8-11 - 8.11
Posted November 18, 2018 at 12:00 pm

They walked through the portal and crossed from a cold glassy room with a marble floor into a warmer room with wood paneling on the walls. Spotlights set in the ceiling were casting light down on the maps and Enodian flag on the wall. A dog-headed guard nodded at them as they passed, but otherwise said nothing.

As they approached the door that led outside, it opened on its own--Yoshi, who had ended up at the front of the group, paused as it did.

< I find that aggressive politeness works wonders, > Luu was saying behind her, cheerily. < Threaten them just a little, and mean it, and they will crumble soon enough. Alone, they are little cowards. >

The door let out onto the portico of a huge white stone building, with sweeping steps flanked by twin statues of a long-tailed bird, and tall pillars that supported a carved pediment. The building was flanked by trees, and beyond them, more modern buildings. Before it there was a concrete mall that ran a ways to the road, which was almost solely populated by busses and a light rail that was waiting at a stop. It was sunny in Enodia, an altogether different view than that in Aetheri.


The view Liya had of Aetheri at the moment was of the vast prairie, flat except for some dips and hills here and there, and featureless except for the occasional shrub. The grass was brown, and under the heavy, thick clouds it took a greenish tinge.

Liya was at the top of a tree that had all of its shiny blue-green leaves, with only her head poking up above the canopy. She frowned at the view, and then began to climb carefully back down. The trees--there were several of them--had very dark bark with pale spots and grew quite tall, higher than the balcony behind her as she clambered back to the ground. This garden she'd found was quiet, dim, and green--even the grass below the trees and the vines on the reddish walls, in contrast to the dry prairie.

The windows she passed were unlit and moss was growing in their corners. Idly, she pressed her face to one, trying to see into the dark room beyond.

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