An uneventful day and a half later, they reached Fiume. Nyal sat in awe at the sight in front of him. A huge winding river, filled with the bluest water he had ever seen, sparkling in the sunlight. It was surrounded by a thick forest of lush green trees. A flock of birds flew from the forest, rising high into the fluffy white clouds.

What really got Nyal's attention was the enormous city sitting on the river itself. It started off as fields of farms, wheat, vegetables, paddocks filled with cattle, sheep, and pigs. It slowly drifted into small houses made from pale cream stone and dark brown tiles. Ant-sized people milled about a busy market place. The buildings got bigger and bigger until they reached the river, were they became large strongholds actually floating on the water, the houses joined together by bridges. Boats drifted along the water, going under the bridges and stopping at strongholds. The biggest stronghold sat on the edge of the river, probably too big to actually be on the water. Made of cream and gray Skodurian stone, it towered above everything else in the huge city. The three main towers stood watch over the city and the huge main part of the stronghold, the glass windows twinkling it the sun.

It was Fiume, they were in Fiume. Nyal grinned broadly, not taking his eyes away from the sight in front of him. It was absolutely beautiful. Part of him was torn, does he go straight into the city, or does he make his way into the deep forest? They looked so much more beautiful than the ones in Skodur, and he couldn't wait to explore them.

"Wow," he said, the only he could say. As he watched, Elora trotted ahead of him, shaking her head as she did so. "Woah! Wait!"

"Stop staring and get moving," she said with a barely audible chuckle, "We'll be there in about ten minutes."

"We're actually going into the city?" Nyal asked incredulously, feeling like a small child again. "Is the Gate there?"

"No," Elora said, turning to look at him. "We just need to stop off here for a bit. I was thinking about talking to Queen Astor about the Key and the dragon. I want to see if she can send out anyone to search for him, just some added help."

"Sounds like a good idea," Nyal replied, still staring at the castle as he followed his winged companion. "I didn't really expect you to need a whole heap of help though."

"Why?" Elora asked, "I had plenty of help last time, didn't I?"

"I guess that's true," Nyal replied with a nod, "It would definitely help us, that's for sure."

The paint chipped farm houses slowly turned into well-decorated homes as they went deeper into the winding city. It was very different from Dreeva, whose streets were uniform so as to not cause confusion. Fiume's streets were the opposite, they curved and bent around, most leading to dead ends. There was not one single street that led straight towards the river or the Queen's palace. They were filled with crates and dirt and muck, most having no pavement to walk on. Nyal and Elora found themselves in at least two market places instead of where they wanted to be.

The only way Nyal knew that he was getting further into the city was by the size and quality of the buildings they were walking past. The bigger and nicer they looked, the closer to the river they were, at least, that's what he thought. The huge city did not make much sense to him.

Eventually, they found themselves on the riverbank overlooking the crisp blue water. "Come," Elora said behind him. He turned, see her walk away from him to the left. Looking up, he caught sight of the largest stronghold in Fiume, towering over all the others. "Queen Astor lives there." She pointed towards the stronghold.

It didn't take them long to make it there, despite the winding streets, and soon enough the pair stood in front of a pair of large dark wooden doors, taller than three Nyal's, at least. Elora stalked forward and pushed the door open roughly, her wings flaring out once again. With a smirk, Nyal followed her in.

"We're here to see her majesty, Queen Astor," Elora declared when faced with the head butler. They stood in the luxurious entrance hall of the Queen's stronghold, the walls adorned with beautiful portraits and banners. Navy blue curtains framed the huge windows that looked out towards the sea and the city. The biggest chandelier Nyal had ever seen lit the room in a yellow glow. A magnificent carpet of the same colour as the curtains ran from the large entrance doors to three smaller doors at the opposite end and side, most likely leading off to other hallways and rooms. The walls were made from the common pale cream stone, while the floor was of Skodurian stone.

Their heels thudded against the carpet as they made their way forward, Elora the epitome of a confidence Nyal knew she didn't actually possess if her interactions with Maureen and her daughters were anything to go by. Her wings curled around her sides, making her look more powerful. He really did understand why people like Silas could be so intimidated by her, she was very good at pretending.

"I-I- Of course, milady," the aged head butler stuttered in an eastern accent, staring at the pair of them with wide eyes that would occasionally drift to Elora's inky black wings. "But, may I ask what you are here for?"

"That is business of our own," Elora replied, "But it is very important, and we must see her now."

The butler eyed her hesitantly, looking back at Nyal, with furrowed eyebrows. He nodded at the old man, trying to give him some kind of reassurance.

"Alright, milady, but just a warning, she is very busy at the moment, she may not see you," the butler finally said.

"She'll have to," Elora told the man, "Where is she?"

"The south tower, through that door," the butler pointed to one of the doors on the side. "Just follow that hall, you'll get there eventually."

Elora frowned and brushed past him, not even uttering a thank you. With a roll of his eyes, Nyal followed her, nodding at the butler in thanks. His companion pulled the door open roughly, stalking down the adjoining hallway.

Her fake confidence was strange like she had to put on the front. Well, Nyal thought, I guess she does. She was the Gate Keeper, after all, protector of Veridun, she had to be confident and strong.

He shook his head, catching up to her brisk pace. The halls were decked with the same blue curtains on the windows, but the floor had gone from stone to polished wood planks. The sound of their shoes clicking against the wood echoed up the empty hall. Nyal looked out the windows, at the portraits, at every clean surface he could see.

The hall was a long one, lined with doors to who knows what, and it took the pair a while to wander down it, especially with the butlers almost useless information. The south tower, in a stronghold he had never been in before, where exactly was that?

It was then that they reached the end of the hall. The final door was not that much taller than Nyal himself. With a grunt, Elora pulled it open, revealing the tallest spiral staircase he had ever seen. It was as brightly lit as the rest of the stronghold, with windows, curtains, banners, and portraits of people he didn't recognise lining the cream brick walls.

"Do you even know where you're going?" he asked Elora as she began to climb the stairs. She turned, taking a step down to look at him properly. He noticed her wings brushing against the bricks and a royal blue banner decorated with an embroidered fish.

"Somewhat," she said, "I've been here a few times."

"To escort the Key?" Nyal asked, even he already knew the answer. He followed the Gate Keeper up the winding stairs.

"Yes," she said simply. Nyal didn't know how to keep the conversation going as they slowly made their way up the stairs. He had never walked so many steps before, and it was starting to hurt his knees.

Ahead of him, Elora's wings were twitching profusely, making him realise that she was nervous. They had done it while they were in Hav too, so it stood to reason that they would twitch if she was nervous about something. It seemed to be whenever she was faced with talking to people.

It didn't take them long to climb what he assumed was the south tower. It led to a door framed with banners, this time of a deep purple colour. Light could be seen in the crack under the door and voices could be heard through the dark wood.

Two candles lit the small hall the pair stood in, barely giving them enough light to see by. Elora stared at the door silently, her twitching wings almost blocking his path. With a sigh, he pushed past her, brushing his fingers against her arm in an attempt at comforting her.

He rapped his knuckles against the door, listening as the voices cut off. Someone muttered something, then all Nyal heard was the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. The door opened in front of them, revealing a man around Nyal's age with glasses and long dark hair. He looked at the pair of them with pursed lips and irritation in his eyes.

"Can I help you?" he said with a sneer, "we're a little busy right now."

"We need to speak to Queen Astor," Nyal replied nonchalantly.

"Not going to happen, we're busy with treaty negotiations," the man told him, "You'll have to wait."

Elora stepped around Nyal to face the young man, her wings flaring out next to her, the tips brushing against the stone bricks. "It's more important than your silly negotiations," she said with a glare.

"Sure it is, lady," the man said, looking bored and irritated, "Now, I need to get back to it. You can talk to the Queen later." He moved to close the door, but Elora moved her hand quicker then Nyal could even blink, stopping the door in its tracks.

"We need to speak to the Queen!" she growled, "Where is the Queen's advisor? He can vouch for us."

"I am the advisor," the young man, fixing his glasses, "Bernard died about six months back. I took his place, and I say, I don't care who you are, or what you want, you can wait to talk to the Queen like everyone else."

Nyal clenched his fists, shooting a glare at the irritating man. "When?" he asked, putting as much anger into his tone as he could.

The advisor sighed, looking down at his nails. "Talk to the head butler. He'll put you on the list to see her," he said, bored, "You might be able to talk to her in a couple of days, if you're as important as you seem to think you are."

"A couple of days?" Elora repeated, sounding disgusted at the prospect. "Did you not hear what I just said? This is more important than what you are doing! This concerns the entire realm!"

"Albert! What's going on out there?" A shrill voice called, making the advisor wince. A woman appeared at the door, dressed in a green gown made of fine fabrics Nyal could probably never afford. She was beautiful, with flowing curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her young, round face that had no visible flaws or blemishes. He couldn't tell how old she was, maybe a bit younger than him, too young to be a Queen. A gold painted crown sat on her head, shining in the candlelight. Queen Astor looked at Nyal and Elora with a big grin on her face.

"Why, hello, Keeper!" she cried, her eyes widening when she caught sight of the woman. "What are you doing here?" Nyal frowned, confused. If she knew who the Gate Keeper was, wouldn't she know why they were here? News about the Key's theft should have gotten around to all the kings and queens by now.

Albert the advisor blanched, eyes bulging as he stared at the pair in front of him, eyes drifting down to Elora's dark wings. He gulped audibly, and Nyal smirked smugly at the man's expression.

"I need to speak with you, my lady," Elora stated calmly, "It's very important."

Queen Astor's smile dropped, and she looked at the other woman sadly, "I'm sorry, Keeper, I'm very busy trying to get this treaty sorted. I even have people from the Guild helping us out. I can't just step away," she explained, "But I'm holding a ball tonight, I'll make sure I can talk to you then."

Elora huffed, obviously trying not to get angry with the kind woman, "Your majesty, I don't think-"

"Look," the Queen started, "I can't change this. I understand that what you need is terribly important, but there is nothing I can do about it. Come to the ball tonight, you even can borrow a dress from my wardrobe, just ask one of the maids to sort it for you. And you can introduce me to your friend tonight too!" she smiled at Nyal sweetly, "He can borrow whatever clothes he needs too."

Nyal and Elora sighed in unison, "Thank you, my lady," Elora replied with a small curtsy, still sounded irritated. "We had best get going. We'll see you tonight." With one final glare at Albert, she turned and began to make her way back down the spiralling stairs, leaving Nyal standing outside the door still. Albert and the Queen looked to Nyal, who did nothing under their watchful gazes.

"Your majesty," Nyal said, bowing at the young woman. He turned sharply, his coat flapping around his legs. It was quicker going down the stairs than up them, and soon enough he found himself at the bottom, staring at an angry Elora. She stood, leaning against the wall, waiting for him.

When she saw him, she immediately turned, stalking down the hallway they had come from. With a sigh he hurried over to her, trying to match his pace with her own. Her wings were bristling, feathers sticking up at odd angles, matching the angry expression on her face.

"Elora," he said, trying to get her attention. It didn't work. "Elora!"

"What?" she snarled, making him flinch.

He steeled himself, trying to look her in the face. Instead, she pulled her hood up, hiding from him. He sighed, obviously she wasn't in a good mood, but he had to try and calm her down anyway.

"It's not her fault, you know," he said, ignoring the huff Elora made at his words. "She has no idea what you want to tell her. I don't think anyone has actually told her what happened to the Key yet, she must still be busy with negotiations."

"Doesn't excuse it," was all Elora said, walking much faster than he normally would. No wonder it took her and the dragon only two days to make it to Dreeva, a week away from Ammos. She sighed, "If the Gate Keeper shows up at your door, demanding something important, you let her in, do you not?"

"I guess so, but then again, she doesn't know what's going on!" Nyal defended. Yes, he was annoyed that they got brushed aside like nothing, but he knew there had to be a reason for it. "We can talk to her at her ball tonight."

"Oh? And what if the dragon makes it to the Gate while we're chatting at a ball?" Elora yelled, turning to him sharply, her green eyes flashing and her wings flaring out like she was ready to attack him. Nyal stepped back, eyes wide and fists clenched. He felt around for water, like an instinct.

Except, Elora had a point. There was a chance that the dragon could reach the Gate before they could even talk to Queen Astor. "In that case," he started, beginning to walk down the hall again, checking behind him to make sure Elora was following. "Is it really necessary for us to talk to her?"

They were finally back in the entrance hall, where the butler from before was staring at them with the same hesitant look on his face. The pair ignored him.

"Yes," Elora replied, "We need as much help as we can get."

"Then we wait, and we may as well do something while we do," Nyal told her, stopping in the middle of the hall. "Go get a dress, you'll need it. I'll get clothes later. For now, though, I'm going exploring. Might see if I can find the library."

Elora frowned at him with narrowed eyes, but all Nyal did was grin at her. "Fine, but at least find us a place to sleep for the night while you're out," she told him.

Nyal nodded, "Of course," he replied. With a sigh, Elora nodded back at him, before turning and walking over to the butler. He could faintly hear her asking about the maids. Nyal ran a hand through his hair, making his way out of the stronghold and back into the crisp air of Fiume.

He wandered for a bit, making his way onto the streets over the river. He caught sight of his tired reflection in the water, hair messy, bags under his eyes. He sighed, looking away.

That was when he spotted it, the biggest library in the realm, looking as though it floated above the river. His mouth opened wide as his eyes scaled the building. It was almost as big as Queen Astor's stronghold, and almost as beautiful. Tall windows of coloured glass scaled up the walls, towers poking out of every surface, he could only imagine how big it would be inside.

With childlike glee, Nyal ran along the many bridges and roads over the river until he found himself standing on a bridge facing the library. The sound of the water lapping against the bricks followed him into the huge building.

All he could see was books. It was nothing like the one in Dreeva. This library was just floors and floors of shelves and books. If he looked hard enough he could see the stairs that led to the higher floors, most of which overlooked the bottom one. Candles and chandeliers lit up the library, throwing a warm glow onto the old books. Tables sat in the centre, piled high with weathered tomes, some open where people were reading them. There wasn't a speck of dust in sight.

Nyal grinned, eyes wide as he stared around. He wandered between the shelves, grabbing at any book he thought looked interesting, or one that would help him. Arms spilling with books, he found the most secluded place he could, sat underneath a tall window looking over the river and the buildings on it. He read for hours, researching the Key and Gate and the Gate Keeper, reading stories from long ago, mythologies about his Gods. He almost forgot everything that troubled him.