The General only grunted in response.
Well, okay then.He was never a huge conversationalist to begin with, but this was even worse than usual.
“Are you excited to be back? Staying in a village like mine has to be so different than what you’re used to.”
He grunted again and I rolled my eyes.
“Me General d’Alvey, me no talk to backwater girl,” I grunted, pulling my eyebrows down over my eyes in a poor imitation of primitive speech.
He finally looked at me, but his gaze was full of ire. “I’m simply trying to get us to the palace. Would you rather we stop and chat?”
I blanched and reared my head back in slight shock. “No, thanks. This is fine.”
He turned away again and didn’t look at me for the rest of our journey. We walked the remainder of the way to the palace in silence and I used the time to make a mental list of all the things I wanted to ask about later,whether to the General or Art or Gene, if he’d introduce me, I didn’t quite care.
The street we walked along widened suddenly as the end of what I assumed to be a market or shopping sector opened into a large courtyard-like space, and my mouth dropped open even further.
The buildings werehugeand the courtyard, if you could even call it that, was beyond expansive. If thirty of Isrun were placed together, the space would still be larger. The middle was an open space of cobbled stone with an impressively large stone obelisk directly in the center. People mingled and gathered around the structure, and I could faintly make out pictures carved into the stone. Instantly I itched to go inspect it and glean whatever information I could, but General d’Alvey had already turned to his left, continuing his walk along the pathway that framed the outer edges of the courtyard.
There were a few buildings that lined the outside of the open space, but they were relatively few and far between. There was a large two-story building constructed of nondescript stone. A waist-high stone wall surrounded the property. The cobbled stone continued behind the gate, and I was shocked at the lack of grass and green. The whole space was just so . . .grey.
General d’Alvey gestured to the building. “This is the administrative building where my, and your, office is located. I’ll have someone give you a tour later.” We passed the paved entrance to the building, and there was a small iron sign indicating that it was indeed the administrative building.
Administrative Offices of Vespera,to be exact.
We continued our trek, and I glanced across the open courtyard. There were a few vendors hawking a variety of wares and small kiosks of food set up around, but still no greenery. It was unnerving and my feet tingled as they slapped against the stone.
“Why is there no green?” I murmured to myself.
“If an army ever invaded the city, greenery would give a variety of Mages the ability to recharge their magic on demand. By removing the natural substances and replacing them with stone, Lord d’Refan ensured that any foreign magic would be thoroughly depleted before our own,” General d’Alvey explained. It was the most he’d spoken since earlier this morning, and I marveled at the information.
“That . . . is rather brilliant,” I admitted. Even though I didn’t appreciate the lack of soft grass and whisper of trees, I could appreciate a brilliant strategy.
The General nodded. “Lord d’Refan is exceptionally intelligent. You two will get along well, I’m sure.”
“Lord d’Refan, the Warlord, they’re all the same person?”
“Yes, though I highly advise against referring to him as the Warlord. It’s . . . more of a derogatory term that those who allied with Solace developed. Lord d’Refan is how you should address him.”
I nodded absently, my head still swiveling about.
“What is that building?” I pointed to the largest building I had ever seen. It was at least five floors high, with various turrets pointing to the sky, and the length of it encompassed the entirety of one side of the courtyard. In contrast to the light grey, almost white stone that comprised the courtyard and the administrative offices, the building across the courtyard was pitch black and gleaming. The whole effect was slightly terrifying, and I suddenly felt small and insignificant standing in its monstrous shadow.
I absently scratched at a few scars on my arms, a phantom itch randomly appearing.
Odd. The phantom itches came and went in spurts, almost like attacks, and were generally accompanied by strange dreams. I just had an episode a few weeks ago, so this was entirely out of place. I’d have to check my notes and tracking once I got settled in my new space.
“That’s the Academy where we train our elite Mages and Vessels, primarily for war, but for other purposes as well. Most are recruited, only those with the most promise are allowed to attend. The largest library in Elyria is located at the Academy. I’d imagine you’ll be spending quite a bit of time there,” General d’Alvey explained.
I shivered involuntarily, my nails scouring my scars. He glanced at the movement, and I quickly tore my hand from my arm and tucked both behind my back. I was certain he’d seen my scars—we’d ridden together, after all—but he had yet to ask about them. I covered most, or as many as I could, with a variety of runes, but there were only so many runes I could etch into my body without experiencing negative side effects.
Some of the scars I just had to deal with, even if they were a painful reminder that Ididn’tactually remember much of my past.
Not for the first time, I hoped that a book in the expansive Academy library would hold the answers to my lost memory.
We came to a halt outside the only other building framing the courtyard. Like the Academy, it extended the entirety of one side. Unlike the Academy, there was no overwhelming feeling of foreboding. Upon closer inspection, I realized that while the walls surrounding the property spanned the entire width of the courtyard, the house itself was smaller. It almost felt . . . homey. The building was a mixture of brown and white stone and was a modest three stories. It was large, sure, but there was an understated elegance to it.
As we reached the gate, I gasped.
