The City of Never

We're taking a break this week, so we are releasing one of our favorite subscriber-only episodes to everyone! 

Imagine being whisked away on a journey to a mystical city at the edge of the world, where twilight reigns eternal.  A young child, predestined to discover the magical City of Never, captures a wild hippogriff with a magical halter and soars high above the city's grand towers. From there he witnesses an awe-inspiring sight as the city's towering structures shimmer in the perpetual twilight, each more majestic than the last. 

This enchanting tale, filled with mythical creatures, magical encounters, and awe-inspiring sights, promises to transport you to a world beyond imagination.

The music in this episode is Wondering by Arthur Sokolovskyi. 

Transcript

Jordan: 0:21

Welcome to Dreamful Podcast bedtime stories for slumber. I would like to start off this episode by thanking our newest supporter, Claire Bevan. Thank you so much, Claire, and I hope you have the sweetest dreams. If you would like to support the show and gain access to subscriber only episodes while receiving a shout out, visit DreamfulStoriescom and, on the support page, find a link to become a Buzzsprout supporter or subscribe via Supercast if you listen on Spotify. I'm going to be in Denver for Podcast Movement this week, so I thought it was a good time for me and editor Katie to take a week off. So this is one of our favorite subscriber only episodes the City of Never. So snuggle up in your blankets and have sweet dreams.

Jordan: 1:47

The child that played about the terraces and gardens in sight of the Surrey Hills never knew that it was he that should come to the ultimate city, never knew that he should see the underpits, the barbecans and the holy minarets of the mightiest city known. I think of him now as a child with a little red watering can going about the gardens on a summer's day that lit the warm South country, his imagination delighted with all the tales of quite little adventures and all the while there was reserved for him, that feat at which men wander Looking in other directions, away from the Surrey Hills. Through all his infancy he saw that precipice, that wall above wall and mountain above mountain stands at the edge of the world and in perpetual twilight, alone with the moon and the sun, holds up the inconceivable city of never To tread its streets. He was destined, prophecy knew it. He had the magic altar and a worn old robe. It was an old wayfaring woman had given it to him. It had the power to hold any animal whose race had never known captivity, such as the unicorn, the hippogriff, pegasus, dragons and wyverns, but with a lion draught for camel or horse, it was useless.

Jordan: 3:47

How often we have seen that city of never, the marvel of the nations. Not when it is night in the world and we can see no further than the stars, not when the sun is shining where we dwell, dazzling our eyes, but when the sun has set on some stormy days, all at once repentant at evening, and those glittering cliffs reveal themselves which we almost take to be clouds, and it is twilight with us as it is forever with them. Then, on their gleaming summits, we see those golden domes that over peer the edges of the world and seem to dance with dignity and calm in that gentle light of evening that is wonders native haunt. Then does the city of never unvisited and afar look long at our sister of the world? It had been prophesied that he should come there. They knew it when the pebbles were being made and before the isles of coral were given unto the sea, and thus the prophecy came into fulfillment and passed into history, and so it lengthed to oblivion, out of which I drag it as it goes, floating by, into which I shall one day tumble.

Jordan: 5:33

The hippogriff stands before dawn in the upper air. Long before sunrise flashes upon our lungs, they go to glitter in light that has not yet come to the world. And as the dawn works up from the ragged hills and the stars fill it, they go slanting earthwards till sunlight touches the tops of the tallest trees. Then the hippogriffs alight with the rattle of quills and fold their wings and gallop and gamble away till they come to some prosperous, wealthy, detestable town, and they leap at once from the fields and soar away from the side of it, pursued by the horrible smoke of it, until they come again to the pure blue air.

Jordan: 6:29

He whom prophecy had named from of old to come to the city of Never, went down one midnight with his magic halter to a lakeside where the hippogriffs alighted at dawn, for the turf was soft there and they could gallop far before they came to a town. When there he waited near their hoof marks and the stars paled a little and grew indistinct. But there was no other sign yet of the dawn when there appeared, far up in the deeps of the night, two little saffron specks, and four and five. It was the hippogriffs dancing and twirling around in the sun. Another flock joined them. There were twelve of them now. They danced there, flashing their colors back to the sun. They descended in wide curves, slowly Plays down on earth, revealed against the sky, jet black, each delicate twig. A star disappeared from a cluster, now another, and dawn came on like music, like a new song. Ducks shot by to the lake from still dark fields of corn. All our voices uttered, a color grew upon the water and still the hippogriffs gloried in the light, reveling up in the sky.

Jordan: 8:21

But when pigeons stirred on the branches and the first small bird was abroad and little coops from the rushes ventured to peer about, then there came down on a sudden, with the thunder of feathers, the hippogriffs. And as they landed from their celestial heights, all bathed with the days for sunlight, the man whose destiny it was, as from a vault, to come to the city of never, spring up and caught the last with the magic altar. It plunged but could not escape it, for the hippogriffs are of the uncaptured races and magic has power over the magical. So the man mounted it and it soared again for the heights once it had come, as a wounded beast goes home. But when they came to the heights, that venturous rider saw, huge and fair, to the left of him, a destined city of never. And he beheld the towers of Lel and Lak, nereb and Al-Qathuma In the glyphs of Tuldun Arba, a glistening in the twilight like alabaster stature of the evening. Towards them, he wrenched, the halter Tours, told Nereb and the underpits. The wings of the hippogriff roared as the halter turned him Of the underpits, who should tell the mystery secret?

Jordan: 10:13

It is held by some that they are the sources of night and that darkness pours from them at evening upon the world, while others, hint that knowledge of these might undo our civilization. There watched him ceaselessly from the underpits, those eyes whose duty it is, from further within and deeper the bats that while there arose. When they saw the surprise in the eyes, the centenels on the bulwarks beheld that stream of bats and lifted up their spears, as it were, for war. Nevertheless, when they perceived that that war for which they watched was not now come upon them, they lowered their spears and suffered him to enter, and he passed, worrying, through the earthward gateway.

Jordan: 11:19

Even so, he came, as were told, to the city of Neve, purged upon Tuldun Arba, and saw a late twilight on those pinnacles that know no other light. All the domes were of copper, but the spears on their summits were gold. Little steps of onyx ran this way and that with cobbled agates. Where streets are glory Through small square panes of rose quartz. The citizens looked from their houses to them as they looked abroad. The world far off seemed happy. Cloud through. That city was in one robe, always in twilight. Yet was its beauty worthy of even so lovely a wonder City and twilight were both peerless, but for each other Built of a stone unknown in the world we tread, where its bastions quarried, we know not where, but called by the gnomes a bix. So it flashed back to the twilight its glories, color for color, that none can save them. Where the boundary is and which the eternal twilight and which the city of Neve. They are the twin born children, the fairest daughters of wonder.

Jordan: 13:06

Time had been there, but not to work. Destruction, the return to a fair, pale green, the domes that were made of copper, the rest he left untouched, even he, the destroyer of cities, by what bribe I know not averted. Nevertheless, they often wept in never for change and passing away mourning catastrophes in other worlds. And they built temples, sometimes to ruin stars that had fallen flaming down from the Milky Way, giving them worship still, when by us long since forgotten other temples they have who knows what divinities. And he that was destined, alone of men, to come to the city of Neve was well content to behold it. As he trotted down its agate street with the wings of his hippogriff frilled, seeing at either side of him marvel on marvel. Then, as he neared the cities, for the rampart by which no inhabitants stirred and looked in a direction to which no houses faced was any rose-pink windows, he suddenly saw, far off, swarming the mountains, an even greater city. Whether that city was built upon the twilight or whether it rose from the coast of some other world. He did not know. He saw it dominate the city of Neve and strove to reach it. But at this unmeasured home of unknown Glossi, the hippogriff shied frantically and neither the magic halter nor anything that he did could make the monster face it At last.

Jordan: 15:32

From the City of Never, on the outskirts where no inhabitants walked, the rider turned slowly earthward. He knew now, while the windows face his way, the denizens of the twilight gazed at the world and nodded a greater than them. Then, from the last step of the earthward stairway, like lead, past the underpits and down the glittering face of Toldenabra, down from the overshadow glories of the gold-tipped city of Nevers and out of perpetual twilight, swooped the man on his winged monster. The wind that slapped at the time leaped up like a dog at the onrush. It uttered a cry and ran past them Down on the world.

Jordan: 16:36

It was morning. Night was roaming away with his cloak trailed behind him. White mist turned over and over as he went. The orb was gray but it glittered. Lights blinked surprisingly in early windows. Fourth, over wet, dim fields went cows from their houses. Even in this hour touched the fields again the feet of the hippogriff In the moment that the man dismounted and took off his magic halter, the hippogriff flew, slanting away with a whir, going back to some airy dancing place of his people.

Jordan: 17:27

And he, as her mounted, glittering, told Narba and came alone of men to the city of Nevers, has his name and his fame among nations, the tea and the people of that twilt city know two things unguessed by other men they that there is another city fairer than theirs, and he a deed unaccomplished. The child that played about the terraces and gardens in sight of the Surrey Hills never knew that it was he that should come to the ultimate city, never knew that he should see the underpits, the barbecans and the holy minarets of the mightiest city known. I think of him now as a child with a little red watering can, going about the gardens on a summer's day that lit the warm South Country, his imagination delighted with all the tales of quite little adventures. And all the while there was reserve for him, that feat at which men wander Going in other directions away from the Surrey Hills. Through all his infancy he saw that precipice that, wall above wall and mountain above mountain, stands at the edge of the world and in perpetual twilight, alone with the moon and the sun, holds up the inconceivable city of Nevers To tread its streets. He was destined, prophecy knew it. He had the magic altar and a worn old rope. It was an old wayfaring woman had given it to him. It had the power to hold any animal whose race had never known captivity, such as the unicorn, the hippogriff, pegasus, dragons and wyverns, but with a lion, drapher, camel or horse, it was useless.

Jordan: 20:07

How often we have seen that city of Nevers, the marvel of the nations. Not when it is night in the world and we can see no further than the stars, not when the sun is shining where we dwell, dazzling our eyes, but when the sun has set on some stormy days, all at once, repentant at evening, and those glittering cliffs reveal themselves, which we almost take to be clouds, and it is twilight with us as it is forever with them. Then, on their claiming summits, we see those golden domes that over peer the edges of the world and seem to dance with dignity and calm in that gentle light of evening that is wonders, native haunt. When does the city of Nevers, unvisited and afar, look long at her sister of the world? It had been prophesied that he should come there. They knew it when the pebbles were being made and before the isles of coral were given unto the sea. And thus the prophecy came unto fulfillment and passed into history, and so at length, to oblivion, out of which I drag it as it goes, floating by, into which I shall one day tumble.

Jordan: 21:52

The Hippogriff stands before dawn in the upper air, long before sunrise flashes upon our lungs, they go to glitter in light that has not yet come to the world, and as the dawn works out from the ragged hills and the stars fill it, they go slanting earthwards till sunlight touches the tops of the tallest trees and the Hippogriffs alight with the rattle of quills and fold their wings and gallop and gamble away till they come to some prosperous, wealthy, detestable town, and they leap at once from the fields and soar away from the side of it, pursued by the horrible smoke of it, until they come again to the pure blue air. He, whom prophecy had named from of old to come to the city of never, went down one midnight with his magic altar to a lakeside where the Hippogriffs alighted at dawn Before. The turf was soft there and they could gallop far before they came to a town, and there he waited near their hoof marks and the stars paled a little and grew indistinct. But there was no other sign yet of the dawn when there appeared, far up in the deeps of the night, two little saffron specks, then four and five. It was the Hippogriffs dancing and twirling around in the sun. Another flock joined them, there were twelve of them now. They danced there, flashing their colors back to the sun. They descended in wide curves, slowly, trees down on earth revealed against the sky, jet black, each delicate twig. A star disappeared from a cluster, now another. And dawn came on like music, like a new song. Sharks shot by to the lake from still dark fields of corn, far voices uttered A color grew upon the water and still the Hippogriffs gloried in the light, reveling up in the sky.

Jordan: 24:40

But when pigeons stirred on the branches and the first small bird was abroad and little coops from the rushes ventured to peer about, then there came down on a sudden, with the thunder of feathers, the Hippogriffs, and as they landed from their celestial heights, all bathed with the days for sunlight, the man whose destiny it was, as from a volt, to come to the city of Never spring up and caught the last with the magic altar. It plunged but could not escape it, for the Hippogriffs are of the uncaptured races, and magic has power over the magical. So the man mounted it and it soared again for the heights, once it had come, as a wounded beast goes home. But when they came to the heights, that venturous rider saw, huge and fair, to the left of him, the destined city of Never, and he beheld the towers of Lel and Lek, nereb and Al-Qathouma In the glyphs of Tuldun Arba, a glistening in the twilight like alabaster's statue of the evening. To them he wrenched.

Jordan: 26:13

The halter Tours, told Nereb. In the underpits, the wings of the Hippogriff roared as the halter turned him. Of the underpits, who should tell? The mystery is secret. It is held by some that they are the sources of night and that darkness pours from them at evening upon the world, while others hint that knowledge of these might undo our civilization.

Jordan: 26:51

There watched him ceaselessly from the underpits, those eyes whose duty it is. From further within and deeper, the bats that dwell there arose when they saw the surprise in the eyes. The centenels on the bulwarks beheld that stream of bats and lifted up their spears, as it were for war. Nevertheless, when they perceived that that war for which they watched was not now come upon them. They lowered their spears and suffered him to enter. Then he passed, whirring through the earthward gateway.

Jordan: 27:38

Even so, he came, as were told, to the city of Never, purged upon Tolden Arba, and saw a light, twilight on those pinnacles that know no other light, while the domes were of copper but the spires on their summits were gold. Little steps of onyx ran this way, and that with cobbled agates. Where its streets are glory Through small square panes of rose quartz. The citizens looked from their houses to them as they looked abroad. The world far off seemed happy. Cloud through. That city was in one robe, always in twilight. Yet was its beauty worthy of even so lovely a wonder City and twilight were both peerless, but for each other Most of a stone, unknown in the world we tread. Where its bastions quarried, we know not where, but called by the gnomes a bix. So it flashed back to the twilight its glories, color for color that none can save them. Where the boundary is, and which? The eternal twilight and which the city of Never. They are the twin born children, the fairest daughters of wonder.

Jordan: 29:26

Time had been there, but not to work destruction. He had turned to a fair, pale green. The domes that were made of copper. The rest he left untouched, even he, the destroyer of cities, by what bribe I know not averted. Nevertheless, they often wept in Never for change and passing away mourning catastrophes in other worlds. And they built temples, sometimes to ruin stars that had fallen flaming down from the Milky Way, giving them worship still when by us long since forgotten, other temples they have who knows what divinities.

Jordan: 30:25

And he that was destined alone of men to come to the city of Never was well content to behold it as he trotted down its agate street with the wings of his hippogriff world, seeing at either side of him marvel on marvel. Then, as he neared the cities for the rampart by which no inhabitant stirred and looked in a direction to which no house is faced was any rose, pink windows, he suddenly saw far off, dwarfing the mountains, an even greater city. Whether that city was built upon the twilight or whether it rose from the coast of some other world, he did not know. He saw it dominate the city of Never and strove to reach it. But at this unmeasured home of unknown colossi, the hippogriff shied frantically and neither the magic halter nor anything that he did could make the monster face it At last, from the city of Never's lonely outskirts where no inhabitants walked.

Jordan: 31:57

The rider turned slowly earthward. He knew now, while the windows face this way, the denizens of the twilight gazed at the world and not at a greater than them. Then, from the last step of the earthward stairway, like lead, past the under pits and down the glittering face of Toldenabra, down from the overshadowed glories of the gold tipped city of Never, and out of perpetual twilight swooped the man on his winged monster. The wind that slept at the time leaped up like a dog at their onrush. It uttered a cry and ran past them, down on the world.

Jordan: 32:55

It was morning, light was roaming away with his cloak trailed behind him. White mist turned over and over as he went. The orb was grey but it glittered Lights blinked surprisingly in early windows. Fourth, over wet, dim fields went cows from their houses. Then, in this hour, touched the fields again the feet of the hippogriff. In the moment that the man dismounted and took off his magic halter, the hippogriff flew slanting away with a whir, going back to some airy dancing place of his people. And he, as her mounted, glittering, told Narba and came alone of men to the city of Never as his name and his fame among nations. But he and the people of that twilt city know two things unguessed by other men they that there is another city fairer than theirs, and he a deed unaccomplished. You.