Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern

Chapter 1: Whispers of War: Glace

He had returned to his position as Captain of her Guard to find a different Stasia, no longer a little girl, but a beautiful, confident woman, a true princess. She was distracted by strange dreams that led her on strange quests. She disagreed with her father about where her boundaries should lie. And while Glace had learned duty, discipline and deference in the army, Stasia seemed to think that he was still her equal. Glace knew better. She was a princess, and he could not be familiar with her, could not meet her eyes or laugh with her. And he must somehow keep her from roaming into dangerous places. As a child, she had been easy to distract from her whims; now she was single-minded and sly, able to evade Glace and her other Guards with ease.

They passed through the fungal fields and into a long tunnel bordered with livestock dens, thick with the smell of manure. The stout, meaty cababar snarled and huffed as they passed. Small, sleek raihan raised their sharp horns and stomped their feet. Stasia paused to stroke the silky fur of the smaller chirat in their crowded pen, from which fine chirsh was woven for ice-armor and clothes. Glace tugged her along, stepping over shaggy baby molebear milling around on the tunnel floor. Musche hissed at their lumbering, protective mother, and Glace snapped the fingers of his free hand. The slink backed off and pushed past Stasia's legs, eager to be out of that passage. They took another turn, and then the tunnel of the guildless loomed before them. The guildless always made Glace uneasy.

Dressed in scavenged lakehide and chirsh rags, they milled in the wide tunnel, reaching out for alms. The stench here was worse than in the stock dens. Dirty faces crowded close, and quiet voices begged for food. Stasia stopped suddenly, and Glace almost crashed into her back. He tugged at her hand, urging her on, but she shook it free and looked down at her dress.

“It is ruined already,” she said. “The Palace servants will throw it on the midden.”

She began plucking off the sapphires and diamonds that were sewn on the collar and wrists, placing them into outstretched hands. Glace growled in frustration. True, the expensive websilk was torn to shreds by her wild trek, but the servants would have salvaged the gems. And if she really intended to pluck off every stone, it would eat up the time they had gained by coming this route. But he could not stop her short of picking her up and carrying her away, and he must not do that. Duty, discipline and deference, he reminded himself. He pulled a dagger from his belt and helped her by cutting away the gems. They were tiny and scattered from his fingers to the ground, where the guildless groveled for them. Stasia gave him a glare and knelt on the dirty floor to help the people pick them up. More and more of the guildless crowded near, and Glace began to push them back, saying “That’s enough, now. Make way. The Princess is late to an important meeting.” He took her hand and pulled her to her feet, guiding her through the crowded tunnel. It was only when the guildless dwindled behind them that Glace relaxed and eased his grip on Stasia’s hand.

Ten minutes more down a narrow, empty tunnel brought them to an entrance to Iskalon. Glace led Stasia into the grand, vast cavern. It was the biggest cavern in all of Sholaen, and it was Glace’s home. To walk from where they stood at the foot of the Fire Bridge, across the island and to the other side of the King’s bridge, would take an entire hour, the cavern was so vast. They were still about a half hour from the Council Hall, and Glace chafed at any delay, but he stopped Stasia and stood with her for a moment, looking out across Lake Lentok.

The lake’s dark waters glittered with the reflection of the icelights of the Palace, which hung from the ceiling like giant, sparkling stalam, illuminating the whole vast cavern. The entire construction was ice, and grand balconies hung off the lowest levels, where Icers and Royalty could sit and view the city.  The city stood on the island. It looked dim and dull under the Palace, rising from the lake to its pinnacle, the Council Hall, in the very center of the city, and reaching across the lake with four bridges. The Bridge of Ancestors rose far on the other side, and Glace could see the distant purple glow of the entrance to the burial chambers beyond it.