The Scourge of Gods

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"Is this real?" whispered Inarhi, the sight almost dragging her to her knees.

Luna gaped openly, eyes wide. "I don't know."

They stood at the precipice of a grassy promontory, underneath a floating city half the size of Nagia, carved out from the valley below. It was as if a god scooped away the large slab of earth and hung it from the heavens. Literally.

The Siivalen's home was suspended by some sort of magic, cradled by four crystal chains. They were connected to the surrounding mountains, and from the center of the sparkling metropolis, another chain reached into the sky to pierce the blanket of white clouds above.

Inarhi glanced over the cliff's edge. The hollowed out remnant looked like it had been filled in with a lake, and encircling it, was a littering of villages no more than specks at this distance. Architecture on such a colossal scale were like the wiccan cities of yore on earth, but humanity had dismantled most of them.

"It is most definitely real, humans," said the Siivalen witch that brought them through the portal. Towering over them, she turned to face the Imigi warriors. "My name is Leonida, captain of my fair home's security and constabulary. Welcome to the City of Rhydon."

"We're honored to be your guests," said Lillias, dipping her head.

Leonida waved a hand. "Yes, well, anyone would be honored." She put her hands behind her back. "In any case, I left behind several Guardians to keep the doorways into our dimension locked. They shouldn't have problems against...mere magi."

The corner of her lips quirked down. It seemed her opinion of the Imigi were formed already, and for good reason. The mercenaries had been running Inarhi and them ragged, like hounds nipping at the heels of their prey. The captain probably thought they were weaklings.

"Those magi aren't normal," said Imelda, with an edge of bellicosity.

"So you claim, but they are no match for the Siivalen." Leonida shrugged. "Are you sure you just haven't lost your touch? It's nothing to be ashamed of. Your people haven't been in a real battle for centuries."

Imelda stepped forward. "What's that, now?"

"Imelda, please," said Lillias, brows furrowing.

"That's big talk for a bunch of cowards who abandoned earth when the humans took over," continued the old witch. "If anyone should have lost their touch, its your people. I'm surprised the spirit world hasn't turned all of you into gelatin already."

Leonida narrowed her eyes. "My prime minister is not penitent for protecting her people against the humanity's iron and leaving. It was the wisest course of action. We're a race of erudition, or have you forgotten? But, even non-fighters such as we can handle a group of magi."

"Let's see how long you last against them, then."

The captain loomed four feet higher than any other witch, but Imelda stood her ground, static running across the length of her battle robe. Inarhi couldn't help her pure fascination. She never thought she would see another wiccan race, and two polar opposites together at one time.

The Siivalen were gatherers of knowledge. It spoke to their thin physique, long faces, as well as their height. Such witches weren't meant for battle, as opposed to the Imigi. They also had very different philosophies when it came to magic. The Siivalen used their powers to create technology and build wonders, while the Imigi preferred a more primitive lifestyle.

"Just humor us, please," said Lillias. "Dispatch more soldiers."

Leonida glanced at her, then scowled. "If you insist." The witch muttered orders to her own guards as several others wandered to nearby pentacles. "Now, we mustn't keep the prime minister waiting any longer."