As the cable car began to slow, the outlines of Podana, the Elucian capital, grew clearer.
Unlike the large Elurian metropolises, which housed millions in high-rise buildings made of metal and concrete, Podana was modest in both size and architecture. The capital sprawled across multiple levels of rugged mountainside, its older buildings made of local stone and the newer ones from a combination of stone and timber. The city seemed to grow organically from the rock face, with narrow, winding streets connecting the different levels.
Most buildings were low-rise, rarely exceeding three stories in height, and had steep, slanted roofs, indicative of the heavy snowfalls at these elevations. The walls were substantial, built to insulate against the cold mountain air, and many were whitewashed, reflecting what sunlight made it through the near-constant auroras. Others maintained the natural grays and browns of their building materials.
"In the pictures, Podana looked much grander than this." I waved a hand at the window. "I guess it was photographed from more flattering angles."
Codric nodded. "It looks like a village that grew into a city over time."
"That's exactly what happened," Bendor said. "Podana was one of the first communities the returning Elucians established, and we continued from there."
"Was there nothing left from before?" I asked.
He shook his head. "The predecessors of today's Shedun demolished every last building and fed the ruins to their worms to grind into dust. They wanted to ensure that our culture was erased from the face of Aurorys. There was nearly nothing left except for the ruined remains of the Citadel and Elu's temple." He leaned closer, his lips curving in a wry smile. "Thank Elu that our shamans managed to save some of the dragon eggs. They hid them so well that the demons couldn't find them even though they searched every cave and nook in these mountains for centuries."
Theirs was such a sad history, and it was a miracle that any of those long-ago Elucians managed to escape and find refuge in Eluria. The dragon eggs that had remained hidden and survived for over a millennium were an even bigger miracle.
Some believed that they had been obscured by magic, but that was superstitious nonsense that ignorant people with no understanding of science believed in. The problem was that there were enough of them to give the rumor wings.
The reality was that if not for the resourcefulness and sacrifice of the Elucian shamans, the magnificent creatures would have gone extinct. Most shamans hadn't survived, and the eggs they had hidden had either been destroyed or still remained in hiding. Only one shaman still lived, Saphir Fatewever, and theeggs he'd managed to shield and later hatch had been enough to revive dragonkind.
A miracle to some. A plague to others.
As we drew closer, I could make out more details. Small gardens were tucked into whatever spaces could be found, bursts of green amid the stone and wood. Waterfalls created by melting snow cascaded down the rock face, their spray catching the light and creating miniature rainbows. And everywhere, people went about their daily lives, tiny figures going about their business in this city in the sky.
"Look there," Codric pointed. "That's the famous Podana Academy."
I followed his gaze to a large structure near the heart of the city. While grander than the surrounding buildings, it was still built primarily of local stone and sprawled over several terraces.
"Indeed, it is," Mira confirmed. "The pride of Podana, where our brightest minds study and our scientists come up with wondrous new inventions in every imaginable field."
Her claim was a little boastful, but given how tiny the Elucian population was, their contribution to the sciences was impressive.
The Elucians revered learning, but the truth was that not many could afford to study in the academy, not because tuition was costly but because they needed to work to support themselves and their families. Most of the students depended on grants from the Elurian Federation, which financed a lot of the research in exchange for sharing the fruits of their labor.
In another life, perhaps I could have studied there, learning the secrets of Aurorys alongside the Elucian scholars. But that wasn't my path. I had a different mission, a different destiny to fulfill.
The cable car began to slow as we approached the central depot, which was a bustling hub of activity carved into the mountainside like the rest of the city.
Bendor stood, stretching his long limbs. "Good luck on your pilgrimage. May Elu guide your steps and lift your spirits."
After saying goodbye to Bendor and Mira, we disembarked and followed the throng of people into the depot. The cacophony of sounds and the press of bodies around us reminded me of the central transportation hubs back home, and the feeling of otherness that I'd been cultivating since our arrival at the foot of the mountains started to abate.
Elucians weren't all that different from Elurians when they were safe among their own and protected by walls and dragons.
"Come on," Codric said, tugging at my arm. "We need to find transportation to Skywatcher's Point."
Following the signs, we walked out to where a fleet of hover-cars was waiting for passengers and joined the line behind those who had arrived before us.
An attendant approached us with a friendly smile. "Where to, gentlemen?"
"We need to get to Skywatcher's Point," I said.
The attendant's smile broadened. "Pilgrims, eh? Well, you're in luck. Torvan here is your guy," he waved to a grizzled man leaning against one of the hover-cars. "The standard fee is a hundred lumen, and a tip is expected once you reach your destination."
"Who should we pay?" Codric asked. "You or the driver?"
"Either one is fine. You can pay Torvan directly, and he will forward the depot's fee later."
