Yonni stared at the Wingsong soldier in front of her, lost in the deep pools of cobalt that threatened to pierce her soul. She felt her breath catch in her throat and a nervous tremble strike her hands. Her eyes quickly traced over his sharp features, chiseled jaw and broad shoulders.
“Princess Yonni Sxem, a pleasure to meet you,” The man said in a voice that was resonant and crisp, bowing before her and sweeping his magnificent gray wings. White dots flowed across them in a stippling pattern that looked like snow dancing in the clouds of a storm. “My name is Silban Awn, the Celenian in charge of tonight’s banquet. I’ve come to see if you require any assistance.”
Yonni’s mind ran wild with ideas.
‘Tomekeeper, may I remind you we share a headspace?’ Drinex chastised.
Yonni felt herself blush with embarrassment and lightly cleared her throat. She curtsied, pulling up at the fringes of the frilly pale pink dress that was left for her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Silban. My deepest thanks to your kingdom and Monarch for having me here.”
“The pleasure is mine, Princess,” Silban responded with a vivid smile. He stepped forward and pulled a bundled scroll from the leather pouch at his side. Yonni looked up at him. She guessed he had to be at least a head taller than she was. He reached out and placed her open hand in his. Yonni felt him close her fingers around the rough parchment of the scroll. Their gaze never broke.
“I was told to bring you this message from Anqua as soon as you arrived. I apologize for being tardy on the matter,” Silban told her. “I’ll give you your privacy and let you finish your preparations. Please, let me know if you need anything. I look forward to seeing you downstairs.”
Silban slowly pulled his hand from hers, but she still felt the warmth. A fluttering fire sparked in the pit of her stomach. He turned and took a few steps, then spun around. “Princess, if I may be so bold,” He stammered. “I would like to say that you look absolutely breathtaking.”
Silban paused, as if his mind had caught up with his mouth, and bit his lip. Yonni could tell he was deep in thought on how to proceed. Her thoughts raced as well.
“Thank you, Silban,” Yonni responded gracefully. “And please, call me Yonni.”
“Yes, Princ… Yonni,” Silban corrected himself, cheeks scarlet. His smile grew, and he was off once more.
‘I know I’m not one to talk,” Drinex interrupted. ‘I just want to say that romance, while a beautiful experience, can often cloud one’s mind of the bigger tasks at hand.”
‘You’re right,’ Yonni replied. ‘You’re not one to talk, lest you would like Verna’s opinion on the matter.’
Drinex let out a sudden, singular laugh. ‘I see you’ve gotten comfortable with me. Fair enough, then, Tomekeeper. I shall keep such thoughts to myself, for now.’
Yonni closed the door and pressed against it. Her heart pounded in her chest. She shook her head to clear her mind and moved over to the body-sized mirror at the room’s other end. Yonni took a moment to look herself over from every angle. She loved how the dress looked on her. The flares and frills of its bottom reminded her of her tail, and the lack of sleeves made her feel free. The dress wrapped up and around her neck, and sweeping V’s made of pearls encircled her waist. There was only one person who knew exactly what she would have liked.
Yonni moved to the bed and opened up the scroll. The fire in her stomach shifted to pangs of nervousness as she did. A small comb made from coral, silver and flecks of peridot fell into her lap. She turned toward the candles by her bedside for better light, and read the note aloud to herself.
“Princess Yonni, if you are reading this note, then you have arrived safely at the kingdom of Prodigium. We hope that you are unharmed and are able to appreciate your time amongst the surface dwellers. Please know that your mother, our gracious Queen Monalei, is back safely with us here in the castle. She sustained a few wounds, but we are working tirelessly to ensure her health. Do not worry about us. The Queen requests that you focus on receiving your tome and make your return when you are willing. You have made us all incredibly proud. Sincerely, General Gandreke.”
‘Good news, thankfully,’ Drinex noted. ‘I’m glad your mother is safe, Yonni.’
Yonni agreed, rolled the scroll back up and held it close. It was an immense relief to have confirmation that the Queen was alive, and the stress from days of being unsure finally fled her body. She looked forward to the moment she could return to Anqua and tell her mother, brother and Gandreke all about her journey and the friends that she made. Her hands brushed across the comb, a physical embodiment of what she had to look forward to. Yonni stood, steeled with new resolve, and pulled her hair into a top bun. She slipped the comb into it to hold it in place, and took one last glance in the mirror. Satisfied with her appearance, she exited the room.
The sound of mixed laughter from down the hall caught her attention. She flitted past the rooms to investigate. As she rounded the corner, she was greeted by the presence of Kliev, I’el and Tuvhe gathered near the edge of the staircase.
“Oh my!” I’el exclaimed as she rushed forward and grabbed Yonni’s hands. Her dress was a singular and simple gown, a slightly darker green that evoked images of fresh seaweed, covered by a vast array of thin vines. Her brightly-colored hair was pulled entirely to her left side with a headband made of knotted roots to keep it in place. “You look so stunning!”
“Same!” Yonni complimented I’el. “I love how you personalized everything.”
“It felt right,” I’el said. “Ever since we arrived, I can sense the magic pulsating in the air around us. I wanted to add a splash of life and the vines had a mind of their own. That Wingsong soldier scared me too. I thought I was going to get in trouble for using magic in the castle. Did he stop by your room as well?”
Yonni glanced to the side in a poor attempt to hide her affection, but I’el gave her a knowing look. “So that’s what you’re into, hmm?” She teased Yonni. “I don’t blame you. He’s very handsome.”
“Hey, I can hear you, you know. I’d like to think I’m quite the looker myself,” Kliev quipped from behind her.
The Wojlidoj stood next to I’el, and Yonni noticed that his beard and mustache had been neatly trimmed. He was dressed in a long-sleeved periwinkle coat that dropped down to his knees with a sharpened triangular edge. Gold and silver diamonds interlaced up the sides, and a line of brown fur ran along the collar. A bright white tunic popped out from underneath, tucked into navy leather pants.
“Oh, Kliev,” I’el mocked in a dramatic, honeyed tone. “Any woman would be lucky to be graced by your stately visage and held in your strapping arms. Alas, my heart is still taken.”
“Are you all ready to go?” Tuvhe asked in exasperation. He looked miserable. His snow-white coat trailed down into a black-edged U-shape behind his boots, and the dark gray vest underneath was covered in a silver lattice pattern that trailed down into his black pants. Yonni could tell his discomfort was from a lack of armor.
I’el made her way to the stairs and stopped in front of him. “It wouldn’t hurt you to smile for once, you know,” She nagged.
“Actually, it might,” Tuvhe retorted. I’el huffed and descended the stairs. Kliev followed behind and silently shrugged at Tuvhe as he passed.
Yonni stepped up and adjusted Tuvhe’s coat. He had a tired look in his eyes. “Are you going to be alright?” She questioned.
“I worry that receiving our tomes will do more harm than good,” He answered honestly. “Are you not concerned about what could happen when we have the full power of the gods?”
“I’m not,” Yonni replied. “I trust Drinex, much like I know Utic trusts Verna. I’el and Kliev seem to be aligned with Noli and Wogiwoj as well. The question I think you need to ask - and the one that I know everyone else is thinking - is if you trust Eslen.”
Tuvhe ground his teeth and looked at the chandelier above them. “I know that he isn’t malicious, just scorned. What worries me are the lengths he may be willing to go to prove to the rest of you that he isn’t the traitor he was made out to be. Promise me something, Yonni.”
“It depends on what it is, Tuvhe. But why me?”
“Because you have a good heart, and you’re also cautious. You aren’t quick to trust, but you’re not quick to cast doubt either. You’re pragmatic, much like I am.”
“And what is it I’m promising?”
“That if I ever cross the line and hurt anyone that doesn’t deserve it, or fall too deep into Eslen’s quest for vengeance, you’ll stop me. By any means necessary.”
The seriousness of Tuvhe’s request weighed heavily on her chest, but she understood why Tuvhe asked her instead of anyone else. He knew that she would if she needed to. She wasn’t afraid. Yonni bit her cheek.
“Okay,” She vowed. “If I ever feel the need to step in and handle you, I will.”
Tuvhe ruffled his hair and let out a heavy breath. “Let’s move on to some lighthearted conversation and dinner, yeah?”
Yonni seconded and they descended the stairs to the foyer. She caught sight of I’el and Kliev flanked by a couple of Celenians, as well as a few more individuals she didn’t recognize ahead of them. “Wait, where is Utic?”
“I saw him head toward the eastern tower, the one we first entered through,” Tuvhe answered. “He should be back though, correct?”
‘We should check,’ Drinex encouraged her. ‘Just to be safe.’
‘You could just say you’re worried about Verna,’ Yonni responded. She gestured toward the east tower. “I’m going to check and make sure,” She told Tuvhe. “Go ahead and we’ll catch up to you.”
Yonni darted as quickly as her dress would allow toward the tower and up another spiraling set of stairs within. She passed one empty floor after another with no sign of Utic. Her legs quickly grew weary, but she pushed forward. Something in her felt like she had to. As she reached the top of the tower, she saw the hatch had been opened and a wooden ladder settled against it. Yonni lifted the hem of her dress up with one hand and latched onto the rungs with the other, then wobbled her way up. Her footing slipped on the last rung, and she could feel the weight of gravity tug her to the ground. A hand reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Yonni!” Utic exclaimed. He pulled her up through the hatch and laid her out onto the tower floor. He was clad in a tan dressy tunic with citrine buttons, white pants, and a cream-colored cape draped over his left shoulder. “You shouldn’t be climbing ladders. What are you doing here?”
“I came to find you. Something felt off and I wanted to make sure you were safe,” She confessed.
Utic let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, no I’m fine. I came up to look at the stars. I heard once that this was the best view you could get and wanted to compare it to the one back home.”
“You came all the way up here to stargaze?”
“Yes. I mean, you can’t really see much because of the vast amount of light below, but you can still make out some nice constellations.”
Yonni relaxed and picked herself up. She dusted herself off, then walked over to the tower’s edge. She could sense Utic’s palpable anxiety as she leaned over the chest-high barricade. “Care to share? I haven’t really had the time to appreciate the night sky.”
“You’ve never seen the stars?” Utic questioned in surprise.
“Anqua is too far down to make a trip to the water’s edge just for stargazing. Only those that needed to go to the surface for business or political reasons have seen them. My father used to tell stories about them, though.”
“Do you miss home? I do. My family, at least. My sisters and my brothers. I often wonder if they’ve already moved on with me being gone for this long.”
“I just found out my mother is alive, so I think that made me yearn to head back, yes,” Yonni reflected. “I’ve enjoyed my time here, but I want to check on her, and see my brother again as well. He had just returned and I had to leave so suddenly, we never had a chance to catch up.”
“I’m thankful to hear the Queen is alive,” Utic said. “I thought you looked a bit more spirited this time.”
“Stars,” Yonni reminded him. “Before we have to go.”
Utic traced a design in the air with his finger. “You see that big reddish orb?” He explained to her as he moved. “That one right there is Extansia, what many navigators use as their central point. It stands out pretty easily among the stars that surround it, so it’s always quick to find. If you use Extansia, you can branch out and make Lodigen, the constellation in the shape of a lantern. People say it’s the inspiration behind Ghantei’s symbol. If you hop eight stars to the right, that’s the beginning of Gentriol.”
“It’s a wallu!” Yonni realized. She couldn’t help but embrace her excitement. The surface world still had so much beauty stored in every corner, and she longed to learn about it all.
“Exactly! I knew you would like that one,” Utic chuckled. “On the opposite end of Gentriol is Xemenicus. Can you decipher its shape?”
Yonni squinted. “It looks kind of like a sword? Or some other type of bladed weapon.”
“Correct,” Utic confirmed. “You’re pretty great at this!”
Yonni gave him a playful shove. “Thanks, Utic. Maybe you can show me some more before I have to go back to Anqua.”
Yonni thought she saw a flash of disappointment cross Utic’s face, but it was gone after she blinked. It was just in her imagination, it seemed. He put his hands in the pockets of his vest.
“Yonni, in case I don’t have another chance, I wanted to gi-”
The bell tower above them chimed loudly, the vibrations reverberating through Yonni’s core. She covered her ears in pain. “We can talk later,” She shouted over the notes. “We need to get to the banquet before we’re late!”
Yonni carefully dropped down the ladder and made her way to the stairs with Utic right behind. She counted nine chimes. They made their way back into the foyer where Coltiel stood in wait.
“Tuvhe told me you two may need someone to lead you to the banquet,” Coltiel said cheerfully. “If you two are ready, we can be on our way.”
Yonni and Utic, both out of breath, tried their best to confirm. Coltiel flapped his wings once and gently blew the dust off of them, then gestured for them to follow. They traversed down a hall and into another open courtyard, where they turned down a diagonal path and followed it to another large building. Travertine pillars held up the awning of the building, while the five steps leading up to it stretched the entire length. They climbed and stopped at a pair of gold-trimmed wooden doors bigger than anything Yonni had ever seen. Coltiel knocked twice, and the doors slowly opened.
The bright light within the hall bled out into the dark of the courtyard and swallowed up the three. Coltiel ushered them inside and pointed to their spots at the large square table their companions were seated at. Six chairs of gold, silver, and red fabric were placed on each side of the table, and an appetizing feast had been spread across every inch of it. Food from each of the various cultures were repeated at least three times over to ensure there was more than enough for all, and porcelain dishes were placed neatly in front of everyone. Anywhere on the table that food wasn’t present was filled by beautiful flowers in an assortment of colors and shapes. Silban observed the room from a few steps up, standing next to the throne that Yonni presumed belonged to the Monarch. Behind him, tucked in the corner, was a seven-piece orchestra playing a variety of string and wooden instruments. Their tranquil music brought an aura of calm across the hall. Yonni studied the seating arrangement of the table and the other Tomekeepers she had yet to meet.
Kliev and I’el were placed next to each other in the middle of the table’s right side, with Tuvhe and a woman with large, messy curls and circular glasses to I’el’s left. The woman scribbled and sketched on a piece of parchment in front of her with a charcoal stick. Across I’el was a man of subdued demeanor with long brown hair that swept down to the middle of his back. He twiddled his thumbs and kept to himself. Two empty seats were on each side of him, one for Yonni and another for Utic.
The remaining four positioned at the table’s end were all new faces. To Kliev’s right were a sullen Noctide woman and a snooty-looking Asceniate man who seemed to be talking aloud to no one in particular and gesturing to himself. Across from them were another man and woman, but Yonni had a hard time determining who looked more deadly. The woman, clearly a Terrolaff from her facial paint, stared daggers at the Asceniate, as if waiting for the moment to pounce. The Pyrolite next to her dug his hands into the table and bounced his leg rapidly. Yonni could tell he was getting more furious with each passing moment. She rounded the table and took her seat across from Tuvhe, then looked up to Silban, who had been watching her the whole time. She gave him a warm smile that he returned, then realized there was still an empty seat next to her.
‘Drinex, is Silban the Tomekeeper of Ghantei?’ Yonni asked, hopeful.
‘To be honest with you, Yonni, I don’t believe Ghantei has chosen anyone yet. Her magic would be far too powerful to conceal,’ Drinex answered. ‘The thought that there isn’t a Tomekeeper of light thus far concerns me.’
The orchestra transitioned their music into an triumphant march and pulled everyone’s attention to the throne. The wall behind the throne parted, and a swarm of Celenians entered. Silban stepped up to the throne’s side and monitored the others as they broke away and revealed the Monarch of Prodigium, dressed in a flowing bronze robe and covered in a number of jewels that mimicked the colors of all twelve nations. Yonni stood and bowed along with Tuvhe, I’el, Utic, Kliev, the man next to her and the Noctide woman. She was shocked that the remaining Tomekeepers didn’t show the same respect that they did, and that the Monarch didn’t immediately call attention to it. Instead, he waved to them all.
“Welcome, my most sacred of guests,” The Monarch said in a booming voice. He outstretched his wings and sat upon the throne, where Silban handed him a goblet full of red wine. “I am Monarch Cason Mivano, and I would like to propose a toast to open this glorious celebration.”
He raised his goblet toward the Tomekeepers. “A toast to all that have assembled in these hallowed halls to celebrate the dawn of a new age. We, in keeping with the traditions of those before us, choose to come together and feast with one another in the ideals of peace and Lidaesean prosperity. I offer my humble thanks to all of you, selected by the gods and goddesses of our world to carry out their will. It is not an easy task, nor should it be. You are the future. You will change the very face of the earth that we walk on. Our future generations will look back on every decision that you make, much as you now look back on those of your ancestors, and either thank or curse you for it. It is a beautiful thing to shape the future, but it must also be a task embarked upon with the mindset of permanency. There is no going back to change or redo the choices that you will make for your great nations. I start by offering a welcome to the Tomekeepers from the province of Voncarn: home of sand, sea, hearth and snow. May you please stand and be recognized.”
Yonni scrambled to stand, caught off-guard by the request. Tuvhe, Utic and the long-haired man next to her stood as well.
“Yonni Sxem, Utic Delj, Tuvhe Vull, and Irada Holst. A pleasure to see you. Next, let us welcome the Tomekeepers from the province of Silnathum: home of shadow, storm, fire and war.”
The Noctide, Terrolaff, Pyrolite, and Kliev stood. Kliev looked wildly out of place in the group. I’el giggled quietly next to him.
“Fwen Inati, Verina Hinlon, Zall Destus, and Kliev Rorn. Most of you have caused quite the stir in my nation today, but I offer open arms and a hope that peace will continue through the night. And finally, let us welcome the Tomekeepers from my own province of Praderek: home of air, light, aether and forest.”
I’el, the curly-haired woman and the cocky Asceniate stood. The remaining Tomekeepers glanced toward the empty chair, then to Silban in confusion.
“I’el Rivini, Ramji Wrine and Qio Lod. May you who reside as our neighbors never be strangers,” The Monarch concluded. “You may have noticed we are missing a Tomekeeper, but I promise he will be along shortly. With that, I only have one thing left to say. Let the Banquet of Tomes begin!”
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