Their baskets of Moss were taken and set aside under the eye of another guard while their escort led them through one of the smaller doors. There was another entryway they had to pass through and then a short but maze-like path through the stone walls. The shiny metal exterior had led Elania to believe the interior would have been the same, but it was closer to the stonework of the ruins she’d seen or the cultist dungeon. She was excited to see the crystal lights that replaced the torches, though, and it was more evidence like she had seen in the Waystation that the world wasn’t entirely a medieval as she had thought.

For one thing, there were a lot of metaled decorations despite the structure being stonework. The walls were periodically reinforced with beams with metal bandings, and the crystals were held in metal sconces. Although the metal did look like it could use a good dusting, it didn’t show any wear or rust.

There was a [System], so why not Arcanepunk too? What she had seen wasn’t quite the level that she remembered in Skyrim’s ruins or on an Eberron Campaign, but she wasn’t going to be picky if it meant things like showers. The next turn ended in a smaller room with a less armored guard sitting at a desk. 

The man--- No, the officer--- didn’t look up at them as they entered, instead focusing on some paper report in his hands. Elania took in the naval blue of his beret styled hat and uniform. It looked almost like something she would have expected from a world war one museum. The way the cloth and buttons were styled suggested that the Guard was more polished than she had thought from her encounter at the Waystation.

Her eyes homed in on one thing, though. 

‘Paper!’

Her exciting discovery was interrupted by their escort’s announcement.

“Lieutenant Gaston! Six for additional screening.”

“Separate them.”

“Sir, one is a Demon.”

That had Gaston’s attention as he carefully set the paper down and looked at the group for the first time. She noticed he had a narrow face, but then his eyes inevitably fell on her, and she shrunk a little from his quiet yet intense gaze.

It felt like he was examining her forever before he spoke.

“Which one of you is the Demon’s master?”

When no one answered, he frowned, a flash of annoyance crossing his face.

“The Mercenary Guild I’d expect to be lazy about protocol, but the Conclave? Tssk.”

“She’s…” Tanyan clipped off and was silent as Taniel put a hand on his shoulder.

“Separate them. I’ll talk to them each individually.”

The plate armored guard saluted, then turned to them and grinned, “You heard’em. Move.”

Elania didn't like the idea of being separated from the others, but she was following their lead, and they complied without further argument. It really did feel like going through airport security at Pittsburgh International, although she'd never actually received additional screening there. She had read and heard about racial profiling, though, and her being a demon seemed to be the trigger for them being held.

Through the next door, there was a long hallway lined with stout looking doors on one side. Two other guards were standing at the end of the hall, guarding another entrance that she assumed led deeper into the fortification. This was their stop, though.

Marcus was first, then the novices, then Taniel and Tanyan. Being last, she expected some harassment, but the guard remained professional and shut the door behind her as soon as she stepped through.

Without any other entry or exit, the room was nondescript and lit by a single set of light crystals. A table with two chairs were placed in the center. 

'Great, I'm in a detective novel now. Is this world made up of nothing but fucking literary devices?'

She took a seat and sat down in the one that placed her back to the wall and not the entrance. That was a habit of hers she had picked up even back home. She hated having the majority of any crowd to her back, especially in restaurants and the like, and would always claim the seat with the best observation potential if she had the chance.

'Now it's a waiting game.'

After a few minutes, she decided to take a nap, put her head on her forearms, and block everything out. She didn't quite make it to a nap state when the door finally opened. Looking up, it was the Lieutenant.

"Hi, Lieutenant."

"Who is your master?"

He frowned when she didn't answer, and didn't enter the room; instead, he left the door open and leaned back against the wall. She thought that was a bit strange, but then she realized he was likely wary of her. Well, that was smarter than others had been, had the others told him about the innkeeper?

"We will leave that then. Do you plan on going on a rampage inside the city?"

"No."

"Are you afflicted by any contagious diseases magical or non-magical in nature?"

'Thank god I didn't get the Fenicia on me.' She shook her head, "No."

"Are you in possession of any dangerous artifacts, objects of mass destruction, or items that might cause undue damage to people or property?"

"I don't have anything like that."

"Do you plan to harm any inhabitant of the city?"

She started to answer the standard 'No' again but stopped herself, "Only if they try to harm me first."

The first crack in the Lieutenant's business-like demeanor appeared as a slight smile, "I'll put that down as 'No' as anything else means being refused entry."

He stepped forward and pulled back the chair to sit down across from her, "Who is your master?"

Elania licked her lips and stayed quiet, still trying to think of a decent answer. Maybe she should just tell him the truth, but she wasn't sure that would be safe, even if he represented whatever passed as the police for the city.

He didn't seem angry at her refusal to answer, though, and he moved on to the next question, "What’s your purpose in Neftasu?”

“Are all these questions really necessary?”

“You tell me.”

Elania decided to be honest, 

“I plan on selling some loot, a Monster Core I picked up from an Alpha Ralfot. Then I plan to upgrade my equipment, and then hopefully do some mercenary work while keeping my head down.”

He didn’t have a notepad; shouldn’t he have a notepad? Maybe not; he looked more like a World War One officer rather than an L. A. Noire detective.

“That is very interesting, Elania.”

“Very well, I don’t see any reason to hold you, but I will caution you to keep your head down.”

Elania wasn’t sure what part of that was interesting to him; she felt a bit of elation when she realized she would be let go without any further issue.

 

---

 

Elania fingered the small steel badge she had been given and breathed a sigh of relief as they filed out of Lieutenant Gaston’s office. She was told to keep it on her, as a token that she’d passed ‘inspection’ and had been permitted to traverse the barrier. That made her feel like livestock, but she was happy to be let through. The exit led them into an arched tunnel that she figured was on the other side of the metal gate. It reminded her of a hatch from Fallout, except it was square and in the shape of medieval doors. She realized maybe it wasn’t exactly the same after all. The walls were lit with torches rather than the crystals; as she looked further down the tunnel, she noticed there was some type of shimmering barrier.

“Like that do ye? Is the reason we hafta’ listen to those Guard bastards, the city barrier can only be unlocked and traversed at the Checkpoints,” Marcus said to her.

“Is it like the one at the Waypost Inn?”

“Aye, tis like that. There are three o’ them. The first is the lightest and supposed to keep the smaller bad things out, ‘s well as diseases en’ the like.”

At least it wasn’t going to spray them with some kind of decontamination mist or quarantine for a few weeks. Although it did make her wonder just how many infectious things were lurking around in the world. 

The Guard escorting them stopped in front of the barrier and turned toward them, “Keep going through. When you get to the inner barrier, make sure to have your tokens ready.”

Elania’s hand squeezed the badge in her hand a little tighter, glad she hadn’t already stuffed it away in her backpack. The small oval-shaped piece of metal wasn’t really going to protect her, but it was a little comfort that it would be the key to letting her get into the city. A slight smile erupted on her face as she thought Lieutenant Gatson was not all that bad, even if she had not enjoyed the light questioning or being held.

Stepping through the shimmering barrier was almost anti-climatic, as it felt like stepping through a sheet of thin plastic for a second before the sensation disappeared. 

The distinct smell of ozone hit her, but the other side of the barrier was a long tunnel, seemingly the same as the one they had just gone through. She noticed that a few of the crystal lights were dimmer than others, and one was even flickering.

‘Would fit right in beside an old subway. Although it is hardly creepy since I’m not alone.’

The trip through the corridor was made in silence, and they were to the door on the other side in a few minutes. Marcus went through first, and she noticed the others pulling out their little symbols. She got hers ready as well and then moved through the door last.

The room was square, and the ceiling shot up to tower well above them with tons of empty and unused space throughout. There weren’t any of the crystal lights because there wasn’t any need for them. A massive shimmering yellow wall of light neatly severed the room in half, and it was just a haze that could be seen on the other side. Whatever it was, it was magical for sure and the source of the ozone smell. Someone had been ahead of them, and she watched as they hurled themselves into it and then disappeared into a hazy cloud on the other side.

A guard was waiting and inspected their passes, then explained.

“Don’t take too long in the barrier. You’ll want to jump through it in one go.”

“Ye know we’ve all went through it before ta get out of the city ‘afor, rookie?”

Elania bristled and wanted to yell at him that she hadn’t been through it before and that she’d like a more detailed explanation. Marcus had already started hurrying toward the barrier when Tanyan spoke up. 

“Elania is a demon. She can’t just walk through it.”

The guard looked at them blankly like he didn’t understand when a more senior guard showed up. It didn’t take long before he was chewing out the guard that had greeted them.

“You trying to fry someone crossing over, recruit? It was explained what to do in the case of non-human races.”

“I didn’t realize she wasn’t human, sir.”

“You mean you didn’t even [Identify] them, then? That’s the first thing you do for everyone.”

“Sorry, sir.”

“Go get the barrier device while I consider your punishment.”

The man in charge turned to look at her and frowned but didn’t say anything or apologize for what she assumed would have been cooked-Elania meat.

“Thank you, Tanyan,” she said.

He looked at her and nodded, but she realized he had been obligated to protect her by the contract. She wanted to think that he would have done so without it, but now she wasn’t sure if that was true or not. Maybe they would have been happy to have the little demon following along with them to sizzle.

She shook her head and pushed away from the thought. That wasn’t fair, as Tanyan had been the only one of them who had been friendly toward her, although she had realized he wasn’t someone she could rely on.

A rattling sound drew her attention, and her eyes widened as she realized what was approaching. It was a metal doorway on trolley wheels, and it made a loud racket as it rolled over the uneven paved stone.