Chapter 7- City of the Rock
Zanas was blind for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the bright environment. The world she had entered was enormous. She stared at the top of the mountainous cave, the tall ceilings and walls were covered in the translucent moss. The moss gave off a bright yellow glow that shined on the realm beneath it. Everything around her seemed to have a sparkly radiance from the way the light fell. It seemed magically beautiful to Zanas.
The floor of the cave was below her and she could see over the village that filled its expanse. Stone structures were placed throughout zigzagging alleyways. The noise of a city drifted towards her, as Zanas began to walk down the narrow path carved into the side of the cave wall, glancing wearily towards the sharp drop that lay to her right. Maleek stalked behind her, his blue eyes scanning the view ahead.
They walked down the steep pathway, deep into the stone city. The buildings seemed to rise sharply above her on each side. Zanas walked past the first crooked alleyway and saw meandering people, all brightly dressed in a variety of colors. She noticed a cornucopia of braids piled high on a woman’s head, overflowing her body in a slithering way. A couple stood in front of one of the buildings, the woman laughing at something the man had said. Their conversation came to an abrupt halt as they turned and looked at Zanas as she walked towards them. Maleek let out a low growl and Zanas tried to calm him with her presence, projecting serene thoughts, and sensed his relaxation behind her.
The woman stared at them with an open mouth. Her face, painted in bright greens, reminded Zanas of the forest she had left behind. The man’s face was similarly painted in darker greys, his black hair hanging loose. They said nothing to her as she strode confidently past them, her large canine beast following closely.
Before she had left the above, Arrelia had taken the time to explain the knowledge that Zanas might need. The societal structure of the people of the beneath, mimicked the societal structure the people of the above. All high levels of the society would be placed at the center of the village, with the housing structures along the borders. Arrelia had also explained that unlike the people above, the people beneath had strict clan units that rarely mixed. Her only chance of finding her sister would be to join a clan that interacted with her, or join the clan her sister had been kidnapped into.
Zanas passed alleyway after alleyway of people. Each person seemed to be completing some errand or visiting with passers-by. They gave her only two reactions. Some of them saw no interest in her, and only gave a second of a glance, before rushing on their way. The other people stared at her in wonder, yet made no effort to speak to her. This eased some of Zanas’s tension, she had not been sure if she would be met with outright aggression.
The stone dwellings themselves had a simplistic beauty about them. Each one with tall sides bricked in stones. However, it was what grew on the dwellings that was breathtaking. The same moss that covered the walls, grew in the cracks of the stones, and seemed to give the dwellings a slight glow. It made Zanas feel as though she was walking through a field of small stars.
She walked, the streets getting more and more crowded, as she made her way to the city center. She began to feel as though she were a boat cutting through a sea of faces, as the crowd parted for her and Maleek. She noticed a large dome shaped building as it appeared in front of her, and could tell by the ornate carving on the dome, that it was the building she was looking for. The center of the city of the beneath. Zanas walked up the stone steps and into the huge doorway that loomed above her.
A long aisle lay ahead of her. She was reminded of a church, although there were no pews of worshipping congregants. The circular shaped room echoed as she walked, three hooded figures sat at the end of the walkway. They were motionless as she walked towards them.
They seemed to be very old, aged backs bent over, enveloped by thick robes. They said nothing, simply stared at her, three pairs of eyes looking back: one green, one blue and the third a honey yellow. Then one of them cleared their throat and Zanas heard a distinctively feminine voice.
“Why are you here, child from above? Your kind does not dwell here,” a raspy voice demanded.
“I was told that all clans were open, to anyone above or beneath,” Zanas replied, her face serious. Her response was echoed with laughter by the ancient man that sat next to the woman.
“Your kind is weak. You have no place here,” he spat, a boney finger pointing out towards Zanas, his milky blue eyes flashing in anger. Zanas felt anger rising up inside her, and once again, Maleek began to growl. This time, she did not subdue him; there was something satisfying in the sound, and she felt her own growl in response.
“You know nothing about me, old man,” she hissed in reply. “Are you telling me that the people beneath no longer follow the main tenant of Alwahi?” The old man began to shake with anger, his hood becoming slightly askew as he fidgeted.
“How dare you…” he fumed. “ We of the beneath are the only ones who follow the laws of Alwahi.”
“All may join a clan, but only the true will survive. There is no room for weakness when serving Alwahi,” the third hooded figure interjected softly.
Zanas turned her eyes to the woman who had spoken. All she noticed at first were the bright green eyes that stared back at her. She had been mistaken. They were not all very old. This woman seemed to be in the middle of her life, but one could not always be sure, Alwahi changed her people in different ways.
“If that is the case then I can be allowed to join a clan, no matter where I come from,” Zanas said forcefully. An amused smile spread across the woman’s face.
“Of course.” The woman paused, her hands clasped in front of her. “Alwahi always culls the weak ones from the herd,” the woman said, tilting her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. “And which clan do you wish to join?” Her smile seemed to grow somewhat menacing.
“I, Zanas, child of Alwahi, wish to join the Pursuers of the beneath,” she replied, her voice steady and her eyes cold. Laughter erupted from the ancient man, his cruel eyes turning to the youngest of the three.
“This is no longer my problem.” He smiled, pulling his twisted body up, and began to walk toward a door at the back of the room. The other woman followed his example and exited behind him. Zanas was left alone with the younger woman; whose bright eyes stared at her, unblinking. Standing up, the woman walked down the steps toward Zanas, until she stood beside her, her eyes never leaving Zanas’s face.
“This is not a frivolous decision to make, young girl,” she said her voice low. “You will never leave the clan if you are found worthy.” The aggressive way she stated this made Maleek begin to growl once again. The woman glanced over at the beast, no alarm showing in her eyes.
Zanas nodded. She felt no fear as she replied, “I already know this to be true.” And she did. She had always known that this had been a one-way trip.
… … …
The woman looked at her for a moment longer then shrugged her shoulders. She reached up and pulled her hood back revealing black hair.
“My name is Anessa,” she said. “I am clan leader of the Pursuers. It has been awhile since we have had a pledge. You will be tested to see if you are worthy. Only the strong will be accepted. The weak no longer walk this plane.” Her voice was serious. “I will take you to our hold.” With her last words, she turned and began to walk out the door the other two clan leaders had walked out moments before.
Zanas found herself in a front of large stone steps that made their way down to a torch lit tunnel. They made their way down the winding staircase, into a small cave. Zanas could tell that this chamber was not made by the hands of nature. This had been deliberately made, with three tunnels leading out. Anessa walked towards the tunnel on the right and stopped, holding her hand out towards it.
“This is the entrance to the Pursuers hold,” she explained, leading the way down the long tunnel. “This tunnel travels beneath the city and then up to our hold.”
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sp; It was much cooler in this chamber, far colder than it had been in the city above. Zanas pulled her cloak tighter around herself and the woman seemed to notice. “This must be a colder climate than you are used to,” Anessa said. “We will get you the necessary supplies once I have shown you your room. Our hold is very old and once was much larger. We have many empty chambers.” She grew quiet for a moment, leading Zanas and Maleek deeper and deeper into the underpass.
“The city folk,” Anessa spat the words like an insult, “they have become too comfortable in their shining homes. They are no longer born with the courage it takes to become a Pursuer. Only those willing to risk their lives are able to pledge themselves to our clan. City bred children flounder in our world.” Zanas could see a slight curve in the tunnel ahead, and they were soon standing in front of another large staircase, leading up.
They made their way up three flights of long steps and then entered a hallway, doors placed at regular intervals. They took numerous twists and turns until Anessa stopped in front of one of the ornately carved doors. She pushed it open to a large chamber cut out of the stony body of the earth. At one side, there was a large fireplace, and a huge stone bed was situated against one wall. Zanas began to think of how uncomfortable it would be to sleep in this, when the woman began to laugh.
“I will also have them bring the bedding that goes on that,” she said pointing to the bed, “and some wood to go in that,” she finished pointing at the fireplace. “I am sure that you are weary from your journey; down the hall to your left is a bathing pool. Most of our members are busy completing their assignments, you should find it empty. By the time you are finished it will probably be time for dinner. I will come and collect you.” With that, she turned and left Zanas, quickly disappearing down the maze of corridors.
Maleek made one lap around the room sniffing the corners. When he was satisfied, he circled three times and curled up on the floor, his giant nose resting on his paws. She watched as his color changed and he began to blend into the stone around him. Zanas could hear his soft snoring as he drifted off to sleep. Depositing her belongings on the floor next to the canine, she began to follow the directions to the pool.
The door was shaped differently than the chamber doors. It had an oval shape to the top of it, two huge wooden doors hanging in front of her. She made a passing thought, wondering how the doors come to be in such a place, when the doors were pulled open in one swift motion. And there he stood.
He jerked to a stop, his eyes becoming wide for a moment. Then he grinned, taking a bold step forward. His skin was still damp, tiny beads of water glistening on his skin. He wore a towel around his waist, bare-chested. Zanas caught sight of his tattoos that trailed from his temples and down his muscular chest. She once again admired their beauty, as well as respected their meaning. This was a great hunter.
“The girl from above,” he purred. “How is it that you are here in my domain?” he asked, his eyebrows narrowing in thought. He took another step towards her, his face inches away, his green eyes burning into her hers. She sensed that there was a part of him that was trying to intimidate her. For some reason instead of making her angry, this knowledge amused her. She met his green eyes with a hard stare.
“Right now, I’m trying to bathe,” she replied.
He chuckled softly, his sharp teeth flashing in the torch light. He inched closer to her, if that was even possible, and inhaled deeply. Her breath caught in her throat, and then he turned and walked out into the hallway. She watched as he strode down the hall, turned a corner, and disappeared. Zanas stepped into the room and closed the big heavy door behind her. She felt lightheaded and her heart was pounding deep in her chest.
There was a large round bowl cut into the floor of the chamber. To the left was a table with towels and a small bowl on the floor held, what looked like, bathing salts. Zanas quickly disrobed and walked down the smooth steps and into the water, surprised at how hot the water was. From the metallic smell circulating in the mist, she guessed that this pool was fed from a hot spring. The liquid was soothing on muscles, sore from the long journey. Zanas unbraided her hair and watched as it danced in the steaming water.
She would have loved to linger, but Anessa would be coming to get her soon. Dragging herself reluctantly from the pool, she pulled one of the towels around her body. Zanas picked up her soiled clothes and walked with them back to her room.
Maleek was still sleeping on the floor as she entered. She noticed that there were large furs on her bed now, and a warm fire burning in the fireplace. She walked over to her bed and saw the clothing that someone had left for her. All of the pieces were made from a soft black fur that reminded her of her cloak.
Zanas pulled on the long pants and the tight black shirt. The arms of the shirt were laced with black leather straps; she had to admit she loved the look and feel of the outfit. The last thing that she saw was the black boots that were seated at the foot of the bed. Shockingly they fit, the fur brushing softly against her skin. She had just finished drying and braiding her long hair when a knock came at the door. She opened it to see Anessa standing and waiting for her.
“Good, you are ready,” Anessa said. She turned and Zanas followed closely behind her.
Zanas tried to remember the many turns and twists they went through, but was soon lost. It was quite obvious that the hold was very large. She guessed that they were heading deeper into the rock as they came to another large wooden door. Anessa pushed it open and they walked into a large cafeteria.
There were rows of tables crowded with black clothed figures. Zanas had the feeling that this hall had once been overflowing, while now it sat half-empty. The room went silent for a moment, as heads turned to stare at Zanas. She heard an insulting laugh from a back table, and met eyes with the girl she had seen long ago on that damp night. The girl’s hair hung loose, blonde curls falling down her back.
Zanas felt someone else watching her and turned to see him a few seats from the girl. Unlike the rest of his table, who were sneering at her and whispering among themselves, he quietly sat staring back at her. She kept his gaze for a moment. As she turned she caught sight of the blonde girl, who stared back at her with fury in her eyes.
Anessa led her down the food-lined tables and Zanas grabbed a bowl of stew and a flat looking bread. She was surprised when Anessa headed directly for the table that she wanted to sit at the least. They sat down and the blonde girl hissed.
“What’s a person from above doing down here? How dare she disrespect our hold? Only Pursuers belong here,” she fired, and Anessa sighed.
“She has come to join our clan, Desstina,” Anessa replied, taking a bite of her bread. Zanas lifted the bowl to her face when she heard Desstina respond.
“You are too weak to be here. You are going to die trying what comes easy to the chosen.” She glared at Zanas from across the table. Zanas knew the girl was trying to scare her, but instead, she felt a rush of adrenaline. She imagined what it would be like to smash the girl’s pretty face into the table, and she found herself smiling defiantly.
“If you say so,” Zanas replied softly. Desstina let out a small exhalation of fury and Zanas heard a chuckle across from her.
“You’ll have to get use to her, Desstina,” he said in a low voice. “She is to join our team for her trial.” Desstina threw her bread on the table, slamming her hand down with a loud smack.
“I will not hunt with an abomination,” she said angrily. Anessa finally looked up from her food and gave Desstina a look that halted her.
“You do what I tell you to do. I am clan leader here, Desstina,” Anessa said with a dark growl. Desstina collected her plate and left the room in anger, saying nothing more. Zanas heard that low chuckle once again and looked up into his emerald eyes.
“Welcome Zanas,” Her name coming from his lips made her shiver. “I’m Dressdon; I look forward to hunting with you.” His voice took on that predatory hum, buzzing through her ears and her veins.
He winked at her, and then he too collected his plates and left.