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Authors: Daniel Arenson
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salvation.
They stepped out of the
hut in the darkness of night. Above, high in the sky, the chariots of fire were
streaming across the river, and the distant cries of the seraphim rose. Around
them spread the thousands of huts of Tofet, and Elory did not know if she'd
ever see this place—the only home she had ever known—again.
"Come, quickly now,"
Meliora urged.
Elory nodded. Standing
outside on the dirt path, she gave her father a last embrace, and her tears
would not stop falling. Vale joined the embrace, his arms stiff at first, but
then his grip softened, and his eyes too shone with tears.
"Go," Jaren whispered. "Quickly,
my children. May Requiem's stars forever shine upon you."
"Come on!" Tash said,
hopping in the dirt. "Those chariots are getting closer."
Elory nodded, wiped her
eyes, and released her father. Tash grabbed her hand, yanking her down the
path. Meliora and Vale walked ahead. As they hurried between the dark huts,
Elory looked back only once. She saw her father standing in the doorway, the
candlelight limning his form. He raised his hand in farewell, and then Tash
pulled Elory around a corner, and she did not see him again.
MELIORA
They hurried along the
bridge, the dark waters gushing beneath them, four figures hidden in robes and
hoods. Behind them spread the land of Tofet, cloaked in shadows. Across the
bridge rose the city of Shayeen, lit with many lanterns. In the sky the
chariots of fire soared, scanning the land below.
We'll never make it across
the river. Meliora's heart thudded, and she felt her phantom wings again,
aching to flap them, to fly from here, fly over the walls and vanish into the
wilderness. How weak were those doomed to forever walk upon two legs! What hope
did she have of reaching the port with Ishtafel's guards swarming?
Ten of those guards
stood at the southern edge of the bridge, and several more stood in watchtowers,
arrows nocked.
"Halt!" they cried.
Meliora halted before
them on the bridge. The dark waters of the Te'ephim gushed below, and the cries
of soldiers rose in the city ahead, seeking her and Tash, tearing down the city
to find them. The light of chariots streamed above, and cold sweat washed
Meliora. Truly a fool's quest! She wouldn't even make it across the river, let
alone out of the city and across the wilderness to find the Keymaker.
"I told you I'd return
with two more slaves," Meliora said, glaring at the guards from the confines of
her hood, hoping she looked more angry than terrified. "They are my family's
slaves, escaped from our house into Tofet. I've reclaimed them."
The seraphim guards
raised their lances, and their torches reflected against their armor and
helmets. "Let's take a look at them. And at you. Hoods off! Word is two
criminals are out somewhere in this city. We got to be careful."
Meliora's heart beat
even faster. Behind her, the others—Vale, Elory, and Tash—shifted their
weight from foot to foot, still hidden in their hoods. Meliora had used this
ruse—pretending to be a mistress, with Tash as her slave—to cross the river
into Tofet. Could she truly fool them twice?
Tash stepped forward, a
slender figure hidden in burlap, and placed a small, hard object in Meliora's
hand. Meliora held it out to the guards—a golden bracelet embedded with
rubies.
"I don't want to report
my house slaves escaping," Meliora said. "If the City Guard hears, they'll
stick the poor bastards on pikes. Take this and let us through—no questions
asked."
The guards' eyes
gleamed like rubies themselves. One seraph snatched the bracelet, and another
made a grab for it. Soon they were quibbling over how to dislodge the rubies
and which guard got which stone. It had cost them Tash's silver ring to enter
Tofet, but the girl had many jewels, given to her by a host of adoring seraphim
lords.
Leaving the bridge keepers
behind to fight over the rubies—they were already prying the gems out from the
bracelet—the hooded companions made their
They stepped out of the
hut in the darkness of night. Above, high in the sky, the chariots of fire were
streaming across the river, and the distant cries of the seraphim rose. Around
them spread the thousands of huts of Tofet, and Elory did not know if she'd
ever see this place—the only home she had ever known—again.
"Come, quickly now,"
Meliora urged.
Elory nodded. Standing
outside on the dirt path, she gave her father a last embrace, and her tears
would not stop falling. Vale joined the embrace, his arms stiff at first, but
then his grip softened, and his eyes too shone with tears.
"Go," Jaren whispered. "Quickly,
my children. May Requiem's stars forever shine upon you."
"Come on!" Tash said,
hopping in the dirt. "Those chariots are getting closer."
Elory nodded, wiped her
eyes, and released her father. Tash grabbed her hand, yanking her down the
path. Meliora and Vale walked ahead. As they hurried between the dark huts,
Elory looked back only once. She saw her father standing in the doorway, the
candlelight limning his form. He raised his hand in farewell, and then Tash
pulled Elory around a corner, and she did not see him again.
MELIORA
They hurried along the
bridge, the dark waters gushing beneath them, four figures hidden in robes and
hoods. Behind them spread the land of Tofet, cloaked in shadows. Across the
bridge rose the city of Shayeen, lit with many lanterns. In the sky the
chariots of fire soared, scanning the land below.
We'll never make it across
the river. Meliora's heart thudded, and she felt her phantom wings again,
aching to flap them, to fly from here, fly over the walls and vanish into the
wilderness. How weak were those doomed to forever walk upon two legs! What hope
did she have of reaching the port with Ishtafel's guards swarming?
Ten of those guards
stood at the southern edge of the bridge, and several more stood in watchtowers,
arrows nocked.
"Halt!" they cried.
Meliora halted before
them on the bridge. The dark waters of the Te'ephim gushed below, and the cries
of soldiers rose in the city ahead, seeking her and Tash, tearing down the city
to find them. The light of chariots streamed above, and cold sweat washed
Meliora. Truly a fool's quest! She wouldn't even make it across the river, let
alone out of the city and across the wilderness to find the Keymaker.
"I told you I'd return
with two more slaves," Meliora said, glaring at the guards from the confines of
her hood, hoping she looked more angry than terrified. "They are my family's
slaves, escaped from our house into Tofet. I've reclaimed them."
The seraphim guards
raised their lances, and their torches reflected against their armor and
helmets. "Let's take a look at them. And at you. Hoods off! Word is two
criminals are out somewhere in this city. We got to be careful."
Meliora's heart beat
even faster. Behind her, the others—Vale, Elory, and Tash—shifted their
weight from foot to foot, still hidden in their hoods. Meliora had used this
ruse—pretending to be a mistress, with Tash as her slave—to cross the river
into Tofet. Could she truly fool them twice?
Tash stepped forward, a
slender figure hidden in burlap, and placed a small, hard object in Meliora's
hand. Meliora held it out to the guards—a golden bracelet embedded with
rubies.
"I don't want to report
my house slaves escaping," Meliora said. "If the City Guard hears, they'll
stick the poor bastards on pikes. Take this and let us through—no questions
asked."
The guards' eyes
gleamed like rubies themselves. One seraph snatched the bracelet, and another
made a grab for it. Soon they were quibbling over how to dislodge the rubies
and which guard got which stone. It had cost them Tash's silver ring to enter
Tofet, but the girl had many jewels, given to her by a host of adoring seraphim
lords.
Leaving the bridge keepers
behind to fight over the rubies—they were already prying the gems out from the
bracelet—the hooded companions made their
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