Excerpt: Al Lado Alejano: To the Farthest Edge of the World

From the end and beginning of two chapters:

Shan was looking at her incredulously. “They gave you permission to enter the city?”

Anelaya shrugged, trying very hard to mask the excitement and fear she felt.

Ethan’s eyes were alight. “No one in recorded history has ever been allowed inside the fabled city,” he breathed. “Anelaya, you have no idea of the opportunity.”

“I’m worried if you’ll be able to come with me,” she returned. “I don’t want to make you wait.”

Ishtar had trotted close enough to hear their conversation. “Have no fear.” He gave her a mocking smile. “I won’t.”

Shan’s eyes narrowed. “You want to wind up in the wilderness again, having to use your magic? Wouldn’t you rather we saved you the trouble and fought for you?”

The mage’s eyes blazed. “I am not dependent upon you.”

“Really.” Shan gave him a long, appraising look that would have raked gashes in Ishtar’s skin if it could. “It seems to me there’ve been very few times we haven’t been saving your sand-blasted hide.”

Ishtar leaned closer, so his fiery eyes were glaring into the desert warrior’s green ones. “Without me, you would be lost. You have no idea of the threats I’ve been keeping away while you sleep.” His haggard face tightened. “Why do you think we have seen no more shadows? Why do you think twisted beasts trouble us not?” His gaze swept to the walls that stood tall in the distance. “Outsiders are not allowed with good reason. What makes you think you will come out again?”

Shan’s eyes snapped sparks. “What makes you think they will let a poisonous snake like you in?”

“No more likely than a barbarian like yourself.”

Shan’s hand shot out to twist a handful of the mage’s dark robes. “The youngest of my people is more civilized than you could ever hope to be.”

Ishtar smiled grimly. “Remove your hands, or I will do so for you.” Lightning crackled around his fingers. Shan held on a second longer, to prove his point, and then let go. Before either could speak again, Anelaya’s sword interposed itself between the two of them.

“That’s enough,” she said stonily. They both looked at her, Shan with rage for the other man still dancing in his eyes, Ishtar with amused contempt.

“No need to point a lightning wand at me.”

Anelaya did not doubt he would repeat what he had done in Del Tora, but she kept the sword between them as she glared at Ishtar.

“No need to argue about a place we haven’t reached yet,” she said with finality. “We’ll find out when we go to the gates.”

Ethan nodded at her conclusion. Ryu shifted nervously. The other two stared at each other coolly, and Anelaya returned her sword to her sheath.

“Let’s go,” she said shortly.

The five took off along the rode, the shining city of Shenhir growing steadily larger. The sun off the walls no longer blinded them, but it was no less dazzling as they approached. They could now make out the walls to be built from a kind of translucent green stone, layered elegantly not row by row but winding across in patterns most masons would not dream of attempting. The whole structure, for all its solidity, had a certain grace about it, an otherworldly beauty. But they could see nothing of the city beyond the walls. No structures rose high enough beyond the barrier to reveal anything.

The road forked from following its winding course eastward along the wide stream, deviating towards the city. The fork was lined with small, neat shops tended by people in the same dark robes they had seen driving the caravans. Anelaya’s curiosity and excitement rose. Perhaps now they would find out why the Shenhirians kept their features hidden from all.

She could feel their glances on their backs as they passed by. They never seemed to be paying attention to them, but she caught a sense of curiosity and caution from the vendors. Once she passed a person selling weapons, and the head openly turned to watch her, gaze resting on her sword. She wondered with a sense of unease what it meant to them. Was it recognizable simply because it was Shenhirian, or did it have some greater significance? What had Jorg told her? That the vendor had given it to him, to study. He hadn’t said whether it had anything special about it.

They continued along the path, and the gates loomed up before them. They were closed, but the portcullis was raised, and as she looked at its teeth, Anelaya could see it was made of steel. Her eyes widened at the thought of how expensive that would be. The doors also were built of metal, not quite iron, but it looked to be an alloy of some sort that she didn’t recognize. It shone with a bluish sheen, fitting in with the soft green of the stone walls. The entire gate was a masterwork of masonry that she could only guess at.

In front of the gate three guards stood at attention. They were the first whose faces they could see clearly. They looked to be carved from stone—sharp, angled lines, at times blocky but never without grace. Their armor did not gleam with the polish that comes from ceremonial use, but it had the sheen of well-tended and well-used metal. It was nearly seamless steel plate, resplendent with carved vines on the breastplate. A helmet with wavy lines swept back from the front adorned each man’s head, and each wielded a long spear and a tower shield bearing a coat of arms: a phoenix carrying a rose flying over a wolf in a field of white flowers.

Ishtar’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the men. Ethan gave a soft exclamation of surprise, but said nothing.

Anelaya rode, rather more boldly than she felt, up to the gates and dismounted. Feeling it was right, she unsheathed her sword and offered it in both hands.

“I was told I was given permission to pass,” she said.

“And so you have,” replied the guard in the middle, unreadable. “You may pass.”

“What of my companions?”

“That remains to be seen.”