N'aarat and the Tree of Life

Chapter 4: Dwerlé Nath

Veel'le, Veel'le, hear my say,

For in darkness now I stay;

I look up at stars so distant,

By their shine, I know you listen.

You are here, I am there,

We are one in Sá'aná's lair.

I am new in lands so old,

I obey all that I'm told,

Yet my spirit howls inside,

Ached by columns petrified;

And my feet are heavy now,

As I walk I feel I plough.

'Tis so harsh this quarry floor,

Bruises run deep to my core.

'Tis so dry this quarry steep,

No sea above and no sea deep.

Veel'le, Veel'le, hear my say,

For with misery I pay

Lifting from my mother's bay

So that truth I could convey,

Fight injustice with voice high—

In injustice now I cry.

Destiny's four wheels steer,

And my fortunes shall then veer.

For soft waters deep I long

And my faith in you lies strong.

Keep me safe and drive me well,

Into heaven back from hell.

Mikhael led us into the city through a very intricate passageway which had been designed in such a way as to delay potential invaders and give its guards numerous opportunities and the upper hand in defending it. We first descended into the rocky tunnel on a vertical, narrow staircase, which would have made easy preys of us because watchful Nýriols were hiding in the numerous creeks around the entrance pit and on the alley beyond it, which led to the gates of the main entrance into the city. As we were climbing down the stairs, our shadows were moving on top of arrow-produced marks across the wall, a discovery which sent a cold shiver down my spine.

Then we got to an open area, wide as you could see. Above our heads there was an iron structure whose overall shape and purpose I could not guess. It seemed to be either a mechanical device of some sort or some gigantic platform. I immediately looked for engravings on it, but I could see none. Then the hallway became narrow again, yet its ceiling arched higher and higher. Eventually, the upper side of the tunnel turned into a colossal sphere, while from our shoulders down, the path was so narrow that we could not have walked it in pairs. The corridor ended abruptly, with a staircase which took us on a platform where a few dozen people were working. Above our heads there were petrified columns of a type of rock I was unfamiliar with, in shades of bright purple, green and blue. Some of the columns did not reach the floor, but ended in mid-air, sharp and compact.

'Such a beautiful shine!' I heard myself speaking, without having had the intention of breaking the silence among us.

The words had simply slipped out of my mouth. Mikhael looked my way, but said nothing. It is intimidating to be around someone who might observe more than you do, and even more intimidating when that someone measures their words carefully and speaks rarely and firmly.

The arches, though cut unevenly, looked like they had very precise designs and the ceiling made me think of an open flower under the sun, but I could not explain why I had this feeling.