed beside him and whispered with a wink, “Now, would you like me to kiss you better?”
Chapter 8: How I Wonder
“I have never seen such childish rage — they almost tore the place apart! Now I have to rebuild so much furniture, fix the locks and the broken doors, and somehow make everyone feel safe enough to come here again. Maybe I should just give up the Inn, but that would be what they want me to do.
I suppose we really should count ourselves lucky. In Kassina’s haste, they both left the inn without shedding any blood. The gods only know if we’ll be so lucky next time they pay us a visit.
How long will it take before a hero will rise to face them? Somebody has to save us all.”
The moon shone brightly in the inky, star-speckled sky, as if a god had opened a single eye to gaze upon the troubled realm of Marithia. The lands were fast asleep, with only the howls of wolves and gentle hoots of owls breaking the uncomfortable silence. A lone wolf made its way through the shadows of the trees, heading towards the mystical lights of the great trade city. It stopped for a moment to sniff the humid air, breathing out faint curls of mist in the moonlight, and allowed the smells of the night to guide its way forward. The wolf was suddenly startled by wildly swaying trees. It stared into the sky and cocked its head in recognition. Lowering its ears, it bolted away from the city, disappearing into the cover of darkness.
One by one, the dragons landed in the forest, finding gaps between the trees to fit their great bodies into. Having flown through gathering clouds, they shook the now muddied water off their hides. Vartan also shook off the blown dust, and turned his gaze to the magnificent sight of She’Ma’Ryn. His sharp intake of breath gave away his surprise.
The city was built into the side of a tall, rocky mountain, as if a giant section of it had been cut out solely for the purpose. A gigantic magical dome protected the city, and through it a thin beam of white light shot up past the stars and into the unknown.
“This is amazing!” proclaimed Vartan. “So now I have finally seen the wondrous She’Ma’Ryn my father always talked about. If I were him, I’d surely like to come more often than once a year!”.
Karven laughed. “Of course you would, Vartan. But the guardians of the city only allow Marithians one visit a year, unless they have been granted special rights by the council of traders.'
Two dragons approached, pushing a heavy cart containing two wooden chests laden with treasures. The closest dragon bowed and breathed, 'The trade treasure is all accounted for, as you ordered, sire.'
The sound of twigs breaking and leaves rustling filled the air as Karven pushed the cart towards Vartan with his nose. Vartan nodded to the dragons and dragged the heavy cart in the direction of She’Ma’Ryn as he continued the conversation. He spoke through puffed breaths. “I see. Well then, how do you suppose we are going to get inside the city right now? It’s not the right time of year, is it?'
Karven cocked his head as he spoke. “I happen to be the very first trade councillor, and I can grant you permission to enter at any moment of my choosing. How do you think the ancients built the city? Do you think they carved it into the mountain all by themselves? You will see that dragons are capable of building more than just weapons.”
Vartan's reply was soft. “I see, Karven,” he smiled. “It appears that there is far more to dragons than I first realised.'
They approached the city on a well-beaten path that led to two gargantuan marble statues of dragons. As the statues came into sight, the travellers could see the heat escaping the nostrils of the statues and their shiny blue eyes moving to follow their position. Well, that makes sense, thought Vartan in hindsight.
In between the statues stood two heavily armed guardians, protected by the magic dome. Vartan had never seen anyone like them before. They were twice the size of the biggest man he had ever laid eyes upon. Their armour was a strange shade of blue that lightened and darkened to blend in with their surroundings. The guardians drew their weapons as Vartan and the dragons neared the gate. At first their swords appeared quite small and ill- equipped in their oversized hands, but then they gripped the handles of their swords tightly and the weapons’ enchantments activated; their blades slid out with a strange metallic ring, doubling their length.
