18: Ryann
Ryann
When the door opened, Ryann stepped through into a light, airy courtyard, the walls high enough that, at this time of the afternoon, the sun didn’t directly hit the ground. It was a relief from the sapping heat outside.
A tall woman with blue skin stepped from an opening and signalled Ryann to follow. The woman wore a brightly-coloured wrap and had bare feet, with a bracelet around her left ankle. Tied-back hair reached between her powerful-looking shoulder-blades.
The woman led Ryann along a chilled corridor, the walls adorned with relics behind glass and images that didn’t move. At first glance it wasn’t clear if they were genuine antique paintings—in which case they were in extremely good condition—or images on cleverly-disguised terminals.
The pale blue woman s
