Chapter 676 - The Crystal Façade

The city was astounding.

Crystalline structures stretched as far as Zeke could see, reaching high into the pristine sky and piercing the clouds.  Of course, beneath that was a much more nightmarish scene.  All it took was a brief pulse of [Primordial Mind], and Zeke saw the truth lurking beneath the surface.

Dark, ominous clouds laced with red lightning loomed overhead, while the unblemished crystal revealed itself to be black and jagged and festooned with evidence of torture. 

The people weren’t any better.

Without the influence of [Primordial Mind], they looked happy and beautiful, like they’d stepped out of a Renaissance painting depicting heaven itself.  Yet, with that skill shielding him from mental manipulation, he saw them for what they were.  Demons, beautiful and cunning, guarded the gate.  Beyond, Zeke saw the reality of the city’s other residents as well, though only a glimpse.

He approached the city’s gate, letting [Primordial Mind] lapse.  It remained active – or reactive, rather – but it didn’t affect his view of the world.  If it had, he would never have been capable of hiding his disgust, which was counterproductive.

“Oh, you’re new,” said one of the guards.  The leader, perhaps. Like the knights who’d accosted him, she was beautiful and gorgeous, with a hint of mischief lurking behind her eyes.  But Zeke had seen her true form, subverting any appeal she might’ve held.  “Where did you come from?”

“Afar,” he said cagily.  “Where am I?”

“You must have traveled quite far indeed.  Everyone knows Seraphane.  The Jewel in Mak’tar’s crown.  Certainly you’ve heard the stories.”

“No.  Sorry,” Zeke said, nervously massaging the back of his neck.  “Like I said, I’m from a long way away.  Is the city open to travelers?”

“Of course.  We welcome all,” she said with what appeared to be a genuine and heartfelt smile.  But after knowing her true form, Zeke couldn’t see it as anything but predatory.  “And when you decide to stay, you will accept the mark and become one of us in truth.  I look forward to showing you around.  Personally.”

“I…ah…sure.  If I decide to stay, I’d be delighted to have a guide.”

She laughed, a tinkling sound that was music to his ears.  It left him wondering if the previous version had been real.  But a quick embrace of [Primordial Mind] showed him the truth. 

Even then, Zeke couldn’t have called the demon ugly.  Her features remained the same, though like Eveline’s preferred visage, she was a cloven-hoofed succubus with red skin and black hair.  Dainty horns sprouted from her head in a crown.  But more importantly, she oozed sensuality and desire, leaving him even more nonplussed.  He pushed that aside, focusing on another new ability, [Unfettered Truth]. 

It was the replacement for [Inspect], so he didn’t expect much from it.  However, when he used it, he saw far more than he’d ever expected.  Instead of a simple notification telling him the level of the demon before him, he simply knew that she had reached level two-hundred. 

But he also knew that she was beneath him in a way that couldn’t be quantified via levels.  Indeed, as far as Zeke knew, he wasn’t even on the same scale.  He lacked levels entirely, and his power was quantified in a completely different way. 

He wasn’t concerned with that, though.  Rather, he nearly staggered from the influx of information.  He knew her class – {Guardian of Lust} – as well as her attributes.  He could see her most basic thoughts – most of which involved torturing Zeke in a variety of ways – and feel her emotions. 

It was a deluge of information that very nearly left him gasping.  However, he hadn’t made it through the many circles of Hell by lacking control, and he kept a firm grip on his outward display of emotion.  Instead, he just gave the demon a small smile and said, “Unless there’s something else…I guess I can go?”

“Certainly.  We’ll be keeping an eye on you, Mr. Blackwood.”

He almost let himself frown at that.  She knew his name.  So, what else did she know?  Had she seen his class?  His status? 

The spiral almost took Zeke away until he managed to calm himself.  Something told him that if she did know any of that, she wouldn’t have been so nonchalant about letting him inside.  So, without further ado, he nodded and stepped past her.

Without [Primordial Mind] affecting his perception, he saw the city as they wanted it to appear.  People moved about with purpose and contentment, smiling at their neighbors and conducting all the normal business of a city.  Of course, they were surrounded by crystalline works of art that put the lie to any sense of normality.  But they tried. 

A quick pulse of [Primordial Mind] showed a very different side of the city.  Not only were the buildings black and jagged and corroded, but the people were all demons.  Some walked around, proud and tall.  But others lurked behind their betters, often chained and fettered.  More than once as he wandered the city, Zeke saw one of those unfortunates do something to offend its master, and the reprisal was both swift and brutal. 

If Zeke hadn’t just spent what felt like thousands of years enduring the worst of what Hell had to offer, he would have had trouble watching.  But as it was, he’d seen much, much worse.  So, while he wanted to help, he had no issues pushing that desire to the side so he could focus on what was important.

Finding the embassy.

To assist in that, he deactivated [Primordial Mind], convincing himself that the doctrine of out of sight, out of mind was a valid one. 

The city itself was massive, stretching for dozens of miles in every direction.  One street looked much the same as any other, and the only reason he managed to keep his bearings was because the center of the city played host to a recognizable landmark. 

The tower stretched higher than any of city’s other spires.  A structure of pure, white crystal, it was a marvel the likes of which Zeke had never seen.  However, when he decided to look upon it with [Primordial Mind], he saw something very familiar.

“It’s exactly like the one in Mal’canus,” he said inwardly as he stared up at the massive tower.  “The one where Dáin was imprisoned.”

“It’s much larger,” Eveline said, though her voice in his head was distracted.  And it wasn’t difficult to discover why, either.  That tower had been at the center of her own story, which included having her soul shattered.  And given the similarities between the one in Mal’canus and the one at the center of the city, it was likely that she’d made the connection. 

“This is where your power went.”

“I believe so,” she said quietly. 

Zeke didn’t need any prompting to decide what he needed to do.  So, he marched forward, purpose filling his every thought. 

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to make them pay.  Obviously.”

“You can’t.”

“What?  Why?”

“Because that’s where Mak’tar is.  You can feel him, can’t you?  His aura suffuses this entire city, and it’s concentrated in that tower.”

“So?”

“He’s a god!”

“Again – so?  I’ve killed gods before.”

As he engaged in an internal conversation with the mind spirit living inside his head, some of the city’s residents took notice.  Most just looked at him like he’d gone a little insane, but some seemed on the verge of hostility.  Perhaps that was because of his expression, which left little doubt as to what he thought of the city. 

“You killed lesser gods,” she pointed out.  “And that was during your descent.  The rules were different then.”

“Not that different,” he argued. 

“Just find the embassy first.  Then we can figure out what to do about…that,” she said.  “Okay?  Just agree to that.  Please.”

Zeke stopped in his tracks.  “Fine.  But don’t think I’m going to just forget what I came here to do.  I haven’t, and I won’t.”

Eveline didn’t respond, so Zeke was free to wander around without her input.  As it turned out, he had no clue where he was going, and when he stopped someone to ask for directions, they just looked at him like he’d gone insane.  So, he was on his own – not a great situation, but nothing he could change.

Hours passed, and Zeke began to think his search was going to end up fruitless.  However, just before nightfall, he felt something curious. 

He was being followed.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” he asked Eveline.

“I feel what you feel.  And yes.  They’ve been back there for almost an hour.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

She gave a mental shrug.  “You haven’t needed my input so far.”

“Are you pouting?”

“No.”

“You sound like you’re pouting.”

“Just pay attention to your stalker.  They’re closing in.  I don’t know if they intend to attack, but I’d prepare for it.”

“We’re not done with this conversation…”

“If you say so,” she said primly.  “Head’s up.”

Just then, something clamped around Zeke’s upper arm.  At first, he didn’t respond – even when they tried and failed to spin him around.  Finally, he sighed and turned to face his stalker. 

He was unfamiliar, with curly hair and a smooth face.  He was also a good deal shorter than Zeke and carried a large staff of twisted wood.  If it wasn’t for his pointed ears and the golden eyes, Zeke would have said he was a teenaged human. 

“Elf?” he asked.  “No.  You’re too heavy for that.”

“Heavy?”

“I didn’t want to call you fat, but…well, you’re definitely not thin.  My mom would have called you stocky.”

“I don’t –”

“What do you want?” Zeke asked, already embracing [Unfettered Truth].  The skill slammed into the short man like a runaway train, giving Zeke more information than he could quickly process.  From a level perspective, he was just as high as the guard had been, but there was something lacking about his power.  It only took Zeke a second to realize that it was because he wasn’t a combatant.  “Ferdinand?  Is that your real name?”

“What?  How do you know…”

“Magic.  Obviously.  So, what do you want?  You’re not a demon, so, what are you doing here? And why did you grab me?” Zeke asked.

“That is not something we should discuss here.  But I’m told that…that you and I share a patron,” he said.  “A certain short and bearded…you know.  I’m supposed to take you somewhere safe.”

Zeke narrowed his eyes.  Ferdinand was not subtle, but thankfully, no one else was close to enough to hear their conversation.  Otherwise, there would have been a reaction, and a violent one.  As it stood, they were already getting odd looks. 

“Okay.  Lead on,” Zeke ordered.  “But if this turns out to be a trap, I’ll probably squish you.”

Ferdinand shivered, but he didn’t offer a verbal response.  Instead, he took off at a brisk walk, clearly expecting Zeke to follow. 

“He’s so innocent.  Do you really think he works for Oberon?” asked Eveline.

“I do.”

“And?”

“And it doesn’t give me a lot of confidence.  He’s weak,” Zeke stated, following the short man.  Every time he passed one of the demons-in-disguise, he felt a shiver flow up his spine.  They watched his every move.  Even if he couldn’t catch them actually doing it, he knew they were keeping an eye  on him.

Like the predators they were.

He hurried to keep up with Ferdinand, taking one turn after another as they traveled deeper into the city.  Along the way, Zeke felt a headache grip his skull.  The illusion flickered with every passing second, clearly struggling against even the passive version of [Primordial Mind].  He ignored the subtle stabbing in his brain, instead focusing on his surroundings.

As it turned out, he had nothing to worry about, and Ferdinand eventually turned down an alley, leading him through a maze of passages until, at last, they found a tiny tree.  It was the first vegetation Zeke had seen inside the city, and it looked entirely out of place. 

However, it also radiated a sense of calm power that he couldn’t ignore.

“You feel that, right?” he asked inwardly.

“Divine energy,” Eveline remarked.

They stepped closer, and the world shifted.  The illusion faded away, and suddenly, a wooden, arched door bloomed before them.

“Welcome to the Embassy of Oberon,” Ferdinand said, stepping forward and twisting the knob.  He opened the door, revealing what appeared to be the common room of an inn.  Zeke ducked inside, and he came face to face with Oberon.

“Good you could make it,” the dwarf said, spreading his arms.  “You and I have a lot to talk about.”