Chandra
took her place next to Soran, as she had done when she was an Enforcer, the difference
is that she is his wife now. Her Empress outfit brings to mind, the ancient
clothing of Egypt. The silk white dress is crafted from Dryadian silkworms, and
her sandals are made from the Critan creature native to Barunda. Her tiara
glimmers with pure gold, intricately set with iridescent blue Dryadian
diamonds, while the front of her dress is embellished with woven beads. A
coordinating golden belt cinches her waist, a delicate veil cascades from her
tiara and a slave bracelet adorns her left hand.
A week or two after Soran’s
announcement, she tried to venture below to the prohibited catacombs where Soran
hides his grotesque creations but were stopped by the guards. “You cannot go
in,” one of them said. “And why not? I am the Empress after all,” responded
Chandra with a derisive tone. Both guards fell silent and stared at her
sternly.
“Look, I was once an Enforcer I can take care
of myself,” she insisted. They did not respond but instead escorted her toward
the promenade and away from the restricted area. She bristled but understood. Another
opportunity to explore the catacombs arose when Treau appeared as a NyKarin
guard. "I wasn't able to visit the catacombs before," she explained
to him. While another guard lingered outside the room, Treau and Chandra
conversed within. Suddenly, she had a spark of inspiration and snapped her
fingers. "I have a plan. I'll send the other guard away by claiming I'm
not going out today, and you can stay outside until he departs."
“It
will work. Soran will not return until tomorrow from his visit to Comigae,”
said Treau.
“Why
is he in Comigae?” asked Chandra.
“He
is there to collect information regarding the Planetary Alliance and their
connection to them, of course Comigae is with the Planetary Alliance and will
not disclose information.”
“How
long will he stay?”
“I
believe a week,” said Treau. Treau’s information comes through sources that are
deep within the NyKarin government. There are many NyKarins who are against
Soran and have aligned themselves with the Planetary Alliance and remain
surreptitious.
“I need to get to the catacombs. The catacombs
are where Soran hides his abominations, the ones that did not fend well during
the transformation process in becoming an Enforcer,” she said. Chandra is
wearing a fitted grey uniform jumpsuit with the NyKarin symbol on the left
shoulder and her hair is tied back in a ponytail. She is not afraid to venture
into the catacombs but knows there is a dark entity within them, that is
stealthy and vicious. It will pursue its prey relentlessly. Even though she is
an Empress, she is not allowed to roam freely anywhere in the city, in fact,
Soran has guards following her when she steps out of the room. Lucky that while
he is away, Treau showed up. He told her that Linnea saw a vision and in it
were two outcomes to her situation but only one is the best option. He did not
give her details about the vision but if Treau is there, then it is the best
choice and will produce a more productive outcome.
“Well let’s go,” said
Chandra. She brought with her a pistol tucked inside her leg holster. She is an
ex-Enforcer and even though many eye her with disdain, not one of the citizens
approached her. It is not because Treau is with her, it’s because they fear
Enforcers. She made her way to one of the electric vehicles parked at a public
transport dock. The vehicles run through large clear travel tubes which are a
part of an intricate railway system that extends throughout the city. Treau and
Chandra arrived a few blocks away from the restricted zone. There are no guards
present, but a highly sensitive sensor is erected to deter curious eyes.
(This excerpt is available to listen on my YouTube channel)
Chandra's Quest available on Amazon
