Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1) ✔

Chapter 7: The Bordering City

Seagulls sang in the distance, flying over the brick-covered city, sitting on the docks, gawking at the passengers. People were tanned and tall, and they threw dirty looks our way as we walked through the crowded streets.

Danilo had explained that Firiyans didn't like us all that much.

Some were of different races, blue-skinned people from the east and green-skinned people, or florans, from the Isles of Shira, with feathers for hair and sparkling eyes of all sorts of colours. Some were taller than regular humans, with grey skin, long, bony limbs and hollow eyes. Others were short and pink-skinned and covered with jewellery. Street performers lingered on each corner, doing all kinds of tricks, from fortune telling to flame throwing. The smell of fish and the sound of exotic music overwhelmed me.

This place never slept, or so I've heard.

Firiy, or the Bordering City, was a separate city-state on the Bordering Peninsula. They answered neither to Irenwell or Bastia, but to themselves. It was a merchant city, with access to both sea and the mountains. People from all over the world came here to trade and buy and sell all kinds of goods.

I gawked at the intricate architecture, huge windows and doors, pillars decorated with tiny stony flowers and animals of all kinds, and the narrow streets which somehow fit so many buildings.

In comparison, Irenwell was underpopulated. More people lived in Firiy than in the capital of Irenwell. More people lived in Firiy than in the entire north.

Danilo and I, as well as the entire hoard of men he took with him for some reason, made our way through the narrow streets, finding ourselves in the middle of a square. A gilded statue of a thin, proud man awaited.

I came closer, "Who's that?"

"Ferdo the First." Danilo said. "An explorer and the founder of the city. Allegedly, he sailed west across the Southern Ocean and found peoples who lived in peace. He adopted their ways and founded Firiy."

I nodded, "In 653 Human Era. A hundred and three years ago."

Danilo looked at me, "You know the year?"

"Oh, I know all the years." I chuckled and knocked on my head. "Very good memory. But the books seem to leave this statue out. I've never seen it."

"Irrelevant for Irenwell history, it seems." Danilo said. "After the war, the relationship between our Kingdoms and Firiy have been strained."

"656 HE." I said. "My great-great-grandfather fought there."

"I know." Danilo smiled. "Let's get ourselves those herbal potions."

We seemed to be moving towards the oldest part of the city and its political core. We passed next to the amphitheatre, a huge, round arena roars came from. It was situated in the middle of the city core, circled with all kinds of buildings.

I pointed at the white stone building which entrance was surrounded by guards. Empty red flags waved from the roof, "What's that?"

"House of the Wise Men." Danilo said. "Firiyans don't have a king."

"Ha." I mumbled and walked past. "How do they rule, then?"

"Wise Men are elected by the folk." Danilo explained. "And the five of them govern the city."

"So, if a Wise Man has a son, his son will not rule in his stead once he dies?"

Danilo shook his head, "In Firiy, you have to earn the spot. You do not simply get it because you have royal blood."

What an interesting place. And to think these strange customs were adopted from the far west, across the Southern Ocean. The farthest we went were the Isles of Shira. My parents were on their way there when they shipwrecked. The Southern Ocean tended to be hostile like that.