albany
ONe WEEK untIL the CELEBRATION of RIsEN SUNS !!!
The journey took... longer than expected. It was estimated to take a week and a half, but there was a great amount of meandering that pushed them back by three days.
No one particularly minded, though everyone noticed it. They would stop at the villages and sprawling farms of central Sol Victus. They would lie in an empty field, carousing with the locals. A few would join their traveling party, journeying together to the capital.
As the party neared Diamus, the dirt road widened. More and more smaller side roads converged onto their larger one. Carts and creatures mingled with their own group, all headed to the festival.
Albany was in awe by it all.
She watched a cart with bushels of scarlet cananas join the road. Her leorelle’s nose pointed upwards, smelling the sweet fruit in the air.
“Not much farther now,” Another traveler nearby said. Albany turned to the voice, watching a mother smooth a hand over her child’s head. “By day’s end, we’ll be in Diamus.”
Albany looked ahead, over the horizon. Her eyes adjusted to the near-noon sun. She could see farther, the tips of domes and stone buildings appearing.
Farther down the road, she could begin to smell the sea. It was carried on a blustering breeze that swirled her hair around her face. Saltwater, heat and sand filled Albany’s senses, her leorelle chuffing, head tilted up to catch the unfamiliar smell. It was vaguely familiar but different and new.
Within the hour, the Diani Gate was in view. The folx around her pointed, jeering to see the famed arch. There was awe in the air for the newcomers.
Albany understood why; she too shared the feeling.
It was massive, at least sixty feet tall and wide enough to crown the road. It was carved with ancient marble, sculpted with old, Diani copper and iron with speckles of pyrite. Kohn Vermian symbols were carved on nearly every part of its surface, etched over the stone and metal indiscriminately. It crawled with vines and flowers, the flora and fauna nearby reaching to meet it. At its peak sat symmetrical symbols, Kohn Verminian that Albany did not need to touch to know its words.
“We are alight here, my friend.”
Albany had dreamed of seeing those words since she was a child. The arch was a piece of an era, long-gone and blurry in the memories of humanity. Despite this, it stood testament, an eternal watch at the edge of the eternal citadel.
And Albany passed underneath it.
And she was in Diamus.
i WOUld... SAY its quaint...
BUT MARVELING AT THE PAST IS so UttERLY Human of HER!
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Diamus was purely spectacular. Albany marveled at everything she looked at, even the mundane. The cobbled streets were worn with wear but never faltered. The streets were winding, walked for far more suns than she could imagine, carving the architecture of the city.
The main road through Diamus was lined with earthen buildings, some square and some domed. They crawled with vines and grasses, a few animals making their homes as well. Carts and vendors lined the streets and open squares. Folks from across the world laid out their spreads and wandered, some learning of Sol Victus’s ways for the first time.
Though Albany very much wanted to explore the side streets and all of the sprawling city, she didn’t. She and her leorelle stuck close to the original solixen as they moved through the city, headed to one of its two centers.
Massive sky spires cut the city upwards, growing from the Palacio Deimos. Albany had only seen them from a distance, but they were still spectacular. The spires jutted, appearing like forward-facing blades, slicing the heavens no matter what angle you looked at them from. They sat atop of the domes, unmoveable even with the sea's blusters.
The Palacio's many domes were varied in size. Some of the domes were larger than others, with extensions and stairs that could be seen. Long windows and balconies. It crawled with vines, a few large chunks of krystallin even growing from the roof.
As the caravan grew closer to the Palacio, the crowds grew greater. Vendors and splendors were shoulder to shoulder, oddities and goods from around the world crowded each other. It was wild swathes of color. Baskets of spices from the farthest corners of Terran Calma, dyed fabrics carried from the small, isolated islands of Oceanis Myna, beads sculpted from clay dug out from the foothills of northern Sol Victus, strung on braids of sinew from the ever-elusive, self-stranding Gajarbar whale. There was a constant hum in the air of different accented voices. Stories and tales from far off places Albany had never heard of. It was overwhelming and Albany nearly had a headache, yet she desperately wanted to be immersed in it all.
And they weren’t even at the epicenter.
The main road was the artery of the city, funneling its denizens towards the Palacio Deimos. Each passing moment, its Domes appeared larger and more luminous. Albany could see the birds and lizards on its rough sides, clinging in the midday sun. The pink and red flowers of its massive, outer vine system came into view. Even from some distance away, some seemed massive. Albany wondered if she could fit her head inside of one of them.
Before one reaches the Palacio’s gate, there’s a massive courtyard and garden. Tall shrubs and bush ring around it, blocking it off from the rest of the city. The ground beneath turned from cobblestones to moss, grass, and rocks. There were a great number of people milling around in this area. Many wearing the luminous barracan and damask frabrics of Palacio devout. They tended to the wide-basined, pillared altars that stood out from the greenery in a stunning ivory.
As much as Albany wanted to explore and get out of this damn caravan there’s way too much to see-
She followed along, circling around the courtyard, down a worn dirt path to other side of the Palacio. The land inclined slightly, the bright green swathes of rolling in the wind.
Beyond the incline was the caravan’s temporary home.
Hundreds of tents of all earthly colors were set up. The grasses teemed with devout from across the globe. Albany could smell the different spices, herbs, and perfumes from the crowd.
(It was all overwhelming.)
Albany had to blink a few extra times as they descended to find their spot.
As the caravan ended their journey, they passed by folks who had to be nearly seven feet tall, smelling of oaky incense. There was a group of devout who wore only white furs even in the midday heat. There were animals and foods Albany had never seen or heard of all around her.
It was like a pull in her gut, the urge to explore and wander.
So much so, that her leorelle stopped in front of a particularly spectacular tapestry.
“Albany,” Viaris called from atop her Solixen. “Come. There will be plenty of time for exploring once we get settled.”
Albany nodded, eyes still tracing the aquamarine threads of the tapestry, trying to recall the divine story it was telling.
She shook her head, spurring on her leorelle to catch up.
They found a spot saved for them near an entrance to a large garden of the Palacio’s. It was tied off with stakes and twine with a small card paper card inscribed with Viaris's name.
Albany thought it was a bit odd to save it for just Viaris as opposed to her temple, but shook off the feeling as she dismounted her leorelle, guiding it gently towards Viaris’s solixen.
A few apprentices were helping her to descend from the large beast (which so kind stooped onto its knees as well). Viaris’s bare feet hit the ground and she stretched her arms high in the air.
Albany swore that could feel something shift at that moment.
Some of the other devout began to lead the solixen to the grazing area while others began to stake the ground, preparing the tents the party had brought.
Meanwhile, many eyes were turned to them.
The devout around them eyed them, eyes falling on Viaris. A hush and then whispers.
"Is that Viaris?"
"I think it is!"
"She was the last Lux Deorum’s high priestess, wasn’t she?"
"She’s still alive."
Albany bristled, reaching her arm out for Viaris to grab. Viaris’s eyes narrowed at the devout around her, her back straightened as much as it could. She reached, looping her arm in Albany’s.
Viaris leaned towards Albany, whispering with a hint of venom, “I didn’t think any of them would remember me, let alone recognize me.”
Albany could recognize the small lie, but said nothing.
Besides, there was something much more important to focus on.
“Viaris! You’ve brought quite a crowd with you from your new temple, haven’t you?” A strong, but sweet voice laughed from behind them.
Viaris perked up, urging the duo to turn.
Albany’s breath was leached from her breath at the sight.
The Lux Deorum.
In full regalia.
She wore a massive crown of stone thorns. She had long blonde hair, thick and waving down to her waist. A long, silken, embroidered cloak drifted to the ground in luminous yellow gold. Her face was painted with white and orange lines that stood out against her deeply tanned skin. She had a straight nose with two gold rings, one on each nostril. Her eyes were the focal point, truly. They were the color of the morning sun. Bright, yellow and stunning. Nearly unnerving in color.
Her hands were clasped in front of her, covered in rings and gems, long sleeves billowing downwards. She was giving a gentle, but knowing smile at the two of them.
Behind the Lux Deorum was what Albany assumed to be her council. They were twelve of them flanking her, all in similar outfits of different colors. There was one being with them that Albany couldn’t recognize. A girl with short, silver hair wearing plates of engraved armor. Her face was stern and creased with worry. Her eyes angry.
Albany wasn’t able to dwell on it as Viaris began to move forward, dragging Albany with her. Viaris removed herself from Albany, moving to clasp the Lux Deorum’s hands between her own.
“Oh, Alia,” Viaris sighed and laughed to herself. “You have grown so much. The last time I saw you were hardly at my waist.”
The Lux Deorum laughed, a glittering, sparkling thing, “Times do change, Viaris. Let’s catch up over some tea, yes?”
Albany couldn’t agree more as an odd, unknown feeling buried itself in her stomach.
It would not move for a long time.
....
.........
hAAhAA!!
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