Page 21 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts
A Chosen stood watch at the base of the rock – a man dressed in distinctive graphite attire, with indigo threads around the shoulders and waist. The rising moonlight played on hisprofile, revealing a stern face.
Amelia glanced up at the sky and was filled with awe. She’d only heard of it before, but as soon as she saw the crimson shadow of the waxing crescent, shining like a halo over the ridge, she recognised it. The Blood Ninth Moon. To the reptilians, this was the most sacred day of the month; they believed the moon granted every wish.
They passed a stretch of barren trees to reach the Queen’s car at the beginning of the Circle of Arius. Its sleek black body, aggressive front grille, and piercing headlights made it seem like a dangerous predator. No less intimidating was Sevar, standing beside the car with a solid black bag in hand. Amelia swallowed the bile rising in her throat, a reflex that accompanied every encounter with the reptilian.
“Just in time!” the Queen called out.
Sevar handed her the bag, glaring at Amelia. “I hope it won’t go to waste.”
At least he didn’t join them once they got inside the car. The driver began navigating the winding Antambazi roads that wound down towards the lower slopes.
Stone façades erected on the rocky heights of the Circle of Arius, evoking a mediaeval fairytale sprinkled with modern decor and a touch of dark magic. Those were homes to the realm’s most significant inhabitants. The families of the Queen’s advisors. Chosen who’d left the palace quarters. Traders of earthly goods. Respected reptilians serving as teachers and architects. Healers.
The spacious houses gave way to modest dwellings in Middlehoud and the Low. The narrow streets stretched into a labyrinth of stony passages. At one point, they found themselves on a busy market street, and Amelia read the signs on the dim shop windows: Jewellery. Tailoring. Household Goods. Butcher’s Shop. Rare Earthly Goods. Herbs and Potions. Themarket area extended uphill, but they headed in the opposite direction. Antambazi was a large city, though confined within the limits of a single slope.
“What did Arius die of?” Amelia asked after a while.
In the car’s darkness, the Queen’s eyes had taken on that distinct animalistic glow typical of most immortal creatures. “An infectious disease that killed many of the older reptilians. Illnesses are rare for us, but once they spread, they’re usually severe. We don’t possess the regenerative abilities of other immortal species. Without support, the average reptilian lifespan is half a century. And with a disease? A being can pass away even faster than a human.”
They didn’t speak further. When they reached the illuminated columns of the bridge, Amelia realised they were approaching the outskirts. She’d heard the ‘civilised’ reptilians came here for unsavoury entertainment – a disreputable but permitted indulgence.
The first houses on the outskirts were dilapidated wooden shacks, perched precariously on slender foundations in the riverbed. The sedan progressed along a central road, flanked by crumbling stone buildings with small windows and sloping roofs. As the tarmac narrowed into a rutted dirt track, the air grew heavy with the scent of sea salt. The car stopped, and the Queen signalled for them to step out.
They were on the cliff’s edge. Waves rocked a small boat in the dark waters below. A barely discernible figure sat inside, his face concealed beneath a black hood, gripping an oar. The wind flung sea spray across Amelia’s cheeks and hair.
“Come on,” the Queen said.
They boarded the boat, resting on a single wooden plank. The shrouded figure began rowing silently, while the red moon shone high above them.
Remaining near the cliff side, they avoided venturing far intothe sea. The icy wind whipped their hair, but the boatman’s hood stayed still. Above them, the palace should have loomed, but when Amelia tilted her head to search for its lights, only jagged black rock formations rose in the heights.
After some time, the boat stopped at the edge of a cliff. A carved entrance in the rock faintly glowed. Amelia and the Queen disembarked, while the silent boatman remained frozen, resembling a statue cloaked in a black veil.
“Ayradjakli!” the Queen called out. Her voice faded into the depths of the rock, echoing back louder. The light from the antique sconces lining the entrance flickered along the walls, undisturbed by the gusting wind.
The Queen advanced. Amelia hesitated before following her. After her experience in the Temple of the Dead Immortals, cave-like spaces made her sweat.
“I’ve brought you an intriguing guest, ayradjakli!” the Mother of Reptilians called again. To Amelia, she explained, “The Educator enjoys games. Don’t let him get to you.”
A chilly breeze swept into the cave, prompting Amelia to cross her arms for warmth. A few steps further in, the sound of waves faded and was replaced by a gentle oriental melody. Its echo travelled up the walls, resonating through the cavern like a flute played by a master musician. The hypnotic tones made Amelia feel an inexplicable urge to dance and surrender to the captivating music. She squinted into the depths of the cave, eager to see the source of the melody, but the tunnel narrowed ahead and curved out of sight.
The musician stopped playing. A wave of disappointment washed over Amelia.
“You know I hate your tricks, ayradjakli!” the Queen said, her voice now tinged with irritation.
Then, the man appeared. At first, he was merely a silhouette. But as he drew nearer, his form became clearer. The lanternsrevealed features that were neither young nor old. Amelia held her breath when she recognised his face – she’d seen the witcher in a vision of Mikhail’s past. He’d helped build the Hospital by using hypnosis to control hundreds of human labourers constructing it. And he’d also cast the protective enchantments over the structure.
The man stroked his black moustache, studying Amelia. “Hmm… Are those the white eyes of the Oracle I see?”
Faint lavender circles glowed and rotated in the man’s black pupils. Amelia tried to look away, but found it was impossible. They were so beautiful. So hypnotic…
He was hypnotising her! With effort, she tore her gaze away.
The Queen shook her head. “You’ll soon learn the ayradjakli’s tricks can enchant you for a moment or two. His hypnosis works primarily on human minds. I use him to educate the humans who stumble into our realm.”
Amelia had glimpsed a pair of humans in the palace behaving more like obedient Labradors than rational people. She’d assumed their absurd conduct was because of the psychological trauma of discovering the hidden world of Antambazi. Now, however, she grimaced at the folly of her assumption and the extent of the Queen’s cruelty. She couldn’t imagine anything worse than being stripped of one’s will, becoming a robot at the mercy of someone such as her.
At the moment, though, she had a more pressing issue. She focused on the man before her, determined not to let him affect her. “You’re the one who created the protective enchantments over the Hospital for Immortal Creatures.”
