CHAPTER FORTY ONE: UNTIMELY UNCERTAINTY

A scene kept looping through Calin’s mind. Rocks tumbling down the canyon walls and the thrum of thousands of wings as the Igri awoke, and the chaos that had ensued. Yet... there was a moment before entering the valley that stuck to his mind, the blocked tunnel.

It sealed the theory that it was all orchestrated with one purpose in mind, to capture him. It was a mystery that didn’t make sense at all. Why do they want me? Of all people in the world what could I possibly have that they want so badly? The questions haunted him more and more. There were simply no answers, and what Ta-Reen had said, it only added to the confusion.

He sagged back in momentary defeat. All he wanted was the reason for why his presence was placing his friends in danger. Somehow, it was becoming clear that ignorance in this matter would only allow things to go from bad to worse.

With a disheartened sigh he turned his head back to Evany. The girl was looking straight up. Small trails of tears trailed over her cheeks. It was painful to see.

More than before he wished she was free and back with her family back on the known seven continents ... back to what was normal in the modern world.

The guilt was running amuck in him; the thought that he should have told her adamantly that she should stay home that night. Then she wouldn’t be here, she would be working on her father’s farm. Why didn’t I say no? Another mystery...

It was not something he would easily forgive himself about; if ever anything happened to her.

Dropping the thoughts out of sheer weight of it, he wondered what was going through Evany’s head at that moment. But somehow he didn’t think it was sad thoughts. The girl always had a strong personality. After all these years, it had not yet faded.

The problem was, it made her prone to do something rash and that was the last thing he wanted now. If the exchange went smoothly she would be let go, whether it was true or not, it was the only hope he had.

A thought popped into his head, Kara, Jerry and Tyas’s caravan must be close to the city, or even there already. They didn’t know yet what had transpired, but if they could see them. Find out somehow, there should be hope.

In his mute state he twisted around as best he could and scanned the valley for another carriage from the progression of the Floating Gypsies, but only darkness met his eyes. Apart from the few natural Morning trees growing closer to the delta, there was no other light.

Where are they? Refusing to believe that they were also apprehended in the ambush,Calin tried to halt the feeling of helplessness and shifted his view back to the front.

They started entering the forest of light. The soothing turquoise and green light from the leaves did nothing to stop it as the apprehension built in his stomach.

After a bend in the road, the first silent pillar moved into view and the caravan floated around its thirty metre base. Up high, there were people in burgundy robes moving to and fro over the many pathways that webbed between the giant rock pillars. The highest parts of the natural columns were creeping into the dark skies hiding the secrets of its city. The people were truly oblivious of the caravan carrying two innocent bystanders.

The muffle, that kept him mute, did its job. The people of the city continued their lives up in the city on high. Unreachable.

By then they had passed the seven larger pillars that he had spotted from further away. There were many smaller ones, no thicker than maybe ten metres across. But the seven larger pillars were more than triple that, and the biggest, by far, was the eight natural pillar that housed the largest part of the city. But the trees were hiding it at that moment.

Then through the trees, a wide courtyard opened up. Numerous roads led away from it, and from the brief glimpse of their destination revealed several encampments weaving between the pillars on the ground. What purpose they served eluded him.

In between a turquoise and green Morning tree, there was a commotion. Several people with leather armour with their hoods up were making a lot of noise, shouting at what appeared to be guards. A counterweighted lift dropped down from the closest large Morning tree and more guards entered the fray. But the scene quickly disappeared behind a tree as the caravan moved on.

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In the courtyard, there were two roads full of robed people leading around a fountain of water in its centre. Calin groaned at the sight. He yearned to just fall into the water and drown himself in the taste of water going down his dry throat.

The sight of it was unnerving and he turned his gaze up.

There he spotted it. The heart foundation of the pillar city of Yera’s Crossing. Calin couldn’t even see the sides of the colossal stone column that stretched into the night beyond the reach of the light from the Morning trees.

It looked more like a sheer cliff than a pillar to him.

On the ground level they approached a row of buildings built from the same stone as the pillars that dotted the valley. From what he could see, they had round roofs that swirled together on two ends like ice cream cones. Several other rows of houses flowed into a series of archways that lead to the rock face of the main column. Each stone arch was capped with a statue of men and women standing silent guard around the grand pillar that housed the heart of the city.

In the side of the cliff like pillar there were numerous dots of lights, windows to living areas in the rock face.

The carriage approached the base of the towering pillar. There stood more guards with crests, of what looked like a lady holding a tree, proudly extruding from their chests in stark contrast to their dark grey armour that encompassed them from head to toe. The metal of the helmets covering their heads, curled into roots on top. It deftly hid more than half of their faces.

A voice of authority filled the air.

“Halt!”

The caravan slowed down and the guards lowered thick pikes adorned with shining silver tips in front of them.

From the right side, a different guard with an open helm walked closer on a slightly elevated dais, his face down reading through a book. The man was not looking up as his voice tumbled out. “Who are you and what is your business within Yera’s Crossing... gypsy?”

Ta-Reen glanced back at Calin and there was a malevolent smile on the gypsy’s face, threatening him that if he messed something up there would be consequences. Calin glared sarcastically at the man, he was tied up and unable to speak.

Ta-Reen just coughed before looking back to the guard and said, “Pardon me Nísir, I was on my humble path through the forest when my caravan was assaulted by bandits. We successfully defended ourselves, but some of our number got hurt and are still on their way to request passage over the Crossing of Kailuvia. But I came in front to announce the caravans and to come transfer these...” Ta-Reen spat back at Calin. “...bandits to Prison’s hold up in Yera’s Crossing.”

Calin silently looked down as the guard came to get a closer look. The guard’s broad straight set nose made the man look alien. But before he could inspect the man further the guard said, “Your request for the Crossing of Kailuvia will be taken up with Commander Osai’es in due time. But tell me why do you think these prisoners need to be taken in to Prison’s hold? Why not just drop them off at the Seven Pillars detention area. The captain there would take quick measure of them, gypsy.”

There was annoyance in Ta-Reen’s face, but the gypsy didn’t miss a beat as he said, “Because that bandit girl there is a human.”

The guard staggered back as if struck and looked at Evany more carefully.

The guard stammered. “Surely not? It’s been years since they have been last seen this side of the Crown mountains.” The second part was more of a whisper.

It was hard not to be surprised at Ta-Reen’s tact to say the least. There was something completely out of place. Something in the man’s words…

Not wanting to miss anything, Calin listened helplessly in his mute state to the conversation. The gypsy was already saying, “... believe me, I know them when I see them, I’ve travelled enough to know that girl is as human as they come, why she is this far from their lands, I cannot say. But who knows the mind of their thievery sort.”

The guard’s face showed complete dismay, as if he wasn’t equipped to handle this sort of situation, the man stumbled to the two pike men, muttering something, casting distressed looks at the carriage all the while. Calin’s stomach couldn’t help but twist in knots at seeing the unsettled guard.

The guard with the book came back and said in a shaking voice.

“Go up into Yera’s Crossing to Prison’s hold, it is directly to the right from the gates at the top. When you get there report this to Commander Osai’es immediately. He would know how to handle this dire news.”

Everything in Calin screamed confusion as the carriage started forward with Ta-Reen’s voice thanking the guards for their service.

Just past the guards, he couldn’t help but watch the man with the book; the guard’s brow was dripping with sweat as he looked at Evany as if she was a monster. Calin growled at the man through the scarf. It made him furious that they all were looking at her like that.

The caravan started tilting upward as it began its long trek up the main pillar, up towards Yera’s Crossing, and to Prison’s hold.

What does it mean? The maddening question itched at the back of Calin’s mind again. Slowly they ascended up past the canopy of the forest that hugged the seven large pillars and the heart pillar.

Something was not right. Whatever it was, it made his insides twist with worry. Nothing of it could be good.