Chapter Eight: Prep

XXXX

Halina and I walked through the portal, into another terminal full with active portals. Mainly magi running around, I sighed as the guards quickly came through too. Bastards, not trusting me and my lies. Why! I just want to wage a war, kill some people, maybe make sweet love to a hot woman. What's the deal?

Everyone got out of our way as we were escorted to yet another interrogation room. The woman guard looked at me, hatred in her eyes. "You are to wait here until the Processing Council is gathered. Make yourself at home."

"Wanna stay and keep me company?" Slam! The door clicked and locked, meaning I was stuck here for most likely an entire day. I shrugged, then threw my stuff in a corner. "God, fuck this place. These stupid bitches. Always telling me what to do."

"You don't exactly fight back, though," Halina said.

"Yeah. Because they're idiots. You let them believe what they want, you get what you want. It's simple control manipulation. I want them to fuck off, so it's easier to let them hear what they want to hear."

"Is everyone an idiot to you?"

"No. Just those who I use for my own gains. They are idiots."

"And where am I on that list?"

"Number one," I said, sitting on the hard chair. Can't they afford things with cushions? Or even a pillow? Are they that cheap? The answer is, yes, yes they are. "Obviously any human who is dumb enough to stand by me is an idiot who deserves to be used. So, I hope you don't have any regrets."

"Well, I'm having them now." Halina paced around the room, breathing hard. "This feels like a bad idea. They treat you like a prisoner. What's to say they won't try and lock us up while we're down there?"

"I already told you, it'd take an army. I'd slaughter them all."

"But you're a fool! The king!" She stormed in my face. I saw her anger, creasing down her cheeks. Oh, that was new. The human has some passion. Who can see clearly. Ah, I knew not turning her into a zombie was the correct choice. "You're just saying that. I don't have any grounds to believe you."

"Eh. I mean. Fair enough. What do you want from me? You want hope? I have none to give." Like love. What's left then? Indifference. On the surface at least. "Just name it. I have more resources than one would think."

"Agh. You stupid man. Just let me rage!" She was clearly getting on edge. She looked over her phone, then her demeanor changed. "They got wi-fi."

"Uh, yeah. Even for monsters, the magi have some self-respect."

That seemed to calm her down a little. "Fine. You know what? I want you to tell me about the Light Layer while we're waiting. For the book."

For the book. For the knowledge. Respect.

"Well, where do I begin?" I tapped my lip, thinking. So much to talk about..... "Might as well start with the sky. The Swirling. When you first see it, it's going to look like a bunch of different colored snakes who are good friends, and are drunk at a party. And they are horny. So they start an orgy. And it's going to look like a damn good one, or an awkward one."

"No inbetween?"

"Nope."

"Huh." She punched that in her phone. "So, do they have a common religion?"

"Ooo, yeah, that's a fun topic." I picked around in my pack, until I found a journal. "Ah, here it is. Called the High Four Lines, or High Four. You'll see some symbols. It'll look like a box. They worship a goddess named Loken'Kam."

"And the lines are?"

"They represent Birth, Life, Death, Afterlife. And when you die, your soul goes to the Swirling. They say to give it more color. I say so it can have a drunk, awkward orgy."

"So, color is important to the magi?"

"Oh yeah," I said with exaggeration. "Important doesn't even begin to describe it."

"Is it because of their weird eyes?"

"More or less. Pretty eyes, boring everything else, gotta have something to latch on to. And it turns out that one thing is color. Noticed how fucking bright it was when we went out into the terminal?" I grunted, hating those bastards. What's the deal? Can't tone it down for one second, can you. "It's apart of life here. Colorful fashion, colorful magic, buildings, machines. You name it."

"And they have internet?"

"The humans are good at building some useful shit. Everyone else is good at stealing it. Phones, electronics, internet. Soap operas. They love it all down here."

"But they hate humans."

"Like I said," I said. "Racists."

She continued her pacing. Back, forth, back, forth. I followed her every step. "Why use electronics then if you have magic?"

"I don't know. Why start wars over money? Because we can. Greed, convenience, it's better than carrying a big fucking rock in your pocket to make a damn call." Nothing is easy with anyone, now is it? "Anyways, they look relatively modern."

"They got a social status down here?"

"Why are you asking these questions?" She shrugged. I sighed. "Yes. It goes, as follows, Pillar, Tower, Beam, Plank, Rug. Pillar, leaders, in charge, no one questions them. Towers. Old nobles, bloodlines, and powerful elites. Beams. Medium elites, I guess. Planks. What you would call middle class. Rugs, poor."

"Those sound stupid."

"And I thought I was the only one." The magi love knowing who's in charge. And hate it when it's not them. Arrogance, greed, power. All motivate the higher ups. If it means gaining more, than a magi is not afraid to do it. One of our few similarities. "Don't cross an elite. I don't have the time to clean up that mess."

"Didn't plan on it," she muttered. Halina sat down, breath hissing. She played with her fingers, pulling at each, popping a few. "Then why did you catch the attention of a university?"

"The schools here are a good cover. It's a great way to justify my staying here. 'Oh look, he's not causing harm, he's just studying'. Whatever. Let them think what they will. I just need to fool them for a while. Otherwise, things get messy."

"Why did up in Earth they acted as though you've never done this before?" She was looking for a word. Aren't we all? "Like, that guy Ross didn't know you."

"Uh. This is my third time coming here, uh, legally."

"What?"

I scratched at my arm. "Not everyone has time to do things the right way. I'm a busy guy. Stuff to do. But that stuff sometimes means crossing borders. I honestly couldn't do this every time I wanted to get something from here. So.......I cheat."

That seemed to have silenced her. "How--how?"

"I--" My phone was ringing. I looked at the number. One I'd never seen before. I answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, my name is Wen. I am the director of the science wing here in the University of Kal'en. I was given a tip, saying that you are wanting to showcase a rare Earth species here at the University? Is this true?"

Holy shit. Those kids actually came through. And this buffoon bought it. I looked at Halina, keeping the idiotic smirk off my face. "Yes. That is correct. I have captured a very rare species that I think the a university would benefit greatly from observing."

"And what is your name, perchance?"

"Mr. Night. Spelled with a K." Pft, this guy probably doesn't remember what happened fifteen years ago. Probably doesn't even remember that necromancers even once existed. This should be super easy. "Any other questions?"

"You then are a magi? What kind?"

"Yes. Summoner. With a hint of water."

I heard him grunt, either approval or whatever. I raised my brows up and down at Halina. "And what time will your hearing with the Processing Council be?"

Eh. Fuck. Shot in the dark.

"Seven. Tomorrow. You know how those guys like to take their time, uh, gathering."

He chuckled. "Yes. But they are a vital part of the traffic coming to and fro. Thank you. I might call again with further questions."

"Yeah, that's fine. I'm just here, waiting patiently."

He hung up, and I began laughing. Laughing so hard I fell to the floor. Halina peered over me, curious, but also starting to laugh. I pointed at the phone. "They bought it. The lie. Shit. I thought those kids would have robbed me blind. Ha!"

"That's not exactly what I would call funny," she blurted out between breaths of laughter. I couldn't help it. This was the race that destroyed mine. What happened? What went wrong? Thinking about that made me laugh even harder, tears forming.

"Oh, the hurt of joy," I mumbled to the floor. It stared back, wanting to laugh. But refusing to.

XXXX

Halina was sleeping, using the dirty pillow that they gave her. Me? No, no pillow for me. Bad necromancers don't get pillows. They get their backpacks to sleep on. But I wasn't sleeping. No, rare is it that I will sleep surrounded by enemies. Each and every one of them.

It's not hard to imagine that I would have hatred. I don't. Not real hatred. Nothing that mattered in the grand scheme of things. I mean, yeah I'd kill them all given the chance, yet that was something that would take a little more shove for me to do. A little more motivation.

The magi, bright and shiny, the Light. Oppressors of those who use the Dark. Dark magic is rare to come by in the Light Layer. Once a child is known that they can use it, that their caller is aligned with its powers, they're shipped off. Either to Earth, or somewhere worse. I've met plenty of those who use Dark magic. Fun people. They know how to party. But always in secret, because the magi just hate what's not theirs.

The necromancers should have wiped them out all those thousands of years ago, in the old wars. Should have destroyed every living thing. Let death do what it does best. Consume, enjoy tasting it's lovers gift. Bathe in it.

God, I'm probably going to die here, accomplishing nothing. And for what purpose? What will they put on my grave? We always wonder, what will go on that grave, that stone. What do you want? Name, date of birth and death. Something like 'great father, better husband', or 'great mother, better wife'. How pathetic. Sad. You're dead. And that's how you want your stone to look like?

I want mine to be blank. Smooth, flat, polished. Or with me in cool action poses. Because I don't get a 'great father, better husband'. In fact, I'll be lucky to get a marker. I'll be face down in a ditch if I die before I decide to kill myself.

And you should know, if a hundred years from now I'm still alive, I'm killing myself. I've got everything planned out. It will be beautiful, an untold story that the winds shall weep about.

My phone vibrated, and I read the text from Sasha.

Sasha: Ditto, you almost in the Layer?

Me: Almost. Got to go through processing. One more day.

S: Carolina City was attacked, many casualties. Heroes and leaders freaking out. All of Water District on edge. I am staying strong, but other councillors are getting nervous.

Me: Who attacked them?

S: A fae task force and shifter pack. Wiped out nearly every hero there.

Me: Well. That's not good.

S: What now?

Me: Can you get the heroes at Lake City to build an arsenal?

S: Yeah. What, you want me to buy weapons?

Me: No. But there is a mercenary group I know of. They owe me. Number 224-684-8900. Tell Ren I sent you.

S: KK. They better be cheap, damnit.

That's Sasha. Willing, at a discount. I let the phone fall on my chest.

What was I thinking about?

I can't remember.

XXXX

"Here's breakfast," said a guard, barging in while I sat sprawled out.

"Wait!" I yelled out. "I'm indecent!"

He looked down at me. I covered myself with my hands. "You're in normal clothes."

"But I feel like garbage. So therefore you can't look at me."

I don't know what he thought, but he just tossed a bunch of bags of granola onto the table, then slammed a thing of juice. "Here. I hope this is satisfying."

"Eh. I could use a nice toasted bagel with cream cheese."

"And I want a double macchiato with two creams and a dash of honey," Halina responded, reading a book from her corner. She said it in a way that made me think all of our asses were getting kicked. "Also a turkey wrap would be nice."

"Our demands have been made," I said. "Go. Let them know."

"Get bent."

Again, the door slammed.

Halina looked at the food. She began munching on the granola, eating without much restraint. "Should we have told him it's lunch time?"

"No, that'd have pissed him off more." I stuffed my face with granola, and pulled out of my bag two cups. I poured us some juice. We toasted to granola. "Let it never end."

"It's already gone," she said, getting out the last few grains. "Got to be faster than that."

"Noooo! The nourishment. Gone!" I railed on the table, moaning quietly. "Why? Why do this to me?"

"Because I'm hungry, and you are the reason we are stuck in a small room, with nothing to do but forced to talk to your sad, depressing ass." She found her book, and started reading again. "So yes, I'm sorry for eating your rations."

"But you've been reading for the past two hours."

"You've still been talking!" She didn't look up. However, her voice raised ever slightly. "I'm not even responding!"

"Well, fine. I see how it is." No one appreciates my stories. No wonder I'm not famous. "I'll just go back to writing in my journal."

The page was covered in ink, which I didn't bother letting dry as I wrote more stuff down. The details of these past few days will be important for my future travels. Humming 'Mr. Roboto', by Styx, I was deep in thought when my phone yet again rang.

"Uh, hello?"

"Hi, there Mr. Night. I am calling with several of my professors, and we are wanting to know about this creature that you are bringing to the Light Layer."

Shit. Again. I blanked for a second, then said, "Ah. Yes, of course, Director Wen, was it?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Well, what do you want to know?" I asked. Hm, other professors. That's tricky. Maybe I should add a little something to the voice. A hint of accent maybe. British? No, don't over think it.

"For starters, what kind of creature is this?"

Halina now was paying attention, and I put it on speaker phone. Entertainment for all. "Ah. It's a Noxious Changer. Very rare. A salamander type beast that spews toxic acid. Can change it's shape at will."

Another voice spoke, but I was enjoying this. "So, this is considered rare in the Earth Layer?"

Well. Technically. The Noxious Changer no longer existed. It went extinct about a hundred years ago. I've raised their dead bodies plenty of times, so I know what they can do and what they look like. But hey, what they don't know.......

"I've spent twenty years looking for this one specimen. My life's research. I believe this thing has demon blood in it. It could be the difference in understand demons and changing the tide of the war." I mean, maybe that was true at one point. But who cares. "Any other questions?"

"What kind of magi are you?" a woman asked.

"Summoner. With a hint of water. Makes it easier to find things wouldn't you say?"

"Yes. I'd say so," the voice agreed. Are they serious? Are they really falling for this that quickly? Alright, whatever. I'm down.

"Hey, Halina, give the Changer it's meal. Sorry, the thing is getting restless. Waiting for this whole process to get over with. The beast sure is a fighter. Ah, reminds me of the hunt."

There, give them a little extra, to help add to the story. Not that anything I say matters. They'll see I'm lying the second I walk through the doors. But by then it will be too late, and interest will have peaked by then.

"So, uh, will that be all? These pesky......bureaucrats, taking up so much of my precious time. I am just on edge." Whoops, almost said magi. That'd be bad.

"Yes, thank you Mr. Night." He hung up, and Halina smirked.

"You are going to fool some men and women of science, and see how pissed they get."

"Oh please. They're professors. Nothing that powerful," I said, returning to my chair to wait out these next few hours. "I just need one to think I'm worth their time."

Halina almost laughed.

XXXX

The door opened, and three guards entered. "Time to go you disgusting necromancer."

"Finally. Damn." We stood, and I quickly handed Halina a Talker. "This will translate spoken word. Don't lose it."

We left the portals, and entered outside into the Light Layer.

So, if you never get the chance to come here, this is how to imagine the Light Layer. Okay, so, picture a rainbow, old Roy G Biv. Then, imagine a rainbow of any seven colors you want. Got that? Now, imagine another fifty of different colors, and have them all together in one giant clusterfuck. But like, in a very, very bad way. That's how many colors there are, and they don't stop for anyone.

Halina was obviously not doing okay. She was staring at everything. No action or color or object wasn't worth her attention. Good thing the walk was short, and the council building was right next door.

The main hall was enormous with stone pillars and a creepy wooden carved arch. Screaming faces. Fun. They lead us down that hall in front of a bold looking door.

"Halina, I need you to not do anything to anger them," I said, while they were beginning to open the door. "Stay on the down low."

She grunted. I smiled. The door opened.

"What's up mother fuckers!"