ATLANTION - LAYLA BOOK1

Part 10 Layla

They walked through tunnels made of rusty bronze and black metal, with hundreds of them opening into larger halls full of smoking machines and spinning gears. The roar of metal crashing on metal was deafening, and the vibrations from the mechanism traveled through her bones with each step she took. She was following some peculiar characters in a dream spinner from Mr. Simon's story, and only the smell of grease, burning rubber, and metal anchored her to reality, making her empty stomach lurch.

The guild was a chain of workshops linked by shafts, a web of dwarven mines, and a steampunk den. Magic and science, reality and fantasy were hand in hand here.

Suddenly, a shining metal tiger jumped out of nowhere, its enormous paws landed right in front of Herrannuen. She gasped in surprise, while the twins grinned, looking at each other. The beast with its glowing orange eyes watched them with a superhuman intelligence, and she wondered how a machine could look like that.

The bronze and black shining spikes on the beast's coat glistened, and an illusion of real tiger fur, iron muscles, and bones moved under its excellent pelt. Ferron turned toward her and patted her shoulder, his face shining with glee.

"Don't be afraid; it's Trahern, one of little Herrannuen's pets. It's a prodigious masterpiece, isn't it? It requires the greatest skills to achieve such a fine proportion between biology and metal craft."

"You talk too much! I will make you my pet if you call me 'little' one again," barked Herrannuen, ushering them to go faster. Finally, after what seemed like an endless walk, they ended up in front of a vast round vault door with dozens of inscriptions embossed on its surface. Herrannuen stomped her foot on a darker square tile of metal on the floor, and a box with a hand imprint ejected from one of the wall metal boards. She placed her hand on it, and with the sound of dozens of gears turning and moving, the door opened.

Soft light spilled on her face as they entered a sizeable hexagonal hall with many glass tubes and iron elevators. She wondered if the light was coming from another clever trick or if the dome was actually above ground. Everything around them was an exquisite work of art, with no more rust, dirt, or grease; everything was clean and gleaming.

Enormous metal titans held up the ceiling dome made of forged iron and colorful glass, and a cascade of rainbow light fell on the glorious marble floor. In the center, an intricate functional compass embedded in the polished floor caught Layla's attention.

They selected one of the glass elevators, and after a while, they landed on a different level. The corridor in front of them was luxurious, with red plush carpets covering the floor. The ceiling above shuddered, and a few small cracks appeared on the concave glass; the black water moved, and shadows of unique creatures moved in the darkness above.

This place was a residential section with many doors along the way. Layla could see brass plates with names and numbers near each entrance, and the units had dividers and vault doors.

Herrannuen stopped in front of a circular door without a plate and pushed Layla inside. She shut the door right in Farrar's face, leaving Farrar and his brother outside. Layla stumbled, caught off guard by the sudden movement. Her heart was racing, and her palms were sweaty as she tried to catch her breath. She took a moment to look around and take in her surroundings.

They entered a tiny metal chamber with a simple wooden bed covered with brown blankets. There was a small wooden closet and a desk with a chair on the opposite side of the bed. The room was small but clean, and Layla was grateful for the relief from the damp underground tunnels.

''This place can be yours if your answers are good enough for me,'' added Herrannuen and turned toward her. Layla nodded, still trying to process everything that had happened to her. It all seemed so surreal.