And sending them into the cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres.
Amazement flooded Layla as the cathedral towered up all around them suddenly. As they burst through into the Nexus-realm, Layla wasn’t just amazed by Luke’s feat, but also because the cathedral wasn’t made of stone and glass. This structure had been built of nature, and as the cathedral was revealed around them and high overhead, Layla was sundered by its grandeur.
All around, the cathedral’s stout columns were created from the trunks of enormous trees like redwoods but white. High above, their spreading branches formed the ribs and vaults of gables and domes, walls formed of blossoming vines that had been basket-woven as they climbed the towering trees. Far before them at the chancel where the flowering vines and trees came together, a river rushed down many tiers, sparkling white in its floes. All around, the floor of the sacred space was not stone, but spreading tree roots overlaid by a carpet of moss in so many vivid colors it would have made Japanese gardeners weep.
Beyond the high vaulted windows, it was spring in the Nexus-space rather than winter. But the cathedral’s windows weren’t made of stained glass, rather formed of the same shimmering barriers Layla had seen keeping the fields at Chambord hale. These barriers flowed with colorful patterns that shifted and danced as Layla watched, forming scenes of Storm Dragons in battle and Storm Dragons in worship. There were scenes of adulation and trial, as a Dragon with a golden halo above his head led the White Chalice through love and fury, battle and revival – and peace.
That peace filled Layla now, along with a deep solemnity in the grand space. As she had felt once walking into the powerfully opulent cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres in the human world, she felt triply so here, see it all done by nature and magic. As she listened to air flow gently through the ancient vaults of eternal springtime, she saw birds with bright red tails wing through the air, calling out a sweet song. As her heart gripped, she heard the most musical voice she had ever known call out through that vast holiness.
“The Royal Dragon Bind, at last.”
Layla blinked as she glanced to the chancel far ahead, seeing a man approach. Walking upon the swirling waters of the river, stepped down through them as if they flowed over unseen stairs. Wearing a robe of diaphanous weave like shimmering light, he smiled at their group with benevolence as he neared. Tall and slender, he was of early-middle years, his hair dark with thick waves, his deep blue eyes sparkling with Storm Dragon energy. As he approached, other White Chalice emerged, wearing similar robes though none as bright as the High Priest’s. As he gazed upon her, Layla felt a deep call in her mind – to come be one with the Chalice in peace and plenty.
Layla blinked, realizing something was mesmerizing her, and as she shook her head, she noticed a curling incense wafting through the air. Glancing aside, Layla expected to see a censer, but instead saw Smoke Faunus dressed in the same robes as the Storm Dragons. They didn’t feel threatening, and stopped fifteen paces from Layla’s group as they breathed a musky smoke though the air like sandalwood. Waiting patiently as Layla and the others took in their strangely gentle welcome, the tall Storm Dragon man was still beaming at her as Layla glanced back to him.
“How do you know me?” Layla asked bluntly, prickling with a ready energy.
“We have heard tales of the Royal Dragon Bind and her consorts,” the man nodded in welcome to Adrian and Dusk, “and of the powerful company she keeps.” Here, he nodded to Luke, Rikyava, and Rhennic in a similarly peaceful manner. “We simply wished to make your acquaintance, and that of our newestnullaxawakening among your comrades.”
Layla smelled a rat. Despite the High Priest’s pleasant manner, despite the fact that all his host were keeping a respectful distance and not bristling with battle, something still felt way off.
Apparently, Luke felt it, too, because he growled. “If you just wanted to meet us, why not simply invite us here? Why abduct our friends and hurt Layla’s co-workers? I want to see Charlie, Celia, and Arron. Now. And they’d better be unharmed.”
“Of course. And I assure you, your friends are most hale.” The High Priest gave a quiet nod to two Storm Dragons at his right, who retreated towards an alcove. Turning to face Luke and Layla again, the High Priest continued. “As for their arrival here, it was most unfortunately done. It was our intention that your friends would come to our invitation joyfully, yet when we asked them, a few of your Hotel comrades were resistant to the idea. Violently.”
Layla felt her blood curdle as her drakaina gave a nasty snarl inside her veins. Of course, the High Priest would try to pin blame on Rikyava’s Guards and the others at the Hotel who had protected Layla’s human friends. She was about to say something uncouth when her Seattle friends were suddenly produced by the Storm Dragons.
Layla didn’t know how much tension she’d been under until she saw their faces – and saw they’d not been harmed. Clad in the same diaphanous material as the White Chalice, a clinging dress for Celia and loose pants for Arron and Charlie, none had been brutalized, and all looked warm, fed, and in surprisingly excellent spirits. As they arrived, all three beamed to see Layla and Luke, and as they rushed forward, Layla was quite suddenly enveloped in a group hug as she and Luke shuddered in relief.
“Layloo! Lucas!”
Layla choked a sob as she was corralled in their arms, and she felt Luke do the same beside her. All her tension evaporated to feel her friends again, so warm and safe and strangely happy. As tears of relief shed down Layla’s cheeks, she hugged petite Celia hard, then Charlie, then kissed Arron full on the lips and hugged him even harder. Charlie’s big, buff arms curled around them all as even Luke held the group fiercely.
As everyone finally pulled back from the reunion, Luke spoke incredulously. “How are you all so ok? I thought you were going to be locked in dungeons!”
“Dungeons? No way! This place is rad!” Charlie spoke first, his baby-blue eyes beaming and Adonis blond curls glowing beneath the cathedral’s vaults. “They have this whole tree-house setup in the canopy, you guys have to see it. Goes all the way up through the highest vaults of the dome with swings and boardwalks and everything!”
“Did you know you canpaint with airhere?” Celia laughed as she pushed her glasses up her button nose, the only part of her original attire she still wore. “It’s amazing! They even let me use it to create a tableau like their stained-glass windows! I mean, they’re not stained glass, they’re magic, but you get the idea.”
“Hey chica, great that you finally made it.” Arron pulled Layla into a side hug, grinning as he gazed down at her. “You look stressed, are you ok?”
“Arron, you guys wereabducted!” Layla blinked up at him in shock. “How could I possibly be ok?”
“We’re ok!” He laughed brightly, then kissed the tip of her nose. “No one was hurt. Things were a bit squirrelly when we left the Hotel, but—”
“People were gravely injured, Arron.” Dusk stepped forward now, frowning deeply as his astute gaze perused the group. “Don’t you remember?”
For the first time, Arron blinked, showing a trace of confusion before he smiled again. “I’m sure it can be sorted out, now that you all have arrived. Layla, come here, I want you to meet someone.”
As Arron abruptly changed the subject, he began tugging Layla over to a group of Smoke Faunus, three women and two men quietly watching as they breathed a musky incense up to the vaults above. As Arron dragged Layla over, one Smoke Faunus woman lowered her diaphanous cowl, baring flowing silver hair behind her corkscrewing horns, her big dark eyes smiling at Layla. Like the rest of her kind, her limbs were long and willowy and strangely patterned like silver tree-branches. Her fingers were slender and long like twigs as she welcomed Arron, gathering him close.
Pulled from Layla, he went straight into the woman’s arms, embracing her willowy frame.Reallyembracing her. As Layla gaped, Arron and the woman kissed deeply, in a way so completely smitten that Layla felt her world reel. When Arron finally pulled away, both he and the woman were beaming as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Turning to Layla, he cuddled the Smoke Faunus close with one arm around her waist, his fingers caressing her hip through her almost not-there garment.
“Layla. May I introduce Giselle. Giselle, this is my best friend Layla.”
“It is ecstasy to meet you, Layla.” The woman spoke, her voice melodious as a curl of white-blue smoke wafted from her full red lips. “It is such an honor to meet the Royal Dragon Bind.”
Layla’s mouth fell open as something dark and awful twisted through her gut. Deep inside, her Dragon roared and she felt it bristle with furious heat – fangs bared with talons ready to kill. “Arron. You aregay.What the fuck?”
