Captain Mira found me on the fifth day, accompanied by two figures that immediately commanded attention. The first stood nearly seven feet tall, her scales gleaming like burnished gold in Excelsior's eternal twilight. Wings folded against her back, her eyes were ancient, carrying the weight of countless battles and hard-won victories.
"Heph," Captain Mira said, her voice carrying obvious relief at finding me. "This is Lord Urgala the Fang, Chief Tactician and Second-in-Command to Lord Bahamut himself. She's agreed to escort us to Mount Celestia to report the attack."
Urgala inclined her head in greeting, the gesture somehow conveying both respect and authority. "Captain Mira speaks highly of your intervention on the road and Lord Bahamut wishes to hear your account personally."
Behind her stood another gold dragon in humanoid form, smaller and younger, perhaps six feet tall with scales that gleamed a touch too brightly. Her expression carried the particular disdain of someone who considered herself above her current assignment.
"This is Kelithar, my adjutant," Urgala said. "She'll be accompanying us as witness and security."
Kelithar's lip curled slightly as she looked between Captain Mira and me. "Mortals requiring personal escort to the palace. How fortunate for them that Lord Bahamut finds their testimony valuable." Her tone suggested she found it anything but fortunate.
"Kelithar," Urgala said quietly, a warning in her tone.
"Of course, Lord Urgala." Kelithar's smile didn't reach her eyes. "I live to serve Lord Bahamut's will, no matter how tedious the errand."
I studied Kelithar for a moment. Something about her felt off, though I couldn't immediately identify what. Her energy signature correctly read as draconic and celestial and her bearing suggested proper military training. Perhaps it was just personality. Michael's memories supplied that even celestials could be insufferable when they wanted to be.
We made our way to the gate of Mount Celestia, the same gate I'd examined days earlier and the guards recognized Urgala immediately, stepping aside with deep bows. The gate itself responded to her presence, recognizing her authority and granting passage without question.
The transition felt different traveling with celestial escort. Where before I'd felt the gate's magical structure probing me, testing my intentions, now it simply opened. Urgala's authority overrode everything. I assume some signal must also be sent with this method on who used it.
We emerged onto the silver plain of Lunia, the first heaven, and I immediately requested ten minutes.
"I need ten minutes," I said. "To examine and record the gate structure from this side. It would complete my research notes."
Urgala considered this, then nodded. "Lord Bahamut has bade us to accomodate your minor requests so ten minutes you shall have. Captain Mira, stay with him. Kelithar and I will scout ahead, ensure the path to the ascension point is completely clear."
Kelithar's expression soured further, if that was possible. "We're waiting on a mortal's curiosity? Surely Lord Bahamut's time is more valuable than indulging a craftsman's hobbies."
"Lord Bahamut specifically instructed me to accommodate Heph's reasonable requests," Urgala said mildly. "Are you questioning his judgment, Adjutant?"
"Of course not, Lord Urgala." Kelithar's voice was tight, head now lowered.
They moved off, Urgala with her measured grace, Kelithar with barely contained irritation. I turned my attention to the gate, extending my divine senses to their fullest while maintaining my disguise.
From this side, the gate's structure revealed itself in new ways. The connection to Excelsior was maintained through a constant flow of energy, but that energy came from Mount Celestia itself. The plane fed the gate, keeping it stable, preventing corruption from using it as an entry point. Brilliant design, self-sustaining and self-defending.
I sketched rapidly, documenting the energy patterns, the way the authentication protocols interfaced with the plane's natural holy energy giving it an easy way to identify alignment. This was significantly more sophisticated than anything I'd seen in Tradegate or even in the Bytopia gate.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" Captain Mira said quietly.
"It is," I agreed. "This level of integration requires understanding planar mechanics at a fundamental level. Whoever designed this system was a master of their craft." According to Michaels memories it was similar to trying to explain non-euclidean geometry to the lay person.
"That would be Bahamut himself, according to local legend. He personally re-designed the gate system after the last major incursion from the lower planes."
I committed that information to memory. Imagining Bahamut as an architect, when I had only heard about him being a warrior. That suggested depths to his capabilities I hadn't fully appreciated.
The ten minutes passed quickly. Urgala returned with Kelithar, both looking impatient in their own ways.
"Your time is up, craftsman," Kelithar said condescendingly. "Can we proceed now, or do you require more accommodation?"
"We can proceed," I said, storing my notes.
The journey through the heavens was educational. Each transition required passing through barriers, each one more stringent than the last. The celestials we encountered were increasingly powerful, their forms blazing with holy radiance that made my carefully dampened divine essence itch with the desire to respond in kind.
Lunia had been beautiful in its simplicity, silver and serene. Mercuria blazed gold, training grounds and fortifications. Venya was green and gentle, pastoral and peaceful with loads of workshops. Solania's was full of crystalline and sharp mines delving deep into holy mountains. And now Mertion, the platinum heaven, all fortresses and cathedrals built to withstand any assault.
I noticed something troubling as we traveled. Kelithar kept falling behind, just slightly, as if the transitions between layers were more difficult for her than they should be. Each time she emerged through a barrier, her scales seemed to lose a fraction of their luster before brightening again. Nobody else seemed to notice. Urgala was focused on the path ahead, and Captain Mira was too overawed by her surroundings to pay attention to subtle details.
But I noticed.
Divine beings didn't struggle with transitions between layers of their home plane. If anything, they should become stronger as they ascended closer to the peak. Kelithar was doing the opposite, each layer requiring visible effort to maintain her form.
I filed that observation away, saying nothing. Perhaps I was being paranoid. Perhaps gold dragons simply functioned differently than I expected. Or perhaps something was very wrong, and announcing my suspicions prematurely would be unwise.
The Palace of the North Wind grew larger as we approached, its impossible architecture becoming clearer. The structure was moving, drifting slowly through the fifth heaven. Following routes that probably had meaning to those who understood Mertion's geography.
Guards met us at the entrance, two celestials whose armor suggested likely elite status. They recognized Urgala immediately, bowing deeply.
"Lord Urgala," one said. "Lord Bahamut awaits you in the reception hall. He's prepared to receive your report and your guests."
"Excellent. Has there been any unusual activity in the lower heavens?"
"Nothing beyond the normal patrols, Lord Urgala. The fifth heaven remains secure."
We were led through corridors that seemed to stretch forever. The walls were covered in murals depicting battles against chromatic dragons, against demons and devils, against forces that sought to corrupt or destroy. Each one was crafted with such skill that the figures seemed to move when I wasn't looking directly at them.
Kelithar walked behind us, her footsteps echoing strangely to me, against the platinum colored floor.
The reception hall's doors swung open silently, revealing the vast chamber beyond. And at its center, on a throne that seemed carved from a single piece of ancient stone, sat the old man with his seven canaries.
"Lord Urgala," Bahamut said warmly, his voice carrying genuine affection. "You've returned safely. Excellent. And you've brought Captain Mira and..." he paused, his bright eyes studying me with intense interest that felt like being examined under a lens, "a craftsman who binds devils. How intriguing, how divine." bahamut jokes.
We approached, stopping at the respectful distance custom dictated. Urgala and Kelithar took positions flanking the throne, standing at attention.
"My lord," Mira began, bowing deeply. "I've come to report an attack on my caravan days out from Excelsior. The devils were specifically targeting cargo bound for your armories and celestial-blessed weapons intended for the eternal war."
"Tell me everything," Bahamut said gently. "Every detail, no matter how small."
Mira recounted the attack: the ambush location and the number of attackers, their coordination and tactics, and them specifically targeting the third wagon. She described how the guards had been overwhelmed, how they'd been losing ground until I intervened.
"And this intervention," Bahamut said, his gaze shifting to me. "Bronze bulls that breathe fire and constructs of considerable power. Where did they come from?"
"I made them," I said simply. "A long time ago, for a different purpose. They've served me well since."
"I'm sure they have." Bahamut stood, moving toward the bound devil corpses and essences with slow, deliberate steps. "And these? Captain Mira says you prevented their return to the Hells. That's no small feat. Most magic that destroys infernal forms simply delays their reformation. What you've done is... different."
"I bound their essences to their bodys," I explained. "Prevented their natural dissolution that would return them to their home plane. They're trapped, essentially, in a state between death and true death."
"Remarkable." Bahamut knelt beside one of the barbazu corpses, his weathered hands hovering over it without touching. "The technique is divine in nature, but structured in ways I don't recognize. Your home reality has different rules for binding souls?"
"Among other things, yes."
Bahamut was silent for a long moment, studying the corpses with an intensity that suggested he was perceiving far more than just their physical forms. The seven canaries, I noticed, had stopped their playful flight. They now perched on various surfaces around the hall, watching with unblinking attention.
"These devils were sent by someone with resources and intelligence," Bahamut said finally. "They knew about the shipment's contents, knew the route you'd be traveling, knew exactly when and where to strike. Captain Mira, how many people had access to that information?"
"Five," Mira said immediately. "Myself, my second-in-command, the quartermaster who loaded the cargo, and two members of the Parliament who approved the contract. All are trusted individuals, my lord."
"Trusted yes, perhaps, but one of them talked and either willingly or through coercion." Bahamut stood, returning to his throne. "This suggests a deeper problem than a simple raid. Someone in Excelsior or Tradegate is feeding information to the Hells. That needs to be investigated."
"I'll handle it personally," Urgala said. "With your permission, my lord, I'll return to Excelsior and begin questioning those who had access to the shipment details."
"Do so. Take whatever resources you need." Bahamut settled back onto his throne. "Kelithar, you'll accompany Commander Urgala. Your skills at detecting deception will be valuable."
Kelithar bowed, her expression unreadable. "Of course, my lord. I'm eager to root out any corruption that threatens our operations."
Something about the way she said "corruption" made my divine senses itch.
"Captain Mira," Bahamut continued, "you've served admirably. Return to Tradegate with my gratitude. The platinum coin I gave you is worth ten thousand gold in any major city, or it can be traded for favors from celestial organizations. Use it wisely."
Mira bowed again, clearly overwhelmed. "Thank you, my lord. I... thank you."
"And you, 'craftsman'," Bahamut's attention returned to me. "You've done Mount Celestia a service, whether you intended to or not. In exchange, I offer you freedom of movement through the first five heavens. Explore as you wish, study what interests you, ask questions of those you meet. Consider yourself under my protection while you remain here."
That was incredibly generous. Unexpectedly so.
"I'm honored, Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, if you would unbind these essences? My scholars are eager to begin their examination."
I knelt beside the corpses again, reaching for the divine bindings. The process was simple enough: withdraw my power, let the natural order reassert itself, allow the trapped essences to either dissipate or be collected by whatever methods the celestials used for such things.
My fingers barely touched the first corpse, a spinagon with its wings frozen in mid-beat, when aggressive movement appeared in my peripheral vision.
Kelithar lunged.