David knew this would happen. Aero isn’t schooled in the ways of Royal visitation like him. You can’t just pop in and out of a major city without them rolling out the welcome committee.
Aero’s intention was to ride into the Shadow Meadow, buy a barrel of wine and move along. Once the workers of the meadow saw the royal colors, the news spread all the way up to the top of Tree City in no time.
The darkness of the meadow fields is where the magic laced vines grow the gigantic grapes of the Midnight Wine that is a delicacy of the upper class. The dark fields may only be five hundred feet below the city in the treetops, but they are worlds apart in lifestyle.
The workers of the meadow live in perpetual darkness. Their eyes are slightly larger than the average person, but their pupils are twice as big. Their skin is extremely pale from lack of sunlight.
They live their entire lives under the cover of the ancient treetops that hide the suns.
How the meadow people were able to get word up to the highest points of the treetop is a mystery to the group, but before they could get a single barrel loaded into a wagon the tree-toppers were shuttling the entire group up to the top of the trees.
The world above the world.
For the next hour the group tours Tree City. The leaders took little time into setting up the lavish guest quarters reserved for dignitaries for Aero and his group. The Toppers will talk about this day for many years, a royal on the Top.
The city is majestic. The Green Witches thought of everything when they created the city thousands of years ago. The city is built on massive tree limbs, with housing carved deep inside the tree. Water reservoirs housing all the water the city could need. Parks, museums, gardens, an amphitheater, and a menagerie prove that the city in the sky is a world unto itself. The Toppers never need to leave the Top for anything, and most never do. A half a million people who have never seen the ground. The final location shown to the group is the long platform where the Skymen once landed to shuttle supplies in and out.
Matthew whispers to Aero that he will piss off it before they leave loud enough for David to hear, which causes him to shake his head in disgust.
That night, the Toppers host a banquet in Prince Aero’s honor. He is sat at the head of the table among the aristocrats of the city. He is flanked by his anointed knights Stephan and Matthew while his attending staff sits at a small table in the back. A fact that David enjoys deeply.
He watches Aero from the shadows as he tries to present himself as a royal, something he isn’t comfortable with at all.
When the night is over, Matthew insists that he and Aero goes out for a drink.
Matthew had quietly reserved a bar for him and Aero during the day. A perk of being an honored guest.
The group reconvenes in the provided quarters. It’s a massive room carved into a tree overlooking the main city. About fifty feet below the landing platform. The balcony gives a breathtaking view of this strange city. The fully furnished suite has nine total bedrooms, more than enough for everyone. Still Roasa asks Lieutenant Rain to share a room. Rain agrees, years of barracks accommodations has made her sleep better when others are around.
Of course, Stephan insists on sharing with David; he claims he also sleeps better when not alone. He even invites Will to bunk with them. Will knowing that Stephan is protecting the heir to the throne, David. A fact that they have carefully hidden from everyone, including Roasa, declines the offer.
Sitill, Rain should recognize David but hasn’t said a word.
“Time to go to the bar! Who all is going? Aero has no choice, I’m putting drinks in front of him all night. I will pay for everyone though” Matthew says bluffing, everyone knows that Aero will end up paying for it.
“I am going to get some much-needed sleep in a real bed, and everyone should.” Says David.
“Dave, just a drink or two. I’m not asking anyone to get drunk”
“We have all had a few drinks already. It’s been a long trip since we entered Bellum, I think we all need a good night in a comfortable bed.” Roasa says.
“I would go, but honestly I’m a little drunk already and a good soldier knows his limit. Good night.” Will says as he closes his room door.
“Stephan, come on…” Matthew begs.
“Come on Matt, it’s just us. You may can get me out but I’m the only one.” Aero says.
They walk down to the empty bar and to their surprise the owner has rolled out three barrels of his best wine; a red, a white, and a black.
“Help yourselves, on the house my prince. Don’t worry about locking up, no one will bother the place. It’s an honor to have you drink here.” Says the owner.
“Thank you for your generosity, we accept but insist on leaving a tip for all of your troubles.”
The owner tries to assure the prince it isn’t necessary but to no avail. He gives them leave.
“I asked him for ale, and we get wine…” Matthew laments.
“Matt, we are in the wine capital of the world… did you really expect to get ale?”
“I got it at the banquet.”
“You’re something else. Get a glass and find the one you like.”
Matthew tries the white, but he isn’t impressed. Then he tries the red, and it’s too dry for his taste. Aero knowing his wine, goes for the black. “This is the good stuff, the true magic midnight wine. Try it.”
Matthew takes a sip of the midnight, then swallows the entire glass. A refill, downed.
“This is the best drink I have ever had.” As he pours his third.
“It’s good, those four-foot-wide dark grapes we passed in the Meadow made this.”
“Those huge grapes made this? We need to get some seeds and plant them in the capital.”
“It wouldn’t work, they only grow here.”
“Why? Let me guess, magic.”
“Yes.”
Matt gets another refill; Aero is still working on his first.
“I may need to get restationed then, Ser Matthew of Treeville.”
“Tree City.”
“Whatever.”
By the end of the conversation, Matthew has downed his eighth glass. Aero urges him to slow down, but he can’t help himself.
“So, I guess you will want a barrel of this stuff for the rest of the trip…”
“A barrel… ya, a barrel for the trip.”
“Matt, you’ve drank about two bottles of wine already, you may need to take a break.”
Matthew tilts his head then smiles “you’re right, let’s go to the platform so I can take a leak off the side.”
Aero tries to talk Matthew out of it but Matthew bolts for the door. Aero gives chase, humored by Matthew’s sudden movement. Maybe this is the drunkest he has ever seen him.
By the time Aero reaches the bar door, Matthew has found the stairs to go up to the platform.
“Matt, slow down! Wait!”
Matthew doesn’t seem to notice the prince’s call.
Aero struggles to try to catch up but can’t, Matthew disappears out of sight as Aero continues to call.
Matthew must really want to relieve himself from the top of the world.
Aero begins walking up the roundabout stairs that climb the one hundred and twenty foot inline to the flatform floor. About halfway he stops for a break from near exhaustion. It takes him several minutes to reach the top.
Upon reaching the top, he hesitates to catch his breath one last time by sitting on the last step. As he rises to his feet, the moonlight view takes his breath again. The world is different up here. For miles upon miles, the prince sees the the amazing landscape. A thought pops into his mind that maybe the reason he can see so well because of his time in the Cave of Brintz. There is no way to know.
Aero hears a commotion to his left, it sounded like the fluttering of huge bird wings. A skyman? Couldn’t be…
As he looks across the platform, something catches his eye in the east.
It’s daylight so bright but it only shines in one area to the east, it doesn’t illuminate the night sky like a sun would.
“What is that?” Aero says to himself.
“It’s the light of Meego. Beautiful isn’t it?”
Aero turns around to find an old man sitting in a chair with a small table in front of him. He is frail, and white headed with a small beard to match. His clothes are in tatters, and his eyes are closed.
“Oh, I didn’t see you there. I’m looking for my friend. Did you see which way he went?” Aero asks without thinking “Oh are you blind? I apologize friend.”
“No one has been up here for over an hour; I’ve been sitting right here enjoying the view.”
“I assure you; I saw my friend begin climbing the steps below.”
“But did you see him finish climbing the steps? Maybe he didn’t go where you thought he did.”
“But there is nowhere else to go from the bottom to the top.”
“Perhaps your eyes are playing tricks on you, I imagine you will find your friend where you left him.”
“Maybe.” Aero replies with disbelief in his voice “What are you doing up here any way?”
“Besides enjoying the beauty of the night sky? I’m performing magic tricks.” The old man says as he waves his hand above you the table. It has three cups on it with a ball in front of one. “Try your luck?”
Aero has seen beggars like this before on the streets throughout the land, they use slight of hand to make people believe they are magicians. It is something that could get someone in a lot of trouble in certain parts of the kingdom, but somehow he gets away with it here.
“I’ve seen this game before, slight of hand isn’t magic.”
“Do you have money?”
Aero takes out twenty gold pieces from his purse and sets them on the table.
The old man puts the ball below one of the cups, then moves them around on the table. When he is done, Aero selects the one that he thinks it’s in but somehow knows it isn’t. But it is.
The old man repeats the performance again with the same result. He does so a third time with Aero picking the correct cup again.
“You’re not going to get my money if you keep letting me pick the right one.”
“I would never take money from a prince.” The old man mutters.
“How do you know…”
“I’m a magician.”
“Or you heard from the entire city.”
“I haven’t heard anything.”
“Then show me a magic trick, I assure you that you are safe with me.”
“And the witches thought they were safe until the soldier’s drug them up the steps and threw them off the platform right over there.” The old man points to a spot to Aero’s left.
“Are you going to show me a magic trick where magic died?”
“If you let me.”
“I have to find my friend, how about I just leave this coin for you?”
“I told you where to find your friend, he is drunk, but well.”
Aero smiles “Okay my friend, show me a magic trick.”
“You take the ball, put it under the cup of your choice.”
Aero grabs the ball, then places it under the cup on the left.
“Okay, now pick that cup up.”
Aero does so, but the ball is gone.
“How did you… Aero pauses as the old man begins to speak “you’re a magician.”
“Yes, I am.”
“You earned your coin, it’s a fine trick.”
“It’s beautiful isn’t it? The eastern light?”
“It is.”
“I come here often just to take in it’s beauty, you’re only a few days from your journeys end. Meego is as different from your world as this one is, be careful.”
“How did you know? Well, I’m sure everyone knows by now.”
“Yes, but I know something they don’t.”
“What’s that?” Aero says slightly amused at this old swindler working hard to pull one over on him.
“In a few days, you will have a decision to make. A very important decision. You will be forced to decide if you can trust a stranger.”
“You’re a stranger, should I trust you?”
“This stranger will be black of hair with brown eyes and will hold the power of life or death in their hands. And you must decide. A wrong decision will have dire consequences.”
Aero hears the man’s words; he describes his image of a daughter of Meego perfectly. Or at least everything he envisioned. A dark hair beauty with brown eyes holding a dagger in her hand.
“Not only will this decision affect you but also your companions who are with you.”
Now Aero sees his con, there is no way he knows only Will must depart with him for Meego from the old palace. He has made a mistake.
“Nice try friend, you have made a mistake.” Aero replies.
“No young prince, your life is in danger. Your two knights are in danger, as well as your women and not just them but your brother as well.”
Aero is shocked, a cold chill runs down his spine. A million questions fill his mind.
“What did you say?”
“There is more at stake than just your life in this journey, you must be mindful of your choices. Coming here was a mistake.”
“Why?” Aero asks in fear.
“The Meego light is beautiful isn’t it. Just look at it.”
“Why was coming here a mistake old man?”
“Look to Meego”
“Old man, what did you say? Why was coming here a mistake?”
“Look to the east, look to Meego!”
Aero turns to the East, and as he glances, he sees the light fade away from the landscape. It was there, but then it was gone. Aero stares in disbelief. Well into the sky, he sees a dark outline ascending into the darkness. It looks like a mountain.
Aero stands in shock for several moments. His only thought is that the time has come. Meego is at hand.
“You must leave the meadow before the eastern sun rises or you will not survive.” Aero hears the old man say.
He turns around, but the old man is gone.
Aero burst into a full sprint back down the stairs, he must get the group out of bed and down to the Meadow immediately. In desperation, he thinks out loud.
“Matt, please be at the bar!”
Relics of the Old Age 