The affirmative response worked like a charm, dissipating the heavy atmosphere that had lingered in the Council chamber. A collective exhale swept through the room, bringing relief to everyone present. In contrast, Cassia remained oblivious to the full significance of the recent events. Despite her confusion, a subtle intuition hinted that today might have marked a pivotal shift in her fate.
Magister Pankratz displayed an unexpected smile, barely discernible beneath a week’s worth of stubble.
“The Judge will ensure the execution of your words, aera… as well as ours,” he declared, turning his gaze toward the entrance door.
Suri traced his gaze, surprised to find another person had been present in the room all along. A tall man in black casually leaned against the wall, concealed in the shadows from prying eyes. The pressure emanating from the warrior made it impossible to overlook his presence. Yet only a few people in the Council chamber seemed to have noticed when he joined the meeting. The authority of the assembled castle lords held no sway over him. His position as the Judge allowed him the liberty to be where unwelcome and to meddle in others’ destinies. He dismissed the Magister’s words; they weren’t a Council order. The matter didn’t concern him. Meanwhile, Suri slouched, fervently wishing to fade into the background.
“Well then, it’s time to introduce Azur to the blood mage,” Magister Pankratz announced, gesturing for the girl to follow him. The two priors remained stationary. The Archmage bid a relaxed farewell with a light smile, while the Paladin frowned for reasons known only to him.
Suri promptly followed Magister Pankratz, yet, passing by the warrior, she couldn’t help but cast one more glance at him. His heavy gaze pinned her down, noting even the slightest movement. Although his hands were folded across his chest, she could easily imagine him twisting her neck at the slightest provocation. Fear constricted Suri’s chest, barely allowing her to take a breath.
Magister Pankratz remained unaffected by the outsider’s feelings. He was well aware of the impression the Judge made on the inhabitants of Azur. It would be strange if the clumsy blue-eyed girl, not much older than Cassia, reacted differently. Fear was the best guarantee that she would refrain from reckless use of power. With confident steps, the Magister delved into the intricate corridors, not caring if anyone could keep up, as no one wished to linger near that man.
Soon, they emerged onto an open observation platform on the central tower, providing an excellent view not only of the castle’s inner courtyard but also of the entire fortress. There were only moments left until the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, depriving the observer of the last opportunity to capture the monumental beauty.
Even so, at this moment, Azur, bathed in soft sunlight, made an indelible impression. Slender towers rose above the outer and inner walls like modest sentinels occasionally concealed in the early twilight. High walls, made of dark, rough, scale-like stone, mysteriously shimmered with the light. The furious or soothing sounds of air currents passing through skillfully crafted openings along the battlements accompanied this breathtaking sight. Azur, filled with the music of the wind, shone in the blue skies like a pearl. Passing clouds briefly embraced the airborne fortress before following the wind, creating the illusion of it sailing through the sapphire heights.
Suri couldn’t have envisioned such a spectacle even in her most vibrant dreams. The unfolding panorama left her utterly mesmerized, to the extent that she completely forgot about her usual fear of heights. The girl’s wide-open eyes and rounded mouth told the story themselves, and Magister had no need to inquire about anything from Cassia. He refrained from hurrying the newcomer, allowing her to grapple with the overwhelming emotions on her own. Despite her amnesia, her reaction was glaringly apparent. The blood mage had never experienced a flying castle before, and for all of Azur, it was disheartening news.
The wanderer failed to notice the sudden change in the Magister’s mood. She eagerly absorbed every glimpse, every sound, relishing the beautiful views. Yet, the longer she looked, the more she noticed signs of neglect. The fortress wall sagged and crumbled in some places, and the huge dome of colored blue glass that covered the inner courtyard cracked, resembling a spider’s web. Upon closer inspection, Suri noted that the rare structures, patched together with whatever materials were at hand, looked dismal, and some seemed long abandoned. The land in the vast fields beyond the inner castle wall looked desolate. Only in a few places did the pale-blue color of fading vegetation flicker. Once, Azur resembled a living fairy tale, but now it was just a distant shadow of its former glory.
“Azur is losing its height and falling apart before our eyes. The flying castle is dying,” the man calmly said. “Which means, with each sunrise, our doom draws closer.”
Suri looked away. She didn’t want anyone to know about her bewilderment. If she understood correctly, these people believed that she could miraculously make an entire fortress… fly?
At that moment, she felt so repulsive, as if she had swallowed a fly. Whichever way she looked at it, this didn’t seem like an equal exchange!
Though she doubted they would allow her to backtrack. At least the shivers down her spine persistently signaled that the Judge was somewhere nearby. Refusal might risk being thrown over the fortress wall like some unwanted ballast.
“Aera, in the best interests of all Azur, we must restore your memory as quickly as possible. And for that, I will immediately take you to the Heart of the castle,” Magister continued, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. His profound gaze stopped on the girl. He made an extremely complex but necessary decision for survival. The girl met his gaze with stubborn determination, refusing to look away. Satisfied, he clicked his tongue and waved his hand, gesturing for his companion not to lag behind.
Still, a rather strange event had to happen.
Suri distinctly felt light, pulsating jolts beneath her feet, as if something persistently pushed its way out. The girl froze, surprised by the unusual sensation. In the next moment, the jolts repeated, but with much greater force. And she wasn’t the only witness to what was happening. Magister Pankratz had almost disappeared from view in the corridor, joining Cassia, who was waiting for them. However, unlike the wanderer, the residents of Azur had encountered something similar before. The Magister paled and abruptly turned to warn of the danger. But it was too late.
Azur convulsed, as if colliding with an insurmountable obstacle. Dense clouds of stone rubble and dust rose, obscuring the sky. The sounds of destruction and desperate cries of death echoed from all sides. Yet, the most terrifying aspect was the lamentation of Azur. It seemed that nothing could displace the white stone blocks of the fortress walls, surpassing human height in their dimensions. Despite that, the earth’s tremors mercilessly extracted moans even from the stone, upheaving and annihilating what should have endured for centuries.
Suri had long lost her balance, tearing her knees and elbows as she fell. Strangely, she felt no pain, gripping the gaps between the stones with all her might, desperate to maintain her hold.
The earthquake persisted, and with each jolt, Suri helplessly slid closer to the edge. A network of cracks formed at the base of the stone platform, initially inconspicuous, soon becoming visible to the naked eye. It reached a critical point where the observation platform seemed poised to collapse at any moment, potentially taking the unfortunate companion with it.
The cracks grew larger, expanding before Suri’s eyes, but she couldn’t muster the courage to loosen her grip and shift. Magister was shouting something, nonetheless she heard nothing except the pounding of her racing heart. Just a bit more, and she would surely plummet. Vivid memories surged back. The same scene from the past flickered before her eyes—the indifferent, yet undeniably beautiful eyes; the wind playing in light locks; bitten, pale lips murmuring something.
“When you see what I see, you must act the same way.”
A strong grip abruptly yanked the girl out of the vision, simultaneously severing her fleeting connection with the stone platform. Then, an immense force propelled her delicate body forcefully to the side. Suri collided with the wall, slipping into unconsciousness—not so much from the impact’s intensity but from the relief that the ordeal had finally ended.
***
Suri woke up in a familiar room. The interior remained unchanged, except for Cassia, now seated on a chair. She tenderly pressed a cold compress to the wanderer’s forehead, attempting to alleviate the pain. Herbal aroma meshed with a sweet, spicy scent and filled the entire room.
Upon realizing that the injured one had awakened, Cassia planned to leave the bedside to inform the Council, but she was halted. Suri, feeling the weight of her own ignorance, tightly clutched the white artifact in her hand and bombarded Cassia with questions.
“What happened?”
“The previous incident almost occurred without casualties, and now…” Cassia fell silent, unwilling to mention death aloud. “A watchtower collapsed, crushing residential shelters. The Magister mentioned that we should brace ourselves for the possibility of such incidents happening again.”
Although Suri didn’t know the deceased, had never even seen them, the topic weighed heavily on her.
“How did I survive?”
“The Judge pulled you out, aera. Fortunately, you weren’t seriously injured—just a hit to your head and a couple of bruises.”
“This time, I need to thank him.”
Cassia hesitated, barely restraining a too-sharp objection.
“There’s no need for that. If it weren’t for the Magister’s order… He’s a man without a name and a heart.”
A questioning look from her interlocutor prompted the girl to provide further explanations.
“That man, like many residents of Azur, is the Labyrinth wanderer. But unlike others, he’s the only one who managed to make it to the surface on his own.”
Cassia pondered, recalling something. She skillfully refreshed the compress before continuing.
“It’s been more than seven years, and his memory hasn’t returned. But despite that, he’s very strong and earned his title with blood.”
The freckled girl’s words flowed in an endless stream. Finding herself in her element, Cassia eagerly shared everything she knew with her new acquaintance. With the passage of time, she became more attached to Suri, finding inspiration and hope in her company. After all, her brother had risked his life for this wanderer, and she had to, at all costs, earn the blood mage’s trust.
“The title is bestowed upon the strongest warrior who defeats the acting Judge in a duel. My brother hardly talks about it, but there are rumors that the previous Judge was brutally killed, and Paladin Ingwild, who tried to stop the fight, barely escaped the same fate. Even now, many years later, various rumors surround the nameless Judge, and no one has been able to determine the limits of his abilities. Even the priors treat him cautiously.”
Cassia sighed and then fixed an unwavering gaze on Suri, as if attempting to convey a matter of utmost importance:
“So it’s better not to attract his attention unnecessarily.”
It would be hard to find anyone who considered Cassia’s advice as misguided.
