I couldn’t help but look around the city again. It looked even more stunning, closer to ground level. The towers were pieces of functional art, in my opinion. Smaller flying vessels zoomed from one part of the city to another—but there weren’t too many. I figured owning such pieces was some kind of luxury.
A lot of work had gone into building this world, over the course of millennia. The old and the new graciously met in the middle, adorned by beautiful statues, monumental palaces and town squares, and an abundance of greenery. I couldn’t wait to smell the air. I was willing to bet it would delight my nostrils and my lungs with the freshness of cut grass and spring blossoms—based on what I’d seen from the light orb, alone.
Amelia giggled. It ripped me out of my thoughts, prompting me to look at her. She grinned as she flipped through a document on her tablet. “I’ve got something!” she said. “Draven managed to dig up some information about Cerix from the Druid Archives after all!”
“Ah, good,” Raphael replied. “I’d hate to go in blind.”
“It’s centuries old, though,” she said, her eyes scanning the text. “Cerix is home to numerous kingdoms. Most of them were almost always at war. They weren’t hostile to the Druid delegation, though. Apparently, the swamp witch that was with them left spells for the Cerixians to use.”
“That would explain the flying ships,” Varga said.
“And probably more,” Eva added.
“They’re slightly different in physiognomy from other species we know,” Amelia continued, “but the sketches here tell me they’re humanoids, still. They used to worship the Hermessi, it says here. However, we knew that from Aya, too… Um, okay, I think we’ve got enough to start a conversation.”
“Can I see?” I asked.
She gave me the tablet. “Sure. Hold on to it while you do the talking. I already got what I needed for this first encounter. I imagine the two Cerixians waiting for us on the platform are part of some welcoming committee.”
Raphael frowned as he looked farther down, just as the orb was feet away from the platform. “Oh, yeah? And what about the dozens coming up the stairs? Will they be entertainment?”
His sarcasm was obvious. But he did have a point. We had to be ready for any kind of welcoming, so I decided to preempt anything that might catch us off guard.
“Riza, just in case I don’t get to, zap everyone out of here to some other part of the city. I suppose you’ve already noticed a couple of safe spots,” I said. Riza gave me a brief nod. “Varga, have your sentry guns ready. We may need some throbbing headaches to throw at these people if they decide to be hostile. Herakles, Raphael, Eva, Amelia… Don’t draw your weapons unless you absolutely have to,” I added, skimming the newly received Cerix info on Amelia’s tablet. “From what I’m reading here, the Cerixians aren’t exactly physically superior to any of us, but they may have magic or technology on their side. Let’s just be prepared for anything.”
We all stood straight and stiff as the bubble finally landed with a soft thud.
I took a deep breath, as the light dissipated around us. I was right. The air smelled amazing.
Two Cerixians waited, quiet and with their hands behind their backs. There was a strange kind of tension in the air, weighing down on my shoulders—or maybe it was just my paranoia, rearing its ugly head and messing with my senses. We’d had enough bad surprises already. It was about time we caught a break. Hopefully, this was it.
I measured both Cerixians from head to toe, trying to gather as much information as I possibly could from a cold reading. The male was older, probably at least thirty-five, maybe forty years, judging by the thin expression lines and his slightly receding hairline. He wore a dark brown suit, neatly tailored to fit his tall and slender frame, without making him look skinny. Beneath it, the white shirt was crisp, with a high collar, topped with a dark gray vest. The black ribbon bowtie aimed to soften the sharp suit lines, but it also brought out the darkness in his eyes. He didn’t seem too happy to see us. Or maybe he was just wary.
The girl, on the other hand, was brimming with joy. I didn’t have to be a sentry to get that. She wore a broad smile, and her deep brown eyes shone with excitement. Her bright red hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and her dark gray uniform was probably meant to dull her out, but not even the drabbest of clothes could dampen her vibrant spirit.
I instantly registered the slight aesthetic differences that set them apart from other species we’d met. Their eyes were noticeably bigger, as if nature had decided to turn “doe-eyed” into an actual species of humanoid. Their bodies were slender, with wide shoulders and long legs. Their cheekbones were quite sharp, as if they’d been accidentally sculpted too deep. Nevertheless, they were beautiful. There was this air of whimsical fantasy exuding from their expressions—it matched the phantasmagoric atmosphere of their city.
They said nothing for a while, and neither did we, as we checked each other out. Surely, they were making their own mental notes about us, too.
I cleared my throat, then smiled politely and offered a curt bow.
“We come in peace,” I said.
Amelia snorted a short chuckle behind me. I instantly cringed—she had every reason to laugh. The Cerixians smiled back, and relief washed over me. For a moment, I had a good feeling about this. We’d come to a new world, and they hadn’t come at us with swords and spears the moment we set foot on their land.
An encouraging start, at least.
Amelia
How lucky I was…
Most of the humans I knew never would’ve made it into the In-Between, not to mention all the way here, on its observable outskirts. If, at times, I’d felt regret for abandoning my humanity in favor of vampirism, it was all gone now—never to return again, because I’d come here, to this magnificent place, known to few.
Funny enough, this planet reminded me of Earth. Akvo, the Emerald, Calliope, and Strava were fundamentally different. They had this otherworldly hue. Their geography, their infrastructure, and their people were the stuff of wonders. Cerix, on the other hand, hit a little closer to home. Still, it had an air of magic about it, as if it had gotten stuck somewhere on the fringes between fantasy and reality, between the past and the future.
I was humbled to be here. Truly fortunate.
Had Taeral not opened up with “We come in peace,” I never would’ve snapped out of my reverie. The Cerixians who greeted us both nodded in response. I had a feeling we were about to engage in a positive dialogue, despite the male’s frowny face. The young female was much more open, as she stepped forward.
“I’m Inalia Myron, ambassador in the Foreign Outreach,” she said, before pointing at her colleague. “And this is Nalyon Martell, assistant to the high chancellor of Cerix. Welcome to our world!”
“I’m afraid the high chancellor, Dellon Figgen, was unable to come greet you himself,” Nalyon Martell added, though I sensed no form of regret in his tone. He didn’t sound genuine.
“I’m Taeral, crown prince of the Fire Star,” Taeral said, then proceeded to introduce the rest of us. “Amelia Novalik, of the Earth’s Shade, Varga Goode, crown prince of Nevertide, Riza Drizan, of the Earth’s Shade, Herakles and Raphael of Strava, and Eva Desir, of Calliope. We come together from different worlds, of this universe and beyond. We’re part of an interdimensional alliance named GASP, and, as I said, we come with nothing but peace and cooperation in mind.”
Inalia’s eyebrows were arched with childish wonder. I would’ve given anything to have Varga’s sentry abilities right about now, if only to get a glimpse of how she and Nalyon were truly feeling about this. Did they truly wear their emotions on their sleeves, like I suspected, or were they masters of deceit?
“We’ve had visitors from Calliope before,” Inalia replied. “Centuries ago. They came in a light bubble like yours.”
“Yes. One of the ancient Druid delegations,” Taeral said. “I’m afraid yours was one of the last places they documented, regarding their travels. It took us a while to find the information about Cerix, in order to make our way here, as well. Their home planet and galaxy were temporarily affected by vicious wars—”
“And by temporarily he means about three centuries, more or less,” I added, unable to contain myself. I felt that accuracy was key in whatever conversation we had with these people.
Fortunately, Taeral didn’t seem to mind my intervention.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Inalia breathed, a sad smile trying the corners of her mouth. “We’ve had our share of wars as well, until the domains were unified under the Cerixian Empire, a little over a hundred years ago. We still have issues, but none of the bloodshed from before. I suppose conflict is characteristic of other civilizations, as well.”
“You said you come from different planets,” Nalyon interjected, his brow furrowed. “Are you saying there are multiple civilizations out there, openly communicating and collaborating with one another?”
