Everyone was eagerly awaiting Maegy's arrival. Lucius was there as well, surrounded by a group of young people, in a magnificent stone chamber. On top of the pillars, the flames flickered, and the hall was lit up by the light coming from the arcade porch, glowing goldenly. The hall belonged to Al-Dalyon, the fortress of Cadaredia. Enormous shadows of the cathedrals surrounding the fortress descended onto its battlements as the Titans from the west.
White and golden was Cadaredia this morning—the color of light and fire. The rising sun's crimson rays, glinting off the domes of the temple, encircled the city of white stone like a golden crown. The place of questions and answers, of fear and beauty, of mystics and mages, looking like a relic, molded in an era of legends rather than built by mere mortals.
The scarlet mist of the sunrise surrounded the fires blazing on the sacrificial altars, wafting over the rooftops like the steam from the immense cauldrons. Mirage reflected the vague contours of the streets beyond the horizon, slashing the city of white castles like the chest of an elderly warrior. The grandeur of the city of monasteries was so magnificent, no one could make a sound. Gazing at the spectacular sight, Lucius and the other recruits couldn't help but be awe-struck.
“I think he is coming,” whispered the girl sitting next to him. Indeed, some strange feeling that gradually grew made Lucius aware of someone majestic and other-worldly was approaching.
The gate cracked open, and a man clad in a crimson cloak entered the dimly lit hall. While walking he didn’t even look at the newcomers, walked lightly contemplating, a cloak fluttering over his shoulders.
His steps echoed through the hall in a mysterious manner, leaving the newcomers speechless. He was shrouded in the smoke and the flames dazzling on the pillar tops danced together with his footsteps. The red fabric looked as if it was braided around his thin body.
“Welcome!” - he announced. The calmness blended into the firmness of his voice, made him sound strangely sharp.
“I welcome you, of all villages, cities, and towns, of suns and moons, of stars. Those who know magic and those who do not. You who abandoned hope and peace, and you who found it.”
This is the site of the Temple of Belial, where your first perception of the magical realm begins.
Lai Zhu
Lai lifted her gaze. The sun was on its way to setting beyond the horizon. She wanted to reach the summit before the sun went down and take in the city's view. For this, she had already spent many months crawling on the red cliffs.
Lai longed for the sight of the ocean. She would do anything to be there. Riding waves on the dolphin’s back, watching the slow-motion of the wave peeling along the reef, before pitching forward to explode in a foaming mass of white happiness. She longed for the blend of exhaustion and elation, the thrill of testing her boundaries beyond what she thought was possible, and the feeling of being part of something that so few will ever experience. This was the thing that made the summer islands so significant to Lai.
“The world is the chest of magnificence. Never forget this!” Naji's words provided her with the strength she needed. After a long time.
Lai wasn't sure if that was her real name, nor could she remember her face, but she knew she was graceful, like the light radiating warmth and brightness.
Not much remained before the summit. She put her hand on the reddish stone and felt its firmness with ellryne, jumped short, and started climbing. The rock was hard to climb, but she faced more obstacles than that on her way here. When Lai had reached the peak, the sun was halfway toward setting. Canvassed by canyons and clouds, the shape of a city inhabited by mages lay outstretched below.
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The world was reddish from here. The color of the distant Cadaredia blended with the redness of the rocks. She put the bow and traveler bag. Extracted flasks with oil and dyes. The paint on the weapon had faded. Ash-colored hues were returning. Old colors of ancient wood. It could be used by her as a staff in a fight. Lai spent years honing these arts.
“No one should see the actual color of the weapon,” - elders warned her.
After blending the oil and plant extracts, she started coloring. Upon completion, the bow was a brownish honey color. It could last up to four weeks.
She carefully put the weapon on the fabric and offered a prayer. The darkness had settled in when she was done. Now only body paint was remaining. Lai would not take a break before reaching Cadaredia. She wanted to reach the Temple of the Sun the next night. Every second was of importance. Who knew where “it” was now?
The ancestral wigwam was empty. Of the siblings, only Lai remained here, Lai and the old maid. They never thought of her as a full-fledged member of the family, it seemed, in everything…
The moon was concealed in the shadows of the cliffs. The dust that attached to the painted body caused the plant juice to become purple. Lai moved through the curving trails with the massive rocks, sometimes glancing out over the precipices. The black pits gave the appearance of a bottomless abyss. The only thing that broke the serene silence of the canyon was the shrill hoot of the night owl.
Lai had strong legs, but everyone would get tired after such a long journey. She had already covered so much distance that would arrive at Cadaredia on the first night, but she could not stop. The city of mages was alluring for her as if magic was throbbing and summoning Lai; “Come, approach me, come...”
The tree growing from the middle fire of the black wigwam was like that too, as if it was throbbing with magic—ash-colored magic...
Something went over Lai’s head and she recognized a goat jumping from rock to rock. The goat wasn't threatening, but if it got away from the predator, that could be dangerous.
Lai removed the bow and clasped the rock. Her left hand touched the weapon, her right felt the surface of the stone, and Lai sank into the ellryne. A beast was in the vicinity. It embraced the human aroma and denied pursuing the goat due to the presence of effortless prey. Lai dashed over the rock and dove into the abyss. Grasped the edge of the chosen rock and climbed. She sought an open area in which to wait for a predator. Clutching the bow in her mouth, Lai clambered onto a rock and surveyed the area. The canyon's mystery was illuminated by the moonlight, which glinted off the silver-plated stones, as viewed from above...
Silvery mane silhouetted from the darkness, the beast’s eyes illuminated yellow. It was the king of this place; the locals called it the king of twilight.
With a loud roar, the lion set off toward the prey. Lai touched the tree with the left hand and sensed ashen while breathing... She felt a slash in her palm and the blood revived the bow. The world was no longer the same. Life changed colors and exploded into the yellowish ocean in the beats of Cadaredia.
The arrow born in the bow flew to the beast, jumping from the cliff... One arrow - all it took to kill the predator, and this one shot took most of the remaining energy from her. Lai was lying in front of the dead lion, looking at the sky. She could do nothing more. A cloth wrapped around her hand was drenched in blood. She felt the hungry vibration from the weapon and could not dare to touch it again. This bow was a cursed thing. She knew it from the beginning, but...
Lai slowly pulled together her energy and rose, keeping the bow in her right hand, since it should not be touched by her bloody one.
When she glanced at Cadaredia, the color of ash seemed to take over her, as if it was wriggling, delving into the innermost parts of her soul and...
“No!” She clenched her teeth and, somehow, resisted the feeling of dread.
Trembling, she looked at the bow. There was no blood on the surface. The wood absorbed it all. She meandered down the path like a drunk.
Lai mirrored the sun's gaze into the city.
The morning had arrived. Smoke rising from the stone walls and noon canyon, fire on the roofs and glowing temples...
Lai sensed the color of the sun...
Leaning on the bow, she could barely restrain herself. She was running a bit behind, but she was still going to make it to the temple by the end of the night. The ashen wood required repaint. She removed the remaining dyes from the bag and proceeded cautiously. She felt the menacing wood with her fingers...