The Book of Terrus: The Ghosts of Goran

Chapter 18 - For a Little While

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The mining city of Geristan was just as dull and uninviting looking as Jatheryn had imagined. Even the scent of it, carried to them atop Nightwish's back, was far from enthusing. Jatheryn picked up vague traces of metal, stagnant water, and dust on the wind even at a league away. Geristan smelled like industry, with no traces of anything like flowers or perfume to mute the stark austerity of it.

Far more impressive were the famed Teeth, looming up behind Geristan like a hedge of stone spikes. They were so tall they even managed to blot out the morning sunrise behind them in the east. Jatheryn had never seen anything like them before. There was a sense of vastness and timelessness to The Teeth that utterly outclassed even the oldest relics in the museums of Vaelona. How could there possibly be an entire other half to Goran beyond those mountains, when they appeared a divide nigh impenetrable?

Awenis, seated in front of Jatheryn on the blue roan's back, seemed less awed by The Teeth and more unimpressed by Geristan. She frowned at the gray stain across the landscape where it lay.

"It's not very...attractive a place, is it?" Awenis said.

Tearing his gaze away from the mountains to the city, Jatheryn couldn't help but agree.

"I had thought, given how well the mining business does here, that Geristan would at least look a little more affluent."

"It looks like a prison." Awenis said what they both were thinking.

It wasn't exactly an unfair assessment; even at this far out they could both see the high stone wall that completely enclosed the city. The only visible color was a pair of red pennants flying on either side of the gate. As far as Jatheryn was concerned, Geristan's sole claim to beauty came from its location. Then again, he supposed he was far from qualified to judge anything when it came to being colorless.

"Well, shall we?" Jatheryn made to urge Nightwish down from the hilltop where they stood to the road. Awenis stopped him though, with a hand on his wrist.

"What if we're recognized, like back at the inn?"

"I'm afraid there's not too much we can do to prevent that, Awenis, short of keeping our hoods up."

When Awenis offered no further protest, Jatheryn set the horse into a light trot done the grassy hilltop. It was a summer morning, but the sky was as overcast as the day before. From the looks of things, there would likely be rain that day. As much as Jatheryn agreed with Awenis' reluctance to enter such a drab looking place, they at least needed to find shelter. Plus, Jatheryn was concerned about Awenis being on the road over-long in her present condition.

Either out of boredom or sheer disinterest, the pair of guards standing above Geristan's gate gave Jatheryn and Awenis only the briefest of glances before waving them through. Jatheryn supposed the pair of them hardly looked like they could cause much in the way of trouble, with their skinny horse and lack of arms.

The inside of Geristan was no more interesting than the outside. Everything was built from the same dull grey stone, probably quarried from the nearby steps of The Teeth. When compared to Vaelona, the little foothills city was even duller. That was not to say that it seemed an unhappy place; the citizens appeared reasonably well dressed and occupied. Men passed by in the street talking cheerfully together, their broad shoulders and heavy hands hinting at a life of menial labor. Somewhere nearby a blacksmith's hammer clanged against his anvil, and the smell of fresh baked bread poured from an open window as they passed.