This Mr. V guy has to be kidding! I uncrumple the letter and take a quick glance at it, skimming through for anything odd. Hell, the whole thing seems fishy, but I spot the words "chosen one" in the letter and it makes me almost wretch. He must think I'm special or something. Sure, I get sick sponsorship deals with my WarGames team, but I don't think I'm that special. I just do what I do.
Still, if it weren't for my mother being here, I would have tossed the note out, hitched on a bus, and bolted out of this joint. Instead, I decide to stay and see what happens. It might not be so bad. If The Doc is here, then it must be for a good reason.
As we walk around this strange city, I can't help but notice the signs, the buildings, and the people. Actually, the buildings don't look strange — just simple skyscrapers and commercial structures with reflective windows and metal sides. Yet, the signposts are in a language that I don't recognize. The letters look swirly and whimsical, almost like classic cursive writing or a doctor's handwritten signature. Maybe it's the alphabet used by Mezos's people or those tall elf folks.
I stow the wrinkled letter in my shirt pocket, but take a moment to inspect the blue wax seal that had previously secured the envelope. It's a crystal-shaped impression with the characters, R4, embossed inside the crystal. Strange. This insignia has recognizable lettering, yet the street signs are in a different language. How's that make sense? I place the seal in my pocket, just for safekeeping, and continue onward.
"Are you alright?" Mezos asks. "You look kind of mesmerized."
He's right. I'm half-awake but I can't believe where I am. Hell, Mezos's voice sounds like he came from the streets instead of some magical faerie place. "Kind of," I say.
"You'll get used to it," he says.
Mezos and I arrive at the towering skyscraper and, holy shit, this place is freaking tall! We enter through the double glass doors in front, and a giant bronze statue, about ten meters in height, stands in front of us, prominent and glorious. The sculpture resembles a woman in a scholarly hooded robe standing tall and courageous, with a gnarled staff planted on the ground with her right hand. Behind her, water splashes from a fountain like small tidal waves on a relaxing summer day at the beach.
I ask, "Who's that woman supposed to be?"
"That is Farron Ardbert Meteora. She is a legendary techno-mage who specialized in healing spells, and one of the Four Champions of Esthial," Mezos answers.
Four Champions? Maybe that's what the 4 stands for on the wax seal. "And what's Esthial?"
"Esthial was another planet. That's the home of the En'ari elf-droids, the Valkyr cyborg clans, the Hyrstheron humans, and the Reul-Sìthe fae. It was a lush and magical planet until the En'ari High Magistrate declared war on everyone, and the world turned into fire and ash. When that happened, refugees escaped through a dimensional portal and ended up on Earth. That happened long ago, way before you were born."
I rub my chin in thought. "Dimensional portal? So, you didn't arrive here by a giant mother ship?"
"Nope!" Mezos let out a light chuckle. "It's all portals, rifts, and vortexes." He then gestures me to follow him. "Let's keep going. I'm sure Mr. V is eager to talk to you."
My brow twitches upward, curious. "Am I on a different planet?"
"No, you're still on Earth," the boy answers.
"Where exactly on Earth?"
"Unfortunately, I can't divulge the precise location of this research base. Just know: you're still on Earth."
YOU ARE READING
The Revelers (Serial 1)
מדע בדיוניAri Kagura and the Neon City Valkyries reach the WarGames finals and finally face off against their bitter rivals, the Brick City Sirens. However, when the match reaches its peak, two fae misfits, Samza and Mezos, crash into the stadium and hell bre...