The city of Katavysia loomed ahead in the distance like an enormous ivory monument. The city was massive, tapering off from Whitespire Peak in the Pandhara Mountains. Tall stone buildings cascaded down into the lower edges of the city, and the smaller buildings eventually became impossible to see beyond the towering walls that surrounded the capital.
Lura’s jaw dropped slightly in surprise. She had never been in a city larger than Stormhall, and while the capital of Serevar was impressive in its own way, it didn’t compare to the sheer size of the sprawling metropolis that laid bustling before them. Most of the buildings were carved beautifully out of the white mountain stone and were adorned with banners and pennants. The wall looked impregnable and was dotted with towers that were all fully manned by city guards and Imperial soldiers.
Tanzik drew his coat closer. He had appreciated the warmer climate they had been in, but the air grew chillier as they approached the mountain range where Katavysia was carved out of. In spite of his grief, he was still impressed by the sight. Allena seemed happy, but not as impressed.
“All right,” Allena said, “we’ll drop off our horses at one of the stables outside, it’s too packed with people to ride them through the streets.”
“You’ve been here before?” Lura asked.
“A couple times. Pretty place, but much too busy for my liking.”
They dropped off their horses at a stable called the Farrier’s Foal and headed through the city. They were quickly greeted by the smells of street vendors, confections, and bakeries as they went through the Market District. The crowds were overwhelming for Tanzik, who wasn’t used to being around this many people.
Lura, on the other hand, seemed in her element. “I could pick so many pockets,” she whispered ecstatically. “No one would know! How could they?”
“The guards are vigilant,” Allena said. “It’s harder to get away with than you’d think.”
“After all this time, you still doubt me.” She stumbled and fell on the cold cobblestone and cried out in pain.
“Are you okay?” A woman said as she helped her up. Lura slid her fingers in and out of her pocket in a flash, then slipped the stolen coin up her sleeve to hide it.
“Yes, so sorry!” Lura looked nervous and her eyes began to dart around her. She smiled uncomfortably.
“First time in the city?”
“Is it that easy to tell?”
The woman laughed. “Don’t worry about it. Just don’t keep your head down, look straight ahead. You’ll want to watch your feet, but you need to be more aware of your surroundings.”
“Thank you.” She beamed and waved as she walked away. “So, so easy,” she said as she slipped a coin in her pocket.
Tanzik rolled his eyes. “Keep focused, I can’t deal with another jailbreak with you.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Sorry.”
“Where’s this Gold Quarter Veza mentioned?” Tanzik asked.
“Toward the back of the city,” Allena said. “Near the towers where the richer districts are. It’s early enough that if foot traffic isn’t bad we should get there by the end of the day if we can find a hansom or carriage.”
They made their way through the Market District and through the Central District using the street signs and directions posted on signboards. The buildings grew increasingly more intricate and well built the farther west in the city they traveled. Toward the edge of the city, many buildings were made of wood and other materials, but most buildings closer to the Gold Quarter were built from Pandharan stone.
Eventually, toward dusk, they found their way in the Gold Quarter. It was lavish, with flowering trees lining the streets, which were better paved and more spacious. There were statues built by masters of the craft, immaculately trimmed topiaries, and vibrant decorations everywhere.
It was gorgeous, but they attracted some dirty looks. They were dressed in tattered traveling clothes and battered armor, and their hair and faces were messy. Tanzik had never felt more out of place in his life, but Allena didn’t seem bothered. Lura seemed to be playing up her disheveled appearance if anything.
“Where’s this fountain?” Tanzik asked.
“I don’t know,” Allena answered. “We’ll have to ask around. There’s an inn over there, we can try there.”
They stepped into a place called the Tri-Corner Inn which sat right on the edge of the Gold Quarter, Central, and the High Markets.
The innkeeper, an elderly man well-dressed in finery that didn’t seem to suit the profession of an innkeeper walked up to them with a practiced smile.
“Good evening, travelers!” His demeanor was more polite than kind, and his voice was stiff and clearly unwelcoming. “My name is Vayán, may I ask what brings you here?”
Lura immediately noticed the anger and frustration brimming beneath the placid smile. “An establishment such as this is surely out of our humble means. If you could offer some directions, we’ll be on our way.”
He immediately relaxed his shoulders. “Of course! Please, step inside out of the cold.” He led them inside. “Forgive me, we’ve had an Obaran ruffian in here causing trouble earlier, so I’m afraid it’s got me a little on edge.”
“I understand,” Allena said. “We must look something awful.”
“Oh, nonsense,” he said. He waved his hand dismissively and smiled. Lura noticed it was more genuine this time. He really didn’t want them here.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“There’s a fountain nearby with a statue of God Queen Katavy, do you know where that is?”
“Of course! Here, let me show you a map.” He went behind the counter. The place was beautiful and made almost completely out of high quality, hand carved wood.
“This place is impressive,” Lura said. “It must be the only thing not made of stone for miles.”
“By design,” Vayán said, a hint of pride creeping through. He held out a piece of parchment with a map of the Gold Quarter drawn on it. “Here’s where you are. The God Queen’s fountain is here.” He pointed to a place about twenty minutes away. “It’s called ‘Our Lady of Stone Memorial Park.’ There are street signs that point to it if you get lost. Just avoid the alleys, I hear there was a fight in one of them. Someone attacked an Imperial agent, can you believe it?”
“No,” Lura said with fake surprise. “Thanks for the warning, sir. We’ll be out of your way, then.”
“No trouble at all, have a wonderful evening.” He smiled again as he put his map away and the three left.
“What in the gods’ names was that about?” Tanzik asked.
“Typical rich jerk,” Lura said. “Just had to butter his ego a little and make sure he knew us lowly peasants wouldn’t be stinking up his atmosphere.”
“You handled it well,” Allena said.
“Again with the surprise.” She grinned. “I’m an excellent liar, you of all people should know that.”
“Don’t start,” Tanzik said gruffly. He wasn’t about to see them fighting again.
“Ah, we’re good.” Lura elbowed Allena playfully. “I don’t hate her that much anymore.”
“Nice to know,” Allena said, smiling in spite of herself. “I’m glad. I’m glad we’re all here.”
***
Our Lady of Stone Memorial Park was a small, quiet place settled out of the way of the roads. There was a decorative black fence around it. There were benches and trellises, several arrangements of shrubs and flowers, and a fountain with a statue of the God Queen in the middle. It was peaceful.
Allena sat down on a bench and breathed a sigh of relief. Tanzik paced back and forth anxiously while Lura absentmindedly fiddled with the bandages on her hand. It felt strange, being at the end of such a long and arduous journey. They had been through so many trials and dangers together and she felt a pang of affection for her friends rattle through her heart. The threat of the Phoenix still troubled her deeply, and she didn’t know how this journey ended. But she was glad to be here through all of her exhaustion and desire to return home. She tried to stop her mind from racing ahead of itself, but couldn’t help but smile in anticipation.
Tanzik was nervous. Mixed with grief and anger that he had been trying to push down since they left Makan, he couldn’t sit or stand still. His legs and feet were tired from the long journey, but his dull aching muscles were at the back of his mind. Ever since he set out from Violet Shoals with his companions, it had been a nonstop parade of struggles and hardships. He wanted to return to Serevar where, even though he didn’t always feel welcome, he didn’t have the Empire hunting for him. The iron token Lura stole had been a thorn in their sides for months and he was as ready to see if it was worth it as he was afraid that it wasn’t.
Lura was thinking of a career change. She was a good thief, but stealing and shooting would be harder with a missing forefinger. She wondered what else she would even be good at. She felt dismayed as she didn’t build up a stash somewhere. She had lived from day to day and only took what she needed. If she had been more proactive, she could retire, buy a nice house on the coast somewhere sunny. She had grown to respect her friends even though she still wasn’t happy about Allena stabbing her. But she knew they were caught up in something much bigger, and was concerned that her life of quiet retirement was something that they might not live to see.
They waited most of the day until the sun began to set. Suddenly, the silence was broken by an awful, off-key whistling. A thin woman dressed in sailors garb sauntered in, hands in her pockets. She had short, fiery red hair, pale olive skin, and violet eyes. Tanzik and Lura noticed immediately that her ears were scarred and disfigured similar to Allena’s. Them woman squinted with a piercing gaze at the three of them, then glanced at the foot of the statue.
“Told her it’s bloody waste of time,” she said in an peculiar accent. She rolled her eyes and turned on her heel to walk away.
“Halcyon?” Allena asked, her voice a breathy whisper.
The woman turned around slowly, eyes wide in a mix of panic and confusion. “Uh, easy with that, yeah? Mixed company and all. You the drop?”
Allena nodded excitedly and moved toward the woman. Tanzik and Lura were confused. They weren’t sure what the word she said meant, but it didn’t sound Serevaran or Imperial.
“Steady on,” the woman said. She put up a hand to stop Allena’s approach. “Where is it?”
“Gone.”
She spread her arms in mock surprise. “Then a bloody waste of time!” She turned to leave.
“But I know what it was.”
She stopped and turned around, not even trying to hide her annoyance. “Of course you know what it was. But I don’t, mate, and I need to see it.” She turned to leave again.
“It’s an iron token. On one face was the sign of the Phoenix.”
She stopped in her tracks. She turned around slowly, a moisture gathering in her eyes. “Don’t.”
“It is. And the other side, was—”
“Don’t!” She shouted. “Who are these people?”
Lura stepped forward a little. “I’m Lura, the sullen one’s Tanzik. Allena, is this your sister or something?”
Allena muttered something under her breath and rubbed the bridge of her nose. The woman looked an odd combination of disgusted and confused. “Bloody no,” she said. “Don’t know you, don’t trust you. So sod off.”
“No,” Tanzik said. “We’ve been through too much to get here.”
“That’s a ‘you’ problem. You’re in over your heads now, mates. Better get on with whatever’s left of your short lives.”
“Please, kith…” Allena said, desperation creeping into her voice.
“Mixed company,” she repeated firmly.
“I trust them. You can trust them.”
She smirked. “Keep thinking that. But serious now, tell me in private or not at all.”
“You’re in no position to bargain,” Lura said. “You need what we have, but I could live with walking away.”
The woman flashed an angry glare at her. “She’s right,” Allena said. “I’ll swear them to secrecy.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Just be quick.”
Allena went to Lura and Tanzik and took one of each of their hands. “I’ll explain everything later, but right now I need you to trust me. This oath is serious. And slightly magical. If you break it…” She hesitated.
“You die,” the woman said dispassionately. “Seen it once or twice, it’s pretty gross.”
Tears welled in Allena’s eyes. “This is it, friends. It’s not the end of the road, but it turns pretty sharp here. This is your last chance to walk away. But if you come with me just a little further, I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
“She doesn’t,” the woman said. “Can’t, really. Not her call to make.”
“I trust you,” Tanzik said, squeezing her hand.
“Made it this far,” Lura said glumly. “Not like I have much else going on.”
“Thank you,” Allena said softly. “I’ll administer the oath. You won’t understand, but the idea is that you swear yourself to silence and secrecy about everything we talk about. Just say ‘aye’ at the end.”
She spoke in a foreign tongue for a moment. It was beautiful and flowing, lilting and strange. A faint glow poured from Allena’s hands into Lura and Tanzik.
“Aye,” the said as she stopped talking.
The woman scoffed. “Bloody idiots. Fine, then, let’s talk.”
“First, who are you?” Tanzik said curtly.
“Name’s Capala. The boss sent me down to get this token to her before I left the city. Since I can’t do that, and you were generous enough to bind yourselves to silence, you’re going to tell me everything.”
“Of course, Capala,” Allena said.
“Who’s your boss?” Lura asked.
“Not part of the deal. That’s on a need to know basis, and you don’t. Now, you’re the second person today to tell me about the Phoenix. The first is a bumbling farm girl playing soldier, but she doesn’t know what it is. Yet.”
“How did she know about it?”
“She was at the Serevar front.” There was a moment of silence. The woman blinked. “You haven’t heard.”
“No,” Allena said. “It's our home, but we’ve been away for a while. What happened?”
Capala clenched her jaw and crossed her arms. “The Phoenix happened.”