CHAPTER VII #3
The three soldiers all keep their engagements polite but simple, though I do notice Bryson looking at me a few times from down the table, always averting his gaze when I try to catch it in question.
There’s also a small tension that rests between Cal and Alanna, the two choosing not to speak on anything of importance until they find themselves alone.
It’s a relief, then, when Keane enters the tavern with the rest of the men towards the end of our meal.
He moves easily behind my chair, brushing his fingers across my back before giving my shoulder a small squeeze and taking the seat next to Mana.
I’m appreciative of his arrival but stand up quickly from my own chair, wanting to get away from the quiet and awkward table as I make my way to the pub to order another round.
Hopefully the drink will calm our group.
The rest of our ride to Auclair’s Outpost follows in the same quiet fashion.
We pass through the edge of Bartley’s Forest and continue on the smaller road that trails along the border of our Kingdom, everyone remaining stoic in their ride.
I’m probably the only one actually excited to reach the small city north of Bardot, as I’ve traveled to Auclair once under my employment with Zander and found it to be one of the most interesting cities in all of Disce.
The city is quirky, building itself sky-high against our eastern border and hosting too many looming towers and staircases that reach even higher still.
The library I visited was one of the most daunting to date, carving itself into an abundance of dark halls and rooms that formed a near maze at every turn.
In the middle of Auclair sits the most massive of all the towers, the structure reaching far above the mass of the city and fashioning itself as an outpost to view the Plains of Unknown, hence its name.
The city is also filled with the largest collection of Discerni scholars in all of Disce, giving home to those that study and perfect the art of summoning. The people here are secluded and quiet, loving their privacy yet happy to engage in scholarly conversation.
Auclair has a decent-sized human population as well, with the children that grow up there taking their schooling very seriously.
It’s the Court of Knowledge’s prime spot for all those who want to capitalize on the education the court covets, and had I never met Keane and found myself out of the employ of his father, I probably would have traveled to this city in hopes of working within its library for mortals.
I’m also on friendly terms with the older Lord of the city, Lord Crisjan.
He frequents court in Bardot as much as he can, spending his time with Sir Miles and his Old Boy’s club as they drink and debate into the night.
He’s a deeply thoughtful Discerni, one that always spearheads conversations into different and sometimes uncomfortable directions.
He enjoys his smoke as well, and by that default, thoroughly enjoys Cal, lighting the pipe deep into the night whenever my friend chose to join me in Bardot’s court.
My smile turns big next to Holis as we ride in the rear, hoping beyond anything that the Lord will be at the city to greet us. He’ll certainly liven up our quiet group.
Auclair comes into view just as the sun dips low over the horizon.
Thousands of lanterns of bottled moonslight grace the towering high walls and light up the night ahead.
The city is more looming than I remember, reaching for the sky with its tall greenstone buildings and many towers, the full of them carving into different directions as hundreds of staircases connect them to locations that only the most seasoned inhabitants can navigate.
All of the structures are bare in their green and grey, thought there are a number of tall ferns planted at the bottom of the city to add life to an otherwise stone-looking space.
The trees reach high enough to touch the bottoms of the first level of buildings, their limbs complementing the stone wall with their thick green leaves.
In the middle of all that stone is the massive circular outpost, the tower rising higher and wider than any others and creating a dominating view.
“Are we going to have to climb all those steps?” Alanna grumbles from up front, tilting her head high as Holis and I begin to laugh. Cal chuckles as well, turning his gaze to the blonde Discerni as Mana gives a small smile, his eyes alight just like mine and greeting the city in front of us.
“Just the stairs in the middle tower, Alanna,” I tell her.
“But where will we leave the horses?” I hear Sam ask Nathaniel farther ahead.
I laugh out loud when both Discerni twins and Cal look at me at the same time, their grins large as we all recall our own arrival when we asked the same exact questions with the same exact tone of astonishment.
Stormfall chooses to greet the new city as well, pushing into the early night sky and inspecting the new land in his glide.
Come back before we head into the main tower, Storm.
The Bird of Ash caws in response just as I spot a long arm waving enthusiastically to our group from the main road. I grin at the sight of the familiar man, noticing his grey and black peppered hair that falls straight around his face as he stands in front of the tower.
Lord Crisjan smiles wide, watching us move towards him in our leisure walk as he continues to wave.
He takes a few steps forward with his beaming grin, letting his signature long green robe billow around him in the night.
That robe reminds me so much of the brown that Golem wears.
Its neck is high with golden tree limbs etched into its sides, the pattern also darting down the middle of the fabric before it reaches the ground.
The sleeves are long and reach past his wrists while a heavy brown belt cinches across his waist. The full of the ensemble is fastened together by a sparkling gold leaf in the middle, complimenting the Lord’s honey brown eyes.
Both Keane and Desmond dismount from their horse once they near Crisjan. The Lord takes Keane’s hand in both of his and shakes fervently, his eyes sparkling with a wide grin that never seems to leave.
“Your kind of man,” Alanna turns in her seat.
I chuckle and move Millie next to her. “Why do you say that?”
“Because he looks like the type that is just too overly friendly,” she shrugs, eyeing the Discerni Lord quietly. “I bet you two would talk each other’s heads off if you were in the same room.”
“We do,” I laugh in admittance. “His name is Lord Crisjan. He and I have shared many long conversations in the past.”
“Why am I not surprised,” Alanna smiles.
Lord Alexander tilts his head slightly, angling his Discerni ears in our direction as he tries to hide a small smile of his own. He dismounts from his horse when Keane nods in his direction, beckoning the Lord forward to greet Crisjan.
“He’s a good smoker, too,” Cal comes up at our side.
Alanna laughs. “You think anyone who shares a pipe with you is a good smoker.”
“Perhaps,” Cal grins in agreement, “but this Lord knows his stuff.”
“So where do we rest our horses?” she asks curiously, letting her eyes trail up the city walls again.
“That main tower that they’re standing in front of opens up to a full bottom floor that’s used for stables,” I dart my chin forward, past Desmond. “The horses are maintained within the wall. The stalls span all the way across the city, from left to the right along the ground.”
“Odd,” the blonde Discerni frowns, eyeing the many buildings and staircases in front of us. “Whatever prompted the people here to build like this?”
“For the sheer curiosity to see if we could,” Lord Crisjan’s warm voice greets us as he walks forward. “Even your own King has added a few features to this city from his time spent here as a boy.”
Crisjan’s eyes sparkle on Alanna as I quickly look over to Keane.
“But are they still standing, Crisjan?” Keane laughs behind the Lord.
“They are indeed, Your Grace,” the older Discerni grins. “Rather crooked in their years, but those are always the best.”
I beam at the man in front of me and swing a leg off Millie, letting my reins rest on her saddle as Lord Crisjan opens his arms wide.
“One of my favorite minds in Knowledge,” he looks at me affectionately as I walk towards him. Crisjan wraps his hands around my back in a swift hug as I do the same, my smile broad and matching his.
“It’s good to see you, Lord Crisjan,” I squeeze him hard. “I looked for you at the coronation.”
The older Discerni pulls away, shaking his head sadly.
“One of our young scholars has been trying to master the elemental fire. He got into a bad mishap a day before we were set to travel. I had to stay behind and help rebuild the room he burnt down.”
“That will do it,” I grin and turn to my traveling crew. “Do you remember my friends from our last visit?”
“Certainly, I do,” he smiles as they all dismount. “Cal, Mana and Holis. Though the shorter blonde is new.”
“Alanna,” I nearly laugh, “she’s not much of a talker like you and I.”
Lord Crisjan leans down with a knowing grin, whispering quietly with a nod. “I heard.”
Alanna rolls her eyes.
The old Discerni takes a step to his side, angling his robed arm back towards the sweeping outpost in a gesture for me to walk with him. I give Crisjan a large smile and reach back for Millie, taking her reins.
“So, young Alexis, we meet again,” he grins, folding his arms together at his front as Golem so often does.
I nod to him with a smile, the two of us walking past the curious eyes of Keane and Lord Alexander.
“It has been a while.”
“Stories have made their way to us in Auclair… stories in which I was hoping to confirm upon your arrival tonight.”
“Oh?” I look at him curiously, “and what might they be?”
The man grins back at me with affection. “Stories of a beautiful young human woman who rides the lands with a magical black beast on her shoulder…”