Tower of the Arkein: Kan Savasci Cycle Book 2, page 27
Aeden surrendered to his thoughts as his heart bled emotion.
With eyes closed, Aeden recalled every detail of every interaction. It was stupid, futile, yet somehow, he felt closer to Alina when he did. The images were real, warm, and full of life. They filled his chest with a tepid glow and struggled to stave the emptiness that now resided there.
In his mind, he lay next to the archduchess on a cold night within the depths of Devil’s Pass. Jagged rocks surrounded them. The distant crying howls of the draccus weasel forced them closer. Her body pressed into his, radiating an indescribable heat.
It was then that Aeden had realized his folly. It was in that moment that Aeden had fallen in love. It was the final treasured moment that he’d never forget.
“Are you even listening,” it was Thea, the girl from the north.
Her voice peeked past the fog of thought. Had she been talking long? What had she said? Revolution to the north, Gemynd had fallen?
Adel was the one who listened, and he was the one who responded.
Aeden nodded and opened his eyes.
Thea seemed rather friendly if not overly forward. She was passably pretty, if she were to dress differently. The problem, he couldn’t muster the energy to care. His heart, his mind, and all his thoughts were trapped in a paradigm of fading love.
Alina Cynesige had stolen his heart and now it bled the entire way to Galdor.
Chapter 59
“The University of Galdor had begun as an experiment in freedom and faded as an exercise in history.” Anonymous – Tower of the Arkein
The Isle of Galdor loomed before them. The air was hot and sultry. Humidity clung with desperate abandon as thick, white clouds loomed overhead.
Aeden stood next to Adel and Thea. They stood along the caravel’s railing and watched as they approached. Silence cocooned them from the activity of the sailors.
The threesome focused on the light blue waters breaking upon the bow of the ship. Pink dolphins squealed and trilled as they swam alongside the Tempest. Aeden felt the intelligence of the pink animal’s gaze, as their eyes looked upon the figures on the deck with delight and interest.
Adel tugged on Aeden’s arm and pointed. Brightly colored birds tore from the branches of a broad-leafed tree and painted the sky in vivid shades of green, blue, and yellow.
“It’s so beautiful,” Adel whispered.
Aeden nodded. Yet again Verold delivered wonder and amazement to Aeden’s young mind.
“Imp’s Landing is up ahead,” Thea said, “It’s marked by those two rock formations,” she informed, pointing.
Ahead were two towering formations the size of small mountains. They were wide, tall, sheer, and blocky. Their stone surfaces were covered in green. Trees, vines, and flowering plants clung to the ocean barriers desperately.
“I don’t see Imp’s Landing,” Aeden said, as he traced the coastline with a sharp eye.
Adel craned to look forward, but all they could see was a shadowed gap between the two massive boulders. It had appeared as though the gods had sliced up a mountain and dropped the limestone pieces into the water. Time had allowed nature to blanket them in shades of leafy green.
“We’re not going in there, are we?” Adel asked seriously.
Thea only nodded.
Aeden watched in fascination as the caravel adjusted course and sailed into the pass. It reminded him of Godsend’s Pass, where the Thirteen had been immortalized in stone. Here, there were no carvings. Only sheer cliffs mottled in plant life.
One moment they were in open ocean, of the lightest blue. The next they were cast in shadow as they passed through the gap. Dappled sunlight filtered through the foliage above. Broad leaves stretched out from the cliffs and formed a living umbrella.
“The Millicent, should be coming into view over there,” she said pointing.
Aeden looked over at her again, surprised at her knowledge.
Thea allowed a smile to touch her lips for but a moment.
“The Millicent?” Adel asked.
“For a former monk, you’re not very well read,” Thea admonished, “It was the largest ship ever built! It took craftsmen ten years to construct, making additions to the design as Lord Millicent thought of new ideas, and as new ship technologies were being invented.”
The Tempest cleared the blocky limestone sentinels guarding Imp’s Landing, revealing a beautiful emerald bay, transitioning to opalescent blue.
Aeden could make out four tall masts, reaching for the sky at an angle. The massive wooden remains of the Millicent rested heavily in the shallow bay. Soft, clear blue waters splashed along its broad hull.
“The ship was too heavy to sail. It barely made it out of harbor before taking on water and settling into the sands of Imp’s Bay,” Thea continued. “It now stands as a testament to the hubris of men, and the stupidity of those who follow.”
Aeden chuckled.
“You think it’s funny?” Thea asked, looking seriously at Aeden, “that men died following the orders of the un-informed?”
Aeden was silent for a moment, still looking upon the sunken ship. He then turned to look at Thea. There was a simmering anger in her eyes. He recognized the sentiment as a mask for something hidden, a deeper more pervasive feeling chewing away from within.
“No,” he finally said, “I simply appreciate your honesty.”
He didn’t wait or care for her response. Instead, he looked back out upon the serene bay and toward Imp’s Landing.
The scene unfolded slowly before him as the fog of the recent past dissipated in a convoluted torrent of emotion.
Greens, greys, blues, oranges, and yellows dominated the color-scape. Buildings fought to be seen among the encroaching greenery. Flowering plants displayed their brilliant colors to the sun as if inviting its warm gaze.
“Is the University far?” Adel wondered aloud.
Thea looked up and shook her head.
“How do you not know how far it is?” Thea said exposing Adel’s ignorance again, “You do realize that the University is not easy to get into. Those without money or patronage, have to be tested and interviewed to gain admittance. Which means, at the very least being able to answer simple questions.”
Adel rolled his eyes.
“How was I supposed to know how far it is?” Adel countered quietly.
Aeden hardly noticed. He was imagining how different things would have been, if Alina had been on the ship instead of Thea.
When he closed his eyes, he could still see her silken black hair shimmering in the sun’s light. He envisioned the swell of her breast as she inhaled. And he wondered. He wondered what would they have talked about? He imagined her telling him of the gods, and about Dup Shimati. More importantly, he wondered if they would have kissed again?
Thea interrupted his thoughts.
“It’s just south of Imp’s Landing,” she said in softer tones, as if trying to make up for her outburst.
She was looking over at Adel, as if judging him.
“You could have just said that,” Adel replied.
Aeden took in a breath of fresh sea air. Their bickering was but an undercurrent of noise joining the sights and sounds of Galdor. It was the thin thread tying his heart to the present.
“You still act like a monk,’ Thea said, “Verold is brutal, it’s time to grow up.”
Aeden hardly noticed Adel’s response or Thea’s stern stare. His daydreaming and fantasies carried him to shore.
Chapter 60
“Human interaction is nothing more than the art of manipulation to attain personal desire.” Book of Muses – Library of Galdor
Jagged mountains of desperate green climbed steeply from the sandy shore. Sandwiched between the tropical ridges and the gentle bank, lay a cluster of buildings known as Imp’s Landing.
Grappling vines, fire lilies, cycads, and pelican flowers wrestled with wood and stone, producing a riot of color and a competition for space. Buildings either stood boldly along narrow, iridescent cobbled streets, or hid under the weight of nature’s fury.
The gentle note of plumeria contrasted with the rotting stench of dead horse lilies as dancing plants quivered in the delicate trade breeze. People of various sort plied the streets, rested in the shade, or swatted at unseen insects buzzing about.
A history of contrasts marked the town the way red, yellow and black marked the stinkhorn mushrooms that grew in dark corners, hidden from the sun’s prying grasp.
Some said Imp’s Landing began with the Calenite Empire over a thousand years ago. Yet, the town’s history stretched further back into antiquity. It was a trading post of the indigenous Amevi before the Calenite Empire was ever born. Before the First Age of Men, it was the landing point for the gods, Ansuz and his wife Bellas.
It wasn’t until the discovery of cocoa by Calenite explorers that entrepreneurs, missionaries, and eventually soldiers came to enslave the indigenous peoples and establish a permanent outpost.
A small school had been set up to teach incoming settlers how to search for the cocoa plant, cultivate, harvest and process it. The school grew as new plants were discovered with medicinal properties; cat’s claw, annatto, curare, and periwinkle to name a few.
The Calenite Emperor, Hanno, took a personal interest when one of those plants saved his life. He invested a large sum of money and the University grew. It grew over the course of two decades, and so too, did its reputation. By the time the Calenite Empire had fallen, the University had become synonymous with learning.
The years passed and kings and empires rose and fell. The University weathered it all, providing alchemists, metallurgists, herbalists, advisors, merchants, physickers, and lawyers to the Imperium.
It was this history that made the Isle of Galdor renown throughout the Imperium. It drew in entrepreneurs and explorers with the hopes of riches. It drew in missionaries sweating with the religious fervor of Salvare and the desire to convert those to their beliefs. Last, it drew in those seeking an education, and for many, an escape from their reality.
This last reason was a palatable and tangible expression of the hidden desires of three unlikely traveling companions, Aeden, Adel and Thea.
The threesome had disembarked from the Tempest and traversed the town of Imp’s Landing, with their intent upon the great University of Galdor.
They watched as waves crashed upon the shore in a rhythmic pattern. They heard the buzzing of gnats and small flies as they droned languidly in the humidity. And they shared the road with a small group.
Aeden, however, did not think on any of this as he left the town of Imp’s Landing behind. His mind was still largely elsewhere. He was torn between the feelings of loss and anger. It felt as if someone had reached into his heart and torn a piece for themselves. Images of the archduchess lingered and probed at his imagination.
He hardly noticed as Thea and Adel bickered over the directions to the University. He didn’t care when the rotten scent of dead horse lilies wafted a dose of noxious fumes upon them. He paid little attention as they followed a cobbled, beachside trail away from the town and to the University.
Aeden was lost in thought, remembering when he had first climbed onto Alina’s balcony. He, therefore, didn’t notice as the road turned slightly westward, away from the ocean and inland toward a ravine.
Instead, Aeden remembered how Alina’s nightgown clung to her young body. He remembered how her eyes opened wider in surprise and how she pretended to be brave, as he stood upon her balcony.
They crossed a stone bridge, half covered in moss and vines, and came upon the gates of the University of Galdor.
A tall archway marked the entrance. The archway was flanked by Calenite pillars. The grey stone itself was covered in part by green moss. Humidity clung to the air with the same tenacity as the grappling vines that grew upon the old university buildings.
It was under this archway that Aeden’s thoughts slipped away and he finally smiled. He would find his answers here, and he would finally find peace.
Aeden was so fascinated at the scene of gathering crowds, stands, and Calenite architecture that he hardly noticed as he bumped into someone.
“Watch it,” a man said, turning around.
Aeden peeled his eyes from the open square before them and to the man who had spoken. The man had dark, curling hair, piercing blue eyes, and a square jaw. He stood with a beautiful girl with blonde locks, and smiling eyes, and an average looking teenager who would have disappeared in a crowd, and two taller men.
“I’m sorry,” Aeden replied almost automatically, still slightly distracted.
The man regarded the threesome for the span of a few heartbeats.
“You’re new, aren’t you,” he said, his tone and demeanor changing.
The man was looking at Aeden, but it was Adel who spoke.
“Yes,” Adel replied.
Thea remained quiet and eyed the group with an air of suspicion.
“You’re in luck,” the man said, smirking slightly, “for not only have you arrived on Mysterium Day, but you’ve managed to run into a school guide. I’m Caine.”
Caine extended his hand.
Aeden shook it, as did Adel. Thea declined.
Caine looked at each in turn, “a Bodigan monk, a woman from Gemynd, nobility if I had to guess, and…” Caine paused when his eyes fell upon Aeden as if he didn’t know what to make of him.
“A Wildman from the Gwhelt,” the non-descript teen said.
Caine looked back to his small group, “of course, let me introduce my fellow students. This is Sakhira,” he gestured to the average-looking teen, “a kid of singular purpose if I ever met one, brilliant, and always thinks he’s right.”
Sakhira looked at Caine, but remained silent.
“I’m just joking of course,” Caine said, “and these two,” he pointed at two larger, well-built teenagers, “are Gaurin and Judd, two of the University’s finest.”
The two men beamed as they thrust out their chests proudly.
“Last,” Caine said, turning and gesturing to the girl, “is my beautiful girlfriend.”
“I’m Muriel,” she said waving to them.
Aeden nodded.
Thea said hello back.
Adel seemed rather shy and nodded once before looking away.
“This is the University?” Adel asked, as if to distract from his moment of embarrassment.
Aeden glanced about the courtyard. Music, shouts, and laughter filled the sultry air. Stalls stood in the shade of buildings. The smells of food mingled with the sounds of hundreds of students.
“Yes, let me show you around, and more importantly introduce you to yeren,” Caine said.
Sakhira briefly narrowed his eyes.
“Caine,” Muriel pouted, drawing attention to herself.
Caine paused and looked back at her. A sharp look momentarily crossed his face before a smile fell upon his lips.
“I’ll be back,” he said.
Muriel looked as though she was going to complain.
“Buy her something,” Caine said, tossing a silver coin to Sakhira.
Caine didn’t wait to see if Sakhira caught it or if Muriel accepted the compromise. Instead he flashed his smile to Aeden, Adel and Thea.
“Let’s begin,” he said, walking off toward a crowd of spectators.
Aeden’s curiosity had already taken hold of him and he followed. Adel and Thea glanced once at each other before following as well.
“Here’s a reenactment of The Slaughter at the Forest of Varna, a rather brutal piece if you ask me,” Caine remarked, feigning disgust as best as he could, gesturing to a nearby stage surrounded by onlookers.
“Who’s yeren?” Thea asked.
A grin fought for control on Caine’s face, but was quickly replaced by a charming smile, “We’ll see him in a moment,” he paused as if he had lost his line of thought.
Thea regarded him oddly and pressed him as if not satisfied.
“How many school guides are there?”
Caine assessed her for a moment.
“There are five of us,” he said, eyeing her with a cooling expression.
Thea only nodded.
“And how are you picked,” she pressed on.
“Through a lottery and our ranking,” he responded, “I’ve top marks in my field of study, and therefore have the privilege of showing you around.”
Caine didn’t seem to approve of being challenged.
“Don’t mind her,” Adel said, attempting to diffuse the situation.
Caine nodded, taking in Adel’s grey robes for a second, as if contemplating something.
“Let’s continue,” he said, walking past the stage.
The group was quiet as they took in the scene. The weight of humidity pressed down upon them as the sun only served to increase their discomfort.
“Here are tables of tafl, to test one’s wit and logic. I’m the current University tafl champion,” Caine said proudly, before continuing, “and here is the Booth of Questions, where an instructor will try to stump students with near impossible riddles.”
They passed the booth and Adel looked over curiously. A short, square shaped man sat behind the booth. He wore almost no expression at all, eyeing each student before him with the same intensity one would apply to a piece of fruit.
Another stall had several musical instruments where students appeared to be attempting to match the pitch of their voice to the pitch of the instrument.
Caine continued on, moving quickly as he circled the square. He passed a stall selling foods and worked his way toward the largest group of people yet, at the very heart of the square.
Caine’s voice pulled their attention yet again.
“Excuse me,” Caine said loudly, pushing through the crowd importantly, “student guide coming through.”
Caine then suddenly stopped and turned to the threesome.
“And here is where you need to be,” Caine said.
“Which is?” Thea asked.
Caine’s smile slipped for a moment.
