Chapter 51: Earth element
Dawn broke over Thornvale Palace, bathing the spires and gardens in soft golden light. Lyra stood on a high balcony, her hands resting on the ornate stone railing as she gazed out at the sprawling city below. The sight before her was nothing like the Thornvale described in tales throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
Instead of the rumored thorny fortifications and austere architecture, the city was a cascade of elegant towers and hanging gardens. Waterways threaded between gleaming buildings of white stone and glass, reflecting the morning light like ribbons of liquid gold. Trees with silver-blue leaves lined wide boulevards, their branches swaying gently in the breeze.
But what truly took Lyra’s breath away was the city’s transportation system. Small earthen platforms floated gently above the streets, each one a smooth stone disc guided by women in earth-marked robes who stood at their centers. With subtle gestures of their hands, these earth-wielders commanded the stone to rise and fall, glide forward or turn. Upon these platforms, women of all ages traveled across the city, some standing gracefully, others seated on simple stone benches that emerged from the platforms themselves. Occasionally, faint shimmer would pass through the air around them—signs of illusion magic providing directions visible only to those trained in the art.
"Beautiful, isn’t it?"
Lyra tensed at the familiar voice. Commander Maria stood several paces away, her posture relaxed yet commanding, her red uniform immaculate in the morning light. She approached with measured steps to stand beside Lyra at the railing.
"I never expected Thornvale to look like this," Lyra admitted, keeping her tone neutral despite the tension between them. "The stories we hear in the outer kingdoms paint a very different picture."
Maria’s lips curved into a slight smile, though her eyes remained fixed on the horizon. "That’s how the other kingdoms prefer to think of us. Intimidating. Unwelcoming." She gestured toward a distant section of the city where crystal domes caught the sunlight. "Those are our healing sanctuaries. They’ve saved thousands of lives, even those from kingdoms that would call us enemies."
Lyra studied the commander’s profile, searching for traces of the cold-blooded killer she’d believed her to be for so long. Her hand unconsciously moved to the scar on her shoulder—a reminder of their brief encounter on the battlefield before Lyra’s mother had forcibly withdrawn her from the fight. That day, she had watched helplessly from afar as Maria had faced Lady Aria in single combat.
"I should apologize for yesterday," Lyra said, her voice steady and direct. "My attack was impulsive."
"Understandable," Maria replied without turning. She lifted a hand to her neck, fingers tracing a thin white scar that disappeared beneath her collar. "If not for your mother pulling you away that day, you might have succeeded in killing me." Her tone held no accusation, merely stating a fact. "You were always skilled with a blade, Just what I’d expect from a commander, though."
Lyra’s eyes widened slightly at the admission. "I was angry and reckless," she said quietly. "But I meant what I tried to do." She paused, then added with unexpected honesty, "I still might have failed. Your reputation wasn’t built on exaggeration."