victors, it would amuse him nonetheless.
But they came to no blows.
Disappointed, Myshik rose from his observation point and turned to go. He reached the top of a series of floating, disconnected slabs of stone arranged like a staircase leading down from the pagoda. They wended their way through the sparkling fountains to the pathways beyond. Rather than bother descending them, Myshik spread his wings and glided to the ground. When he landed, he trotted away to inform Zasian that their pursuers had arrived in Dweomerheart.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
'Detain us? That's highly unusual, isn't it?' Tauran asked the archons. His voice carried a gracious tone, but there was a concerned edge to it. 'I have come to your fascinating city on other occasions, and you never had cause to detain me then.'
The archon nodded again and waved Tauran's concerns away. 'I know, and I apologize. It's really just a formality. The upheaval there and all, you know. We've been given orders to make certain any conflicts originating there don't spill over to here.'
Aliisza saw Tauran's shoulders relax a bit. She did not share the deva's confidence in what they were being told. This doesn't feel right, she thought. Don't be so quick to trust them!
'Certainly,' the angel said. 'I understand. We are happy to cooperate in whatever way necessary. Yes?' He looked to his companions.
Aliisza nodded and tried to smile, but both Kaanyr and Kael glared for long moments before each of them gave a single, curt nod.
They don't like this, either. Why is Tauran not more suspicious?
'Lead on, good soldier,' Tauran said, motioning with his hand. 'We shall follow.'
The lead archon smiled and turned. He gave some instructions for a small detail to escort the quartet of visitors to some place called the Palace of Myriad Amazements, while the rest of the force were to return to their duties.
As the four were led out of the park and down a wide street, Aliisza took in the sights. As much as the park and its magical displays amazed her, the street they turned on outdid it considerably. Every establishment they passed, from the meanest vendor to the most elaborate shop, incorporated extravagant arcane contrivances to draw attention to themselves. It was if each attempted to outdo the next.
The first building on their left was made up of a series of long towers constructed of translucent crystal. It reminded Aliisza of a set of musical pipes, and indeed, the whole place resonated with sweet tones, as though the building itself performed some song.
The entire front wall of a more conventional building on the right glowed from multiple dweomers displaying moving images of sailing ships and splashing dolphins, all in garish pinks and purples. From the noise emanating from within that place, it was a thriving taproom.
A third establishment farther down took up the entire block and resembled the dryad tree-community-or at least how Aliisza imagined it before Zasian had burned it to cinders. Unlike that locale, though, the great tree that filled the lot was entirely magical, constructed of nothing more than millions of twinkling lights. The buildings resting within those arcane branches took the form of gilded bird cages. The whole place had a fey quality to it.
A vendor selling meat pies passed the group heading the other way. He attracted business by means of an illusory life-size phantasm of a three-headed lizardman dressed in a jester's outfit that cavorted around the merchant's cart. The pies he hawked smelled delicious to Aliisza, but her escort seemed intent on getting them to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible. She gave one last, longing look back at the cart and hurried on.
A trio of ogre magi moved casually down the opposite side of one street they followed, dressed in rich silks adorned with magically enhanced baubles. Aliisza stared at them for a moment, expecting trouble, but when no one else in their retinue paid any heed to the powerful wizards, she shrugged and kept going. In her distraction, the alu almost stepped in front of a floating carriage that was missing both its draft animals and its wheels. Inside, a human with long white hair, an equally long white moustache, and even longer fingernails gave her a disdainful stare as she scooted out of the way.
Through all the sights and sounds, hundreds of lantern archons bobbed and weaved, hurrying elsewhere on some errand or another.
Once over her initial shock and awe, Aliisza found the ostentatious nature of the city amusing. She remembered Tauran's quip about conspicuous displays of power.
He wasn't exaggerating, she thought. Whoever has the time and energy to go around creating all of this must be imposing. And wasteful. The alu could still feel the heightened sense of arcane potency coursing through her own body. But with this kind of power… she shivered in anticipation. Anything might be possible.
They reached an open plaza with several buildings facing the common square, which was dominated by a great basin filled with what looked like liquid silver. A tall stone fountain depicting three incredibly lifelike dragons hovered over the center of the pool. From the mouths of the dragons spewed a continuous stream of tiny points of light, each one bursting into a myriad of colors, much like the tiny missiles that Kaanyr had been so fond of conjuring with his lost wand.
The patrol of hound archons led the four of them across the plaza to a broad-fronted building. It was one of the most mundane structures Aliisza had spotted since entering the city. Instead of steps, a ramp rose up to a colonnaded porch with three sets of immense double doors. The folk coming and going from those doors did not walk upon the ramp, however. Instead, they merely stepped onto an invisible point directly over the ramp and seemed to glide up or down without moving.
The group entered the austere building, where simple stone walls and fluted columns rose to tall, vaulted ceilings. As the visitors strode across the tiled floor, the soaring chambers echoed their footsteps. Large tapestries hung in some of the alcoves, and hallways led to other parts of the building in others.
Aliisza felt a vague sense of unease. It looks like a cathedral, she decided. And not so many amazements. Someone has a sense of humor, I guess.
The archons led the quartet through several halls and down a broad set of stairs until they came to a polished wooden door. The leader of the patrol opened the door and ushered them inside.
'Someone should be here to speak with you shortly,' he said, stepping aside.
Tauran nodded and passed through.
Kaanyr hesitated at the entrance. 'How long?' he asked, more gruffly than Aliisza thought necessary.
Don't make them more wary, you dolt! she wanted to yell at him.
The archon bristled slightly. 'As soon as is reasonably possible. You will wait here until they can get to you. As you can imagine, there is a bit of a backlog. We have many visitors to the city every day.'
'Quit being a boor and go in,' Kael growled from behind the cambion.
Aliisza was glad she wasn't the only one who had been thinking that.
Kaanyr grimaced and rolled his eyes, but he turned and entered the room. Kael and Aliisza followed him, and the archon pulled the door shut after her, leaving them alone.
The chamber was pleasant and comfortable, with several couches arrayed around the perimeter and a side table filled with numerous foods and beverages. Beautiful magically animated landscapes adorned the walls, like moving paintings made of light and sound. Aliisza stared at one, astonished at the way the populace spared no use of arcane power for the most mundane things. She noted that there were no other windows or exits from the room.
Kaanyr headed straight for the spread of food and grabbed up a thick slab of bread. Breaking it in half, he layered some roasted meat simmering in rich, dark mushroom gravy, along with some slices of cheese, onto the crust. He was on the verge of biting into the meal when he froze in place.
'You don't think they've laced this with something, do you?' he asked no one in particular. 'Should we eat it?'
Aliisza's stomach was rumbling, and the odors wafting from the spread made her mouth water. She and Kael
