prepared to leave for Mindon proper. As they were placing their saddlebags containing the essentials for the trip, Cordlyer rode up beside them, his mount a large lizardlike creature with bronze skin, powerful rear legs, and a muscular body. Gideon learned it was a craynath. Cordlyer had obtained it from a friend at the castle. The creature was quite agile for its size since they were originally bred as fighting mounts.
"Well, are you ready?" asked the knight.
"Yes," replied the archmage. "I just finished packing some essentials."
Gideon interjected in fluent Arabethic. "How far is it to Mindon from here?"
"Oh, only a few minutes trotting by horse bypassing the small woods between this ancient citadel and the main city," said Cordlyer. "Then you will see the great spires of the city close up before long."
"I can hardly wait to see them," replied Gideon.
"Let's waste no more time," said Ragan as he spurred his horse along the forest road toward Mindon. The others followed more slowly behind.
Chapter Four
The City of Spires
Mindon was a very large city, and the majority of the populace was elven, although there were sections that were inhabited by various other races. Ragan began telling Gideon about the city of Mindon in a narrative style. The different cultures or races tended to live in sections of the city where they continued their own cultures. Mindon was considered a great trade city. Goods from the far corners of the continent were brought to the city by both seagoing vessels and skycraft. It was an ancient city with gilded spires and tall towers that held, according to the last population census, over 3,950,000 people. It was not the largest of the elven cities, but it was considered an equal among the greatest cities of their people. There was no gate or wall on the outskirts as the city had expanded beyond the first series of walls over time.
Ragan, Gideon, and Cordlyer moved along what became an intricately tiled road, the pieces of which had been fitted together with master skill. As the group rounded a large hill of earth and trees that blocked a direct view, they saw towering before them, like pinnacles holding up the sky, the tall jeweled towers of the city. The towers were beautiful and multicolored, composed of many rock types, although white marble seemed to be somewhat predominant. Stretching many stories in height, most were quite breathtaking.
Most of the city intertwined with nature in some way, including the smaller dwellings in the hills and down the valley to the river. In one part of the city, Gideon felt that some of the architecture was vaguely reminiscent of the classical Greek designs in their greatest, most pure form. Additionally, Gideon began to realize that these elven architects had conception of more modern building techniques than he had initially thought. He noticed metal or wooden poles with large crystal heads spaced down most of the streets; they appeared to be streetlights of some type.
The elves did not live in poorly designed houses but elegant cottages and beehive-like condominium-type structures composed apparently from solid stone and various woods.
Ragan pointed out that most of the more elegant buildings were administrative, educational, and recreational in nature. The humbler ones located around the former were the living residences. As they traveled along the road into the city, they were joined by some riders of the Order of the Horn, among whom was Laurelin Leaflock. Laurelin drew her mount, a unicorn, between Gideon's horse and Cordlyer's craynath on the other side. She smiled at Gideon, looked over at Cordlyer, and nodded at him. She said something to Cordlyer that Gideon could not quite hear as they rode toward the city. Her companions smiled and waved to her as they trotted past.
Had Gideon been looking at Tauri Ragan instead of the very pretty Laurelin, he might have noticed his vacant, faraway look as a glaze come over his eyes. Ragan was looking at Gideon and Laurelin with the sight, attempting to foretell the future and how it might affect the council's plans.
With the sight, Ragan saw the growth of this budding relationship, developing from Gideon's strong interest in the elves. The visions he saw surrounding Laurelin were hazy and unclear. He saw something that could influence the uncertainty of Gideon's ultimate destiny. He would watch and wait to see the outcome of this nascent romance.
Cordlyer cleared his throat to get Ragan's attention, and the wizard's eyes regained their focus and strength as they turned their gaze upon the young elven knight.
"Welcome back, Tauri Ragan." Then to Gideon, he smiled and said, "Lady Laurelin has agreed to accompany you for the day, my friend. Well, I must be off. I have some business to attend to. But I hope I shall see you both later at the Green Griffon Inn. Laurelin, you will be joining us?"
Laurelin nodded.
With a wave good-bye, Cordlyer mounted his lizardlike craynath and trotted off to disappear into the city outskirts among the many people bustling on the crowded street.
Ragan seemed to take a deep breath and then reached into his crimson cloak and withdrew from it a large silken purse, apparently laden with coins, and passed it to Gideon.
"I too must leave you for a while, young Gideon. I have Tauri and lodge business that I must attend to. Here, take this coin purse and use what is inside to purchase whatever you feel you will need. Buy some weapons and clothing. There should be enough to purchase a few sorcerous items, should you choose." Then he added, rather offhandedly, "I would be curious to see how you look when we meet again this evening at Palrents."
"Yes," said Gideon, eyeing the pouch in his hand and hefting it. It was heavy. "So would I."
Then Ragan was gone, leaving Gideon and Laurelin alone together.
He smiled at her briefly, and she returned the smile.
"Shall we go?" he asked casually.
Laurelin nodded and smiled warmly, saying, "Yes. Let's go shopping."
They traveled a short distance to a somewhat more tree-filled area and stopped.
"Well," said Gideon with a quick breath, "where shall we go first?"
"Come," responded Laurelin, waving him down from his saddle. "We shall first visit the tailor and get you into clothes fit for a warrior. They shall be fine and fair, but first, tether your horse, for you will not need it for a while. It will be safe in the public stalls."
She whispered in her unicorn's ear and then released the white-gray equine to the small grove of trees. The unicorn walked farther into the grove.
Gideon agreed and dismounted the horse. Laurelin led the horse to a nearby stall and paid the overseer. The overseer stamped a small piece of paper and handed it to her.
Laurelin in turn gave the paper to Gideon.
"This is your receipt in order to collect the horse later," she said. Then, side by side, they began to walk slowly down the promenade of one of the main streets.
One street was apparently a merchant's row, and Laurelin seemed to know where she was going, so Gideon followed her like a stray puppy. As they passed a particularly nice shop, a tan doublet and shirt in a window caught his eye, and he asked if they could go inside. Laurelin approved, and they entered. The shop was quite large and full of racks holding many assorted shirts and trousers of various colors. There were several races browsing the shop. One was a tall reptile-man trying out a multicolored vest that appeared, at least to Gideon, somewhat tasteless. By the counter, there was a small group of what he thought were children at first look. But upon a closer inspection, he saw they were actually a race of small people—similar to gnomes, he guessed. They were standing on their tiptoes and looking over the glass counter at the various types of clothes on display.
In the far corner, an elven tailor was measuring a customer, an elderly man, for a cloak. Well, actually, the measuring tape measured the customer—by itself! It moved across the man's chest without being touched as the tailor read the measurements.
Another nearby tailor was arranging a display of fine violet-hued capes and matching caps.
A well-dressed elf stepped out from behind a mirror and asked,