The View Through the Pōrteacaleum [Special POV: ‘The Mapmaker’]
The Pōrteacaleum activated and shimmered from onyx, sterling to pearl until it changed to show the grand cabinet suite of the High King of the Pōrteac Lands. The wood panes of the window across the way could show the shutters were open to let in a breeze and a few cerasōs blossoms had blown in to coat the dark wood of the regal desk. The mixture of pale pink petals with light rose caused a light marbling to appear on top of the wide surface.
A tall figure stood towards the back stood. His long fingers pulled out a long record before scrolling it, a few strands of long iridescent silver hair fell. His head tilted to the side, mismatched eyes catching the gaze of 'the mapmaker' on the other side of the two-way Pōrteacaleum mirror.
"Any news?"
"I've found what you have been searching for, old friend."
This time, the king turned fully, dropping the scroll on his desk when he strode over with purposeful steps.
"Who is she?"
The Mapmaker adjusted his useless glasses with a smirk on his tan lips. "How do you know they are a girl? It could be a male."
The Mapmaker watched as his old friend's eyes narrowed. He stayed silent. His grin widened as he watched the king's calm facade begin to crumble and his left eye started to twitch in irritation. The Mapmaker threw his head back in laughter.
He glanced out of his own window towards the entrance to Širdkryp-Gardinōs. His eyes lost some of their mirth.
"She's quite young. Far too young for you."
"How did you find her?" The king demanded, leaning towards his Pōrteacaleum mirror as if he could reach the Mapmaker through it. The Mapmaker's lips quirked. His friend was indeed an odd being. So patient with his people and yet with his side projects, well only the Mapmaker knew quite how he could be.
"She freed some winged Nameless from an Anti-Pōrteacaleum cage." He watched as the king's features melted into disappointment.
"This was after, of course, showing she could glamour herself to suit her surroundings. Further tested by a couple of others and it seems she can do it to herself and others if they are in contact with her."
The king turned away, this time with a different sort of look in his eyes. His wings unfurled sparkling; as if they were embedded with starlight. The tips of the wings twitched, and the Mapmaker grinned, seeing his stoic friend show such emotion.
"Where is she now?"
"Two newly named Elem, Aelius and Eirlys, took her to Širdkryp-Gardinōs. It seems she needed time to heal, and they believed it would be the safest place for her."
The king leaned down to grab the scroll that he had abandoned previously on his desk. His eyes perused the document before setting it down in view of the mirror. The Mapmaker could make it out to be a census on the desk.
The king then let out a long sigh and muttered, "At last some Nameless have received names…" he turned back towards 'the Mapmaker', his eyes glinting in the light of their rising moons. The High King almost seemed to shimmer in the light. "So they've bonded to her, then?"
"I expect they will. They are still young." 'The Mapmaker' remembered when he'd found out they'd received their name. The initial anger he'd felt had the odd sense of having something taken away that had risen within him. He let out a long sigh. "They were among the several whom she released. They were persistent in taking care of her."
"They will not be the last to be named by her."
'The Mapmaker' held his breath waiting for what would be said next, but the king didn't continue.
"Then will we be able to come home?"
The king looked back at the 'Mapmaker', whose heart caught in his throat at the fierce look of determination in the king's glinting eyes.
"We will see."
[End of Special POV Chapter]