Chapter 1685 (1/2)
Sam kept his hand clamped against Sunan’s shoulder less as a sign of affection from a caring parent and more like a jailer keeping a close eye on a dangerous felon with a history of escapes on his record. The boy squirmed in his grip as the trio waited in line for transportation onto the new skyisland that Kharon was unveiling for this special occasion. The sun had set and the venue of the auction rose as a spinning hedron of darkness.
Before they were allowed to enter, none of the lights of the auction house were lit. There was a sense of excitement in the air, the novel experience titillating the affluent individuals who had obtained an invitation.
“I’ll say this about Tatiana,” Regina looked around the line in front of them to the elegant-looking skycarriages that waited at the edge of the queue. Each was carved in a unique way, some depicting monsters, others covered in heroic-looking sculptures of armored individuals hefting weapons. “She really knows how to throw a grand party.”
“And make an entrance,” Sam grunted. He glanced at his watch. Ten seconds were left until 7 P.M. on the dot, which would be when the new skyisland officially opened. “So, do you think the reveal will be done with an explosion or not?”
“Explosion,” Sunan said confidently. Regina rolled her eyes and gave Sam a look that reiterated her earlier statement. These are your genes at work.
Eight seconds later, a distant point of light blinked into existence upon this new skyisland. As they watched, that small beginning spread steadily outward, illuminating the various levels and the almost greek exterior of the skyisland. Tall pillars lined the sides of the skyisland, which didn’t follow the typical cookie-shaped template for skyislands. Instead, the auction venue looked more like a massive, floating toward. It spun slowly in the air, a slow-motion catwalk turn for the watching city below.
Soon, the entirety of the venue was visible, clean and sharp and sophisticated. But as the queues began to be allowed into the waiting skycarriages, a new noise shook the sky.
ROOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR!
Sam looked upward. Wivanya’s massive and sinuous body rushed over Kharon, carrying Alana and whatever guests she had brought to the auction venue. People in line around the trio began to whisper excitedly and point upward; to most people, Alana Donal was a celebrity. She was the most powerful woman on the planet, now that Randidly Ghosthound had left.
Sam’s lips twitched. No one seems to remember who made all ‘er equipment though…
“What a mount,” Sunan sighed.
*****
Vye couldn’t help but bow to the girl. “Color me impressed. Even with me trying my best to distract you, you managed to find this mysterious card user in only a few days.”
Delilah flushed at the praise. She, Vye, and Thorn were standing next to an abandoned scrapyard. On the other side of the rusted stacks of scrap metal and discarded industrial equipment was a small garage that devoured all images that neared it. A sinister energy radiated outward from the building that kept them from approaching any closer.
Delilah coughed into her hand. “Well, anyone could do this. You just need to put the moss spirits to work; they have their own images, you know, so they would avoid any places with a image-killer suit… and if you know how to communicate with them… well, ehehehe…. I suppose I do deserve a little bit of the credit… and now-”
As she took a step forward, Delilah was stopped by one of Thorn’s vine hands. She frowned up at his cowled face. “Why? Ugh, you aren’t going to insist that we wait for backup, are you? This terrorist is right there! And we three are powerful enough by ourselves-”
Vye chuckled and shrugged. “No, we aren’t saying that we should wait for backup. If anything, we are the backup. Looks like someone had the same idea as you… and got here just a bit faster. Finder, keepers is the MO of the Order Ducis. So for now, let’s wait here.”
Delilah blinked several times and twisted around to stare at the area around the garage. Who the hell is better at reading the moss spirits than I am…?
*****
Garrett checked his watch. The clock read 7:15. Most of the influential people would be heading into Kharon’s newest Skyisland at this point. Traffic into the venue would be closely monitored, but Garrett didn’t need to detonate the darksteel bomb there. In fact, doing so and harming the representatives from the Zone would be counter-productive. He just needed to prove to the world how vulnerable Kharon’s city was.
They could not rely on this spawn of Randidly Ghosthound for their protection. They needed to build up their own arsenal of tools to prevent people from dying.
Releasing a hiss of discomfort as he neared the Darksteel Bomb that so closely resembled a pinecone, Garret stored the object into the interspatial watch. Already, his body ached from the proximity; he planned on shifting the bomb to the detonation point as quickly as possible and moving further away. Hopefully, the damage to his image wasn’t too deep at this point.
Garrett hurried out of the garage, closed the sliding door behind him, and then froze. A figure with long black hair and a metal left arm was standing in front of the garage almost casually, looking up at the sky. As though he was simply here by coincidence.