17 Jade Palace

Two hours after midday, their carriage arrived at the Jade gates. They were immediately waved through as soon as Zander's men flashed the prince's gold pass. Then, they made their way through the city heading towards Jade Palace.

Although Zander had warned her not to show her face through the curtains, Mira could not resist peeking through a small gap in between the carriage drapes.

The city was teeming with people of various races and species.

There were the usual dwarves and ogres, wearing their greens and browns, and going about their business. Some were selling their wares outside on small covered carts, and others were standing outside their shops' open doorways, welcoming their patrons.

There were vegetables of all shapes and colors, from pink rhubarb looking celery sticks, to long yellow squashes and fat green melons. She saw live chickens and ducks, with their feet bound, stacked like cord wood in a bin, ready to be purchased and carried home.

There were women selling eggs, and bread, and men hawking pottery, and leather goods. There were large display tables filled with rolls of fabric that were mostly dyed in varying shades of green and brown.

Fishmongers called out their catches for the day, and ham hawkers sharpened their knives in the air with flourishing metallic sounding sweeps. A wrinkled old woman was standing on one side next to cages filled with small creatures that looked like fennec foxes with one distinct difference. They were in various shades of blue.

On a particularly crowded corner there stood a colorful jester, strumming a lute and singing songs for spare change. At her gasp of delight, Zander laughed from behind, as if enjoying her amazed wonder.

The buildings were painted in warm golds and pinks, and muted greens and blues. Despite the large number of people congregating at the market, the streets were extraordinarily clean and well-swept. Not a speck of trash could be seen anywhere.

The market was noisy and cheery. Small children laughed as they ran about and played, while the adults chattered as they worked. It made Mira misty-eyed. They resembled the people in her world so very much, and she missed Earth something fierce.

As the carriage continued its slow roll through the marketplace, Mira's eyes picked out the tall green people who looked as if they photosynthesized for energy. They were selling various grasses and herbs, and bottles of different concoctions that looked similar to the perfumed soap bottle that Mira had used at the inn.

Mira also caught sight of some tiny people in black leather skinsuits who fluttered about on leathery bat wings. They did not look as if they were there to sell anything, but it could just be that Mira was not familiar with what they were offering.

She could also pick out the tall people with noble features and blue hair, spread out among the rest of the inhabitants. They did not look to be selling anything either, but rather, enjoying the carnival-like atmosphere, and spreading out their coins at various vendors.

There was an air about these blue haired folk that was different from the throng of people on the streets. It was as Zander had stated earlier. There was no way to mistake the Ashryan nobles for any other race of people. They were simply that different.

There was, however, one race of people that Mira could not find. People that looked like her.

"Zander."

"Hmm?"

"How come there are no people like me?"

"There are," he cocked his head and studied her features. "Although they look like you, they are very different. Humans are rare, because they're hybrids. They are the results of a dwarf Entryon, mating with an Ashryan noble. It doesn't happen that often, and although quite beautiful and intelligent, the hybrids are usually sterile."

Mira's jaw dropped. "On Earth, there are no other human races. There's just us Homo sapiens sapiens, and we are exceptionally fertile. Almost too fertile. If we didn't have birth control, human women could birth ten or twelve babies, each."

His eyes rounded. "That many???"

"It's physically possible, although most women don't usually have more than two or three."

"I wouldn't mind five or six babies, myself," he mused, smiling mysteriously.

Mira shuddered. "That's too many babies. Too much pain."

Zander chuckled. "I could make it much less painful for you." His fingers twirled into the air, playing with a sparkle of blue magik.

She covered her eyes. She was not going to respond to something like that.

In no time at all, the carriages had reached the palace gates, and then they were through.

Jade Palace was an architectural crowning achievement. The roads were wide and paved with yellow bricks mixed with some type of metal that made them gleam like gold. On each side of the road were stately royal residences with gleaming white walls, some of which were so large, they were castles in their own right.

Closer to the royal palace, there were high end shops that carried what looked to be the most luxurious things.

Beautifully crafted dresses and suits of all colors, in heavy brocade and silks, could be seen through the glass shop windows. There was a hattery filled with fanciful hats of various sizes and proportions. It was located next to a jewelry boutique, with glittering rings, bracelets, necklaces, and hair ornaments, all crafted in gold and white metals.

There was a weapons shop, with gleaming swords and bows of all sizes, and a pastry shop, filled with creamed puffs and cakes. Even in winter, there was a flower shop with blossoms of pinks and blues and greens. Mira saw a perfume shop, a cosmetics store, and a shoe shop, and a...what???

She gasped.

It was a shop with all sorts of paraphernalia for the workings of magik. There were glass tubes and vials, and magik wands and books on the various magiks. There was even a tiny section filled with little pets used as familiars...birds, cats, dogs, rats, foxes--there was even a small monkey! They were all tiny, many around Sofie's size.

"A magiks shop!!!" She exclaimed.

Zander laughed. "Other women get excited over clothes and jewelry, but my pretty little alchemist gets excited over a magiks shop."

The carriages turned down a side lane flanked by tall blue cedars on both sides, and soon, they reached a residence that was set apart from other estates.

The three-storied mansion was set on a small hill, its white walls stood out amongst the trees. It had many glass-pane windows, several large balconies, and a turret that reached up to the sky.

There was a large fountain at the front entrance with a marble sculpted mermaid. She was holding up a conch shell that had water gushing from the opening, spilling into the fountain below.

The front garden looked clean and well-maintained, and even though there were few flowers due to the cold weather, Mira could imagine what it would look like, come spring.

"Wow. Nice palace." Mira breathed.

"Thank you."

"Is this your family's palace?"

"No."

Mira threw a questioning look at Zander.

"It's not my family's palace. It is mine."

"Ahhhhh."

Of course. What was she thinking? Mira rolled her eyes.

As the carriage rounded the paved driveway, rolling towards the carriage house in the back, Zander reached his hand out the window and shot a blue streak of energy towards the fountain, melting the statue of the mermaid. Within a few seconds, a new statue had replaced the mermaid.

As the carriage rounded past the house, the fountain disappeared from sight. She couldn't tell what it had been changed to, but she was still impressed nonetheless.

What a wicked, cool way to remodel a place!