“Have you teleported like this before, young lady?” Marcus asked Yuki.
In the room that Marcus led them into was a shiny metal platform that stood in the center. There were intricate engravings on the surface of the platform. If she had the time, Yuki would have gladly spent a day puzzling over them.
“No,” she replied. “I’ve only used transporters.”
“I see. Well, to all of you, it’s essentially the same protocol as those transporters,” Marcus said. “Just step on and stay still. We’ll handle the rest.”
“How does it work?” Akira asked.
“That isn’t really a question for me. I only got the basics,” Marcus shrugged. “It’s a spell. We power it and then send you on your jolly way. If you know where you’re going, you can move yourself, or you tell us and we can send you to your location for you. Most of the time, people go to their home cities, so we don’t need a full time operator here.”
“What’s on the other side?” Yuki asked.
“Of the spell? Just another platform like this.”
“Bigger room too?”
“Bigger room,” Marcus grinned. “This thing can take one person at a time. More can go on it, but safer for just one. Less chances for something to screw up as you go through space.”
“What do you do when you need to move a lot of people at once?”
“We have some things in place to help with that,” Marcus replied. “We still teleport though, I can tell you that.”
“I see. Well, Ember, are we going?”
“Yes we are. Marcus, start it up,” she said.
“Right on it. Who’s going first?” he asked.
“I will,” Mathali volunteered. “I must see if the other side is safe for my lady.”
Marcus pursed his lips at Mathali’s last words, his eyes curious, but he refrained from saying anything.
“Stand on the plate and I’ll send you on your way.”
“What city are we going to?” Yuki asked. She couldn’t recall the name ever being said.
“We’re going to Dyrin,” Ember replied. “Otherwise known as the Capital to the locals. It’s where the council official resides, though they don’t always meet there.”
“Do we know where they’re meeting?”
“We’ll know once we’re in the city,” she said.
“Are you ready devil?” Marcus asked.
“I am,” Mathali nodded.
“Have a good trip,” Marcus saluted.
He placed his other hand on a metal podium. Mana was poured into the podium and lines lit up as the mana was channeled to the metal plate. The runes engraved on the plate glowed as mana activated each one. Then a second later, a column of light engulfed Mathali and he disappeared from sight.
“Next one up while the spell is still going,” Marcus instructed. “Chop chop. I have paperwork to attend to.”
Erica went in next, followed by Yuna and then Akira. They each gave Yuki a small wave or nod as they stood on the plate before being teleported.
“Yuki, you can go next. I’ll be right behind you,” Ember smiled.
“Alright. See you in the city,” Yuki said.
“I’ll see you in the city.”
Yuki stepped on the plate with the engraved spell that was still shining brightly. Marcus bade her farewell before light surrounded her. It disappeared within a single blink and then she was in a massive line of plates just like the one she was on.
A few plates would flash at a time, people appearing on them and stepping off without hesitation. Yuki did so as well, her eyes sweeping across the building she had just arrived at.
It was a massive hall with vaulted ceilings that reached upwards of thirty feet. Marble pillars the size of tree trunks supported the building. In the center of the hall was a circular desk where three clerks stood with holographic screens. They were speaking to people, directing them to the teleportation plates.
Toward the back of the hall was a convenience store of sorts that sold water and meals. A few people were shopping around there.
Looking around a bit more, she located the rest of her group sitting on a few benches in a waiting area. Akira waved to her as she approached. Then arms wrapped around Yuki’s shoulders.
“Hey Ember,” Yuki said.
“Hey. What do you think?” she asked as she walked beside Yuki.
“Well, this place is really big,” she replied. “Is there a reason why it’s so big?”
“Yeah. Because we’re dragons. Sometimes, we need to be in our normal forms, so our buildings have to accommodate for that.”
“The plates are too small to transport dragons.”
“There’s a bigger one,” Ember said. “Much bigger. It just is hidden right now because we don’t need to use it.”
“Oh. That makes sense.”
“Come on. There’s a lot more to see,” Ember smiled.
They met up with the others and Ember took the lead. They passed by two porters who stood at the entrance of the massive hall, Ember giving them nods on the way out.
The city outside was nothing like the image Yuki had in her mind. Buildings were spread apart by yards with enough room for Yuki to walk among them as a dragon. There were no roads on the ground, just grass and the occasional flower. Like with the angels, there was a distinct vertical element to the city with towering structures with multiple levels. Many of them had open air balconies for a person to land on.
Off to the corner of her eye, a speck of blue drew her attention to a lake that rested in the middle of the city. Underneath its waters, sparkles winked at her and shadowy shapes swam.
Overhead, a form flew by, whipping up the winds and blowing Yuki’s hair about. She looked up and saw an emerald dragon flying up toward one of the towers. It transformed into its elven form as it alighted onto one of the balconies. Looking further into the sky, she saw more and more dragons flying about, their shadowing shapes zooming across the sky.
“Not quite what you thought, isn’t it?” Ember asked with a smile.
“It’s not like the cities I’m used to,” Yuki nodded.
“We like our nature a bit more than usual.”
“Are there people in that lake?” Yuki asked.
“They live in there,” she replied. “Water dragons. A few prefer to live on the banks of the lake though.”
“Are there dragons of every type living here?” Yuki said. She examined the dragons flying through the air more closely, noting the numerous shades of colors their scales had.
“Of course. This wouldn’t be the capital if it couldn’t accommodate everyone,” Ember said. “Underneath us is a cave system where earth dragons like to roam. The winds are always blowing up above for the wind dragons. The meadows are perfect for the naturae ones.”
“And the others?”
“You’ll see,” Ember grinned. “Come on. Let me show you all some more”
“Have you teleported like this before, young lady?” Marcus asked Yuki.
In the room that Marcus led them into was a shiny metal platform that stood in the center. There were intricate engravings on the surface of the platform. If she had the time, Yuki would have gladly spent a day puzzling over them.
“No,” she replied. “I’ve only used transporters.”
“I see. Well, to all of you, it’s essentially the same protocol as those transporters,” Marcus said. “Just step on and stay still. We’ll handle the rest.”
“How does it work?” Akira asked.
“That isn’t really a question for me. I only got the basics,” Marcus shrugged. “It’s a spell. We power it and then send you on your jolly way. If you know where you’re going, you can move yourself, or you tell us and we can send you to your location for you. Most of the time, people go to their home cities, so we don’t need a full time operator here.”
“What’s on the other side?” Yuki asked.
“Of the spell? Just another platform like this.”
“Bigger room too?”
“Bigger room,” Marcus grinned. “This thing can take one person at a time. More can go on it, but safer for just one. Less chances for something to screw up as you go through space.”
“What do you do when you need to move a lot of people at once?”
“We have some things in place to help with that,” Marcus replied. “We still teleport though, I can tell you that.”
“I see. Well, Ember, are we going?”
“Yes we are. Marcus, start it up,” she said.
“Right on it. Who’s going first?” he asked.
“I will,” Mathali volunteered. “I must see if the other side is safe for my lady.”
Marcus pursed his lips at Mathali’s last words, his eyes curious, but he refrained from saying anything.
“Stand on the plate and I’ll send you on your way.”
“What city are we going to?” Yuki asked. She couldn’t recall the name ever being said.
“We’re going to Dyrin,” Ember replied. “Otherwise known as the Capital to the locals. It’s where the council official resides, though they don’t always meet there.”
“Do we know where they’re meeting?”
“We’ll know once we’re in the city,” she said.
“Are you ready devil?” Marcus asked.
“I am,” Mathali nodded.
“Have a good trip,” Marcus saluted.
He placed his other hand on a metal podium. Mana was poured into the podium and lines lit up as the mana was channeled to the metal plate. The runes engraved on the plate glowed as mana activated each one. Then a second later, a column of light engulfed Mathali and he disappeared from sight.
“Next one up while the spell is still going,” Marcus instructed. “Chop chop. I have paperwork to attend to.”
Erica went in next, followed by Yuna and then Akira. They each gave Yuki a small wave or nod as they stood on the plate before being teleported.
“Yuki, you can go next. I’ll be right behind you,” Ember smiled.
“Alright. See you in the city,” Yuki said.
“I’ll see you in the city.”
Yuki stepped on the plate with the engraved spell that was still shining brightly. Marcus bade her farewell before light surrounded her. It disappeared within a single blink and then she was in a massive line of plates just like the one she was on.
A few plates would flash at a time, people appearing on them and stepping off without hesitation. Yuki did so as well, her eyes sweeping across the building she had just arrived at.
It was a massive hall with vaulted ceilings that reached upwards of thirty feet. Marble pillars the size of tree trunks supported the building. In the center of the hall was a circular desk where three clerks stood with holographic screens. They were speaking to people, directing them to the teleportation plates.
Toward the back of the hall was a convenience store of sorts that sold water and meals. A few people were shopping around there.
Looking around a bit more, she located the rest of her group sitting on a few benches in a waiting area. Akira waved to her as she approached. Then arms wrapped around Yuki’s shoulders.
“Hey Ember,” Yuki said.
“Hey. What do you think?” she asked as she walked beside Yuki.
“Well, this place is really big,” she replied. “Is there a reason why it’s so big?”
“Yeah. Because we’re dragons. Sometimes, we need to be in our normal forms, so our buildings have to accommodate for that.”
“The plates are too small to transport dragons.”
“There’s a bigger one,” Ember said. “Much bigger. It just is hidden right now because we don’t need to use it.”
“Oh. That makes sense.”
“Come on. There’s a lot more to see,” Ember smiled.
They met up with the others and Ember took the lead. They passed by two porters who stood at the entrance of the massive hall, Ember giving them nods on the way out.
The city outside was nothing like the image Yuki had in her mind. Buildings were spread apart by yards with enough room for Yuki to walk among them as a dragon. There were no roads on the ground, just grass and the occasional flower. Like with the angels, there was a distinct vertical element to the city with towering structures with multiple levels. Many of them had open air balconies for a person to land on.
Off to the corner of her eye, a speck of blue drew her attention to a lake that rested in the middle of the city. Underneath its waters, sparkles winked at her and shadowy shapes swam.
Overhead, a form flew by, whipping up the winds and blowing Yuki’s hair about. She looked up and saw an emerald dragon flying up toward one of the towers. It transformed into its elven form as it alighted onto one of the balconies. Looking further into the sky, she saw more and more dragons flying about, their shadowing shapes zooming across the sky.
“Not quite what you thought, isn’t it?” Ember asked with a smile.
“It’s not like the cities I’m used to,” Yuki nodded.
“We like our nature a bit more than usual.”
“Are there people in that lake?” Yuki asked.
“They live in there,” she replied. “Water dragons. A few prefer to live on the banks of the lake though.”
“Are there dragons of every type living here?” Yuki said. She examined the dragons flying through the air more closely, noting the numerous shades of colors their scales had.
“Of course. This wouldn’t be the capital if it couldn’t accommodate everyone,” Ember said. “Underneath us is a cave system where earth dragons like to roam. The winds are always blowing up above for the wind dragons. The meadows are perfect for the naturae ones.”
“And the others?”
“You’ll see,” Ember grinned. “Come on. Let me show you all some more”
