The Revelers (Serial 1)

Act 1 - Chapter 5: Ari

This Mr. V guy has to be kidding! I uncrumple the letter and take a quick glance at it, skimming through for anything odd. Hell, the whole thing seems fishy, but I spot the words "chosen one" in the letter and it makes me almost wretch. He must think I'm special or something. Sure, I get sick sponsorship deals with my WarGames team, but I don't think I'm that special. I just do what I do.

Still, if it weren't for my mother being here, I would have tossed the note out, hitched on a bus, and bolted out of this joint. Instead, I decide to stay and see what happens. It might not be so bad. If The Doc is here, then it must be for a good reason.

As we walk around this strange city, I can't help but notice the signs, the buildings, and the people. Actually, the buildings don't look strange — just simple skyscrapers and commercial structures with reflective windows and metal sides. Yet, the signposts are in a language that I don't recognize. The letters look swirly and whimsical, almost like classic cursive writing or a doctor's handwritten signature. Maybe it's the alphabet used by Mezos's people or those tall elf folks.

I stow the wrinkled letter in my shirt pocket, but take a moment to inspect the blue wax seal that had previously secured the envelope. It's a crystal-shaped impression with the characters, R4, embossed inside the crystal. Strange. This insignia has recognizable lettering, yet the street signs are in a different language. How's that make sense? I place the seal in my pocket, just for safekeeping, and continue onward.

"Are you alright?" Mezos asks. "You look kind of mesmerized."

He's right. I'm half-awake but I can't believe where I am. Hell, Mezos's voice sounds like he came from the streets instead of some magical faerie place. "Kind of," I say.

"You'll get used to it," he says.

Mezos and I arrive at the towering skyscraper and, holy shit, this place is freaking tall! We enter through the double glass doors in front, and a giant bronze statue, about ten meters in height, stands in front of us, prominent and glorious. The sculpture resembles a woman in a scholarly hooded robe standing tall and courageous, with a gnarled staff planted on the ground with her right hand. Behind her, water splashes from a fountain like small tidal waves on a relaxing summer day at the beach.

I ask, "Who's that woman supposed to be?"

"That is Farron Ardbert Meteora. She is a legendary techno-mage who specialized in healing spells, and one of the Four Champions of Esthial," Mezos answers.

Four Champions? Maybe that's what the 4 stands for on the wax seal. "And what's Esthial?"

"Esthial was another planet. That's the home of the En'ari elf-droids, the Valkyr cyborg clans, the Hyrstheron humans, and the Reul-Sìthe fae. It was a lush and magical planet until the En'ari High Magistrate declared war on everyone, and the world turned into fire and ash. When that happened, refugees escaped through a dimensional portal and ended up on Earth. That happened long ago, way before you were born."

I rub my chin in thought. "Dimensional portal? So, you didn't arrive here by a giant mother ship?"

"Nope!" Mezos let out a light chuckle. "It's all portals, rifts, and vortexes." He then gestures me to follow him. "Let's keep going. I'm sure Mr. V is eager to talk to you."

My brow twitches upward, curious. "Am I on a different planet?"

"No, you're still on Earth," the boy answers.

"Where exactly on Earth?"

"Unfortunately, I can't divulge the precise location of this research base. Just know: you're still on Earth."