The Dragon's Maiden by Mac Flynn

Author:Mac Flynn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I gaped up at the impressive stone structure. “Wow.”

He nodded. “The gates are the namesake of the mountain, though the name has been corrupted over the centuries. Nobody’s quite sure how they succeeded in perfectly fitting the stones together. Some people suggest a race of giants helped them.”

I whipped my wide eyes up to him. “Do those exist?”

He grinned. “Only in tales told by firelight.”

Ros led me forward and into the shadows of the gate. Our footsteps rang out loud and clear against the immovable walls, and I was glad to be out of it. The way opened up onto a flagstone path that stretched left and right along a circular walk that stretched clear around the many miles of metropolis. The way also led forward and down into the round basin, and on its journey, it passed dozens of wide tiers filled with ruined foundations. The bottom was more than a mile away from where we stood, and several hundred feet below us. There were three other paths to the base of the hole, two of them at equal intervals from our own and one on the opposite side.

The shape couldn’t help but remind me of the village, if the small town had been left to the elements for many ages. Moss and vines covered a great deal of the ruins, though the only trees were those that ran in a perfect line along the lower parts of the tiers.

I looked up at my guide who was also admiring the scenery. “Did the inhabitants of this place build Mikron, too?”

He shrugged. “That’s the theory, though Mikron doesn’t look nearly as old as Rivenburn, and as far as anyone can tell, they were never as grand as the houses in here.” He strolled over to a toppled column and lifted up some vine. His brow was furrowed as he studied the plant, and the others like it that surrounded us. “The Logos haven’t been keeping as good a job at their gardening as usual.”

“Their gardening?” I wondered as I sidled up to him.

Ros dropped the plant and nodded. “The Logos care for the city, and that means keeping it from being swallowed by the forest. The last time I was here all of this,” He swept an arm over the area around us, “was just stone with a few stubborn clumps of grass.”

I lifted an eyebrow as I examined the vine-covered stones. “The forest really likes to take over, doesn’t it? Is it this invasive on the forest path?”

“Worse,” he mused as he turned his attention to the road that led downward. “Did you want to see some of the writing? There are quite a few examples of stone masonry and magic, much of which can be seen.”

I blinked at him. “How?”

He offered me his hand and a sly smile. “I’ll show you.”

I snorted but accepted his hand and he guided me down the declining road. The flagstones had been laid as perfectly as the Bearing Gate, but time had worn down these smaller rocks.

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