42 hours later they were in Aracdia Greece, the land of myths and legends where mountains whispered ancient secrets and the sky stretched wide with untamed grace.After their confrontation a couple of choppers had arrived reinforcements Lira had called for.
Alric had stopped burning by then, his body was black like charcoal. Though alive he showed no sign of regenerating, perhaps due to the nature of the fire Tariq had used.Lira had spoken briefly to the commander who had arrived with the reinforcements keeping details short and sparse - they would be time for debriefing at base. Alric was lifted into one of the choppers for medical care and like before Sera had offered to cast a healing spell but was once again rejected. Magic had inflicted these wounds, they would seek no help from it. After rounding up the survivors others stayed behind to clean up the incident. Mortals were not to know of their presence and by whatever reason, perhaps by the spell that had been cast by the woman witch earlier no mortals had thus far taken notice of their presence.
From there they were flown to base which was supposed to be their next checkpoint had they not lost their cargo. Alric was whisked away to some unknown place while Tariq, Sera and Eirik were placed in holding. They were the only outsiders here - though Eirik was one of them he had never belonged for reasons he never liked remembering. Food and drink was brought to them but nothing else. A couple of hours later Karl had come to escort them to the private plane on the base's runway. They saw Lira speaking to a fully healed Alric seeming to have a heated discussion about something but the wind made it hard to discern anything.
"We'll be heading to Lykoryon" Lira said once they had gotten closer. "We have been called to give a full detailed report of what happened"
"Why keep us in holding for hours?" Eirik asked " And why not be debriefed here?"
"I don't give the orders Mr Vollen. We are to follow instructions as given"
"Well I don't see why miss Levesquè and I need to be here then. You can drop us off at the nearest airport and we'll be on our way" Tariq said.
"You are to go to Lykoryon as well Mr Aman and Miss Levesqué. The order applies to you as well"
"I don't take orders from anyone. This was a job you hired us for and now it's over. Eirik can stand in for debriefimg amd besides everyone knows no outsiders are allowed in Lykoryon"
"Surely even you know that all parties involved in am incident are required to give a detailed account of their experience. This allows us to validate any information given and probably find clues that others missed while others noticed. And yes no outsiders are allowed in Lykoryon except in special cases such as this an exception is allowed"
Tariq did'nt seem happy to continue being in tge presemce of these people. They had broken the Accordsand had talen great lenghts to keep it secret. He intended to find out why. As they passed Alric to board the plane Alric's eyes falshed blue, hatred burning in his eyes.
Tariq smiled.
The air in Arcadia was cooler the scent of pine amd earth filled their lungs as they stepped onto the tarmac of a private airstrip hidden deep in the Peloponnesias wilderness. A row of matte black Suvs were waiting for them. They boarded without a word. Arcadia unfolded around them jagged peaks cloaked in green forests so thick the sun barely touched the underbush. Villages appeared in the distance, clinging to the mountainsides like secrets. They drove on for about three hours winding through mountain passes.
Then they saw it.
Lykoryon
The hidden city of the Lykans.
Nestled between a ring of mountains it was invisible to all mortal eyes and devices. No known map recorded its existance, even of the ring of mountains that surrounded it had long dissapeared from human history. Below them, nestled in perfect harmony with the land was a city of ancient design and elegance. White stone buildings with terrecotta rooftops clustered together like a mosaic of tradition its architecture reminiscent of old Arcadian styles. Modern architecture blended perfectly and seemlesly woth the ancient style. The streets themselves were wide and clean, paved with smooth stone bordered by flowerbed. Water channels ran alongside filled with clear mountain spring water and fishes of a multitude of beautiful colours.
Lykans moved about freely and happily through the streets. Tall, broad shouldered men and graceful beautiful women. Some wore emblems etched into their clothing, no doubt to distinguish the different clans. Children though few could be seen running along cobbled paths laughing and chasing each other playfully.
In the distance, Mavrodasos a vast forest of towering evergreens stretched toward the northern side of the valley, its emerald canopy untouched and ancient.
To the east a lake, Limni Sciene sparkled under the sunlight. It was said to mirror the moon under the fullmoon. The lake was said to have mystical properties, some theorized it powered the city somehow and it was the reason why the city was cloaked from outsiders. Its waters were fed by a cascadimg waterfall that spilled down from the mountains above it. But it was the castle that was the greatest of them all. Sat high against the northern side of the valley Kastro Selene, it rose like a monument to the gods. Its towers rose high into the sky like silvered fangs. Its walls were built from stone sourced from the Limni lake. Like the lake itself the castle would reflect the moonlight like a mirror itself. Lykans worshipped the moon glowing with ethereal luminance. The spectral radiance was what earned it the name Kastro Selene.
The Moon Castle.
Sera let out a soft gasp." It's beautiful" she whispered. Despite his hatred for the Lykans besides his friend Eirik, Tariq had to agree. The city was a beauty to beheld.
A few minutes later they arrived at their stop. Karl, Sera and Lira dropped off but Tariq and Eirik were told this was not their stop.
"Why?" Tariq asked but Alric didn't reply.
The vehicle pulled away driving further through the heart of the city. Eventually it halted before am awe- aspirimg structure. Inside tge floors were laid in obsidian marble, thredded with golden flecks. Satues lined the vast entrance hall of warriors mid battle. Paintings older than the modern world hang in golden-rimmed frames. The vaulted ceiling above was a master of painted murals depicting ancient battles between Vampires, Witches even humans in time past. At the heart of the hall stood a statue that dominated all others.
King Lycaon.
He stood proud, carved from white marble laced with silver. His cloak bellowed behind him as though caught in eternal wind. His features were noble and fierce, sharp jaw, regal brow and eyes that held both wisdom amd ferocity.
Alric motioned for them follow.
It had been atleast 200 years since last Eirik had set foot in his ancestral home. He had left it for his own reasons, coming back had resurfaced memories he wished remained burried. They moved deeper into the building, the walls growing narrower. The artwork here changed as well, it was older yet more profound. There where no golden frames here. These murals were painted directly into the stone, chiseled amd preserved by hand.
Finally they arrived at a pair of towering double doors. They were hewn firm from ancient Arcadian cedar, tar and knotted. On either stood sentries - one male, one female, both were tall and dressed in black leather. They unarmed but they needed not to. A swipe from a Lykan's claws could cleave a head clean of someone's shoulders with a single swipe.
They acknowledged Alric as he approached and swung the doors open to let them inside.
Inside a grand chamber with a circular dome with its walls of dark stone inlaid with veins of lunar crystal. A fire danced in the massive brazier in the center casting shifting shadows across polished floors. The dome above was a stained- glass mural of the full moon and when the sunlight filtered through the entire chamber with celestial light. There where no windows, yet the room was aglow. Tariq could feel the different currents in the air no doubt they were hidden cracks that allowed for airflow. At the far end of the chamber rose a grand dias, upon it four thrones.