Before the door to carriage door was closed I saw a glimpse of the streets of the city. Although just a moment there were countless stands selling fruits or preparing dishes. The sidewalks filled with buyers and those seeking to see a glance of the inner workings of the tower.
*Click* the door closed, "sorry Ruvan but we must keep any sighting of you to the minimum. I hate to admit but the three of us tend to gather a crowd ." Pointing to his siblings, "Once we're at the area for our little tea party, I assure you that a wonderful sight will await you."
The carriage began to move, "make way, move! The royal highnesses have urgent work." Said the coachmen, once on the streets. I could hear the sounds of awe from womans, gossiping about the princes and the men offering various food or trinkets in a strong voice for the fair princess.
The three of them sat on the other side of the carriage, my conclusion was that they wanted me to be as comfortable as can be. Whether it was to gain favour or percussion of an outbreak on my part was to be seen.
"Once you've grown accustomed to the public Ruvan I'll take you to streets. The meals cooked here are as versatile as your imagination. The amount of cultures brought to this city has made the city lifestyle unique, with a way of life seen nowhere else. And just you wait till we take you to the entertainment sector the circus on top of the burlesque clubs"
"Harry stop filling the boy with curiosity of sensual topics and instead close that mouth of yours. The thoughts in that head of yours bring us to shame ."
"A circus isn't sensual Juliana my oh, oh my how far the rose has fallen. " teased Harry.
Juliana glared at him furiously, leading the carriage to be filled with silence. Bored by the quiet atmosphere Harry began to whistle a cheerful tune.
As he whistled, small sparkles of orange dust formed in the carriage. The inside of the carriage glowed an orange hue and olddy enough felt cheerful.
"It's a sonnet, to be precise an arcane sonnet. Harry made it, you'd be surprised to know he's a passionate musician. The ladies at court dream with having a song composed for them. You'll find art or creativity helps harmonize our unique abilities. I for instance create marble statues although I wouldn't exhibit them. Juliana stitches clothing, in fact my shirt was made by her, isn't the craftsmanship of the highest quality."
He stretched his arm for me to touch, the surface was a smooth silk. However whether it's craftsmanship is up to par as claimed wasn't something I could comment due to my lack of knowledge.
Juliana was about to speak until the coachmen spoke "we're here". Then the door was opened by someone in a white mandarin collar shirt with light brown dress pants and a belt.
John was the first to hop of and waved for me to follow suit. We were in a courtyard walled off from the streets. The building it resides in was tall, no were close to the tower however.
Juliana and Harry got off while their carriage left through a large doorway that lead to the streets of the city. The same person who opened the carriage door motioned us to follow him. He lead us quickly through the building to a spiral of staircases. Despite the lack of a tour I noticed the craftsmanship of the stone staircase. The widow that ran upwards the staircase was made of stain glass creating a rainbow of colors as if I walked on one.
At top of the stairs was a little gap of stairs that lead to the outside. After climbing them I saw a beautiful table made of green jade. This part of the roof was isolated from the rest of the roof. It was small fitted perfectly for a table to be set without feeling suffocating. I walked over to the railing and found two things. We were a top a perch connected to the side of the building overlooking the city. Few buildings reached this height, only the tower was taller.
Yet the view was beautiful, the coming sunset made the view resemble a oil painting. I could barely hear the busy streets and instead heard the chirping of birds soaring through the sky.
"Just wait till nightfall, then you'll see the city's true beauty. For now join us for dinner, it's the only time Harry quiets down and allow us to talk. You probably have questions."
Immediately after seating servants came through the stairs carrying various plates of food. They weared the same white and brown dress code as the one who brought us here. I felt pity they climbed all the stairs just to bring food here and hope they are payed well working for the royal family.
Sensing my gaze Harry spoke, "the servants are treated well and capable of climbing the distance. You'd be surprised how pleasant the job is compared elsewhere. After all they rarely climb up here, it's only for the festiv-" Juliana pitched his arm "you'll ruin the surprise. "
As if routine, John calmed the situation "it's rude to argue in front of guests. Harry, Juliana if your going to act like hooligans at the table, I'll set up a kids table downstairs. "
Harry scoffed "mister ten seconds older thinks he's all mature now, yet I remember the last time you couldn't hold a drink. Hmm what did you say? Oh yes." He smiled ear to ear "Mae, Mae please don't leave me for a peasant I have money, lands, I'll give up my family name."
Grabbing the culinary butter knife John jolted up from chair together with Harry. He chased Harry while he kept saying "Mae, Mae."
I wondered why his brother tormented his heartbroken heart when Juliana answered my question seeing my pitying face.
She cracked a smile trying to hold in a laugh which I frowned at till she spoke. "Mae was a poster a brothel set up on the streets."
"Did they breakup?" I gasped.
"No...hahaha ", she laughed unable to hold it in anymore from my surprised expression. "She wasn't real."
John retorted "I couldn't see my vision was blurry from my first time"
"With a poster?" Laughed Harry.
John stared glared at him furiously and sat down reluctantly. Followed by Harry who did so slowly, to not instigate further wrath from the butter knife.
During the discord the jade table was set with food. A plate with pork ribs gleamed at me, glinting with an appealing honey sauce. I almost went to grasp it with my hands but remembered my manners until John grabbed a pair without worry. "Don't worry about manners these two don't." He said sarcastically.
The others ate without concern for table manners, saying that being outside public eye allowed them to eat without pressure.
I wanted to inquire about the thoughts I had to this whole ordeal but decided to feast upon the delicacies before me first.
We made it to dessert and nightfall had arrived. John had long calmed down after eating the entrée. He was grinning while eating yogurt ice-cream and spoke, "so have any thoughts or questions after spending the day with us?"
I thought for a moment, coming up with a phrase for my main inquiry. "Why the special treatment? I don't understand how being the chosen has to do with having a close relationship with the royal family."
They also took a moment to respond to which Juliana was first. "It has to do with ability, not your arcsoly but the gift, the chosen can grant. " I noticed she side eyed her brothers, trying to see if they approved of her spreading this knowledge .
"When you chose a sentinel, their supposedly enhanced. They gain stronger or more power from the arcana. It's been said that they can live eternity along the chosen unless killed. Of course their main objective is to protect the chosen with their life to which their obligated, presumably by a bond that's created. Forgive me for the vagueness but information regarding your power is varied. "
John chimed in, "in some manuscripts the bond is seen as cruel, described as a chain of wills. Even so most stories state it being a union of destiny with the chosen. To which leads us to a proposal we have." He looked at Juliana to finish the sentence.
"The three of us would like to become candidates for your sentinels. Of course you don't have to agree yet, from what we've seen you have not it gained. At least that part of the stories holds true."
"Our theory is, well the high arcana's theory is it'll happen on your birthday of adulthood. Here in our kingdom the age is twenty-one, while in others as young as fourteen. It could be your eighteenth or nineteenth birthday. Normally for an anointed it's when an arcsoul or arcsoly's arcana settles on a shade."
"What do you mean shade?"
Harry spoke "when an arcsoul in my case settles, the color of its shade stays fix. The shade represents the emotions behind the arcana we draw out, I find joy, excitement and wonder in mine. When I finish puberty, my arcana will most likely remain as such. Granting me strength the more in tune I'm in with these emotions. However it has happened before when an individual goes through traumatic events, causing them to become unable to draw arcana or change their source of arcana."
"Our uncle has a arcsoly, from what he tells us they settle the same but able to produce different frequencies of the same emotion. Although I don't understand what he means, perhaps you have to live it in order to understand."
I drank a sip of apple tea they offered me during dinner while contemplating what was said. I wish I knew more about my role as the chosen but Kelly told me before not to ask. Kelly told me as my mother she desired me to live a childhood, however small it may be, to the point she made me promise her.
Not wanting to break my word I let out a huff of air. "Earlier today I had my first lesson with my mentor, though he proceeded to beat me to a pulp for the entire evening. Could you tell me why that's considered teaching?"
They gulped, "that is due to the difference of strengthening arcana between arcsoul and arcsoly. Our training consists of lifting, slicing or breaking steel boulders for hours on end. Failure to do so and they'll withhold amenities. For instance, being allowed outside and as you see, we managed to pass." Answered John
"Then why am I being the one beaten rather then a steel boulder?"
He scratched his chin and looked towards Harry. "Perhaps seeing a demonstration later tonight would be better. Essentially the main difference between us and you is that the arcana revolves around us. For you, it flows through you."
I was about to inquire more when a bright light surged through the floor. Around me, the walls, floor and city radiated glows of light. I got up from my seat and headed to the edge of the roof.
The tower gleamed a luminescent violet and shot a beam of light in the sky. The night sky was lit up with rays of light of green, blue, yellow, pink, orange and white.
"Vala's lights of faith we call it. The festival of Luminous, the tale goes that Luminous offered to build the tower to signify her faith in Vala. It's said she put her heart and soul into it that as proof of her effort, Vala herself shows her arcane light every year. Since then the tower serves to guide those touched with arcana and some see those anointed in the tower as saints."
We watched the heavenly sight, chants could be heard from the faithful. It truly felt as if I stood on top a city made of lights, it was ethereal. No one spoke as we watched the faithful light bonfires of green and blue throughout the city, starting from the tower. Once they reached the outer walls and opened the massive gates of the city, the lights diminished.
"Well then, I feel spiritually reborn again. Well big bother ready to eat dirt again?"
John patted my back and grabbed my shoulder leading the way downstairs back to the tower. "Come Ruvan, I'll show you why intelligence triumphs over brute strength. "