Avondale: The Golden Door

Grey Rock City

* * * *

It didn't take long for the rest of the group to wake up and for the whole party to get going. Everyone walked along the tops of the many canyons, following Śarat who knew the invisible road to Grey Rock City. The hard-packed ground was littered with sand and not easy on my bare feet, but I didn't have any blisters yet so I wasn't complaining.

I walked next to Sanna. He had done a great job with my hair, and as usual, had braided his own brown locks. The thick braid reached mid-way down his back so I had a feeling he'd never cut his hair.

With an hour or two ahead of us I studied my surroundings. Canyons cracked the earth around us and larger rocks and cliffs rose on every side. Reds and golds, oranges and browns, these colors bled together like a painting, and the sun light only made them brighter.

After maybe an hour of walking I noticed the lack of a particular color for which this place was named.

"I've got a question for you, Sanna." I turned a smile up at the large man who matched me grin for grin.

"I may have an answer." He teased.

I took his hand in mine, letting his song play in the back of my head. "Why is it called Grey Rock if that very color is missing?"

His face went blank. "I actually do not remember that story. It had something to do Gash Canyon and how this place was created, but I can't....hmm." He fiddled with his blood knife for a moment before his eyes lit up, "Of course!" Sanna called ahead to Suruli, "Hey Sparrow!"

"Yes?" Suruli slowed down and let us catch up, her large brown eyes regarding me and Sanna with slight amusement. "Can I help you with something?"

"Do you remember the story for Grey Rock and Gash Canyon?" Sanna asked.

Suruli blinked. "Of course, I know all of our god's myths." Her eyes flashed to me and she smiled. "Did your curiosity get the better of you again, Kendra?"

I smiled back at the small woman. "Aye."

She nodded, like he expected as much from me, but her smile assured me that she didn't mind. "Very well. Listen carefully, Sanna, you should know this story, seeing as your god had a hand in it."

Sanna shrugged, "My training did not cover much of lore and myth."

Suruli raised an eyebrow, "But you were told that Kallu lost his sight, yes?"

Sanna frowned. "No..."

"Well then, this should be educational for the both of you." Suruli took a breath and seemed to relax. "During the creation time, the gods were placing their marks on Avondale. Nīrina and Sāgara, were making the rivers and streams, The Eye, and the waterfalls in the jungle. Gāli and Tangāli were creating clouds, wind currents, and the storms for the winters and summers. Myājik and Prīti were working on the blue moon and some more complicated aspects of spring.

"Kallu and Bhūmiya were working together on the jungle while Kidi was making the heated core of the volcano. Her husband, Benki, was making the desert on the other side of the Spine, and having a bit too much fun.

"Kallu went to check on Benki and was enraged to find the forest half gone, a third of the grassy plains burned away, and the lush, green mountain range his wife had worked so hard on, reduced to sand and stone. A fight broke out between the two gods, the turmoil smashing and reshaping the tail of the Dragon Spine Mountains into what we now know as Grey Rock."

Suruli curled a lock of hair around her finger as she talked. "Unfortunately, during the fight Kallu suffered burns to his eyes. Bhūmiya tried her best to heal him with herbs and potions, but when her husband could open his eyes again, his sight was gone. Torn with grief at never seeing the beautiful life his wife made, Kallu went to Grey Rock and tore a great gash in the earth with his dagger. As grief turned to anger he began to hack and slice at the hills and mountains that had been destroyed in the fight, tears falling from his blind eyes as he did so. The tears became rivers and every slash became a canyon, the first being the the biggest, Gash Canyon, with Dagger river running through it."

"When Kallu had finally unleashed his anger and grief, he had send great clouds of dust in his wake. The dust and sand mixed with his tears healed his eyes. Kallu could see again, and wept once more in joy. However there was a price for his sight. Through his new eyes the world had no color, grey and black and white were all he could see. Kallu went to his wife and showed her what he had done and the both rejoiced at his returned sight. Benki was forgiven and the labyrinth of sand, stone, and canyons was named Grey Rock, for the color it had become to its maker."

I smiled, "And here I was thinking your gods might not have a sense of humor."

"Oh, they do." Suruli said seriously. "All of the gods asked Kallu what to call it and he said Grey Rock. When he was asked why he simply said because it looked like a big grey rock."

I stared at the phoenix for a minute before she giggled and gave me a look. "And you accuse the gods of lacking a sense of humor. Kendra, that was a joke."

"Oh." Was all I could say as Sanna laughed his arse off and Suruli walked away.

When she was gone I hit Sanna in the head. "Shut your gob, you sound like a braying arse."

Sanna's laughter was reduced to chuckles. "She got you good, Kendra. Admit it."

"I'll admit it when you quit giggling like a bloomin' idiot."

An hour later we had reached the edge of Gash Canyon, and I stood there marveling at this enormous crack in the ground. It was bigger than the Grand Canyon in America, big enough to fit all of Greater London inside, plus a bit of elbow room. A great river ran through the middle, deep down at the bottom, and on either side, stretching from one end to the other was a city. The houses were cubes made of mud and stone, stacked on top of each other with stairs and ladders built into the surrounding homes to get higher or lower on the housing level.

Śarat led us down the winding stairway into the city and we started walking on the worn dirt path through the gates. Before long the city surrounded us, a wide road ran on each side of the river, easily twenty meters across, a semi-truck could comfortably park across it with no trouble getting out.

The city ran in a straight line due East, and we were on the South bank, Dagger river to our left. On our right, the mass of adobe houses, and lining the great road were thousands of booths. It looked like a marketplace, with people milling about and vendors shouting praise for their products. The only difference was that the cramped booths stretched farther than I could see, presumably all the way down the canyon.

I'm sure I looked completely mad, staring open mouthed at everything, but you would too. The things they were selling were incredible. Sculptures, paintings, silks and glass. Smells of spiced food filled my nose and the bright looking fruits spilled over in delicious rainbows. People sang, played music, and danced for money. Flying shows were constantly up above, mixed with the bang and whoosh of fireworks.

The farther in we went though, the more I noticed other things. Booths selling the skins of animals, a few of which looked familiar, and not in a good way. Stages set up with young men and women fighting each other as spectators shouted and placed bets. Lines of large men, young boys, and a varying range of girls, all stood chained up as people looked them over like pigs at the fair.

I moved closer to Sanna and his arm went around my shoulders, his pupils thin as he watched the people walking around us.

"We should not have too much to worry about." Suruli said confidently as Śarat snarled at a young boy who wandered too close. "We are not carrying any valuables so nothing can be stolen."

My fingers went to my wrist where my useless watch was, and I sighed when it was no longer there. Wasn't sure what anyone would want with the thing, but it didn't matter now.

Far in the distance, rising above the adobe huts and houses, I could see a small castle. The stone walls shimmered in the noonday sun, making the palace waver and ripple like a mirage.