Night fell and they camped there, confident that thing wouldn't return. At dawn, they reached a narrow pass between two mountains, a vast canyon. At the end of the canyon, they came upon a giant cave. They stopped right in front of it. From the general's truck, a flare was fired. The red light illuminated the cave, revealing a gigantic metal gate as large as the grotto.
One of the men went to a small panel in a corner of the door; it began to open wide. Many large lamps turned on, lighting up the entire cave; inside was a gigantic warehouse. All the vehicles entered; then they closed the door again.
The place seemed a bit improvised; there were large patches of unpaved ground; the walls were the cave's own rock. Dozens of vehicles of all kinds were parked along hundreds of meters. A gigantic, well-equipped workshop. Dozens of men in coveralls came to greet them. They unloaded the loot and loaded it onto carts. They cheered the names of the General and the prince.
The further they went into the facility, the more sophisticated the technology became. The mechs were taken to a large platform: a vertical elevator that ascended through the mountain's interior. Both of them got off the truck at the guards' orders.
A strange man approached them. He was tall and somewhat slender, with a stony gaze. He had mutton chop sideburns, somewhat unkempt, like the rest of his hair. He wore a shirt with suspenders. —Are you the guests everyone's talking about?
He introduced himself. —Hiram Abiff… —The man smoked a cigarette in their faces.
He didn't let him continue. —The General wants to see you. Follow me. —He kept smoking the cigar. Seeing Vanrra accompanying them, he stopped. —Not you, just the tough guy. Come on, he wants to talk to you.
Vanrra asked him. —So where I go?
—Are you the pilot? I think you'll go with him. —He pointed to the other side of the facility.
Amir raised his hands. —Hey! Vanrra! Over here!
—Doc?
He whispered in his ear. —Play along with them; we'll talk soon. I promise you. —He left with the stranger; a pair of guards escorted them to an elevator.
Amir went to Vanrra. —What you think of this place? It's still under renovation; this is just the parking area.
—It's fascinating. Is all this yours? —He looked at the dozens of cars, boxes, and cranes moving the loot. They didn't seem like simple bandits; they were too professional. They performed their tasks in perfect sync.
—Technically, it's one of the many strongholds of the order. It's impressive that they built them centuries ago. The mechs began to rise slowly in the elevator. —This place is hideous; I'll show you the real refuge.
Amir took him to a booth, a diagonal elevator. He pressed a red button; they began to ascend through a giant tunnel with large rails for more platforms. It was lit with lamps on the sides. They could see the platform with the mechas going up the rails.
—Where is the train taking us?
—To the real refuge; below is just the entrance.
He was amazed by the immense facility; it made him feel so insignificant, the same feeling as standing before one of those demons. —How did they build this? How is it possible that…?
—Have you never been on an elevator before?
—I had never seen these machines. Who made this elevator?
—It's one of the many relics of my family; it was built a long time ago to be used in case of a major catastrophe. The refuge covers almost the entire mountain with dozens of these tunnels. The general says that living in the mountains is an old tradition of the order.
—The General, who exactly is he? A relative of yours?
—He was one of my father's assistants; we considered him part of the family. He wasn't always so serious; he still keeps a bit of his old charisma. I don't blame him; it's challenging to lead an army.
—Will he do something to Hiram?
—I don't think so; he's not like that. He has a code of conduct with guests, which every good leader should have. Details like that raise the troop's morale; they remind them that we haven't lost our way yet.
—I thought you were the leader.
—What a compliment, but I'm still very young; maybe someday. Honestly, it's not my thing, but eventually that day will come.
—What do you do? Do you raid ships? Is that all?
—We fight against the High Porte; I already told you that.
—Are you winning?
—It's not a regular war; it's a battle of legitimacy. Once we're armed enough and have cells all over Ab, we'll retake power. It's not the first time something like this has happened; you could say it's a family tradition, so we're destined for victory.
The elevator arrived at its destination, a large corridor of bluish metal. Amir led him to a lobby; their footsteps echoed throughout the hall. Crowds of people walked through the refuge; most wore overalls and simple clothes. They stopped to greet the prince. Amir returned the gesture. He whispered to Vanrra. —There's nothing more annoying.
—Where are we going?
—I'm taking you to your room; that's what a good host does. I bet you must be exhausted. —The place was like a labyrinth of lamps and railings. Cables and fans stuck out from the ceiling. They reached a small lobby. —See that yellow elevator? It leads to my lobby; take it up if you need anything. —Amir unlocked one of the rooms, the number six. —For you, new Corax.
—Corax?
—That's the name of the first rank. It means raven. I'm Leo, rank four. Also, put this on. —He gave him a small ring; it didn't seem to be made of valuable material.
Vanrra put it on. He noticed a small engraving. —What does it mean?
—It's Mercury's symbol. A cross with a circle and a crescent moon. Only wear it in a safe place like this. —He invited him into the room. —All yours. Get showered and get some sleep; it's been a long day.
Vanrra remained silent, looking at the modest room. That bluish metal made him uncomfortable and panicked. A vague memory deep in his mind. Amir grabbed his shoulder; Vanrra reacted instantly. —Don't touch me! —He quickly turned and kicked him low on the ankles; it was muscle memory.
Amir fell to the floor; he put his hands on his head. —What's wrong with you? At least warn me.
He reacted very regretfully, still panicking. —I'm sorry, I didn't mean to; I didn't want to…
He stood up. —It's fine; we're all very stressed; get some rest. I'll give it back to you later. —He left the room. Vanrra heard his voice on the other side of the door. —What else does he want me to do? I should… —He stopped understanding.
He entered the bathroom; it was the first time he'd ever been in front of a shower, but for some strange reason it felt familiar. He took a long shower; it was the first moment of calm since that day. He remembered every situation, every beast, every titan, every death he had witnessed. Remembered his friends and everyone he knew. Remembered the green meadows and the fresh breeze. None of that existed anymore. Was too worn out to cry. He dressed in the clothes left on his bed. Simple, comfortable, soft clothes.
He threw himself onto the bed; it was the most comfortable mattress he'd ever lain on. He quickly fell into a deep sleep. He dreamed he was in a field of roses, under the sunlight. Next to him was the girl from the forest, wearing a white dress, her hair up and adorned with flowers. On his other side was Mahia, with purple eyes. She wore that white uniform and carried that armband. Both approached to kiss him.
He woke up when someone knocked on his door. —I'm coming in! —The butler opened the door; he had a box in his hands. —I hope you slept well. —He was an older man, with long white hair and a beard of the same color. His eyebrows were black and deep. He wore a typical butler suit. He handed him the wooden box. —A gift from the prince.
—From Amir? That's very kind of him. What's your name?
—Karl, thank you for asking; that's very considerate of you. Welcome to the family. —Vanrra took the box. Karl turned to leave.
Vanrra asked at the last moment. —Do you know where Hiram is? Hiram Abiff, he came with me.
—He's in the dining room. Would you like me to take you to him?
—Of course.
—First, try on what I gave you to see if it fits.
Inside the box was a set of clothes. A black and red jacket fit him perfectly. He dressed in matching pants. They seemed made for combat, like Amir's suit. The butler took him to the yellow elevator in the lobby. They went up one floor. The new lobby was nothing like the previous one.
It was much larger and more refined, without that ugly metal, with tiles on the walls, wooden arches, and ceilings full of domes and chandeliers. Fine wooden furniture decorated the whole place; there was no trace of the dirt from the lower levels. —Is this where Amir lives?
—His room is further ahead.
A red carpet led them down a long hallway filled with paintings. Vanrra was stunned by the technique; true works of art. They were nothing like his amateur work. —Who made these?
—They are by different artists; heritage of the family. They represent the most important moments in the history of the Fatima family.
He was distracted by the largest painting of all; it took up almost the entire wall. It depicted a blond woman wrapped in robes, holding up a luminous orb in one hand. She wore a solar crown. —Who is she?
—Fatima the Luminous, our founder. —Farther ahead he noticed a large painting completely covered by a veil. He was about to touch it. —This way. —They arrived at a large dining room. A large, fine oak table was in the center. Every side of the room was covered in blue velvet. On one side of the room was a bar stocked with hundreds of bottles. Hiram was sitting in one of the chairs.
—Doc! —He went toward him. —Are you all right? Where did they take you?
—I was fine; I missed sleeping in a real bed.
—Did they do anything to you?
—No, nothing, I promise you. I came here to relax. Doesn't this place seem beautiful to you? I never thought such beauty could exist down here.
Vanrra noticed there was another person at the bar; it took him a moment to recognize him. —Are you... the General? —He had left the white cloak behind; he was wearing a black coat, just like Hiram.
He said to him. —If you like, have a seat. —He snapped his fingers. —Karl.
He went to the bar. —Tea, my lord?
—Same as always. Puts a lot of sugar.
Hiram said to him. —With so many bottles, you choose to be a tea man.
—I need to calm my mind, not destroy it.
Vanrra said respectfully. —My apologies... General... Airan. —He kept his eyes on the teapot. —I wish I could speak to Hiram alone; I hope you understand.
Hiram said to him. —I don't think now is the time, Vanrra.
—But…
Amir entered the dining room. —What's up! Did you like my gift? It suits you better than I thought.
—Yes, thanks.
Arian ordered him. —Amir, take the pilot with you for a moment; show him the workshop.
—As you command, sir. —He went over to Vanrra. —Do you want to see how they're fixing your Gladiator? Come, it's this way.
—I don't… I don't think it's the right time.
—Are you hungry? There's food down there; come on, you're dying to see it.
He turned to look at the doc. With a gesture, he gave him permission to go. Amir took him by the arm; they both went down the hallway. —Sir. —The butler handed him a cup of tea.
He took a sip. —The boy has a lot of respect for you. Does he ever oppose you?
—No, he always ends up obeying.
—Mine is the same; he always does his eccentricities. He draws a lot of attention, but he always comes through, in his own way, but he does. —He drank his tea.
—He worries a lot about a stranger.
—The prince doesn't have many friends. Everyone here treats him like a celebrity; just like in his old court, he no longer trusts people.
He spoke to himself. —Why did he see something special?
—Maybe he's the only one who treats him like a normal person. Even I miss that.