and tried to reach him.
“Eb!” she called out, and everything around her went dark.
Tazi crashed to her knees. She was breathing hard and had broken out in a cold sweat. She opened and closed her eyes several times until she realized the colors were gone, there was a solid surface beneath her knees and hands, and it was deafeningly quiet.
“Is anyone here?” she asked finally, breaking the silence.
She heard both Steorf and Fannah make weak replies. Tazi breathed a little easier after she heard their voices. The three simply sat where they were for a few moments and allowed their equilibrium to balance once again.
“Did you see anything in there?” Tazi asked as she rose on shaky legs.
“Nothing that made any sense,” Steorf replied. “You?”
“I saw Ebeian,” she blurted out. “He looked… tormented.”
Steorf moved carefully through the dark to stand beside her.
“That wasn’t him,” he reassured her. “His soul has gone to its final journey. I think the gate picked up what was most on our minds and showed it to us.”
“Do you think that was it? ” Tazi asked hopefully, hating the idea that Ebeian could somehow still be suffering.
“I do,” he answered confidently. “Don’t you think so, Fannah?”
“I’m not sure,” Fannah carefully replied. “I have been sightless since birth, but I saw something.” “What was it?”Tazi asked.
“What I saw was for me alone, I believe. However, I did not see Ebeian anywhere in that whirlwind,” she confirmed for Tazi.
“Well,” Tazi finally continued after a thoughtful pause, “let’s see where we’ve ended up. At least this place doesn’t stink.”
The room was dark, but dry and clean. Fannah took the lead just as she had in the other cellar. In short order, she found a set of stairs and began to lead her sighted friends out.
At the top of the steps, Fannah felt a door latch. She opened the door slowly, and the room was bathed in harsh light. Both Tazi and Steorf winced in discomfort.
Fannah stepped out into a busy street and spread her arms. She closed her ice-white eyes, put her head back, and sighed before turning to face Tazi and Steorf. Tazi stood in the doorway and breathed in the smell of dust and sand. Still not having adjusted to the bright sunshine, she held up one hand to shield her eyes and squinted at Fannah. All she could make out was a black silhouette framed against gold.
She heard her friend’s melodic voice say, “Welcome to Calimport, Tazi.”
CHAPTER
CALIMPORT
Tazi was surrounded.
All around her, life swarmed and teemed. She, Fannah, and Steorf found themselves in a bustling section of Calimport. The warm sun beat down on them, and Tazi took in everything. Many men and a few women pushed past her. The men were clad in loose trousers, shirts, embroidered vests, and robes. Most of them wore some type of head covering, but that varied in style.
Perhaps it denotes station, Tazi thought.
The women were completely covered, even wearing veils over their faces. Tazi caught glimpses of trousers when their robes peeked open, but no more than that. Those more poorly dressed were leading beasts of burden pulling heavily laden wooden carts. Tazi had to move quickly to avoid getting a
toe crushed by one of them. There wasn’t a single creature that wasn’t bustling.
Looking up toward the horizon, Tazi saw slim towers stab at the bright sky. Some of the towers supported incredible domes that glinted in the sunlight. The occasional flying carpet drifted from parapet to parapet. Lower down, the buildings were less than extravagant but wondrous nonetheless, a few sporting intricate mosaic designs. Tazi realized that she was standing in the middle of a throng of people, her mouth agape.
“I must look like a fish just hauled out of Selgaunt Bay, mouth opening and closing,” she chuckled to herself.
“What was that?” asked Steorf.
Tazi was lost to her gazing again.
Men and women were shouting things down to
“Eb!” she called out, and everything around her went dark.
Tazi crashed to her knees. She was breathing hard and had broken out in a cold sweat. She opened and closed her eyes several times until she realized the colors were gone, there was a solid surface beneath her knees and hands, and it was deafeningly quiet.
“Is anyone here?” she asked finally, breaking the silence.
She heard both Steorf and Fannah make weak replies. Tazi breathed a little easier after she heard their voices. The three simply sat where they were for a few moments and allowed their equilibrium to balance once again.
“Did you see anything in there?” Tazi asked as she rose on shaky legs.
“Nothing that made any sense,” Steorf replied. “You?”
“I saw Ebeian,” she blurted out. “He looked… tormented.”
Steorf moved carefully through the dark to stand beside her.
“That wasn’t him,” he reassured her. “His soul has gone to its final journey. I think the gate picked up what was most on our minds and showed it to us.”
“Do you think that was it? ” Tazi asked hopefully, hating the idea that Ebeian could somehow still be suffering.
“I do,” he answered confidently. “Don’t you think so, Fannah?”
“I’m not sure,” Fannah carefully replied. “I have been sightless since birth, but I saw something.” “What was it?”Tazi asked.
“What I saw was for me alone, I believe. However, I did not see Ebeian anywhere in that whirlwind,” she confirmed for Tazi.
“Well,” Tazi finally continued after a thoughtful pause, “let’s see where we’ve ended up. At least this place doesn’t stink.”
The room was dark, but dry and clean. Fannah took the lead just as she had in the other cellar. In short order, she found a set of stairs and began to lead her sighted friends out.
At the top of the steps, Fannah felt a door latch. She opened the door slowly, and the room was bathed in harsh light. Both Tazi and Steorf winced in discomfort.
Fannah stepped out into a busy street and spread her arms. She closed her ice-white eyes, put her head back, and sighed before turning to face Tazi and Steorf. Tazi stood in the doorway and breathed in the smell of dust and sand. Still not having adjusted to the bright sunshine, she held up one hand to shield her eyes and squinted at Fannah. All she could make out was a black silhouette framed against gold.
She heard her friend’s melodic voice say, “Welcome to Calimport, Tazi.”
CHAPTER
CALIMPORT
Tazi was surrounded.
All around her, life swarmed and teemed. She, Fannah, and Steorf found themselves in a bustling section of Calimport. The warm sun beat down on them, and Tazi took in everything. Many men and a few women pushed past her. The men were clad in loose trousers, shirts, embroidered vests, and robes. Most of them wore some type of head covering, but that varied in style.
Perhaps it denotes station, Tazi thought.
The women were completely covered, even wearing veils over their faces. Tazi caught glimpses of trousers when their robes peeked open, but no more than that. Those more poorly dressed were leading beasts of burden pulling heavily laden wooden carts. Tazi had to move quickly to avoid getting a
toe crushed by one of them. There wasn’t a single creature that wasn’t bustling.
Looking up toward the horizon, Tazi saw slim towers stab at the bright sky. Some of the towers supported incredible domes that glinted in the sunlight. The occasional flying carpet drifted from parapet to parapet. Lower down, the buildings were less than extravagant but wondrous nonetheless, a few sporting intricate mosaic designs. Tazi realized that she was standing in the middle of a throng of people, her mouth agape.
“I must look like a fish just hauled out of Selgaunt Bay, mouth opening and closing,” she chuckled to herself.
“What was that?” asked Steorf.
Tazi was lost to her gazing again.
Men and women were shouting things down to
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