Chapter 782: Io (2/2)

“Right,” Trian said. “Otherwise they would’ve long freed themselves.”

“They will ask for their cities and machines back,” Claire said.

“And they shall find shelter in what they had once built. However they have proven inadequate to wield this power. I shall remain the Guardian of Iz, if anything to prevent another three thousand years of conflict and imprisonment.”

“I doubt they’ll be happy when they learn about that,” Claire said.

“Better than the One without Form,” Ilea said. “They can do whatever they want now. Why cling to this old power? After all this time?”

“Power is desirable, and they know what the Sphere is, what it controls,” Claire said. “This won’t be easy.”

“No. It won’t. And a large scale conflict might just be inevitable, but I do not wish to slaughter an entire city of thinking beings in a mere preventive motion,” Aki said.

“That’s a lot of responsibility you’re putting on my shoulders,” Ilea said.

My

Shoulder

“Yes, Violence. You know what I meant,” she murmured.

“I cannot force you, Ilea, nor would I if I could,” Aki said. “But I do believe you are the best choice.”

Ilea interlinked her fingers and cracked them. “Yeah. Alright. I mean it’s not like I haven’t talked to Queens and Empresses before. Plus you’re there if I’m behaving exceptionally offensive. So… is there a gate that leads there?”

“There is. One that has been inactive for a long time,” Aki said. “It is now connected once more to the network.”

“Then let’s go. Can you lead me to the closest gate?” Ilea asked.

“Good luck,” Trian said.

“Yeah you too. The Hunters can be a pain in the ass. Call for me if they attack you for some reason,” she said.

“They won’t,” Kyrian said, his green runes slightly glowing.

“No. They won’t,” Aki confirmed, green eyes glowing in turn.

Did they just become best friends? Ilea smiled and left through the opening gates, an Executioner leading her to a nearby teleportation gate.

The platform activated as she closed in.

“The destination is set,” the Executioner said. “Enjoy the city. It’s certainly… something to behold.”

“You’re funny. Who exactly do I talk to once I’m there?” Ilea asked.

“The governmental body is at the very bottom,” Aki said.

“Great. I’ll see you there. Don’t take over the world while I’m away,” she said.

“I will first have to fight and defeat the Meadow,” Aki replied.

“Yeah. Good luck with that,” Ilea said and activated the gate.

The space magic took hold as she deactivated her resistance, the spell somewhat similar to the one their own gates produced. Ilea appeared in a somewhat spacious hall, two dozen silver machines standing near the walls, each one looking her way. Green light shined on from above, the walls, floor, and ceiling made of metal.

“Welcome to Io,” one of the machines said. “Now that you’ve arrived, I’ll be removing the Guardians from the city. The prisoners are being freed as I speak. A few Executioners will remain here, in case my communication is asked for or required.”

“Great. Thanks. I’ll call for you if I need anything,” Ilea said as she watched the large metal gate open up. Dozens of enchantments fizzled out when the steel parted, machines already moving into the room in sync. She spread her wings and flew over them, seeing Praetorians as well as Destroyers moving past, coming from a broad stairwell leading down. She could see dozens of traps within the walls, each one deactivated. The underground corridor was lit by the same green light, another set of metal gates at the end of it all.

According to her marks, she was somewhere in the North. Pretty far east but still quite a way’s off from the Naraza mountain chain and Hallowfort both. One thing was clear however. She was deep underground. Farther maybe than she had ever been.

And they built a city here?

She had her mantle and wings active, flying past the hundreds of machines that spilled into the corridor from below. Ilea turned to look at the masses, soon passing two more steel gates, all open now. And finally, she could see it. The light at the end of the corridor. Not green like everything around her but a warm orange. Then red, yellow, blue, and a dozen other colors, all intermingling until she flew out into the open. She slowed down, a Destroyer flying up and past her, then another three.

She was hovering over a circular Descent much like the Centurion facility she had visited with Elfie. Even with her enhanced eyes she could not make out the bottom. Every twenty meters down there was another floor, bustling with color and life. Shops and houses had been built onto the metal railings, magical lights of every color decorating the gaps between buildings. Enchantments flared with magic as they gave life to growing plants, many of them lush with fruits, oranges, blueberries, even something that looked like pineapple. She saw trees growing out towards the central open space of the city, roots clinging to the steel.

Platforms had been added, bridges of every kind of material connecting the layers or simply reaching to the other side. There were flying machines delivering parcels, others moving people. She saw a group of young dwarven kids use hooks to slide down a set of metal wires, sparks flying out around every ten meters. Hundreds were rushing to the center to see the Destroyers and Executioners fly or run up towards the top floor of the city. Ilea could see the confusion in their eyes. Fear, hope, and curiosity. She even saw plenty of dwarves returning to their own business.

This doesn’t exactly look like a prison, she thought as she moved her wings, flying downwards. A lot of eyes were on her as she passed the first layer. She waved, some of the younger dwarves mimicking the gesture.

Every layer had buildings reaching from the metal ground to the metal ceiling, tight alleys leaving just enough room for perhaps two dwarves to walk past alongside each other. There were balconies on many of the houses, some close enough to touch the ones on the other side. Enchantments were everywhere, the glow of magic downright overwhelming within Ilea’s dominion, even as she flew down the center where there were only bridges, wires, and the occasional platform reaching out into the open space.

“Who are you?” someone shouted.

“What are the Guardians doing?” another added but she was already past their level. More shouts came now as the people got over their initial shock of the changes. Some rushed to their houses, others up and towards where the machines were going, more yet went down and tried to follow the winged ashen being going down the center.

Ilea felt like a harbinger of some kind, her wings moving slowly as she descended. A Destroyer flew around her in an effort to avoid a collision. She saw Guardians and Centurions move through the layers as she passed, large metal stairwells occupied entirely by the machines. So far she saw no end to the torrent of Guardians. Hundreds of eyes were on her, some bolder individuals using the wires to follow her down, others using a flying machine or their own magic. The latter were rare.

Maybe not a skill the One without Form allowed? Or were most higher level dwarves who could fly killed due to the danger they posed to the machine?

Ilea came face to face with a young dwarf, the dark skinned girl looking at her with deep green eyes whilst sitting on a floating bowl like machine.

“Those are very nice wings,” the Taleen girl said in common.

Ilea smiled. “Thank you. I like the flying machine.”

The girl smiled brightly. “I made it myself!”

“Herin get back here!” someone shouted from the layer above.

“I have to go. See you!” the girl said and floated upwards.

“Sure,” Ilea said with a smile.

The food smells fucking nice. Strange spices, she observed on her descent, picking up speed now as she still failed to see the bottom. Ilea noted that the layers were more packed as she got deeper, fewer lights and more buildings, more platforms reaching out towards the center with homes on them as well, many were supported by more structures farther down.

It took her nearly twenty minutes to reach the bottom, in the end flying quite quickly. Still there were machines moving upwards, up until the last few hundred meters where the Guardians seemed to have already vacated the area entirely. There was no big square at the bottom but what she did see was a building that seemed at least partially inspired by the Guild hall Aki had invited the Hunters into back in Iz. A few dozen dwarves were watching her arrive, standing outside or looking out from windows and balconies.

I guess this is the place, she thought and landed a few meters away from the closest group, her wings dissolving as she waved. “Hey. Nice to meet you all.”

Violence! the Baron greeted, the Fae now sitting on her shoulder.

“No. No violence,” she said and flicked the little creature’s skull.