The Lillian 20

The castle itself wasn’t quite what she had expected. “It isn’t very tall, is it,” Lilli said, disappointed.

”It isn’t a castle, it’s a palace,” Lorit pointed out. “A palace isn’t a defensive structure, so it doesn’t need the characteristic architecture you’re probably thinking of.”

She eyed him sideways.

Benk eyed it with a distinct lack of admiration. “Totally useless, and probably filled with tacky statues.”

Elathor ignored them and continued to wind their way around the labyrinth of carved stone paths toward the palace. The walls, steps, and stairs seemed to all be carved out of one massive stone, spanning the entire city.

‘Whoever or whatever did this must have been really powerful.’ Lilli thought, running her fingertips over the smooth stone. ‘Or just really determined.’

“Who makes a city in the middle of a desert?” Benk grumbled. His metal chestplate clanked every time he walked, and it seemed like he was really slowing down.

Elathor swivelled around and popped up between them, as if they’d been summoned. “Oh, that’s one of the really interesting things!” They waved a taloned hand at the cityscape. “This used to be livable. Very fertile farmland, in fact, according to historical documents. It only became a desert after the ktharyis came.”

‘That doesn’t bode particularly well. Dumping a desert’s worth of sand on top of a city is somehow not really better than being murdered by a demon bat.’

Lorit was sweating, as was Alcuin. Lilli kicked a tiny rock in front of her and watched it tumble down the maze-like steps, wondering how deep into the ground the city went.

‘It must suck to have problems with the heat.’ She mused, watching the knight try to mop up the considerable sweat off of their face and out of their hair. It was obvious that they were trying to look dignified while doing it.

It wasn’t working.

The path wound and delved deep into the ground, and it gradually became less and less hot. A breeze began to drift by from somewhere up ahead, and the very air seemed to shift.

Then a wall moved.

It slid forward fluidly, never disconnecting from the stone below. It was as if it was just carved one place, and then in another.

Lilli gulped. Her hands went to her daggers for comfort.

Elathor made a happy trill as they watched hundreds, thousands of walls move to present them with a straight path to the palace.

“Look, we’re expected!” Elathor picked up the pace, and their long, excitedly swinging tail nearly smacked poor Benk off of the staircase. Everyone else hustled to catch up, sweaty and tired in armor.

Lilli and Igni just walked.

“Do you think the magician knows this is most certainly a trap?” Igni asked, sounding unaffected. They leaned into a nearby window, and slowly leaned back out.

“You should look at this.” Igni said flatly, backing away.

‘I don’t love the sound of that, to be honest.’

Lilli cautiously walked up to the window and peered inside. It had evidently been some sort of courtyard. Now it was dark, and dry, and full of stuff.

No, not stuff. She squinted.

That was an arm. A leg. A ktharys wing.

The horror dawned on her slowly. It was a mass of body parts from distinctly different races and ktharys, all dried out and desiccated. Several bodies were sitting leaned against the mummified tree in the center of the courtyard, or prone against walls. But most of them were laid out messily, sprawled where they had fallen on the stone. The worst part of the scene was in the corner. A group of people was huddled together, mummified while still standing. A corpse that could have been related to Elathor had their jaw hanging open wide in a silent scream.

Lilli’s mouth suddenly felt very dry.

She backed away, unable to stop looking. She didn’t stop until she hit Igni’s solid form.

“Whatever we’re going to find here, it won’t be good.” Igni said, more gently than Lilli would have expected. “Everything good here died.”

‘I’d have to agree.’ Lilli looked around to find her friends. Elathor had crossed a significant distance already, long legs propelling them farther and farther away. There was no way to get to them before they reached the palace. And no way to dissuade Elathor, even if they could.

“I think we continue to have no choice.” Lilli swallowed, and willed her mouth to produce more saliva. She couldn’t stop thinking about that kaljaretan screaming. Screaming for hours, months, decades. Forever.

Igni grunted in assent, and began walking again. “We may have to hurry, before the magician is turned into a bloody smear by whatever lurks in that palace.”

Something seized in Lilli’s chest. Elathor was weirdly delicate for a spiky lizard person. They needed protection. And someone to prevent them from putting their big foot in it.

She ran.