Mistlyn

Chapter 26: In the Realm of Mote

The world around me blackened. The only sense I had was the weight of the Roc hand on my head. But even that feeling was fading. Wind stroked my skin, leaving behind the feeling of softness and delicacy.

A particle of light cascaded into my vision, growing wider as the time tiptoed by.

"Cogaje?" I called out. I didn't hear my voice.

"Cogaje!" I yelled. I still didn't hear anything.

The light grew brighter. Cogaje appeared to my right. He turned to look at me, his face contorted in confusion, his lips moving. I heard none of his words, even as he kept speaking. Finally, his lips stopped moving; he'd realized that I couldn't hear anything he said.

He curled his hand to me, calling me over to him.

I shook my head and pointed towards the light.

And sound exploded around us. The light shattered and a new scene emerged. A city square, with people milling around, showed its face to us.

"Mistlyn," Cogaje said. I heard him this time.

We moved towards each other, not wanting to lose each other in the city.

"Are we in the Realm of Mote?" I said.

"I'm not sure," Cogaje shook his head. "Everything looks so normal."

People moved around, some Human, others Lizsard, some of them Skeletons and Ghosts, others were Jinn or Animal. There were plants all around us.

"It's every Race," I said.

Some of them chatted with each other, laughing and joking. Others were at kiosks, either buying or selling goods, bartering with one another.

It looked like a regular scene in a regular town.

"Maybe we should try finding the King," Cogaje said. "I think that's a good place to start."

"We can show someone his symbol and ask where to find him."

Cogaje nodded.

I went up to a lady holding an infant. "Do you know where the King is?" I asked.

"The King of Gamblers?"

Shaking my head, I bent down to the dirt and drew the King's symbol.

The lady nodded. "The King of Gamblers." She turned around and pointed at a mountain in the distance. "He lives on the mountain."

"How do we get to the mountain?" I asked.

"Follow the Bone Brick Road." She pointed to a white and cream path that started on the outside perimeter of the city square. "It leads right up to the mountain. Follow it and you'll get there."

"Thank you," I said. The lady smiled and walked off, her infant's head cradled against its mother's shoulder.

"So we follow this Road and we get there," Cogaje said. "Ready?" he looked at me.

"I just want to get this journey over with."

"I know what you mean," he half-smiled. "Come on, the sooner we get walking, the sooner we meet this King of Gamblers."

The Bone Brick Road started at a tree, a howl hooting in it. Cogaje and I took a deep breath, looked at each other, and stepped onto the Road.

The owl hooted and flew out of the tree. Small wings fluttered above the trees. Creatures chattered.

"This doesn't seem so bad," I said.

"Seeming and being are two different things," Cogaje said, his eyes vigilant. "We are in the Realm of Mote. Everything here is dead, even if they seem alive. This is the kingdom of death, and nothing's as it seems. Stay alert." He drew his sword from his bag. "I think you should do the same," he said, pulling out my sword from my bag and handing it to me. "Just in case."

I gulped and nodded, the weapon feeling cold and heavy in my hand.