To their left was dark green land mottled with
red. The land itself was very high with tall, thin trees dotted
about and slightly ahead and to the right a small hut, alone on the
hillside. A path ran in a rickety fashion, crookedly zig zagging
along the steep face until it terminated at the top. A few animals
could be seen clinging to the cliff face, munching on the grass
that grew in abundance on its surface. On the other side of the
boat the water ran out into an expanse of blue, the mist about a
mile beyond them hiding the land on that side. There were only grey shapes visible through the
fog.
As
Jared turned back he saw more of the huge building they were headed
for. The impression he'd had of the opening resembling a mouth
turned out to be accurate. With a start Jared sat up and realised
that he was looking at an enormus, sculpted recreation of a face
with the mouth wide open.
They
gradually inched up on it in the boat under Mordalayn's constant
hauling.
The
huge face appeared to be helmeted. The artwork was unbelievably
detailed and flawlessly sculpted. The nose guard extended down to
form an overhang in the entrance and the eyes of the soldier were
open wide. It looked as if anything entering the mouth of the face
would be swallowed. The sun played in vivid spills over the metal,
splashing over the surface. Jared stared awestruck.
As they
came nearer and rounded the land on their left Jared could see
people working. Some appeared to be tending to fields while a few
men were riding on horses near them as if supervising the work.
Mordalayn rowed closer, taking their small vessel to within about
100 metres of the dock. No-one paid them the slightest notice at
all. Eventually they came to a docking area close to the gaping
entrance. Mordalayn whistled to a group of scruffily clothed men
standing near the dock. They looked up and moved to the silver,
riveted mooring points.
Mordalayn threw them the ropes
from the bow of the boat and two of them reeled them in, lashing
the lines securely around the metal with a complicated series of
knots. Then he leapt nimbly from the bo at in one fluid skip. He turned, tossed the nearest of
the men a coin then extended his hand to Jared who stood, unsteady
on his feet and handed the cloak back before stepping up. He took a
deep breath and lunged forward. His shoe scraped on the loose
grains of stone as he gained purchase on the solid floor and then
staggered forward. Mordalayn took him by the
shoulder.
"Come boy, we need to hasten.
I promised you an explanation and one you shall
have .” They moved towards the
huge entrance before them. A small, bright purple creature with an
unbelievably long nose passed them pushing a small hand cart loaded
with odd looking vegetables of some kind, the smell rich and sharp
in Jared's nostrils. The creature was mumbling irritably to itself
as it pushed the cart on, the wheels trundling noisily against the
stone, one of them squeaking intermittently. The creature grumbled
on, seemingly loathing whatever it was doing.
There
were people milling about in every direction. It reminded Jared of
ants entering an ant hill. The huge entrance was now completely
over them. Jared craned his neck to look around. The inside of the
entrance was like a dome, dark red in colour and his eyes took a
while to adjust to the change in light.
Most people ignored them or
failed to notice their passing. One or two bowed their heads or spoke a greeting to Mordalayn A
tall, spindly creature with long skinny legs and webbed feet even
bowing as he passed.
The
entrance hall reminded Jared of when his family had gone to Rome
and visited the Vatican. The ceiling there had nearly caused him to
fall over backwards trying to look at it all at once.
Ahead
the hall narrowed to a large tunnel. At the entrance to it were
several soldiers. As Mordalayn and Jared approached a tall man in
silver armour stepped forward. He nodded acknowledgment to
Mordalayn,
red. The land itself was very high with tall, thin trees dotted
about and slightly ahead and to the right a small hut, alone on the
hillside. A path ran in a rickety fashion, crookedly zig zagging
along the steep face until it terminated at the top. A few animals
could be seen clinging to the cliff face, munching on the grass
that grew in abundance on its surface. On the other side of the
boat the water ran out into an expanse of blue, the mist about a
mile beyond them hiding the land on that side. There were only grey shapes visible through the
fog.
As
Jared turned back he saw more of the huge building they were headed
for. The impression he'd had of the opening resembling a mouth
turned out to be accurate. With a start Jared sat up and realised
that he was looking at an enormus, sculpted recreation of a face
with the mouth wide open.
They
gradually inched up on it in the boat under Mordalayn's constant
hauling.
The
huge face appeared to be helmeted. The artwork was unbelievably
detailed and flawlessly sculpted. The nose guard extended down to
form an overhang in the entrance and the eyes of the soldier were
open wide. It looked as if anything entering the mouth of the face
would be swallowed. The sun played in vivid spills over the metal,
splashing over the surface. Jared stared awestruck.
As they
came nearer and rounded the land on their left Jared could see
people working. Some appeared to be tending to fields while a few
men were riding on horses near them as if supervising the work.
Mordalayn rowed closer, taking their small vessel to within about
100 metres of the dock. No-one paid them the slightest notice at
all. Eventually they came to a docking area close to the gaping
entrance. Mordalayn whistled to a group of scruffily clothed men
standing near the dock. They looked up and moved to the silver,
riveted mooring points.
Mordalayn threw them the ropes
from the bow of the boat and two of them reeled them in, lashing
the lines securely around the metal with a complicated series of
knots. Then he leapt nimbly from the bo at in one fluid skip. He turned, tossed the nearest of
the men a coin then extended his hand to Jared who stood, unsteady
on his feet and handed the cloak back before stepping up. He took a
deep breath and lunged forward. His shoe scraped on the loose
grains of stone as he gained purchase on the solid floor and then
staggered forward. Mordalayn took him by the
shoulder.
"Come boy, we need to hasten.
I promised you an explanation and one you shall
have .” They moved towards the
huge entrance before them. A small, bright purple creature with an
unbelievably long nose passed them pushing a small hand cart loaded
with odd looking vegetables of some kind, the smell rich and sharp
in Jared's nostrils. The creature was mumbling irritably to itself
as it pushed the cart on, the wheels trundling noisily against the
stone, one of them squeaking intermittently. The creature grumbled
on, seemingly loathing whatever it was doing.
There
were people milling about in every direction. It reminded Jared of
ants entering an ant hill. The huge entrance was now completely
over them. Jared craned his neck to look around. The inside of the
entrance was like a dome, dark red in colour and his eyes took a
while to adjust to the change in light.
Most people ignored them or
failed to notice their passing. One or two bowed their heads or spoke a greeting to Mordalayn A
tall, spindly creature with long skinny legs and webbed feet even
bowing as he passed.
The
entrance hall reminded Jared of when his family had gone to Rome
and visited the Vatican. The ceiling there had nearly caused him to
fall over backwards trying to look at it all at once.
Ahead
the hall narrowed to a large tunnel. At the entrance to it were
several soldiers. As Mordalayn and Jared approached a tall man in
silver armour stepped forward. He nodded acknowledgment to
Mordalayn,
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