Chapter 2: Lex Legis

The trip continued in almost complete silence, as both Lossius and Relinquo travelled along the path. Lossius kept pondering. What did Relinquo mean? After spending the night inside a small village, they departed once again for the center of Mikeland. They made it to a field that was barren and covered in tall grass. Yet they could see far away that there was a metropolis ahead. Lossius breathed a sigh of relief. Civilization once again. They looked onward, observing the rugged horizon, which was lined with different coloured buildings and creations. The light buildings reflected the Sun so magnificently that the rays were reaching as far as Relinquo and Lossius. As they walked down a sandy path, Lossius looked at Relinquo, who was slightly ahead. He began to connect the pieces.

A plan? Relinquo was always moves ahead of everyone else. Lossius' brain began to think - hard. Relinquo must have been concerned gravely. One would think that if someone would wish to notify a higher power of inevitability, they would jump at every opportunity to reach that higher power. Maybe that's what Relinquo did? He always did have his own way of dealing with things. That's what made Lossius understand. Relinquo was definitely concerned. He just had his own way of expressing it. His own little plan. He knew that he would be coming on this trip, no matter what he did. Lossius also learnt that it was impossible for him to hide it. He was going to reveal it at the meeting, he had to.

After a few hours of walking through the barren fields, they reached the first suburb. In it, there were many citizens. Some of them they knew.

"Well, well," a familiar voice began, causing them to look behind themselves, "the infamous Relinquo of Angelus and Lossius of Tenzora." This caused Lossius to grin, for he knew who it was before he even saw his face.

"Halo, my man!" Lossius exclaimed, shaking his hand and giving a pat on the back, "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're here for the meeting?" Halo nodded, holding a bowl he was eating from.

"I was asked to be the national messenger," he said, placing his bowl on the counter of the kiosk they were at. He proceeded to pay the woman with some Mikeland Dollars. Lossius nodded, showing that he was listening.

"National messenger? Wow," Lossius exclaimed, "good luck. It's quite difficult from what I've heard."

"It is, yep," Halo said, patting the money he set on the counter. He then thanked the woman and picked up his bag that was laying beside the kiosk. "I mean, I have to go EVERYWHERE. It's insane. Mick said that he will try to get an airship operational for me, though."

"An airship?" Lossius said with shock. Airships were very difficult to power, let alone build. Relinquo shook his head.

"I think you should be more shocked about the following," Relinquo interrupted, "Overlord Mick spoke to you directly?" Halo nodded abruptly. Relinquo stared into Halo's eyes, stroking his chin. "I see."

"Do you know if anyone else in this city will be attendi-" Lossius was then interrupted by a loud voice from behind them.

"Los?" The voice came closer to them. Lossius began to turn around, but was then checked full out. He flew forwards, sliding across the dirt. The man yelled a 'Yeah!' as Lossius turned around to see. Oh, another familiar face.

"Los, what happened to your skill?" Aaron asked, offering a hand to help Lossius up. Lossius accepted it gladly and was pulled up onto his feet.

"Well, I like to think that I'm SAFE when in the metropolis." He laughed, and so did Aaron. Everyone began to walk together.

"So, where are you guys heading?" Aaron questioned them again.

"We're staying near Mike Shop. We're here for the meeting." Lossius replied.

"Ohhhh, I see, I see," he said, as they reached the stone gate which led to the centre of Mikeland, "I guess I gotta go. We engineers are having a planning meeting ourselves at the Engineers' Hall. I'll see you later, Los. I'm in room 506, at the Grande Hotel!" He waved, running away. The three of them that remained all waved, then proceeded onward. The moment they crossed through the gate, all of the shiny, tall buildings came into full view. The Architects' Tower shined brilliantly, along with the Police Station and other numerous buildings. To their left was a monument; the sword that was being stabbed into the ground. It was constructed before Lossius had arrived in Mikeland years ago. So he did not know of who created it.

To their right was Mike Shop. This was a giant department store. Mike would contribute his own creations to be bought by people that would visit the centre of Mikeland. It was giant, gray, rectangular building with brightstone letters that said Mike Shop. To the right of Mike Shop was the Grande Hotel. This was where they were going to stay the night.

"Never stayed here before, have you, Lossius?" Relinquo reckoned, looking back at Lossius as they walked up the stone path that laid in between a checkerboard of diamond, gold, and iron. Lossius shook his head, looking up in awe. He had only been in the centre of Mikeland a few times... and that was because he was becoming a full, legal citizen. The Hotel had a dark, green tint to it. It was covered in glass panes. This made Lossius wonder if their room was made entirely of glass. This made him chuckle. He then looked up, looking at the floating buildings. He had just died and went to Heaven. This place WAS architectural heaven!

"I heard that the Overlords created these buildings down here, originally," Halo said, as he was also looking up at the floating buildings. They were all connected by a wooden road. "But then, Mike placed a charm on them, causing them to float high in the sky."

"Wow, where would you get such a power source?" Lossius questioned as they reached the gateway to the Hotel. Relinquo leaned in and whispered, "Amethystttt," as they entered the gateway. Lossius nodded it off, noting to himself of what Relinquo had said. If the Amethyst was going to no longer exist, what would happen? If the Amethyst is the reason those buildings are floating... Chaos would definitely ensue. He shook his head at the thought, hoping what Relinquo foretold won't come true.

"We're going to check in for the night," Lossius stated, dropping his bag onto the ground, "I'm dead tired."

The next morning dawned the day of the meeting. After awaking, Lossius and Relinquo walked outside of the Grande Hotel. There was no cool, morning air like the usual at Tenzora. Lossius had forgotten that they were in the metropolis that was the heart of Mikeland.

"It's being held where the sword meets the ground," Lossius remembered the letter he had received, informing him of the meeting and his requested prescence. Relinquo nodded, "Same as last year." They walked down the stone path that lead to the Jail and Bridge. At the end was the sword that met the ground, and beneath it was the Hall. Today was a cloudy day. The Sun did not peek from behind the clouds; they merely acted as a restraint for its rays.

"Looks like it is going to rain today," Relinquo said, looking up at the sky, "How unfortunate." They made it to the entrance of the Hall. Standing at the entrance were two people. These two people were familiar beings to both Lossius and Relinquo.

"Magpie!" Lossius exclaimed, "French!" The two looked at him, then exchanged a glance to each other. Smiles then grew across their faces.

"Lossius, long time no see," French said, lowering a blade that he had been wielding. French and Magpie were fellow Police. "I was going to send you an invitation to come to my new region, Canuckland." Lossius nodded his head slowly, envisioning a beaver for some reason.

"Yeah, he got an Architect to file the land for him," Magpie said, "and all we have right now are the walls and our homes." Magpie was also a Police. They were all a part of a group called the SPG (Special Police Group.) Quite a general name, yes.

"You two must come to Tenzora sometime soon," Lossius explained, "Eve and I just finished construction. It's complete." He then heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw two women dressed up in formal clothing. One had mainly red clothing, whilst the other had purple.

"Lady Avariella," Relinquo addressed, "and Lady Lexa. Good evening to you both." They looked at Relinquo, exchanging friendly eye contact. Lexa was one of the Knights with the highest possible status. Avariella was one of the Ladies of the Land. They both smiled and so did Lossius and Relinquo, stepping out of the way for them to move on through.

"No, no, it is all right," Lexa assured, "You two can go first."

"It is only polite," Lossius reasoned, turning to look at Avariella. She scoffed.

"Lossius? Being polite?" Avariella said, "That's a first." She then walked on ahead, Lexa tagging along, laughing lightly. Lossius grimaced slightly. Meanwhile Magpie and French both chuckled, and Relinquo was grinning. Lossius shook his head.

"Move on, move on," Lossius said, walking on inside. Relinquo followed.

The Hall was lined with Brightstone, which glowed together to light the room. There was a red carpet that lead to the large table where the members would meet then dine. A free five-star meal? That beat farming pigs any day. That's what Lossius was thinking as his stomach selfishly grumbled. He placed his hand on his stomach, hoping to calm it. It would look very bad for him is his stomach were to be growling during the meeting. Relinquo proceeded to sit at a chair, while Lossius sat beside him. There were already many people sitting at the table. Many had familiar faces and voices. Everyone was exchanging greetings. Lossius ended up greeting many, including his friends Turest, Flash, Lava, and Lord Bomber. The table's seats quickly filled with more and more people until there were none left. On the table laid a red mat that stretched from head to head. Golden goblets sat on the table at each seat, along with a golden plate and utensils. After everyone was present, the room suddenly darkened. This caused a few gasps from the members of the table. Relinquo had his arms crossed, then exclaimed.

"Well, this is new."

A blue hologram appeared above the table at the center. It morphed into a plane that symbolised Mikeland as a whole. The hologram expanded, showing all the land and its creations. Almost everyone gasped in awe and stared. All of their faces were lit up by the blue light cast by the hologram.

"Mikeland," A loud voice echoed throughout the room, originating from a source that was behind the head of the table. In the darkness lit up a red light. Within that red light was a silhouette of a human being walking down the stairs, "and it's thanks to all of you." The hologram then surfaced on the table and dispersed. Then, everyone had their own copy floating in front of them. Some attempted to touch it with their hands, discovering that their hands went through it.

"I have recently perfected this technique to show you all the fruits of your creations," the deep voice resonated throughout the Hall. Everyone turned to look at the being appear before them, pulling out his chair. Some attempted to stand in politeness, but he gestured them to stay seated. "Hello, everyone." This was Mike. The room then glowed to a semi-light level.

"We're here today to commence the annual meeting of Mikeland," he stated, "and let's hope some progress is achieved with this session." He them cleared his throat, sitting down. Mike was a sorcerer. He was the creator of Mikeland, the land for all those who wish to be safe from Outer Minecraftia. It's known as one of the closest kingdoms to the Far Lands - the edge of the world. Mike was very famous all over the world.

"Our first topic sadly has to be of two recent events that greatly affected Mikeland..." Mike took a breath, then said it: "The Bob Crisis and Grass going postal." Lossius tilted his head. He had no knowledge of these events. This was because he was at home, building most of the time.

"Some of you do not know what I mean by this," Mike claimed, "however, two fairly trusted Police have unfortunately left us, damaging homes and destroying many regions during the night a few weeks ago." This caused a few people to gasp in surprise. A voice came out from the table: "That's unbelievable! First Bob, and now Grass?"

"Indeed," Mike said, his voice deepening, becoming saddened, "two Police. Having taken advantage of their powers, they were able to slip through their own security and destroy many areas without being caught. However, eye witnesses said that it was Bob and Grass who committed these acts."

"Are you absolutely positive?" Lossius said, interrupting, "Grass was a trusted member of the SPG. He was a great comrade."

"I realize that it is difficult for you to comprehend this, Lossius," Mike explained, "however, over the past few years, Grass has grown into a potentially harmful citizen. His attitude became monstrous, and his judgement calls were 'uncalled for.' " The holograms, synchronized, moved to a region that was cleaned. "In this region, there used to be a city named Zenith Town. After Zenith's disappearance, it was left as a mere ghost town." Zenith. Zenith was an amazing architect of Mikeland. He built a giant castle gate that encased Zenith Town. He had disappeared only days after Lossius first arrived in Mikeland.

"Zenith's town got obliterated by Grass a few months ago," Mike stated, "and now Flash has agreed to preserving the area and branding it the new name, Twin Leaf, Ruins of Zenith." Whispers spurred throughout the audience. "Signs were left by them as well, and I believe this will be the moment of truth." He snapped his fingers, causing the holographs to morph into a sign. Mike read it aloud as people gasped in surprise and horror.

"I have left this excuse of a kingdom," Mike read, "and it shall be no more. For Team Solis Ruberis shall darken the Sun and reign upon the closest destination." He silenced himself for a moment so everyone could take it in. "We, as in Mick, Jacko, Falcon, Pep, and myself, believe that he is referring to the Far Lands. I, being trained in the magic arts, am aware of the dangerous power that lies in the distortion."

Everyone knew what he meant. The Far Lands and their nature are taught to everyone when they are children. It is a place of distortion. A place where normal human beings are not expected to survive for long. The very changes in time and space is thought to screw around with different parts of your body. However, some believe that this is a very thin wall of distortion, and on the other side laid a sacred grove that spanned into infinity. But, that's just a fairy tale. Others believe that it leads directly to a void of darkness.

"If Solis Ruberis is able to take over Mikeland, they'll have control of the closest stronghold to the Far Lands," Mike explained, as the Overlords stood up.

"We therefore must group appropriate members to prepare themselves for possible battle," Mick continued from Mike, "and these people will be taught basic magic if they do not know any." Jacko, the closest to Mike, spawned some papers into his hand.

"I wish to speak," Relinquo said, interrupting the Overlords. Appalled by the disrespect, Pep grimaced.

"You may speak, Relinquo," Mike granted. Relinquo stood up and cleared his throat.

"No matter what you do," Relinquo stated, "they're going to reach it." Whispers among the members of the table rose again, and the expression on Mike's face dropped from a serious face to one of deep concern.

"You had another one, didn't you..." Mike sad, his voice trailing off. At this point, everyone got a bit scared. Relinquo nodded, keeping his cool, keeping to his ego.

"The fish in a pond in Tenzora were acting strangely," Relinquo explained, "and so, I attempted to read their cores." He picked up his hologram, establishing physical connection with it. Everyone was watching him now, in awe. Turest, at the table, attempted to swipe his hand through, and so did Anohh. Yet it still didn't work. "May I manipulate your magic, Mike?"

Mike nodded, issuing admittance. Relinquo then pushed the hologram into the air, allowing it to flow gracefully into the center of the table. This caused all of the holograms to vanish and add to the main hologram, making it bigger.

"The Amethyst," Relinquo began, "an object that only some know of. However, I am positive that everyone here is a trusted member of Mikeland. Trusted enough to know of its existen-"

"You could have at least removed the Police from the premises before announcing its existence," Pep advised.

"Excuse me?" Lossius then stood up, "We Police have been serving Mikeland for years now!"

"Two Police have gone postal in the last few months, Mr. Lossius," Pep stated, "Now, do not speak out of turn. You are lucky that you aren't being ushered out at this moment in time." Lossius' fists clenched, but then he sat down.

"Pep, you are incorrect," Relinquo said, as he attempted to shape the hologram, "if it's anyone's fault, it should be yours. You are the head of personnel, aren't you?" This caused Pep to stutter, attempting to retort with an answer. However, there was none.

"There we go," Relinquo said, initiating a light that shined across the hologram. Suddenly, the form of Mikeland reappeared. But it was different. "I have created this hologram using the very essence of my memories of the future I saw."