Before long, Johnny and I stood before a towering temple bathed in the golden light of early morning. Flanking its massive golden doors were two more people in the Sledge armor, their occasional movements the only thing giving away that they weren't simply statues. I glanced back over my shoulder, observing the massive staircase we had just climbed in awe.
From the top, the view felt completely different. Being able to see down the tiered levels, watching over the gardens, the fountains and statues that surrounded the pyramid-like base of the cathedral made me feel as if I were nothing, an insignificant speck in an endless world of opulence. People in flowing robes of the Brilliance's colors moved from place to place, some carrying small tablets, others manipulating golden holographic scenes.
"So… the Dawn Bastion is in the temple? I heard rumors it was underground, but I didn't think…" Although the Luminous Legion was public information as most groups had their own private military, the location of their headquarters was a closely guarded secret.
Johnny nodded. "Beneath it. The pyramid supporting it is hollow." He strode through the massive doors along with the tumult, and we stepped into the first inner courtyard. A massive, well-tended garden sprawled around us, lined with trimmed hedges and colorful flowers. In the center, with his arms stretched to the sky was the familiar visage of Ah-Legoria, Titan of our world. He had a chiseled jawline, short spiky hair, eyes carved from a flaxen gemstone and warm, boyish features. He wore nothing, leaving not a single part of his toned body to the imagination. I averted my eyes, silently thanking Ah-Legoria for not having them make his standard image naked. The normal flowing, but slightly revealing robes were enough.
Long shaded walkways circled the garden in the center, with pillars and arches supporting the slanted ceiling. Small glowing lamps hovered just above head-height, painting the shaded area in a soft yellow glow. Johnny led me around the leftmost path, circling around and past multiple other ornate wooden doors until we reached a large open square.
The large open space connected two large halls, which each broke off into other rooms and wings. Pillars rose on all sides, supporting the massive arched ceiling coated in murals. Each panel portrayed a plethora of their mythological characters, from the Angel of Retribution in his fiery armor, to the past and present Venerated, each one was painted with a faintly moving paint that seemed to swirl, slightly animating the vast works of art. I settled my gaze on the most familiar of their prominent events, the Day of Deliverance.
A massive, charred angel with blackened skin and six wings of pure fire floated above a ruined section of the city. Ash fell from the fiery sky and the souls of the damned writhed on the ground. My gut twisted, the scent of charred flesh filling my nose, the countless screams, my ears. Ragged breaths began to tear out as sweat slicked my palms… something I'd worked hard to repress threatened to break its restraints. Johnny leaned in front of me, and I met his eyes. "Everything alright?"
I blinked. My hands began to dry, and my heart rate rapidly calmed. "Yeah."
I took a deep breath, and pushed the feelings away, averting my eyes from the murals. Once more, several Legionnaires lined the walls, standing motionless with their hands on their hammers. Directly ahead from the courtyard were two large staircases, leading up to another massive door. Beyond it, I could faintly see pews, stained glass and an altar of some kind.
Johnny walked up between the two staircases, arriving at a desk adorned with the symbol of the Brilliance. A blonde woman with green eyes gave a radiant smile. "May the light embrace you." She looked skyward, placing her left hand on her right breast as she raised an open-palmed hand above her head.
"Need to talk to the Legion." Johnny flicked out his Polaroid Office card, placing it on the marble counter.
She picked it up, glanced at his colorless appearance, and nodded. "I'll send an inquiry. Please wait a moment." With the tap of a button, a golden holographic screen appeared before her, and she began to type.
Johnny retrieved his card, then gave me a subtle tip of the hat. I smiled in response, my heart quickening in excitement.
The woman raised her eyebrows in surprise, then turned off the hologram, looking up at us. "You two must be very important, Lady Venerated herself requested you two come up to her study!"
Johnny let out a quiet sigh. "I know how to get there." He extended a gloved hand, and she placed a golden coin engraved with their symbol.
The excitement I had begun to gather morphed into a pit of dread, a firm weight on my chest. With that, he turned away from the desk, gesturing to me to follow behind him. I glanced at his complicated expression. "This is bad news then?"
"Somewhat." He drew out a cigarette, lighting it with puff, gaining dirty looks from practically every person in robes. "Means they definitely have information to give, but if Vivianne herself wants to discuss it then we will definitely have to pay the price."
"I'd imagine if the Venerated wants to talk about it then it's got to be pretty important information then." We took another turn, starting to march up the staircase.
He chuckled. "On the contrary, it's more than likely practically useless and Vivianne just wants to extract as much as she can in exchange before sending us somewhere else to get it. If we asked her Legionnaires, they'd probably give it up no problem."
"Should we not go then?"
"It's our only lead, so we have to."
I groaned. "Any tips for the Venerated? The ones you gave for the Detective were helpful."
He took a drag as we turned right, the staircase now flat along the wall. "If she offers you the position of Nurturer, do not accept it. Let the boss take on any favors, if she asks you to, just let me redirect it. Oh, and try to be calm. Also, avoid talking about yourself, or your position."
"Nurturer?"
"Don't ask."
"I know the Brilliance are sort of materialistic but why is owing her a favor so bad? I thought they had high morals."
"Her Externalization in its Super-Ego state is… problematic."