CHAPTER 15
The Ways Network; ‘The path to everywhere!’ as the proprietors liked to plaster on every advertisement. While the statement wasn’t literally true, there were many distant places on Acheron that no civil eye had yet seen, most of the world's major cities were accessible through the Ways. This was a boon to international travel, trade, and relations… but unfortunately, just as with any road, danger could always be just around the corner.
Radais still remembered his first time venturing into the Ways Network. It was shortly after he and his guardsmen friends were cursed. He was still getting used to being constantly human-sized so everything seemed so much bigger by comparison. He imagined it was rather like what children go through when they begin to walk. They were used to being near adult height because their parents carried them around, but once they took their first steps suddenly everything was so much taller. The feeling of diminutiveness really hit Radais when he first stepped into the Ways Network.
Once one’s eyes adjusted after the bright light of the portal, travelers found themselves on a crystalline platform. A surface that is smooth, solid, sturdy, and which glowed like prisms refracting light. It was good the floor made them feel certain, because looking up did not, quite the opposite in fact. For you see the Ways Network has floors but no walls, nor ceilings; instead the tiny island of solidity seems to hang in the vast emptiness of space. Like looking up at the night sky on a clear night, but all around you. Compared to the vastness of the universe even dragons could feel small.
Of course, this Ways Network wasn't in outer space; otherwise, there would be no air or gravity which would certainly make for less-than-ideal traveling conditions. It was in a pocket dimension that was perfectly safe and habitable for all peoples, one could be certain of this because of the annoying ads hanging from the pneumatic tubes and mounted to the cork boards on the walkway railings. Sadly one could get used to just about anything eventually. The wonder had long since vanished for Radais, Zhanatos, and the many many other travelers traversing the Ways. Sometimes Radais wished he could re-experience that first time again, but there was always too much to do to worry about such silly notions.
Using the temporary invisibility of Radais’ alchemical concoctions the two moved a short distance away from their portal and timed their re-appearance to look as if they just came out of a different portal. The pair drew a few gazes from the passer-byers, which wasn’t unusual being apparently half-dragons, fairly uncommon people, they tended to draw attention. Something felt different this time though, Radais swore he saw a tradesman, judging from the large green backpack, do a double take and then quickened his pace away. He dismissed the observation, the Ways were always crowded and busy at all hours because it was always the middle of the day somewhere on the planet, so the traveling merchant was probably just in a hurry.
The feeling got worse as they traveled towards the portal to Highhelm where the Adventure’s Association was located. Radais noticed travelers looking just a bit too long and trading whispers. Once or twice he overheard the word ‘Empire’ mentioned; No doubt the dragon-hating Grand Empire of Tal’dartheria. Zhanatos seemed to be sensing the tension in the air as well, he kept closer to Radais than usual and was constantly looking about. Radais tried to reassure his friend, “It's okay Zhanatos, they may whisper about us, but the Empire shall have no hold of the Ways Network so long as Exolas City stands.”
The Ways was a small nation unto itself. The many walkways lead to a massive metropolis, ‘Exolas City’. Exolas was a sort of neutral ground for all kingdoms and nations. No other military force was allowed in Exolas save for its own, which was rather considerable. There had been attempts to besiege the Ways Network in the past, but attackers soon learned that trying to fight a nation one might only be able to access through a handful of small doorways that could get supplies and reinforcements from literally anywhere in the world was a foolish idea at best.
Zhanatos shook his head and whispered back, “Not them I’m worried about, we have someone weird following us… she doesn’t… move, right.”
Radais raised an eyebrow and nodded. He knew to trust Zhanatos’ judgment about such things. He didn’t turn to look, and he didn’t break stride. He pretended he didn’t suspect he was being followed to avoid tipping off the pursers. “‘She’ so just one then? What do you mean ‘does not move right’?”
“Yeah, just one. A human-looking woman, judging by the long blonde hair sticking out from underneath her white hood. I'm not sure, can’t get a good look at her features, the cloak is covering her whole body.” Zhanatos paused for a moment as he tried to think of how to explain the followers' odd motions. “She walks like an airship. Head perfectly level, shoulders don’t sway or bob, I thought she was levitating at first, but I can see her legs.”
“Right, how about a detour then?” Radais took a sudden turn to the left to one of the ‘park areas’, a larger section of the crystalline platforms with greenery, shrubs, some small trees, and benches; not much different from what one would find in a regular city. The two found an unoccupied bench at the edge of the platform and sat down. They pretend to engage in small talk as the figure that Zhanatos described walked past.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
She… at least Radais thought it was a ‘she’ judging by the long hair sticking out from underneath her hood and general profile, but it was hard to tell due to her long white cloak covering her whole body, she did move in an odd way. When most people walk their head or shoulder tends to sway or bob slightly, but she did neither. The woman in the white cloak could easily have been mistaken for a statue someone was hauling in a cart because of her utter stillness. The follower pretended to stop to examine one of the flower beds, but the way she did so was odd. She stopped walking, paused a moment, turned her head to look at the flowers, and then turned her body. The odd motions would have gone unnoticed to a casual observer, but to someone paying attention, the movements seemed distinctly unnatural.
“Want to go deal with her? We could approach, it would probably provoke her into a fight. It would be the two of us versus her.” Zhanatos asked quietly as he eagerly spun Blood Raven on the tip of the blade. It had been too long since the sword fed.
Radais shook his head, “No, if there were a fight even with her starting it, others would likely come to her defense and we’d have a fine mess on our hands.”
Zhanatos raised an eyebrow.
“Because she is a woman,” Radais explained. “Other races would see us as aggressors and act to protect her even if we aren’t.”
“What?” Zhanatos asked flatly.
“Their society is very different from ours.” Radais explained, “Not all women are expected to be able to defend themselves.”
“But men are? AND to fight on behalf of women they don’t even know?” Zhanatos questioned.
“Yes… it is a rather sexist double standard. But females are generally viewed as ‘weaker’ than male counterparts for some reason.”
“Well, that’s stupid!” Zhanatos scoffed. “Dragon women can fight for themselves, Xion and Larxene in particular! Why don’t they prepare their females for combat instead of just HOPING someone is going to be there to protect them when they’re in danger?”
Radais shrugged. It didn’t make any sense to him either. “Regardless, if it is just the one they’re probably just tracking us. We should continue on to Highhelm, and keep an eye out for any others that might be working with her.”
“Right, how about we do ‘wrong way point’ just to annoy them though?” Zhanatos suggested.
Radais nodded and then the two stood up. Radais pointed in the direction opposite of the way they intended to go. Zhanatos nodded and did the same as if to say ‘Yes, that way’. Their follower who had been watching them the whole time began moving that way, probably with the intent of looping back in order to pick up their trail a bit later on. At this point, the two half-dragons immediately started off in the other direction. This left their mysterious follower with two choices, either keep going the way they were supposed to go until they could find a place to turn and around to try to catch up or draw attention to herself by suddenly changing her mind, which would confirm without a doubt she was following them. He wondered which of the two choices she would make and then was surprised when she went for the third option.
The follower stopped mid-step and turned around, but not all at once. Her upper torso turned around 180 degrees and then her legs spun around. After that she began right towards Radais at a full unnaturally quick sprint, knocking aside anyone in her path including an orc who was easily double her size.
Zhanatos drew Blood Raven and got ready to protect his charge. Radais pulled one of his daggers and got ready to move if needed.
The cloaked woman ran directly towards Radais with Zhanatos blocking her path. Just out of the reach of the Berserker’s sword she leaped into the air and sailed overhead at a height that should have been impossible for anyone without wings.
Zhanatos reacted quickly by raising Blood Raven straight up and using his Metal magic to extend and thin the blade. He managed to catch the hooded woman in the stomach as she sailed overhead. He felt the tip of the blade pierce into her and with a quick jerk threw her off her intended course.
The cloaked figure landed with a loud clattering *BANG* hitting hard enough to dent the crystalline floor of the Ways Network and rolled to a stop near an active portal.
Radais quickly capitalized on Zhanatos’ attack, he took a deep breath and then called upon his mother’s heritage to spray a mist of purple fog at the attacker which quickly enveloped her. Radais a noticed few Ways travelers running from the fog in a panic and scolded himself for not being more careful about using his magic in a heavily crowded area. “Don’t worry everyone! It is just a fast-acting paralytic poison!”
Needless to say, this didn’t really calm the crowd, as one might expect.
Zhanatos was disappointed the fight had ended so quickly. Radais ‘Purple Paralytic Breath’ would stun the target for certain. It was a difficult attack to use as it was a bit slow and thus easy to dodge, but if he managed to catch a foe in it that was done for certain.
“No blood.” Blood Raven groaned.
Zhanatos checked the tip of his sword as he shifted it back to its normal form. Blood Raven was right, not a drop of blood on it. But that made no sense; he knew hit the target. The blade pierced deep enough that he was able to knock the target off course. Either the target was wearing some unreasonable thick armor or… he thought about how the cloaked figure moved so unusually earlier and cried out. “Radais it's a machine! Look out!”
Radais' mist had cleared away and he was in the middle of bending down to pull away the hood of the attack to see who they were. He heeded the warning instantly and tried to back off. He managed to take a single step before the machine woman’s hand shot up with blinding speed, the sharpened edge glinting in the light as it went right for the head of the Dragon Prince.