Crystallized

Chapter 10

Verunt had followed Thelia for half an hour before he suspected that she took a longer route than necessary, just to be able to talk to him longer. As they passed over a bridge with clear sight of the great mountain wall Thelia began to tell it's story.

"It's called the Wall. Thousands have tried to reach the top, but sooner or later they all slip and fall, leaving a red smear on a roof, or ripples on the river if the cleaners are lucky." Thelia paused, probably recalling such an event.  

When Verunt looked at the Wall he saw it in new light. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants as Thelia continued. "Either way, the mess left of the climber gets put on a raft in the moonlight, to float wherever the river leads them. That's the only way we can pass through the barrier."

Eventually they turned in on a street mainly occupied by woodcarvers. By then Thelia had had time to explain how much she hated the city, how much she wanted to leave and how amazing and inspiring their leader Egem was. Verunt didn't know what to say. Thelia's view of the City didn't at all align with what he'd seen with Amber. However, her displeasure did explain why some would want to leave.

Most of the stores on the street were closed or closing as they walked by. Verunt nearly fell backwards as he walked straight into a man leaving one of them in a rush.

"Sorry!" The man dressed in brown and green blurred out as he kept Verunt on his feet. "I didn't see you."

When Verunt had recovered from the impact he noticed that the dark skinned man studied him with his green eyes.

"It's you!" they said at the same time. "You're the one who saved me!" Verunt went on, his voice filled with gratitude. "What's your name?"

"Virid," he answered. Behind him stood a mossy green wolf, carefully watching Thelia's every move with its grey eyes. "And this is Mitra, she's the true savior. She dragged you all the way from the edge of the forest." 

"Virid and Mitra, thank you for saving my life," Verunt said solemly. "If there's anything I can do to repay you, please let me know."

"Yeah, sure," Virid replied, blushing by Verunt's overwhelming gratitude.

"Is there any chance that you could show me, and Thelia if she wants to come, the place where you found me?" Verunt asked. "I lost a dagger in the blizzard and I'd really like it back."

"Sure, I can help." Virid said with a smile.

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After passing through a tear in the City's wall, they walked the full length of a dusty path, between rows of newly sown fields, in silence and darkness. Thelia insisted that it would be best if they didn't attract any attention.

"So, green eyes, how did you end up with a wolf? Especially a green one." Thelia asked Virid once they entered the forest and she had lit a crystal-powered lantern.

"I found Mitra deep in the forest when she was just a few weeks old. I think she had been abandoned because of her unusual color. I took her home and when she grew up it turned out that green fur was an amazing camouflage, so the joke's on her mother for thinking unusuall was bad." Virid patted Mitra affectionately.

It took a while, and Verunt suspected that they were lost amongst the leafed trees a few times, but eventually Virid stopped and said, pointing at a big oak "That's where Mitra found you."

From where they stood they could see the unevenly shaped boulders marking the border. They stood in a curved line twenty meters from each other, without anything but grass and air between.

Verunt walked closer to a boulder and noticed a small, purple crystal deeply embedded in the center of the stone. Around it was deep and shallow scrape marks, new and old alike.

"The purple crystals holds a special type of protective magic." Virid placed himself next to Verunt. "They form the barrier to keep us safe, yet some have tried to chop them out."

Verunt tried to move past the boulder, but couldn't. As he reached out his hand towards the seemingly empty space next to the boulder it seemed to create ripples on a transparent surface. Even though he laid his full weight behind, he couldn't push through.

"You can't pass," Thelia whispered to herself, disappointed, as she saw him struggle.

"It's for the best," Virid said, laying a hand on Verunt's shoulder.

"You don't know that! It's only what people have been telling you your whole life," Thelia shouted. She turned towards Verunt, her eyes red. It was only then he saw the girl she really was. "Is life really that awful outside?"

"Procul is bad, really bad," he answered, leaning his back against the boulder and slowly sliding down until he sat down in the high grass. "There's not enough food for everyone, the people is completely controlled by those in charge and those who speak up or tries do change anything either get locked up, banished or killed directly." Verunt fell into silence for a few moments before he continued. "But I've heard stories of other cities where life is easy. Where everyone is equal, the people can cure any illness and they have houses entirely made of glass. But they are probably not real. All I ever saw after leaving Procul was ruins and wastelands."

"We should still have the right to chose whether we want to stay or leave. Egem says there's a way to open this cage, but that the council hides it." Thelia was quiet for a while before Virid defended the council. Then all hell broke lose.

While Virid and Thelia argued, Verunt stood up and began to pace along the border.

I will never see my family again, he thought.

Idiot! A voice in his mind responded. You are banished from Procul, it's not like you could have seen them even if you could walk past that stone.

As he turned once more to pace away from the others he saw something reflect the light of the lantern. He walked closer and saw the metallic blade of the dagger he'd lost. The bronze hilt with the purple crystal felt familiar in his grasp. Holding it lifted a weight from his shoulders he didn't know he'd carried. The dagger along with his boots was the only things he still had of his old life, his new one had just begun. 

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A/N: What are your thoughts on Thelia? Please consider leaving a vote if you liked this chapter. :)