Chapter 54

Aeloris hurried through the long, lamp-lit corridors of the old teaching building, his feet echoing on the cold stone slabs. He had just caught a glimpse of his mentor Valaryn, who was walking through the corridor with another Archont.

Without thinking, he had taken up the chase.

"Archont Valaryn! Wait!" shouted Aeloris, his voice echoing through the corridor. The two archons stopped abruptly and turned to face him.

Valaryn looked at him with slight disapproval, while the other Archont looked at Achront Valaryn with a raised eyebrow.

Valaryn exchanged a few quiet words with his fellow Archont, who finally nodded and moved on. After bidding farewell to the other Archont, Valaryn turned to Aeloris, his face now marked with mild displeasure. "What did I tell you again about running around and shouting in the corridors?"

"I'm sorry," Aeloris apologizes, slightly embarrassed by his own behavior. 

Valaryn sighed again and shook his head slightly. "I only wish you could remember manners as good as history. You'd do this old man a huge favor."

Aeloris shrugged and grinned wryly. "I try, but as you once said, the greatest gift you can give someone is unconditional love and acceptance. And this," he pointed to himself, "is simply who I am."

Valaryn raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. "Now in my own words, too, huh?"

"Exactly.", Aeloris replied, his smile widening.

"Well, let's hear it, what's so urgent?" asked Valaryn finally.

Aeloris pulled out the book he had discovered about House Baelaeron a few days ago. "You promised me that you would tell me more."

Valaryn looked at the book in his student's hands and nodded slowly. "Ah, yes, I suppose I did. It seems I have a promise to keep." He placed a hand on Aeloris' shoulder and led him to a nearby bench that stood at the edge of the corridor.

"Let's sit down, my boy."

Aeloris sat down next to Valaryn, his eyes fixed eagerly on his mentor.

"So, where were we last time, hmm?" asked Valaryn, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"As far as I can remember, we had stopped when you told me that Princess Aera Zyraelor had married Prince Sylas Baelaeron and that her family had been wiped out for unexplainable reasons," Aeloris replied as he opened the book on his lap.

Valaryn nodded slowly. "Ah, right, I remember now," he said, a contemplative expression coming into his eyes. "Princess Aera Zyraelor was indeed one of the most sought-after women of her time. She knew very well that she needed protection. Despite her family name, her dragon and her immeasurable wealth, she was in a dangerous position. Other dragon families and even those without dragons sought her wealth, and without the support of her family, she was vulnerable."

Aeloris frowned. "So she married Sylas Baelaeron to seek protection?" he asked as he weighed Valaryn's words.

Valaryn smirked and shook his head slightly. "Sort of, but it was a little more complicated than that," he explained. "She actually fell in love with him, as unimaginable as that may seem."

Aeloris raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked around the room briefly before lowering his voice. "But I thought... I thought that the emperor himself was responsible for the downfall of her family. Then how could she fall in love with his son?"

Valaryn smiled wisely and placed a hand on Aeloris' shoulder. "Love always finds its way, my boy. And remember, those were just assumptions and possibilities that arise when you look at the big picture. Not solid facts."

Aeloris nodded slowly, but the curiosity in his eyes remained unquenched. "How did it happen? How did she fall in love with him?" he finally asked.

"Sylas, like his older brother before him and like his father before him, won the Tournament of Dragons," Valaryn began as he leaned back and gazed into the distance, as if envisioning the scenes in his mind's eye. "And he crowned Aera as Queen of Beauty. If there's one thing that touches a young woman's heart, it's a young, handsome man in shining armor standing by her in her time of need. And Sylas was just that man."

Valaryn smiled gently as he painted the picture of Sylas and Aera in Aeloris' mind.

"Is there anything in particular you want to know? There are a lot of stories that are not mentioned in the books, but that I personally know. So, is there anything in particular you're interested in before I start rambling on?" asked Valaryn.

Aeloris thought for a moment before answering, "Hmm, how about Sothoryos? What happened there in the time before the fall?"

"Do you have anything specific in mind when it comes to that?" Valaryn's eyes twinkled curiously.

"Yes, especially the cities," Aeloris replied as he leaned forward slightly, full of anticipation.

Valaryn nodded slowly. "Follow me, there's a place better for it," he finally said and began to move.

Aeloris followed his mentor's every step as they walked through the corridors of the Sanctum at a measured pace. The slow pace was due to Valaryn's advanced age, but Aeloris didn't mind. He enjoyed the rare opportunities to be alone with his mentor.

Eventually, Valaryn stopped in front of a door that Aeloris had never noticed before. It seemed inconspicuous, but what stood out was the number of locks securing it.

Valaryn pulled out a large bunch of keys and began to open the locks one by one.

"Why so many locks? Couldn't you just kick the door down if you really wanted to get in?" asked Aeloris curiously.

Valaryn smiled mysteriously. "Oh, I would actually welcome it if someone tried to get into this room uninvited. I can assure you that it's not as easy as it seems."

Aeloris' eyes widened with interest. "Oh, does the door have a trap behind it? Or is it reinforced? Or...?" He was bubbling over with questions as his mind raced.

Valaryn laughed softly, amused. "What sort of surprise would it be if I told you everything, hmm?"

When the last lock was open, Valaryn pushed the door open and Aeloris entered eagerly. His interest was piqued when he saw the huge table in the room - or rather, the tables arranged in a complex formation.

"Are these...?" Aeloris' breath caught as his eyes slid over the outlines on the tables.

"Yes," Valaryn confirmed with a satisfied smile. "The continents and their outlines."

"Incredible," Aeloris whispered as he admired the details.

"Isn't it? Really beautifully made. It was a gift to us and has been preserved with the utmost care ever since. Not many have ever had the privilege of entering that room. But as my apprentice, you are allowed." Valaryn explained.

He guessed closer to the table and pointed to a name written above a city. The outline of the city was relatively detailed, giving a rough understanding of how big the city really was. The name of the city was...Azorath.

"The legendary city of Azorath was the place where our emperor spent most of his time when he wasn't in the capital," Valaryn began, running a hand over the map. "But he didn't want to create just one place. That's why he started with Valanor," he added as he walked around the table and pointed to a town on the opposite side of Sothyorsos.

"Valanor was to serve as another trading city to facilitate and expedite trade with Yi Ti and the East in general. This attracted more and more merchants from the far east, who settled in the city, bought luxurious houses and traded there." Valaryn paused as he emphasized the importance of Valanor.

Aeloris, fascinated by the newly acquired knowledge, looked up curiously. "What exactly is traded there?" he asked.

"In addition to rare gemstones and the finest silk spun by giant spiders from the depths of the jungle, you can also find spices such as cardamom and turmeric, which thrive in the dense rainforests. The spices are accordingly expensive, but there are plenty of nobles who buy them. Medicinal herbs and rare woods are also traded there."

"Then there's Rivaryn, which lies in the middle of Sothyorsos. The name comes from the many rivers in the area, as you can imagine," Valaryn continued as he pointed out another spot on the map. "And let's not forget Morvath and Kyroth, the largest cities in Sothyorsos. The other cities are of lesser importance to you."

Aeloris frowned and asked skeptically, "And the other dragon families just allowed this to happen and watched while his family gained so much power?"

Valaryn shook his head and smiled knowingly. "Of course they didn't. But... they never knew. These cities were built in secret and only revealed to the world after Valyria fell."

"But how can you hide entire cities? Someone must have seen them," Aeloris asked incredulously.

Valaryn shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Well, you'd have to ask the emperor himself, because even I don't have all the answers."

Aeloris sighed in disappointment. "Too bad."

The boy hesitated for a moment before asking curiously, "You know so much about House Baelaeron that isn't in any books. Where does this knowledge come from?"

A sad expression flitted across Valaryn's face, his eyes growing heavy."That's a story that's probably better left unsaid and definitely not meant for such young ears."

Aeloris was about to object, but Valaryn slowly stood up and changed the subject. "Come now, I have something else to show you."

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And another chapter. :D

Yours,

Jasonenrick!