Tanza by Amanda Greenslade

wings, which buffeted him sideways.
    For a moment, I sensed the connection between him and the shroud. It reminded me of a spider on a web, feeling every tremor of wind, knowing the touch of even the tiniest fly.
    ‘Doesn’t the water eat away your island?’ Sarlice asked.
    Tyba answered animatedly. ‘The outer precincts were rebuilt once or twice in decades past. Now we don’t have any problems.’ He jabbed his finger downwards. ‘Solid rock.’
    We passed through a series of wooden arches. Long bone-coloured ‘vines’ snaked between them, creating a cluster of skyearl shapes. At the end of the arch-avenue was an open square. Clayr described the functions of the largest buildings. There were armament factories, blacksmiths, stone mason yards, jewellers, tanners, fine clothiers, scribe works and food distribution warehouses. These buildings and scores of others made up the Construction District.
    Tyba pointed to the scribe works, boasting, ‘This facility employs over forty scribes to search out, study and make copies of the Holy Scrolls and other ancient texts.’
    I nodded politely, feeling a sudden wash of fatigue. It would be nice to just find a bed and sleep. Tomorrow I would speak with the king and finally be able to discuss the situation with Jaria.
    A loud, squeal echoed around us and at least ten shapes lifted off the tops of the buildings, soaring into the sky. The shapes of the flying skyearls reminded me of the hawk which had nearly killed me as a child. A grin spread slowly across my face as it was reinforced to me that my irrational fear of flying things was gone.
    Sarlice also smiled, but her expression was one of wonder. Centan truly was magnificent.
    Tyba and Clayr lead us away through the town, pointing out a brewery, a herbal warehouse and a few other places of interest. They took us past a row of shops on a riverfront and into the heart of the city. We could see the palace on a hill above the city centre.
    It was a salmon and blue coloured structure, rising from the ground like a tree of the great oak variety. Its outer walls were built for decoration, not protection. It loomed there on its hill, dwarfing the multi-storeyed buildings we’d passed earlier. I had no doubts that Ciera could walk about in that palace as easily as I had walked in Telby Palace.
    Tyba and Clayr guided us to a comfortable little tavern called Dawvor.
    ‘Go inside when you are ready,’ Tyba said. ‘There’s no charge for your stay!’
    Clayr added, ‘The tavern master, Minac, may ask you to help out in the mess occasionally.’
    ‘Our thanks,’ Sarlice replied. ‘Through all that’s been going on, we have not had much of a chance to replenish our coin purse.’
    ‘“Our” coin purse?’ Clayr repeated, doubt creeping into her voice. ‘You say that as if you are used to sharing. We weren’t sure, but we presumed you weren’t a couple… from what the Sleffion-kin said.’
    Frowning and with slight colour in her cheeks, Sarlice was about to answer.
    ‘We have been through a lot together,’ I jumped in. ‘And, travelling for so long, it becomes easier to pool resources.’
    ‘Of course,’ Tyba replied, glancing at his wife, who found something very interesting to stare at elsewhere.
    ‘I was appointed Talon’s guide when we left Jaria,’ Sarlice explained hastily. Her tone became wistful as she said, ‘So much has happened since then. Now, I don’t think he truly needs a guide any more.’
    I met her eyes, trying to say so much, but not able. Perhaps she didn’t think of me as childish after all.
    ‘We are ambassadors for our people,’ Sarlice added. ‘Lyth and… what remains of Jaria… need allies if they are to survive.’
    ‘We shall discuss it together with my parents,’ Tyba replied.
    Clayr stepped a little closer to me. ‘You must understand the king’s time is in great demand. He places you here—close to the Palace and to the Dome of Gathering—so he can call on you when he has