Welcome to Koy City

Lily paused on a grassy outcrop to stare down at the city of Koy.

Sunlight fell across wide streets and tall buildings. Green covered most of the ruined sky-scrapers and from what she could see, the city was a lot like Zarima.

Except, for two important differences.

Here, buildings had been painted at one point in their history. Whether roof or wall, whether stone or steel, all surfaces were covered in faded blues, pinks and yellows. How strange, she thought. But the second difference was more important.

Exciting, too.

Vehicles.

Koy actually had working vehicles!

Or at least one. Below, a small shape moved along the streets. It stirred dust with its wheels and seemed to carry armed men but she couldn’t be sure. When it drove somewhere out of sight, Lily almost found herself leaning over the outcrop to keep watching.

Gabriel’s touch on her shoulder stopped her. [Careful.] He signed with his free hand. His rifle and pack sat beside him where he crouched nearby.

She chuckled. [I will.]

“Apparently they have a dozen,” Sasha said. The golden tint to her skin was quite lovely beneath the sun. “They call them Yons. But the Warden of Koy rarely sent traders by yon, so I haven’t seen them that many times.”

“What else can you tell us about her?” Lily asked, signing as she spoke. “I remember you saying she was unpredictable?”

“Well, that’s what I heard. I know the traders were very precise about measurements and quantities.”

“As though they thought you would cheat them?”

“Maybe more that they were worried about not returning with the right amount of honey. I’m sorry, it’s not much. The traders never really talked about her.”

Lily translated for her brother.

[This makes me wonder what kind of welcome we’ll receive down there.]

“But we have to pass through no matter what, according to Virren’s map,” Lily said.

Gabriel turned both hands over in the gesture for uncertainty.

“That means ‘maybe’, doesn’t it?” Sasha asked.

She’s learning the common signs quickly, Lily thought. Which was a relief, since it meant that soon enough, Lily wouldn’t have to translate every conversation. “Pretty much. It can also mean ‘I’m not sure’. Gabe?”

[Tomorrow, Blue and Emerald should wake. If that city down there ends up being dangerous, we could think about flying over it.]

He was right… but also wrong. “But we’d have to leave Sasha behind.”

[Not necessarily,] he replied with a grin. [We could just carry her. Not all the way to the Ringwood, but I think we could manage at least beyond Koy, if we need to.]

“Maybe.”

Sasha’s eyes were wide. “Carry me? Through the sky?”

Gabriel nodded.

“Oh…”

Lily sighed. “I don’t know if that’s even possible. We’d have to ask the kami.”

[Good point. So, where does that leave us for today? Do we still seek out the people of Koy, or not?]

Lily nodded slowly. “I think we do. We need to barter for things we need. More food for one. And weapons. Or even a vehicle? I know it’s probably impossible to outrun the Silver Kami, even with a yon, but let’s stick to the original plan.”

“It will be easier once they recognise me as Olana,” Sasha added.

Gabriel lifted his rifle. [Down we go then.]

“Right.” Lily led them through the shrubs, along a dirt trail and back to the road they’d been travelling since leaving the Olana.

Like all the roads beyond Darkmoor, the surface was made from stone and showed occasional evidence of repair. Another reminder that Koy had more resources than other places. And more power, she told herself. If not, they couldn’t spare people to maintain roads in the first place.

The green-clad sky-scrapers rose up before them with every step closer. Here, vines were joined by plants with wide leaves. They grew from the windows and covered the walls in dense patches. But something man-made was also clear – flashing mirrors.

Lily pointed. “Look.”

The mirrors seemed quite large from a distance. And the flickering light made by the nearest was soon answered from another sky-scraper, further in.

[They’re being moved.] Gabriel said. [Probably as a warning.]

“About us?” Lily asked.

[It seems likely.]

Sasha pushed up her sleeves, as if to reveal more of the golden tint to her skin. “I don’t know if this will help.”

On they walked, sometimes passing buildings where openings had been filled with soft-coloured rubble. Other entries held only deep shadow. Elsewhere, flowering plants climbed up from stairs that led underground.

But cutting through all the overgrowth were clean lines of the streets.

At least, some of those Lily noticed were clear. Obviously, Koy gave extra attention to streets used by vehicles. And the thoroughfare that stretched before her now actually held one.

Was it the yon that she’d seen before? The vehicle was too distant to make out clearly, but it seemed to be white and silver.

Someone leapt from the back, calling to others as they landed.

The figure carried a gun of some sort and held it ready as they approached.

Sasha stepped forward and raised her voice. “I am Sasha from the Olana. We have come to trade.”

But the figure, close enough that Lily could now recognise a bearded man, did not respond.

He only advanced.

Weapon pointed directly at Sasha.