by L. Itram and Ben Yackley Main * Story * Setting * Cast * Illustrations * About * Comment

Chapter 5: The Walls of Tenthys (Posted on 9/29/02 )

A short walk back through the plains, a boat down the river, a carriage through town and another journey by ship - this one across the ocean to the East - found Viola, Kinto and Luen just off the coast the southernmost port of the continent of Aezo.

Seen from the air - highly unlikely unless our hypothetical observer happened to be in one of the higher floors of the central tower - Aezo looks like a crude bullseye. An enormous lake fills the center of the continent, leaving a circular ring of habitable land balanced between the salty ocean on the outside and the marshy shore within. In the center of the lake is a small island and on the center of the island (and, indeed, covering most of it) is a tower.

See from a point in the surrounding ocean, on the other hand - such as, for example, the point currently being occupied by the ship containing Viola, Kinto and Luen - Aezo is simply a long coastline, fuzzed with trees where it meets the horizon and sloping down into sandy beaches in the foreground. From this angle the central tower can be seen for what it truly is: a needle-shaped spire stretching beyond sight into the sky. In that tower, it is said, live the astronomers who have devoted their lives to the study of the heavens.

"...Wow." Kinto was visibly awed; the tallest thing he'd ever laid eyes on were the faraway mountains of his native Tximist. The tower, however, was several miles tall. "How's it stay up?"

"Architecture. It's all columns and girders and buttresses and things inside there... Always seemed a bit overboard for an observatory, but I guess Aezites are like that."

"An observatory?"

Viola chimed in. "Aye, 'tis a place for th' scholars ta study the motions o' the stars. 'Twas also headquarters o' General Phaistos during tha Great War. They said he could see tha entire continent from tha top o' that tower."

"Yes, that's nice, but aren't we missing something, Viola?" asked Luen.

Viola looked momentarily puzzled. "Aye. Of course. Kinto, where did ye put the language amulets? None of us speak Aezite."

"Why y'askin' me? Y'gave 'em t'Luen."

"Hey, I don't have them. They were in with the books, which were your responsibility, Viola."

And so they missed the view as their ship slid majestically into the docks, although in Kinto's case it was probably all for the better.

"Toldja Luen had 'em," said Kinto as they frantically stuffed books and clothes back into their bags and made their way off the ship.

Unlike the sprawl of Featherglass, which encompassed town, port and university, this port was completely separate from any major city - separated, in fact, by a low stone wall covered in abstract but intricate frescoes in geometric patterns. The main exit - and indeed only way out by land - was through a number of archways flanked by uniformed scribes. Viola, Luen and Kinto were directed to the tail end of a line of people and told to wait.

"What's with th'security anyway?" asked Kinto.

Viola just shrugged. Luen responded, "The Aezites are very big on order and record-keeping. Everyone knows that."

"Luen, that's nae but an ignorant stereotype."

"You got a better explanation?"

"Excuse me?" interrupted a new voice. They turned around to find themselves face to face with a teenage Aezite who bore a strong resemblance to Pico, in bearing and build if not in race. He was a short scrawny man, with tanned skin beneath a shirt, vest, and trousers embroidered in purple and black. A sack full of scrolls of various colors hung from one shoulder and a smaller bag of feathers hung on the other.

"Aye? Is there a problem?"

The clerk adjusted his spectacles and peered at Viola over them. "I hope not. Are you fully literate in Aezite, Levendish and/or -- " he paused to check his bag.

"We can read Levendish, yes."

"And/or Zemr -- all of you? Wonderful, you can save us a bit of time." He pushed three green scrolls into their hands along with three rather scruffy looking quills and a stoppered pot of ink. "Just fill these out while you wait. Oh, and please return the ink when you reach the head of the line; we only have so much to go around." Before they could think of any further questions, he scurried off to accost another group of visitors.

Viola unrolled one of the scrolls. "How very odd. 'Tis a list o' questions. What is yer purpose o' visit, duration o' stay..."

Luen popped the cork on the ink jar. "Told you they were big on records."

Sunset found the three in an open carriage heading down a well-kept road winding through the lowlands to the city of Tenthys.

"This looks promising," Luen leaned back in his seat. "All this deserted wilderness; I bet the -- what we're looking for," he corrected, "is still lying around somewhere."

"Aye." Viola lowered her voice, though the driver was unlikely to hear them over the rumble of the wheels, "But did ye note tha funny look tha driver gave us when ye mentioned Tenthys?"

"Prob'ly wonderin' why a group like us ain't headed to th'capital 'stead of a town in th'middle 'f nowhere," whispered Kinto.

Luen nodded. "Probably mistook us for sightseers. I wouldn't worry about it."

"Tenthys ahead to your left!" called out the driver.

Luen and Viola turned around to watch as the city came into view, but all that was visible over the frieze-covered wall was a tall undecorated spire made of some sort of white stone. "'Tis larger than I expected."

"See, they're civilized. We'll be at an inn with hot food and cold baths in no time."

The carriage drew to a halt at what was presumably the main entrance.

"Here's your stop. If you want a ride out, you'll need to send a message to the port. Takes about a day." The driver grinned. "Ask for Novis - that's my name - and I'll get you out of here double-time, don't you worry." She hopped back into the wagon, flicked the reins, and drove off.

"That was odd," commented Kinto. He shrugged. "Let's get goin'. I like th'idea of hot food."

"I begin ta think ye were right in yer assessment, Luen," commented Viola, puzzling over another form. "Why do they need our dates o' birth?"

"Hey, at least you get a piece of paper," growled Kinto from the other side of the room.

"The Tximisti are an oral people," explained the scribe sitting next to him.

"Y'mean illiterate?" interrupted Kinto.

The scribe ignored him. "We therefore do not have written accommodations for them."

"An' I said I c'n write Levendish jus' fine. Gimme one of the papers you gave Viola."

"Pleese, sir," responded the guide, switching into halting and extremely clumsy Tximisti, "do not confyoose our recorders. We are on question three, are not?"

"Guides will be here shortly to take you to your lodgings," said the head scribe after they had turned in their forms - or in Kinto's case, transcription.

"Talk about service," whispered Luen to the others as they looked around for the guide.

Kinto's "translator" took him aside. "Joo are too follow I, sir."

"Whaddayamean? I'm with them."

"Aye, we are a group here" said Viola, who had caught most of the bilingual exchange through her language amulet, although it seemed to have a bit of trouble with the scribe's unusual accent.

"Probably some Tximisti-specific ritual," asided Luen. "They're big on rituals, too." To the translator, he added, "Look, why don't you let us tag along and then we'll all go to the inn afterwards?"

"I'm afraid you don't understand, sir." Another member of the staff stepped up to Luen. "Mixing the colors causes great bad luck. I will show you to your quarters," she added, leading him away in a different direction. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw a third person helping Viola with her luggage.

"Interestin' architecture this part o' town," commented Viola to her guide as they stepped out of downtown and the almost stereotypically Aezite columns and palisades abruptly switched to a neighborhood of narrow streets and wooden houses topped by steeply pointed roofs. The roof design seemed frivolous to Viola; as far as she knew Aezo got very little snow.

"I'm glad you like it. This is Levendtown, our green district. You should feel right at home in the ladies' longhouse."

That would explain the roofs, thought Viola, And the narrow windows, and the steps to keep the door above snow level. It's all for show. But...

"Ye went to quite a bit o' trouble here," she said as casually as she could, "I can't help but wonder why?"

"The proper ambiance emphasizes the natural color harmonics, of course."

"Ah...o'course," responded a bewildered Viola.

They stopped in front of a large one-story building which took up most of the block. The walls were covered in unpainted clapboard but Viola noticed gaps which appeared to be vents near the top. They must have realized the one thing they couldn't copy was the weather.

"Enjoy your stay, miss," her guide bowed and quickly walked back toward downtown, leaving Viola no choice but to enter the boarding house.

Luen wasn't sure what to expect when his guide led him away from the others on the pretext of showing him to his quarters. They traveled through the outskirts of downtown, passing along the edge of a quiet neighborhood with single-story houses lining neat symmetrical streets which pointed toward the central obelisk like spokes in a wheel. His "Cultural History of the World" instructor had mentioned that numbers and geometric patterns formed the core of Aezite architecture and mysticism. Since the bulk of the exams were multiple-choice, he'd spent the second half of the term alternately sleeping and practicing his aim on the crows outside the window. It was his highest grade yet but distinguishing between pre and post Bronze Age architecture wasn't going to help him much here.

"This may seem like a silly question, but why is there a forest inside your city?"

They had passed the last of the streets and the view to the right was completely blocked by plantlife - mostly the odd twisty marsh trees the carriage had passed on the way from the port, but also a few that looked strangely tropical as well as half-dead.

"This is Small Hluhluwe, the Indigo shade of the harmonic spectrum."

"Uh, right." Luen decided that the fewer questions he asked the happier he'd be.

"You do not need to concern yourself, sir. It is the domain of the cockatrices; you will be in Vadha Village."

"Glad to hear that," said Luen, who wasn't. He didn't like the sound of Vadha Village.

"Here we are." The trees abruptly gave way to marble columns and tiled sidewalk bordering narrow canals. "Your lodgings are on the main square, to your left if you face the temple. I would show you there myself but ..." she gestured at the canals, which looked to be around five feet deep and full of water.

"Nooo problem," Luen attempted a broad grin. "I'll find my way just fine, thanks."

"Dare joo go, sir," said his guide, still intent on mispronouncing half of the words Kinto grew up with as they stepped through the gate. Kinto looked around at the brightly colored tents set in little clusters with lanes running between them. They reminded him less of his own tribe's campgrounds and more of the winding lanes of the dock neighborhood back in Featherglass. He felt suddenly homesick, and not for the rolling golden plains.

"Joo ken get yer own tent over dere." He directed his attention to where the guide was pointing: an official-looking canvas building larger than the rest.

"Uh, thanks, I think." He headed toward it, more with the hopes of losing his annoying companion than any desire to claim a good spot on the campground. ***

Viola leaned over her soup and inhaled deeply before picking up her spoon and starting in on dinner. Malzia had many talents, but mixing Levendish spices was not among them and Viola had not tasted authentic venison stew since she was a child.

"Good, nae?" said the man to her left. All the inhabitants of the pub were Levendish, not surprisingly. "Deer's a wee bit scrawny in these parts, but what can ye do?"

"Delicious..." she sighed. "Ye just dunna get food like this in Featherglass."

"Featherglass? Yer a ways from home, lass. But ye dunna have tha colonial accent; ye must be Levend-born."

"Colonial indeed!" sniffed the blond-furred woman on Viola's right. "You're so stuck in the last century, Jacob, you'll be taking up arms against the Tximisti next."

"Ye must fergive her, lass. Her colonial upbringing has made her uppity." He grinned over Viola's head at his friend, who rolled her eyes and proceeded to ignore him in favor of her soup. "Now where were we?"

"I'm Levend-born, aye," said Viola quietly, "but I dunna like ta talk about it." Her tone brooked no further questions.

Her companion patted her arm. "O'course, lass. Bad childhood, I'm sure."

"Were you a student at Featherglass?" asked the woman, kindly changing the subject. "You have the look of a mage about you."

The momentary chill in Viola's manner melted under this praise. "Aye, that I am. The lavender gives it away, I'm sure. I'm on a field assignment right now."

"That must be exciting, indeed. My nephew's in academia, too. He's a researcher at the Royal Library in Almanaque." Mistaking Viola's startled expression, she quickly reassured, "I know they have some provincial attitudes toward magery; I spent most of my childhood there. But he's a kind soul, and more open-minded than some -- about your age, too. I'll tell him to look you up if he's ever near your university. "

Luen's room was fully underwater - a nice change from his usual accommodations back in Featherglass where he needed to hop into the bathtub periodically to keep from drying out. As a matter of fact, it looked quite a bit like his room back home in Vadha - carved ledges to sleep on and crystalline lights set into the walls. All the comforts of home, remarked Luen to himself, including a roommate.

"Ah, hello there. You must be the one I share my room with tonight - my name is Eilo."

"Er." Luen wasn't expecting company, but back at home he'd had an elder brother to share a room with. "I'm Luen Mazarien. On a research trip from Featherglass."

"Featherglass, eh?" The older Vadhan looked Luen over. His skin was a bright shade of purple mottled with white, and his fins were long and branched out into leafy patterns. "I've always wanted to go there... But I'm afraid I haven't got time for a vacation, what with business in Aezo and all. You seem a nice young fellow, though."

"Thanks. I'm just staying the night."

"A shame, that... Will you at least join us for breakfast tomorrow morning? The whole town gets together for a genuine ovenfeast. It's a real treat." Ovenfeasts were something of a luxury in Vadha - being underwater, cooking food was a challenge, and their traditional cuisine consisted of raw fish and salads made from watergrasses and algae. Many communities had one or two chroma-heated ovens for public use, however, and during holidays there would be an "ovenfeast", which was always a grand occasion. Luen hadn't had a genuine ovenfeast since leaving home, and his mouth was already starting to water at the thought.

"Yeah, I could go for one of those..."

"Wonderful! We'll go straight there from the sermon."

Luen did his best to act excited at the prospect of a sermon. "Of course, how could I miss it?" The single most boring, dreary aspect of home life, and they had to get that right too... Oh well. He could sit through a morning service if there were food at the end. How bad could it be?

The only thing worse than getting stuck back in my tribe thought Kinto, is getting stuck in someone else's. "'Scuse me," he said aloud, standing up, "I'm gonna go take a walk." The elderly Tximisti next to him, whose name, he'd discovered, was Izmatla, looked up from her hand-loom. She had the same orange coloration as he did, and her arrow-shaped markings labeled her as belonging to a distantly related tribe; Kinto suspected she'd taken him under her wing as being the next best thing to family. "Don't take too long. Deer hunt in the morning, you want to get a good night's sleep."

Kinto paused on his way out. "Deer hunt?"

"Little four-legged things that live around here. Like antelopes."

"I knew that! Where do you hunt 'em?"

She waved a hand at the open enclosure talking up half of the "campground." "Our senior hunters -- and a couple Aezites," she added as afterthought, "herd them in here every other week. It's not real hunting, but it beats mucking about in the trees."

"Good grief!" Kinto turned away and stalked off. These people, he decided, were insane.

"What's gotten into him?"

"Eh, new kid." Another of the Tximisti travelers shrugged. "You know how they are at that age. So much extra energy."

I bet the others are having a better time. Might as well go research that Shard; not like there's much to do here. Center of town is...that way. It wasn't too difficult to find, given the large obelisk poking out of the middle of downtown. Soon the distinctive geometric Aezite architecture was visible beyond the tents and the grass gave way to cobbles. Just before it did, however, Kinto bumped his nose on something. "What the?" He waved his hands in front of him and tried again. It wasn't really a wall, but it wasn't really empty space, either. In fact, it felt like someone or something was standing in his way, blocking him only when he tried to leave the meadow. Okay, that's weird.

"Listen, whoever you are," he said in Tximisti, counting on the language amulet to interpret his words. "I've had a long day and I don't wanna play games. I know you're real big on order and rules and stuff around here, so just gimme the paperwork I gotta do and don't waste my time."

"Doesn't work that way," said a voice behind him.

Kinto spun around, surprised. He hadn't really expected an answer.

"Figured you'd run into the borders sooner or later," said Izmatla. "Talking to 'em won't help. And neither will hitting 'em," she added, eyeing the staff he was absently twirling.

"I know that! How do I get through?"

"You don't. Aezites are real big on categorizing things, you know, and Tenthys was built up to achieve maximum harmony. If people start wandering every which way, it messes up the harmonic balance of the colors."

"The who?"

"Never mind. Why'd you want to go there anyway? It's just a bunch of Aezites."

Kinto decided not to mention the Shard. "I came here with some friends and we got separated."

"Don't fret about it. You'll meet up with them when you leave. I'm guessing you're not here to settle down and retire." She turned toward camp, gesturing for him to follow. "In the meantime, relax. They were nice enough to give us our own place, no reason to go wandering around there."

Kinto tagged along. "But I have to talk to my friends to tell them when to meet me."

Izmatla looked over a shoulder. "You mean you didn't figure that out ahead of time? You really are clueless."

"...and so, we must remember to keep the words of Nalu and the words of the great Prophets in our hearts always. We are the faithful servants of the will of the Lord of the Eternal Fountain, the Source of all Life, the Flowing Majesty..."

And they had been for the past two hours. The service began at sunrise with a ritual purification of the waters, followed by a prayer to Nalu, then a few choice words by the priest on how important it is to be faithful to one's elders and responsible in one's deeds, then another prayer to Nalu, and another purification ritual... Luen followed along obediently, his words and actions miming those of the few dozen other Vadhan travelers, but his mind was elsewhere. The only one who ever even saw Nalu was the High Priestess, so how did anyone know he actually even existed? And who were these Prophets anyway to call themselves so important? Questions he hadn't given a second thought since he left home for Featherglass. Oops - time for a response.

"Praise Nalu the Mighty!"

The end at last. And, Nalu be praised (Luen thought to himself sourly), it was finally time for breakfast. He could smell the scent of steamed fish and lobster wafting out of the kitchen adjoining the temple, and in short order, the food was brought out on platters. Strange, though (Luen thought to himself some more) - that was the most precise ceremony he'd ever seen in his entire life. Not a word, not a gesture out of place. And the food - Luen took an experimental bite of mackerel - was perfect. In fact... Luen took a second mackerel to test it. The taste was identical. Not surprising when it came to food, but added to the rest of what was going on, and it all seemed just a little too predetermined. A little too perfect.

"Ey, lass!" Viola's dinner companion from the previous evening waved at her from the middle of the town square.

"Where's the fire?" she asked, strolling toward the crowd of men and women milling about aimlessly.

"Nothin' so drastic," he responded with a grin. "We're organizin' a game o' catch-an'-run. Care ta join?"

Viola raised an eyebrow. "I didna know anyone o'er the age o' twelve played that."

"I expect ye'll be spendin' tha afternoon skiin', then?"

"Hey, if it isn't the mage lady!" Her other acquaintance stepped out of the crowd, interrupting Viola's response. "Do join our team. Jacob here thinks he's captain but you can just ignore him."

"I happen ta have been tha finest catch-runner at me school, I'll have ye note."

"And that was how many years ago?"

Viola gave a mental shrug. I can't do much research while I'm stuck in here. Might as well take the morning off. "Aye, count me in."

"Wonderful! There'll be a story contest after lunch ... if you still have any breath in you."

The deer hunt was pretty much what Kinto had expected: a smaller, tamer, watered-down version of a real hunt. Nonetheless, he still managed to enjoy himself. Sitting around the cooking fire, chewing on venison, he realized that he actually missed being with his tribe. Tximisti aren't intended to live alone, he thought, We were meant to travel the paths as families, as tribes. The tribe is who we are. That's why we never really understand the shamans; they're powerful, but they're always alone. That's not normal. The thought of shamans reminded him of Uxul, who had told him that there was no shame in his running away. Who had suggested Kinto the misfit might even become a shaman himself. He looked around again as if coming out of a daze. Be together? The tribe is who we are? That's not me thinking! Not even the elders would've said that -- even they appreciate individual differences. Why am I thinking this? I ran away so I could be something by myself. Me, Kinto! Myself! What do they think they're doing? He leapt to his feet, dropping his lunch.

"Hey, there's still some good eating on that."

"'Scuse me," said Kinto, and ran full-speed toward the center of town.

"You're the one who's doing this!" he shouted at the invisible barrier. "You're messing with my head and making me think what everyone wanted me to think."

There was, of course, no response.

"I don't know who you are or why you're doing this, but I'm not gonna be a good little Tximisti! I have things to do, great things, and you're not stopping me! You hear?"

Apparently it didn't.

"I said, do you hear me, huh? Are you going to get out of my head or do I have to get you out myself?"

Kinto swung his staff around, the stick glowing in his hands. A bolt of lightning arced from its tip toward the invisible barrier, spreading out in a star pattern when it hit.

"You listening now? Huh?" He paused, panting, but if he'd really expected an answer from the barrier he was disappointed.

"That's not going to work either," said Izmatla behind him.

Kinto grit his teeth and glared at her. "I'll make it work!" He spun around and hit the barrier with the staff as hard as he could, lightning sparking every which way. "That'll -" ZOT "- teach 'em -" ZAP "- to mess -" CRACKLE "- with -" SPARK "- my -" ZRRT "- head!"

"Look, kid, I admire your tenacity, but it's not worth killing yourself over."

Either Kinto thought it was very much worth it or he simply couldn't hear her.

"It's not like we're prisoners!" she shouted over the noise, "Sure, they're big on paperwork, but it only takes three days! So you don't get to go to Aezo-town, big deal!"

"Haargh! KZOT Yaaah! ZORCH"

"Would you stop doing that so I can talk to you?!"

Kinto wouldn't, apparently.

She sighed. "Fine, do it your way," she responded softly. "The tribe is who we are, but if someone can't live as part of the tribe, the best thing is to let 'em go. Maybe they die in the savannah alone, maybe they go to Almanaque, maybe they become a shaman." She walked back to the camp. "I'll come and pick up the pieces when you're done, kid. If there are any left."

"Yeah, harmonic balance of the colors. Beats me what they're talking about." The image of Luen shrugged. The cameo stone didn't transmit colors so it looked as though his face was carved into the flat surface of the disk, a living bas relief.

Viola noticed that he wasn't wearing the language amulet and was probably speaking gibberish as far as any of the other Vadhans were concerned. Eavesdroppers on her end would have no trouble understanding him, but the Levend-Town cameo was in a tiny private room, lit by a window in the door. "They think each o' the major races is associated wit' a different color. I've confused them ta no end on account o' bein' purple."

Luen noticed that she didn't say "Instilled" and wondered for the umpteenth time whether Viola had been born that way. He didn't expect to get an answer, then or ever. "Which means they're separating us according to race. Which I'd already figured out. But why the little fake towns? And --" he couldn't quite bring himself to admit the sneaking suspicion that someone was playing with his mind.

"An' the wee scripts we have to follow?"

"Scripts? I didn't get a script."

"That's 'cause ye have no imagination. Don't ye get the feelin' yer playin' a role here? Actin' like the good Levendish lass or the good Vadhan lad?"

"Well, I did go to service today."

"There ye go."

"But it was just for the free food!"

"Aye, I'm sure." Viola frowned. "An' I went to tha storyfest fer tha free ale. I wonder what Kinto's doing."

"Probably hunting antelope or whatever they have here. What I'm wondering is why."

"Because he's hungry?"

"No, why the whole setup."

"Dunno. Maybe 'tis part o' a spell they're casting in tha city. A spell so large that every inhabitant must engage in tha ritual ta keep it goin'."

Luen glanced at the obelisk, "Or maybe the city is casting a spell on the inhabitants."

"Now yer bein' paranoid."

"Oh, and your 'Immense Ritual' theory wasn't?"

"So who's doin' tha castin', Mister Expert?"

"Maginaria don't need instructions from us in order to act. Or special rituals in order to do magic. You of all people ought to know that."

"Sure, sure. Yer seein' maginaria everywhere, Luen. Although...they'd have ta be everywhere for that ta work. I dunna like tha sound o' this."

"Me neither. We need to get Kinto and get out of here before something goes ---" There was a bright flash of light outside followed by a rumble that could have been thunder or an earthquake. Viola kicked open the door in time to see an immense tangle of ball lightning appear beyond the obelisk.

"Viola? Viola? You there?"

Viola ducked back into the compartment. "We're a wee bit late, Luen. Let's get Kinto an' get out o' here."

Luen eyed the light show. If this town is set out the way I think it is, the Tximisti are halfway around the circle at Orange, and Viola should be right next door. The maginaria at the borders won't let me through, but I know someone who'll change their mind. He strapped his capture-chalice to his arm, then reached into his pouch and pulled out a black crystal - arrowhead-shaped, with an engraved glyph that resembled a ring with ears. "Nhaal, old boy, let's go break some taboos."

"My mother is what?!"

Luen swam out of the temple at top speed, Nhaal doggie-paddling behind. "And your sermon was trite and boring!" he shouted over his shoulder. Serves 'em right for trying to mess with my head, he though to himself as he headed toward the marketplace and the border with Green beyond. Makes my hometown look like a bunch of open-minded atheists. He looked over his shoulder again. "Still hungry, huh? Nah, you don't want me, I'm stringy. Let's wake you up another snack." Every time a rule was broken, Luen had noticed, the maginaria come out with their walls... And Nhaal, the same one he'd captured from Auli back in Almanaque, was doing its job perfectly, chewing its way through the barriers.

Amid the shattering of windows and mirrors, the one-man one-maginaria rescue party headed on their way.

While Luen and Kinto were wreaking havoc and destroying property, Viola was plotting her escape. She had learned that the Aezite Tenthians associated their own race with purple chroma; perhaps she could use that to sneak past their barriers. At the moment she was nonchalantly strolling about the border between Levend-Town and downtown Tenthys. Just a lost maginaria, that's me. Nothing you need to worry yourselves ab-- A series of crashes from the Blue district interrupted her careful train of thought. "That better not be Luen I hear," she muttered, sprinting toward the border between the two neighborhoods.

It was indeed Luen and he burst through the border in a shower of sparks that were quickly snuffed out by the black shadowy shape dogging his tail as he slithered at high speed down the street. "Viola, this way! Nhaal's taking care of the spells for us!" He pushed over a ladder leaning against one of the buildings. "All we have to do is wake them up!"

"Luen, are ye mad?! The city guard'll be on us in nae time at all!" Viola had to run to keep up with him as he cut across the central square of Levendtown, heading for the Yellow - presumably Ertseti - district next door. "No they won't!" Luen grinned broadly as though he were having the time of his life or had completely taken leave of his senses, "Tenthys doesn't have a city guard!" "What!?" "Those spells keep everyone in line... they didn't need guards until now! Now hurry!" There was another explosion and the large obelisk started to teeter. Viola hesitated. "Kinto first," shouted Luen.

When they stepped - or, rather, barged - into Ertset-Town, Viola experienced an unexpected rush of relief. Although she had little desire to revisit the location of her childhood, she realized in her short stay in the town that Levend society itself was a wonderful place to live in if you could somehow get them to accept you as a foreigner. Watching Luen wreck the tiny village was not enjoyable - it was like one of the few pleasant pieces of her childhood had gone up in a shower of splinters and plaster.

But it was all fake. Viola merely had to remind herself of this, and she felt slightly better. The people were real, but the places were all fake. Give her a genuinely strange, honestly foreign Aezite town any day over this mockery.

Ertset-Town was built in the style of that continent's famous castles - crenellated roofs, flagstone streets, watchtowers, and knights in full plate armor wandering the streets. The Ertseti - people of large build with horselike or deerlike features - watched from the sidestreets, some dodging out of the way as Luen and Viola toppled fruit carts, upended pickle barrels, and generally made a mess with Nhaal close behind them, eagerly snapping up every maginaria it could get its jaws around. More and more barriers were breaking in the wake of their destructive spree.

Luen, Viola and Nhaal leapt over the fence that separated the Tximisti "deer hunting ground" from the Ertseti neighborhood ... and were all but ignored. Confusion reigned as the older Tximisti who had grown up on the savannahs tried to keep order and prevent the children and Tenthys-born ones from panicking at the unexpected change in routine.

Luen experienced a brief moment of doubt at the thought of trying to find Kinto among the brightly-colored hordes of people, until Viola grabbed his arm and pointed toward the obelisk. Without any "authentic" Tximisti buildings to get in the way, it was in plain view and tipping at a decidedly precarious angle. Standing near its base, glowing slightly, was a birdlike figure who could only have been one person.

"Kinto!" shouted Luen, heading toward his companion. No barrier or spell stopped him from entering the town square. Kinto turned at the sound of his name. His hands and staff were still glowing with residual chroma but he looked exhausted. It was clear just who had been responsible for the explosions.

"Luen, we've a more pressing concern!" Viola pointed at the half-broken obelisk, large enough that its fall would crush half the town. Luen stopped to give it a cursory glance. "That thing's gotta be magical. Everything else around here is. Nhaal - go to it!" Nhaal didn't need much urging; it had already come to the same conclusion. The black maginaria loped toward the landmark, hitting it with a flying leap that no flesh-and-blood animal could have accomplished. The broken obelisk glowed as if its marble surface were frosted glass lit from within. Without so much as a yelp, the little black shadow approaching its surface was sucked in and absorbed. Eaten.

"...We're in trouble now..." muttered Luen. "That's gotta be where it is, Viola - the source of all those barriers! If that thing breaks, it's likely to paralyze the town out of spite."

"I'm on it!" Viola tried to remember everything she'd read about indigo spellcasting as she sprinted to the opposite side of the obelisk. The tilted spire loomed over her. No time to worry about finesse right now she thought, readying the largest blast of wind she could manage and sending it upward. Move, you darn lump of rock!

The obelisk straightened slightly, but Viola knew it would only remain stable while she was concentrating. "I cannae hold it much longer! Luen, Kinto, 'tis up ta you!"

Kinto looked from Viola to Luen to the obelisk. I made this mess, I gotta fix it. But how? His entire training as an elementalist had been in learning new and varied ways to blow things up or toast things. He never bothered to learn anything else; he couldn't do anything else. I've never created or fixed anything in my life. I don't know where to start!

Luen looked from Viola to Kinto to the obelisk. She's got her hands full and he's still in shock. I don't blame the poor guy. Well, guess it's up to me to save the day. He looked in his bag. Just wish I had some idea how; I'm running short on ammo.

Luen pulled a gray crystal from his bag. Gray - the color of thought and information... It just might work. He pressed to crystal to his head, trying to project his thoughts into it. Just like casting a spell, he reflected, only without the actual energy. Just the message. This is what you need to do... ...Please, listen to me. You're the source of order in this town. You're the only one who can prevent the chaos that will happen if the tower falls. Hundreds of people will die if you don't. The tower must not fall. The Tower Must Not Fall. He slotted the small crystal into one of the chambers of the chalice and fired a burst of silvery light into the obelisk. It, too, was absorbed, and the obelisk remained tilted at a crazy angle. Luen gritted his teeth. What else could he do? He was starting to feel like going berserk himself, when a voice rang out behind him.

"What'd ye do ta it? I had ta break off that wind spell..." Viola made her way around the tilted obelisk toward Luen.

Huh. It... worked...? The obelisk was still tilted at an angle, but it was no longer moving - just stuck in a state of constant non-falling. Luen shrugged. "I just used my masterful abilities of persuasion on it. I hope the Tenthians don't mind a leaning tower."

Viola gave Luen an odd look, then looked around. "Wait, where's Kinto?"

With the directions of a few bystanders they found him outside the city walls, crouched in the dust at the side of the road. He glanced up as they arrived and then resumed staring at his feet. "Really screwed things up this time, didn't I? All I ever learned was how t'break things. I'm no good t'anyone if I keep blowin' up like that. I... I almost killed hundreds of innocent people."

Luen laid a hand on Kinto's shoulder. "Hey, I probably did more damage to the place than you, if it makes you feel any better. I didn't 'almost' do anything."

Viola stood by, all four arms folded. "We don't have time fer a chit-chat," she reminded them. "Ye caused a right big o' mayhem, aye, but we still have ta find th'next Shard." Although she didn't say it aloud, she was also worried about the Tenthians' reaction to their little catastrophe. Even a city with no guards could form a mob when necessary.

"And here I thought you were his friend!"

"I beg yer pardon?" Viola responded with a glare.

"Just look at him, Viola! He's a wreck! He hasn't had any better a day than either of us, so lay off him, okay? You saw what he just did. Imagine yourself in his place."

Kinto did indeed look like he was barely holding back tears. He slowly got to his feet, brushing off Viola's apology.. "...Nah, let's get goin'," he mumbled. "Don't like this place anyway."

Luen nodded. "Getting lynched would really cap this day off... And, Kinto?"

"Wha?"

"We'll listen to anything you have to say."

"...thanks."

Luen took a deep breath and looked at his companions. "C'mon. Let's get away from this loony bin."