Rise of the Godking - Chapter 174

Chapter 174 - The First Step

On an island that was just a single teleportation away from the large swathe apparently carved out for themselves by the Ushanbos, a strange procession of three were ascending a rise that blocked everything in their vision and stopped at the top, their breaths whistling out through their noses while their eyes latched onto the magnificent image that had just come into their vision, shining and sparkling in the sun like a jewel laid out on earth, dropped by a careless God above.

First and foremost, the main feature that would startle anyone who had been on the islands for any length of time was that the sorcerous globe that was present on every scrap of land to hide what was happening inside from prying eyes was present here on a much larger scale, enveloping at least 10 to 20 times what it usually did. It was massive, almost reaching the sun that stood halfway between its highest and lowest point in the sky with the top of its rounded mass. It covered a major part of the horizon, reflecting the sea all around it in a mesmerizing manner that would many most wonder whether they had entered a different world.

A few moments later, one's gaze was bound to drift to the other incredible aspect of the Empire of the Ushanbos: a gigantic cathedral-like structure that had been built to encompass an entire island the size of the one in which Graiton was present.

It was an incredible feat of architecture, with countless spires that rose into the sky, jutting towards the heavens like so many fingers of a colossus, arched with the tips pointing straight up. There were doomed sections, too, that ended with spires, again, which rose higher than all the rest, and in front of it all was a gigantic V-shaped entrance with closed wooden doors that could admit at least a 40-foot tall giant, if required.

Silver patterns had been etched onto the wood, shimmering with a distinctive, magical glow that could be seen even though the sun was behind the island. The rest of the spires and domes rose, at most, to double the height of the door, causing anyone looking upon the edifice to feel a sensation of imbalance as the door almost seemed to belong to a different, even larger structure.

Even from where they were, they could see that the teleportation matrixes of the island were just a few feet away from that large door. Figures could be seen milling around in the space between them, walking between a few small buildings that had been constructed there using the same, greyish-white material that had been used for the rest of the mansion, or whatever it was.

Alex was the first to recover. He wore an elaborate, emerald robe that was ten feet long, draped in a very precise fashion as instructed by the elf. A turban was on his head, and the spell cast to hide his face made him seem as if he had a long head of white hair that reached his knees. His mustache seemed to be locked in a perpetual battle with its sibling that grew on his scalp. Tied together into a long, whiplike cord, it reached his stomach which bulged outward.

Beside him, Daneel's robes were worse than any he had had the misfortune of having to dress in, even when he was a slave. They were so ragged that most of his body was visible, the scars underneath clear as day to anyone who chanced to look upon him. A copper collar was around his neck, connected to a handle that was clutched in the elf's hands.

The elf was the only one dressed normally among the three. He wore simple brown beaches and a tan shirt, with brown hair and an innocent face he had chosen among the many disguises he seemed to be capable of casting upon himself, and others.

"Now ain't that a sight for sore eyes. Who knows, maybe slaves brought here even forget the suffering they're going to be thrown into when they gaze upon the incredible architecture their captors are capable of."

Daneel grunted, then punched Alex's shoulder.

"For the last time, something's wrong here. Put aside all of your presumptions. I'm not saying that I know it for sure, but I'm damn well certain that there is more to these former slaves than meets the eye. Come on. The show will start soon."

The elf remained silent. The thief only shrugged, then stepped forward, handling his robes masterfully in the exact fashion that Mors had taught him.

Alex had proved to be a quick learner. Daneel had had two options: if this had not been the case, he would have had to choose something less ideal. Thankfully, the thief had pulled through, so the best version of his plan was being carried out.

The whole point of it was to give them a way to ascertain the truth behind the Ushanbo Empire, then leave at their leisure without causing any trouble, or even alerting anyone that they had been infiltrated by the perpetrators of the disappearance of Larefah. There was also very little risk inherent in the plan for his companions, and because he wanted to be comfortable enough to do what he wished using the system without them looking on, it was ideal for him, too.

In a flash, Daneel assumed the role of the one he was masquerading as. His shoulders drooped, his eyes fell to the ground and his face took on such a forlorn expression that anyone looking at him would be convinced that life had defeated him in a way that was more complete than what anyone, or anything else could even hope to accomplish. Beside him, the elf entered his character, too. With a completely nonchalant face, he held his hands behind his back and only ever looked back once in a while to check whether Daneel was coming along.

In this way, one behind the other, they reached the last teleportation matrix where Alex stepped through, first. Before it was his turn, Daneel took in a deep breath, and then, in the blink of an eye, his hand darted to the crystal while he suddenly felt an odd feeling wash over him, as if he was taking the plunge into a treacherous pool filled with sharks.

As they emerged onto the welcome island of the Ushanbos, as it was supposedly called by visitors, the scale of those massive buildings imposed itself on them even more. They were but ants in comparison to the structures that towered above them. They had also been cast into their shade, and Daneel was convinced that this area of the island had even been designed so that it would remain in a brooding gloom for most of the day, meant to thrust whoever was coming to visit into a mindset where they would ultimately feel that they were below the Ushanbos.

Alex had also entered his character. He was nowhere near them, already having entered one of the round buildings with pointed tops arrayed on both sides of the marbled path that stretched between the colossal door and the crystal matrixes. By the time Daneel spotted him, he was setting down a large glass of wine while conversing with a man wearing red clothes slashed at his chest who had arrived at some point to attend to him.

This man soon came over to them, leaving Alex with his glass and his roaring belches that drew the gazes of many around them. At least fifty people were present doing various things on the welcome island, and during his observations, he had noticed that all but a few turned away after noticing that the thief was nothing more but a coddled visitor from the Mainland.

Indeed, they had chosen to use a disguise that could not be verified unless one was ready to step on toes that could crush them with a casual movement if they were careless for even a fraction of a second. After looking him up and down as if he was a discounted ware on display, the man said, "Welcome to the true Eyya Empire. The Empire of the Islands, in other words. Your master has told me everything. Please, leave the slave to me. You can join His Excellency while I dispose of this troublemaker. The Ushanbos are graced by your presence."

With a casual nod, Mors handed over the handle. Daneel didn't even look up throughout the entire exchange, but inside, he was smiling. 

The first part of the plan was going smoothly.. Like a worm invading a fruit, he had burrowed his way inside, so all that remained…was to steal, and flee.