Emperor Julius returned to his personal quarters shortly after sending the heretic away. They were at the absolute highest point of the upper city, where all the nobles resided.
Capital city, Eli-Ray, was a jewel of the Empire, but also a forgotten symbol of terror.
From outside it looked like four, floating above one another, circular landmasses. Every layer was like a small territory on its own. These were respectively from top to bottom: the upper city, Goddes's Gardens, the smallest but also the one with the highest concentration of beneficial magical elements, the middle city, one where the majority of inhabitants lived, lower city, being the entry point to the city, was destined to commercial activities, and generally was where everything business and work-related was situated, and finally the slums, a layer build by representatives of every para-illegal organizations of the empire. They were illegal on paper and by law, but actually, the emperor tolerated them since many too many times their services were not even useful but crucial.
The four landmasses were connected by a column of light energy piercing each one of them, holding them together and also being the main way to travel between layers. Above the upper city and below the slums were two additional structures that served as energy sources of the central pillar: the upper one was the emperor's palace and the lower one was called
During the murkier times, when the founding emperor just started his glorious campaign against heresy, and other kingdoms in general, Eli-Ray was the mightiest battle fortress ever produced on the continent, and only after the end of peaceful conquest, it became what everyone admired today, not even knowing how many millions of souls this construct reaped.
Warm sunlight caressed the Emperor's face when Zack, the royal mage, knocked on the door.
"Come in." - Julius opene d his eyes. - "Order the Silent Brotherhood and the Healers Association to spread the new that heretics received assistance from demons and tried to sabotage the hero summoning by sending an impostor, not blessed by the Goddes, but, failed miserably."
The old man nodded. - "Yes, Your Majesty." - He placed his fingers in a strange position and a minuscule speck of light quickly flew out of the room.
"Ah." - The emperor suddenly thought about something. - "By the way, Zack, did that boy actually have no innate ability?"
The mage scratched his beard. - "Surprisingly, yes..."
"How was he even summoned? If his soul didn't form an innate ability it should have been too weak to survive the summoning ritual."
"I am embarrassed to admit my inability to explain this event properly."- He lowered his head.
Julius waived his hand. - "Don't worry. To have summoned an actual heretic was in fact great."- He sighed. -" It's a pity we couldn't study him thou."
"Yeah, too many spying eyes" - Nodded the old mage with a thrown.
The emperor turned back towards the window. - "Not for long..."
"Go and prepare the materials for another summon. Let's get a real hero of light this time."
{...}
Eliot, unbound by the man, was standing uncomfortably in the middle of what the the man called kitchen.
["Let's go to the kitchen" - He definitely said, but...] If a kitchen was a place covered in dried blood and remains of unknown origin, then this was one. A new shiny kettle on the stove was a bit out of place here. [They use magic instead of any type of technology here.]
Instead of flames, the stove used a red glowing stone to induce heat.
"Overworlder, you drink tea?"-The man's voice sounded from another room. -"Wait, you know what *tea* is, right?
The boy made an annoyed face. - "Yeah, old man, I know what *tea* is."
"Hey, first, I am in my prime, and second I can always decide to open you up and sell your organs." - He entered the kitchen holding a small paper bag. - "So, behave, brat."
"Eliot."
The man took out a cup, looked inside, and with a mumbled 'clean enough' poured some contents of the bag inside. -"...what?"
"My name is Eliot."
"Ah, ok."- He poured some boiling water and mixed the tea just by slightly shaking the cup. - "I am Vincent Collins, but call me Vince." - He placed the cup on the table. - Come on, sit down." - Vince gestured towards a nearby chair.
Eliot obliged reluctantly. [The chair is dirty too, eh]
"So, you told me a few things while trying not to be dissected by me."- He started. -"I will check later if there was a failed summon recently, and if not, well..." - He took a sip from a silver flask he just taken out of his pocket. -"...you know the drill." - Vince made a cutting gesture.
"Understood!" - Said Eliot.
Vince nonchalantly waived his hand. - "Don't be so tense, kid, drink some tea."
He waited until Eliot took a sip and continued. -"The part about you being somehow resistant against miasma seams actually true since you din't have a mask when I found you." - He tapped his fingers on the table.
"But are you sure that the royal mage said that you have no ability?"
Eliot nodded. -"Yes, he made me hold a cube for a few seconds, when he checked it, and accused me of being a heretic."
Finger tapping quickened up a bit.
"Will need to get an appraisal crystal to check. Eh." - Then he suddenly clapped his hands. - "Ok, let's assume that you managed to convince me not to recycle you."
Eliot took another sip of tea. It was actually relaxing.
"Your current situation is not very good. You are at the capital city, Eli-Ray, of the human empire. More specifically at the place known as Plague's Kitchen."
"Yeah, the slums of the slums." - Eliot nodded.
"Harsh but true. Everyone who lives or interacts with people, or other creatures who live here, is considered an outlaw, punishable by execution on sight." - A warm smile appeared on Vince's face. - "And now you are one of us, Eliot."
The boy gulped down the remaining tea in one go.
"You have two roads in front of you right now." - To enfacise the point he raised two fingers right in front of Eliot's face.
"First, you leave my place right now and try to live in Plague's Kitchen. If you manage not to be mauled to death by rats, and avoid the Disposer, you will be killed by the imperial guards and minions." - He closed one finger.
"Second, you can become my assistant."
[Not like I have a choice at all...] But he still wanted to enquire a bit more. - "What would I need to do, as your assistant?
"Nothing much." - Vince took out an exquisite chain watch from a chest pocket, checked time, squinted his eyes looking towards Eliot, and checked time again. - "Actually I need a pair of extra hands here. You will assist me with my work, hopefully learn how to live as a criminal."
[Already know about that a bit...] Thought the boy.
"And I will need to do some tests on you. I will explain it in detail later, but being summoned and having no innate ability are not possible together."
Eliot sighed. -"Better then dieing."
"You bet. Ah, and you will also be responsible for cleaning this place..." - Vince added at the end.
Eliot wanted to protest but suddenly felt a familiar dizziness. [Just like when I inhaled miasma before...how...]
Vince checked time again. - "I will start the first test right now..." - He checked Eliot's pupils. - "Well, technically I started the test the second you took your first sip of my special tea. The same effect of miasma."
The room started spinning around Eliot.
"Ba...bastard..."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." - Vince took a syringe and drew some blood from Eliot. - "Ah, I almost forgot."
He stood up, slightly bowed before the boy, and smiled wikedly.
"Welcome to the Crossroad World."