Housekeeping
Delores has reached her destination, but that hasn’t changed her desire to return home. I hope you enjoy this check in!
Delores in the Big City
The gates of Tir-Na-Nog were guarded, but not barred. They were wide open allowing people in from the few surrounding villages and farms at the center of the Verdant Spiral along with trade caravans from the al’Arboc and other creatures Delores couldn’t identify. The walls of the city were a pale gray stone with crystals embedded in places. She asked Humphrey about that as they approached.
“The crystals,” the little man said in reply, “are a part of the defenses. A grand shield can be erected around the entire city. The crystals in the walls respond to the crystals in the palace.”
Delores nodded. She didn’t understand the science, or even the meta-science behind it, but she understood the idea enough. The closer she got to the wall though, the more she noticed something. There were no individual bricks. It was all one piece. It only looked like bricks.
“It’s just one piece?” she asked.
“Tir-Na-Nog is the first city, Mistress Delores. It wasn’t built. It was sung into existence whole, as it is. It was made as it was needed to be by the Many. The Archetypes.”
She stared like a tourist. “It was created by the Many?”
Humphrey nodded, a smile on his face.
“Aye, Mistress. The only city they made. The First City. It is the blueprint for all cities across all worlds. The pride they took in it was embedded in the All. That’s why we always end up clumped in cities the way we do. Some part of us longs to return here.”
The First City. Delores shivered. This was it. The origin point of civilizations. The foundation of worlds. The fount of magic. The line wasn’t moving nearly fast enough.
After almost an hour waiting, she finally reached the front and stood there before the guard, an elf it seemed, and a dwarf she hadn’t noticed holding a ledger. They were both in ornate steel armor with embossed leather underneath. She saw no swords. Only spears.
“Name?” the elf guard asked.
“Delores Cody,” she said simply. She felt a poke on her cheek. “Oh, and Humphrey of the Gentry.”
The dwarf dutifully scribbled her name down along with some notations, then checked a long list on a sign board next to him. His eyes grew wide and he turned to his elven companion.
“It’s her,” the dwarf said, and the elf guard looked at him quizzically.
“Who?”
“Her, you boob. HER. The one the Greenman sent for! The mage!”
Delores swallowed. The elf looked at her, something approaching wonder on his face.
“Madam,” he said, “I’ve been told you are to be escorted to the palace as soon as you arrived. Welcome to Tir-Na-Nog.” Then he bowed.
Delores looked at Humphrey in confusion, but the little man had such a self satisfied look on his face she didn’t dare ask him anything. She knew better than to give him an opportunity to boast.
As the elf straightened, he motioned at one of the guard houses. A few moments later, ten more elven guards with their plate and spears marched out and surrounded her. Delores finally looked behind her and the line, for a long way behind, was full of curious, gossiping faces. A child waved. She waved back.
One of the ten, a younger elf with pips on his left breastplate, gave her a small bow.
“This way if you please, Mistress.” He turned and started walking. The circle of nine guards followed, and Delores realized it didn’t matter WHAT she pleased. She was being escorted one way or the other.
“How long will it take to reach the palace, mister…”
“Sergent Mithra, Mistress Delores. About an hour.”
She sighed. She’d walked through the night, into the morning, then been carried through the Verdant Spiral to within sight of Tir-Na-Nog. She was exhausted and she had blisters on her feet. She felt too miserable for this sort of grand procession.
“Can we get a carriage or something?” she asked hopefully.
“I’m sorry, Mistress. Security risk. You MUST reach the palace safely and we can’t risk a third party.”
“I don’t suppose my feet count toward safety,” she grumbled. She knew she was grumpy. She hadn’t even eaten yet and it was past mid-day.
“Don’t worry,” Mithra said smiling. “You’ll have plenty of time to recover from your journey.”
Her escort did her a huge favor by keeping their speed to something easy. It helped her feet and she at least had a chance to see the city.
It truly was of one piece. The entire city looked like it had grown from the stones of the earth into every fanciful shape she could imagine. Crystal accented everything, including the windows. She realized it wasn’t glass in them. There was wood in the buildings, but it looked like it had grown there instead of being cut. If carved wood could grow, that was what it would look like. There were leaves growing on some of it. If she weren’t so homesick, she could live here happily.
They passed stores and businesses like you would find in any other city. She saw one with jewelry and wands in a window. Her chest felt tight.
“Somethin’ wrong Mistress Delores?” Humphrey asked.
“I meant to buy Terry some rings. Something he could use for spell components,” she said sadly, and that remembrance made her eyes sting.
She looked behind her without thinking. Whenever she thought of him, she’d look back, hoping to see her Errant dashing through the crowd toward her. He was never there though.
When she faced forward again, she felt Humphrey place a hand on her cheek.
“I AM sorry, Mistress. If it were in my power I’d have you two back together, lickity-split. Have faith, though. You said it yourself. He’ll be coming for you.”
She nodded. Somewhere along the journey, Humphrey had adopted her certainty in Terry’s ability to find her. Maybe it had been the stories she told him. She wasn’t sure.
By the time they reached the palace, Delores almost didn’t care to look at the thing. She was ready for sleep. It was massive and made of pale stone and strange, massive blue crystals that glowed. She heard Mithra speak to a guard at the giant doors. A moment later, he gently took Delores’s arm and walked her over to a bench, where she sat heavily and gratefully. She wanted to take her boots off, but she was afraid of what she’d see.
“I’ve sent for the Captain of the Queen’s Guards, Mistress Delores. She will be in charge of your safety once you’re in the palace. I apologize for the discomfort, but the Greenman has had us all on edge awaiting your arrival.”
She waved his comments off with a weak hand.
“I get it. It’s fine. I should be in better shape anyway. If I could heal myself, I would have.”
The elf smiled at her. “Wouldn’t we all, but we know that’s not how it works.”
“Except for Terry,” she added fondly, then leaned her head against the wall.
“I’m sorry?” Mithra asked, genuinely confused.
“My boyfriend, Terry. He heals himself pretty quickly. I’ve been trying to figure out how, but I have no idea.”
Delores opened her eyes, she hadn’t realized she’d closed them, and saw her guards were staring at her. She looked at Humphrey who looked confused, but excited.
“What?” She felt nervous suddenly.
“Nothing we need to worry about now,” Mithra said.
“YET,” Humphrey corrected, and the guard nodded agreement.
Delores just shook her head. He wasn’t even here and Terry was already confusing people.
It was another several minutes before an elf woman came through the sally-port and approached Delores with her own guard of ten palace soldiers. Their armor was much more ornate with gold colored plate and rich red fabrics and leather. The woman herself was breathtaking, even with her scars and milky white left eye. She had short, purple hair and a ready smile, and walked using a sword as a cane.
“Mistress Cody?” the woman asked, and Delores nodded. The woman smiled and seemed relieved.
“My name is Captain Myella. I am the head of the Queen’s Guards. I will be responsible for your security while you are with us. The Greenman has been informed of your arrival and will hopefully be with us within a few days.”
“A few days?” she asked, trying not to sound disappointed. She wanted to get this whole thing sorted out quickly.
“Yes, Mistress, a few days.” This Myella didn’t seem bothered by much. “Being outside of our reality, his entrances are not exact. Hopefully it will be within hours, but we must be prepared for at least a few days wait.”
Delores sighed. There was nothing to be done for it but to wait for him. Unless…
“Captain, would it be possible for me to address the Court of Tir-Na-Nog? I have a request.” She thought about that. “Correction. Would it be possible for me to address them after I’ve had a bath and some sleep?”
The woman smiled warmly. “Oh, I’m going to like you. Of course you can, Mistress Cody. You’ll be speaking with them quite a bit over the next few days.”
Delores looked at Humphrey. She knew she looked worried. She felt worried and didn’t care to hide it.
The little man on her shoulder merely shrugged. “Not my place to question the boss fella, Mistress.”
“Mistress Cody? If you’ll come with me, we can offer you healing, a bath, and a bedroom of your own while you’re with us.”
Delores found standing again so soon difficult, but she managed it. She followed Myella into the palace of Tir-Na-Nog, surrounded by the Queen’s Guards, hoping for a short visit.