Rosa, Tahyang, Hanbun, and Luke were walking along Crystal Avenue.
It was the same night, and a similar street. But the hour seemed slightly different. If it had been early evening in Delphinad, it was the middle of the night in Ayanad. A faint blue light shrouded the street like mist.
They had set out with the same goal, but in truth they were a strange combination. Not one of them knew another well. None had talked much with any of the others. Rosa and Tahyang, Hanbun and Luke, Rosa and Hanbun, Tahyang and Luke: each pair had met for the first time only a few days earlier. At the center of the chance that had brought them together was just one person, Gene.
As one would expect at midnight, scarcely anyone was about. The shops were closed, and the fountains were off. The street was therefore quiet. Only the occasional streetlamp shone. Crystal Avenue’s lamps were normally bright and numerous, but in Ayanad only about one in three was lit.
“Do mages economize on fuel too?”
At Luke’s mutter, Rosa answered,
“Here, it’s magic they economize on. Besides, they like it dim. That’s why it’s always night in Ayanad.”
“A peculiar taste. You can hardly see where you’re putting your feet.”
“The less you can see, the easier it is to catch you in a trap.”
At Rosa’s answer, Luke fell silent and began examining the ground intently. Tahyang mostly watched the distance. Hanbun carefully studied the occasional people approaching from ahead, and Rosa was murmuring various spells under her breath. They scarcely spoke. After they had walked like that for some time, everyone’s neck and shoulders ached with tension.
Crystal Avenue certainly led to Port Square, but it was not a short walk. Above all, there was no guarantee that the road would remain where it was. Rosa had chosen it instead of a shortcut because she thought that anyone wanting to make a maze to trap them would face a considerable task in altering a main road like Crystal Avenue. They would have to change a large part of Ayanad’s layout. Even so, it was entirely possible someone would accept the trouble and create a different road to lead them in circles.
At first, passersby would approach casually, then give them strange looks or sideways glances as they drew near. Some looked back after passing them. But no one spoke to them or bothered them. Their appearance, too, was not especially different from that of ordinary Delphinad citizens. The only difference was the absence of guards and night watchmen on the streets. After about an hour, they gradually relaxed, wondering whether Master Temena’s warnings had been exaggerated.
Then it happened. Tahyang suddenly drew the bow from his back and half nocked an arrow. Startled, Luke asked,
“Friend, what’s wrong?”
Gripping his bow, Tahyang indicated the left side of the street with his chin. At first, nothing unusual was immediately apparent. But soon they saw a shadow darker than the night itself. It was enormous. Rosa looked up. Gigantic scales covered the night sky, gleaming faintly in the lamplight. A long tail stretched toward the horizon, while a head gazed beyond the street as though it had no interest in them at all.
It was a dragon.
The moment Luke looked up, he froze where he stood. The others did not dare move either. The dragon moved slowly, like a cloud floating through the air. Its chest and belly passed overhead, followed by a tail that looked as though it were encased in hundreds of shields. It had wings, but showed no sign of beating them. It seemed merely to entrust its body to the currents of air.
When the dragon had gone, they all sighed and pressed their hands to their chests. Rubbing the back of his neck, Tahyang said,
“It has been a long time since every hair on my neck stood up. I thought it would never happen again.”
Luke asked,
“You’ve seen a dragon before?”
“No. When you’re young, a dragon isn’t the only thing that can frighten you.”
Tahyang smiled silently. By now, Rosa could read his expressions to some extent. She suddenly asked,
“Tahyang, how old are you?”
“Well, in terms of a Firran’s lifespan, about the same as you.”
“Don’t Firran live for about a hundred and fifty years? Then you’re at least several decades older than we are.”
Tahyang only grinned. The four began walking again. Luke muttered,
“Was that really a dragon? Couldn’t it have been something made to look like one?”
“In Ayanad, even something made to look like a dragon would breathe fire.”
“Tch.”
They walked a little farther. This time, several people came from the opposite direction. They stopped short when they saw Rosa’s party. As the four tensed too, one of the approaching group called out,
“May the blessing of the wind be upon those who walk! Is Luhan Mara well?”
Tahyang stopped, looked straight at them, and clasped his hands as he answered.
“If you mean Mara of the Son of the Lake tribe, I have not seen him in several years, but I trust he is well. May victory be with the great Mara. When you next meet him, please tell him that Tahyang, son of the wind, sends his regards.”
“If the stars of chance align. Do you happen to know where Master Hisis or Master Aimilia is?”
“Master Aimilia left for the north long ago. Master Hisis should be somewhere here. Ask at the library.”
The other had drawn close without their noticing and answered while raising clasped hands. But there was something strange about the person’s appearance. Their face was almost human, but they had a mane instead of hair, no fur elsewhere, and a tail.
After the person had gone, Luke asked,
“Are they mixed? Firran and human?”
“To be honest, friend, that’s the first time I’ve seen such a thing too. Until now, I didn’t even know it was possible.”
“Could it be…”
Luke stopped before finishing. He had imagined the person might be a mage’s experimental subject, but somehow saying so felt rude. As always, Tahyang’s face seemed to show no particular agitation. But perhaps that was because humans did not understand changes in Firran expressions very well.
Not long after they started walking again, Rosa spoke.
“This is a little strange.”
Luke asked,
“What is?”
“We should be able to see the library by now.”
Tahyang said,
“I don’t think it’s entirely the same as Delphinad. We haven’t seen the library, or the Pantheon either. There are many small differences besides.”
“I don’t know Delphinad’s streets very well, but I’ve been watching for the library all along, thinking we’d go in when we found it. Could this perhaps not be Crystal Avenue?”
“Hmm.”
Tahyang looked around before speaking again.
“If I had to compare it, this resembles the northern end of Helos Boulevard. Though the direction of the moon’s shadow is entirely wrong. But the moon here won’t be real.”
“Could we be heading out of Delphinad?”
“If so, we’ll soon come to the city wall.”
Luke asked,
“Should we turn back, then?”
“No, we’d do better to find the wall first.”
Hanbun nodded too.
“It should take about ten minutes.”
After about ten minutes, the city wall really did appear. Luke grumbled that it was enough to baffle a ghost.
“I was watching so carefully. When did the road change?”
Rosa looked grave.
“Someone has gone to considerable trouble to alter the main road and lead us astray.”
“Perhaps it didn’t change at all. Crystal Avenue and Helos Boulevard meet in just one place, don’t they? Do you know where?”
“Port Square.”
Luke answered, then scratched his head irritably.
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