I try not to laugh and turn into his room.
“You’re lucky I like you,” I grin, gently taking his arm and guiding him to the bed.
Cal falls with a soft thud and curls up on top of the blankets, sleep instantly greeting him with a gentle snore. I bite back my laugh and tug off his boots, then head to the small table in his room to pour a glass of water I know he’ll be needing in the morning.
The late morning sun greets me beautifully from the window in my guest room in Gaumond. After getting Cal situated last night I realized how exhausted I was and opted for the soft bed over visiting the Shadow Oak, though I did make a promise to stay there tonight instead. Today is the last full day in the capitol before we continue on our travel to Pyre, and I intend to spend all night under those black leaves and twinkling stars.
The reminder that we set off soon sends a small knot of anticipation in my stomach. This will be the farthest in Disce I’ve ever traveled, even farther yet when we set off for Pyre. I’m eager to visit the small village of Fumagalli on our way there and can’t wait to step into a foreign Kingdom for the first time, but there’s still so much of Gaumond that I yearn to see. I want to travel the full of the rises and let the side paths take me wherever my heart desires... I want to experience the Warrior men and women in their everyday setting, especially those in the blacksmith and wood rises. The Black Capitol calls to me, so I resolve myself to answer it.
I take the quickest bath of my life and change into a satin gold shirt with light brown riding pants, braiding my hair so that it falls between my shoulder blades. I strap my smaller blade around my bicep and slip the larger into my boot, then throw my traveling bag over my shoulder and feel the weight fall on my hip.
“Let’s adventure today, Golem,” I hold out my arm to him and open the door.
Golem gives me a look and shakes his head no, though the tiniest of smiles graces his lips.
“No you don’t want to adventure with me or no you don’t want to take my arm?” I laugh, already knowing the answer.
He takes a step past me and walks out the open door.
“It was worth a try,” I smile.
We stop first to visit Cal in his room. My big friend is doing alright and moving groggily around his bed, though he’s not yet ready to start his day. I let him know about my plans to explore the city and how I’ll be back before the evening, making him promise that he’ll wait for me so that we can arrive at court together. He just nods at my too many words and sits back down on his bed, his hands moving across his temples as he holds back a groan.
Golem and I eventually make our way down to the receiving hall without getting too lost and walk out the castle doors towards the guest stables where Millie is stationed. I say hello to my girl and saddle her for the easy ride, then set off for the town below.
“Let’s take the main road all the way down to the first rise,” I tell my companion who strolls leisurely at Millie’s side, “to the entry village of blacksmiths and fire. We can work our way back up the capitol and find somewhere for a late lunch.”
Golem nods as we ride into the bustling city made of black granite. We navigate through the busy roads and pass under the gate leading to the training rise, my smile widening when I spot Hollis aiming his bow at a set of targets while his brother spars in one of the arenas with another Discerni man.
Down the rolling green hill and past the barracks, I glace at the forest just beyond and smile again when the black reflection of the Shadow Oak shines from the tree line.
I’ll see you tonight,I salute in greeting.
Down the hill and through another set of gates has us riding into the rise of wood and smoke. The village here is heavily populated and curiously fascinating, truly seeming to dedicate itself to the craftsmanship and use of only wood. There’s people selling different bows and arrows at every corner, others with homemade wooden items that can be used in the kitchen. Thick trees are carted around by horses, their trunks lifted and placed before shops so that the men can chop them down for kindling. Chickens and roosters are bounding about aimlessly, most of them being chased by kids as their parents urge them to secure the animals better in their wooden pens. Everything is just wooden residences next to wooden shops, the only part of Gaumond not completely riddled in black granite fixtures.
We finally arrive at the lowest rise, the one that reminded me so much of a blacksmith’s haven on our arrival. The sound of stone clanging against stone fills the air like some sort of heavy music, while the same wooden carts from the rise above are now carrying slabs of black granite down the roads. Countless iron grates filled with fire are littered along every shop corner and side alley, the kids all running around and jutting past the flames as if they’re used to the heat. Broadswords of every size andthickness are being molded between hammers and stone, the clanking maintaining a steady rhythm like the beat of a heart at every turn.
I take the ride slowly and just appreciate the midday commotion, enjoying the smell of campfire, metal and stone that never leaves the air. Eventually my stomach starts to grumble for a morning snack, so I stop for a small bite at a vendor who’s selling smoked peppered trout.
“You’ll be able to handle it,” the Discerni laughs when I ask her how much of the spice is used. I cross my fingers and take a bite of the best thing I’ve ever tasted, groaning as the smokey taste of the fish mixes with the small amount of pepper. I make a mental note of the location of her shop and promise the woman I’ll be back tomorrow morning.
Through numerous back alleys and hidden paths, Golem and I end up next in what looks to be a jeweler’s road. The shops are all selling trinkets through their storefronts, most of the jewelry fashioned with the dark black granite and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I dismount in front of one of those stores and leave Millie with Golem, chuckling when the magical creature looks uncomfortable as he holds her reins.
“She’s a gentle mare, Golem. If anything, you scare her more than she scares you.”
My magical friend sends me a scowl before I walk into the shop.
The place is cozy, lighted by the sunlight through the front window and a small fire set into the wall at the back of the store. An elderly human woman greets me when I walk in, her grey hair pulled behind her face and showing off a neck adorned with the black jewelry she sells. I smile in greeting and browse through her work, my eyes going wide as I look at the impressive pieces she’s created out of the dark stone.
Where Bardot and the Palisades’ jewelers all favor the shining gold around their gems, this shop uses the black granite as its main attraction. The stone is buffed so raw that it reflects beautifully against the various jewels, the dark pieces truly looking nothing at all like the traditional gold jewelry of Knowledge, nor the dainty silver of Woodlands. This jewelry is fit for a Warrior, the black cuffs and rings and daring necklaces all regal in their flare for the dramatic.
“Anything in particular you like?” the woman asks.
“I have a beautiful gold dress that I’ll be wearing tonight at court,” I reply, watching as she glances over my clothes.
The woman gives a nod in understanding and leads me to a small section of pieces that aren’t quite as daring as the others but still just as formidable. My eyes immediately spot a pair of earrings that make me stare in disbelief, the black granite oak leaves almost uncanny in how similar they look like the Shadow Oak’s.
“Those,” I smile, admiring the thin streaks of gold around the leaves that outline the sharp curves, “they’re perfect.”
