66 Veil 2
The border to the Veil was completely different from the one in the core separating both layers. A large ashlar wall ran along the border, enclosing the core and restricting the entrance to the Veil. Several watchtowers reeked out of the tall wall where soldiers, clad in black, patrolled and kept watch.
A dark night graced this dominating sight with little flames lighting up at each watchtower. From one port to the other one, the soldiers marched up and down, sending everyone who watched from below a terrifying feeling of oppression.
A stark contrast kept apart the core and the Veil with the wall as its mediator. On the side of the core, bright city lights and modern buildings clashed with the eerie dark blue and desolate land of the Veil behind the wall.
They fought for dominance, each seemingly swallowing the might that firmly stood its ground beneath them. Upon coming to witness this, the three brave contenders here to fight against the walls' iron rules, have hidden themselves in the small forest not far from the wall. Between them, the distance was covered with barren, sandy land.
They saw the impossibility of the situation that unfolded before them. Crouching behind a bush, Lia, Xavi and Lily didn't dare to make a sound.
A loud creak prompted them to instantly turn their heads. Iron gates appeared at an interval of 100 metres in the wall.
One of them was positioned right where the three wanted to head to. This particular iron gate slowly opened and white smoke spilt from the other side into the core's layer.
Lia has already known about the veils that were like translucent mist or white in the veil layer but to actually witness it was a different experience. It felt like another world came crashing down on the immortal world and like a destructive force seated itself behind the wall to show off its might and untouchable bearing.
Although Lia couldn't see how the Veil looked like from the tiny gap the gate revealed, the thought that this couldn't possibly belong to the immortal world invaded her mind.
Lia has lived for hundreds of years but still barely knew anything of the world she lived in.
"What are we supposed to do?" Lily finally spoke up after not being able to bear it anymore.
All of their gazes were fixed at the gate that opened to a troop of soldiers marching out with bags of unknown wares. As their footsteps echoed in the windy night, the gate was about to close when shouts interrupted.
Two people in brown cloaks have sneakily trailed the soldiers. They were successful not catching the attention of the soldiers and able to arrive at the wall. They kept their fair distance however their hearts clenched to see the gate closing before they could reach it.
So, they decided to risk it and rush towards the gate before it would deny their desires. The freedom that overcame them once they stepped outside the gate was so sweet, it exhilarated them to the point they didn't witness the arrows protruding out of their chests, the flames that engulfed them and the swords that beheaded them.
Yet Lia saw it clearly.
"What the hell?" Lily held her mouth and slightly trembled.
Just when the soldiers came out of the gate and it was about to close, the soldiers from atop the wall caught two people in brown running out.
They instantly shouted, "Let no one pass! Kill them!"
Then they dipped the arrows in oil, lit them and aimed at the two intruders. They fired and the arrows cleanly pierced their chests.
The soldiers that marched out of the gate instantly turned around after they heard the shouts and yanked their swords forward to cut off the daring heads.
"No one can pass! No one can leave!" their unified shouts were like battle chants calling to fight anyone who dared to oppose them.
After the corpses burned to ashes and were carried away by the wind to a faraway place, the soldiers continued their march and headed into the core.
Everything then turned peaceful and tranquil again, as if nothing's happened.
"I miscalculated. Maria didn't say anything about this," Xavi bit on his lollipop. Loud crunches broke the tension.
"They're saying that no one can leave and no one can pass," Lia stared at the gate," The two people have probably tried to escape the Veil but it's forbidden, so-"
"They were killed," Lily finished the sentence, "How in the world is that possible? It's definitely the Ghost King's doing! Goodness!"
"I would've never thought they would keep a whole layer prison…" another crunch helped Xavi to relax.
"The people in the core don't care about it. They never feel the need to leave anyways, at least in my case and everyone I knew back then," it was true, immortals loved to roam around and were bored easily.
But that was because the immortal world didn't have much to offer unlike the mortal world with its beautiful landscapes and countries to visit. Half of the immortal world was undesirable. That was why the immortals constantly sought new forms of entertainments.
Transport methods were not imported here because the immortals didn't frequent outside of their layers. Especially the last layer was a place no one wanted to visit.
"In the past, our world looked a lot like the mortal's one," suddenly Xavi started to reminisce about the past.
"During the Immortal King's era?"
"Yep and during the first Ghost King's."
In the past…. If Lia became the Immortal King would she reform what needed to be changed? Implement new rules? And set people free?
Would she try to make the world a better place? No, the real question was, did she have the strength to do so?
"What now?" Lily looked between Lia and Xavi. They both had no clue.
"Disguise ourselves as soldiers? Or we fight?" Xavi has watched many mortal action and spy films, he always secretly wanted to try them out.
"No and no," with two No's Lia instantly shot down Xavi's pure film lover's heart.
"We can't cause a commotion. It'd be best to sneak in without anyone noticing."
"How?"
"Either the wall isn't long enough to circle the complete third layer or there aren't enough soldiers to guard." These two possibilities floated in her mind.
The third layer's radius was larger than that of the second and first combined, it was absurd to cover the whole border with an ashlar wall, however, in case it was indeed so, there was the other possibility that there weren't enough soldiers to keep watch as tightly as here.
"I doubt that every spot is as tightly guarded as here. There should be a few spots that have sparse protection, less vigilant soldiers or in the best scenario not have anyone keeping watch," Lia concluded.
"Wait, you… want us to go around? Around the whole wall?" Lily wasn't up for that.
"Yeah, I agree, we don't have much time."
Lia also knew this was the downside of the plan.
"Then what other plan do you have?"
No one said anything.
"How about this, we split up or I will use my corpses to scout the locations, I think I can manage them well enough now."
"No," Xavi grabbed Lia's arm to not let her go, "It's best to stay together and don't overuse your soul."
Lia was slightly surprised at Xavi's sudden action.
"Let's do as you say," finally Xavi breathed out and his small fingers slowly let go of Lia. His eyes were still glued to the gate before he stood up and motioned them to walk away.
It wasn't a good idea to camp here and try to force their way inside. They also couldn't try to wait for the soldiers and mingle under them as the example they were just shown made them aware that their defence was too good.
They took cover in the forest to move along to their left and scout the wall from afar for any holes in their surveillance.
However, soon the forest came to an end and they had to retreat to the back. They couldn't get closer in order not to be discovered. The moon hung high and hopes to use the night to their advantage were slowly crushed.
"We should move along the wall, we should be in their blind spot."
"Are you sure?" Lia wasn't confident in the plan, however, the soldiers looking down from the wall would have their view in at least a 30-degree angle. They wouldn't straight look down the wall, so they could use it to their advantage.
However, this also had its downside as they wouldn't be able to look up to see if there were any soldiers.
"Let's do it," Xavi had less to worry about since he was the smallest and easiest to miss.
Confident in their physical abilities at least, they rushed up to the wall and pressed themselves against it. As cautious as possible they moved along the stony surface and raked their heads to try to see if there were any soldiers.
Yet nothing but the dark sky and the bright moon greeted them. The outlines of the soldiers were barely detectable. It was dark enough for them to be close to each other and not able to see their faces.
The more restrictive problem was they couldn't communicate with each other as they were directly under the soldiers and any noise could draw unwanted attention.
For a long while, they had their backs glued to the rough wall and gently ground themselves along the wall. It was a meticulous task until Lia felt a gush of wind fiddling with her hair.
She paused. Xavi and Lily next to her questioningly looked at her and Xavi wanted to pinch Lia when she sprinted away from the wall, leaving both of the others perplexed behind
