Muse 9 (ONC 2020)

Chapter 17

A trip to Kycene required less obvious gear than a trip to the Drain. My Muse 8 rifle, for sure, and a cape. My torn one would attract too much attention, so I went to my storage chest and rummaged around for something else to use as a disguise, putting the restless dreams from last night of the Drain and my parents out my mind.

The first thing I pulled out was my mother's old poncho.

I sat back on my heels, holding the navy blue covering carefully. It was styled to drape down over the left side while leaving the right more open and free. The folds on the left side gave the illusion that the arm was constricted but in reality, the fabric on that side would fall away quite easily if a fight were encountered.

This was my mother's favorite thing to wear when hanging around Othros. Although most of her hunting gear had been lost in the Drain, her poncho had been left behind. I guess it had wound up in my trunk back when Eurykhan had gone through and divided up my parents' things.

Slipping the poncho on over my head, I adjusted the fabric and stared down at it as I tested it out. It didn't force me to alter my movement or risk my rifle showing through the covering.

It fit perfectly.

The only thing it lacked was a hood.

After playing around with a combination of the hood from my old cape and the poncho, I left my sleeping quarters and grabbed my rifle, fixing it to my back under my poncho. Slipping my daggers into my greaves, I ensured my stylus and Luktor's scalpel sat on my belt before fastening my kit of tools, the Orphoid tube, and the Muse 9 texts into a small leather bag strapped to my back, next to my rifle. I had a feeling I would need them to finish this mission.

Then I headed out.

[----]

My normal exit point led to the outskirts of Etheni, the capital of Kycene. The hidden drainage pipe no longer shuttled water down to us, due to a better, more efficient route having been built. But this pipe hadn't been removed, and made for a perfect way to leave the Grid.

I jumped up, grasping the handholds I had fixed into the pipe for better climbing. Pulling myself up through the pipe, I kept my eyes fixed upward as I thought over my plan.

I needed to get into the main area of Etheni. The Insprix would be in the heart of Kycene, which was the prized capital city. Exactly where it was in Etheni, I wasn't sure.

Eurykhan's book would have nothing on Etheni, or Kycene for that matter. He stuck to the Drain. Kycene was where I did my work. It was my years of knowledge I had to rely on now.

I reached the end of the pipe and carefully shoved the cover of the pipe off before climbing out of it. The corner of the alleyway was deserted, as normal, and I replaced the cover.

Heart of Kycene....

I remembered the other part of the texts, the part about the Sparks guarding the Insprix. They sounded similar to the Shadows at the Library.

Oh, this will be fun.

Heading out of the alleyway, I blinked suddenly at the sight of the sunlight. The rays of sunshine filled the streets, dazzling my eyes. It had been too long since I had seen the sun.

But at least I got to see the sunlight. Many Gridirons never left the shadows, their only experience of sunlight being through artificial memories such as the ones I sold or the dim rays seeping down through the grates.

The outskirts of Kycene fell behind me as I walked, my hood pushed back from my face to allow myself to soak up the sun and enjoy the slight breeze ruffling my hair. My hood would only lead others to notice me more by wearing it on as nice a day as today and besides, I almost didn't want to wear it. The sky was blue, a pure blue that wasn't blotted by a cloud and seemed to shimmer when I looked up at it, like the entire sky radiated light, not just the sun. The rays glinted off of specks in the pavement of the streets, making it look as if diamonds had been implanted randomly throughout the road's stretch.

As I walked, looking at all the people going about their day, I felt that strange sense of displacement forming in my stomach. No matter how many times I walked through Etheni, I always felt out of place. Not only didn't I belong on the surface, the Kycenans didn't want Gridirons here at all. They considered us inferior beings and hence consigned us to the Grid.

Sometimes, I got sore about it.

Okay. Focus. Insprix. Where is it?

I thought about the layout of Kycene. The center of the city was occupied by the magnificent capitol buildings. If the little I knew of Kycenan history was correct, those buildings had been there since the dawn of the nation, constructed to celebrate the new order. If the Insprix was anywhere, it had to be there.

[----]

Dappled sunlight played across the pathway, scattering due to the trees planted near the path leading up to the capitol buildings. It was fascinating to watch the way the light presented itself on the ground, as holes in the shadows cast by the branches. I could feel the heat on my skin, the light seeming to cleanse me, somehow. It was a glorious feeling, walking in the light.

The capitol grounds weren't very busy and I was able to wind my way up the meandering slope towards the cluster of buildings at the top of the low but wide hill. The impressive white marble walls and sculpted columns shone in the bright sunlight. It was like a magnet for the light, a beacon for moths.

No matter how much I hated that derogatory term for a Gridiron, it was true. Light both attracted and frightened us. It was dazzling, drawing us always towards it.

I kept going.

I followed the path closer to the buildings until I got as near as I wanted to risk. Then, after looking around for any people watching, I headed around toward the back of the grouping. I needed to get to the center of the complex.

Years of memory jacking in the streets of Etheni and other nearby cities in Kycene had brought me lots of useful and interesting knowledge about the civilization. I had heard, multiple times, that at the center of the complex was a courtyard. It held the Etheni Fountain, said to be a wonder of Kycene.

Rarely any of the common citizens saw it, however.

A back door provided me an opportunity to get within the structure. It took me a while but I eventually wound my way through the corridors, avoiding the little people I ran into. At this time in the early afternoon, the sessions were already in progress and not many people were wandering the halls. Those that were wouldn't give me a second look.

I finally found the courtyard, and stepped out of the building. The paved stone square was bare except for the fountain, located in the exact center of the space. Water spouted from the structure, making a pleasant sound as it poured down into the bowl, decorated with what could only be sea shells.

Unlike the water I commonly saw down in the Grid, this water was crystal clear, a beautiful flowing liquid. It was so much clearer than even our purified drinking water. But still, after the dampness of the tunnels beneath Kycene, I had to wonder how anyone could enjoy having water around them willingly, even as sparkling and beautiful as the fountain water was.

Rising above the fountain on a shaft of pure gold was a sparkling gem, cylindrical in nature but still with a faceted surface. As sunlight from above struck the gem, light glittered in all directions, dazzling my vision. I turned, averting my eyes.

Sable Huntris.

Slinging my rifle off of my back, I looked up to see the beams of light channeled through the gem solidifying into humanoid figures. With the exception of their color, which was shifting fiery yellow and orange, they looked exactly like the Shadows, blank, identical figures.

The Sparks.

We've been expecting you.