God's Gaze

Part Two Chapter Two: Insufferable Humidity

Two days later, Jeremiah sat in the back of a taxi that headed south towards Lostry. He packed light with only his briefcase and the clothes he currently wore to sustain him for his short trip. He had no intentions of lingering.

As the human taxi driver sped down the road, the snowcapped mountains changed into flat wheat fields that stretched on for miles. That was all there was to see for a long while and Jeremiah had to force his eyes to stay open from the sheer boredom of the landscape. However, not far in the distance lurked the city of Lostry with spiraling skyscrapers and concrete buildings. It resembled Baesary, but the city basked in dusty hues of reds, oranges, and browns.

The taxi didn't enter the city; instead, it went down a thinner road that led towards the marshy swamps just outside the perimeter of the metropolis.

He leaned back against the seat's upholstery and recalled a conversation he had with his sister before he left that morning. He told her to keep the house tidy, that her curfew was ten PM, and that she was allowed friends over. Normally, he wouldn't let Vivienne bring friends home while he was away, but things had changed. He wanted to trust Vivienne.

After about fifteen minutes of driving along the narrow road, the taxi halted before a stone temple with spiraling towers. The walls appeared worn down with sand-coloured brick exposed beneath the once grey walls. The intricately carved front entrance had a massive red stained-glass window above the mahogany double doors. A large bell tower sat in the center of the temple with a gigantic, rusty bell swinging softly, however, no sound rung from it.

Jeremiah paid the driver and exited the vehicle. The driver wasted no time before he performed a U-turn and sped off down the road where they came from.

Jeremiah immediately felt the stifling, humid air that clawed at his lungs and his nose became stuffy. He toyed with the collar of his dress shirt where sweat already dripped down his neck. He took off his coat and loosened his tie as he crossed the stone bridge across a shallow moat that surrounded the temple.

Once at the door, he didn't knock. He waited without raising his arm and felt the heavy presence of security cameras that watched his every move. Within a heartbeat, the double mahogany doors swung inward and a centaur with metal hooves stood on guard between the open doors. His stern expression quickly softened after seeing Jeremiah.

"Welcome to Lostry, Mr. Belsara!" the centaur greeted with a toothy smile, "I apologize for the amount of headaches we may have caused before your arrival but...." He trailed off without continuing.

Jeremiah waved his comment off. "It's quite alright. I know it was nothing within your control." Yes, it was your God's fault it took him weeks to get here. He threw the centaur a small, plastered smile.

The centaur cleared his throat and waved his hand towards a carpeted hallway behind him. "I must direct you to our courtroom where Miss Citadel awaits you," he said and began to walk in that direction; his hooves clopped against the stone floors.

"Why's it called the courtroom?" Jeremiah asked as he followed behind the man down the hallway.

They stopped before another set of identical double doors akin to the entrance's and the centaur chuckled worryingly. "Because Miss Citadel is the judge of all."

He heaved open the doors and revealed an expansive courtroom with rows upon rows of wooden benches against each wall that went higher the further back you went. In front of two massive stained-glass windows depicting the first Fire God (a phoenix-shifter) laid the judge's bench complete with a witness box, clerk, and court reporter table.