A Relatively Powerful Mage

Sylvi felt naked as she had to consciously stop herself from reaching where her weapons should have been. Ashlyn fidgeted with the simple-looking band of metal that sapped their mana, making them feel mentally fatigued as if they had just spent all day solving complex math problems. Sylvi was partially able to keep her mind clear, having trained to stay mentally sharp while exhausted. In contrast, Vallo was neither nervous nor tired; he simply seemed indifferent to the effects, having grown accustomed to it over the months of his captivity.

Sylvi watched in awe as the platform descended, appearing to defy gravity without any mechanical device. It was slightly larger than a freight elevator, though it was unenclosed on all sides, including a complete lack of guard rails to prevent someone from falling to their death. As it neared, she saw the platform was covered in intricate runes. A contingent of guards was on the platform, bringing down various mundane supplies.

They waited for the platform to arrive at the station, which was little more than a simple fortification around a small open expanse. While most of the Chixel accompanying them up to Trosano were with Ettes, others had unknown allegiances, forcing them to wait silently. Ettes had redressed themselves in more well-made attire of a silk equivalent, embroidered with gold thread displaying an intricately detailed dragon. Their wardrobe was further embellished with many pieces of jewelry, most of which had enchantments. Those loyal to Ettes also wore uniforms with a dragon insignia that matched the symbol on Ettes’s clothing, making them easily distinguishable from the rest of the Chixel.

The three humans were forced onto the platform the moment its cargo was unloaded. When everyone was on, no time was wasted as the platform began ascending at a speed slightly greater than a typical elevator. Fortunately, there must have been runes to shield them from the cold and pressurize the platform because they were completely unaffected by the elements. Curious, Sylvi walked towards the edge and reached towards the boundary. Her hand met something solid, suggesting the existence of an invisible field surrounding them.

The ride took longer than Sylvi had expected, stretching for what seemed like forever. Finally, the underside of the floating city came into view as they ascended above the clouds. It was colossal, stretching for kilometers in each direction. Several majestic waterfalls cascaded from the edges, their size rivaling that of some of the largest natural falls on earth. Three pillars of energy extended from below the clouds and entered the city. Glowing purple lines extended from the impact points, like capillaries spreading throughout the body. Other platforms of various sizes ascended and descended around them.

A few minutes later, they had reached the underside of Trosano. Now that they were close enough, Sylvi could see that the underside of the floating city was covered in runes etched into the stone that glowed the same purple color as the beams. They seemed to cover every inch of the outside stone, meaning there were likely billions of them, and she doubted even Imri would understand a fraction of them.

The platform continued upward, entering a city through a small entrance analogous to an elevator shaft, with only centimeters of clearance on each side. They continued up through the city, catching glimpses of tunnels as they ascended through the shaft at a speed too rapid to catch much detail. Now that Sylvi had a better frame of reference, she tried to count how many floors they ascended through. She lost track at around a hundred, and they continued upward. Eventually, the platform started to slow before finally coming to a stop.

Another group of soldiers awaited them as they stepped off the platform. They were led by the largest Chixel Sylvi had ever seen, easily larger than Zhaire at over two meters in height, towering over the normally larger humans. The massive Chixel said something to Ettes, and a brief but seemingly animated discussion ensued. Eventually, the larger Chixel seemed to relent and motioned for Ettes to pass.

Ettes led them through the tunnel-like passageways, confidently passing through each intersection. Eventually, the tunnel opened up, revealing a large cavern that held hundreds, if not thousands, of Chixel. Most appeared to be civilians, not carrying weapons but hawking wares or going about their daily business.

The cavern was larger vertically, with narrow walkways extending up and down the area. Dwellings were built into the cavern itself, almost indistinguishable from the passageway that had led them here if it weren’t for a cloth covering that acted as a door.

Ettes led them up, moving at a pace that made all three humans somewhat leery as they traversed the narrow walkways. Fortunately, they stopped after passing only a few dwellings, with Ettes motioning them inside.

The room inside was spacious and sparse, with several other cloth coverings leading off to more rooms. Mana lights illuminated the entire room, made from what appeared to be sapphires, giving the room a blueish tinge. The only possessions of note were various idols masterfully crafted out of onyx-like stone. Much of the walls were decorated with imagery carved directly into the wall, many depicting a dragon.

“It is safe to talk here,” Ettes said through a translation enchantment, motioning to a rune that had been carved into the wall. While much of the entourage hadn’t followed them inside, the few that had removed the collars from the three humans.

“This is the losing side of the war? I don’t want to see what the Azala city looks like,” Ashlyn commented, unconsciously shuddering.

“I didn’t expect you to live inside the floating chunk of stone. I thought you would live on the surface,” Sylvi pointed out.

“Only the highest of Exalted live upon the surface. This one will take you there soon,” Ettes said.

“What was with that soldier you spoke with? I didn’t think Chixel could get that big,” Vallo said.

“It is a popular tier 2 evolution for soldiers. Many of the higher ranking Exalted have a contingent of them as guards,” Ettes explained.

“But not you?” Sylvi asked.

“No,” Ettes said simply.

“What’s with all the dragons?” Ashlyn asked as she stared at the carvings in awe.

“It is said these ones have descended from the majestic creature. It is also the form of Ulzo’s avatar. Were there dragons on your world?” Ettes asked.

“They were only myths on our world,” Sylvi said. Ettes nodded, contemplating that revelation.

They spent several hours resting and recovering, even though none of them needed it. However, it was nice to have the collar off. Sylvi doubted she would ever get used to the constant feeling of having her mana drained. Ettes stressed that none of them could leave without the collar and at least one Chixel accompanying them for their own safety. While it wasn’t unheard of for other humans to be up here, they were rare enough that they would attract attention. The way Ettes described them made it sound like people were being kept as some sort of rare pet. At least most people were safe up here, with the Chixel not going through the extra effort of bringing them up if they were going to be sacrificed.

As if some appointed time had been reached, Ettes motioned for them to refasten the collars. She led them out of the dwelling and up the walkway. They continued upward for the equivalent of dozens of stories before being led down another passageway. As they continued through, the glow of mana lights was replaced with natural sunlight, and a moment later, they were outside.

They had come out at the top of another pyramid-shaped building, though this one was considerably smaller than the ones they had seen before. A quick scan of the surroundings revealed that almost all of the hundreds of nearby buildings were similar, though many were far larger and towered over them. The pyramid structures were built on a grid system, though instead of roads forming the grid, it was a series of lazy rivers. Alien plant life bloomed nearby, seemingly overtaking everything, though Sylvi could see a multitude of gardeners carefully cultivating that image.

“It’s beautiful,” Ashlyn said, echoing everyone’s sentiment.

“It is a waste,” Ettes said.

“How so?” Sylvi asked.

“The world we come from was far hotter and more arid than yours. Most of it would be considered a desert, and only a small portion of it could be inhabited. The few places where water was abundant were considered sacred. Trosano was originally one such place,” Ettes explained.

“So what happened?” Sylvi asked.

“When the Ulzites came to power, they seized this land, claiming it as their own. They raised it to the sky with the souls of those who opposed them, a symbol that those who weren’t Ulzite were beneath them. They wantonly waste water on canals and waterfalls, showing they have so much that it can be wasted, while the rest of us grew parched with thirst,” Ettes said angrily.

There was a brief silence as the humans processed what had been said while Ettes struggled with barely restrained rage. “Come, we must go to the main canal. There is something that must be seen,” Ettes instructed when they had recovered.

They were led down the exterior of the smaller pyramid, and a short walk later, they were down near the closest canal. A small dock held a barge that was just large enough for eight individuals. They were motioned in and were on their way as a Chixel used a long pole to guide them down the gentle current. It would have been a serene voyage if they weren’t in the heart of enemy territory.

After about fifteen minutes, the barge stopped just before a far larger canal that had been built above it, heading perpendicular to the one they had just been on. They headed up several flights of stairs, exiting above the larger canal.

A large crowd of Chixel was packed around the rails overlooking the main canal, so engrossed that even foreign humans seemed of little concern. Sylvi had been wondering how many Chixel actually lived on Trosano’s surface, as they had seen few in their journey on the barge, and most of those had seemingly been gardeners.

Every Chixel suddenly ceased chattering as a larger barge came into view. Unlike the other barges, this one had runes carved throughout the hull and numerous gemstones that glowed with excessive amounts of mana. Despite its larger size, most of the deck space was wasted, with only a few Chixel onboard. Unfortunately, every one of those Chixel was the larger tier 2 variant they had seen earlier, with one exception. Sitting atop a palanquin bedecked in satin cushions was an even larger Chixel. However, where the soldiers were lean and powerful, this Chixel was bloated, looking like an oversized toad.

“That is the high priest to Ulzo,” Ettes whispered in English.

A second, equally large barge followed shortly after. Where the first one had been ornamental and overly spacious, this one was simple and packed. Dozens of Chixel were packed onto the barge, most of them chained to the deck, clearly held captive against their will. Interspersed among the captives were overseers who watched their prisoners with rapt attention. They, too, were tier 2 soldiers and wore the soul-stealing black steel weapons of the inquisitors.

Both barges continued down the canal, passing right in front of where they watched. Sylvi could see Ettes tense up as she glared at the priest. She could see the terror of the captives as they struggled futilely against their chains. Both emotions were primal, transcending the divide between species.

The barges continued a bit further before coming to rest in a section of the city adjacent to Sylvi’s location. The entire section was slightly larger than a typical city block. However, it lacked buildings, and even the typical greenery was absent. It was completely flat and paved in the same black stone as temples, only polished to the point where it gleamed in the sunlight.

The High Priest was paraded out on their palanquin, carried by four of the larger Chixel. This was followed by the prisoners, many of whom had to be physically forced to the square by the far stronger inquisitors. It took some time, but all the prisoners were eventually moved to the square.

The bulbous High Priest was gently brought to the ground before waddling forward and addressing the crowd. They spoke in the Chixel language, so Sylvi couldn’t comprehend a word, but all of the Chixel near her bowed their heads as if praying. As the priest intoned on, the effects became more pronounced, with the onlookers bowing deeper while the prisoners grew more frenetic in their futile attempts to escape their bondage.

As the sermon reached a crescendo, a massive rent in space appeared above the High Priest, similar to Imri’s portals. On the other side of the portal was a colossal Black Dragon. While only its head and neck were visible, that easily gave context to how massive it would be if it appeared in full, easily eclipsing the largest of the pyramids in the city. Its jet-black scales, each the size of a small building, absorbed all light completely, making the stones below it look like cheap imitations. In contrast, the slitted eyes were a bright and vibrant blue, and Sylvi sensed that it was aware of everything.

No one moved as if the slightest motion would attract the attention of the omnipotent dragon. Even Sylvi was paralyzed in terror, considering it an accomplishment that she hadn’t soiled herself. Nothing could have prepared her for this; even if Ettes had perfectly described what would happen, she wouldn’t have believed it without seeing it.

The dragon god extended its head out of the portal, towering over the terrified captives. It opened its maw wide, and instead of normal anatomy, the inside of the dragon’s mouth was an impossible void in reality.

It lunged forward, the void maw encompassing its sacrificial victims. A fraction of a second later, it withdrew its head back into the portal before winking out of existence. All signs of the hundred victims were gone, as if they had been erased from reality.