It looked like a lively city. Houses were closely packed together within the walls that surrounded the area. The market had a few stalls and permanent shops and was located closer to the gate to allow for easier access to the main road for trader’s carts. There were men carving whole sides of beef with large cleavers, women selling vegetables, others holding out large bolts of cloth. The princess tried to look among the vendors for a lion Beastman selling chickens, just like the ones at the markets in Markholme and Rhodia. There were no lion Beastmen selling chickens; there were no Beastmen within the city at all. Everywhere she looked, Loren saw only humans.
As Loren watched, she began to feel an unease in the air. The carpenter studiously scraping away at a plank of wood with a hand plane was pale and his hands shook. The blacksmith placing an unfinished sword back into the forge was haggard and had dark circles under his eyes. The mother walking down the road impatiently pulled at the hand of her young son, constantly looking over her shoulder with fear in her eyes. Loren traced the woman’s line of sight and saw what she was so afraid of. Every few seconds, the woman would look back at the volcano towering above the town, and at the lowered drawbridge that led into a castle.
The Firestone Keep. The home of the Red Sisters.
Hamilcar grunted and shoved the princess roughly in the back. She stumbled forward a few steps, and when she looked up, the crowd was looking at her. Men and women stood in an eerie silence, having completely stopped what they were doing. They looked on with curiosity, some with pity in their eyes. Loren saw some glance towards the castle, others whispered. It was several agonizingly long seconds before the crowd went back to their routine, and the sounds of the market started up again.
Loren felt a nudge at her shoulder.
“They’re looking at all of us, don’t worry.” Kae muttered. The huntress’s hands were still bound behind her. “I don’t like this place, princess.”
“They look scared.” Loren whispered back.
“Why wouldn’t they be? Remember who rules this place? I would be scared for some unlucky idiots going to their doom too, but at least they aren’t the ones with their wrists tied up.”
“Quiet there!” Hamilcar bellowed behind them. He drew a large axe from his belt and jabbed it into Kae’s back, pushing her along. “Get a move on, the queen is waiting.”
The bandit leader’s laugh boomed in his chest. He waved a large hand towards the volcano and the castle carved into the dark rocks at its slope. “Nice, isn’t it? The Firestone Keep it’s called, and you know exactly who lives there.” He grunted as he returned his axe to his belt. “I heard there are mines that run under the mountain, digging up rocks that glow like coals but are cool to the touch. That is, until a mage gets a hold of it. When that happens, the thing won’t ever stop burning.”
Loren glanced at Kae as they walked up the long road towards Mount Volknar. All around them, Sagnian commoners took a quick look at them before hurrying on their way. It was as if they could spot dead men walking, and the sight was misfortune enough. Kae held Loren’s eye and smiled, reassuringly. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Loren kept putting one foot after the other.
The entrance to Firestone Keep was a lowered drawbridge over a moat, connecting the castle to the city below. Thick, heavy chains ran from the drawbridge and disappeared up into the dark walls of the castle, still slick with oil from use. Heavily armored soldiers stood guard past the drawbridge, holding spears crossed between them. They wore shining, parade-ready steel armor and full helms, with the insignia of the Red Sisters emblazoned on their chests in red on black.
“Who seeks entry into the Firestone Keep?” came the voice of one of the guards as Hamilcar and his band approached.
“Hamilcar, the Barbarian King!” Hamilcar answered, thumping his chest with a fist. “I bring gifts for the Red Sisters of Sagna.”
The guard looked over to his partner, who nodded back. They withdrew their spears and held them at their sides, turning on their heels to move out of the way of the guests. Hamilcar nodded back and led the way into the Keep.
The interior of the Keep was lit with large bronze braziers spaced every few feet along the walls. They were even larger than the ones Seraphis had set up at the northern outpost. Hanging from the high ceiling were black and red banners bearing the rearing lionesses that symbolized the Red Sisters. Attendants scurried around, drawn and pale faces flashing in and out of sight. The very air was thick and warm, and carried the aura of fear. The very building was oppressive, with no windows and heavy wooden doors leading into a darkness that Loren couldn’t see. Portraits of men and women hung upon the walls as well, in between the Sagnian banners. Fierce painted eyes looked down at Loren as she passed, and she was reminded of the painting of the Lady Ylfair, hanging in the Aldoran castle back home. Perhaps these stern figures, women and men marked with the
