A Court of Queens

A Deep Dive

Jazlyn and Aldini helped Ibrahim haul his wares up the mountain the next morning. The merchandise consisted mostly of pickaxes, shovels, hammers, and some repair tools packed in trolleys. On his person, Ibrahim carried a case of commissioned rings and necklaces.

"So if you don't mind me asking why do you live in Batavick?" Jazlyn said.

"Are you asking me why I chose to live in Batavick or why I chose to live on land?"

"Both I suppose."

"Well I can't smith or drink under water, so land is an easy choice. As for Batavick; Gallia's beach towns are far too crowded for my taste. So I stay here."

They reached the border to the capital,"Morning gentlemen." Ibrahim greeted the guards as he dismounted his horse. He handed the guards his merchant license.

"Morning sir." The guard accepted the form.

"So you two must be the visitors from Agrabah." the other guard said.

"Yes. My reputation precedes me, I suppose," Jazlyn said.

"Batavick's a small country, word spreads fast," Ibrahim said.

"You're good to go." the guards stepped aside for them.

They entered the gate and walked through a wide tunnel supported by wooden beams. Illuminating the tunnel were metal torches secured to the walls, emitting a bright purple light. The wide tunnel curved into a spiral and sloped downward as they continued through the path. They reach the end of the tunnel, inside the walls of the capital was a loud and bustling market. The occupants of the capital had a complexion Jazlyn had never encountered. Their complexion was pale, even more so than people from Assax. Their hair was a bleach white color and their eyes ruby red. Jazlyn and Aldini's presence drew quite a bit of attention and they couldn't help but stare back at these strange-looking people.

Ibrahim found an opening to set up his shop. "The Queen's castle is farther down but it's a restricted area, so I can't really help you," he said.

"You've done enough, thank you," Jazlyn said.

Jazlyn and Aldini explored the cavern on their own, past the market there were stations of carts attached to pulley systems, descending and climbing. They stepped onto the platform and Jazlyn pulled the lever sending the cart down. The marketplace level disappeared as they sank, the gap between the level was nothing but a solid wall of earth, with some sparkling purple gems embedded in the ore. A rush of dry heat washed over them as the level appeared, this scarcely populated sector was filled with machinery, furnaces, forges, and small wells of magma. They descended to the final level where moss grew on the level's floor. Vines, leaves, and flowers grew on the walls of the cave. There were even small pools of water near the perimeters. Jazlyn and Aldini wandered the residential sector, walking through the neighborhoods with cobblestone streets into the town square. In the heart of the community was a bush garden with a statue depicting a winged woman holding the hands of two young boys; one an adolescent the other a toddler. "Wow." Jazlyn ogled. "This is beautiful." She took a deep breath, the air was fresh like the ocean, much better than the burnt arid climate of the industrial district.

Jazlyn and Aldini strolled through the garden passing by two guards sitting on a bench chatting and eating. The men abruptly paused their conversation upon seeing them, but that had been happening all day so they paid no mind and walked past them.

The guard set his sandwich down "Hey halt! Halt!" he said.

Jazlyn and Aldini stopped and turned to face the guards. "What's the matter," Jazlyn asked.

"We have orders from Queen Snow to bring you in."

"Well, that takes care of one problem," Jazlyn muttered to herself, surrendering to the guards.