Gradually, the coach made its way up through the clustered hills of the northeastern portion of Lidien Bay. The sun was peaking over the mountains in the distance by the time the carriage had climbed high enough for Jahrra to get a decent view. When the golden rays finally cast their light upon the water below, Jahrra sucked in a startled breath. The pale buildings brightened to golden fire when the early morning light hit them and the waters of the massive inlet glittered. Jahrra bit her lip in delight, only imagining what the sight would look like on the opposite end of the day when the sun was going down in the ocean on the other side of the western hills.
By now the streets had become busy with life; the patrons of Lidien making their way to and from work. About halfway up the hilly cityscape, the main road they took leveled out and widened and a broad stretch of tree-lined lawn split the avenue. Jahrra pressed her face against the window and gaped. The buildings grew in height and width and took on a more regal look. There were several, and between two particularly ornate structures Jahrra spotted a grand plaza that led deeper into the forest of crenellated and columned buildings.
Falling back into her seat, she resisted the temptation to ask the driver to stop so she could explore. The grand buildings tapered out but eventually gave way to other massive structures. Men and women, looking Nesnan, Resai, elvin and several other races Jahrra couldn’t quite name, poured in and out of the tall buildings. They were garbed in fancy robes or dresses, looking stern and busy as they bustled past the crowds of people, making their way to other locations or ornate carriages waiting for them on the pristine streets. Jahrra couldn’t get over the number of horses and carriages choking the crowded lanes. She wondered how anyone got anywhere on time.
While waiting for the traffic to start flowing again, Jahrra took the opportunity to lean out the window and shout back at the footman, “What were those buildings we passed? The tall ones with great steps and columns making up their facades?”
The footman tipped his hat and shouted back at Jahrra over the noise.
“That be the University, miss.”
Jahrra’s eyes widened. The University? The University she had refused to attend after Hroombra and Jaax had insisted? A slight pang bit at her stomach as she recalled her beloved mentor and the last argument she had had with him. After a moment or two she nodded, breathing deeply through her nose as she retreated back into the safety of the carriage.
The coach continued down the main avenue through the city before beginning to ascend the hilly landscape once again. Most of the buildings were several stories tall, built of the same pale gold and pink stones scattered throughout the city. This place reminded her very much of Kiniahn Kroi but instead of noticing the clear class distinction there, here in Lidien that didn’t seem to matter quite so much. Richly dressed patrons spoke openly to those who obviously held lesser positions in society. And, Jahrra observed with pure delight, it was clear dragons were extended respect here as well.
As they passed a particularly large structure, several dragons, Korli and Tanaan alike, mingled and chatted in the open foyer that acted as the building’s entrance. Jahrra leaned against the side of the carriage and studied them, wanting to find differences between them. She had only ever seen Hroombra and Jaax and wondered if all Korli and Tanaan looked like their counterparts. She was delighted to note that, although they were similar, there was still plenty to distinguish one dragon from the next. The Tanaan appeared to come in a wide range of colors and varied in size a little. The Korli kept their grey tones but their size varied even more.
Yawning and stretching against the plush velvet, Jahrra retreated back into her comfortable seat as the driver turned them up a wide side road. Blinking sleepily, she noticed they were climbing once again, taking a path that appeared to twist up and around a small mountain. About halfway up the large, wooded hill, the carriage turned down a drive. Jahrra peered out the window, noting the mixed conifer and broadleaf forest surrounding them. She smiled, hoping that wherever they ended up, these trees were nearby. It was a delight to find what seemed to be a small wilderness so close to the urban expanse they had just passed through. She reached for her left arm where her wooden bracelet rested. It felt warm and if she concentrated, she could feel the slightest of tingles.
A handful of minutes passed by and the carriage pulled to a slow stop. Curious, Jahrra threw open the window again and leaned out. She took a deep breath, pure delight coursing through her as the familiar scent of the ocean and the tang of pine and earth hit her senses. Gazing ahead, she spotted what had caused the delay. A great gate, ornate and impenetrable looking, blocked their progress. The footman hopped down from the back of the carriage and ran up to the hindrance, seeming to speak a few words before the gate creaked slowly open.
Jahrra blinked in surprise and tried to follow the tall stone wall in either direction, but found that the steep terrain and many trees prevented that. The carriage lurched forward and they continued up the smooth lane, all the while Jahrra having flashbacks of that caravan ride to the twins’ home in Kiniahn Kroi so many years ago.
The driveway turned and curved a few more times while it ascended the summit of the hill. As it came around the final bend Jahrra nearly fell to the floor in surprise. At the apex of the hill, rising above the tops of the highest trees, stood a grand mansion, far nicer than any she had ever seen, including Eydeth’s and Ellysian’s estate. Other than having pale gold stones as its main building material, this structure looked nothing like the twins’ home. A great sweeping, circular drive brushed right up against the façade of the place. A patch of well manicured lawn complete with a pool and fountain in the middle stood centrally in relation to the driveway. As her carriage pulled up, Jahrra gaped at the gold, black and white fish swimming lazily around the dormant leaves of water lilies just below the surface of the pool.
Finally, the coach came to a stop and Jahrra heard the footman leap down onto the gravel with a crunch and pull open her door. She was too stunned at first to exit, wondering exactly where they were. Was this the grand house of some king or wealthy friend of Jaax’s? With a thrill, Jahrra imagined that it belonged to an elf. But why would Jaax bring her here and not to an inn?
Stepping out of the carriage, Jahrra nodded and smiled at the footman who returned the gesture in kind. Her booted feet crunched loudly against the gravel but she was too charmed by the grand estate before her to notice the noise. There were a few wide, large steps set before a huge door, one large enough to accommodate dragons with a much smaller one fashioned within it.
A few great columns, two on each side of the giant door, rose from the ground and reached all the way to the roof some twenty feet or more high. But it was the windows that made Jahrra grin more than anything else. Between the two columns on either side, two glass apertures stood looking like great, gleaming eyes. They were tall, starting near the base of the building and rising practically to the roof. They were flat at the bottom but tapered towards the top into a point with several diamond-shaped panes. Jahrra was tempted to look into one of the panes but that would mean walking right up to it and pressing her face against the cool glass, something she thought would be considered rude to whoever owned the home.
Instead, as the footman and driver worked at unloading her belongings, she glanced around some more at the landscape. The hilltop they stood on was rather spacious and conveniently flat. The house took up most of the space but left enough room around its edges for a small garden that appeared to wrap around half the structure. Along the edges of the flat space the land dropped off into a steep descent down the thickly forested hillside.