Blood Magic

10: Pyrrhic Victory

.^^ Qin Long ^^

— James —

I grinned and focused on the Giant sandstone cave, filled with entire buildings, like an entire underground city. Most of the buildings reached the ceiling, to act like support columns. The people were as varied as the Miami Sanctuary, but so much more numerous. There was easily twenty times the number of people in this Sanctuary.

The architecture was very different, than the other Market, or Sanctuary. Where that had been built to look like cottages in a Swedish River Village, this was built like the Pueblo's that I had seen as we approached, some even carved out of the canyon walls. The tan-brown stone had an earthy feel to it, even amongst the unmistakable bustle of a city and the high rises all around.

There were no trees, that I could see, at least none in the open, and there was almost no magical light. A few trees that I could see were inside the high-rises, stretching tall and strong all the way to the ceiling, their top branches digging into the roof, and probably turning into bushes up topside for photosynthesis. I noticed their branch/roots stretched along the ceiling, strengthening the stone with living roots.

I ignored Athenos and Rafaela, who were off on their own, talking quietly to each other about things I probably didn't want to hear, anyway, but I kept at a reasonable distance behind them, following the compass.

We entered the Market Portion, hidden in an even lower level of the city, and I stuck a bit closer, as I knew there was safety in numbers.

The market portion was even darker than the top, nearly complete darkness. My eyes, (adjusted over seven months in a Dark Dimension,) dilated instantly, making the room come into sharp focus.

Athenos glanced at me, surprised. "You learned how to make your eyes glow?"

"Are They? I figured I just adjusted to the lack of light in the Dark Dimension." I shrugged.

He grinned. "It's very cool. You should follow the compass, now. You can see it best."

I nodded and took the necklace, wrapping it around my wrist securely, then let it swing. As soon as I pumped a little magic into it, it heated up, and pointed straight, instead of swinging.

"Oh? I guess we're closer than I though." Athenos hummed.

We entered a building, when the compass tilted when we passed it, and it dropped, finished with its job, despite the fact that the building was empty.

As we headed towards a door on one side, the shade coalesced. "Passing me, you will not be. The mistress meditates, and interruptions, she hates."

"Is it just me, or does this guy talk like Yoda?" I chuckled.

"You understand him?" Rafaela asked, looking impressed, then answered the shade. "In the name of your Dread Lord, I Command You begone, back from whence you came."

It melted into an acidic puddle, scarring the floor under it before it evaporated.

Athenos snapped his fingers, and the gas lit on fire, funneling itself into one of the many air vents, far above us. "Just in case it was toxic." He shrugged.

I tossed him the compass, and walked down the stairs, keeping my nose open (if that was what you called it,) for any scents that seemed out of the ordinary.