An enormous tower of black metal formed out from the earth, casting forth a frightening pressure that seemed to beckon forth destruction. Along the sides of this monolith were numerous cannons protruding outward, sat idle and inactive, dust and sand slowly collecting as it was caked on by age.

The Spire sat in the very center of the city, alongside an even larger monolith of steel. Deus turned a glance toward it, curiosity had clearly gotten the better of him.

“That tower—that fortress belongs to the Ironmaster, and is a separate entity from our Black Spire,” Evelien explained as she and Reinout led the way.

Deus and Droh walked side by side, closely behind their two guides. They quickly approached the entrance to the black spire, numerous soldiers peppered the path as a heavy air loomed overhead. They could feel dozens of eyes staring down at them, each and every gaze seemingly taunting them to act aggressively.

“The Spire serves as a command headquarters for two of the three houses ruling Direfell, the Sword and Spear of Direfell. Sire Roch commands the former, while our master Androma leads the ladder.”

“So the Many-Eyed Crows are a part of the Spear?” Deus asked.

“Exactly so, as the name suggests, we’re the spearhead of the city and are seen as the elite eyes and ears of Direfell. Our reports typically end up swaying entire wars, while those spies below us can only hope to influence a few sparring battles.”

Evelien seemed to take great pleasure in explaining this, perhaps to the point of exaggerating a few key points.

“Well, it’s not as if we’re the best of the best… that position would probably go to the Sword and Shield, meaning the military under sire Roch, and the royal faction which acts as the true masters of Direfell. They serve directly under Lord Reimar, and are seen as the sturdiest walls we’ve got.”

“So wait, do these three houses function separately? If each of them holds a similar yet different position of power, why is it that a member of the royal faction has such overwhelming control over the city? This… Lord Reimar…”

Deus asked astutely, unafraid of speaking any names or asking any questions. Perhaps this sort of thought process was dangerous, but all Evelien could do was smirk as she went to explain.

“Lord Reimar controls all three houses, he simply doesn’t stretch his influence too far, unless absolutely necessary. You could say he is the true master of Direfell, yet he allows his closest disciples and followers to command in his stead.”

“Ah, so the Shield of Direfell holds the most power, simply because that’s the house that the Lord remains in…”

“Exactly so,” Evelien nodded in confirmation, “The Shield is mighty, sturdy, and ageless. They’ve ruled this city for millennia, never ceasing control or weakening for any reason. They’ve stood proudly through every war, holding the line and managing the important things.”

“Typically it’s the Spear that manages the day to day, as we’re not only the most informed about external issues, but we’re also the most accustomed to clans and other factions who’ve taken a liking to our city.”

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Deus started to understand, “So these three houses each have their own reasoning for existing, but you also work together in times of either crisis or importance?”

“Indeed,” Evelien stated as Reinout spoke up, “Like to remove a powerful and annoying clan such as Orion, the Sword and Spear joined forces temporarily to thoroughly cast them out. The Sword dealt with their leadership while the Spear removed them from within the city. Two operations took place at once.”

Droh and Deus nodded their heads in understanding. It seemed complicated, but they could definitely see the benefit in handling things in such a manner.

As they walked together, the entrance to the Black Spire arrived before them. Numerous guards stood at the ready, they held heavy weapons ranging from spears to long rifles, depending on their positioning.

Evelien and Reinout led the way through, preventing any of the soldiers from harassing their youngers. Droh looked around, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. The entrance to the Spire was large and vast, a heavy gate opened and revealed an entire ecosystem inside.

Several floors formed into one large room as the center of the tower was hollow, making room for countless rings that continued to ascend further and further upward.

It resembled a lighthouse as countless stairs and paths led up, leading the way further as a massive tree formed from clear crystals sat in the center, its branches climbed at least three stories upward before reaching the peak.

Hundreds of workers moved in and out of small side corridors, main rooms, and even hidden pathways.

This place was the center of Direfell, where all information ended up. The apex of their technology and knowledge.

Deus and Droh simply stared, bewildered. Like two country folk who had finally arrived within a grand metropolis, all they could do was silently take everything in.

‘How come this world can be so terrifying, and yet have such magnificence too…’ Deus pondered silently to himself as he was taken in by the inner sanctums of the Spire.

“Come along, I know it’s impressive, but we’ve been keeping the captain waiting long enough,” Evelien exclaimed, pulling the two forward and further in.

They ascended up several floors, taking a shortcut hidden through one of the back corridors. A similar elevator lift, only sturdier and more permanent in design. It did not sway when moving, something that could not be said for the lifts used in the tower from before.

Arriving at their destination, they departed the lift and hurried through another side room, hidden behind multiple corridors. Evelien led everyone through as Deus and Droh twisted and turned, taking in everything around them. Each corridor they journeyed through revealed majestic etchings across the wall, with separate side rooms with mysterious events occurring within.

“Don’t mind any of them,” Evelien explained as Deus found himself staring off into one of the hidden rooms, “Everyone within the Spire is acting in accordance to the city, and have been assigned some sort of mysterious and secretive task. An entire city lies outside, and yet only here, within this tower, are we free to experiment and study to our heart's content.”