This story is part of the Wanderer series.
The funnel closed behind them, slowly at first, morphing as if the world was falling into it, then disappearing all at once like a cavity left behind by a stone dropping into a pond, returning the wall to an unbending whirlwind of dense clouds.
Chiyoko watched their entrance and escapeway close with one last long stare. Her hair waved with the low rumbling breeze. Turning forward, the colossal fortress loomed in the distance, suspended without motion. The sky castle was long and narrow, closely resembling a sea vessel. The broadside angled towards them, facing slightly to their left. The structure was made of large shards of stone, jagged, lifeless in color. A sharp pointed mountain resided in the center, its flanks lined with bricked structures. Large columns and spires rose above these structures, piercing out the mountain’s silhouette.
“Blimey.” Lev dropped his arms to his sides. “That is a mountain, not a fortress.”
Taking a deep breath in, Chiyoko could feel it. The power emanating from this ancient fortress. Swirling around in a great perimeter and streaming out directly towards them, connecting to the node they left behind. Without the storm to dampen its strength, it was overwhelming. Decapitating. As if instinct compelled her, Chiyoko held her breath, her hair raising, her silhouette gradually glowing yellowish-teal.
Straightening his head, Lev turned around. “Chee-yo? Dear?”
She did not speak, keeping her furrowed gaze locked forward. She stayed completely still while everything else around her swayed with the breeze.
“Is there something?”
After a brief moment longer, she took a shaky breath out, her silhouette slowly dimming as she subdued her resonance.
“No.”
Lev observed her a little longer, then turned back forward, crossing his arms. “Shall we approach?”
Again, Chiyoko said nothing, simply walking forward and joining his side. Taking this as an affirmation, Lev brought his hands together, and the castle began to move again. It crept slowly at first, making a cautious approach in an open sky. Chiyoko resonated her energy once more, in a more controlled manner this time, resurrecting her barrier around the castle. Dropping one knee to the ground, she brought her hands together as well and scanned the flank of this colossal vessel. Across it, she peered at the structures, along the ridges, into the shadows. Searching for movement. Searching for anything pointed towards them. Recognizing her brace, Lev eventually crouched down with her behind the parapet, gazing out.
They flew for some time. Eventually, Lev sped up their approach. The scale of the fortress did no justice to the distance they had yet to cover to reach it from the edge of its cocoon. Over time, it took up more and more of their vantage before soon enough it stretched across their entire horizon.
Lev slowed back down as they got close, measuring the risks. From what they could see, there were no artillery defending the fortress’ skies. However, the littered, monotonous gray mountainside made it difficult to discern any standout detail. The prospect of concealed defenses led them to lower their approach, sinking beneath the ground level of this levitating mountain, where the exposed, ripped-up bedrock provided little cover for any potential armaments. Despite their caution, although Lev raised his gaze with the eclipsing fortress, Chiyoko kept hers locked forward on this rocky surface, seemingly transfixed on nothing. Her eyes were no longer searching, becoming aimless. Her forehead was lightly furrowed. She remained braced. She remained completely still.
Chin dipping, she finally closed her eyes. Next to her, Lev released his hands, allowing the flying castle to slow, coming to a stop deep underneath the fortress’ shadow. It towered over them now, their puny castle measuring like a small fish next to a whale. They were perhaps several dozen meters away from being able to reach out and touch the underbelly of this floating fortress.