What Lies Beneath His Pelt?

CHAPTER 2: BREAKING THROUGH

We walked in silence towards the exit and I was surprised when the feeling of being watched disappeared.

As soon as we were outside, the cold wind bit against my exposed cheek and my teeth clattered as well.

I trembled and I looked at my "bodyguard". He didn’t seem bothered by the cold and he now wore a mask that covered half of his face.

“Hey, do you have an extra mask I can use?” I croaked as the cold dry air affected my vocal cords. Liam simply nodded and handed me another mask.

I put it on immediately and at once, warmth rushed to my cheeks.

“There’s a heater in there, so it can keep you warm for a short while. My car is just around the corner.” Liam mused, his voice muffled. When he spoke in Liata, my native language, I felt better.

After I left our hometown to train with Spiritual Energy, the only language I spoke was Opeu.

"Oh, you're fluent in Liata! Did you grow up there?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nope. I was born and grew up here but my grandma and my mom-they were from Liatarus. They just taught me the language to keep the culture alive."

“I see. And you said car, right? Aren’t we going to use the teleportals or ride the transport capsules? Daemomachi is a tourist destination. You should have them, right?” I asked as I found my voice once again.

“The Lanutarus are only accessible inside the walls and, as you can see, we are on the outskirts. The Unpaedas are available here, yes, but do you want to share a compartment with others carrying a lot of stuff just like you?”

"No, that would be a nightmare," I answered. He simply shrugged.

"By the way, why didn't they follow us? And who are 'they' exactly?"

"We call them the Kage Opus, a rebel group hell-bent on disposing of Fabukage. Despite their records, they are still Daemomachi citizens and they value the reputation of the city. They wouldn't act recklessly in public, but I still employ you to exercise caution at all times."

"How did they know I was coming? My grandfather assured me that no one would know."

"And do you trust your grandfather?" The question was innocent and easy to answer, but at that moment, I couldn't give a response.

"Was he the one who asked you to fetch me?" I settled by asking a question in return. Unlike me, he replied immediately.

"No. We didn't know you were coming. To be honest, we were just alerted when you boarded the Tamagmine. We thought it was kind of odd, sending you, the best priest, into a city filled with vengeful Fabukage, without us being informed. We thought of informing King Fino but our general disagreed and told us to act like we didn't know."

"Well, whoever those Kagepus people are, they already know I’m here.”

“Indeed, but they don’t know you have an escort. I'm one of the undercover agents but they would just think I'm a friend and the Kage Opus won't dare hurt a Daemomachi citizen."

"But won't they get suspicious? I mean, I didn't contact anyone."

"Calum, did you forget about how strong the influence of the RUF is?"

I didn't say anything else and we lapsed into silence once again. Afraid of confronting my thoughts, I let my gaze wander as I hummed.

Unlike the cemented floors of Shufurbs, Daemomachi’s floors were either made from wood or cobblestones and the air was ancient.

Instead of having tall skyscrapers, pine trees dominated the area and the lighting was more subdued.

It was different from Shufurbs, where extremely bright lights fought for dominance. There was a good thing about this though-I could see the clusters of stars, even the waning moon as they lent their light into the area.

“We’re here.” Liam’s voice broke my reverie. I looked at him as he opened the door of a black SUV with heavily tinted windows.

Still humming, I put my things in the back and entered the passenger seat. I folded my legs as I did and shifted my body so I wouldn't hit the shift knob by accident.

Secured, he backed out of the parking area and turned the radio on. A low voice came over.

“Bloodlust and promises aren’t they the same?

Seduction at its finest, I won’t protest.

You can have me all you want, I am obsessed

Keep me close to your side, that is my request.

Seduction at its finest I won’t protest.”

The guitar went well with the violin and I couldn’t help but listen more.

"Damn. Admoneo never fails to disappoint." I mused as I increased the volume after I asked for Liam's consent.

"Agreed. There's a reason why they're popular here. By the way, I learned two things about you tonight." He grinned. I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Are you trying to look for weaknesses you can use against me?" I joked. His grin widened.

"Heh, maybe. You are one of the best, Father. A lot of people envy you and they would kill for a chance to find your weakness, but I'm not like them. I just enjoy studying people. Daemomachi is a small city and meeting new people is kind of exciting, you know?"

"Wow. I have nothing to say but thanks, I guess?" I mused as I rubbed the back of my neck and continued, "So then, what did you learn today?"

"First, you love Admoneo, which is considered 'evil' by most priests, and second," he grinned again, "You don't like getting into cars because you look like a sardine." He gave a loud laugh. I stared at him unamused.

He hit a bump on the road and I hit my head on the car ceiling.

"Argh! Maldicidenti Liam! How are you not hitting the ceiling? We're the same height!" I shouted. He pointed at his seatbelt.

"Yeah, but I keep myself secure, stontolto. And actually, make that three-you swear a lot for a priest."

"I'm not stupid and, also, I am not a priest. I kill and purify Fabukage, but I know for a fact that I'm not 'holier than thou." I huffed as I put my seatbelt on as well.

We didn’t speak again and only the radio filled the car, but we didn't mind. It was a calming silence, the silence I had craved after I left. I took this moment to look at the terrain again.

The Iasa Ponshashi Bridge that connected the Tamagmine station to the city was wide and again made of cobblestones. In the middle of it were railways that had an Unpaeda capsule running on them.

I was grateful we had a car because, as I looked through the glass windows, almost all of the capsules were filled with people carrying bags and whatnot.

The water highways, or the Mizuvia, looked bright compared to the rest of the ocean that surrounded the area. I was able to see some Fabulares Mizu (or Fabumi for short) swimming through the water tunnels, their fins and tails mesmerizing.

The ride took almost an hour and as we approached the tall wall, I took a deep breath. There were three working toll stations and there were still some cars in the queue. There were Magistratus standing guard and I couldn't help but look at their uniforms.

They wore the standard turtleneck long-sleeved top and breastplate made from malleable metal, but instead of having metal wraps, they had gauntlets that had a clear crystal adorning the middle of them. Instead of metal boots, they had ice cleats and the samurai helmet was replaced by a fur hat with ear flaps.

"Their clothes have heaters in them as well?" I asked as I noted that, despite the lack of coverage, they looked warm.

"Hmm? Yeah, almost all the clothes here are thermal. However, capitalism still exists and only those who are well-off or has the Regno's favor can afford them."

"Ah yes...the Regno, our kings, and queens. Monarchy is an outdated government system, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah? And yet you spent..how old are you again, twenty-nine, right?" Liam started as I nodded. He grinned and continued, "And yet you spent twenty-nine years serving under their name."

"Bafangue choculo, Liam. I am merely human...well, half-human, half-wolf-but my point is, I make mistakes and I want to make things right." I mused as we pulled over to one of the toll stations. I noticed that it was empty inside and the Magistratus stood outside the force field that served as a barrier from entering.

There was a beep, and the barrier vanished. We went through it without any difficulty. Another five minutes and I stared up at the huge brick stone that had a protective barrier glistening around it.

Another beep and I heard the sound of rumbling as one part of the wall crumbled and it revealed an archway that was blocked off. A clear crystal was in the middle of the block and I watched as Liam lifted his hand. He leveled it with the crystal through the windshield.

A beam of light came out of the crystal and it hit him directly on the palm as it scanned.

“Name, Address, and security number please.” A computerized voice boomed. He cleared his throat.

“Liam Sy Himitsu, Unit Four C, Lotus Apartment Building, Cliffdrive Street, Gakegi Byota, Daemomachi, Iasa. 5286-3348-4768.”

“Verified. And your company? Kindly state your name and place of origin, home address, and your relationship.”

“Uh...Calum James Carantes Vallejo, Salishi, Liatarus. Eight Portland Street, Upper Gentiporta, Salishi, Liatarus. We are friends.” I answered as I tried to keep my voice calm.

“Verified. Welcome to Daemomachi.”

After that, there was another set of rumbling and I watched as three other walls opened before us. We went through.

The first thing I noticed was how wide the area was and how alive it looked, even if most of the buildings were ancient-looking and the lights were not as bright as I hoped.

My eyes went to the elevated land that was in the far distance but there was no mistaking the shape of the castle that sat atop the mountain.

“Right now, we are at the Kaicoshocus, and this is where festivals are usually held. You can also find shops, schools, and everything public in this area,” he gestured at the area that was in front of us. Despite it being ten in the evening, establishments were still awake and there were various Ratheans milling about.

“The area surrounding the castle is called Arcenseki and that’s where high-end shops and, of course, the subdivision for the “elite” is located,” he pointed at the elevated land.

“The Silvaten is what we call the district near the forests and mountains and that’s where you can find some hidden gems-be it shops, cafes, restaurants, whatever,” he pointed to the overpass on the right.

“ We’re heading to Gakegi Byotan and it’s another residential area. The other end is called the Gakegi Primiban and that’s where the seminary and Salouves University is located so you can expect apartments there.” Liam mused as he pointed to the overpass to the left. I nodded along, still in awe at how Daemomachi managed to merge modernization, nature, and antiquity without sacrificing the other.

He must have misunderstood my silence because he spoke again.

“But I don’t think you’re interested in those things right now. What happened in Opeure, Calum?”

Oh. Maybe he didn’t misunderstand after all.

*****

Thank you so much for your support and patience! You can see chapter art from the story on my i********:, artbyellysse, or my Deviantart, reza-delavega. Do not forget to leave a comment if you want!