As Aleera and I entered, the closing door behind us released a sound of a distant bird which was quickly repced by a slightly echoing thundercp when they closed. I look at the corners—at the hinges which are taller than me—and realize the giant gates, like the door Aleera and I just passed through, open inwards. Thick bck rings are thrown across the inner surface of the gates, close to the middle.

  I look around me in awe. We are thrown inside another world that took the form of a long and tall corridor. If they left the gates open Nibbles could've easily flown us through the length of it. Despite all of the open space inside the cliff, the corridor is surprisingly well-lit. This pce must use more crystals than my entire moss. Hanging on iron chains, far above, are wide shallow gss ptes brimming with shiny blue and some yellow crystals. Most of them are left in their raw natural form, but there are some spherically carved ones.

  Two fat lines of highly polished bronze, in the far upper reaches of the corridor—fnking the sides of the space—deflect the light of the crystals, making the vastness which swallows us feel less...void-like. Together with the ones in carved niches, there are scores upon scores of Cobalts and Ambers lighting the corridor.

  While the facade was dull in color this straight maw is alive with it.

  Shallow carved decorative arches continue on both sides until the distance devours them—they remind me of the southeastern waterway Aleera and I saw. Well...a little bit anyway. On the undersides of the shallow arches, there are bronze cast flowers neatly arranged to follow the inside curvature of each. Within the tops of most, pced in special nooks far above, bundles of fist-sized fully charged Cobalts shine. Their blue light also spills over the fat lines of the shiny bronze.

  Essentially, the sides of the looming entrance corridor are an imitation of a colonnade with shallow carved pilrs and polished bronze-cd entabture.

  I see the gray sky above me with strange patches of blue. The vivid frescoes of the high vaulted ceiling depict carvings that are not there, giving me the false impression of the open sky. During our stride forward—always forward—I continue to look up at the row of continuing vaults, each with its own colorful mural paintings.

  Ahead, three figures draped in violet coats pass to our left. ''Sister,'' one of the women among them nods to Aleera in acknowledgment as the trio continues to move behind.

  I look at the space around me. ''Is everything big in this pce?'' I notice there is no echo following my voice. I like that.

  ''Yes, girl. There is a world, deep inside this cliff.'' Aleera notices my parched lips and stops. She then pulls a waterskin out of the bag hanging at her left hip and gives it to me.

  ''Thank you.'' I haven't drank water in days. I forgot. Even though I'm not that thirsty I gdly take a few sips. I give her back the waterskin and wipe my mouth with the red cloak.

  From what I know this corridor leads to the central chamber which is supposedly ″the most magnanimous space of all the Academy,″ if Imani is to be believed. We continue our marching for what seems a smidgen of eternity and my mind starts to escape this...Throat of the cliff?

  The tip of my finger runs across the small fluffy pouch of my left ear. Thoughts of home are never far. I'd wish to have brought with me the exquisitely made earrings of Viridian, carved by my father as a gift for my ninth spring but someone might steal them and we are not allowed to bring jewelry with us. I cheated this a little with my bronze fibu which csps the simple, blood-red, thickly-woven woolen cloak, at my right shoulder. The round, ring-shaped fibu has a sturdy pin whose head is shaped like a lion's one. The head of the lion is no bigger than a nail but highly eborate, with the addition of two tiny green crystals for the eyes, expertly shaped by my father into spheres. He wanted to sell it, but after noticing how much I liked it he gave it to me. The brooch is a small enameled work of art but it would look pin to most people so I doubt anyone will notice.

  After passing through the gullet of this stone monster the corridor ends in a simir way it began, with another rge gate and a smaller doorway to the side, leading us to what I assume is its belly.