The Magical Legacy

ROSS 5

BLARJORD, DYRRHEIM - PRESENT DAY

Her guards trailed behind them, at a discrete distance. But Ross could clearly hear the 'clip clop' sound of their hoof-like feet on the rock surface, as the group walked down the long, cool corridor. Like the Great Hall they recently left, the entire space seemed to be hewn from inside a mountain. Ross thought it felt like a network of caves, one leading to the next. But instead of descending downward, deeper into the earth, as one would expect, he found himself trudging up an increasingly more steep incline. The walls of this cavern were lit by blazing torches protruding from the right-hand side of the passage. And hanging between them, were various animal skins and furs, many of which Ross couldn't identify. As he looked up, he noticed what appeared to be a wild boar skin, with the head still attached. But unlike boars he'd seen in picture books back home, the hair on this beast was a vibrant, cobalt blue, mottled with fuchsia. And the long, curved tusks, protruding from its mouth, gleamed a brilliant shade of gold.

Up ahead, Ross could see an opening coming into view, and what he thought might be a landing illuminated by natural daylight.

"You'll like this view," Valdis whispered as they stepped out of the dark tunnel and into the subdued light of an early Blarjord dusk. His great grandmother led Ross across an expansive stone balcony, where she came to a stop in front of a waist-high rock wall. The scene before him made Ross inhale sharply. They appeared to be hundreds of feet above a vast desert valley. The landscape was awash in subtle shades of orange, pink, gold, and deep violet as the last remnants of, what looked like, three separate suns sank below the distant horizon. Several plateaus and two distinct mountain ranges divided the expanse, and between them, twinkling lights from thousands...maybe millions...of small structures were visible.

Ross placed his hands on the rock wall's surface and gazed down, over the edge. Below them, he could see only the sheer, charcoal-gray face of what appeared to be a massive mountain. No plants were growing from the stone, and there was no apparent path to reach this height. He turned to look up, and discovered they were very close to the mountain's peak.

"What is this place?" Ross turned to ask Valdis.

She tipped her head, and Ross thought he spied the corners of her mouth turning up under the opaque black veil.

"Home." She stated. But when Ross rolled his eyes, she continued.

"Ok, its official name is Dod Festning, which in your language translates to Death Fortress. Our residents just call it Dod, for short."

Ross squinted and pressed his lips together. "So, where are you taking me?" He leaned back against the wall, glancing from his great grandmother, to the two muscled creatures behind her, and back again.

"To your room. You'll want to freshen up. You'll be staying awhile. But we'll talk about that over dinner." She put her hand up and blinked pointedly when Ross made a noise of complaint.

"Don't bother, Ross. You're here for the time being. There is more you need to know. And I'd rather discuss things over food and drink." She turned abruptly and began walking in the opposite direction. "Come," she said over her shoulder, "your suite is just around the corner. You'll have the best view in the place."

The two guards hung back, staring down at him, until he quickly moved to catch up with their leader, the men falling in behind him.

Ross strode along-side Valdis as they re-entered the edifice and strolled down another hallway like the first one. Abruptly, the woman came to a stop in front of a flat, gray, metal door. Waving her wrist across a panel in the wall and uttering a command, the door slid to the side.

"Here you are." Valdis announced, walking into the space.

The room was opulent in its darkness. Everything Ross could see was composed of ebony and gold. A massive, king-sized bed covered in thick animal furs, was the central focal point of the space. The headboard was crafted from ebony and there were creatures and emblems carved into its surface. Beyond the bed, was a wide-open, sliding-glass door leading out to, what appeared to be, the same view Ross had observed from the balcony before. Off to the right side of the room, an opening led to what looked like a bathing space with associated walk-in wardrobe.