Dawn saw, as Tsukimi did, that The Underground had a diverse population. The demi-human population was abundant, exactly like the human population. The bottom of The Underground was also full of Pippops due to the lack of light in the deeper levels, but light came from every angle toward the top of the spiraling structure. At the bottom, there were a number of smaller buildings with neon signs on the exterior and neon lights emanating from the interior. Dawn was unfamiliar with all of the languages used on the signs, so he had no idea what sorts of buildings he was surrounded by.
Rowan: "Okay you two, make sure to keep up. It is easy to get lost in the crowd down here." She said, taking hold of Dawn's hand.
Yakumo: "Actually, Rowan." She spoke up, "I have some old friends I need to go and have a chat with."
Rowan: "That's right, I completely forgot that you haven't been here in quite some time." She gave Yakumo a nod before Yakumo walked off with Nunto following closely behind.
Dawn: "I thought you had only been gone for a month?" He stated.
Rowan: "Not Yakumo. Before she took me to Somniet she was on a mission of her own. It has been almost four months since she has been here." She then started to make way through the crowd, dragging Dawn with her. "We must make haste. It is rude to keep the council waiting."
Dawn: She seems nervous again, almost like she is afraid of the council..
As he and Rowan pushed through the crowd, he noted that everyone appeared to be performing a role. There were people attempting to attract customers to their establishments, as well as people just cleaning the streets. Some folks were simply conversing and having fun, but nobody seemed out of place down here. He was scared people would give him strange glances because he hadn't been to The Underground before, but no one appeared to notice him, or Rowan for that matter. It felt natural, like he had been here plenty of times before.
Dawn: "Hey Rowan, I figured I would stick out like a sore thumb down here." He said with a confused tone.
Rowan: "I told you that we look for each other. The fact that you made it down here means you are already one of us, and no one down here discriminates against their own." She chuckled.
Dawn: That's right, she did mention that. Maybe this will be easier than I thought.
As the two moved through the crowd, a few individuals waved at Rowan and Dawn, and they both returned the gesture. Dawn observed that the folks down here appeared to be nice, at least for criminals. He anticipated a number of strange and impolite individuals to be in a location like this, but he hadn't seen any yet.
After pushing through the busy part of the surface level, Rowan finally let go of Dawn's hand. They were heading down a side street that was linked to the major one they had just come from. This street featured more buildings with neon illumination, but it appeared to be much more relaxed.
Off to the side of the street, a man was leaning against one of the buildings. There was a large tear on the right side of his white shirt. He was wearing an old black jacket over his shirt, which was way too large. Dirt and other contaminants had ruined his black jeans nearly to the point of changing their color. The individual had black boots that appeared to be in decent condition and a brown bandana over his neck that went around his face to just below his nose. It was worn out yet still held together. Although the man's poor choice of clothing stood out to Dawn, he was not one to talk as he was still in his school uniform that consisted of black pants and a white collared shirt.
Dawn discovered an item that he had never seen before when further investigating the man. He appeared to be carrying a foreign item, but before he could investigate more, he waved. Dawn responded with a wave and a fake smile. He then turned to Rowan as they continued to walk down the street.
Dawn: "What was that guy holding?" He asked quietly.
Rowan: "That would be called a gun, or more specifically, a pistol. Guns are weapons used by many people in the universe, especially right now. They are very dangerous depending on how they are used, but that will be something I have to inform you of after you speak to the council." She came to a halt. "We are here."
The two had stopped in front of yet another wall.
Rowan: "This is another one of those hidden entrances." She informed Dawn before placing the palm of her hand on a specific part of the wall in front of her.
Dawn: "How many hidden entrances are there?"
Rowan: "More than I would like to give thought." She sighed. "That is kind of our leader's thing. She enjoys being mysterious, you could say."
After the wall turned into the familiar liquid substance, Rowan turned around to face Dawn.
Rowan: "Before we go inside, you must know one thing." She said in a serious tone. "Do not do anything that might disrespect any of the council members, so just keep to yourself unless they talk to you." Her eyes were glaring into Dawn's with a different look, a look that made it seem like she was worried.
Dawn: "I can do that." He gave her a nod.
Rowan: "Okay, good." She then faced the wall again, this time going into it with Dawn following her.
Once the two were inside, Dawn saw that this was not like what happened the last time. This time they were actually in a different place, a magnificent place. He and Rowan were standing in the center of a room with a wooden floor, surrounded by sculptures of celestial beings. The two were standing in a divot below another floor constructed of stone, the sculptures being on the stone floor. Outside of the stone floor, stadium-style seating extended around the whole chamber, with tiny windows behind each row. On the ceiling appeared a light being emitted from behind a cathedral-style glass sun mosaic. Small angel sculptures were motionless in the air underneath the mosaic, adding a holy feel to the area.
???: "Welcome! You have made it to the Council Chamber." Spoke an unfamiliar voice.
Both Dawn and Rowan turned their heads towards this voice, upon looking in the direction they were met with the view of five blindfolded women standing before them, one of them being Georgina. The other four women had the same black blindfold as her, but were different in appearance.
Madame Ruzha: "Let us all get acquainted. I am Madame Ruzha, the leader of this council, and The Underground." The woman speaking was incredibly gorgeous, despite the fact that her eyes were hidden. Her long, straight white hair was in a braided ponytail that extended well beyond her shoulders, with two strands in the front doing the same. She donned a wonderfully constructed black cartwheel-style hat with black embroidery of various twisting patterns. She had magnificent crucifix earrings that hung below her ears and a stunning black dress. The dress completely covered her shoulders and flowed down to a stunning jewel neckline. It was a tight fit that managed to draw attention away from her chest while yet looking enticing. Her arms were not only covered at the shoulders, but the neckline also developed into a tall collar that covered her neck. The dress had a broad waist, yet it appeared to be a comfortable fit. The dress reached her ankles and was somewhat longer on the sides.
Stesha: "I am Stesha, one of the four supporting council members." The woman had long and wavy platinum blonde hair accompanied by a sandy colored outfit. Her top flowed up and down, and featured a cowl neckline that displayed the beautiful dress worn beneath it. The satiny corset of her dress hid her stomach, and a simple rope belt worn low around her waist broke up the continuous flow. The dress flowed down wide beneath the rope belt, hiding the dress below. The front of the top dress easily touched the ground, but the back flowed a modest length behind her before ending in a sweeping curve. Her sleeves were purposefully long and broad, with the flow broken up at the shoulder by small, delicate bands.
Natalia: "I am Natalia, supporting member of the council and Madame Ruzha's personal bodyguard." She had shorter white hair in a bob cut and wore a crimson blindfold over the black one. Her clothing consisted of a black tank-top type top that was skin tight and cut off at the shoulders. She wore crimson metal gauntlets that covered the lower half of her arms and hands. All of this went with her wide, black slacks and heavy-duty black boots.
Varvara: "And my title is Varvara, Natalia's sister and supporting member of the council." This woman was different. Her blindfold had crimson sun embroideries on it, and a crimson pant-suit to match. Her suit had black bows on the shoulders, which matched her black undershirt and black leggings, and she wore black high heeled stilettos to complete the look. Her long white hair was straight and fell all the way down to her lower back, but what really stood out were the scarlet horns on top of her head.
Georgina: "And you both already know me, I am Georgina. Also a supporting member of the council, as well as The Underground's gatekeeper."
All of the women talked in monotone and had the same pale skin like Georgina. Although Madame Ruzha had pale skin, she talked in a cryptic tone that was almost unnerving, much different from her fellow council members.
Madame Ruzha: "Now that you have been acquainted with my council, let us get this meeting started." She spoke directly to everyone in the room.
Dawn had never felt anything like her presence. All his gut told him was that she was not someone he wanted to mess with.