Elinor’s eyes fell to the granite block road, following the flow of the water as the heavens lit with lightning; thunder shook the air as the storm’s fury intensified. The wind whistled past them, kept at bay by Tiffany’s Witch’s Fire, but the small creature guiding them was noticeably affected by the gale. Still, he pressed on.

She turned her focus to the Yaltha’ma; his mixed mongoose, fox, and monkey characteristics, in addition to his colorful feathers, made him more than a little cute, but she’d seen the Yaltha’ma’s sharp fangs and claws that indicated that they were far from defenseless. Yet, from the creatures she’d seen so far, they were far from alpha hunters, and even the Quen’Talrat were said to have had deadly enemies within this harsh environment.

Her ghostly green irises shifted to Tiffany as she spoke in her mind; she wore a frown while leaning against the skeletal thumb of their ride.

“Elinor, it might be best to allow our adorable little guide to give us vocal directions on our mount’s shoulders. We are losing time as the storm grows stronger, and the longer we dally, the more your excess Death Energy dissipates.”

A valid point.

Clearing her throat, she said, “What is your name?”

The quivering and sopping wet Yaltha’ma slowed, clearly shivering as he peered up at her through the pelting rain. “Ina’ko—E-Empress,” he shouted.

Elinor directed her minion to lower Tiffany near ground level, her bare toes flexing as she let the building streams of water run past her feet; she gave the creature a charming smile. “Hello, Ina’ko. We are running on a bit of a tight schedule. So, if you could run up this fine-boned arm to rest on this Quen’Talrat’s collarbone while directing us, then that would be wonderful.”

He swallowed, glancing up at Elinor for confirmation; once she nodded, Ina’ko raced up the skeleton’s arm. Once he reached the top, he tensed as a ball of Witch’s Fire encircled him; it almost looked like his fur rejected the water soaking his body as it dropped down the bony structure of their steed, green ghostly flames completely unresponsive to the liquid.

“Well, how’s that, Dear?” Tiffany asked brightly, the skeletal chair she sat on rising back to join Elinor as the ape increased its pace by a substantial margin.

“G-Good … Ina’ko thank the Royal Ritualist…”

“Now, now, like I said, we’re on a clock, Dear,” Tiffany prompted. “Keep guiding us. The Quen’Talrat will follow what directions you state.”

“O-Of course,” he replied. “Ina’ko will do Ina’ko’s bests! Forward, it is closer to the West Wall.”

“We’re in your care,” Tiffany clapped, turning a content smile toward the storm overhead as the rain whistled around them in patterned gusts.

Elinor shifted a little to study her Royal Ritualist, keeping her features neutral.

She says she views the living like bugs, yet she noticed Ina’ko’s struggles and helped him. Is her attitude all a mask that she puts on to help my image with the creatures? She can be so carefree yet obsessive.

I suppose she could be more angry with how the creature being slow is draining my Death energy, and this is more of an aggressive act for her? I’m not quite sure … Tiffany definitely wears multiple masks, and it’s hard to tell what she’s actually feeling at times without checking our connection, but she’s totally loyal to me.

Looking ahead, she hummed softly, lips curving into a soft smile; the road was so long that she couldn’t even see the end with the wall of rain obscuring even the mountains to their north. The strong gusts created waves along the ground; she loved storms, she even felt a touch of joy past the dulling effects of Emotional Loss.

Tiffany, this city really is amazing. It was designed to handle storms like this, right? I see the windows are still intact in all of the buildings. If it’s been over a century without any real maintenance … how is that possible?

Tiffany turned away from the sky to glance at the structures. “Indeed, it is quite a marvel, and it’s not my expertise. I talked with Edmon about a few things while I looked around. I found several devices that could have some modern equivalents, like baking appliances. The truly fascinating thing is the power source; it seems those colorful gems power everything.”

Elinor listened to Tiffany explain what Ke’Thra’Ma had left for them and what they needed to focus on while her eyes wandered.

“The city itself is massive; it’s likely much bigger than we first anticipated, and extends even further underground. Edmon told me he’s seen in the designs, let’s see … the major ones that he noted were elevators, sewage systems, shipping, and storage areas.

“There are zones of key functions of the city such as industry, hospitals, and housing with data that Ke’Thra’Ma kept on mapping diseases to minimize their spread.

“They have a power system based on the gems with some kind of strange conductive mineral used as wiring. There’s a rail system surrounding the edges with what appears to be prototype machines that look surprisingly close to cars.

“The city has also been designed to a grid system and labeled by Quen’Talrat numbers with the center being the palace.

“There did seem to be issues with communication, which is a massive disadvantage. They used the Yaltha’ma as messengers, which is just too slow. It’s something we need to focus on.”

Elinor frowned, shifting slightly on her seat to face the Witch. Can’t we just talk through my network?

“Mmh, yes,” she slowly replied, “but that has a limited range; we need something that works across a longer distance to maintain a proper channel of information. I’m looking forward to a world-wide network that can transmit vital data instantaneously”

Once Tiffany paused, she asked, It’s wonderful that we have so much to focus on in the future, but what do we have to work with right now? How much damage are we looking at with the city?

Tiffany didn’t respond right away, glancing around at the rising water along the streets. “Oh, that’s a good question. It looks like some of the sewage systems might be plugged up. Edmon, what have you discovered about the repairs needed? We see some buildup of water up here; it’s draining, but extremely slowly.”

Edmon’s voice entered their minds. “I told you before, Tiffany … I’m still working on it. I’m studying the designs; this city is a whole lot larger and more complex than it appears. There are thirty layers below the surface and a massive cave system that the Thélméthra linked to it, which is a current weakness that needs some attention. During the war, they dug through the tunnels to invade the Quen’Talrat, and we could be invaded the very same way.”

“Why?” Tiffany asked. “From what I understand, the Thélméthra weren’t connected to the other allied nations.”

“Why would I have that answer?”

“I’m just asking the question … it’s not like I’d expect a blockhead like you to have an answer.”

“You asked me a question … expecting I didn’t have the answer? Are you just trying to waste my time? Because I’m currently very busy trying to figure out the problem you first asked me … the sewage system.

“Gross … yeah, let’s get the sewage working.”

“I’m glad we agree on something … unlike our last conversation. I’ll probably put the sewage problem behind sealing the breaches, though. Why don’t you go clean up the waste or clean out the sewage; you’re rather competent in that field, right?”

Tiffany glared down at a pool of water rising around a drain as it backed up. “You’re impossible!”

Edmon chuckled. “I learned that the Quen’Talrat lived three times a normal human’s life-span, but still, the advancements Ke’Thra’Ma made are astonishing.”

Elinor cut in, feeling a little amused by their light punches. He didn’t come up with all of it on his own; Demon taught him a lot in exchange for breaking an orb. He took the deal I rejected.

“Ah,” Edmon hummed thoughtfully. “That makes a lot more sense. He was in contact with that creature … how far does its network spread? We could run into a lot of trouble if he starts spinning ideas in different nations’ heads. Hmm, speaking of that, Tiffany and I were discussing communications earlier. She seems to think it’s immediately important, but I’m not so sure.”

Tiffany released a soft huff. “Communication is critical in any civilization. The invention of long-distance transmissions was a game-changer in war.”

“Yes, but only on the large scale offensive and defensive playing field; we are on the defensive, and quite small, at the moment. Who would be contacting? We need to focus on fortifying and bolstering our army. You’re skipping right past the building phase.”

“Sure, but I’d still like Elinor being in constant communication with everyone within her Empire.”

“Let’s just leave it to Elinor, then … this is drawing my attention away from identifying all the weak points in the fortress and handling critical problems.”

Elinor was silent for a moment as Tiffany looked over at her with hopeful eyes, but she gave her a sad smile. I know communication is important, Tiffany, and being without my cell phone was torture back on Earth … but I agree with Edmon. I shouldn’t micromanage the Royal Court, right? If this Thélméthra is really as high of a Grade as you believe, then we should put our trust in her. Still…

Tiffany’s sad expression turned broodish as she continued. We’ll have to see what kind of personality this queen has; there’s always the possibility that she won’t join us … as much as that annoys me, it’s something I need to consider.

“Quite true,” Tiffany breathed out a long sigh, and she felt the Witch cut her communication with Edmon. “I suppose I’m letting my personal feelings influence my decisions with the insufferable Gatekeeper.”

Elinor smiled, glancing up at the sky as it flashed with more bluish-white lightning before returning to the path ahead of them. Their guide had led the Quen’Talrat down the main east road, until now. Upon further inspection of the area, she theorized that they were entering something of a manufacturing district with the large warehouse-type buildings surrounding them.

“To the left.”

She glanced over at a structure he was focused on; it had thick metal gates that were open. The large ape shifted paths at the small creature’s direction, entering without hesitation.

The entrance was wide enough to allow three Quen’Talrat to enter and exit; there was half a meter rise to get into the gatehouse with a small ramp on either side for the Yaltha’ma, and grates in case water got in.

Exiting the storm, the lightning, rain, and wind died down, causing Tiffany to extinguish her fire around them; she left a bright torch for the small creature to identify where they were and continued further into the depths of the city.

Elinor glanced around at the plain black walls, but her mind was back with the Witch and Doom Guard’s conversation. She gave Tiffany a soft smile. I’m sure you are letting your personal feelings influence you.

“Oh?” Tiffany asked with a forced smile. “What do you mean by that?”

Her green irises narrowed slightly as she studied her former mother, bright with amusement. You’ve been having some private conversations with him? Is there something you like about Edmon?

“Well, not much,” Tiffany sniffed. “But … he does have a nice voice, and I do wish he’d take off his helmet every once in a while. He might be a bit detestable at times, but he’s got a handsome face,” she mumbled, kicking out her feet a little as she stared down at her lap. “If only he could lighten up a bit! Geez … it’s like—I don’t know, he’s so serious—all the time! It’s exhausting…”

Elinor giggled, causing Ina’ko to glance down at her with concern before quickly righting his head. He licked his lips nervously, turning back to the abyss as they continued to descend, step by step, passing level after level. She didn’t have time to study the hallways rushing by, but her focus was still on her former parents.

I’m glad you both get along.

“Not a whole lot…” Tiffany muttered. “These stairs are well designed, though … shoot, that’s Edmon’s point of interest. I have a…” She paused as Edmon’s voice entered their minds again.

“Tiffany, I found something interesting in the plans that you’ll salivate over,” he said with an amused tone.

When he didn’t elaborate, she growled. “C’mon, don’t leave me waiting! What is it? What, did you find the powerplant or something?”

“Not exactly.”

Tiffany’s expression became more and more vexed as Edmon let the mystery continue.

“What?”

“Give me a moment, I’m directing a lot of Yaltha’ma. You’re just like a kid…”

She rolled her eyes, and Elinor thought she saw a light blush on the witch’s cheeks. “You’re just pulling my leg, aren’t you? It’s just like…”

“I found a district with massive greenhouses to the northeast,” Edmon chuckled. “Interested?”

Tiffany’s eyes slowly widened, clearly, her mind was foaming with possibilities. “That’s—that’s wonderful! Excellent! What else can you tell me about it?”

“Well, I can’t dedicate too much time to just looking at those plans,” Edmon muttered, but it was clear that he knew this would press Tiffany’s buttons. “You’re busy supporting Elinor with the Thélméthra incident anyways, aren’t you?”

A groan left Tiffany’s throat as she threw her head back against the bony hand she sat on, tapping the back of her skull against it with frustration. “You’re evil!”

“Just thought I’d make you aware.”

“Of course, you did…”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go—you know, important things to do.”

“Quit acting all big,” Tiffany huffed.

“Hey, I got shots to make, Benihana.”

She glanced over at Tiffany’s sour expression as the Witch huffed, “Huh? What does that even mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Right…”

They fell silent, causing Elinor to smile, and after a moment, Edmon chuckled, leaving off with, “You’ll have to stop by to check them out with me when you get the time.”

Elinor’s smile grew as Tiffany’s vision fell to the floor, and this time, there really was a rosy blush touching her cheeks. “I look forward to it.”

They still hold feelings toward one another, but it’s entered a new field. Perhaps there’s hope, and they’ve got a lot of ground to cover, but somehow, there’s still chemistry.

They continued down all thirty floors that Edmon had stated, which took longer than she expected; she realized the levels were much bigger than what she was used to since Quen’Talrat were three times the size of an average human.

The bottom floor almost looked like a parking garage with masses of rotting crates and debris; there were large piles of what seemed trash, likely left behind by the armies after they’d looted the fortress, and there were puddles forming at random places around the area.

The space itself was as large as a football stadium, complete with the stands and field, rising eight meters high. The entire room was designed with arches and pillars, supporting the massive weight above.

Along the wall, far to the left, were large openings that appeared to function like elevators to haul the stored items up and down. However, the one oddity with the masterfully constructed zone was a hole in the floor, fifteen meters to the right of the entrance. Elinor was a little surprised to see Te’la near its edge.

“Ina’ko,” Elinor said, eyes on Te’la, “you may return to your duties … on second thought.” Her focus shifted to the ground. “Gwen has had a long day. Go find the woman that was with us and tell her to leave someone in charge of cleaning while she sleeps, if she’s tired. If she is not tired, then she can continue, but if she needs rest, then find her a proper place to sleep.”

Tiffany cleared her throat as Elinor ended her order. “Also, it might be helpful to have a few Yaltha’ma guard her while she sleeps. She’ll likely feel very exposed, and make sure she’s comfortable when she falls asleep.”

Ina’ko quickly raced down the skeletal ape’s bony body, saying, “Ina’ko will not fail the Empress!”

“So reliable,” Tiffany giggled, turning her orange irises to Te’la as she hesitantly inched toward them; she was clearly nervous with her ears back, tail and head low. “Dear, what happened? You look whipped.”

Elinor observed the creature as she shuffled a little, stuttering a bit with her words. “Te’la went to Hidden Ones … the—the Hidden Ones—don’t believe Te’la. Te’la told the Hidden Ones about E-Empress Elinor, and the great power Empress Elinor has, but—but the Hidden Ones said Te’la abandoned the ways…”

“Poor thing,” Tiffany sighed, glancing back at Elinor.

A low hum rumbled in Elinor’s throat before she replied. “I didn’t really expect they’d welcome me with open arms. However, I do anticipate how they’ll respond once I stand before them.”

She let the silence press in around them as her mind returned to the questions she held about her Royal Ritualist, but it didn’t last long.

I just don’t fully understand her motives. She thinks about Gwen, Te’la, and so many other things, but she only views them as beneficial insects when relevant. How do my wishes change her reactions or manipulate the mask she puts on?

“Honey,” Tiffany prompted. “We really should hurry.”

Te’la swallowed hard as she glanced between them, trying to figure out if she should speak or not. After several seconds she said, “Te’la—agrees, Empress … once the Hidden Ones feel the Empress’ great power, then the Hidden Ones will understand!”

“Right,” Elinor whispered before ordering her minion to lower Tiffany’s arm.

“Come up, Dear,” Tiffany said with a bright smile. “Climb up to the collarbone and guide us to the bodies of the Thélméthra and the Hidden Ones.”

Te’la hesitated for a moment before quickly running up the bones; they were soon on the move, dropping through the opening in the floor.

After a few minutes of near silence, only broken by Te’la’s directions, they came upon a branch, and Elinor asked, “What is the Hidden Ones’ leader’s name?”

“The leader of the Hidden Ones is called El’co,” Te’la stated, swallowing after. “It is said that El’co used to be an Elder, the youngest admitted to the Inner Circle before El’co’s revelations.”

“Revelations?” Tiffany asked, glancing around at the walls with interest as her eyes followed different colored veins in the stone.

“Y-Yes—El’co learned from the ancient scripts … El’co learned the Quen’Talrat language … El’co learned of the wars with the fearsome underlivers, the Hidden Ones. Te’la now know the underlivers were called Thélméthra. Knowledge is only passed down by the El … the single leader.”

“Ah,” Tiffany hummed thoughtfully. “So, El’Ra’Ca was the only one that would have the proper understanding of the distant past as passed down from El to El. Did you give El’co the title of El?”

“H-How did Tiffany know?” Te’la asked with shock.

“Just an educated guess,” she replied with a soft laugh. “El’co learned about the stories of the past through the writings in the library, which caused a rift with your tribe. Hmm? When did this happen?”

“When Te’la was still with Te’la’s mother,” she mumbled. “Before the massacre … before the Hidden Ones were forced into the caves.”

“How tragic,” Tiffany whispered. “You lost your mother in the massacre?”

“Yes … Te’la’s mother agreed with El’co that Yaltha’ma should seek the aid from the ones that first accepted the Yaltha’ma … the Quen’Talrat treated Yaltha’ma like disposable dung … ugly, and out of sight. Thélméthra respected Yaltha’ma.”

“Hmm,” Tiffany folded her legs as she leaned back to stare up at the ceiling. “History is often different from what we’re taught, or even revised to propagate propaganda.”

“W-We’re almost there,” Te’la quivered as she balanced on the skeletal ape’s collarbone.

Elinor kept a straight face as she heard voices up ahead.

“Lights, lights in the tunnel!”

“Te’la should have been imprisoned!”

“Prepare!”

A dark chuckle left Tiffany’s lips. “Well, they’re rather excited. Should I prepare a little something?”

Elinor straightened on her bony throne, making sure her clothes and hair were presentable before glancing over at the Witch, releasing the full effect of Lesser Aura of Supremacy. Everyone within was assaulted by the Horrify status effect, and if that failed, the Fear status effect would activate next.

Te’la froze, fur spiking as the mental attack overwhelmed her; the noise ahead of them died, and an eerie silence followed after the fading echoes.

Elinor smiled at her former mother. I don’t think that will be necessary, but you have my interest. What would you do?

“A shame,” she sighed. “I was hoping to utilize a toxic gas that would have caused quite the reaction.”

What about Te’la?

“Oh, no need to worry, it’s heavier than air; she’d be safe up here.”

What would it do, melt their insides?

Elinor’s attention was diverted as they came upon their welcome party, and there was a pleasant surprise gift waiting for her. Rounding a corner in the cave, they came upon a decent-sized cavernous room with five Yaltha’ma quivering before her; they couldn’t even lift their eyes, trapped in the terror running circles around their petrified minds.

To the left and right of the cave were two carcasses of what she could only assume were Thélméthra; they were far more elegant than what she’d pictured from her mental image of the spiders back home.

The hard exoskeletons were clearly crushed, but she still held out hope; her current steed strolled right by the frozen guards while she activated Herald of the Empress. Two greenish butterflies left from the fire that engulfed her arms.

Her fluttering flames circled the remains, giving her an understanding of what she was dealing with as she studied the large creatures.

If one stood up, then its thin, long eight legs would raise higher than its body; each leg appeared to have seven joints, and the ends of each had an armored plate-like spike. If that wasn’t enough, the ends were more than sharp enough to be spear-like weapons.

Its sleek butt appeared to have exoskeleton plates that protected the inner section, but there were clear sections that exposed the inner softer body between each layer, long since decayed. On the tail of the butt was a sharp yellow-jacket-like barb.

The creature’s metallic-like fangs were sharp, likely with a hollowed point to inject poison, and the teeth had fallen out long ago, resting across the ground. Its head was a lot more elegant and sculpted than she imagined it would be.

It appeared more like a fancy armored death machine than a furry spider. Both exoskeletons were vastly different shades, representing different palettes of the cave’s color scheme.

She judged that they were about two meters tall, but could have been more if alive and standing before her. With the insides decayed, all she had to go off of was the shell, which wasn’t much. The one to her right was more damaged than the one to her left, and only the left one could be used.

“Any luck?” Tiffany asked as she shifted around in her bony seat, trying to view different angles of the creatures.

“Yes … however, it’s only a Common-Grade. Still, better than nothing, but not what I was hoping for.”

On desire, one of her butterflies landed on the left spider, igniting the carcass; the unintelligent minion’s legs twitched as it rose, standing a bit higher than her previous prediction.

“Pretty,” Tiffany whispered as its colors shifted.

An emerald fire erupted from within the hard case, flames flaring out from the plates around its butt, eyes, mouth, and spade like pattern on its head. She released Lesser Aura of Supremacy, turning to address the now freed Yaltha’ma.

They shivered and quaked as they looked between her and her newly raised minion; commanding it to roar, she was a little amused as it released a loud hiss that almost sounded like a mix between a cat and steam engine.

It crept forward, movements rigid, flames expanding as it loomed over the small fox-like creatures. With the following silence, she glared down at the Hidden Ones; using a Quen’Talrat as a throne with a Thélméthra guard dog by her side, awaiting her orders, she knew she made for a terrifying sight even without her ability.

I could just walk past all these small creatures, resurrect what I need, and walk away … but is that what I really want?

After a moment’s thought, she breathed a soft sigh. “I am Empress Elinor. Take me to your leader.”

Without a word, they all swallowed before bowing their heads; it still took a few seconds for their legs to work properly. None could speak, causing Tiffany’s soft words to press in around them.

“The poor things must see fatality running around their minds, feeling that ominous pressure crawling up and down their spines.”

Elinor glanced to her right, and just for a moment, she saw the indifference for the creatures in Tiffany’s cold orange irises before it was replaced with a welcoming smile.

“It’s like the quintessence of death has emerged from the ether to stand before them.”