Chapter One
The canyon cliffs that surrounded the steadied water easily helped to conceal the small wooden boat that carried two beings aboard. Sharp green eyes studied the mist and waterfalls that hugged the shapes of the sides of the cliffs, pooling down into the river. Their shapes were rigid and rocky, unending and unpredictable. Large crane-like birds seemed to navigate the hills easily, finding areas that were calm enough to find their next meal. Everything seemed so closed in, yet somehow large and open, - it was truly a sight he had never seen. Much different from his rugged and polluted city, but he was used to seeing such different sites by this point. Hayden had been traveling around this strange world for years, learning and taking part in different cultures both for his job and his own enjoyment. His work had been pulling him to different parts of the world for over eight years now and though he wouldn’t truly admit it to anyone, the travel was a good distraction from everything.
His attention turned to the man who had been standing at the other end of the small boat, a large wooden stick was used to press down into the ground beneath the water, steering them in the direction they needed to go. Hayden wondered how the man could tell the proper direction to go with all the forks they came across, but he assumed he had been doing it so long it was most likely second nature at this point. Sitting back against the boat, his hands were used as leverage against the ledge - as the boat wasn’t deep enough to allow his back proper rest - and he studied the boat’s driver. He had heard rumors of the ancient city he was headed towards, but that’s what it was to him before now, rumors. The man’s clothes seemed unmodernized, cloth without zippers or buttons, a misty blue that seemed dyed by hand. The shape reminded him of a robe, but it stopped before his knees and the sleeves were strangely long and hung down from his arms and a piece of cloth tied in the front kept it modest. His eyebrow raised at the thought of one strong breeze making this trip even more awkward than it had been.
The language they spoke wasn’t one that he knew, so communication with this man had been very limited. He seemed to understand some of the things Hayden had said as he nodded or shook his head in response, but he never heard a word of english come from his mouth. Hayden glanced down at the scroll that rested in the side pocket of his tactical backpack, the light blue seal that seemed to match the color of the man’s dyed outfit. It was his only real way of communicating what he needed from the man earlier when he had discovered the lack of communication possibilities. Simply showing him the scroll had seemed to speak volumes to what he needed and they were quickly on their way. Hayden had no real idea if he was actually headed in the right direction, for all he knew, this could be some elaborate trap that they pulled on visitors. After all, this rumored city wasn’t exactly accessible to the outside world and he wondered if this mission itself was even real.
The only reason he had taken it was because one of his bunkmates had convinced him that it wasn’t just some fairy tale land, but it was truly a place hidden from time. He had shown him the same seal on an old scroll he himself had and explained he had done a job for the very same Emperor some time ago. “I had to sign a contract stating I wouldn’t speak of that place to anyone on the outside world. They seem to be very secretive about their existence and it made me wonder how they could keep afloat with no imports or exports, but honestly, I was just there for the job so my wondering didn’t last too long.” His bunkmate’s words echoed in his mind as he watched a large white crane fly overhead casting a shadow over them as it flew by. How could such a place exist? Something truly hidden from the rest of the world, able to keep to their own traditions and untainted by the cruelty of it all. It intrigued him, so he had to come.
As they turned around one of the river bends, their destination began to come into site. The large palace had seemed to be built into the cliffside that it sat at the bottom of. Parts of the mountain and palace seemed to merge together as one, waterfalls tracing staircases and pathways. The architecture was truly one with nature and it took his breath away for a moment. It had a similar appearance, one that reminded him of an Eastern Asian temple he had once visited, the intricate design of the roofs, windows, and sidings. Everything here had to be carved from hand into the blue stained wood that he could make out from the surrounding mist created by the waterfalls.
The palace began to take more shape the closer they got, he could now see the separation from where the citizens reside and where the palace truly began. Oddly, the homes of the citizens resembled the look of the palace, it was clear that they didn’t want to make a clear line between the two. Maybe this place didn’t see its citizens as just something to fuel their pockets. The thought was a pleasant one and a welcoming change, but only if that were the case. The docks took over the edge of the city and that only made him curious as to where exactly they were going. ‘No imports or exports’, but maybe that wasn’t entirely true. Unfortunately for him, he was much more curious than his bunkmate was and he intended to find out what made this city tick.
Hayden grabbed his backpack and slid the strap over one arm leaving it to hang from his shoulder as he sat up straight preparing to leave the small wooden boat. As the boat steered along the stone edge of one of the docks, a woman could be seen waiting patiently and glancing in their direction. He took notice of how fair and smooth the skin on her face had been, her brown eyes sparkling with intent. Her robes seemed to be made of a much more luxurious material than that of the boat hands. The white length ran down to her feet and bunched up slightly, the many layers to her robe changed in material and thickness. A blue see through type of material wrapped around her back and hung down from between her elbows where it seemed to rest. Her long silken black hair was pinned up with golden accessories into a neat bun and she smiled at him as the boat came to a halt and he stepped off with ease.
“Mister Hayden, I welcome you to Lithl. We are very pleased to have you and look forward to your visit. I know the emperor is very excited about your arrival. My name is Quil and I will be your guide and assistant during your stay. I know it will only be for the night, but I will be here for anything you may need.” With her arms hidden together under her long sleeves, she gave a respectful bow to him and he awkwardly took a step back scratching at his brown beard. “Thanks, but there’s really no need for anything like that. Doesn’t seem to be any need to introduce myself either, but it’s nice to meet you.” Quil took notice of his dark brown slicked back hair and stricting features, it was hidden under the somewhat short beard, but she could tell his jawline was strong and cistled. The thought made the maiden blush slightly as she brought up her sleeve covered hand to conceal the bright red color illuminating her cheeks.
“If you’ll follow me this way Mister Hayden I can take you to meet with the Emperor.” Quil started up the large stone steps that climbed up between the civilians and up towards the palace. Hayden began to study and take a mental note of any area that might come in handy in dire situations such as dark alleyways or tight spaces he could slip through. It sometimes bothered him that he couldn’t just admire something, he always had to seek out some way of escape or a means to help him in a fight. He softly grunted to himself to push the thought to the side as Quil easily took notice of his sterned features. “I know this city must be much different than what you are used to. The citizens are taken care of here, we are seen as more than just heads for work, we are valued here and the Emperor makes sure no one in this city ever goes hungry.”
Hayden took notice of how clean everything seemed. In most places, it was easy to narrow down the lower income districts where more sleazy things took place - usually by run down buildings, homeless people, and shady looking deals happening, but he couldn’t find that here. Everything and everyone seemed to be at the same level of wealth and prosperity. No one had a bigger house than someone else and no one had better or worn clothing. All of it seemed odd to him and his thoughts began to run with ideas as to how things actually happened around here. “It’s definitely different than what I’ve seen in other cities. Makes me wonder if this is how it really is here or if it’s just some kind of front.”
Quil was slightly taken aback from his comment and awkwardly waited for him to chuckle, or crack a smile, some sign that it was simply a joke - but it hadn’t been. “I can assure you, Mister Hayden, this is how our city is. There are no smoke and mirror tricks here. Everyone in this city is equal, the only ones not so are the royal family themselves.” The sharped tone in her voice told him that he had offended her, but there was still a discreteness to it as she was probably worried of coming off too harshly. Her aqua colored slippers made a small scraping sound as they walked up the stone steps and she had been picking up the front of her robe slightly so as to not trip on the fabric that was clearly too long for her. “That’s good to know then. If only the rest of the world could be like your home, but then I’d probably be out a job.” He chuckled slightly deep in his chest, it allowed her to relax a bit hearing that he wasn’t as stern as he came off as.
Some of the citizens stared in their direction, silently making comments to each other in a hushed language he couldn’t comprehend and pointing out certain things he was wearing. His zipped up black leather jacket and brown combat pants accompanied by his black, worn steel toed boots were definitely different from their timed clothing. Hayden began to realize that while the world was kept away from them, they were most likely kept away from the world. “Quil, have you ever left this city?” He asked curiously, not actually caring for her own story, but the story of this land. “Hm? No I haven’t. Why do you ask?” She looked back at him as he was down a couple more steps from her. “I only heard of this place in rumors and heard about how hidden it is from the rest of the world. Outsiders being killed on the spot, no imports or exports, others don’t know you even exist, and you’re not on any maps I’ve ever seen.” The young woman paused for a moment in thought and gave a shrug,
“Why would we want to leave? The world is a dangerous place and we’re safe here. Also, we have exports and imports, there are some who leave the city, but it is only to other ports. They go disguised as other cities’ trades, therefore, cities believe they are trading with each other when in reality, they’re trading with us. It’s clever really.” Quil smiled to herself, proud of her people’s ability. “And the English thing?” He asked clearly. “Oh, yes, well, the royals and those who work in the palace know how to speak English in case of things such as this. We do communicate with other cities’ leadership from time to time and it’s necessary. But the citizens do not need to speak it, so it is not taught.” Hayden was satisfied with some of the answers, but there was still something bugging the back of his mind, wondering how caring the Emperor truly was. Were these people actually cared for? Or were they prisoners.
The two finally made their entrance into the palace and he took notice of the guards stationed at different areas and sections. Their armor was most likely made of metal and stained a matching blue color, the cloth beneath seemed to have a pattern or design that resembled the waterfalls they were surrounded by. His brows curved together and the corner of his mouth creased in strange wonder as he saw them without guns or any sort of modern weapon, they still carried spears with them. This place truly was frozen in time. There was no sort of electricity or modern technology here, just large halls lit with braziers and torches, decorated with art along the walls. Most of the light came from the outside though, he found it even more strange that there were less walls than a normal building and some looked like they could open and close.
Hayden tightened his grip on the strap of his backpack as they stepped into a large centered room that was more guarded than the entrance was. Statues of ancient beasts lined the walls atop pillars that spaced the area between the throne room and gardens on each side. In the middle sat three large thrones; the one in the middle was slightly higher than the other two with its own small staircase leading up to it, the other two sat on each side of the throne and simply sat on the floor. Each seat was filled and it was easy to decipher who was who. Hayden’s bright green eyes did what they do best and began to study each person. The Emperor sat in the middle, his clothing well off, but nothing over the top and he seemed of an older age, most likely in his mid fifties. Off to his left was his bride, her black hair was done up in a more intricate design that had to have taken well over two hours to finish and set. Her clothing was a bit more extravagant, but still, nothing too over the top. And finally, the princess, his mission, sat to the right completely covered in black. A large flat brimmed hat sat atop her head with a sheen of black see through fabric cascading down to cover her features. Her black robes seemed to cover every inch of her, it was hard to tell if it was even the young princess underneath all of that fabric.
The sound of his boots echoed through the large hall before they were silenced by the blue running rug that led to the thrones. He stopped just before them seeing the guards raise their spears slightly as a warning that he was too close. He may have been summoned here, but that didn’t keep him safe of any mistakes that could cost him his life. The silence of the room made the hairs on the back of his neck stand and he made eye contact with the Emperor. The older man stood from his throne and made his way down the steps, a stern flat expression made it hard to read him as a person. He stopped just a foot away from Hayden and they both studied each other for a brief moment, Hayden began to wonder if this had been a mistake.
“Ah wonderful!” The Emperor exclaimed as he threw his arms up, the long sleeves they all seemed to share added an extra flare to the movement. Hayden almost stepped back, but held his stance only having his eyes widen slightly from the expression. “It’s so good to have you here, we have been waiting with bated breaths to see if you would truly show. Not many people take our offer to come here. I think there’s some sort of rumor that they won’t leave if they come here, people are creative that way.” The Emperor chuckled slightly and walked closer to Hayden wrapping an arm around his shoulders as if he were a long time friend. It made Hayden tense slightly.
“I am Jolin and this is my beautiful wife Seraphe and my daughter Mina. I am sure you understand that you will be accompanying her on this journey, but you also need to understand that, even though you will be doing so, you are not to speak with her. Ever.” His friendly tone seemed to shift slightly towards the end of his words, they were still friendly, but there was a hint of a warning behind it. “Sir? Won’t that be..difficult?” The Emperor laughed again and shook his head, “Of course not. You are simply there to make sure she gets from point A to point B, I see no need for any sort of conversing to happen there. Besides, with our plan, you’ll only be with each other a couple days.”
Hayden nodded skeptical of it, how was he supposed to travel with someone without speaking to them? Maybe he’d get lucky and this princess would be too stuck up to even want to speak with him. He found his eyes lingering over towards her until the Emperor stepped in his way to break the glance, his voice was now lowered. “And if you think of laying a single hand on my precious flower..” His eyes slowly moved off to the side, Hayden followed the glance until they came to rest upon a strange site that made his chest tighten. Running along the edge of a walkway with a creek flowing beneath, were long wooden pikes, and a top those pikes, severed heads. The Emperor gave him a pat on the back again and smiled, “I’m glad we’ve reached an understanding. Now then, Quil will show you to your room for the night and please don’t hesitate to let her know if you need anything.” The Emperor grinned wickedly, “And I mean anything.”ng here…
