Sunrise Gate

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

I hit the street running. With the castle several blocks in the distance, there is a lot of ground to cover and limited amount of time before undead begin swarming. Demi and Athair stick to my sides, the three of us charging as fast as we can for the great doors of the castle. Down the road I spot a group of large skeletons, most likely Nords,  armed with helmets, shields and swords. Behind them stand two more slightly shorter skeletons with bows and arrows - if I had to guess I’d wager they were Human. Together they stand, Nords with their weapons drawn and Humans with their bows aimed. Demi is first to react, throwing her winds at the archers and knocking them down. Taken by surprise, the Nords look away allowing Athair and I the chance to come in for a quick kill - both of us lunging our weapons into and through the skeletons, shattering them effortlessly. Athair and I turn for the archers next but two ice spikes fly past us and behead them. Demi is learning to chain her attacks well, I note.

Without much further distance to cover, Athair notes, “There isn’t much resistance…”

I nod, “I don’t know if that’s a good thing.”

“Raven’s wisdom would say the same,” Athair agrees.

Back at pace we rush the final stretch, the castle looming higher and higher as we approach it. From afar it appeared to have been the pillar of the city. Up close, though, it’s more of a tower to the heavens, the beast of a building possibly touching the arches above. As we climb the mossy stairs I run my hand along the stone railing and note the extreme smoothness of it, how it feels like the extremely fine dust of Ebonhawke flowing through my hands. It’s surprisingly clean as well. The thought doesn’t settle well with me, between the lack of foes and startlingly clean castle, I’m not quite sure what we’re about to encounter. But there’s something eerie about it.

Without stopping we push our way through the hulking doors ahead of us, cracking them just enough to squeeze through. I look back at the doors as we walk in. The hinges are in desperate need of attention.

“Leopard’s fur…” Athair’s voice is full of amazement, causing me to turn and look for myself.

“Whoa…” I don’t hold my tongue, as an intricate crystal chandelier fills the domed ceiling overhead, its flames extinguished but the light of the moon sneaks in from a window above and the crystals reflect the light about the room, casting a warm white glow across everything. I gawk at the paintings on the walls, the tapestries and long, flowing curtains that fray at the bottom as if they were a ghost’s dress. I feel one in my hand and pull away as the curtain begins to fall apart in my palm. “It’s ancient…” I cough, dust kicking up into the extremely stale air. It’s as if this place has been sealed since it was abandoned.

Demi ignores her surroundings, however, pulling us along to staircase across the room that spirals upwards. We take it, jogging step by step and arriving at the next floor. The area ahead is spacious, the ceilings painted with the most breath-taking angelic images of the Gods I have ever seen. Vakr and his battle wolves rush head on into battle with an army at his rear. Hymir stands over his forge, the wrinkles on his forehead sweaty as he slams his iron hammer into a burning metal rod. Zisa surrounds herself with vibrant flora, mountains rising from her hands. Kara holds a baby child close as she lays a hand over a sickened warrior, magics flowing from her fingertips. And of course, Syn. Her wings stretch across the entirety of the roof, holding the walls together in their glory, her radiance filled with purity and utmost achievement. I can’t help but crane my neck as Demi trudges on, searching for a further way up.

She comes across a doorway leading into a far tighter staircase than before. “This must be the way up,” she says, beginning to walk up but stopping.