(During Issue 3: Before WITCH goes to Meridian for the first time)
"Are you sure we could find anything beyond that portal?" Ray says, on his legionate uniform, wears his boots. "We don't know who to trust in Meridian."
Later that evening, Eric rides to Ray's house as they plan to teleport to Meridian that night without the assistance of Galgheita. "Have you tried to contact Galgheita?"
"A hundred times, with no single try" Eric replies "Well, we can't plan on anything besides this right?"
"And if Endarno learns about this? Going to Meridian wasn't part of our objectives."
"Pray that he won't have to find out. Besides, how can we ask him if our portals to Kandrakar are sealed off? Even Nigel's portal to Kandrakar lead itself to Meridian."
After Ray says his farewells to his mother and his siblings, the two ride off to the old and broken barnyard once again. They walk cautiously to the barnyard as the moon shines above; the only light source to the ground below.
They open the large and mossy and drag the doors of the barn. They enter to an open and large room. Light enters through the holes steel roof for it had been rusted through the years. The weakened wall wood planks topple over the stables from the harsh weather. The ground was muddy and mossy as it sticks to their boots as they walk. Debris and unruliness were all over the place to define that the barn was truly abandoned.
"So where is this portal?" Eric asks as he doesn't notice the portal present.
"I don't want it to be too present." Ray says as he approaches to the last stable on the left covered with a large brown curtain all over. "So I hid it behind with these curtain rags I found."
Ray shoves the curtains away. And before him is the glowing yet dimming portal with whirling particles moving to the center. "It looks like the portals from Kandrakar yet this one's bigger."
"Have you ever tried to go in for once?" Eric asks.
"I always thought about it." Ray replies. "But I also considered that this portal might lead me to Phobos himself!"
"If Galgheita used it for the rebels then why don't we, right?" Eric says. They ready and secure their hoods. "Ready?"
"Let's go!" Ray says as they nervously walk-run into the portal.
Just like the portals they have used to travel via Kandrakar and Earth, this portal was no different. The feeling of the body being dispersed around as it forcedly spirals to the center like a black hole. It is not as painful as the body begins to break up for the immense light wraps the traveller's body. The time between worlds depends also in length but the approximate and longest time to teleport is only eleven seconds.
As they open their eyes, they found themselves in a destroyed structure; such as the barn. Instead of the broken stables and mangers, around them are destroyed carriages and large wood spoked- wheels and other broken wooden boxes. On front of them is a peek of the street proper. They hear inharmonious voices of the people, the clops of horses and the turn squeak noises of wheels of the carriages. "Looks we're still in one piece and we're already here, I guess." Ray says.
"I bet Galgheita used this portal because this is actually hidden in plain sight." Eric says as he sees large and holed robes. "Don't you think our uniforms look a bit noticeable?"
"Well, if they recognize us as legionates, that could be a first."
Eric tosses the smelly brown robe to him. "Wear this, it's worth the stealth"
"'Worth' he says." Ray sighs as he smell the stench from the torn up robes.
After they wear their disguises and secure their hoods once more, they move out to from the abandoned structure and gaze around to see the small street filled with moving people, escanors and galhots alike, in different directions. Unique and magical horses and rhinos pull up the carriages which contains food and supplies. Streets are made of stone-brick and were made of the medieval style-like houses. Its roofs, made of tiles, is curvy, tall and out of the ordinary. Since the blue-bricked accent buildings were too close together as shadows mostly touches the ground, the environment has a mix of a bluish and greenish accent to it. Around them also are the façade of the buildings along the street, which are open for retail and business since the street serves as their market place.
"Now this is truly a magical place." Eric exclaims happily. He then receives a punch to the shoulder.
"Now's not the time for sight-seeing, Atlas." He jokes as he continues. "What are we going to do now?"
"We just have to find the rebellion or Galgheita, I guess." Eric says. "Also, investigate if either Vathek's or Galgheita's claims are true."
They walk through the crowded streets and observe the people around. Though unethical, they eavesdrop to the people's conversations and rumors; the usual stories were about what their neighbors did. One was about mothers who proudly boast their children, the other was a group of friends talking about the women in their lives and the other was about how some kind of prank gone wrong and turn into a disaster and the list goes on yadda…yadda…yadda…
"Eavesdropping leads to nowhere." Ray says as they stand by to an abandon alley, they reach already a hundred feet from the portal along the street.
"We can't just ask out on the open." Eric replies. "If Phobos is a big deal here in Meridian, then at least we could hear some rumors about him for sure."
"Help!" a voice cries out. They both look each other with confusion written on each other's faces. Eric quickly tilts his head to the noise. 'Better check it out!' and moves to where the voice is located.
"Please, help me!" the voice continues to cry out. Yet they stop as they are blocked by a growing crowd on front of them just to witness the scene.
"Can you see anything?" Eric asks as he tries to see from his position
"Do you expect a tall thirteen year old could see this?" He asks rhetorically.
"Poor Arminta" Says a stranger from behind. "It's the fourth time of the month that the soldiers pillage one of the houses again."
"What was the raid again, hiding rebels?" ask the other.
"No, I think it was debt. Rumors say that her husband died from battle, and then large loans come in. Last month, her children are taken as slaves."
"Don't you think it's another 'Phobos' Pillage'? I felt a strong magical sense in her and her children too one time."
Eric then as they listen to the conversation, looks to Ray for confirmation and he responds with a nod in agreement 'I can feel it too!' Ray replies in gesture.
"Be quiet! If those men heard you, you might be arrested too." Another hushes. "It's too cruel to see our city in despair like this because of Phobos, but we can't do anything about it and just watch and obey."
Having heard this, Ray hears the woman pleas in the background as it echoes throughout his mind and feels an innerve feeling of hatred and anger towards the situation. He encircles his fingers to materialize his bow.
Eric grabs tightly on Ray's shoulder and he shakes head as he stops Ray. Eric then looks around and points discretely on top of a tall roof nearby beside another alley. They both nod in agreement to each other.
They move away from the crowd and go in the shadowed alley. Ray forms his bow and prepares his arrow while Eric attaches a rope to it. Ray shoots to the edge of the roof and repeats the same procedure. They climb the walls as they use the ropes to pull themselves alternating their hands in succession while walking on the wall. As they reach the roof they witness the scene in total picture.
"Please don't do this!" The woman cries and pleads as she kneels down before the blue-uniformed with white outlines on the sleeve soldiers as they take her belongings outside as they prepare to take it into the carriage.
"Shut up! If you want your belongings as well," The soldier yells as she grabs her wrist. "Then you're coming with us!" he says as he drags the crying blue galhot woman.
"I don't know what this 'Phobos Pillage' is this, but it's getting me into my nerves." Ray says with a stern voice in his tone. He pulls his string from his bow and points to the soldier
"Just warn them, don't kill." Eric reminds as he reaches the roof. "You distract them, I save the woman and we make a run for it, clear?"
"Aye aye captain" Ray replies as he closes his left eye. "Farsight First Technique: Snipe Shot." The arrow zings from his fingertips and hits the soldier's arm. In reaction to the sudden pain, he let's go of the woman.
"Arrghh!" the soldier cries out in pain. The other soldiers come out to the scene and begin to act cautiously. They take out their swords and look around the area. The audience, who are also confused, begins to retreat and flee from the scene from the sudden attack. Asynchronous yells also come from the crowd. "It's the rebellion!" "Long live the rebellion!" and "Down with Phobos!"
"There!" A soldier spots out to the hooded figure standing defiantly above them. Then the men look at the brown hooded figure in brown robes on the high roof. "Get him!"
"Fifth Technique: Grenade Arrow." Ray launches another arrow to the soldier's carriage and cause an explosion and blinding blast, which blinds them and retreats back.
At the same time from the edge of the roof, Eric dashes across the roof and leaps from it. With his arms and sword behind his back he prepares a vertical attack to the blinding soldiers. As he reaches the ground he swings and clashes his sword to one of the men and the sudden reaction causes the soldier to release his sword. "What was that?!" he exclaims, still blinded.
Eric then quickly kicks the men to the ground and uses the pommel of his sword to knock them out as well. He reaches to the woman who is still in confusion. "Go! We have to get away from here!"
"W-who are you?" She asks.
"No time to explain!" Eric pulls her up and pulls her as they run along the street and shove the people away as they pass through the endless crowd.
"Don't let them get-Arrghh!" The soldiers recover from the Eric's blows as another explosion suddenly appears before them and they fall back to the ground.
"Sorry but I won't let you" Ray says as he shot another arrow. He then runs and leaps in parkour motion along the succeeding roofs as he follows Eric and the woman down the street.
