They walked into the base of the tower and entered a large basket connected to ropes that went all the way to the top. With a quick jerk, the basket quickly began to go up.
When they reached the top, Sara could see for miles in all directions.
A Vesuvian working the winch locked it in place so the basket wouldn't fall and grabbed a lever. “Ready?” he asked.
“Hang on,” Leon said.
Sara grabbed the basket's support ropes and braced herself.
With a nod from Leon, the Vesuvian pulled the lever, sending the basket off on its way along a set of cables.
It was only a matter of seconds till the basket was racing through the air.
Leon was leaned against the edge of the basket with his legs crossed, slightly amused.
Sara, however, was hit with an adrenaline rush she'd never experienced before. She looked down and saw the buildings far below zooming past.
A good minute later, they reached the next tower.
Leon pointed to continue on.
The Vesuvian manning the tower worked several winches and pulled a lever to send the basket further into the city.
At this point, Sara began to see a few other baskets in the distance traveling between towers. After the sixth, she could see even more racing through the air. “This is neat!” She said.
Leon looked over the edge. “Almost there.”
After several more towers, Leon pointed down, instructing the Vesuvian to lower the basket.
Sara stepped out. “We definitely have to do that again!”
“Perhaps, maybe on the way back,” Leon said. “There’s going to be a lot of people here so try to keep up.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Before stepping out of the tower, Sara could certainly tell that there was more hustle and bustle going on in the city. She stuck close to Leon as they passed numerous Vesuvians, some minding her, others not paying any attention at all.
Carl, clearly a Remia, stepped in front of Leon and Sara. “I don't care what you say. You're getting an escort whether you like it or not.”
“Just tell them to keep their distance,” Leon said, walking around Carl.
Even at mid-evening and with the sun completely blocked, Sara could see everything as well as on a gloomy day. The size of the buildings impressed her the most. Many were several dozen stories high.
Before long they were standing in front of the tallest building in Vesuvia. It was so massive it actually looked like several buildings put together.
“Here we are,” Leon said.
“The Council is inside this building?” Sara asked, looking up in awe. “I hope you have something other than stairs.”
“I hate to disappoint you this time but...”
Sara's shoulders dropped like anchors.
“It won't take too long,” said Leon, leading the way.
Inside, the building was well lit with torches. At both sides of the lobby were dozens of circular nooks with a platform inside.
Leon and Sara stepped into one. A small tug on a rope, coming from a hole in the ceiling and into the floor, sent the platform on its way up.
“You should have seen the look on your face.” Leon said.
Sara did her best not to smile. “You're a joker, huh?”
The platform moved much slower than the baskets between the towers. The sound of gears turning was a clue as to how it all worked. With each floor that passed, Sara could see some of what went on. Much of what she saw though were smaller lobbies for that floor, but the rest seemed strange – one floor had literally a giant pool of blood. Another reminded Sara of the ballroom at the Citadel. In others, the various Houses worked hard at mastering their powers.
“What exactly goes on here?” Sara asked.
“It's a highly exclusive building for the elite, but not like your Elites,” Leon said. “Here we have the older, more powerful Vesuvians who've earned the privilege to reside here.”
“How about you? Do you have a place here?”
“No, I'm only allowed in here 'cause my parents are in the Council. But there really isn’t much you can do here that you can't do elsewhere.”
“Then why bother?”
“Well...it's like I said, the best are here. You can go to another building and they'll have pretty much the same facilities, but Vesuvians there won't be as powerful as the ones here.”
“So are all Vesuvians are trying to get in this one tower?”
“No, no, no. Only a small fraction even tries, and of those that do make it, even fewer wind up here.”
The platform finally reached the top. Sara was reminded of the Great Hall. At the center of an enormous room, seven Vesuvians sat or stood about a huge, triangular table.
“Have a seat,” Alexia said. The one thing that immediately stuck out to Sara was her red highlights flowing through her black hair.
“Good evening, Leon,” said Sagan, an Orlok. He was grotesque almost beyond words. He had no hair whatsoever, wrinkly skin, pointy ears and a mouthful of sharp teeth.
“I see why it took you so long to get back,” Denzso said. He appeared similar in age to Arthur, but his biceps alone were the size of a child’s head.
Everyone sat, Sara with Leon on one side and Marus on the other.
“I'd like you all to meet Sara,” Leon said.
Marus was almost covered completely from head-to-toe in clothing. The oddity being a long trench coat with a popped collar that went up to his eyes, gloves, and a tricorne hat. “Pleasure to meet you,” he said. “It's been some time since I've seen a human.”
“As you can see,” Leon began. “Each person here belongs to a different House. Marus here is a Turin. Alexia is a Doran. You probably guessed what Houses Denzso and Sagan are from. Gavin over there is a Liro. This pretty lady here from the Kanara is Helen, and the half-naked Siena there is Jaren.”
Sara looked over at Jaren. He was shirtless, reclined in his seat with both feet on the table. With a grin, he winked and quickly flickered his tongue at her.
Sara recoiled slightly. “I thought everyone on the Council was old.”
“What you consider old may as well be a toddler to us,” Helen said. “Everyone here is at least a thousand years old.”
“Oy!” said Gavin. “I got four years till I cross that line! Not that I care what any yous think, but I take pride in being the young one here.”
“Gavin, please,” Helen said, tiredly. “Leon, we were beginning to think something happened to you.”
Denzso sighed. “Tomorrow we have Khothu and Hegiran representatives meeting with us to discuss our options on how to deal with the invasion.”
“Excuse me,” Sara interrupted. “I understand the concern for your afterlife, but how does it affect you here, now? Aren't your dead capable of fending for themselves? There must be countless Rheans who've passed over. I'm sure if they joined forces-”
“It's a little more complicated than that,” Leon said.
Alexia spoke. “When we cross over, we become immortal, however, we lose our inherent abilities. With the invasion of the Pelasgians, many are being driven to portals that lead back to Rhea. Our dead can only exist for several days here before they completely decay, and reemerge in the Netherworld. It is only a matter of time before the Pelasgians begin to overrun them and we're stuck with a refugee crisis we can't handle.”
Sara asked. “Not to sound heartless, but if push comes to shove, can't you close the portals?”
“No,” Alexia answered. “The ruler of the Netherworld, Lilith, opened them. She is the only one who can close them. Aside from that, it's very much in our best interests to help Lilith.”
“Where do the humans stand?” Denzso asked.
“My people need me to verify all of this and for the time being have extended an offer of truce,” Sara said.
Denzso laughed. “I suppose it'll take nothing less than seeing the Shadow Realm for yourself?”
“It'd certainly help.”
; “You're tired, Sara,” Helen said. “Perhaps after some rest, you can join us tomorrow with the Khothu and the Hegiran. Maybe with some input from them you won't have to undertake such a dangerous quest.”
Sara wasn't about to argue with a mind reader. 'Tired' was an understatement. She couldn’t stop thinking about a bed. “I can't wait to see my room.”
“Stay with Leon,” Jaren said. “Word of your arrival has already spread throughout the city. You'll be safest with him. As unfortunate as it is, there are certain individuals who may find the smell of human blood irresistible.”
“Aye,” Gavin said. “They'll think twice before messin’ with Leon.”
Denzso stood. “This meeting is adjourned, then. Leon, we'll send for you and Sara tomorrow.”
“I've got a guest room you can use.” Leon said to Sara.
“So where's your place at?” Sara asked, as they exited the building.
“Just down the street, this way,” Leon said, leading on.
There came a point during the short walk when they came to a small clearing with a house sitting on a hill. It was extremely odd because it seemed out of place with so many huge buildings surrounding it.
“That's your house?” Sara asked.
“Sure is,” Leon said. “It's been a long time since I've had any guests.”
When they entered, Leon placed his sword with others just like it on a wall.
Among the swords, Sara noticed several dozen small glaives with the blades retracted.
“The guest room is upstairs, down the hall, on the left,” Leon said, lying down on a couch. “Have a good night.”
Sara started up the stairs. “See you tomorrow.” In the guest room, she placed her items on a dresser before sliding into bed and falling into a deep sleep.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The next day, Sara woke thinking at first she'd slept only a few hours. It took a second for her to remember no sunlight touched the city. Light coming through the window was much the same as the day before.
After a quick wash, Sara grabbed her stuff and made haste down the stairs to find Leon filling a tiny reservoir in a glaive with his blood, and speaking with a woman dressed in clothes that almost revealed too much.
“I...hope I'm not interrupting,” Sara said.
“Sara, this is my friend, Caycee.” Leon said, attaching the blood glaive to the clothing on his torso.
“Hello.” Caycee waved.
“Let me guess, Kanara?” Sara asked.
“Siena,” Caycee corrected.
“Not bad,” Leon said. “The power of the Siena and Kanara both come from the mind, but the Siena have a very special gift. Call it intuition, or foresight.”
“If you ever lose anything, or want your fortune read, just see me.” Caycee said.
“You can see the future?” Sara asked.
There was a short pause as Caycee tried to think of a way to explain. Nervously interlocking her hands, she said. “Well, not yet, but I can tell you how I feel.”
“She gives very good advice,” Leon clarified.
“What did you get from them?” asked Sara.
“The Siena? You could call it a sixth sense. It made me a little paranoid at first, but eventually I got use to it. Now, it's more like what you would call a gut feeling.”
Sara then asked. “What about that woman with the red dye in her hair?”
“Alexia,” Leon said. “All of the Doran are born with streaks of red in their hair. It probably has something to do with their power over blood.”
“And Marus?”
Caycee answered. “You can thank the Turin for the perpetual cloud over the city. And if you think they overdress then you should see their section of the city – completely covered in fog so thick you can't see ten feet in front of you. They’re insanely paranoid about the sun.”
Just then there was a knock at the door.
“It's open!” Leon said.
A Vesuvian stepped in. “The Council wants to see you.”
Leon looked at Sara. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” Sara answered.
At the Council's table, for the first time, Sara saw a Khothu and Hegiran, two of each in fact. Both were just as the descriptions she had read.
The Khothu were lizard people with skin similar to humans, but with small scales on various parts of their bodies. Both wore medieval-style clothing with some leather armor and a mask pulled back over their heads. The blue male, Gillan, sat as he casually spun a sai in one hand. Next to him was Kamala, a female with green scales and two short battle-axes holstered to her waist.
The Hegiran was in fact made of two races: the Anubians and the Persians. Nedim, a tall, lanky Anubian male had grayish skin. He was sparsely decorated in gold, light armor on top of white tattered clothing wrapped around his body. His only weapon, at his side was a long knife.
The female Persian was Janah, a sultry humanoid feline with even skimpier clothing than Caycee. As far as felines went, her 'pattern' was like that of a cheetah. She was armed with two short swords holstered across her back.
“Kamala, have your people had any problems with the invasion?” Alexia asked.
“Nothing too bad yet,” Kamala answered. “We've had some of our undead seeking temporary shelter. With the loss of their ability to control the elements, they don't have much to fight against the Pelasgians.”
“The weapons we do carry are meant to be secondary to our powers,” Gillan added.
“It's a similar story with us,” Nedim said. “While we can equip those who've crossed over, a sword in the hands of one who's only known the power of the cosmos isn't much help.”
“That's speaking for the Anubians, of course,” Janah said. “Aside from the Prometheans, the Fenrir and your Turin, the Persians can hold their own.”
Alexia stood and began to walk around the table. “I guess the most important question to ask is why would the Pelasgians invade the Netherworld? We all know that many years ago they threatened us directly, and we managed to stop them.”
“It makes no sense,” said Nedim. “A war with the Netherworld seems pointless. Logic suggests the Pelasgians would eventually lose by attrition.”
Kamala spoke. “But the number of Pelasgians is enough to occupy the Netherworld for a long time. That kind of pressure is going to cause a lot of refugees to keep pouring into Rhea.”
Gillan crossed his arms. “I don't see the big deal. If we beat them before, we should be able to stop them again.”
Janah slammed her fists on the table and stood. “Why does everyone say 'we stopped the Pelasgians'?”
“Janah, please,” Nedim pleaded.
“No! Everyone knows the Pelasgians stopped because they stopped. Why? That's what worries me. And now, they're coming at us again when we're even more helpless!”
The room fell silent. Sara felt the hairs on the back of her neck sticking straight out.
“Janah speaks the truth,” Alexia said.
Gillan cleared his throat. “So who's the human, if I may ask?”
“I'm Sara,” she answered.
Alexia stood by Sara. “The humans possess a vast number of skilled warriors which may prove vital to our survival. Like it or not, we need their help.”
Denzso slumped in his chair and sighed. “Still want to see the Shadow Realm, Sara?”
With both hands flat on the table and eyes darting back and forth, Sara explained. “Okay, look...it's not that I don't believe you, but...I...there's no way I can just go back and tell my leaders that I think you're telling the truth. I have to go back completely sure.”
“Very well,” Denzso said. “There's a portal in the ruins of the Promethean capital. That's the only way.”
“I'll take her,” Leon said.
“Do you require an escort?” Marus asked.
“No, an escort from you is like a legion. Fewer people will have an easier time getting in and out unnoticed.”
Kamala stood. “Leon. Gillan and I would
like to join you.”
“And we as well,” Nedim said.
Leon thought for a moment. “If you're absolutely sure about this, pack your bags. We leave immediately.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The group stepped out of a tower at the edge of the city.
Leon gathered everyone's attention. “There's an underground passage through the Southern Mountains. I'll lead the way.”
Walking with Nedim, Sara asked. “So how did the Persians and Anubians come together?”
“It was during the Ancient War,” Nedim began. “Long before the Pelasgians ever stepped foot on Rhea. In that time, the other races were more powerful than either of us. My people and the Persians realized the only way to survive was to join forces. That's how Hegira was formed.”
“Leon said Rhea united when the Pelasgians invaded.”
“That was only temporary,” Nedim said. “It'll probably be the same thing this time too.”
Several yards ahead, Leon and Janah led the way.
“We both know the dangers involved,” Leon said.
“That's why I volunteered,” Janah said. “You always get the exciting stuff.”
“Janah, you've never even seen a Pelasgian, and I'll tell you right now, there's nothing exciting about them.”
Janah's grinned. “To be honest, as nervous as I am, I've always wanted to kill one.”
Leon laughed. “You're a great fighter, Janah. I'll give you that, but don't underestimate the Pelasgians.”
“Sara just needs to see the Shadow Realm, right? Avoiding any Pelasgian should be no problem. One step in, one step out.”
“Well, my friend let me tell you from experience –it's never that easy. Plans never go according to plan.”
“Then I have to ask. What kind of trouble do you think we can expect?”
“I could ask you the same,” Leon said. “Go ahead and try to think the worse and I bet you it'll be a lot worse.
Kamala and Gillan were only a few feet behind Sara and Nedim.
“So, Sara, you're a Guardian?” Gillan asked. “I've heard stories of your fighting prowess.”
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