“Now, I believe refreshments are in order. If you’ll just follow me up the tower, I’ll have you sorted,” Saunak said, acting every bit the part of the gracious host.
Cirayus halted, blocking the way for Vir and Shan. “We’re not here for your hospitality, Saunak. Fix our Artifact, and we’ll be gone.”
“And deprive me of the only company I’ve had in the last century! Are you mad, Cirayus? Know that I do you a favor—a large favor—by resetting your Artifact. The least you can do is regale me with tales of the Demon Realm. What all has transpired in the century I’ve been gone? What do people say about me now?”
Cirayus snorted. “They say little of anything. The realm has forgotten you, Saunak. They believe you dead. As had I.”
“Oh, Cirayus. You’ve missed me!” Saunak said. “How sweet of you.”
Vir couldn’t fathom how the mad thaumaturge had come to that conclusion, but this was the same demon who’d turned on a lightning field for fun. Who knew what went through that mind of his?
“But this is no place to chat. Follow me, if you please.”
Saunak took off down the hallway, which ended in a cylindrical tube that stretched up to the ceiling. Like the walls, it too was made of a translucent material, allowing those on the ground to look into its hollow interior.
Cirayus stroked his beard. “A lift, is it?” he asked.
“Think so,” Vir said quietly, impressed that Cirayus had recognized it for what it was. He then lowered his voice to ensure Saunak wouldn’t hear. “Every spire at Mahādi had a central lift—Ashani called them elevators—which ferried people up and down its entire height.”
“Quite handy, I’d imagine.”
“They were. Most were broken, but I got to ride on one that worked. It’s an incredible experience. You don’t even need people to power it!”
Cirayus grunted, though Vir couldn’t tell if he was impressed or not. The giant had withdrawn within himself ever since they’d met Saunak.
They stepped onto the platform, and Saunak played over a table on a post in the corner. The lift hummed to life, propelling them upward.
The wild-haired man turned, grinning in anticipation.
Cirayus crossed his arms and frowned, but otherwise had no reaction. He kept his eyes on Saunak at all times.
Vir, who had already experienced such lifts, said nothing either. Only Shan yipped, running around in circles excitedly.
Saunak’s grin fell. “I didn’t expect the wolf to have the most pronounced reaction. What’s wrong with you two? Don’t you have an ounce of curiosity in you? I danced for ten straight minutes when I got this thing working!”
He’s… like a child in some ways, Vir thought. Saunak reminded him a bit of Ashani. The goddess had been ancient and wise… but also innocent and playful. Vir sensed a kindred spirit in Saunak. Is that what drives him to pursue magic with such fervor?
Saunak’s eyes lingered on Shan hungrily.
“Quite the interesting pet you have there. How did you tame it, if I might ask?”
Vir debated replying, but recalled Cirayus’ words. It’d be difficult to divulge Shan’s secrets without also telling Saunak about Mahādi… and Ashani. He wasn’t about to give this demon any more information than was absolutely needed.
“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say,” Vir said tersely, glancing up at Cirayus.
“I’ve instructed the lad not to tell you anything he doesn’t have to, Saunak. You’ll find that trying will prove unfruitful.”
“Tch. You’re no fun at all,” Saunak muttered. “No fun at all.”
The lift ascended too slowly. The ones at Mahādi had whisked him up with blazing speed, and Vir suspected this could as well. Thanks to the glass-like tube, he had ample opportunity to study each floor as they passed.
Well, at least he isn’t trying to hide anything, Vir thought.
Most floors were white spaces with glowing floors, walls, and ceilings, like Janak’s lab. That, however, was where the similarities ended. Where Janak’s home had been pristine and clean, Saunak’s was a sprawling mess. The only clean areas were the floors; every other surface had been piled high, either with stacks of papers, schematics, and blueprints, or thaumaturge apparatuses Vir couldn’t identify.
Sphere-base Automatons trundled around several floors, though they were nothing like Ashani. Their limbs were bare metal, and most lacked heads, let alone faces. Their motions were stilted and stiff, and it was obvious they were far more basic than Ashani—and likely far older, too.
Together, the space felt more lived-in and lively than any Vir had seen in the Mahādi Realm. It looked right, making him wonder if all Imperium labs had been similar in their heyday.
They finally reached the top of the tower near the lightning ring. The spacious room they stepped out into spanned the entire circumference of the top of the tower, partitioned by stained-glass windows that ran to the rather low ceiling. Except, instead of being opaque, the ceiling showed an image of what lay above—the glowing ring, which not only painted a fantastical picture but also illuminated the room with its brilliant light.
Despite that, where the entrance inspired awe, this space felt more cozy. The luxurious rugs, gold accents, and chandeliers completed the picture, making for a homey, yet exotic-feeling space.
Saunak guided them to a long dining table next to windows that ran from the floor to the ceiling. Vir found himself irresistibly drawn to the windows and the stunning view beyond, paying the table full of fresh fruits and salivating dishes only a cursory glance.
Shan, however, eyed the food hungrily.
Outside, the storm raged as heavily as ever, though not a single sound made it through.
“Imperium magic,” Saunak said. “There are no windows in this tower. Everything you see is a projection of the outside.”
“Incredible.” It wasn’t Vir who spoke, but Cirayus. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
So, his placid facade finally cracked, huh? Vir thought with some satisfaction.
Saunak nodded. “It’s quite something, isn’t it?”
Vir had to agree. Volcanoes erupted in the distance, spewing ash high into the air, while Ash Beasts battled in the valleys in front of them. Forests ran to the horizon. Wilting forests.
It was then that Vir noticed the windows were magnifying the image wherever he looked, allowing him to witness scenes from hundreds of miles away. The effect was so subtle that Vir almost hadn’t noticed.
A black blur in his peripheral vision caught his attention, attracting his gaze to the nearby mountains.
He watched in horror as a black mass emerged from between the jagged peaks. Where it moved, nothing remained; only bare, barren rock. Trees shriveled before his eyes, disintegrating at an unbelievable pace. The beasts that battled there simply disappeared.
“Prana Swarm!” Vir shouted in panic. “We’re not safe here!”
“Nonsense!” Saunak said casually, swirling a glass of wine he’d obtained from who-knew-where. “Watch!”
The Swarm was enormous. In just moments, the forest they’d crossed earlier had been annihilated. The Swarm covered ground with astonishing speed, rushing at them with a vengeance. Then it arrived, and with Prana Vision, Vir saw only blackness outside.
One moment, all was dark, then it was gone as if it had never existed. The Swarm had attempted to consume the tower and failed, moving on to more palatable targets.
Vir’s knees quivered, forcing him to grab the headrest of a chair for support. We just… endured a Prana Swarm attack? And we survived?
“My friends, you are currently standing in the safest place in this entire realm,” Saunak declared proudly.
Vir could now see why. The ravaged landscape outside felt like a realm away from this position of absolute security. It was a little like watching a monsoon pour from inside the comfort of a warm home.