Chapter XXIII

Prelude Bash

Refius, Hykar, and Zanda moved closer to Samelia while Pagreri navigated between the nearest tables, casually pocketing items. Moments later, he joined them.

"Hold on tight," Samelia instructed.

To what? Zanda wondered silently, but her question was soon answered as a stick materialized from the ground, reaching up to her elbows. She gripped it as Pagreri positioned himself at the front, turning his back to the group. The floor beneath them trembled as a levitator activated, lifting them above the workstations. They sped across the immaculate tricolor warehouse, the five sephirot soaring through the air.

"You're responsible for all this?" the youngest among them asked the man leading the way.

"Mostly, about eighty-two percent. The rest are collaborative efforts and gifts from various colleagues. I have assistants who help organize my inventions, participating as part of their sephirot education internships. They rotate annually; I typically host Chokmah and Binah students, and occasionally gevurah as well."

Soon, they reached the vast space's end. The levitator moved through the white walls approached a large dark blue barrier that blocked their path. Pagreri extended his hands towards the crystalline blockade, which melted away, allowing them to pass through on their ingravitas platform.

They returned to the grim hallway surrounding the Opifi, where the candlelight cast eerie shadows against the walls.

"My turn," Samelia announced, taking the lead from Pagreri. "Please, position yourselves properly on the levitator."

Refius leaned back on one leg, Zanda gripped the stick with both hands, and Hykar, realizing he was extending a foot off the platform, quickly corrected his stance under his boss's watchful eye. Once everyone was securely positioned, Samelia operated the levitator.

It moved horizontally until reaching a glass window, the first Zanda had seen there. She gazed out at Dictaduria for the first time, observing a gray and sorrowful concrete labyrinth stretching from the Dicterium towards the mountain range in the horizon, a scene reminiscent of a bleak history lesson focused on the scarcity of low income countries.

The smooth sound of stone retracting accompanied their descent; one tile after another slid away, providing a clear view of the night outside. "Everything should appear calm; the regime strictly enforces curfew. Blend in as an inconsequential Dictadurian. Choose your disguise wisely," Samelia advised.

"The regime must remain unaware of my mission and identity, correct?" Zanda sought confirmation.

"Absolutely," Samelia confirmed. "Roland Copernus and his allies would incite chaos if they discovered our interference. Keeping them in the dark prevents unnecessary violence in an already troubled region. Gorbat's secrecy regarding the alters has been for a reason."

As they descended smoothly, Samelia slowed the levitator to address another point. "Should Copernus or the families in Negativus discover the alters, their power hunger could devastate the country. They navigate their politics ruthlessly, striving for dominance, oblivious to Malkuth, The Sephirot, and Aequitas. It’s a survival game some enjoy playing."

A sudden explosion in the city's outskirts punctuated her words. "Hykar, make sure sentinels are deployed by Copernus."

"On it," he affirmed, managing the task through his kabbalah.

Zanda pondered the harsh reality of a world rife with suffering and selfishness. "Isn't the purpose of Sectum to rehabilitate offenders?" she questioned, seeking deeper understanding.

"The concept is simplistic," Samelia explained. "Reality is complex, and not everyone returns reformed. It's a continuous trial, with many unable to find redemption, extending their punishments, just like their president."

"When do we intervene?" Zanda asked, troubled by the freedoms afforded to these criminals.

"When necessary, like now. We cannot let the balance of our world be compromised. Those alters are a direct threat to Malkuth," Samelia stated as the levitator settled at the building's base. "We can delve deeper into Sectum’s rules and politics upon your return."

"I'm not sure a lesson is what's needed," Zanda mused, contemplating the need for reform within Dicterium.

As they stepped off the levitator, the base level was eerily silent. The young gevurah’s thoughts oscillated between Samelia's words and the grim reality of their mission.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"Every extarri is a subject of examination," Samelia continued, her tone clinical. "Once they violate the Edictum Vitae, they forfeit their rights in Malkuth and are subjected to the laws of their assigned nation. Here, we observe them, maintaining their privacy. Figures like the current president and Gorbat present unique cases for our studies due to their primal behaviors."

The group listened intently as Zanda grappled with her feelings about Samelia's perspective.

"Yeah, I bet watching them manipulate innocent people is entertaining for you. I'm concerned that it's your fascination with extarri that has led us to this point," Zanda boldly stated, unafraid to express her opinion.

"Zanda!" Refius exclaimed, coming to his old friend's defense.

"It's okay," Samelia interjected calmly. "Your apprentice is entitled to her viewpoint. She doesn't have to approve. For me, each case is a lesson, a reflection of our society from centuries past, a live demonstration of historical behaviors. Remember, Dictadurians, like those from Imperia, Eslavia, and Capitalia, have all placed themselves in their current situations through their actions. We're merely observers, for the sake of Aequiteism." There was a distinct lack of remorse in her tone, revealing her pride in the system.

Zanda began to grasp the essence of what Samelia stood for.

They approached a massive, nondescript concrete wall.

"For Aequitas," Zanda echoed, turning to her fellow sephirot.

"If you need us, just call," Samelia offered, shaking her hand.

"I apologize if I seemed discourteous. My respect for your work is genuine; it's just that..." Zanda struggled to articulate her thoughts, "I perceive things differently; this has been enlightening."

"If you devise better methods to our practices, you're welcome to return and contribute to improving our system. Present a solid proposal, and I'll support you in pitching it to a Superior Table of Nine," Samelia proposed.

Zanda valued the offer. "I'd be honored. One last question: How many Dictadurians are out there?"

Hykar provided the numbers. "Approximately 2.4 million, give or take; there are about sixteen million extarri across Sectum from all corners of Malkuth. Each nation has its detention facilities, but the majority are housed here. Annually, half a million extarri are reintegrated into Malkuth, while at least a million are banished."

"I never fully grasped the magnitude," Zanda admitted.

"It's intended to be that way, the rest of our society doesn’t need to worry about our rotten crops. When upon return, most families prefer to forget the crimes of their loved ones as if nothing ever happened, aware they have been punished."

"It's a societal taboo," she concluded, as silence fell over the group. Samelia's fingertips grazed the concrete, causing it to dissolve, allowing a gust of hot, polluted air to fill the space, highlighted by the orange glow of streetlights from outside.

Zanda's T.H.I.C. remained inactive until she inhaled the harsh Dictadurian air, her helmet swiftly materialized nasal filters. She had to sneeze from the irritation.

"What is this?" she coughed, overwhelmed by the smell.

"Selenium and sulfur," Hykar identified.

Refius, covering his nose, stood by her side. "Damn, that's foul. Remember to shower when you get back, benediximus" he advised before retreating with urgency to the garage filled with variations of fishtanks, his coughs echoing in the distance.

"Call if you need us," Samelia offered, extending a reverence towards Zanda.

She responded it with respect. "I will. And thank you for the Ventos, Pagreri."

He nodded, maintaining distance. "Just remember to return it afterward. It's still a prototype."

"Can't I keep it?" Zanda asked, slightly disappointed.

"Of course not. It's incomplete. Consider it a loan for now."

"I won't forget," she promised.

"Take these before you leave," Pagreri said, handing her a small box. "They might be useful."

"What are these?" Zanda inquired, curiosity piqued.

He whispered, "Two Altnocs, two Jaulars, and a two-part Fortress."

"Damn," she muttered, reviewing the items' details in her helmet, a surge of excitement running through her.

"Not bad, right?"

"Not at all. Thank you, Pagreri," Zanda responded with gratitude, then turned to Hykar. "Thanks for the briefing. I appreciate it."

"It was an honor," he said, stepping with awkwardness on his position.

"The honor was mine," Zanda replied, seeing genuine kindness in his eyes before addressing everyone. "Aequitas to you all."

"Aequitas," they responded in unison.

Zanda left the concrete basement and stepped through the opening, which sealed behind her. The group she had just met returned to their levitator, while she stood alone, initiating communication.

"Do you copy?" she tested.

"Loud and clear," came Hykar's voice from her T.H.I.C.

"Your kabbalah is now in control. We're monitoring," Samelia signed off.

"Cold mind," Refius added, sounding clearer without the nauseas.

"Quick resolve," Zanda affirmed as she ventured into Dictaduria.

****

That's it for Chapter XXIII!

If you enjoyed it, please support A Tree of Omens.

Rate, review, follow or leave a comment, they all work.

As a reminder, Patreon is up and running with 15+ Chapters ahead of RR release.

Thank you for your time, see ya along the road!

Aequitas and much love,

Indigo Sapiens.

© All Rights Reserved