10/24/1129
Amethyst and her friends were all standing on the deck as the ship drifted into the bay. Grand cliffs, even larger than the ones she had seen the night before, were teaming with more life than she had seen in all the deserts of Ashara. Along those alabaster edges, trees and shrubs flourished with an assortment of all kinds of varying plants which were bursting from the cracks and narrow ledges. Goats could be seen scaling the shear drops, their precision was the perfect calculation of nature and instinct. Birds flew from the cliffs, swirling and twirling in feats of acrobatics meant to defy gravity. They tempted fate by gliding just above the water's edge before soaring up high and then fearlessly diving down into the water. Some came back with a bounty, others came back with nothing and some still, Amethyst did not see return from the depths.
Large walls had been constructed or maybe even carved around the mouth of the harbor. Towering statues stood heroically along the outside of those walls. Each one had its own pose and each face was different. Amethyst saw Stochastís looking at one in particular. His face was like that of a child who was welcoming his father home from war just before the tears would start to flow.
Amethyst observed the statue as well, deciphering the mystery Stochastís seemed to see. It was of an old man in battle worn armor, his wrinkled features were like a portrait. Amethyst could make out such great detail, that she thought it could have been a giant frozen in stone, even the blemishes and minor scars depicted on the aging skin of the envisioned model were so real, she winced at the thought of receiving them herself.
Etched into the cliff face there was the city of Neopolis. Its size and grandeur was impressive to say the least. The city spanned the whole of the cove, and Amethyst could see the tops of buildings which rose at the top of the cliff as well, suggesting that the city continued along beyond sight, past the top.
As they approached, Amethyst was enraptured by the many and intricate details of the sea of stone buildings. Before they passed through the gates and into the harbor, Amethyst whispered a silent prayer to any god that would listen, thanking them for the passage into this marvelous city.
She could not tell the purpose for every building, but she could guess for many of them. She had no doubt which was the temple, however. It stood nearly alone, the cliff had been carved away, and the temple itself had been hewn from the rock there from. The overhang above the temple had designs that Amethyst couldn't make out from her position, but she was struck at the engineering which had allowed them to create such a monstrous building. The size of the temple certainly outmatched even the great pyramids of Western Ashara. It stood in a magnitude unthinkable. The other buildings were grand in their own ways as well, and many large statues and monuments seemed to dot the cliff side's tiered streets, but none could match the temple's beauty.
Much of the city would lay in the sun's reach for most of the day, resembling hills and plateaus more than cliffs unlike the temple whose glow could only be seen by the rising of the western Sun. In the morning light, Neopolis was highlighted in reds and oranges tinged with the purple accents from the clouds bumbling overhead.
Later in the afternoon, the sun lingered brightly from high atop the sky. Its warm rays, tempered by the cool breeze which had firmly pulled Bontu's fleet safely into the harbor earlier that morning. Dozens of different kinds of ships had also been in the harbor, coming and going, slowly taking their turns to unload and load their cargo. The harbor was bustling with activity. Many of the ships looked to have taken damage from the cyclone.
The city itself looked to have been free from damage. With the exception of several wooden structures, which looked to be under reconstruction on the water and near its edge. In the water, below the surface, Amethyst could see that there were several husks of former ships. The clear water along with the unfiltered light illuminated their shadows clearly in contrast from a stark white bottom.
Stochastís had explained, while intrigued by reactions of those who had not seen anything like this, that once the rush of goods ended, they would close the gates of the harbor and spend a week cleaning up the sunken ships which lay at the bottom. There was a nearby village that would handle the standard receiving at that time. Then open the gates back up, eager to unload the city's excess out into the world. At least, they would do that, so long as the Oracle did not foresee any other storms in the season.
§
More than half the day had passed by the time Bontu's ship was able to take a place at one of the grand docks. They waited more than two hours before anyone was allowed to leave the ship. All the while, guards and dock workers went over manifests and checked cargo. When they were finally allowed to leave, the sun was on the decline.
Everyone gathered just off the ship, save for the crew, who were busy unloading the ship's belly. Bontu and Garba similarly had remained on the ship after brief farewells, though he had planned to take a break from sailing and was unsure as to his next step. The two would be staying at an inn close to the temple.
Once Wa Chini, Busara, and Nuru had gathered with Amethyst, Tennessee, and Ebba, Stochastís started going over some basic information about how to hold themselves while here. The intricacies of the social interactions were quite different here. The group had already heard this information from Stochastís, but anxiously, he reminded everyone as to how not to offend anyone while in the city.
Finally, with all the formalities covered, all questions answered, and Stochastís looking like he could pass out at any moment, Amethyst and her friends left the dock area through one of the gates which separated the main city.
"Stochastís!" A man shouted. "Stochastís! Over here!"
Amethyst saw a man waving his arms, he looked like a thicker Stochastís. He was not fat, but had a great deal of muscle. The two men dropped their stuff and ran towards each other, embracing tightly. He and Stochastís were about the same height with Stochastís being the taller of the two. Awkwardly, Amethyst and the others walked up behind Stochastís and waited for their long hug to end.
Stochastís let the man go, he then gently wrapped his arms around a blonde woman who stood just behind the man which Amethyst had not noticed. She was considerably smaller than both the men. She looked to be about the same age as the man and Stochastís. She was beautiful in Amethyst's eyes. She had smooth skin and her hair looked like silk. Stochastís kissed both sides of her cheeks and she returned the gesture.
Stochastís turned and made the introductions of Amethyst first, followed by the others of her group. Then turned to the two strangers in front of Amethyst. "This man is my brother, Prátton." Prátton gave a little bow with a few pleasant words, before Stochastís continued. "And this is his better half, Arketá." Arketá just smiled and nodded her head.
Once the introductions were through, Prátton wasted no time. He closed the gap between himself and Amethyst in a flash and had wrapped his arms around Amethyst in a hug just as tight as the one he had given to Stochastís. Amethyst felt her back pop a few times as the air was squeezed out of her. As she was not fully recovered, when he let her go, she had a short coughing fit.
"Gentle, you great beast!" Arketá scolded. Her sweet look turned hostile quickly. Her arms crossed and she leaned back slightly showing her full front to Prátton. If a look could kill, the man would have fallen over.
Arketá's glare had made Amethyst nervous that maybe she had broken a taboo she was unaware of. Her anxiety quickly dissolved as Prátton started to laugh nervously and shrugged his shoulders. Arketá narrowed her eyes and scrunched her face to assert her displeasure at Prátton.
Prátton, though clearly nervous, remained smiling as he turned back to Amethyst. "Apologies, I only meant to thank you for taking care of my dear brother. " He gestured towards Stochastís. "His letters have described you as, "A great pillar and moral compass."" He put his hand lightly onto Amethyst's shoulder. "So I am grateful for your "Large heart" as he put it."
Amethyst blushed at the compliments. She was sorely unaccustomed to comments like this, especially from strangers. She managed to mumble out a thanks before translating the conversation to the group. Her throat started to burn, which led her into another deep cough. Nuru stepped up and rubbed her neck, the burn was relieved and the cough subsided.
Both Prátton and Arketá looked concerned while Stochastís explained her rune which allowed her to comprehend and speak languages. After checking to make sure Amethyst was really okay, Stochastís inquired to his brother about the letters, and why if he had been receiving them, did they not return letters to him. Prátton was shocked, as he explained that he had been giving the family letters to Mágissa to bundle together with hers. Then Prátton had a look of sadness as he had to relay a message he thought Stochastís had already known, Sofía had locked herself away in the old temple and had refused to see anyone for months.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
§
The shadow of the cliff had eclipsed the sun's light from the city. Amethyst walked in an awkward silence next to Tenya as they followed the winding road which switched back and forth up the cliffside. The main street looked simple enough to follow, but widened and narrowed in odd places. Then they would take what looked to be alley ways for a time before reaching a larger road. She wondered if there was a main road at all. The inconsistencies created a maze that Amethyst could not follow, Tenya and the others looked equally confused, while Prátton and Stochastís led the way through the labyrinth. The people they walked past spared them no glance. Amethyst felt more at home here in that way then she ever could have in Ashara. She saw many Anesdari like herself, but they too offered no attention for the traveling party. She felt like if she put her hood up and dropped into one of the side streets, she would disappear and be swallowed up, never to be found again.
They walked for a long time as the darkness deepened around them. The buildings, as they climbed, became more spread apart. Walls and gardens separated them from the streets, and soldiers stood guard all around the streets as they reached the top of the cliffs. There were no walls to divide the city from the rolling pastures and hills. The sun hit Amethyst square in the eyes. There was little ability to shade them without blocking the view entirely, so she moved her hand often so she could take in the expansive view.
She turned around to look out to sea. Upon the high cliffs she could see the coastline as it stretched off into infinity. The shoreline rose and dropped dramatically, giving way to beaches that ended abruptly. Large spires remained in the sea, separated from the cliffs, but were equally as grand. She could see dozens of ships out on the waters. She wondered about them, about the people who scurried aboard. She knew the men who followed Bontu were happy, They seemed free. She wondered, If all those who scurried around down there like ants were really slaves after all.
They followed the main road, its insistence of rising and falling, twisting and turning reminded Amethyst of the wildness of the Tribelands. They had followed hunting trails and ditches as they had followed Busara's internal compass. At least here they could see all ahead and around them from each hill peak.
As they stood on top of the final hill, Amethyst saw the setting sun blazing in the far horizon, lighting the vineyards and fields in a fiery sunset. The long cast shadows contrasted the long wavy grass which swayed in rhythm to the wind which flowed through small orchards of trees. The land of wine and olives Stochastís had called that place and she could see what he really meant was the land of paintings, the land of beauty, the land of peace.
In the not so far distance, Amethyst saw a large home, which had an equally large wall around it. The vineyards and orchards which spread from it covered the hillside. One wide road would take travelers to the front doors, while several smaller ones split off and ran outside of the house's surrounding defenses and wiggled between the farms like roots from a tree.
As the night was settling, the last rays of light illuminated the true size of this home. Far greater than any home she had seen before. The main house was easy to see as she had approached, but now it was clearer that this larger home was actually made out of several smaller structures that intertwined behind the main building all with covered walkways.
Armed soldiers were posted at the gates to the house. Around the property groups of soldiers were mounted on horses and roamed the roads and fields. Amethyst felt nervous at first, unlike the ragtag group which had defended Ponáei's manor, these soldiers were well organized and had matching armor. Amethyst didn't know why, but their organization was more terrifying than a group of what had amounted to armed thugs. Perhaps they had reminded her of the Serpent Guard's uniformity.
When Stochastís arrived at the gate, the soldier's hard exterior melted away. They left their spears by the walls and removed their helmets. They had wide smiles and greeted Stochastís enthusiastically. They asked personal questions, and he agreed to tell them all the story when their shifts ended. With laughs and kind words, they made the final stretch to the house.
The servants of Stochastís, who had followed him to Ashara and back, said short and pleasant goodnights to the group before they disappeared around the back side of the main house. By the time they had departed, the doors to the house had opened and a new group of servants took the places of the old as if there had never been a difference.
The inside of the house looked more like a museum than a place to live. In the grand entrance, half of a ship had been rebuilt and displayed with great plaques, the letters of which were entirely unfamiliar. Suits of armor were displayed in front of the ship, each one decorated and unique with their own plaque. Amethyst tarried for a few moments looking at each one. Then proceeded with Tenya hand in hand to follow Stochastís who offered no explanation as he hurried through the halls.
The path they took looked the same, displays of armor, weapons and the heads of great beasts were displayed. Each seemingly having a story plastered next to it that she just couldn't decipher. They finally made their way through the museum and into the main shared space. There were several people who were sitting at a raised table to eat. One man, who sat at the head of the table looked precisely like the one gigantic statue which guarded the walls of Neopolis Stochastís had been so fascinated with.
As Amethyst was guided to a spot near the end of the table, she looked around the room, which was made to be set up for multiple engagements. The platform of the raised table she was on was five steps tall. She could see in a dim corner another similar space which was five steps lower than the main floor.
There were shelves of books that lined one wall, and against another were, what appeared to be, Asharan artifacts that were familiar to Amethyst in design, but the function other than decoration, eluded her. Against another wall, she saw artifacts that were reminiscent of what she had seen in the Tribelands on her way up to Ashara. Particularly, there was a wall of spears that looked to be of similar craft to one that Busara had painstakingly made on their trip to his village. Everywhere she looked there were more decorations of lands unknown to her. Each having their own plaque.
The food at the table was familiar to Amethyst at least. A blend of food similar to that of Ashara, and a mix of food from Hyperia, which she had not seen in nearly a decade. There was far more food on the table than they could all eat even if the meal were to go on for hours. So Amethyst vowed to eat as much as she could, just in case the meal were meant only as a welcoming back for Stochastís. She didn't want any of it to go to waste. That's what she told herself, but she knew that after weeks of hard bread and salty fish, her desire was a little more selfish.
Amethyst could tell who the family members were without issue. They all looked so similar. The old man who she presumed to be the father, held features unmistakably shared through the children. Though his skin was more fair than his children with an olive hue and gray and white hair. The woman who was next to him appeared to be an Asharan woman. Aside from her golden brown skin and black hair all the kids shared, it was her honey brown eyes that gave away her children's lineage. There was a younger woman who looked to be a feminine Stochastís. Amethyst couldn't help but laugh; It was as though they had all been cast from the same mold, then had slightly different features attached.
Next to the younger girl was a man with fair skin like the father, but his eyes were different and his hair was brown and yellowish like streaks of sunlight had become trapped and were eating at the strands. He was also the only person without a shirt on. Despite the sister's hand resting on the man's thigh, no one here seemed interested to engage with him. And from the look in his eye, Amethyst became immediately distrustful. He had a look similar to men like Katili and Uongo, Amethyst decided to pretend he wasn't there.
Once everyone had sat, there was still one empty chair near the center of the table. The feast seemed on hold while they waited. That didn't bother Amethyst, who could understand the conversations around her. She could tell that her friends who didn't understand were uncomfortable. Only Tenya and Ebba seemed to be unbothered, with Ebba sneaking small bits of food while they waited. If anyone noticed, there was no word or acknowledgement.
Finally the last person took their place. She was an Anesdari, like Amethyst. Her olive skin had been kissed by the sun, and she had a thick layer of freckles across her nose and under her eyes. She had tattoos on her face that were simple and elegant. She had deep olive green eyes and hair as white as a sheep's wool. She had horns that were more like antlers with three symmetrical points on each the left and right of her head for a total of six, which split like branches from the sturdy trunk of her horn base. She looked at Amethyst with wandering eyes and gave a flirty smile before turning her attention to the head of the table.
Before introductions were made, the old man at the head of the table stood and announced. "Eat first! Introduction tomorrow, Except to say that I am Íroas and this is my wife Ofeíletai." He gestured to the Asharan woman. "We shall have pleasantries in the morning. Eat to your heart's content!"
The custom, as Stochastís had explained, was to slam your hands on the table after the announcement of the feast. The family and those familiar did just that. Only Ebba had followed the tradition with the rest merely letting their hands touch the table gently. Like any other potential offenses, there seemed to be no repercussions as the table started to move food onto their empty plates. Amethyst hesitantly started to do the same, before she knew it, she was smiling and laughing with Tenya and her friends while they ate.
Stochastís brought them outside to one of the second buildings. He explained that servants attended at all hours and should there be need for anything that those servants would be glad to help.
"The home is yours as much as it is mine." He said with a smile, followed by a deep and aggressive yawn. He bid everyone a good night. Like in Ponáei's home, there were multiple smaller rooms with two beds a piece. Ebba and Nuru took one room, while Wa Chini and Busara took another. Though there were enough rooms for everyone to have their own, Amethyst and Tenya took one to share as well.
They all said their goodnights, and in a blur of exhaustion, Amethyst took off her clothes without considering Tenya's presence and laid down in the cloud that was her bed. Soft silk lined fleece blankets and sheets warmed her up in an instant. She managed to mumble out a quiet goodnight. She felt something press on her head and heard a soft whisper back before she fell into a restful sleep.