Seekers of Nazar

Chapter Thirteen

Leilandri and Elleric spent the morning much like they did in Nazar. She meditated while he ran a sharpening stone over his blade. Tol-Aka had left early to help the others prepare the city. It was a peaceful morning filled with the gentle crackling of the fire.

Elleric sat back in his chair and studied Leilandri.

"After all the years I spent learning about them," she mused. "It's bizarre to be here. It's so different from what I imagined it would be. The books were just rubbish."

"It would be hard to describe this place, even if the authors had been here," he said, surveying the room.

She followed his gaze. "True." She sighed pensively. "I always thought Nazar was the most sophisticated, beautiful place in the world. I will never forget the first time I saw it. I was so young then."

"You had every reason to focus on your future," he observed.

She plucked at the fabric of her pants. "Yes, I did."

Their eyes met. Elleric knew better than anyone what her childhood had been, what she had escaped. He had heard stories over the years, memories she would let slip out.

Leilandri stared into the fire. "When we walked out of the Wind Passage yesterday, everything changed. I have always thought of the Zul-Li as the untouched parts of Andaria."

She shifted in her chair. "I know that doesn't make sense. But I've always wondered what Andaria would be like without the power and greed. That's what I thought we'd find here. Andaria in its purest form."

Elleric saw her struggling to choose her words. "What did we find here instead?" he asked.

"The Zul-Li have their own civilization. It is more ancient and more advanced than all of Andaria - even Nazar," she confessed.

"The greatness of the Zul-Li does not take away from the greatness of Nazar. It's ok to admire them both."

After studying her a while longer, he leaned forward. "Could you ever imagine yourself here?"

She tore her gaze from the fire. "What do you mean?"

"Could you ever see yourself living here, among the Zul-Li?"

She was perplexed. "You mean instead of Nazar?"

"Yes." He held his breath, watching the raw emotion race across her.

"No, of course not, could you?"

His silence was all the answer she needed.

"Elleric?" she asked urgently.

"Yes. I could." He stared down at his hands.

Her mouth hung open. "I don't know what to say. Would you stay here after the mission and send Tori and me to Nazar without you?"

He shrugged. "Who's to say Tori would go to Nazar?"

Her eyes grew wider. It was true. Tori had the best reason to consider staying.

Leilandri stared at him. "My life is in Nazar, Elleric. My future. Even if I wanted to stay, how could I?" She leaned in. "But, I always imagined you'd be there too."

Elleric got up from his chair and strapped his sword onto his back. She waited for him to say something to put her fears at rest, but he just stared into the fire.

Finally, he turned to her. "Your life is there. But once you become High Priestess, mine will not be." With that, he walked off to get some fresh air and find Tol-Aka.

Leilandri watched him go, her face pale.

Elleric wandered around the city searching for Tol-Aka. There were no windows to help guide him, and every passage seemed the same. At times, the path would end abruptly. Once, he found himself in someone's living quarters.