Our destination and our mission were clear, and there was no time left to waste.
With breathing devices on, we swam to the bottom, the walls closing in on us. The light became brighter and clearer as we approached it. I set my mind on Cerix, this time, hoping we wouldn’t have any nasty surprises waiting for us in the white space. We’d understood that the Hermessi’s forms were limited in there; however, they could still hurt us or, worse, kill us.
Fortunately, the blankness between dimensions and worlds was just that. Endless white and quiet. We pulled ourselves through another pink water opening and went up, our legs and arms moving rapidly through the liquid.
As soon as we reached the surface, I recognized the room. Crystal eggs were still forming here, but none had developed enough to hatch. After we’d left the Samotarcis Domain, the Hermessi’s creative desires must’ve gone dormant. We climbed up and took our breathing devices off, while Acantha and Nethissis gave us all gummy capsules filled with invisibility paste.
We were quiet, worried we might stir something to life. As soon as we vanished from sight, we put red lenses on as Riza teleported us out of the perfect sphere-shaped cave. We’d made it to Cerix, and Lemnos Woods sprawled around us.
Raphael took my hand, squeezing gently, as if to reassure me that we’d be okay. He couldn’t know that for sure, but I did appreciate the silent encouragement. Beneath the forest floor were the tunnels, where the Brothers of the Shadow had once lived. Most of the tunnels had collapsed, and many of the Brothers had perished during the Shills’ first attack, but I knew some had survived and were engaging in peaceful conversation with Emperor Tulla. We’d left this place better than we’d found it, in the end.
“This place is still torn down,” Taeral whispered, glancing around.
Indeed, the damage caused by our previous encounter with the Shills was visible. Some of the tunnels—most of them leading into the empire’s original library archives—had been sealed off by dislodged rocks and debris.
“Maybe someday, after all this Hermessi crap is over and done with, they’ll get all the documents out of here and find a better storage solution,” I murmured.
Raphael shot me a quick smirk. “You feel sorry for all the books, don’t you?”
I nodded, making him chuckle softly.
“That way,” Eira said, pointing ahead. The corridor was sinuous, shifting left and right, here and there, but we could still see the beams of sunlight at the very end, coming from the opening above. Eva, Varga, Fallon, and I pulled on our hoods, masks, and goggles, ready for the daylight. Invisible and light on our feet, secured with Devil’s Weed, we could move freely without the immediate threat of the Hermessi or even their abominable Shills and Titans and whatever else they might think to throw at us.
Danger was still present here on Cerix, but we’d learned to dodge it as best as we could.
Once we got topside, I sucked in a breath. The forest was unchanged—black bark on its tall trees, a blanket of leaves on the ground, and plenty of fern shrubs sprinkled across. There was no sign of the battle that had been waged here. The blood had been washed away by several rains, for sure.
“It’s like nothing ever happened here,” Eira observed, looking around with a surprised expression on her face.
“I know,” I said. “If we hadn’t been here before, we wouldn’t even know that any Cerixians had dwelled here, until recently.”
“They must’ve cleaned up after we left and after the Shills went away,” Varga suggested. “Surely, the Brothers would have come back for their fallen soldiers, to give them a proper burial.”
Lumi nodded. “I’d have done the same. Either way, it’s better, if you ask me. The less trauma this world remembers, the better.”
“We can head straight to Silvergate from here,” Taeral replied. “We just need to link hands.”
A few seconds later, we were back on the Landing Bed, where we’d set foot upon Cerix during our first visit. The last time we were here, we’d been threatened and hunted by fearful Cerixians, Hermessi cultists, and Shills. It was different today.
The sun gleamed from behind a massive domed temple, still rising in the early morning. The sky was clear, with the exception of a few white streaks. The city of Silvergate was peaceful and tranquil, and no one had noticed us atop the stepped platform. Inhaling deeply, I welcomed the floral fragrances of spring, as all the trees had blossomed in soft shades of pink, violet, blue, orange, and yellow. There was a sense of calmness that pervaded the entire city, and I loved it. It was the complete opposite of what I’d been expecting.
“This is weird,” Eva said, frowning.
“Not necessarily,” Lumi replied. “We should’ve expected this atmosphere. Inalia had said so herself, just before we left this place. As soon as we were gone, Cerix went back to its normal course, and the Hermessi had to focus their efforts against us elsewhere. There was no reason to attack or punish the locals in our absence.”
“Still, it doesn’t make it any less weird,” Eva muttered. “I don’t know, it just gives me the creeps. It’s pretty and all, but I can’t bring myself to enjoy a single second of it, given my knowledge of this world’s… custodians, let’s call them. I understand the fanatic evil lurking just beneath the surface, and this faux sense of tranquility is, in itself, dangerous.”
That, I had no choice but to agree with. As much as I enjoyed this city, as it was, I couldn’t allow myself to forget its secrets and the dangers just waiting around the corner, looking for the opportunity to pounce on us. Looking around again, I noticed its charm had dissipated. Suddenly evaporated, never to be seen again. Silvergate was, once more, a war zone—albeit a beautiful one, with manicured lawns and trimmed hedges and trees, masterfully erected buildings and elegant fashions.
“I think we need to make ourselves noticed, now. Derek did give Medina the details of our arrival here, but she can’t greet us if she can’t see us.” Taeral sighed. “Morfuris.”
We all recited the brief spell that removed the effect of invisibility. For a while, nothing happened. “Even the troops that usually guard this place aren’t here,” I whispered.
“Medina must’ve ordered them to stay away. The fewer people that see us, the better,” Taeral replied. “I wanted to teleport us all to the palace, directly, but Medina insisted on meeting us up here, first.”
“Kind of unnecessary, if you ask me,” Herakles said, and Taeral nodded in agreement.
“Yes, but… you know, diplomacy and compromises and whatnot. This area is empty, anyway. We’re good, for now.”
“Where is she, though?” Eira asked, glancing around. This had been the plan from the very beginning. Discreetly enter Silvergate, show up at the Landing Bed, and let the prime minister come fetch us.
“Okay, here she comes,” Herakles said, nodding at a single figure coming up the stairs. I hadn’t even noticed her. Then again, a garrison was much easier to spot than one Cerixian. “The welcoming committee, so to speak.”
“Yes, that’s Medina,” Eira replied, squinting so she could see her better.
Indeed, a female Cerixian in a black leather uniform was coming up towards us. She reached the top of the stairs and stopped for a moment, just to look at us. She smiled briefly and walked forward, the low heels of her boots clicking across the stone slabs. She eyed us carefully for about half a minute before she smiled.
“Welcome back, travelers,” she said, her voice heavy and sharp. I could easily picture her barking orders, and soldiers scrambling to fulfil them. She had an authoritarian vibe and a cold glare. Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun—perfectly combed, looking as if it had been sculpted, thread by thread. A pin was mounted on the elastic band, depicting Silvergate’s emblem, made of silver and embellished with emerald and sapphire gemstones.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Prime Minister,” Taeral replied and proceeded to introduce us.
Medina measured us from head to toe and smiled. “I’m honored to have you all here,” she said. “I’m only sorry this meeting couldn’t take place under better circumstances.”
“I assume you were already briefed on the purpose of our visit. Is everything prepared for us?” Taeral asked.
“Yes. We have your rooms set up in a secret wing of the emperor’s palace, and only a handful of people were informed. Specifically, myself, the emperor, and the four soldiers who will tend to your needs while housed there. I may assign additional troops to serve as protective detail, if needed. Besides that, no one else will be aware of your presence. You have my word that those who do know will not divulge anything. The palace has been sparsely populated since your departure, for security reasons.”
Taeral nodded slowly. “That’s good. The fewer people that know, the better. It’s for everyone’s safety. Mind if I ask why you wanted us to come here, first? You insisted, in fact. We could’ve just shown up at the palace.”
