Kate walked alongside Jorad up the wide avenue that had been cleared through the rubble toward the center of the city. On her left were ruined buildings and random piles of small stones but on the right, the larger blocks from those same ruins had been used to create a high continuous partition wall.
Upon reaching the central intersection, Jorad motion for Kate to join him and tucked in close to the block wall. In the center of the round central plaza, a broken statue stuck out of a pool of dirty water. Beyond the stone figures the main street they were on continued on through the mess of broken buildings. She could recall that was where a kind old man had found her, then taken her to a small city made of one room buildings. She tried to remember more but nothing else came clear.
Taking hold of Kate’s hand, Jorad led her along the curved wall. At the midpoint in the curve, a gate was protected by a guard tower. Jorad approached and spoke briefly through a small window and the gate opened just enough to let them through.
They passed a doorway where a soldier watched in silence from the shadows. Jorad ignored the man and pulled Kate along a street framed by tall buildings on both sides. All the windows were empty and dark. A high arch set into a perpendicular wall loomed ahead and as they walked underneath it, fresh memories tugged at the corners of Kate's mind. Pulling her hand free of Jorad’s, she stepped out ahead of him. The wide terraced cobblestone courtyard was bordered on three sides by a high wall and various buildings, but Kate’s eyes were focused on the massive statue set into the wall at the top of the open space. It had been cut from the side of the cavern and she was trying to get a glimpse of who, or what, was moving on a platform near its base when she tripped on a set of stone steps and fell to the ground.
In an instant, Jorad was at her side. "Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm okay." Kate sat up. "I landed on my bag."
Jorad helped her to her feet. "I was too deep in my own thoughts instead of watching out for you. Please forgive me."
"It was my fault,” Kate said. “I was too busy looking up at the statue. It's pretty amazing."
Jorad snorted. "It should be. It cost too many lives to create and will require even more time now to take it down. It never belonged here in Kadir, nor did the karst at its feet." He gestured to the steps. "Please wait here while I see if we can get inside the palace to meet with Tyreth."
“Is Tyreth the queen?” Kate asked.
Jorad shook his head. “Not a queen. Some in the city refer to her as a princess, now that she lives in the palace, but that’s really the correct term either. It’s all a bit complicated since she was appointed as the leader of Kadir.” He pointed to the left. “She used to live with her father and the rest of us over at the temple.”
Kate nodded and sat on the edge of the stairs.
Jorad crossed to a smaller door set into the courtyard wall off to the right. A flat roofed building with identical rows of windows frowned over the wall. That had to be the palace he spoke of.
A guard opened the door and spoke briefly with Jorad before the door slammed and a dejected Jorad made his way back to Kate. "The guard says Tyreth isn't seeing anyone." In a bitter tone he added, "not even me." Picking up Kate's duffle bag, he appeared to be surprised by its weight. "I should have offered to carry this for you earlier. Please excuse me. I am not being a good host." He pointed to a gate in front of the temple on the other side of the plaza. "You can have something to eat and rest in the priest's quarters. Tomorrow morning, we will try again to see Tyreth."
"Do you live in the priest's quarters?" Kate asked.
Jorad nodded. "When Tyreth's father died in the battle with the Chief Watcher, I took his place as the High Priest. At the time I thought it would mean that Tyreth and I would become counterparts, but instead she moved into the palace and became the ruler of Kadir.” He looked longingly back to the palace side of the courtyard. "I think she just needs time to get over her father's death."
They crossed the expanse of cobblestones and past rows of metal posts. At the far wall surrounding the courtyard they walked through a broken gate into a smaller courtyard. A door leading into a tall, peaked building stood ajar.
Jorad pulled Kate off to one side. "It's not generally permitted to take a woman past the main hall and inside the priests' compound. Thankfully your face is dirty enough to pass for a man's."
Kate frowned and Jorad touched her cheek. "Don't worry. It would take all the dirt in the Cor to cover up your true beauty."
Kate felt her face flush as Jorad pointed to the open door.
"When we go inside, stay close behind me and don't talk to anyone," Jorad said sternly.
She followed the young man across the courtyard with a frown on her face. Between his exaggerated compliment and his treating her like a child, Jorad was beginning to annoy her. For now, she would follow his lead, but she didn’t trust him.
Jorad led her quickly inside another broken door and down a long hallway. They passed a large room and through the open doors, Kate glimpsed a huge table with a metal chandelier hanging over its center. "Watch the steps," Jorad whispered over his shoulder and Kate looked down just in time to avoid tumbling down the stairs leading out a back door.
Jorad paused on the bottom stair, peered into the darkness ahead, the led her through a raised garden, past a walled pool and out towards a row of smaller peaked-roof buildings, most of which had their doors broken off.
Jorad threaded his way between the buildings to a second row which had most of its doors intact. He opened one, motioned Kate inside, and shut the door behind them. A bright light flared from the end of a short stick, then Jorad twisted into a holder on the wall.
The square room smelled of mold and contained only a narrow bed and a small table. "I'm sorry about the state of this place. It hasn't been used since the priests were . . . well, not for a while." Jorad dropped Kate's duffle bag in the corner of the room and crossed to the bed. He shook out the blankets, creating swirls of dust in the flickering light. "This is only for tonight. Tomorrow, I can take you to the palace and you should receive a better welcome there."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"This is where we're staying tonight?" Kate asked, glancing at the single bed.
"This is where you will stay,” Jorad stated. “I must go back to the High Priest's quarters to perform my duties. You can rest here until the new light. Then we will try to see Tyreth again."
Kate nodded, but the thought of being left out here alone in the dark wasn't appealing.
Jorad pointed to the door. "You can use the bolt to lock it from the inside." As he hefted the bar, Kate thought of all the broken doors she'd seen in the other buildings. Bolting a door didn't seem to do much good.
Pulling a robe from a peg on the far side of the door, Jorad held it out to her. "You can put this on if you get cold." He wrinkled his nose and pulled it quickly back. "Never mind. This one doesn't smell that great. You can wear mine for tonight and I’ll get this one washed." Kate looked away as he pulled his robe off. When she turned back, Jorad had the dirty robe on and was holding out his own, but his eyes were focused on her neck. "Were you thinking of using your medallion to visit the chamber tonight?"
Kate fingered the chain of the medallion. "I'm don't even know how I got there the last time."
"Were you wearing the medallion when you fell asleep?"
"Yes."
Jorad nodded. "That is likely all it takes. I think it might be best if you did not wear it tonight. We don't know who else might also have one of the medallions and if they are dangerous." He turned and opened the door, looking to both sides before stepping out into the night. "Be sure to lock the door behind me," he said softly. "As soon as I have finished my tasks, I will return and bring something to eat."
The door creaked shut and Kate eased the heavy bolt into place. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled the bone nest medallion out of her pocket and placed it on the table beside her. Reluctantly she lifted the medallion with the green glow from around her neck and set it next to the other one. There was something odd about the one from the nest, but she couldn’t figure it out.
Wrapping Jorad's robe around her, she pulled her feet up on the bed and laid back. His robe smelled smoky and sweet, like the incense her mother used when she was dating the guy that was into meditation.
Turning on her side, she watched the torch. The flame was getting lower, sputtering and sending drips of flaming goo onto the floor. With one last flicker, the light died.
A heavy silence settled into the dark room. Kate felt along the table until a familiar glow sprang to life. She needed her medallion’s comfort in this strange place, no matter what Jorad said. Looping the chain around her neck she lay back and snuggled into Jorad's robe.
When Kate opened her eyes, she was back in entry room to the dream chamber; the narrow door in front of her. Jorad had asked her not to go inside the chamber but there was no point waiting in the anteroom. Besides, she didn’t exactly trust what Jorad had to tell her, he seemed to have his own reasons for keeping her out of the chamber.
Touching the door open, she entered the council chamber, immediately turning to the right to avoid looking into the dark space beyond the shattered door. As she expected, Jorad's door was dark, but the star on the door next to it glowed brightly. Surely it would be okay to take a quick look through the peephole and see who was inside. Touching the edge of the star, she stepped off to one side as it melted away.
Another young man stood just inside the door; his face framed by dark curly hair. His eyes were closed, and he had a peaceful smile on his face. As Kate watched the young man's eyes fluttered beneath their lids, opened, then focused on her. Kate quickly raised her hand to close the star.
A frown creased his forehead. "You're not . . . Who are you?"
"I'm sorry,” Kate said. “Jorad asked me not to speak with anyone in the chamber." Her hand hovered by the star, but she didn't want to shut it. Not yet. He had a kind face, and his gray eyes were warm and friendly. Maybe Jorad knew this man might be in the chamber and didn’t want them to meet.
The young man nodded. "Ah yes. I know Jorad well." His eyes narrowed briefly before the warm smile returned. "But who are you? I don't think we have met before."
"My name is Kate." She moved back to the center of his door and her hand brushed its surface. The entire door melted away and she pulled her hand away. She needed to be much more careful where she placed her hands.
The young man must have thought she had opened it intentionally, for he moved closer. Kate slipped back a bit, hoping the door worked the same as Jorad’s and that the man could not move past it.
"Hello Kate,” he said. “Are you also living in the palace? You look a lot like a princess in that gown."
Kate looked down, shocked to discover she was in a brilliant white dress. "I don’t know how. . . This isn’t what I was wearing when I went to sleep."
The young man touched his own robe, royal purple with white cuffs. "I know what you mean. If you could see me sleeping, you wouldn't recognize me. I haven't washed my real clothes in a long time. Is my face even clean?"
Kate nodded and he smiled broadly. "I hope that what the legends say about this place are true. It would certainly make me feel better about myself." He gestured grandly at Kate. "And it would explain your lovely appearance as well."
Coming from him, the compliment sounded more genuine than it did from Jorad, but she quickly responded. "What legends?"
"I have been told that here, in the council chamber, you wear what is in your soul. If you are unjust or untrue, it will be immediately evident to the others by what you are wearing. As the chamber leader,” he pointed to Kate, “you may still allow others who are not properly dressed to enter the room, but until they have a change of heart and are dressed appropriately, that person cannot participate in council decisions."
Kate nodded. Was he asking to be let into the council room? She wasn’t ready for that, despite what the legends might say. Kate pointed to his robe. "Are you some sort of king? It looks that from the way you're dressed."
"Thank you, Kate. No one has seen me for who I truly am for a long time." He ran a hand down his sleeve to the white cuff. "With everything that’s going right now, I was beginning to wonder if my own heart was growing cold." His face grew somber. "Right now, I don't feel much like a king, but I do have some advice for you.” He pointed to her medallion. “You must be very careful who you show the chamber master to."
"This?" Kate asked, lifting it between them.
"Yes. The glowing medallion you carry is the chamber master medallion. It is the only one that can open the anteroom doors and call the council to session. With the chamber master, you are the one who can govern the council. In past days it was a privilege to carry it, but now I feel it is more of a threat.” He looked intently into her eyes. “There are many who will want to take it from you, by force if they need to."
The young man glanced over his shoulder. "Someone is outside the place where I am sleeping. Somehow have found me yet again.” He looked back to Kate. "When you awake, do not speak of our meeting to Jorad. He may have good intentions, but his bitterness gets the better of him at times.”
"I won't say anything,” Kate said. “But you haven’t told me your name, if Jorad does mention you."
The young man shook his head. “It is best for now, if you do not know but be assured that I will introduce myself and tell you more the next time we meet.” He gave her a curt smile, turned away and vanished from the small room.
Kate touched near the opening into his anteroom and the door materialized. Closing the star shaped portal, she turned back to her own entrance. Jorad's door was dark which may mean he was awake and on his way to meet her in the priest’s quarters. She needed to get back.
As she moved toward her own entry room, a cold breeze drifted in from the shattered door. She lifted a hand toward the void and a chill ran up her arm. Her bruised wrist ached along with a strong desire to move even closer.
Instinctively she held up the light of the medallion to ward herself. Immediately her resolved strengthened and she stepped quickly past to her own entry room.