DIVINE CHAMPIONS 6: A FINAL CONFLICT

MAGIC: VESPASA AT LAST

Reaching the Martin Miguel de Guemes Airport in Salta was pretty uneventful. Rick had booked a car from Salta, which was taking them to the magical land. Apparently, the Salta locals had no idea of the supernatural that had influenced the creation of the town. Rick had done well to make some calls to book the car. And so, through the Andean roads, the car drove past Salta, a city full of very European architecture, and rich importance in terms of archeological survey areas, and past Santa Rosa de Tastil, a more humble mountainous municipality.

Over the years, Salta had become an epicenter of pre-Columbian culture in Argentina, and now, with Vespasa only five hours away, the city's importance had increased. Vespasa still didn't have an airport or railway, something that Argentina has at a limited amount, and so, Salta is way more approached to get to this place. Though car services are normal from the airport or the railway station, Rick wanted a personalized car. Something that would feel like a road trip for the boys. Salta, in itself, was a sight to behold. Rick had seen the architecture in Buenos Aires, and had read that Argentina has architecture quite influenced by the European cultures, specially the Spanish and Italians, the two cultures that have hugely influenced the Silver Nation.

However, as the car left Salta, and moved through the Andes towards a more humble countryside, the lustrous Europeanism disappeared, and the ethnic Argentina came out. The absolute natural greenery, the small and simple architectural houses, with people close to each other, both physically and mentally, the reduction in the use of technology, increased. The semi arid areas and the cacti, the ascending and descending roads of the Andes, the green peaks of the longest mountain range in the world, all along with a breeze much colder than that of Buenos Aires, Rick was feeling it. And he felt like he could come back here. The driver seemed to know Vespasa well, as he told the stories of how Vespasa was formed, and all the politics related to it. And during telling the stories of Vespasa's creation, he left a lot of it to guesses, specially about his grandfather. It was fine, and all smiles for Rick, who liked knowing the other side's perspective. He was working around as translator for Ishaan and Mikael. That, until the man said, "I don't know, but they say that he found some treasure in Vespasa. He left nothing for the locals and left with it all. Then, he opened a huge company in America." All Ishaan managed to say was, "Oh, dear." Rick had said, with a level of calmness he himself was surprised, "Lies."

"What?"

"What you say are lies."

"Hey, people speak, that's it."

"Who does? Vespasians?"

"No. The ones that were supportive of the Junta military. Vespasians can take no word against the architect."

"That's why." Rick said, relieved that Vespasa didn't have people like that, "Kamal Sarkar left the treasure for the Vespasians. He received a part of it as a token of gratitude, and he left USA. He left his job and chased his dream, opening a construction company in India. Not the USA, but in India."

"How do you know?" The driver asked.

"He told me this himself."

"What?" He was surprised, "Who are you?"

"His grandson."

"Oh."

That shut off the local lies. Man, things people do to spread political agenda.

After five hours of talks and stories, and a lot of thoughts to how he would introduce himself, the car drew closer to Vespasa. And then, things took a very sad turn.

The car had to stop abruptly. Rick was sitting behind, and had been too lost in his thoughts, he hadn't seen forward. The sudden brakes, and his hitting his head on the front seat brought him back. Ishaan said, in a very faint voice, "Guys?"