Page 67 of The Eye of the Fifth
Faeries fluttered around the entrance to the great dining hall, curiously flying as close to her as they dared go as she passed through the threshold, then swiftly darting away if she looked directly at them. It was not the first time she had noticed them within the temple, but being here in Nythanorwasthe first time she had encountered faeries before. They’d been driven out of Avaldale the moment humans had taken over the city after the Great Earthling War, but here in Gallena’s house, under the safety of Naal’s guardianship, they were abundant, floating around like tiny golden glowing stars.
Either they were quite shy creatures, or perhaps just had little trust for an outsider in their sanctuary.
An impressive fire was crackling in a wide fireplace behind the longest table Kyra had ever seen. It ran down the length of the high ceilinged room and was made of hard stone like the one in the Council Room, yet the attention to detail was significantly more impressive in its design, the entire table surface carved with the same swirling runes that patterned the ceiling in the temple’s atrium. The carvings must have been an inherently airling design… she’d never seen anything like it before.
Oslan, with his keen eye for beautiful things, would have been awed by it.
The table was set for around fifty people, and down its centre was an array of dishes Kyra was not familiar with. Thick chunks of pinkish meat that she could only assume was some sort of whale, thawing but seemingly ready to eat just as it was. There was not asingle vegetable nor a piece of fruit in sight, but she supposed the frozen terrain of the mountain was hardly fertile ground for fresh produce.
Next to the abundance of protein and placed along the table were crystal decanters, each filled with a stunningly dark, alluring red wine.
‘There you are,’ Kyra said with a smile. She filled a fancy crystal goblet with the stuff and made herself comfortable in a seat by the fire.
Within a few short minutes, the rich contents of her goblet was gone, and she was reaching for the decanter for a shameless refill.
‘It is an Eternal custom to wait for thepramahto drink first,’ Naal said as she glided into the hall in robes of grey, her long, open sleeves almost reaching the floor. She’d never seen the Air Warden without her silver armour, but this suited her far better. It was peace in the form of clothing, more befitting of her calm nature.
Kyra instantly lowered the goblet from her lips. ‘Will I be swept from the temple in the eye of a tornado for my sins?’
Naal smirked. ‘Between you and me, I believe it to be a rather egotistical tradition. Though, there are many in the order who do not share the same belief. They believe that Eternal customs should be upheld with the utmost respect for our predecessors. Zuriel is among the devout. She will no doubt have something to say on the break in tradition.’
‘Zuriel has a lot to say on everything,’ Kyra said, unabashedly voicing her shrewd observation of the Air Warden’s daughter.
‘That she does,’ Naal replied, though the smile was fading. She filled her cup with water and said no more.
Slowly, the rest of the Eternal’s trickled into the hall, each of them in varying clothes, some opting for a more laid-back look, some in dresses similar to Kyra’s, and some still in their armour.
One in particular who’d opted for the latter was a female warrior, with braided hair as white as the snow that covered the floating mountains, interwoven tightly against her head, striking against the canvas of silky black wings at her back, and a bronzed face that looked as though it had not smiled in some time.
Paying no mind to anything or anyone, she breezed into the room beside Mankar, taking a seat at Maida’s side and poured herself a goblet of wine. Though unlike Kyra, she left hers untouched, glaring unseeing at the dense ruby liquid inside.
When every Eternal was seated at the table, Naal stood, bringing her goblet with her. Without a word, she lifted it and drank, every single one of them following suit. Kyra drank with them, and could have sworn Naal gave her a small wink as she did.
‘I am proud,’ Naal announced, ‘to stand before you all once more. To look upon the faces of those who did not hesitate when faced with such an evil. It is because of you that there were any survivors at all. Phaenon City and its people will thrive again. This I promise you.’
She bowed her head for a moment, and when she looked back up, there was pain in her blue-grey eyes. ‘The Eternals know death. We do not fear it, for we know that to die in this life is to live in another.’ She lifted her goblet high. ‘Tonight, we remember the fallen. May the wind guide them to a new plain.’ Everyone drank in complete silence. ‘No matter what this war will bring, Nythanor will remain free. In their honour, Nythanorwillremain free.’
There were a few murmurs of agreement then. Some even wiped their faces of glistening tears. Naal placed her goblet down, then clasped her hands together. ‘There is another I must acknowledge. One of our own.’ Her eyes found Mankar and the female next to him. The latter did not look up from the goblet gripped in her hand, whilst Mankar kept Naal’s gaze, back straight and proud. Naal’s throat bobbed, and for a moment, Kyra was unsure if the Air Warden would be able to speak. When she did, her voice was thick with grief. ‘Orro Myrso was truly the best of us. His loyalty never faltered. He was the first warrior to become Eternal, the first to pledge his life to this order. A friend. A father. We will feel the loss of him for many years to come. Tonight, we eat and drink in his memory.’ She paused. ‘Now his soul is eternally free.’
A chorus of voices repeated the sacred words.
The female, who Kyra had concluded was Mankar’s sister, did not say the words, but drank for longer than the rest, her fingers gripping tightly to the goblet as though she were afraid to let go.
‘In light of Orro’s death, I find myself without a Second. In all my years as Air Warden, I have had no need to name another.’ Naal turned her attention to her left, where Maida sat patiently waiting. ‘My friend, you are the wisest of us all. Your council is one I have never undervalued, and I will continue to listen with attentive ears. From this day, I name you from Third to Second in command.’
Maida bowed her head in appreciation, her eyes twinkling. From the unsurprised looks on everyone’s faces, Kyra had the feeling most had anticipated this outcome.
‘This, of course, leaves me without a Third,’ Naal addressed the rest of them once more. Zuriel sat up a little straighter. ‘Nysari Myrso.’
Mankar’s sister lifted her gaze from the goblet and found Naal, her face impassive.
‘I name you Third in command.’
To Kyra’s right, Zuriel froze.
Thisannouncement, apparently, had not been expected. From the exchange of glances between many of them, -confused, surprised, doubting- it seemed that Nysari was not particularly popular in the order.
Only Mankar appeared to be happy about it, jubilant even, as he grasped his sister’s hand, and thumped his other fist on the table with triumph.
