The City of Ionia

The city burst into celebration. People sang contentedly, cracking jokes with sizzling mugs of booze; children raced around the streets, occasionally bumping into someone by accident. No one cared. They went on without skipping a beat.

Music traveled through the city’s radius. On every corner, people danced in celebrations as if nothing mattered. No one cared. Not a soul.

“It’s quite frightening how people live like this.”

“C’mon, Nadia, don’t be such a letdown. This is every party animal dream.”

“Don’t touch me.”

Harley stuck out her tongue, spinning around with the dancing crowd. She could go on forever. She wanted to, but Ruby pulled her out.

“We’re not here for that,” she said.

Harley sulked. “C’mon! It’s Walisburg—the musical city. Let me enjoy while I’m here.”

“I said, we're not here for that.”

Harley didn’t bother arguing further. Ruby’s right; it wasn’t the reason why they were here.

“Hey, Ruby, who must’ve told the king about Zen?” Jeremy asked.

“Probably merchants. They spread news and gossip like wildfire.”

They squeezed through the crowd, occasionally looking back to ensure no one slipped away. The noise level was like a tornado’s, though instead of the cruel wind ripping skin away, musical notes slapped their eardrums, making communicating difficult. Every word had to be shouted.

They closed in on their destination. A white and gold filigree palace soared tall on a pedestal, encasing a massive purple lotus bloom as its shell. No other building reached that height. It was seen from every angle—the Royal Palace.

After hassling through the crowd, they reached the stairway to the entrance, where their jaws fell to the floor.

“I’m not climbing all those stairs.”

“Too bad, Jeremy. We’re invited, so it’s a must. Look on the bright side. We get delicious food afterward.”

“Are you saying my food isn’t delicious?”

Harley didn’t skip a beat and headed towards the top.

“Hey! Answer me, Harley! Ruby, Ruby, my food is delicious, right? Right? Please say something.”

“Without a doubt.”

After a year-long climb, they finally made it to the palace doors. The palace sat alone in the city's heart, looking below everyone. Torches the size of Jeremy were stabbed within the decorated pillars. The wooden door was paired with two abnormally large, half-circle handles. The door itself was larger than a handful of structures. A pair of guards stood by the door. Their spears looked cleaner than their chained armor. They were covered head-to-toe. Was it for security reasons, or must they be heavily equipped? It must’ve been a bother to move around.

“Names?”

“Ruby, leader of the Bariac Cult. We’ve been invited for dinner by the king.”

The guards nodded at each other and opened a miniature door adjacent to the giant one.

“Does that door not work?” Jeremy asked, disappointed.

“The mega door is only for show, unfortunately.”

“What!” That’s a letdown and a half. Who's the dumbass responsible for this industrial waste!”

Ruby knocked the back of his head. “Apologizes for the unwarranted remark.” She glared at Jeremy and whispered, “Show some decency.”

They entered the palace and were bombarded by the unique lighting. Glittering braziers surrounded each of the plethora of marble columns, illuminating most, if not all, of the room. A blood-red carpet wide enough to be a river formed a path from the entrance to the empty throne. A black marble staircase led to the golden throne, which stood bright under a chandelier.

Nadia muttered under her breath as she took in the scene. “This place is remarkable.”

“Imagine the food we’ll be receiving.”

“Is that why you begged to come?”

“No, I offered to tag along because Jill opted out. Obviously, I will take a trip to Walisburg without hesitation.”

“No—you're just a glutton.”

Ruby turned her head, demanding Harley and Jeremy to lower their voices. Nadia and Ruby spoke to the guards as they guided them through the palace. It was no maze but massive enough to lose your sense of direction.

The guards pointed at a door, telling them to wait for further instructions. Next to the door stood a woman in a green cloak with a hood over her head.

“Oh my, your outfit is so cute!”

“Wait, Harley, don’t run in the halls!”

Harley ignored Ruby’s commands and inspected the women’s clothing. “All green? Is green your favorite? Oh, a skirt. It makes your knees look perfectly round and cute. And your hood, take it off. I want to see your hair.”

Ruby grabbed Harley and flung her away from the green woman. “Apologies for the inconvenience,” she bowed. “I swear on my name it won’t happen again.”

The women responded. “My, my, I don’t mind. In fact, it’s a delight to find someone with a similar sense of style.”

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes! We should totally go shopping, right? Ruby, hey Ruby, please can we go shopping?”

“Enough already. Forgive me once again for the trouble we’re causing.”

Trouble? What trouble? How did meeting someone with excellent taste in fashion cause any trouble?

“No need to apologize. You're our guest, so it’s only fair to get excited. The king should be out shortly. In the meantime, please patiently—”

Just before she finished her words, the door swung open, bouncing off the wall.

“The visitors may enter.”

“Your Majesty, may I remind you not to burst the door open? Replacements are hard to come by.”

“Forgive my carelessness, Syliva.” He cleared his froggy throat. “Members of the Bariac Cult, welcome to the Royal Palace. Please enter and have a seat at the round table.”

The king had some width to him, similar to Randy. His shoulder-length hair was the same color as the clear night sky, and his beard was cleanly trimmed to style. He didn’t dress as a true king. Typically, one would expect a royal king to dress in fancy robes with gold and a red crown. But he was different. He wore a maroon-black, ankle-length cardigan with a white tee underneath.

A large seating area with velvet cushions and gold ornamentation sat at the center of the room, encircled by large columns. A glass table was in the middle of the seating area. The air was thick with the aroma of candles and something brewing, though Harley couldn't put her finger on it.

A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, glistening with light that created an inviting warmth around the room. Everything in the environment was meant to dazzle and astound. Every element, from the rich fabrics of the drapes to the intricate patterns on the silverware, had been carefully picked to express the king's power.

“The seats are so cushiony,” Jeremy said, bopping his body on the purple cushion.

Nadia threw an opinion of her own. “I prefer the wooden ones back home.”

“Nostalgia kicking in?”

“Nothing nostalgic about it? I’m comfortable with what I’m comfortable with.”

“Ya, Jeremy, quit biting into everyone’s opinion.”

He threw his hands up. “How in the—y’know what, I’m not even gonna comment.”

Oh, when did he decide to mature?

Harley opened her mouth but was hushed by a raspy voice.

“Forgive my rudeness for leaving you all. Make yourself at home. We’ve prepared a special meal for the celebration. Shall we rejoice with an appetizer?”

“Pardon, Your Majesty—”

“Formality is not required. Refer to me as Stark.”

Ruby’s face told the story. She didn’t expect the king to be so laid back.

“If you insist, Your—I mean, Stark. I suggest we should introduce ourselves before anything. If that’s ok with you.”

He smiled broadly through his trimmed thorns. “Absolutely. You mind doing the honors?”

Ruby stood up. “Sitting next to me is Jeremy. He insisted on going since one of our original guests couldn’t make it. That’s Harley, the woman with bracelets climbing up her forearm. She’s an irreplaceable member of our cult. A hard-working and iron-minded vessel of determination. Next to her is Nadia, squad leader of the elites in the Baraic Cult. The credit for most of our success goes to her. She’s the most reliable person I know. Whenever I need something done, she’s the one who finishes the job without question. I can always rely on her for that. And I, Ruby, leader of the Baraic Cult. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Maj—Stark.”

He clapped as if he were watching a performance. “Wonderful. The amount of pride and passion your voice expresses when speaking to your peers is amazing. I envy that. Now, before anything, there’s something I’d like to bring out.”

He clapped his hands hard enough for the sound to bounce off the walls. If he were in the forest, birds would’ve flocked out of the trees. A clap so mighty that thunder would have competition.

“So I don’t get a cool introduction?” Jeremy asked, disappointed.

Ruby smiled back. “Let’s not.”

A man in white and black, presumably a butler, entered the room with a tray raised by his neck. He elegantly placed the tray onto the glass table and left with a thankful gesture from the king. In the circular tray was a silver teapot and cups. They were plain silver, lacking the luxury the room had. It looked as though he bought it from a local shop.

“Allow me.”

Ruby instantly got up. “No, no, I can’t allow royalty to serve tea? Allow me.”

“You are my guest and should be treated as one. As a host, I must care for the guests. The honor is mine.”

Stark poured their tea as Ruby took her seat. Steam emitted from the cup. The fragrance of floral sweetness captivated Harley. She grabbed a cup and took an eye-opening sip. The delicate, floral taste of tea filled her mouth, leaving a gentle sweetness lingering in the back of her throat. It was light and refreshing, with a subtle sweetness that made it perfect.

“So this is what royalty tastes like? It’s amazing!”

“That’s the most accurate thing you said today, Jeremy. It really is amazing.”

“I know, right—hey—what exactly do you mean by that?”

Nadia spoke her mind, complementing the taste. She covered her mouth while sipping the cup, trying to appear elegant. Who was going to tell Nadia that she looked silly rather than formal?

“Oh, wow, this tea is brewed beautifully. Your butlers must have magical fingers,” Ruby joked, followed by a titter.

Harley wasn’t sure why Ruby attempted to spout something weird. On top of that, she snickered at her own joke. Comedy wasn’t her thing.

Stark smirked with innocence. “My butlers don’t brew tea. To be truthful, I deny them access to it. My hands brew the tea that is salivating in your mouths.”

“A king making his own tea,” Nadia questioned, “That’s unheard of. Not to sound blunt, but don’t you have things of more importance than to brew tea?”

“Who cares? It tastes amazing!”

“Zip it, Jeremy.”

“Am I wrong?”

Ruby jumped in. “Does it hurt to not be ill-mannered for once? I apologize on their behalf, Your—Stark.”

“There is no need for an apology. Truthfully, this is exactly what I hoped for: people coming together while sipping tea. It is fascinating how a simple, elegant drink opens the hearts of many—including my own. Leader of the Bariac Cult, Ruby, this may be a strange question, but answer truthfully. Do you perhaps believe in a God?”

“I’m more of an atheist.”

“I believe the question rolled off the tongue wrong. I meant to ask if you believe in the God within and what it carries.”

Everyone was silenced as Ruby was placed in the spotlight. She shook her head, not knowing what the king meant.

“Let’s take a step back. What did man believe in to create such beauty? I shall answer the question on your behalf. They deeply believed in a God. It is so compelling that they attempted to imitate its beauty. The more they imitate, the stronger their bond with their inner God becomes. Their God intertwines with their heart, sheltering beauty closer.”

“Are you saying we create our God based on what we find beautiful?”

“There’s no clarity from where God comes from. If it’s man-made, it is destined not to be perfect. Neither God nor beauty is linear.”

“That’s not a reliable God,” said Nadia, who continued to cover her mouth while sipping.

“Correct, it’s not. It’s a biased God that bends people’s thoughts. It’s no better than a fraud. But when a person is faced with beauty; when their hearts get sucked in; when their unwavering determination kicks in; when they love something so much; that unreliable God is there. The God within is stubborn. The God within supports. Presumably crafted by man, it bands us together, hovering behind when we believe. When we find beauty, God's touch is felt, gifting great power. The more beauty you find, the more powerful your God will be. The feeling of obtaining such a power really makes one appreciate beauty even more.”

A simple explanation would’ve worked. Instead, Stark's words spun Harley’s brain around.