35 | The Ruins of Eyazim

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XXXV | THE RUINS OF EYAZIM


Armatia was a city of death and destruction created by the demon ruler, Emliack, that existed in stories parents told to children, either to put them to bed or scare them into doing chores. "Behave or Emliack will come for you," or "You'll wake up in Armatia if you don't listen to your parents" were common sayings in Bijou.

Kly remembered when his father had told him about Armatia. Kael and Kala hadn't even been born then. Neerus Smaradine was a man greatly intrigued by history - a trait easily passed down to his first son. He took his research across many lands, collecting stories of Armatia in particular, hoping to discover such secrets as its location. A small weather-beaten notebook in Kly's pocket held the many theories and discoveries Neerus had made specifically about the city.

According to legend, Armatia was once a great city that had such great riches that kingdoms of other lands grew with great fury and jealousy; they wanted to destroy the city and take its riches for themselves. They, however, did not know that Armatia was a city of demons, hiding in human skin in order to lure in unsuspecting armies and eating their rage and hatred, turning soldiers into phantoms ten times worse than the ones that existed at present.

While the existence of demons - at least in the current age - was debatable, the city of Armatia had been explicitly pushed aside into myth. A make believe story that had no bearing in science.

However, it was not the city that made Kly's blood run cold when Triena had spoken its name. No, it was the dangerous implications that the word brought when uttered by phantom lips. And the vague hope that Kly would finally find the whereabouts of the phantom that destroyed his childhood, his family, Kael.

There were seven items - gemstones - said to be cursed by the wickedness of Armatia. His father had liked to call them the Relics of Armatia. They were scattered by angels, given to great kings and conquerors to hide away in return for successful battles during their reign. It was said that when the items were reunited, Armatia would rise again, spreading chaos throughout the world. One of these items were rumoured to have been hidden deep in the treacherous desert of Arridia.

This was precisely why Kly journeyed across the Anglowan Ocean and into the vast expanse of the Alharu Desert. He regretted the fact that he would likely miss Kael's Weapons Choosing Test, but there were sacrifices to be made for the world to be a safer place.

"We are here," Rushil, the Arridian guide, said in stiff Anglowan. He patted his desert rhino before sliding off its back. His small height was accentuated beside the great beast.

The creature was massive, towering more than a meter taller than Kly and twice as wide as a horse; it was at least double the size of its Sqorjican cousin. With long lashes and thick mucus coating its eyes to protect it from the merciless sand, tough armored skin protected by a natural heat-reflecting pigment, and a single massive horn protruding from its nose to fend off predators, it was well-adapted for the desert. They were commonly used as tanks for war, ridden by great warriors in battle over lands and still were in the sporadic battles and wars that destroyed the otherwise placid world. Outside of that, they were a common means of transport across the dangerously arid desert.

Kly slid off his own rhino that he had rented, his boots sinking into the sand. His hand grazed the handle of his whip hanging on his belt as he followed the guide into a great city of ruins. In return for finding and catching the village leader's - the shayk's - son, Kly had asked to be led to the ruins of Eyazim instead of the orthodox cheque of money.

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