“For a supposedly small piece of land at the South,” said Captain Aziz, “World’s End is far bigger than I think it should be. We’ve already walked past the area that used to be Ark City, and yet the red soil continues towards the horizon.”
“Looks like the Worldshaper really does live up to his name,” replied Colonel Marie. “We’re moving at more than fifty kilometres an hour, which, with three days of travelling, means that we’re at least one thousand five hundred kilometres away from the World’s End chasm.”
“You do know we’ve been slowing down to accommodate the diplomats’ requests, right?” Captain Aziz asked. “We’ve spent hours just flying around or letting pointless duels happen, so I don’t think we’ve travelled as far as you’ve estimated.”
“But I don’t think there’s a point to this discussion now,” said Colonel Marie, a small smile on her face. “The scouts just reported back. Liamar’s Divine Kingdom is in sight.”
“How far?”
“Around two hundred kilometres.”
Captain Aziz pondered for a moment, and then barked out a bunch of orders. For one, letting the diplomats know that their destination was in sight would incentivise them to make the journey smoother, and more importantly, it was a warning for the troops to be on their best behaviour. This was the maiden diplomatic trip to the Worldshaper’s Divine Kingdom, and pissing its owner off was nothing short of suicide.
As they continued to travel, more and more complex structures became visible to the naked eye. At some point in time, the little convoy had crossed into the periphery of Liamar’s Divine Kingdom — a fact made obvious by the change in the scenery. Vibrant lands of lively crimson had superimposed with the bleak landscape of World’s End, creating a spectacle that made Captain Aziz feel like he was once again in a dream induced by a mushroom he’d eaten off the ground as a kid.
He turned around, and watched as the others walked towards him. Ripples appeared in the air as men and women crossed some invisible boundary, and shock flashed across their eyes as they, like Aziz, saw the scenery change. Shaking his head, the Captain focused on the world outside, and trembled.
The statues he’d seen earlier, now that he was looking at them from within the Divine Kingdom, was far larger and more lifelike. The Projection Spires were a dull red, and a giant sphere was extruding outwards from each and every one of them. Simply laying eyes on either of the above two structures were enough to induce fear in him — Aziz could feel his insignificance in the face of the incredible auras any of these things we giving off.
That Lord…his death was nothing short of a waste. Against such a power, perhaps only Paragons could do something, but even I’m not sure about that. Is this…truly a power we humans can actually contend against? Captain Aziz balled up his fists tightly, his nails biting into his palm. Fear continued to churn within him, but with sheer strength of will, the captain tore his eyes away from the grand structures.
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With a deep breath, he turned to look at the landscape of World’s End itself. Small flames were walking around World’s End, groups of them banding up to surround black aberrations, while larger groups worked together to build a structure. He didn’t need to guess to know what these flames were — they were the people that the captain had encountered on the way. Each of them was shining vibrantly with the Worldshaper’s power, and yet, they didn’t seem like false lives.
He gazed at the crimson flames for a little while longer, and then turned back to face the front. Now that they were in the Divine Kingdom of the God of Fire, everyone could see the humongous palace floating in the air some few kilometres aboveground. Somehow, by stepping into the peripheral of Liamar’s demesne, the distance between the convoy and the great god’s throne was much shorter.
The captain exchanged glances with Colonel Marie, before taking a deep breath. His footfalls were light, unrushed, and even without turning around, Aziz could sense his troops following his back, as they walked towards the intricate, breath-taking palace of fiery light. The land underneath them glowed, creating a long, straight road of red crystal that led directly to the palace. At the same time, enormous contingents of people in red armour popped up from nowhere. Lined against the sides of the crystalline road, the soldiers in red presented their swords as the convoy continued to walk on the road, with parade music — the Southern variety — playing in beat with Captain Aziz’s steps.
It was a welcome parade, but how such a parade had materialised around them was something the captain didn’t know. More disturbing was the sheer number of troops that had lined this long road. A veritable sea of red had filled the plains and the skies, and from the reports of his scouts, the whole Divine Kingdom had been mobilised to welcome them.
Such a numerical advantage would have taken down the Southern Continent without much effort, if each of them had the same capability as the monster hunters he’d seen outside Liamar’s Divine Kingdom. The captain’s hands trembled slightly, and only after walking a few hundred steps did they stop.
It didn’t take long before the entrance of the palace was in sight. There was a flash of light, and a woman walked out of it. Long red hair flowed freely, cascading around her shoulders and framing a picture-perfect face. She was wearing a white toga, a choice of attire that blended well with her pale skin, and Captain Aziz couldn’t help but gulp slightly at the sight.
“Hold.” A melodious voice spoke out. “I am Familiar Spirit Rene, the Arbiter of Flames. Your passage through the Lord’s land has been observed, and we are thus far pleased.”
Captain Aziz didn’t know how to reply, but thankfully, a diplomat walked up and took over. By the looks of it, it was the head diplomat, but Aziz had not paid much attention to the people he was escorting. After a few words, Familiar Spirit Rene smiled, and gestured for everyone to stand together.
She snapped her fingers, and in the next moment, their entire group was right outside the palace in the sky. Without waiting for anyone to react, the familiar spirit walked into the gates of the palace, and trumpets blared as the entire convoy entered.
“We’re inside a Divine Kingdom, at the residence of a great god,” Aziz whispered. “Unbelievable.”
“Tell me about it,” Marie whispered back. “But don’t let it show on your face.”
The two smiled, and then walked onwards, into the tiger’s lair.