Stellis approached the concrete barricade in front of the wall. A retinue of Sentinels stood before it, their armor glistening beneath the moonlight.

The one in charge stepped forward and struck his spear in the ground. His tone was one full of weariness.

"Produce a form of identification or you will not be granted access. Simply wearing armor will not be en-"

He was cut off as Stellis reached inside of a compartment in her pack and produced a circular metal object. Engraved on it was the image of a shield with crossed swords behind it.

The head sentinel stared at the emblem for a few seconds before gesturing to his compatriots.

"Hmmm. Open the gate! This one can pass..."

The guard's eyes then shifted to Ace who was standing silently behind Stellis.

"However, that one..."

She reached back and grabbed Ace's hand, dragging him forward.

"Him too! He's with me. We were members of the same hunting party!"

The stern man narrowed his eyes at her words.

"Child of Steel... Your words reek of dishonesty. Where is his identification?"

Having already prepared for the questioning, she responded quickly.

"Destroyed in a battle with Sever Beasts!"

The guard took a step closer to Ace.

"Unlikely... In honor of your station, I will let him pass with a simple test. Now, extend your hand child."

Ace did as he was told.

The guard reached out to shake his hand.

Stellis looked on quietly. This was the best outcome she could have hoped for. The Sentinel would break Ace's hand and upon it healing, they would be granted access to the city.

Ace and the Sentinel clasped hands. They stared at each other for a few seconds with no sign of visible struggle. But then, suddenly, the sound of bones being broken rang out. Neither of the two reacted, but instead separated.

The head Sentinel then raised a mangled hand and turned to his compatriots.

"This one is good too!"

With those words, the two were allowed to walk through the dark tunnel leading through the Wall.

They walked without an escort.

With Stellis being a resident of the city, she led the way. Looking back she saw that Ace's facial expression looked hollow as if the life had been sucked from him. It hadn't changed since they left the orphanage.

Continuing to move in silence, the pair emerged from the dark tunnel and caught sight of the metropolis that was the main city.

Looking back once more, Stellis hoped to see Ace's face painted with both wonder and excitement. People of the slums lived in a different world, unaided by the technological wonders of the main city. Seeing the difference was usually enough to leave most speechless.

Much to her surprise, Ace retained his distant look, seemingly unimpressed with what the city had to offer. She shook her head, internally groaning.

'Still?! I figured that would at least get a reaction...'

Stepping onto the city streets, Stellis passed various markets and convenience stores, eventually stopping in front of an extravagant looking white building. Standing many stories tall, the building sported intricately carved stone that ran along all of its edges and even had silver colored trimmings on various outcroppings. 5 words were displayed on a black screen hanging above the central doorway.

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South Zone, Steel Station 3A

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Directing a still distant-looking Ace inside, Stellis hurriedly approached one of the counters built into the wall. A kind looking lady in a pristine uniform was sitting behind the counter. She approached the woman, only having to show her badge and say a few words to get what she needed.

Wasting no time, she grabbed Ace's hand and hurriedly pulled him through a set of double doors on the far side of the room. She moved quickly, taking two steps down at a time until they reached a long stone walkway.

It was flanked on both sides by tunnels. On the top and bottom, they were lined with some kind of metal. On the walkway, there were a few benches and some columns of stone acting as support. A thin bar of glowing stone was melded into the ceiling, provided plenty of light in the waiting area.

Stellis began fidgeting, unable to contain her excitement. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ace look at her with a raised eyebrow. She knew he was completely lost yet he was following her blindly. His trust in her made her beam with pride. She wouldn't let him down.

After a short bout of silence, a thrumming sound pierced the air and a tubular gray object slid through the tunnel until even with the walkway. A second later, a rectangular outline appeared on the side of the object, opening up to reveal its interior.

Directing Ace inside, Stellis pointed to one of the many metallic seats lining the sides of the carriage. He sat down while taking in the surroundings. There were thin windows at standing height and metallic poles extending from the ceiling to the floor.

While he familiarized himself with the train, Stellis walked up to a podium at the front of the carriage and inserted her badge into it. When she did so, the podium produced a holographic screen. She fiddled with it for a few seconds before taking out her badge and sitting down across from Ace.

Soon, the pair felt a surge of force as the vehicle lurched forward and accelerated through the tunnel.

The journey was short.

They moved in darkness for a minutes before briefly ascending above ground, giving them a view of the city off in the distance. Moving at a ridiculous speed, Stellis saw various landscapes pass by the windows before they went underground again.

There was another lurch of movement as the train accelerated up an incline. When it finished its ascent, the doors opened, revealing yet another stone walkway.

When the pair exited the the vehicle, Stellis tapped Ace's shoulder and pointed at the stairs.

"Listen carefully, when we go up there let me do all the talking. Just like at the wall. We're really close to getting you situated but there is something I have to do first. Just keep your head down, and things should be alright."

Ace nodded his head slowly.

Together, they ascended the stairs until they saw the glow of the moonlight. Stepping out onto a paved walkway, Ace nearly jumped out of his boots when he heard several synchronized voices.

"The Twelve Blades Welcome Stellis, 2nd Daughter of Steel!"

Twelve armored figures were spaced evenly and on opposite sides of the long walkway. Their weapons were raised over their chest in a strange salute.

Pulling out her own sword, Stellis matched their motion.

"The 2nd Daughter of Steel Acknowledges the Twelve Blades!"

When she finished, the knights lowered their weapons. After, they stood in place, resting with their hands on weapons that were pressed into the ground.

Despite the hearty greeting, Stellis felt some disapproving stares fall on Ace. He seemed to have felt them too, glaring back at some of the armored figures.

Before long, an elderly man in a suit appeared far down the path. He quickly crossed the distance until he was standing only a few feet away. When he spoke, his tone was full of both endearment and weariness.

"Lady Stellis... The Matriarch wishes to see you."

She nodded her head.

"Understood, but while I make my report could you take my frie-"

Looking at Ace with eyes full of disdain, the elderly man interrupted her.

"She has also requested that you bring your... guest."

Pursing her lips, Stellis stood silent for a few seconds before signaling Ace to continue moving forward.

"Alright, please lead the way."

The well-dressed man turned around swiftly, leading them down the stone trail at a brisk pace.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Stellis saw Ace taking in the stronghold.

Both sides of the paved stone trail were filled with lush shrubbery and trees of different sizes. Various light fixtures and water fountains were scattered around the large courtyard as well.

What was perhaps most eye catching was the utterly colossal structure directly in front of them. Standing easily hundreds of feet tall was something that could only be described as a castle. It held a cubic shape with multiple battlements spaced evenly along its edges. Various towers sprang up from its stone carapace with walkways latched between them.

After only a short walk they arrived at the bottom of the structure. With a snap of the elderly man's fingers, two stones doors swung open, revealing a relatively plain hallway.

Moving with purpose, the man led them through the structure, taking multiple turns and opening many doors. Eventually, he stopped in front of a pair of metallic double doors and stepped off to the side.

"The Matriarch awaits"

Just from the shine they gave off, it was obvious that what lay beyond the doors was different from the rest of the building.

Stellis turned towards Ace and grabbed his shoulder, squeezing it lightly.

"Not much I can say to prepare you for this. Just hope that she doesn't have too much to say to you."

With those words, she pushed open the steel doors and the pair walked into a large and spacious room. A long black carpet with speckles of silver extended from the door. At the end of it was a throne obscured by darkness. Flanking the throne on the left side were two figures.

One was small, no larger than a child. The other was only a little bit taller than Stellis. Both of them had armor on so there faces were hard to see. In spite of this, the bright yellow eyes peeking through their visors made it obvious who they were.

From the darkness of the throne, a feminine voice rang out, full of authority and power.

"Welcome home daughter... I see you've brought company."