After some time of recollection, I laze around the room touching everything I can reach with my fingers. Although fairly good in science, I can never quite explain the sort of materials that are around me. The light on top of me doesn't seem powered by electricity but just a ball of hanging light; uncannily comparable to the magical orbs outside but brightly glowing. The chair, which looks like an upside down parabolic dish and a concave design, with the same soft material as my bed, for sitting on its rear, and the walls, smooth to the touch, seem to be made out of wood and glass crossed.
The doors are locked too; it has no knobs, no " "open" mechanical indicator, maybe except a button-like device on top of it which I still can't figure out the function. It's just a plain button- really, glued on top of the doorway, easy to miss.
What else… Hmm. Well, there is not a single window too, nourishing my belief that I am currently in a sort of prison, if I can assume.
And now that I am saner than before, surprisingly, I can smell the overpowering woody scent of the room, of course as it is quite evident that I am inside the giant Tree of Etrave. But not as I farcical-ly expected, I had thoughts that alien trees would resemble dark creatures of myths.
I still have many questions. In Irina's case, was she also transported like me? And were there many more? These questions pound in my brain, and it's an ambivalent feeling that rises from my gut- but majorly, relief that I am not alone. That there are others too. Perhaps they have been helping each other, as Irina could have done to me. I recall about the guilds she mentioned, the NAC, her brother.
It's all like in the movies, the novels, mangas, and webtoons. A world of magic. A chance for a grand adventure, wherever time will take me. A chance to be powerful, revered, and fulfilled. All of these things, I could never even dream of reaching.
A light feeling arises within, around the corners of my dark doubtful mind, through the gloomy tunnels, the maze, I sense a hope, a new feeling that I know I can feel, a new sensation- a new me. Will this be the greatest chance in my life?
But it is the silent swooshing sound of the door opening, and the light footsteps of someone, that- like a slap in the face, remind me of the grim reality that I still have to face.
Ugh, why do other people have it easy?!
"What's in the wall? Seems interesting, mind if you'd tell me?" it's Endra's familiar voice.
I slowly turn around nonchalantly, acting somehow a little surprised, while burying my embarrassment at the corners where it's impossible to reach. "Nothing… I was just thinking of … home."
"Home." Endra stares at the floor for a moment, stroking his chin. Then with a flick of his hand, he says, "Such a dreamy word. Reminds you of all the things you love. Well, most of us here have once had a home where all the things we love stay… but now, long forgotten, long lost, fading, as more sunsets fell…. Is your home a good place too, Jayr?"
"Neither good nor bad. But as long as it is where the people I love are, it's my home."
" A beautiful concept…. Home is not a place, but the people in it." Endra softly chuckles. "You humans really have a way with words. Might it be because knowledge in your home planet is fairly accessible? One agenda the Keeper of Etrave is proving in the council."
"It's something complicated… even in my planet"
"Complicated. Yes… But well, let us put a hold on this discussion for now. The High Seats of Etrave demand your presence, for an interrogation. Have the MAD worked yet?"
'MAD?"
"The Memory Augmentation Drive. It's supposed to give you the information regarding formal greetings."
I shake my head sideways. "Not yet."
Endra clucks hit tongue. "For the formal greeting, lie flat on the floor once you step foot in the council chamber. After a few seconds, slowly rise, then- do not forget this part, say 'Glory to Etrave!'. Lastly, do not utter a word unless you are given the freedom to do so. Very important… Now, let us not waste more time, they are surely waiting right now."
Not a tick of the clock hand more, we speed out of the room. Endra leads me to a narrow hallway with identical doors as the room I came from, which I am now certain was a prison cell, through a couple more towering hallways with several powerful looking glassy mantis-looking creatures standing 9 feet tall or higher.
"The Order of Dyev… responsible for the welfare of the upper trunk. It has three parts, as all other Orders are. You'll soon know-- Now, I'm still quite irritated at your MAD. Why is it not working yet!" Endra sighs.
I remain in silence, tailing Endra across different paths. But a thought strikes me.
"Where are the ordinary citizens?" I ask.
"They are on the lower floor. This is the highest floor where special guests, nobles, queens and kings are welcomed and accommodated or even held if charged. The walls might not look strong but it can withstand up to the highest tier of magic. Thank the Keeper for your current circumstance, he has long been curious about humans ever since that powerful human visited here…. He doesn't want his specimen ruined in the lower prison."
I gulp. Horror music plays on my thoughts as I walk along Endra, my heart's pound deafening and my knees trembling. Maybe I should just run for it, but my body says otherwise. I can only heave a sigh. Left with no choice but to resign myself to whatever fate will bring.
"You'll either only see the elite guards of the Order of Dyev and high-ranking officials here. So best be proper."
I don't know how long we've been walking, aggravating my anxiety; but finally Endra stops inside a vestibule leading to a mighty sweeping open space with thousands of hovering creatures of all sorts circling and circling around on flying cars, busying themselves with their own matters! My wildest dreams couldn't even compare to this… It's indeed a bustling city inside a tree.
Endra grandly waves an arm across him. "Welcome to the cent-"
"Damn them Bayens!" A guard yells above the scrimmage of noises as a dwarf-y ocherous humanoid creature, with ears flopping on its side, sitting on top of a flying device speeds past the entrance and circles mid-air in playful taunt.
"Ah yes the Bayens, tiny and mischievous. Their magic is merely of playing and sports, thus it is no wonder they won at the game called evolution," Endra says with a hint of irony. 'There's our ride."
Endra nods towards the corner of the entrance where a large luxurious silver-white circular flying craft, appearing to be more of a floating balcony with palatial designs, and two guards wait.
When I step on it, the floor slightly sways, yet I have no choice but to crumple the thing called fear and throw it aside. I'm also left at the harsh thrill of unknown fear as Endra and the two guards walk in and the craft sways a bit more.
Don't look down, I resolve.
"Take the grimy wonder in, Jayr," Endra says, noticing my fear. "You're not gonna fall."
Following his advice, I direct my eyes towards the busy swooshes of the different flying crafts and landing platforms around. Now that I'm along the path, I can clearly see that they all follow some sort of a traffic rule. The path towards the top spirals towards the higher floors in five lanes, below that spiral with also the same number of lanes is the spiral of flying crafts towards the bottom, and landing platforms and launching platforms are not always on the same part of the floor but rather the opposite sides and are distinguished by colors, blue for the landing platforms, and orange for the launching platforms. The center is a space reserved for the grand crafts of the ruling classes- or floating mini mansions, to be exact.
Fondly, this reminds me of a colorful parade back on Earth.
Furthermore, there's a creature resembling a furry ball on a flying pod that sidles by with a sharp turn towards the next lane. Behind it, a large hexa-arm-or-legs creature on a minuscule craft in comparison with its size, putting a smile on my face. And a group of blobby creatures on top of a plate a few crafts ahead of it!
All of these flying crafts, but not a trail of black smoke nor the scent of burnt fuel, only the swooshing sounds the fastest of them all make and the pleasant forest-y smell.
"What planets have you been to before, Jayr?" Endra asks, appearing bemused with my exhilarated expression. "You look awfully new to all of this."
"I am…" I pause, take a deep breath and, " I am new to all of this!"
But something washes over my excitement, and I find myself calming down shortly after.
"Good to know. It's always my pleasure to show the sights around here to people of your degree when it comes to appreciating the new things."
"Thank you!"
"As long as I can remember… as long-" Endra scratches his forehead and with a loud whisper says to the guard, "Now can this thing move faster than a klun?!"
The guard nods.
"Step on it! I can only imagine the members of the High Seats scratching their asses right now, furious."
Tapping the floor thrice with one of it's arms- a razor sharp extension sheathed within, the Dyevan guard produces a handheld console and taps on it.
"Hold on the rail…" Endra says.
I grip onto the closest, right before the flying craft propels sideways out of the fifth lane towards the center, then upwards.
When we arrived at the topmost floor, we did not get off the flying craft. Instead, the driving guard leads us to a grand foyer that stretches for thousands of feet. Six colossal wooden pillars, carved with intricate tendril designs, were along the sides of the center pathway. And on each side of the room's expanse were two large doors, and a giant Dyevan guard on each. On the ceiling is a vast gaping hole where the sunlight streams through lighting the room with a magical glow, and unfamiliar vines with lavender flowers hanging along the edges.
But we did not turn sideways. The flying craft passes by the pillars, straight towards the huge door at the end of the path. The ever-watchful eyes of the Dyevan guard standing beside the door, piercing and mighty.
And then with a noisy swish, the door opens.
Behold, my fate!