Shade of Deception (Two)

Seven - SoD

Seven:

The inside of the city Siegfried led us in to was glorious. There were holographic screens all-round the open markets advertising products and services. There were even ads for human shows for sale on holo-net.

The three layers of gates and checkpoints we crossed through were extremely well guarded, yet no one appeared to be output or oppressed by these guards. There was no vibe of military abuse here. Only the vibe of excited guests spending their hard-earned currency on all manners of frivolous belongings.

They all appeared oblivious to the armed cadre of solders escorting us to whatever undisclosed location we were bond. No one had openly behaved hostile, and from the fragments I could pick from the well-guarded minds of the soldiers, they not only knew to block out my attempts at telepathy, but they were somehow unflinchingly on guard, almost hyper-vigilant.

This felt like a red flag, but I could gleam enough that no one here presented me any danger. Aside from Siegfried, no one seemed to care much, except that they half expected an ogress, not an attractive young woman in the very height of her prime. What I noticed above all, was that the Nix and the other guards seemed to look at each other with a very well disguised layer of alertness. I could sense the subtle but hot-running animosity between the two groups of guards.

As we moved further into the city, I noticed more furry-faced feline people walking bipedally. They were becoming the most common species I spotted in any single location. Hidden seemed to house not just magus, but it seemed to host even more exotic-to-earth species in mass.

“These are Volupine, before you even bother to ask in that obnoxiously mortal way of yours.”

Siegfried said in his dull and annoyed tone, which I was beginning to find more offensive. He did seem to have a very deeply disguised hatred or animosity for me. However, I still noted the lack of anything resembling the magus aura of expressive power that he was supposed to have.

He was should appear weak, but there was something that didn’t align with the facts. I was no fool, and I knew that Senna gave the man a wide berth for some reason. I did not believe that particular dragoness capable of avoiding issues or troublesome people, unless there were some deeper reasons. Senna might loath me, but she does not avoid me, she even teaches me with Sky. I am by her definition, a frenemy.

The streets were all well-lit under the faux sky. I could see all manners of hovering drone-like robotic carriers and messengers. There were even life-sized machine-humanoids perched on red and blue colored hovering bikes. It did not require any level of intellect to deduce these were automated police units.

“As you can imagine, powerful royal guards are not needed to handle petty street-crime.”

Siegfried explained, as I studied the long lean forms of several of Volupine.

“They evolved on a jungle world several layers of reality from here. If you are trying to find a tail, I am afraid they do not share that trait in common with the felines of this world.”

Siegfried offered in annoyance, and I flushed slightly. I might not ever need worry about someone violating my thoughts, but my eyes tended to give away my line of thought too often. I needed to learn how to mask my emotions, like Senna, or even like Sky, who looked completely implacable. This was her first trip to the big city of Hidden as well, but she did not look like a rubber-necking tourist on holiday, like me.

“They are vastly different in appearance to anyone I have met. I am not trying to be rude to them. I am just taking everything in around me. This is all new, so sorry, not sorry.”

I said to Siegfried, who made an annoyed nasal sound and kept walking with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Well, this is not some bazar petting zoo for you to amuse yourself.”

He chastised and I skewered him with an angry look.

“Look, Mister Personality, can we please just get to our destination?”

I asked irritably, and Sky touched a palm to my left hand gently.

“We are going to meet the Lords and Ladies of the City of Hidden. Just try to be nice.”

She asked me in a very un-Sky-like tone that was almost gentle. Like she was walking on eggshells. I sighed and nodded to her. I could not let myself forget for a single moment why I was here, to find Roger and to help bring him back to my newest bestie alive.

“I am nice!”

I said in a very defensive tone, and Sky indulged me with a sassy look. I rolled my eyes and I nudged her with my left shoulder playfully. The Nix guards tensed for a moment before they say her giggle at me and roll her own eyes. They seemed to need a moment to process their princess as a girl being playful. Part of me was glad they had never seen me and Sky spar, she really goes at it with me! Something about shades not being as fragile as her usual partners. I give as good as I have received, but she is definitely living up to the hype befitting dragons.

I am not exactly sure how I ended up with a dragon as a female bestie, but I am content with the two friends’ fate had chosen to give me. Even if one of them needed to notice the other’s interest in him!

“You have been granted an audience with the Lords and Ladies representing the diverse peoples of Hidden.”

Siegfried elaborated, as if this were beneath him as a menial task. How Senna had not bitten his head off eluded me. The man seemed too well preened to be trust-worthy, and he had the most contemptable character I had ever experienced.

“The city is run by a body of leaders from every species. It is not un-like the US Congress in that manner.”

Sky said, and I cut her a sauce look and quipped, “Hopefully not as slow to get everything done.”

She gleamed with amusement, but she kept her lips sealed on the topic. She was a leader, and as such was trying to maintain a neutral air of dignity and respect. I was allowed to play the jester of the court, because apparently that was how seriously shades ranked in this world.

“What about the humans? There has to be some in here, right?”

Clarke asked, and Siegfried sniffed and kept moving. That could have meant anything, but Neither of us liked what it might indicate for mortal life here. An isolated city filled to the brim with powerful immortal expressionists as far as the eye can see in any direction would be a horrid place to be human and alone. The entire reason immortals allow humans to believe they do not exist, is because immortals appreciate just how relentless and exhaustive a war versus billions would become.

“The humans here are well tended to for all their needs.”

One of the cat-like men prowled over to us, he was imposingly tall and build on chorded lean muscles. His eyes were like slit emeralds. His fur was ashy grey, and his ears were positioned on either said of the top of his head, not on the sides like humans and human-like species. His fingers were every bit as capable of fine motor function as humans, and he had apposable thumbs, but I could see the sheathed evidence of massive razor-sharp claws in his nails.

“Lord Garren, this is Hannah Graves, and Skylark the future apex leader of the Nix.”

His slit jeweled eyes were respectful in expression as they landed on Skylar. Sky did not prefer to be called by the Nix enunciated version of her name. It might seem a subtle difference to some, but to her it made her feel less like she belonged here on the planet of her birth. She indulged her mother, since Senna would never stop calling her by her true given name. However, she loathed to be beholden to that name elsewhere. I could feel her annoyance, but she did not show it to anyone. Sky let me in, let me experience her feelings. She was like a little sister to me, and to her, I was the only being apex enough to truly rough house with and be treated as an equal. Though, I admit I am a bit green with envy of her dragoness form. I just have a dispersion ability when I am injured, where I become a lot less corporeal, and I am what the species name implies, a shade, something not really physical, but not dead either.

“You will forgive my interruption of your tour of the city, but I just had to come out and see these young beauties for myself. After all, it is not often one is in the presence of two beings who slew a leviathan with nothing but the intuitive brutal force of their expression.”

Lord Garren raked his eyes over me, a look that seemed to transfer across time, space, and species. Considering I could practically taste the masculine musk of his heady s****l appetite, I was well confirmed in my suspicions. We were the new young barely legal catnip in the city. The fact that I was gay seemed a moot point of interest to him.

“Thank you for coming to see us. My mother has told me all about you, Lord Garren.”

Sky said it in such a polite manner, only Clarke and I caught the barbs in that comment. Her smile did not reach her eyes, but that almost seemed obvious in intention. She was displaying passively, that she was not a being to be trifled with. Her eyes slit like searing blue flames of dragon fire, then they returned to normal. The wave of expression from her raw molten fury was a quick ripple in the atmosphere, it passed in a fleeting manner, but the impact was lodged in the senses of every being besides me and to a lesser extent, Clarke, who seemed to have a very high tolerance for us powerful female alpha types.

“You are certainly Senna’s child, that is of no doubt. How is your dear mother handling the challenge and the exchange of power?”

His words were sugary sweet, but Garren had lanced Sky with a verbal bolt of his own. Reminding her of the fragile and strained relationship with her mother. Senna might live another ten-thousand-years, but she would be relegated to retirement. Sometimes, Nix challenges involved a fight to the death because the former apex would refuse to live in a world where their reason for being has been won from them. Sky did not want me to know, but I gleamed she was worried Senna may fall prey to such dark musings. A fact our feline host was reminding her.

“Put away the claws Lord kitty cat, we are late for high tea.”

Siegfried said, and Garren beamed laser-like rage at him, as our perpetually exhausted and annoyed guide began to saunter on towards a massive conclave of buildings like gleaming spires in the fake-sky.