Rojuun

Chapter 18

The Companions walked into a plaza with people going about their business along cobbled streets surrounding a beautiful, multilevel fountain.  Mothers watched their children at play in grassy areas.  It was early evening and the air was cooling after a warm day.

The sight of so many buildings awed Liselle.  The myriad of people with different colored skin and wearing exotic clothing was a shock to her.  She listened to their voices mingled with numerous other sounds of the city.

The most amazing thing was the surreal sight of multicolored wings sprouting from the buildings.  They were like fairy wings of gossamer and lace.  Each building had a set of wings upon it, each set was different from the rest.  Many were multicolored, glistening as rainbows would in the light.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Tathan said.  There was awe in his voice and he was staring at them just as she was.  It made her feel better about gawking.  Tathan outlined the shapes of them with his finger in the air.  “They’re attached to the buildings, but they serve no actual purpose that I can see.”

“Bugs!”  Vevin somersaulted in the air before doing a buggy version of the happy dance.

“They are beautiful.  I traveled in my time and saw many ordinary cities,” Sir Danth stated after glancing at Vevin.  “I liked the cities of Morhain, which were one with the forest around them.  They were beautifully built using nature as inspiration.  The wings of this city make it interesting and . . .”

Tathan cut Sir Danth off.  “But they aren’t part of the buildings!  The buildings are plain stone and the wings are attached to them as an afterthought.”

“Hmm, I suppose you are right,” the knight responded.

Vevin continued his dance, waving his arms about.  “I like them!  They’re pretty and shiny.  I think I’ll put wings on the building above my lair.”

Liselle looked around.  The buildings were solidly made of stone with slanted slate roofs.  No wood or thatch was used.  “I like them too.  “The wings are beautiful and they fit.  It’s the buildings that don’t fit, regardless of which was built first.”

Metal rods had been placed against the stone and something like wax had been melted to hold them.  There were two, sometimes four wings on the opposite sides of each building.  They were constructed of gossamer materials that fluttered in the breeze, making it appear as though the entire city were alive.  Colors and metallic filaments ran throughout the wings, glistening in the sunlight.  It was a beautiful spectacle that made the buildings they were attached to appear mundane.

“I would love to see it from the sky!” Vevin exclaimed.  “I’ll fly over the city the first time I get the chance.  It will be so wonderful!”

All of a sudden, Tathan’s sword was at the neck of a lad.  The boy’s arm was outstretched and his fingers an inch away from Tathan’s money pouch.  “You’ll not be picking my pockets, Boy.”

The lad appeared to be about twelve years of age.  He wore ragged clothing and had dirty brown hair.  Small silver earrings hung from each ear.  He looked out of place among well-dressed citizens.  In fact, the boy was the only person in the plaza who looked poor.  There was fear in his brown eyes.

“In Morhain, we cut the hands off of thieves.  I can take care of that for you, Master Tathan, should you wish,” Sir Danth suggested.

The boy’s eyes grew wider and tears began to well up.  Liselle intervened.  “Nobody is going to cut his hands off!  Cousin, put away your sword.”  She stepped between Tathan and the thief.  He moved the sword away, sheathing it smoothly.