Page 35 of Reaper's Ruin
Rhyker
We’d been walking for nearly an hour, making our way from the Gateway Tree toward Centralia, the great neutral city at the heart of Faelora. With each step, I was becoming increasingly aware of just how different it felt to be in this physical form—limited, vulnerable, mortal.
Weak.
I hadn’t realized how much I’d grown to appreciate my Reaper powers, and though my human body certainly had its perks, like seeing the world in full color again, I struggled to accept the loss of my wings the most. I barely remembered a life when I’d been tethered to the world instead of able to slice between shadows in an instant.
Soraya didn’t seem to notice my unease, too wide-eyed and staring in wonder at everything around us.
“What is that creature even supposed to be?” Soraya asked, pointing at an elegant beast with stripes and spots on its velvety brown coat and two swirling horns swept back from its elegant head. It took silent, delicate strides on its long legs, pulling a merchant’s ornate carriage along the dusty road.
I looked at the leggy creature, slightly taller than a horse, its long, arched neck perfect for plucking leaves from forest trees. I’d seen Velshade’s thousands of times, and it was strange to have her staring at it in such awe.
“A Velshade,” I replied, watching her face light up with wonder for what had to be the hundredth time since we’d stepped through Selyse’s portal. “They’re bred by the Sylvan Court nobility. Prized for their speed and stealth.”
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, clearly entranced. “Like a deer and a giraffe had a magical baby. Its coat is so cool! And those horns! Only nobility use them?”
“Each court has signature animals for riding and pulling carriages,” I explained, gesturing toward a more common horse-drawn cart passing by. “Common folk use horses throughout Faelora, but the nobility keep specialized creatures as status symbols. Storm Court has Stormsteeds. Tide Court has Kelparions. Flame Court has Cindhorns. Frost Court has Crystalions.
“Wow. Now I want to see them all.” She stared at the Velshade as it moved off down the road. “You know a lot about the courts for someone who’s been... you know, dead for centuries.”
“I observe,” I said simply. “I’ve watched Faelora change from behind the veil.”
She turned to me, eyes bright with excitement. “This is amazing. It’s like being dropped into the world’s most elaborate Renaissance Fair. Or like I’m in one of those fantasy movies with dragons and elves.”
I had no idea what a “Renaissance Fair” was, or what “movies” were, but her enthusiasm was... distracting. She’d spent the entire walk pointing at things, asking questions, gasping at sights that had been commonplace to me centuries ago.
As we crested the final hill, the city of Centralia came into view. Great walls of white stone encircled it, stretching tall toward the blue sky. The Sylvan gate we approached had guards dressed in formal green armor standing guard at each side, and archers perched high atop the glistening white wall.
“Wow,” Soraya breathed, stopping in her tracks. “That’s... that’s beautiful. Is that where we’re going? It doesn’t look dangerous at all. I was expecting the Dark Market to be, well... dark. That is stunning!”
“That’s Centralia,” I explained. “The neutral city. It sits in the center of Faelora, like a hub connecting all five courts. Each court territory stretches out from Centralia, like spokes on a wheel. Frost Court territory is north. Flame Court Territory is south. Storm Court territory is East. Sylvan Court territory is West. Tide Court territory is islands to the Southeast, and their main city is underwater.”
Her eyes went wide. “An underwater city? Seriously?”
I furrowed my brow, strange to be so taken aback by such a thing. I wondered what this Mortal Realm must be like. “Yes, an underwater city.”
Those blue eyes bulged even bigger. “Oh my God! Atlantis! Like the city of Atlantis! People on Earth, the Mortal Realm, have been hunting this city said to be underwater. It’s like a myth. Could someone from the Mortal Realm have found it?”
I shook my head. “Mortals can’t realm travel.”
She arched an eyebrow. “I’m mortal and I’m here. What if someone from the Mortal Realm, like, I don’t know, got sucked into a realm hole like we’re wondering if I did. Could they have found this city here and thought it was on Earth?”
I considered the thought, tipping my head. “I suppose it’s possible, I guess. Realm walking, by the fae capable of it, used to be more common before it was banned to travel to the Mortal Realm, but I suppose there could have been a tear in the realms at some point that maybe someone stumbled through.”
She blew out a breath, clutching her head as she spun to face me. “Holy shit. I bet you any amount of money that’s what happened. Someone found their way into Faelora. Or they didwhat I did and just bounced here, landed in what they called Atlantis, then bounced back and told everyone about this incredible underwater city. Oh, man! If I wasn’t dead, I could go there while I’m here, get proof it exists, then go back to the Mortal Realm and become a gazillionaire as the girl who found Atlantis. Damn it! Why do I have to be dead? Ugh. This is just mind-blowing!”
She touched her head, mimicking an explosion as she puffed up her cheeks then made a cute little explosion sound.
I had to stifle a chuckle at her expression, and I realized it had been so long since I’d truly laughed, the sensation of my stomach clenching even for that one moment was surreal. This tiny human, so lost and alone, was the most interesting thing I’d encountered in... well, ever.
“Okay, so I’m calling the Tide Court city Atlantis from now, just FYI.”
“Okay,” I said, confused by this FYI, then I started walking us toward Centralia again.
Soraya hurried to keep up with my large strides. “So, wait, if all the cities are connected to Centralia, but Tide Court is islands and underwater, how do they get here?”
“Up the Faelora River. It’s considered neutral territory so they can sail in. The river goes right through the center of Faelora and then north into Frost Court territory.”
