Standing here, in the middle of the city, felt like a dream. A dream that could last for millennia, if they were lucky. The palm trees here stood tall. Reaching for the azure skies in grasps that would have rivaled the silver skyscrapers in their ambition. Grandly, then, did the buildings show their lofty zeal in reaching for the vaults of heaven. The windows on their sides all resembled mirrors. Reflecting everything from the streets to the lights. Even the golden sun shining high above them. Lush parks bursting with green grass and verdant trees dotted the cityscape. Giving the illusion that life still existed here.
Nowhere in the city did a single bird sing. Nor did any music fill the cold silence. The wind whistled through the building, rustling papers that had long been abandoned by their workers. Offices and shops lay bare and empty. Filled with nothing but furniture that was once used by the people that once lived here. Brand new cars without owners littered the streets. Alongside cars that had been used for years upon years. And yet, even after their drivers had long since left them, they looked as though they had just been deserted.
But, of course, for life to thrive here, there had to be people. People, animals, birds. None of them existed in this city anymore. Not even insects and fish. Pests and vermin. Nothing lived here anymore. Stale water ran through the pipes in the sewers. Vacant nests lay scattered about the city's underground. Trash and grime littered the dark alleyways. No flies buzzed around them. No maggots crawled through them. There weren't even corpses for them to infest. Animal, fish, bird, people.
It was safe to say life no longer existed here. But what about death?
As far as they knew, no one died here. There were no bodies left behind. Or any remains of living things. It was true the plants here were still thriving. But that meant their caretaker, whoever it was, just did an excellent job.
These thoughts passed through the mind of a figure dressed in robes of dark blue and velvet. Embroidered with gold designs that resembled the heavens. Tall and masculine, his tousled auburn hair with streaks of gold lay over his violet eyes. Peering through the rims of his black-framed glasses, he observed the city surrounding him and his group of seven. Four men, himself included, and three women. All of whom wore similar robes of similar designs. A hand absently touched the long scar on his chin. An old habit whenever stray thoughts crossed his mind.
Perhaps it was a force of habit that he thought too deeply on such things before investigating them. Was it a flaw of his, he questioned? Or did it lend him foresight for what was to come? He had long since settled on a happy medium between the two. His habit of thinking too much was a double-edged sword, everyone could agree. Now if only he could make a firm decision on what was better to think deeply about. Then, perhaps, he could save everyone, himself included, some massive headaches.
Folding and pocketing the spyglass he always carried around, the hooded man stood and turned heel. His comrades were hard at work setting up the site for which they would investigate this mysterious metropolis. Dubbed the Undying City, various members of the team had different theories on what caused this phenomenon. Some thought it was an imbalance of supernatural energies. Others believed karma had finally caught up to the place. Yet still more wondered if something else was at play. Given their natural enemies in the supernatural world, that guess wasn't too far off.
His first stop was by the center, where two teammates named Myra and Brigid were setting up their library.
"Cato," one of the women called. Cato, the hooded man, glanced upward. An older blonde woman with peridot eyes and glossy red lips, Myra, was waving him down. It seemed as though she needed him to look over something real quick. Brigid was still setting up the center for storing their notes and documents.
"What is it?" Cato asked. Myra gestured to the layout she had set up.
"I've started categorizing the evidence we've collected," Myra said. "Avi and Akilah are still setting up the lab for analyzing artifacts and rocks." Glancing to the corner of their campsite confirmed the two were struggling a little bit. But since they didn't appear to be in any sort of trouble, Cato chose to approach them later. Myra kept an eye on them when Cato couldn't.
"Any news on the cartography station?" Cato asked. Myra opened her mouth to speak. But a gruff voice interrupted her.
"I am right here, young man," an older voice spoke. Three heads turned to the side. Where a man was busying himself with drawing maps. He was much older than Cato. Sporting speckled salt and pepper hair with sharp hazel eyes. The sour lines on his face seemed more pronounced with the scowl he always wore. Grumbling, he lay another sheet of paper on his table to start on another map. He didn't bother to look up at the three. He simply continued with his work. Standing a bit awkwardly, the three paused a moment before Myra resumed speaking.
"As I was about to say," she politely reminded. "Heller is making good progress." She leaned forward and whispered. "Though it'd be better if you talked to him later. He seems to be in a bad mood again today."
When is he ever in a good mood, Cato wanted to say. But he bit his tongue. Rather than provoke a fight, it would be better to nip the issue in the bud. Heller seemed like he was angry about something and would spit venom at whoever dared approach. For now, at least until he had someone else with him, Cato would avoid him.
"Noted."
Behind Myra, Brigid zipped to and fro placing notebooks and records in their proper places. Her dyed red hair shone under the diffused light from above. Her matching red eyes pored over every nook and cranny of her beloved books. Searching for the best place to put them until it was time to read and compare notes. Her pale, slender fingers traced the spines of the books. Searching with her sense of touch for one particular volume. Which volume it was, only Brigid knew for now.
"I take it Brigid is doing well?" Cato asked. Myra chuckled.
"You know how she is," she joked. "Put her in the library and we don't see her for hours." She chuckled while she continued her task of sorting their evidence. The gloves on her hands were beginning to collect dust. "I will ask. Did you pack some light reading?" She glanced up. "I remember there being a new series that released."
Cato touched his chin. "I do remember packing some books." He looked up at Myra. "Though I think some of them got lost in the library." Myra just smiled an odd little smile.
"I think Brigid already found some of them," she said while gesturing with her head towards the busybody. "Between you and me, I think the spicier romances shake things up a bit." Cato nearly choked on his spit. "But the sweeter ones do tug at the heartstrings." Had Myra not finished that sentence with a wink, Cato was certain he could've gone without turning into a beet today. To save face, he settled for looking away and coughing into his fist.
"All that said," Myra continued. Dread started to pool in Cato's stomach until she brought up the next issue. "I could go for some cabernet sauvignon once we're done today." He blinked. Once or twice. Then glanced over to where another older member stood. "Do we have any in stock?" Cato paused for a brief second before he replied.
"I'll ask Solon once he's done setting up the stove," he said. "I think I saw some of your wine there." He scratched his chin. "I think it was merlot instead?" Myra chuckled.
"That will do," she said with a smile. "Red wine goes divinely well with coq au vin." This time, Cato joined her in the smiles. Truth be told, a glass did sound good once all this was over and done with. Who knew what sort of secrets this city hid. For all they were aware of, some were not meant for men to hear or witness.
Scanning the rest of the camp while finishing his inspection, Cato took note of the others and their reaction. Heller was scowling again, so that pushed back his talk with him even further. Avi and Akilah were in the middle of placing the device that weighed rocks. (He knew it was called a scale. Myra just enjoyed watching them wrack their brains for the obvious solution).
"I'll make sure to try it next time we're home," he said after a while. "Thank you for your time. I'll leave you ladies alone now." Myra winked again. Once more, Cato's face turned beet red at the attention. If he hadn't known Myra was almost forty and into men her age, he would've thought she had a thing for him. He forced those thoughts to the very back of his mind. Daring them to surface again.
"Take care, sweetheart," Myra said. "Tell the twins hi for me." Cato hurriedly turned around. Not wanting to subject himself to embarrassment any longer when he was supposed to be the leader.
"I will," he stammered out. Leaving Myra and Brigid to their work.
Curse his inexperience with women.