T |
he human base inside the Spire was completely deserted. There were barrels and things covered up by tarps to keep them from suffering the elements, but it all was covered in several feet of snow.
Walking through the place made my skin crawl. Kewyn’s theory of a dragon-kin was one thing, but not knowing exactly what had happened was disconcerting. I watched her hand rest on the pommel of her sword, and felt the weight of my walking stick on my back.
As we moved through the cave, we came to the main observation deck of the base. The round chamber was full of debris and old equipment. None of it had been used in years. The wind roared past the opening in the stone, but the air was calm inside. I peered into the fog, barely able to see past the next set of peeks.
My voice was muffled by my scarf as I turned to Kewyn and asked, “What are we supposed to be seeing from here?”
The blonde squinted out the window. “It’s too cloudy today, but there- you can barely see it.” She leaned closer to me and pointed out into the murk. My eyes followed the path her finger set, but I could see little more than the vague shape of mountains. “Schoale Castle is right through there.”
I squinted, but still I could not see what she could. Schoale Castle was a symbol of Estelhein and the home of the dread King Aeyazar Mainyeau himself. I glanced back at Levent. He was watching Rio as he opened some of the abandoned containers. The half-blood made a face and shut the lid.
Kewyn paused, looking around. “I don’t think it’ll be here,” she said, just loud enough for me to hear. “Come on.”
“What, pray tell, are you after?” Rio said. His overlarge ears had picked up her musings as well. Levent paused, listening but not quite looking at us.
“Might as well,” she muttered. “We’re looking for something that Manavell left behind. It’s a substance that acts as a sort of magical beacon. Each of the temples had one, supposedly, even Zephilon’s.”
Levent nodded, surprising me that he seemed to know exactly what she was talking about. “So you’re after that?”
“Yes,” she said. “Father and I think it’d be the ideal fuel for an airship.”
“Interesting,” Rio said, grinning and running his fingers along his chin.
“So,” Kewyn continued. “Keep an eye out for something about this big.” She