CHAPTER XII #2
“No bowing, then?” Alanna’s cool voice finally reached my side, smiling quietly behind Mana.
“No, Alanna,” I shake my head to her with narrowed eyes. “Don’t.”
“You’ll have to get used to it eventually, human,” her lips turn up in a sly smile.
“Eventually,” I nod in timid agreement, “but not today.”
Canon greets me with a quiet smile and small bow of his head, bringing Millie forward as he offers his congratulations.
The two women from last night, Mitra and Denise, stand with Elena and their horses, both watching our small group quietly as we greet eachother.
Mitra still has her soft blue eyes focused on Holis, the sight making me smile as I look back at my friend in my stance next to Alanna.
Keane extends his hand to Cal ahead, the two men shaking hard with wide grins on their lips before they both turn towards me. I blush next to Millie, feeling the fondness behind their glances as we all turn to our horses and hoist ourselves up.
“Our time in Etter has been extended for three more days,” Keane announces as both Desmond and Elena move to his sides.
“My sister and hers will be taking us through the Ancient Nolan and Rivian’s quarters this morning where we’ll return up the hill before noon.
I’d like to request you all for dinner tonight before sunset, but other than that, the rest of the afternoon will be yours. ”
Nolan’s temple and town sits west and below Sianoa’s hill.
The ride is an easy one, with many Discerni and humans gracing the perfectly cut cobblestone roads, something we didn’t get to see last night.
Everyone wears the pale green and white of the court, their attire mixing accents of silver and grey into their clothes as they give tribute to the sparkling white city around them.
Their eyes are still preoccupied in their walks, genuinely looking like they have someplace to be or someone to talk to.
My own eyes rest heavily on the humans of Alston as I ride at Keane’s side in the front.
They have quiet smiles on their faces as they roam their towns, greeting other human friends as they continue in their walks.
There isn’t much mix between them and the magical beings, but there also isn’t any distaste or narrowed glances between the two races.
Everyone just goes about their day in their own cliques, content to stick with their kind.
But no matter how content everyone looks, watching the humans and Discerni in their non-interaction makes my heart heavy.
I hate how accustomed I am to the separation now.
Hate how normal it is to see the custom accepted as something that just is in Woodlands.
I resent it to the very core of my being, yet here are the people of Disce walking around as if they know of nothing more.
They seldom ever cross paths or say hellos, and rarely ever converse outside their own groups.
It’s disheartening.
That separation becomes even more prominent when Keane leads our horses down a side alley.
Suddenly, the homes, shops and roads around us are now only filled with humans.
They’re all walking around normally, smiling at each other and giving the King a greeting, but once we reach the circular town center, they keep to their side alleys, only using that hub if needed.
“Wait…” my voice is low in confusion.
I turn back to look at the alley from which we came, noticing that the humans are all staying on a certain side of the town. They’re sectioned off, just as they were in Etter, as if a line has been drawn on where they can and can’t walk.
Keane eyes me quietly from atop Ash.
“Everyone is separated,” I frown.
“Separated but equal, Alexis,” Elena replies.
She says the words so casually, as if the equal part makes it okay. I take a deep breath and turn to my friends behind me, wanting to know how they feel about this.
Cal and Alanna are just now coming to the same realization as me, unable to hide the furrowed brows that now grace their faces.
Holis and Mana bring up the rear with the Mitra and Denise, the brothers catching my gaze as I look at them curiously.
Mana shakes his head silently from afar, the gesture giving me all the affirmation I need to know that I’m not crazy.
This is not okay.
“To your right, Lady Alexis,” Canon’s voice pulls me forward, angling his horse next to Millie. I watch as two human women dart out of Millie’s way, both of them looking up at me in surprise as I’m caught off-guard, not paying attention to the road ahead.
“I’m so sorry,” I reach a hand out to them in genuine apology.
Their eyes dart over the sparkling black ring that now rests across my finger, both of them scowling in their departure as they bow their heads and start whispering.
“Dear Ancients,” I grumble.
Keane chuckles at my right. “The Queen to Be who nearly trampled over some innocent girls…”
“Hey!” I lean forward and push him hard against the side of his arm.
“And now the Queen to Be who physically affronts the King,” he laughs again.
“I hate you,” I murmur, watching as Canon smiles on my left.
“Worse can be said about you, Alexis,” Desmond notes next to Elena. “Plus, I’ve been looking to affront my brother for a few years now. I think I’ll live vicariously through you if you continue with the physical assault.”
Keane’s laugh can be heard throughout the town as he shakes his head.
“I’d welcome you try yourself, brother. It’s been a while since we properly fought.
“Ancients, this again,” Elena hums. “Let it be, boys. You’re both strong. Both royals. Both powerful. There. Egos resolved.”
It’s my turn to laugh as we ride up to Nolan’s temple, easily one of the smallest I’ve seen since arriving.
The structure fits the humble and quiet Ancient of Healing and Alleviation perfectly, standing short in its bearings with only a few pillars to hold it skyward.
Each of the sides of the temple are graced with rows of herbs of all kinds, the healing plants standing strong in their short beings.
Those plants are worked on by the hands of men that are dedicated to their study, each of them tending the small fields in the long white robes of the healing priests of Disce.
We don’t spend much time at Nolan’s temple, just greet the older Discerni man and woman who run it.
Keane shakes their hands politely and inquires on where they think the Ancient sleeps, with both of them responding quickly in the Kingdom of Aireal.
That piece of information makes me curious, wondering if Hirovale is visiting those highlands now.
Our group continues on our ride to Rivian’s quarters, moving back through the green and silver woods as the argents dip through the trees, greeting us with their calming calls.
Those greetings aren’t strong enough to stop the anxiety that begins to take over me, however, my mind anxiously waiting to see the Ancient’s temple and the people who dedicate their lives to her.
Stormfall is anxious, too, I can tell. The Bird of Ash is moving every so often on my shoulder as we get closer, waiting for the right moment to open his eyes and show Hirovale the people who follow his sister.
The town surrounding Rivian’s temple hosts a cool breeze, with everyone walking the roads in different shades of silver and grey, their heads held high and shoulders proud.
While the majority of the patrons here are women, a few more men roam the roads in this section, all of them carrying the sigil of a small snake somewhere on their attire.
No one that we pass by has the look of inherent evil about them, but I do notice that the Discerni and humans in this quarter are much more diverse than the others.
About half of the majority all have the blonde hair and pale skin of Woodlands, but the other half have the golden brown and dark features of both Knowledge and Warrior, a rare sight to see just like the men.
Rivian’s temple is also unique, nearly stopping me in my ride as we approach.
It structures itself as a wide pyramid that juts sharply up through the woods, the white marble cut in large and strong stones that are all stacked on top of one another.
I’m only familiar with this type of structure because we were taught about them when we were younger, our history books showing us the Four Kingdoms and the lands that surround them.
Livyatan, where Rivian chose to sleep, has ample pyramids in its land that act as temples for their own priests.
I dismount Millie without ask, keeping my eyes trained on the large white structure as Stormfall spreads his wings wide behind me.
My hand follows up Millie’s neck timidly, taking a few steps in front of her as my eyes narrow on a single large door in the middle of the temple.
There’s a lengthy snake that rests vertically from top to bottom, the whole of it painted in black.
The door is foreboding, daring those with brave and curious eyes to enter at their own risk.
I take a deep breath and walk towards it, feeling my feet pull me on their own as if wanting to learn the secrets that rest inside.
I can hear both Keane and Desmond’s strong boots following behind me as well as Elena’s hurried steps, all of us walking towards the door as my heart begins to pound in my chest. My eyes narrow on the black snake as we get closer, swearing I see its body move just slightly against the wood…
Oh, not this again.
A dark Discerni woman opens the door before we reach it, her brown eyes moving over my shoulder to look first at the King and then Desmond.
“The King and his brother wish to enter the temple of Rivian, Ari,” Elena nods to the Discerni. Her blue eyes are sharp on the woman’s, voice losing its normal dainty tone as she makes the request as the Princess she is.