Chapter 153: Journey 11

We finished our meal with gusto. Opting to get an extra margarita for Jengal, safely stored in my bag of holding. With the Spa treatment done, dinner complete, all that is left is to explore before returning to the carriage.

“Hanna,” I say towards my companion, getting her attention. Her head has been on a swivel since we entered this city.

“Yes,” she says, cocking her head a few degrees.

“Do you know of anything I should see before we have to return to the carriage?”

She idly rubs her hands together, “Let me think.” A few moments pass before she says an audible,”Ah.”

“Take it you thought of something,” I add in a light-hearted tone.

She scowls at me for stating the obvious. Quickly schooling her expression back to passive happiness, “The hanging gardens or the deep crystal mine? We only have time to visit one.”

Holding my hand to my chin as I think. “Tell me a little of both.”

“The gardens are a beautifully designed area made up of a wide variety of exotic plants in an omnidirectional park. The crystal mines are a tourist attraction showing off a naturally occurring rainbow of elemental attuned crystals.”

Well, I no longer have any issues choosing. “Let’s visit the hanging gardens; I’m a sucker for architecture anyway.”

She smiles, “It has been some time since I visited it.” Heading off down the road, expecting me to follow.

She swerved through alleys, varying sizes of roads, and even a few patches of greenery, one goal in mind. Occasionally, a building hangs low enough for me to get a glimpse of the town center. Seeing a massive floating garden come into view; just from the small glimpse, it looks grand.

“You seem to know your way around these areas really well,” I comment, watching in awe as she guides us through a convoluted yet short route.

“I used to live here. Small noble family, not rich enough to live in the capital, you get the picture. Sneaking out became a common thing for me, actually resulting in me meeting my husband.”

“Sneaking out to meet with boys, how cliché,” smirking at her.

Rolling her eyes, “Hey, the only other thing to do was read dusty old tomes.”

Shrugging, “Don’t blame you, that sounds terrible.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what is it with your husband. I hear snippets, but it seems so random and confusing.”

She lets out a long sigh as she ducks below an oak sign drooping too low. “He was a noble from the capital.” She says with slight difficulty. “I met him here, in this city.” Her face looks conflicted. “He was a higher noble than I; we fell in love and somehow convinced our families to get married. Well, more like him convincing his parents.

His family must be one of the most important within the empire. It came with a lot of problems. I won’t, no, I don’t want to go into detail. Long story short, he was into some more classified jobs. All governments condoned, yet the masses would throw a fit. Along with him being a high-value person from his noble status, he eventually just disappeared. We are almost positive he is dead. His last… The known location was on the way to a party… A party I invited him to.” She visibly slows, eyes welling slightly.

“I should never have invited him; it was girls only, but I was upset and needed comfort. Since he was on the way to me, his family had just enough to kick me out of the family ring, but not enough to punish me. I took a vow, or as I call it, a plea deal and started a new life with my only son.”

I see a single tear trickle down her face, cheeks puffing in slight redness. Grasping her forearm, slowing her gait. “Thank you for telling me,” I say, giving her a meaningful nod.

“It’s… Okay, you were bound to find out.”

Right on cue, the small cobbled road we were on opens into a wide area. A large ring road surrounding a massive garden; inside, the hanging gardens lie.

A large circle of green in varying heights, creating small hills and crevices, a variety of sized and shaped small islands float throughout the garden’s sky.

The ground is a large meadow with sparing trees from a variety of origins, an oak tree, jungle, dark tree, swamp, ebony…

Each of the individual islands is each of a different theme. The Nether island has upside-down trees with nether wart and mushroom forests above. An Island for every dimension, and then som. An infernal hellscape with a perpetual swirling cloud of fire above crimson trees reminiscent of magma. A slowly snowing winter wonderland, complete with sugar cane and a single man in shorts.

As we enter, we see some kind of wind tunnel device. Stepping on it will raise you into the sky with wind. Next to it is a similar device that gently lowers you. The place Is abuzz with bees, people, birds, and a few foreign animals. Watching as a sandworm-like creature launches like a dolphin through the desert biome.

“A beautiful sight, right?” Hanna asks, showing me a beaming smile.

“It is.” Gobsmacked, just gazing at the display.

She chuckles lightly at my awe, “if only you knew the price tag, time, and effort that went into it. God… I’ve missed it.” Equally awed by the spectacle.

Walking through, we launch up to an island surrounded by floating water. “This is called the Land Pond,” Hanna says as she points at the minuscule standing space. The biota on this island being aquatic in nature.

The next island was a rainbow of gases within a permeable bubble of some kind. Inside, sparkly fish swam like it was the sea. A platform off to the side is where you stand to observe it. “This is the Aquatic Nebula. The fish inside was specially bred from sky fish to survive within. The gases are of differing densities divided by a thin bit of air magic. Creating a swirling rainbow vortex.”

From the platform, we find another wind levitator. Stepping on it, we slowly rise onto one of the largest islands. The island is coated with a black ink-like gas that hugs the island’s top. It comes up to my waist, alarming me slightly.

Hanna just chuckles, “don’t worry; it’s perfectly safe. It’s a poor imitation of the void. Only Oxi-divers are here.”

“What is an Oxi-diver?”

“Just watch.”

It isn’t long before waves appear on the gas. A creature surfaces, made of thin bone-like filaments; being able to see through the animal unnerved me. It doesn’t have a heart, just lungs that inflate and deflate; they are spirals of the same filament. It doesn’t have a set shape, the bone-like material is Is made of twists and warps as it moves. Its general shape is that of a cylinder with random edges.

“That is a freaky-looking creature,” I comment, watching it warp and morph as it dives through the gas.

“I think they are cute,” Hanna says, surprising me. She spends a few moments more watching them before checking her phone. “Times up, teleport us back to the carriage.”

I can’t help but feel sad at having to leave so soon. Must be another dozen islands to look at. Alas, I do as asked. Teleporting us back to the carriage, startling John and Joan.

“I see you two are back….” John says, quickly schooling his face.

“Yep, ready to go?” I ask him.

“Give it 20 minutes, just getting some stuff delivered to the carriage.”

“How fancy.”

“You carry your stuff back?” He asks me with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, of course,” I say like it is common sense.

He walks up to me, patting my shoulder, “remind me, at the capital to get you a servant.”

“Don’t worry about it; I value my privacy.”

“Got it, a high-class servant with a secret contract. Think I know just the one.” He says, chuckling as he returns to the carriage.

He doesn’t even wait for my reply. Well, as long as my secrets remain secrets, a servant wouldn’t be so bad.

Stepping into the carriage, see Jengal isn’t here jet. Looking over to the streets, the boy is running like a bolt of lightning. Once he is within earshot, I shout. “What’s the rush!”

Skidding to a halt, like he didn’t just run a marathon, he steps into the carriage. “No rush; let’s go.” Slipping inside without another word.

Shrugging, guess we are going. Moments later, the familiar vibrations of a moving carriage carry us away. Looking out the window, I spot something that makes me smile. Spotting a single person, playing with an eyephone.

Leaving the window, I nestle up into the corner. A warm blanket later, and I drift into a dreamless sleep. Just a short nap, feeling particularly tired.

Suddenly jolted awake by Jengal, groggily opening me yes. “What is it?”

“Trouble!” He shouts.

Awakening a little more at the mention of trouble, “what kind?”

“A guy’s stopped the carriage, he is alone, but the driver says he is dangerous.”

Getting up, I exit the carriage. Seeing a cloaked figure; looking at the driver, he isn’t letting them leave their vision.

Shouting towards them, “what is it? What do you need?”

“You need to pay the toll of 10 silvers.” He shouts back, causing me to hold my stomach in laughter. Seriously, a toll, what is it, Cliche day? Taking out 10 silvers, I throw them at him. “Take it and leave, I am tired.”

And with that, the figure takes the money and leaves towards the closest forest. Before they enter, I shout once more. “Cause trouble again, and I won’t pay!” Which got them to turn their head and meet my eye. Quickly heading into the forest, disappearing into the foliage.

Returning to the carriage, seeing Jengal sat with wide eyes. “You just paid them?” He says, surprised.

“Yeah, we have the money? Why give myself more trouble.”

He is taken aback by my answer, “but won’t they rob someone else?”

“And if I stomp out one, two more grow back. If I was going to stop crime, I would make it a whole event. It can wait until I have time.”

He lets it go, returning to the carriage wordlessly.

Stepping inside myself, I am assaulted by questions from Hanna.

“How did it go? Who were they? Did they try and attack you?”

“Don’t do a Jengal, slow down-“

“Hey, don’t name it after me!” He interjects, causing both me and Hanna to chuckle.

“He was a common road thief. Asked for a toll, I paid, he buggered off.”

“A nice ending to a robbery,” Hanna says.

“Right,” She agreed, surprised. “Although, at this rate, I will have to reopen my enchant business to replenish my money.”

“Why not just sell off that ungodly amount of materials you have?” Jengal enquiries.

“It would inflate the market. Even doing my enchanting business is dragging down the price, selling 10 stacks of iron would be far worse.”

“That makes sense. I’d be too lazy to go through such a long and boring route.”

“I know… I know.”

The final few days felt like years as we crawled to the finish line. Traveling, camping, eating, traveling, over and over. The games grew stale, and my memory failed to remember new ones so my final day was wasted away with a midday snooze.

It was worth it when the grand gates came into view. Marble between great spikes of obsidian, the tallest and widest wall I have ever set my eyes upon. An army slowly marching along the wall, clearing showing its pure girth. If anything could stop an army, it would be this wall. The marble is more than likely decoration. No doubt in my mind that this wall isn’t pure obsidian behind that white façade.

“We are finally here.”