"No," Claire said with a shake of her head, "that won't be necessary."
"Good, just the thought of it is unpleasant," Xieren replied.
A shadow fell over them and Claire looked up just as they skimmed dangerously close to a tower whose faded paint suggested it had once been a bright turquoise. She stepped back in surprise, bumping into Xieren whose hands rose to rest on her shoulders and helped steady her.
"Don't be afraid, I've got the best pilot in all of Oria at the helm," he assured her. The ship circled again the tower again, tilting to the right as the bow angled downward bringing the ship in a slow spiral towards the dock.
The ship came to a stop across from a wide wooden platform and several crew members appeared dragging ropes thicker than Claire's arm over their shoulders. She watched with open fascination as the ropes were thrown with expert ease to loop over several tall iron spikes. Once secured, the men and women began to pull the ship towards the dock, the lengths of rope piling at their feet as they drew closer to their final destination. When they were about a foot away, the ropes were tied off and a gangplank was lowered, bridging the remaining gap between the ship and the platform.
"Welcome to my home, Claire," Xieren said, motioning towards the tower that loomed over them, the top disappearing into a swirl of clouds.
"Damn, what a rush," a woman's voice exclaimed causing the both of them to turn. "Did you see how close we came? Jonas said I couldn't get that close without sacrificing speed, I bet him a bottle of Drift's finest whiskey I could."
"And you'll get it," Jonas replied as he fell into step beside her.
The woman who approached was tall and lean, but it was her bright red hair, shimmering like fire in the light of the late morning sun, that really drew the eye. It was looped into a loose braid and rested over one shoulder while long, loosely curling wisps that had come free during the flight framed her pale, freckled face still flushed from all the excitement.
"Excellent flying as always, my dear," Xieren replied. "Claire this is my pilot, Luciana Lockwood."
"Luci, this is Claire," Xieren explained.
Luciana regarded her with a cool stare that surprised Claire.
"You don't mind taking care of things here while I tend to other matters, do you?" Xieren asked.
"Got it covered," Luci replied, staring at Claire a moment longer with a look of thinly veiled disdain that she just didn't understand. After a moment, Luci turned on her heel and strode purposefully towards a group of men and women working on something at the far end of the ship. "Hey! Don't hold it there, you want to lose an arm? Bloody idiots!"
"Come, Claire," Xieren said, placing his hand against the small of her back to guide her in the direction of the gangplank. She hesitated when they reached the edge and though she told herself not to look down, her eyes lowered as though they had a mind of her own. The ground below was no more than a smear of color, one thing indiscernible from the other and she felt her stomach turn.
"Don't worry, I won't let you fall," Xieren assured her, giving her a gentle but insistent nudge to keep moving. Having little choice, Claire forced her feet to move and didn't realize that she was holding her breath until she made it safely to the wooden platform at the other end.
"Jonas, did you finish the task I gave you?" Xieren asked.
Jonas, who had followed them down the gangplank and now walked half a step behind them, nodded. "Yes, everything has been arranged to your specifications. I know it's not my place to question--"
"Then don't," Xieren cut him off. "If everything has been prepared, you may take your leave. Claire and I have much to discuss."
Jonas looked as though he wanted to say more, but he seemed to think better of it and simply nodded again. "If you need anything, I'll probably be with Luci at the Crimson Dragon."
Xieren waved him off and turned towards Claire. "Are you hungry? I, myself, am famished. I find these sorts of strenuous, early morning activities always work up an appetite. How about you?"
"Well, I'm not sure," she replied, "I can't say I've experienced it enough to notice."
He laughed, guiding her through an open archway into the interior of the tower. It was a far cry from the city below. Where the streets of Drift were a mere ghost of their former glory, the room she found herself in looked as though it had been meticulously and lovingly cared for. The floors were done in a mosaic pattern made from a variety of brightly colored marble pieces and polished to a shine. Smooth, round columns of white alabaster, wrapped in spiraling swathes of vibrantly colored silks, rose towards the domed ceiling where hundreds, if not thousands, of candles hung from thin gold chains varying in length.
The warm glow illuminated the cavernous space, shedding light onto an intricate depiction of the sky at dusk, a deep rose tinted violet that faded into a star dusted black that looked incredibly real. It was breathtaking and left Claire feeling small and alone.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Xieren asked, reminding her that she was not, in fact, by herself.
"I've never seen anything like it," she replied. "Do all the towers look like this?"
"Sadly, we've not been able to preserve them all, but a handful, like this one, are just as glorious as the day they were unveiled," he said with a heavy sigh. "Come, let me show you to your room. You can get cleaned up, rest a bit and then we shall talk at length about why you are here."
"My room?" Claire questioned.
"How many times must I remind you that you are my guest here?" Xieren asked.
"I suppose once more," she replied with a sigh of her own.
Xieren said nothing, simply motioned for her to follow as he led her through another doorway and down a wide, winding staircase made from the same colorful marble as the floor.
The next landing was just as opulent as the last, this one opening up to a large indoor garden filled with all manner of greenery and colorful flowers. Claire let out a startled cry of surprise as something swooped towards her and it was then she realized that there were also birds residing within the tangled canopy.
She followed Xieren onto a narrow gravel path which wound through the garden. At its center was a small pond filled with colorful fish darting every which way. Xieren paused at the peak of a narrow wooden bridge to sprinkle some food from a nearby dish into the water. The fish schooled around it, fighting to get a nibble before it was all consumed, and then dispersed again once it was clear the food was gone.
"We feed them regularly, but they always act as though they're starved," he said with a smile. "Come, we're almost there."
As they exited the garden, they passed through a thin, sheer curtain and into a room that rivaled any she had ever seen. The floors were decorated with a red and gold mosaic arranged in a spiral that wound its way towards the center of the room, ending at the edges of a sunken pool. Swaths of silk in varying shades of green and blue hung suspended from the ceiling, held aloft by an invisible force. Similar drapes hung over latticework doors made of polished wood. The doors had been left open allowing a gentle breeze to tease the edges of the curtains causing them ripple and sway.
"What do you think?" Xeiren asked as his eyes traveled the room. "I decorated it myself, in the style of my homeland."
"You aren't from Oria?" Claire asked, stepping further into the room. She ran her fingers across the smooth, glossy surface of a table. On it were several vases filled with sweet, aromatic chrysanthemums varying from deep gold to pale yellow.
"No," Xeiren replied, "a common trait we share, or so I am told."
Claire looked back at him. "You still haven't told me who you are working for."
Xeiren chuckled and leaned against the door frame. His stance was casual and easy, but his eyes were sharp and calculating. She could feel them on her as she moved to stand at the edge of the pool. Crouching down she reached out to touch the water and was surprised to find it was warm, much like a recently drawn bath. What puzzled her, however, was that there didn't seem to be any plumbing of any sort, nothing to indicate how the tub had been filled to begin with.
"I told you we would discuss the finer details of your visit here later," Xeiren said at last, "for the time being, relax, bathe, eat, whatever you like. If you require anything, simply ring the bell and someone will assist you."
He turned to leave and Claire frowned.
"You're leaving me alone?" she asked. "How do you know I won't escape?"
"You are certainly welcome to try," Xeiren replied before strolling out of sight.
Claire waited several minutes before she made her way towards the door. Xeiren's words had seemed more a challenge than a warning and she was curious to see if she really was alone. No one loitered outside the door, and the only life in the garden were the birds flitting from tree to tree. Crossing through the garden's center Claire made her way to the opposite side of the room. As she moved along the outer edge she realized rather quickly why Xeiren had made no efforts to confine her behind lock and key or employ the use of a guard -- there was no way out.
At least not one that Claire could see. The stairs they had used also appeared to be missing and besides the door leading into the other room, there were no others leaving her with nowhere to go.
Making her way back to where Xeiren had left her, Claire proceeded past the pool and out onto the balcony. Once again she was confronted with a breathtaking view of the city. From so high up it was easy to imagine how the city had once been a thriving metropolis. It saddened her to think of what the people of Drift had lost and how many of them had perished.
"Miss."
Startled, Claire turned sharply and found herself face to face with a dark haired girl who couldn't have been older than thirteen. The girl bowed low before rising to offer Claire a faint smile.
"My name is Meili, Master Zou has asked us to assist you in preparing for the meal you will share with him this evening," the girl explained. It took Claire a moment to realize she was referencing Xeiren.
"Us?" Claire asked.
"Yes," Meili replied. She motioned with a sweep of her arm towards the interior of the room. "If it pleases you, we shall help you bathe and dress."
"Oh, no," Claire said, shaking her head. "I shouldn't."
It didn't seem right to partake in such luxuries while Draz and Rollan were no doubt overcome with worry over her safety.
"But you must," Meili replied, her smile fading. "Master Zou insisted. If we fail to complete this task, we shall be punished."
Claire frowned. "That seems unreasonable."
"Oh no, mistress, Master Zou is very reasonable and generous," Meili replied with a nod. "You will see. Come, it will take some time to make you presentable."
"I suppose--"
"Wonderful, mistress, Please, follow me."
"You don't have to call me that," Claire said as she followed the girl back into the room. "Claire is fine."
"Yes, mistress," Meili replied.
Inside the room were three other girls that looked identical in both dress and appearance as Meili. They bowed in unison and each took up a position at the corners of the sunken pool. Claire stopped at the edge but before she could ask Meili what to do next, she felt the girl pulling at her clothing as if to remove it.
"W-wait!" Claire protested, startled by the unexpected actions.
"You must undress if you wish to bathe properly, mistress," Meili replied to which the other three nodded in agreement.
"I know," Claire replied, "I just... I can do it myself... I can do all of it myself."
The girl seemed to hesitate then finally spoke. "If that is your wish, mistress." Meili bowed again and stepped back giving Claire some space.
"Alone?" Claire added. Meili looked uncertain but turned and motioned for the other girls to leave. "We will be right outside if you require assistance, mistress."
She nodded, realizing then that continuing to correct the girl was only going to leave her feeling frustrated. She waited until they had all left the room before she turned her attention back to the bathing pool. Draz and Rollan wouldn't want her to be uncomfortable, right? Leaving the clothing in a pile on the floor, she slipped into the pool, the water just as warm as it had been when she'd checked it earlier.
Claire spent the first few minutes simply enjoying the way the water felt against her skin. She hadn't realized how desperate she was for a bath until that moment. Resting her back against the wall of the pool, Claire closed her eyes and let days worth of travel and tension seep away.
"Glad to see you're enjoying yourself,." a voice called out from somewhere up above.