Where Spirits Dwell

“What’s your business in this holy city?” a voice asked Jiordano gruffly.

He was at a loss, unsure of what to say, the proper words to speak. Then someone answered for him.

“He’s with me, kind guard. A servant if you will, now, shall you keep a lady waiting?”

Jiordano turned to see Skylar, yet not in her ghostly, insubstantial form, but as a woman, all too materialized in the physical realm. She wore a dress that extenuated her regality, there was no denying her high class of birth. She walked towards him, but unlike her usual gait, her movements were elegant and refined, suitable for a lady.

“Erm, um, er… Yes your ladyship! Let them through!” the guard ordered, obviously flustered by Skylar’s sudden appearance.

As they strode through the gates as they opened wide, allowing access to the city, Jiordano whispered into Skylar’s ear harshly.

“What the hell was that? I had no idea you could just manifest yourself. What else can you do? What were you thinking? Where are we going?”

She continued to move forward but held up a well-manicured finger, forcing him, and his ceaseless questions, into silence. She then spoke from the side of her mouth, her lips barely moving.

“Be quiet. I’ll answer everything later, we can’t talk here, we’re being watched. This city has eyes everywhere. Now act more suitable to your role, and help you mistress to her destination.”

He started to grumble to himself quietly, yet began to move in a more servant like fashion. It would help if he actually knew where they were going, and not merely being lead by the nose, or a carrot on a stick.

As they wandered the streets of Zamaranth his eyes began to widen more and more with amazement. The streets were kept clean and fashionable rather than the roads of his home town, their streets merely useable. It was as if someone monitored the roads, eliminating any deterrence to its beauty, keeping it in top shape.

He was so fascinated by the unnatural cleanliness that he barely noticed when they had arrived at their destination. A large building stood before them, gorgeous on its own but merely plain on the streets of this angelic city. Skylar gestured towards the door and he stepped forward, clasping its brass handle and swung it open.

She swept into the room and he followed silently behind her, having thoroughly learned his place. She walked over to a large desk across from them and began to speak to the man behind it. That’s when he realized what this place was, it was an inn! Yet that word hardly suited the building, his old place of work wasn’t on the same level as this fine establishment, maybe not even the same realm. He concluded that they were two different things that provided the same service and determined to discover a suitable name to call this place.

After he came to his small revelation he realized that Skylar had finished speaking with the clerk and was waiting for him by the stair case, a look of impatience on her face. He ran over to her as she began to ascend the stairs. He touched the ivory railing and marveled at its quality, then shook his head and quickened his pace, willing himself to catch up.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he saw her by a door down the hallway standing before him. She gave him a quick, secretive wink then swept into the room beyond. He quickly followed suit, as he gasped in slight fatigue.

He closed the door behind him and turned to see Skylar back in ghostly form, pale skin luminescent in the unlit room.

“Now we can let our guard down for the time being, and begin our first lesson.”

His eyes widened in surprise as she stepped towards him, he wasn’t sure if he was ready; but then she grabbed his hand and instead of passing through, it stayed there and a jolt of electricity traveled through him.