Beneath the Sunless Sky

Chapter Twenty-Three

—The Creator's Hall, Rynbelle, Namera—

            An hour later, Ori was freshly bathed and feeling slightly better than she had been before. No longer were thoughts of home overwhelming or the bitter insults thrown at her as harsh. A little bit of rest and a little bit of food that had been left at her door had done her wonders, and it was with her head held high that she made her way to the Creator's Hall with Ren at her side and Adix shadowing her every step.

            She barely paid attention to her surroundings as she made her way to the Hall. Her mother would chastise her for such an oversight. A master rogue, she had always impressed upon her the importance of knowing every exit in case things took a turn for the worse. Her father, on the other hand, would praise her for keeping her priorities straight. Keeping her thoughts on the meeting ahead and thinking of her answers before any questions were asked was a way to stay one step ahead of people she wasn't yet certain she could trust. In most cases, she favored her father, and the older she got, the more she realized how much like him she truly was.

            A hollow ache gripped her as she thought of her family. Her nineteenth birthday had come and gone, marking five full years since she had seen them, since she had been afforded the comfort of home. She missed them all, dearly. How were they, she wondered? Her news on them amounted to random encounters with Idelle and Lulu out in the worlds or the occasional message she received through the dreamer flowers planted in her parents' garden.

She had believed cutting off all contact to be best. Though the King of Bones knew where her home was, in the end, all he wanted was her. So long as she stayed away, he seemed to live and let live. She had never wanted to tempt fate. What she wouldn't give now, however, to be able to slip home, to have her father hold her one more time, to hear her mother's laughter, to sigh in annoyance at her brothers' bickering, or to try, and fail, to properly braid her sister's hair. At that moment, she would have given anything to see them again.

            Ah, but now her father would be disappointed. Her mind had wandered, and she found herself not as prepared as she would like to have been when they reached the doors to the Creator's Hall.

            They opened to reveal a room far more austere than the others had seen. It served as a council chamber, she guessed, the wide-open space broken up only by three enormous tables, upon which were sprawled ancient and detailed maps. Two were positioned on either side of the room toward the doors, and the last was near the back wall, but positioned prominently, an obvious place of importance that few were ever asked to gather around. They were metal in their design, blue and silver patterns etched deeply into their surfaces that shimmered in such a way when the light hit it that it appeared as though a liquid ran within.

            The room itself was more crystal than metal, the latter serving only as accents and supports. Banners hung along the walls and at the far end, centered between two great stained-glass windows were three statues depicting the Creator, Aer'Avyn, and the Prophetess Kellaran. They were beautifully done. Whoever had crafted them was an expert in their field to be certain. So lifelike, Ori found herself getting uncomfortable as she approached the far table, the statues sitting just beyond. It looked as though, at any moment, one of the statues might spring to life and start talking. So, instead, her eyes traveled to the people waiting for her gathered around the massive metal table.

            On the opposite side of the table from her, directly in the center, stood Commander Avalas, who bowed deeply when she met his silver eyes. Dressed in his ceremonial armor, he cut a striking figure even amidst a room meant to impress. On his back, she could just make out the edges of his large shield strapped there, his sword sheathed at the hip. He said not a word as she approached, but it was clear who held the authority here. Yet, despite his commanding presence, the others, too, seemed all equally intimidating in their own right.