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.This wide valley opened onto a pass between Sanction and cities to the north and eastproductive mercantile centers such as Neraka and Kala-man.This valley and port linked to form theonly connection between eastern and western Ansalon.The population of Sanction was far and away the most diverse gathering Ariakas had ever seen.Tallplainsmen from Abanasinia traveled with painted Kagonesti elves, while humans from Solamniasold all manner of goods to merchants from places as far as Neraka and Balifor, or even barteredwith minotaurs, Kayolin dwarves, and an occasional, regal Silvanesti elf.The scampering kenderwere ubiquitous.Other short folk smaller even than kender or dwarves went about the citycloaked in dark robes.Ariakas noticed that many citizens gave these robed midgets a wide berth.From a distance, most of the buildings of Sanction blended into a melange of brown, black, andgray blocks.A great plaza sprawled along the riverbank, rended by steaming fissures and chasms.Several noble manors stood on higher slopes, crowning the city's skyline.One of these nowbelonged to Ariakas: in Sanction, nobility was purely a matter of wealth, and Ariakas was a verywealthy man indeed.In fact, after only three days in this metropolis, the warrior had gained forhimself all the trappings of nobility, most obviously symbolized by this splendid manor on thesouthern heights of Sanction valley.Three structures in the city loomed proud and solitary over even the great villas and mansions, bowing only to the mighty volcanoes themselves.These were the Great Temples, of which Ariakashad heard a little.Built at the time of the Cataclysm on the lower slopes of each Lord of Doom, thetemples consisted of walls, buildings, and subterranean chambers.Each was an impregnablefortress, and each held commanding position over a great section of the city.The mightiest, theTemple of Luerkhisis, stood to the northeast.Upon entering Sanction, however, Ariakas had been strangely reluctant to approach the greattemple.Instead, he immediately sought the moneychangers, several of whom bid frantically for thelocket and gems.By nightfall of his first day he had been a rich man, and by the next day he hadpurchased a grand house.The stone-walled residence consisted of two dozen large, airy rooms gathered around a teak-linedgreat hall, the whole ringed by a perimeter of balconies and columns.Outside, a wide courtyardencircled two sides, with a large stable in another direction and the once-lush garden to the rear.Thefountains in the courtyards had been dry for years, and the hedges reduced to tinder-brush andthistle, but Ariakas had plans to restore the place to its former glory.And still the garden offeredwide walkways and several good views, overlooking much of the lava-ravaged city.After settling his house purchase with the formerly impoverished seller, Ariakas had enough moneyleft over to purchase several fine horses, and then to hire a dozen servants, contracting them throughthe year.Tonight he had eaten a splendid meal cooked in his own kitchen, and then he retired to thegarden for a stroll.For the first time since leaving the tower, the frantic pace of his travels hadeased, and he found himself with no clear task before him.At the same time he felt profoundly rest-less, agitated.Looking across the valley to the highest temple, he knew without question the sourceof his discomfort.Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, awaited him.At times he had come close to convincing himself that his sojourn in the tower and especially thememories of his last hours there were the products of some delu-sionary dream.Of course heknew the truth, but a part of him had urged during the long hike to Sanction that he abandon thecalling cast his way.He hadn't chosen any test and why should the plans of others matter to him?Yet never could he rationally embrace this urge.The events in the tower had been branded into hismind and his soul.He had made the vow and slain the lady, had witnessed the vision of a goddesshe'd thought long dead.A destiny had been laid upon him there, and it was a fate he could not thinkof avoiding.He felt he deserved a certain sense of pleasure and accomplishment after his arrival in this greatcity.His brief forays had shown him taverns, casinos, brothels, and smoking dens aplenty.Yet nowhe was completely disinterested in such common entertainment.Still, across the wide valley loomed the Temple of Luerkhisis.It was positioned on a gentle slope, acommanding yet contained presence.Resembling the half-submerged head of a crocodile, thestructure leered from the heights like a huge, monstrous reptile, its serpentine snout pointed straightat Ariakas.Two vast cave-nostrils led into entry halls, and round temple buildings perched likebulging eyes on the ridge above the maw.On dusks such as this one, the rays of the sun penetratedthe ash cloud, illuminating the sinister bulk of the temple with a surrealistic glow.Ariakas stood, and again his memory drifted back to the tower.to the lady.He missed her still,though not so much as he had during the long, bleak trek to Sanction.While climbing among thepeaks, he had recalled each detail of her perfect body.every smell, every nuance of each mealshe had served.Gradually the memories had faded into a sort of gentle background, pleasant torecall but irrelevant to the matters at hand.Now, when he saw that great temple on the mountainside, staring down at him like some gargantuandragon regarding an ant, the full force of the Dark Queen's will stormed within him.He knew anawful sense of failure, of abject unworthiness to serve her.Ariakas staggered backward, fallingagainst the brittle branches of a withered yew.Cursing the sharp pain, he bit back his complaints,bowing to the rekindled awe he felt before the Queen of Darkness.As if it had lain dormant like these steaming volcanoes, the full force of her will swept through him.He would serve her! He already bore the talisman, the white-bladed sword, and now he would go to her temple and take up service in her name.What kind of greeting to expect, he didn't know, butthat concern meant less than nothing.All thoughts of freedom vanished.The desires of his goddessnow known to him, he left his house, hurrying through the streets of Sanction to reach her temple.With sunset, the city came to life around him.Streets that had been empty an hour earlier throngedwith people, and he pushed his way through crowds to approach the great stone bridge in the citycenter.He wore his sword visibly.Since the huge blade was too long to wear at his waist, it restedin a scabbard strapped to his back, with the two-handed hilt jutting upward over his left shoulder.The sight of the weapon encouraged even armed men to give way.Tavern keepers threw open their doors and numerous customers quickly gathered, further blockingthe streets where Ariakas tried to pass.Most of these hearty social-izers seemed to be seasonedmercenaries like himself.Curious, he wondered who they served.He had seen no standard of anyarmy posted around the city, and as a free trade center Sanction had little need for its own militia [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.This wide valley opened onto a pass between Sanction and cities to the north and eastproductive mercantile centers such as Neraka and Kala-man.This valley and port linked to form theonly connection between eastern and western Ansalon.The population of Sanction was far and away the most diverse gathering Ariakas had ever seen.Tallplainsmen from Abanasinia traveled with painted Kagonesti elves, while humans from Solamniasold all manner of goods to merchants from places as far as Neraka and Balifor, or even barteredwith minotaurs, Kayolin dwarves, and an occasional, regal Silvanesti elf.The scampering kenderwere ubiquitous.Other short folk smaller even than kender or dwarves went about the citycloaked in dark robes.Ariakas noticed that many citizens gave these robed midgets a wide berth.From a distance, most of the buildings of Sanction blended into a melange of brown, black, andgray blocks.A great plaza sprawled along the riverbank, rended by steaming fissures and chasms.Several noble manors stood on higher slopes, crowning the city's skyline.One of these nowbelonged to Ariakas: in Sanction, nobility was purely a matter of wealth, and Ariakas was a verywealthy man indeed.In fact, after only three days in this metropolis, the warrior had gained forhimself all the trappings of nobility, most obviously symbolized by this splendid manor on thesouthern heights of Sanction valley.Three structures in the city loomed proud and solitary over even the great villas and mansions, bowing only to the mighty volcanoes themselves.These were the Great Temples, of which Ariakashad heard a little.Built at the time of the Cataclysm on the lower slopes of each Lord of Doom, thetemples consisted of walls, buildings, and subterranean chambers.Each was an impregnablefortress, and each held commanding position over a great section of the city.The mightiest, theTemple of Luerkhisis, stood to the northeast.Upon entering Sanction, however, Ariakas had been strangely reluctant to approach the greattemple.Instead, he immediately sought the moneychangers, several of whom bid frantically for thelocket and gems.By nightfall of his first day he had been a rich man, and by the next day he hadpurchased a grand house.The stone-walled residence consisted of two dozen large, airy rooms gathered around a teak-linedgreat hall, the whole ringed by a perimeter of balconies and columns.Outside, a wide courtyardencircled two sides, with a large stable in another direction and the once-lush garden to the rear.Thefountains in the courtyards had been dry for years, and the hedges reduced to tinder-brush andthistle, but Ariakas had plans to restore the place to its former glory.And still the garden offeredwide walkways and several good views, overlooking much of the lava-ravaged city.After settling his house purchase with the formerly impoverished seller, Ariakas had enough moneyleft over to purchase several fine horses, and then to hire a dozen servants, contracting them throughthe year.Tonight he had eaten a splendid meal cooked in his own kitchen, and then he retired to thegarden for a stroll.For the first time since leaving the tower, the frantic pace of his travels hadeased, and he found himself with no clear task before him.At the same time he felt profoundly rest-less, agitated.Looking across the valley to the highest temple, he knew without question the sourceof his discomfort.Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, awaited him.At times he had come close to convincing himself that his sojourn in the tower and especially thememories of his last hours there were the products of some delu-sionary dream.Of course heknew the truth, but a part of him had urged during the long hike to Sanction that he abandon thecalling cast his way.He hadn't chosen any test and why should the plans of others matter to him?Yet never could he rationally embrace this urge.The events in the tower had been branded into hismind and his soul.He had made the vow and slain the lady, had witnessed the vision of a goddesshe'd thought long dead.A destiny had been laid upon him there, and it was a fate he could not thinkof avoiding.He felt he deserved a certain sense of pleasure and accomplishment after his arrival in this greatcity.His brief forays had shown him taverns, casinos, brothels, and smoking dens aplenty.Yet nowhe was completely disinterested in such common entertainment.Still, across the wide valley loomed the Temple of Luerkhisis.It was positioned on a gentle slope, acommanding yet contained presence.Resembling the half-submerged head of a crocodile, thestructure leered from the heights like a huge, monstrous reptile, its serpentine snout pointed straightat Ariakas.Two vast cave-nostrils led into entry halls, and round temple buildings perched likebulging eyes on the ridge above the maw.On dusks such as this one, the rays of the sun penetratedthe ash cloud, illuminating the sinister bulk of the temple with a surrealistic glow.Ariakas stood, and again his memory drifted back to the tower.to the lady.He missed her still,though not so much as he had during the long, bleak trek to Sanction.While climbing among thepeaks, he had recalled each detail of her perfect body.every smell, every nuance of each mealshe had served.Gradually the memories had faded into a sort of gentle background, pleasant torecall but irrelevant to the matters at hand.Now, when he saw that great temple on the mountainside, staring down at him like some gargantuandragon regarding an ant, the full force of the Dark Queen's will stormed within him.He knew anawful sense of failure, of abject unworthiness to serve her.Ariakas staggered backward, fallingagainst the brittle branches of a withered yew.Cursing the sharp pain, he bit back his complaints,bowing to the rekindled awe he felt before the Queen of Darkness.As if it had lain dormant like these steaming volcanoes, the full force of her will swept through him.He would serve her! He already bore the talisman, the white-bladed sword, and now he would go to her temple and take up service in her name.What kind of greeting to expect, he didn't know, butthat concern meant less than nothing.All thoughts of freedom vanished.The desires of his goddessnow known to him, he left his house, hurrying through the streets of Sanction to reach her temple.With sunset, the city came to life around him.Streets that had been empty an hour earlier throngedwith people, and he pushed his way through crowds to approach the great stone bridge in the citycenter.He wore his sword visibly.Since the huge blade was too long to wear at his waist, it restedin a scabbard strapped to his back, with the two-handed hilt jutting upward over his left shoulder.The sight of the weapon encouraged even armed men to give way.Tavern keepers threw open their doors and numerous customers quickly gathered, further blockingthe streets where Ariakas tried to pass.Most of these hearty social-izers seemed to be seasonedmercenaries like himself.Curious, he wondered who they served.He had seen no standard of anyarmy posted around the city, and as a free trade center Sanction had little need for its own militia [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]