“It’s amazing. Does- does that mean the stars are magical?” Maya pulled her gaze from the heavens, removed the goggles and looked to Piv.
“Of course they are! How could they not be?”
“I just- I didn’t. Yeah.” Maya gestured to put the goggles back on, then paused to check with their owner. Piv smiled and nodded. As their stargazing filled the evening, Piv pointed out a few of the larger constellations, and listened intently as Maya described the ones she could remember from home. Eventually their eyes grew weary, and so, with souls somewhat replenished, the companions gave in to sleep. The following night, Maya tentatively requested the goggles once again. Happy to oblige, Piv handed them over. “Anytime you need, just ask.” Maya did exactly that. Over the coming nights she perfected the meditative ritual of watching the stars before sleeping.
On what could have easily been their hundredth day in the forest, but was probably about the tenth or eleventh, Maya’s ears caught a familiar noise. “There’s a stream ahead. A big one I think. Sounds more echoey than the others we’ve found. My skin is running low, how about yours?”
Piv’s posture straightened for just a moment before relaxing. “That’s not a stream, that’s The Gouge.” He turned to Maya, with a mischievous look in his eye. “It’s a river, and you’re right, it is big.” Piv’s already tough pace quickened further. Maya skipped to keep up. “You make it sound like its huge.”
“It is! Well, biggest river I’ve ever seen. Misvans say that when the gods cast Boldurin from the heavens, he gouged a crater all the way from the mountains to the sea when he landed, hence the name. Even at its narrowest, it would be a half days walk across it.”
Maya threw her hands up. “How the hell are we supposed to cross that?!”
“We don’t need to cross it, Nurba’s built over it. The city is the bridge.”
“Well you left that bit out. Wait- does that mean we’re nearly there?”
Piv slowed, letting Maya fall into step beside him, “Yes, nearly. If my navigation has been right so far, we should hit the river slightly north of Nurba, then we can follow the rivers edge down to the city gates.”
As the pair moved closer, the sounds of the river amplified, and the air grew misty with its spray. Even in the dense forest, Maya could feel the river before she saw it. Despite the warning, despite the description, and despite the sheer presence she felt even at a distance, Maya was not prepared for the sight ahead as the trees cleared.
The vast body of rushing water raced from the northern mountains down to the south. Maya had never seen anything like it, and was fully ready to believe the Misvan mythos around its origin. Sheer cliff edges lined the immense river, as it carved an unyielding path away from the mountains. The roar of it drowned out all other sounds, and rumbled through Maya’s very being. She watched the water, unable to avoid imagining the horror it would be fall in. There would be no surviving such a fall, no rescue, no chance.
With awe and terror in equal measure Maya’s attention was diverted by Piv’s pointing down river. She stepped forward and despite being a good distance from the edge, she craned in, nervous to get any closer. As she traced the direction of Piv’s arm, the city of Nurba drifted into view. Though small at this distance, with the river for reference, Maya immediately understood its magnitude. A great stone bridge spanned the river, with pillars diving down into its depths. At the centre of this bridge stood a citadel, tall and proud. Towers spiked up into the air, and gave the city a look of magnificence and status, that Maya had only ever scene in storybooks as a child.
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Maya stood, captivated for a short while, before being pulled from her trance by Piv. He called over the roar, “Are you ready to go?”
He stepped past and moved back into the treeline, following parallel to the river. Maya raced after. “Yeah, sorry, it’s just-“
As the tree dampened the noise from The Gouge, Piv initiated the conversation once more. “I’m glad you liked the view, I remember when I first saw it. Although I must admit, that angle was particularly flattering. We’ll be using the river as our guide, but we’ll have to dip in and out of the forest at points.”
Maya raised a single eyebrow at Piv. “I feel like you played it down a bit when you described this place.”
“Well, I didn’t want to ruin that moment for you. I also think that a person’s reaction to great view tells you a lot about them.”
Maya grinned and nodded a thank you. “Come on then, what did you learn about me?”
Piv smiled, “Oh not much that I didn’t already worked out on our little stroll through the woods.” Piv chuckled once again, and once again sped up the pace.
With the roar of the river as a backdrop, the city soundscape didn’t factor in the pairs experience until they were close enough to see people moving around. By the time Maya and Piv emerged from the trees onto the road outside Nurba, the evening had begun to settle in. Lights flickered on all over the bridged city, giving it an ethereal glow that only added to its majesty. Piv urged the pair into step a short way behind a caravan of four merchant carts, as the hired muscle watched them carefully. Maya nudged Piv as they followed, “They’re all human, they look like me?”
“Well I wouldn’t go that far, but what were you expecting?”
“I just figured they’d look different. You’re just so- well, I don’t really know what I was expecting.”
“Your form is the most common in the realms as far as organised civilisations go. There are a few differences between different peoples, but not a huge number. Terrans are probably a bit shorter than the average, and a bit more rounded. From what I understand they are often physically stronger and more enduring, although I think there is still quite a considerable overlap. I don’t know how typical you are of your kind, so it’s hard to say what you should expect that’s different. Misvan’s I do know typically have a much more pronounced webbing between their fingers and toes than most others, so you might spot that.”
Maya inspected her own hands, “More pronounced? I don’t have any webbing?”
“Well, yes I did notice you had very little. I didn’t know if it was a point of shame, I know how some people get when their physical appearance is questioned. I figured it didn’t matter and I wouldn’t mention it.”
Piv stood up sharply and his focus shifted to the bridge. Following his distraction Maya realised they had reached the gates, and that guards were doing checks of the first cart in the caravan ahead. The walls that guarded the city stood tall and imposing, with the open gates giving a glimpse into the bustling citadel beyond. As the rest of the caravan drifted to the left side of the checkpoint, Maya and Piv were ushered towards a smaller station dealing with those on foot, of which they where they only ones.
A tall guard in simple copper coloured armour, engraved with a circular symbol, gestured for them to approach. Piv whispered as they complied, “Let me talk.” As if it wasn’t Maya’s only plan. The guard step forward. “Good Evening Miss, welcome to the Free City of Nurba. As you are no doubt aware, weapons are not permitted in Nurba without license. Are you carrying anything that could be construed as a weapon this evening?” Piv interjected, “ Only if you count her sharp wit!” Between the guards disdain and Maya’s frozen panic, Piv’s weak chuckle died off in a second before he tried again. “We’re hoping to see the sights, try the food.” The guard shuffled to face Maya directly, then paused looking her up and down with more scrutiny. “Miss? Everything alright?”
“Oh yeah, just overwhelmed. My friends always described the city as magnificent, but with your own eyes, it’s something else.”
The guard stood a little straighter and pulled his thin lips into a proud smile, “Ah, a first timer. Well, it’s getting late, you’ll want to find an inn. Might I suggest The Violet Oak, a respectable establishment in district of Doreton. It’s just past the fountain and on the right as you go through the main gate across the bridge. “ He pointed through the gates into the city. “Tell them Barris sent you. And Miss, be careful, Nurba is a wonderful city, but just like any other, it has its-“ The guard turned his attention to Piv. “Undesirables.”