Inferno Ascended

As much as he was concerned about leaving Lais and Edi alone, he needed to risk it to save Malko. Glax believed Malko could solve many things on his own, but if the information about the prison in the tower were even the slightest bit true… It was capable of keeping even a god locked forever.

"What are you going to do now?" his feline-featured sister asked.

"I'll try to go to Malko. I think he will need help. If I'm late getting back, Edi will go to Medea's crew and ask for help, even if Captain Laerte hasn't returned. Get them to ship you both to Echelion."

Edi nodded.

"You're a hero now, big bro. You need to do what you need to do," Lais-sphynx stated.

"I'm glad you know that," he messed with her golden mane.

"I'm going to Echelion and when you come back I'll be adult and powerful," again Lais revealed her ultimate dreams.

"I don't expect to take that long," her brother scratched his head.

"I know you will," she snapped back.

"How?"

"I just know. But trust me a bit. I won't do anything stupid."

Lais's reassuring words didn't have the expected effect. Glax walked away a bit concerned.

He didn't know if it would work, but there was only a way to know.

:::::::::::::::::

As before, his body tingled a little and his vision was taken by white light until his senses returned to normal. Glax looked around.

Yellow light illumination with hot argipyron globes _ fed by copper tubing in the ceiling _ reflected off the polished gold and bronze ornaments and made the figures in the murals more vivid. The polished marble floor with exquisite mosaic patterns under his new Iasonics and the well-crafted furniture expressed luxury.

He was somewhere in the imperial palace.

'So my bet was right. I, as baby-Glax, have been here before… Maybe so little that I couldn't even remember.'

He explored his surroundings cautiously. After a quick inspection, he assumed he was in the private quarters of someone very important. He could hear muffled conversations in a distant hallway, behind the gold-leafed double doors with festive scenes.

The emperor's bedroom?

Glax was intrigued. For all the rumors saying the Emperor was a revenant, there was evidence it was a complete lie.

At the same time, it was impossible to ignore the breathless hum of a great machine somewhere…somewhere in the bowels of the palace.

The Valosian had to get out of there and find either the emperor himself or the tower.

'How do I think about breaking into the tower armed only with a gladius?' he thought. 

His eyes darted to the emperor's armor in a niche.

'Hm, for those who have impersonated Death itself, what is one more identity theft?' Although that certainly wouldn't impress on his first encounter with Achmeron, if that's what the Moiras decided to enjoy today.

The armor was made entirely of Galeon, as befitted the emperor, and had the motifs of a pegasus. Even in the helmet adorned with white mane.

"Seyaaa…" he suppressed a laugh. His hand hesitated before touching the black painted metal. He didn't want to feel like a thief.

Then he heard a rhythmic toc toc on the marble floor. Halting footsteps from an unexpected place. Behind him was the door, so he waited where he was.

A woman appeared in the antechamber, wearing only a loose, light tunic. The first thing that caught his attention was the prosthesis on her left leg, from the thigh down, also made of galeon. Nothing as sophisticated as Chriseis' Fist, but at least it wasn't corrupted due to pure metal.

She acted like she'd just woken up, and commented casually, not really seeing him.

"You are quieter than usual today. Looks like I needed that nap…" 

Glax kept his gaze fixed on her. She had straight, dark hair, with a streak of gray falling over her face. Her dark, intelligent eyes awoke as Glax nodded.

He expected a scream, which didn't come.

"You better not touch this if you don't want to die," she warned coldly.

"Why? Is it enchanted?" Glax knew it was, like all divine objects he could tell they were touched by the ichor, even if it wasn't too obvious in an armor.

"It's divine armor."

"Well, I better not touch it at all, then. I've already broken a lot of divine artifacts, clumsy me… I better introduce myself, before you call the guards."

"An introduction is expected, indeed," she didn't take her eyes off his face, as if she already guessed the answer…and didn't like it one bit.

"I'm Glax. I am here to speak to the Emperor. It's about time, actually."

"I heard about your exotic name recently. Glax of Valosia, isn't it? A man who has risen to the Kroton family recently and has been training the Archigeos' son… General Chriseis' widower."

"Among other things, yes, it's me. Milady is well informed, unlike me. Who are you, again?"

"Aurora."

He couldn't blame the woman for being tense. She surreptitiously eyed the door and its surroundings, looking for a way to flee or fight.

"Lady Aurora, maybe you can help me. You know that a vselys slave was recently captured, don't you?"

Her eyes turned cold. "Should I be sorry?"

"I don't know. The Steam War and all that shit happened and I was a kid, I can't tell you how you must feel. I've never really been able to find a Promethean to hear their side of the story. All the rumors I hear are distorted and defend one side or the other. I don't know who to believe."

"Did you come here to talk about a slave or to talk about war?" Aurora questioned.

"I can talk about whatever it takes. Where do I find the emperor?"

"You are quite confident about entering the imperial chambers and demanding an audience with the Emperor of Stygia," she snapped, annoyed.

"Should I fear the emperor? He is no longer seen in public and refuses to visit even old friends like Archigeos Demophon of Echelion, his greatest ally. Is it the real issue about meeting him?"

Her eyes narrowed. Glax could imagine what she might be thinking. If something happened to him that couldn't be explained, maybe Demophon saw it as a sign to investigate or to turn against the Emperor. She had no way of knowing… Or maybe she had.

"Actually, Lord Glax, I think the Emperor of Stygia will like to see you. I can ask him to spare some time for you. Should I?"

"I appreciate it, yes," he said, crossing his arms.

Though his senses were alert, Glax guessed she was far more interested in seeing the Emperor's reaction than in having him arrested for invading the palace. This must be the Promethean they were talking about. He figured that if Kalanthe were still alive, she would probably be an age similar to Aurora.

Reclining on a luxurious desk in the argipyron light, Aurora scribbled a brief note, and went to the door. They exchanged glances and she opened the door slightly, handing the note to whoever was on the other side. 

Glax had no way of knowing if it was a trap or not, he just trusted a little in what he was seeing. Lady Aurora was a self-assured woman who thought she was in control of the situation.

After the door closed, she walked back to the middle of the room, and asked, also crossing her arms.

"What do you expect with this?"

"I don't know if I understand your question. What do you think I want?"

"I do not know. To be recognized as a prince, perhaps?"

"What would I wish that?"

"Who wouldn't want to be Stygia's next emperor?"

Glax laughed. "I know two people at least! Me, and Prince Caius, who renounced the throne. Isn't it?!"

Aurora's face reddened and her lips curled into a grimace of hatred. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Glax was silent for some time. What did she mean by that? Did Caius want to be the Emperor?"

"At least that's what's in the official story, Lady Aurora. But history was never my forte, you know. I take that back. Just consider that I don't want it."

"How peculiar," she said, still exuding hatred. "The vselys' friend comes up here with a very demagogue speech."

"You clearly know more than I do, Lady Aurora. And you're the age my mother would be if she were alive, so I just want to respect you. I'd like to know more about this version of the story I don't know," he asked, drier than he would have liked but honestly. The woman's entire reaction confused him.

Again narrowing her eyes but controlling herself to keep her tone neutral, the woman spoke,

"Did you never think Caius might have been the target of a plot by his own mother, who was too…too intimate to the vselys?"

Glax raised an eyebrow in surprise, musing, "Well, within a classical Greek context, this kind of plot wouldn't surprise me, but… they do it even though we know a Royals Greek tragedy is shit hitting the fan all the time…"

His words made Aurora frown in confusion.

They heard the footsteps of people near the door and fell silent. It still took a while for the door to open and the emperor to enter.

Glax turned to him.

He felt his jaw drop.

"You are not Achmeron!"