Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 46: Welcome to Volkaunus - Part 2

Bringing the braxl to a stop once they are close enough, the three of them step out, with Aurea taking back the letter from Tessa as they approach. Holding out the letter to the guards, they don't take a moment to look it over, as expected. They already know what the letter is.

"Why aren't all of you here? Our ruler requested all of your presence," one asks.

Aurea takes a moment to collect her words; her gaze does not waver from the guard's. "One of our own was taken from us, and more had crossed into the Colonies to retrieve them. I apologize deeply, but it's my priority to rescue them. We wish to discuss this issue with the God of Fire."

With the guards watching Mordecai and Tessa, their eyes thoroughly scan them up and down. They are looking for signs of which part of Urush they are from, but they do not find that answer in their clothing or the common markings. The expressions on their faces indicate that they have figured out the two are giftless, which adds a bit of tension. 

The guards then approach Mordecai and Tessa, with Mordecai being the first. While one guard watches him closely, the other searches him. Tessa is initially confused until she glances at Mordecai, who mouths 'Latos.' Any Urushian nowadays knows that the giftless are aligned with Latos and that he has a vendetta against the God of Fire for stopping his assault on the Ebonsea Garrison. 

Mordecai remains still while his throwing knives and smoking pipe are confiscated, relieved that he didn't have the remainder of his arsenal. It would likely create a negative impression. After they finish with Mordecai, they proceed to Tessa. 

It slows down a bit since Tessa carries many bottles and jars of various items to maximize her versatility in the desert. When they check one of her canteens, they hold it up for her to drink. 

"Take a drink, so we know it's not poison." 

At first, Tessa's brow showed a twinge of offense, but she soon understood. She takes a sip from that and any other receptacle holding water, applying all her salves to her skin to demonstrate that they are harmless. She clearly had nothing to fear, as she did so without hesitation. 

After checking Aurea, the only thing they find odd is her short staff, which to them seems more like a bland scepter. 

"It is paramount that all of you are present, but you will be taken to our ruler regardless." Using their keys to open the gate, one enters and crosses the bridge, gesturing for them to follow.

Aurea, taking a breath, begins to follow the guard, with Tessa following soon after. Mordecai hesitates, and the guard is about to say something before following. Stopping in the middle of the bridge, the guard waiting at the gate comes in behind Mordecai and shuts it. If Aurea weren't standing so close to them, it would feel smothering in there. At least her chill made the heat of the lava below tolerable in the confined space.

Placing their weapons down, the guards widen their stances and unleash powerful fire blasts from their palms toward the ceiling. Initially startled, the group watches the flames travel upward, illuminating the pitch-dark space above and igniting some fuses hidden in the darkness. The fuses quickly burn upward, the spark vanishing as they reach the ceiling.

 Moments later, they hear the lava below begin to bubble and splash. They get just a moment to glance over the edge at the lava before it erupts from the river like a jet, prompting them to move away from the railing. As they feel a segment of the bridge shifting, the force lifts them as the segment easily detaches from the rest of the bridge. Sunlight then floods above them as the ceiling opens and the platform rises. While the guards maintain their balance on the shifting platform, the others cling to the bridge's railings to avoid falling off, with the platform as steady as a raft on water.