Alianna felt her face drop as she looked at him, her heart aching as she focused on one phrase: I do not know how long I have left before I must return to Xanthia.
Over recent days, she had not allowed herself time to consider that he could not stay here forever. Alianna had tried her best to ignore the inevitable. The prospect of it now caused such feelings of sadness to stir within her that she did not want to face this reality.
Rionan looked at her and gently laid his hand on top of hers. She understood that he must be feeling this way, too.
They stared at each other, their eyes saying enough that no words needed to be expressed between them. Alianna would not get to see those piercing blue eyes again, once he had gone. Would not see the way he so often swept his hair back from his eyes. Would miss his smile, his strange charm, the feeling of static in the air as they were wrapped up in each other.
Rionan squeezed her hand. Alianna sighed. She wouldn’t dwell on this now. Not while he was so focused on something much bigger than the two of them.
“Come,” Rionan beckoned, standing and pulling her up with him. “Let’s go. We could return later, see if there is something that we have missed, but I feel we have searched this exhibit as thoroughly as we can. Thank you, Ali, for your suggestion.”
Alianna nodded and turned to head for the elevator. When Rionan didn’t move, she faced him. “Are you coming?”
“Let’s take the stairs. Truth be told, I have never been in a human museum before. It has been enlightening to see what your people treasure enough to preserve behind glass and display in such a fashion. I would like to see more, as we depart.”
Alianna and Rionan wound through the corridors of the museum, passing the marine life exhibit (which Alianna noted she still hadn’t gone to see), and ancient history. They made their way down a set of stairs, and the floor was occupied by displays about botany (which Rionan found himself mildly interested in), herbalism, and a large collection of taxidermied animals. Mammals, insects, birds. Rionan commented that the creatures here were much plainer than the ones in Xanthia, except for Shadow, of course.
Heading down the last set of stairs, the corridor opened up into a large, dimly lit expanse. The sign above their head said ‘GEOLOGY: MINERALS’. Another sign nearby said ‘EXIT’, with an arrowdirecting them straight ahead. The corridor they would need to go down was lined with glass cabinets, showcasing different rocks, minerals, and sediments.
“What does this mean?” Rionan said, pointing at the sign that said geology.
“Geology? If we see John outside again, he could tell you better than me. Put plainly, I think geology is to do with the study of the planet’s structures. What it is made from and composed of. Basically, this area is a really big rock collection.”
“I see. It isn’t something we do in Xanthia – dig up our lands.”
“It isn’t?”
“No. We preserve it as best as possible.”
“Then how do you understand it?” Alianna asked, as they began walking down the corridor, their fingers interlocked.
“Because of the power of the Lords. Our power is passed on from generation to generation – or, in incredibly rare circumstances, by the killing of another Lord. When you acquire the power from another, you also acquire the knowledge that comes with it. We give life to the land, so we understand the land.”
“I see. What happens if a Lord has no children when he dies, if he dies of natural causes?”
“It has not happened in my lifetime. Usually, a Lord will ensure he has sired an heir before he passes. Should he fail to do so, it is suspected that the power of their territory would pass to another. The most deserving and powerful member of the territory.”
“For you, would that be somebody like Ulreah or Thallax?”
“Planning my death, are you?” Rionan cocked an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth raising into a half smile. He looked down on her, and Alianna felt her cheeks redden.
“No – oh gods no, I hadn’t meant it to sound like – ”
“Do not worry. You are just trying to understand something that is quite foreign to you. The truth is, I am not sure. There are other members of my territory that are - ”
Rionan stopped mid-sentence, eyes locking on the glass behind Alianna. His face had gone slack, eyes wide. She turned to see what had caught his attention. Within a glass case stood a chunk of shimmering rock, flecks of gold and red glinting amongst the brownsediment. The rock itself was the size of two balled fists being held together.
“Rionan?” Alianna asked quietly. Rionan had slowly stepped around her and was moving towards the cabinet at the pace of a predator sneaking up on its prey.
As he reached his hand towards the glass, Rionan stiffened and recoiled as if struck by something. His eyes flew wide, a look of shock on his face. Before he could speak, Rionan collapsed to the ground, his body limp and eyes closed.
28
The Four
The four ancient Lords of Xanthia stood together in a circle, faces solemn and grave. They had met at the most central point in Xanthia, where each of their territories converged, and where their powers blurred with each other. There was an intense energy in the air, as if the wind itself knew of the power that flowed here, both below ground and above.
“We are making the right choice. We agreed this – all of us,” Rasnik, Lord of the South, said to the others. He was dressed in elegant green robes. Beside him stood three other Xanthian males, dressed in yellow, red, and blue. “To turn back now would be a disgrace to our people, and a disgrace to Xanthia.”
