Again, their lack of security was off-putting as we strolled up to the door and knocked. After a moment, a klevonian opened the door. He was a shorter, young guy with spiky hair. He wore casual clothes – jeans, normal-looking shoes, a t-shirt, and a jacket. On his back, he carried a multicolored backpack, and on his head, he wore a similar headband, sunglasses, and circular cuffs around his ears. All of which was covered in paint.
If not for the Pegasus-shaped mark on his neck and the power I sensed within him, I'd have easily taken him for a hippy human.
Using the biolenses, I saw he was a 3-star threat with an EQN of 46,099,890, a sage klevonian with the terrain cintracy – making him a geo Pegasus – and a temp cintracy called Elastic Touch. With this power, he was given the moniker, Elastic Wonder.
As the guy stood before us in the doorway, I could hear the loud music coming from his ear cuffs. Seeing us staring at him, the guy sighed and removed one of the cuffs so he could hear us.
"You must be the new Crest Head. You fit the description," he remarked unenthusiastically. He clearly had no interest in interacting with us, probably preferring to be doing whatever he was doing to be covered in fresh paint.
"Yes, I'm Alissia. This is Za'Fia and Avarice, members of my crest," I introduced us.
"Cool, I'm Elic," he said as he ushered us inside, where we were hit with a powerful smell of paint fumes. There were dozens of pneumarians and klevonians either flying or zipping around as they each worked on some artistic or creative project of their own.
"Stand there," Elic instructed us, pointing at a stone portion of a wall that lowered in response to him.
We stepped inside it skeptically. Avarice tried to object, but I pulled him in with us.
"I'm sending you to the boss," he sighed. "Don't cause any trouble, or we'll have to stop what we're doing to kick you out. Then we'll all be mad. It won't be pleasant, so, you know...don't."
With that, he waved his hand, and the stone wall closed, and we felt ourselves rise higher up the castle.
Oh, it's an elevator! I mentally exclaimed.
A pitch black one. Couldn't they have added lights in here? Za'Fia remarked.
You have omnivision, Avarice retorted.
That's not the point.
The elevator rumbled to a stop, and we opened to what I assumed was the throne room. It was a beautiful area designed in elegant, ember walls, a collection of stunning artwork, and perfectly placed window panels that caught the afternoon sunlight to give the room a golden hue.
"Wowww," I said in awe as we stepped out of the elevator.
"This is the best throne room I've witnessed yet," Avarice marveled as he touched one of the pillars we passed by.
Up on the slightly elevated platform was a throne with a man lying comfortably across it. He was dressed casually, like everyone from the crest we'd met so far. He had sand-colored skin, except that one of his arms seemed to be discolored. He wore teal shorts with a matching jacket, a plain, white shirt, sandals, and beaded necklaces and bracelets. Shockingly, he was stunningly beautiful, too. His silverly hair had a slight purplish hue and a dark undertone that made it look majestic as it flowed smoothly down to his shoulders.
His bio card revealed that he went by the name of Steed. He was a 3-star threat with an astounding EQN of 519,000,000. He had the iridescence cintracy, making him a mystic Pegasus, and another one called Reality Fold.
Beside him stood another klevonian named Marrow. This one, however, was unlike anyone we'd met from the crest. He wore a formal, butler-y suit and appeared noticeably older than the others (since he was a klevonian, he was probably close to a million. Viraa guessed 900,000) and was attentive. He, too, was a 3-star threat with an EQN of 46,287,550. He possessed the Floral Tide cintracy, making him a nature Pegasus, while also possessing a temp cintracy called Exoskeleton, earning him the epithet, Bone Thorn.
Marrow sighed in disappointment, but not at us. Instead, he looked at his Crest Head.
"Sir, instead of creating an illusion, you should clean up your mess."
"Ah, that's uncool," Steed whined and looked at Marrow, his attendant, likely one of his personal guards now that I think about it.
The visage of the room began to shimmer as what we now realized was an illusion began to unravel.
Note to self: I seriously need to make time to practice viewing past iridescence.
Where there once stood a beautiful, elegant room was now a pig sty of a place, littered with food, trash, tonic bottles (Viraa pointed those out), and dead crystals everywhere. The putrid stench from it all brought tears to my eyes.
"Oh, God," Za'Fia said as she entered her restricted mode to keep from breathing. It seemed Avarice thought to do the same.
"And I went through he trouble of conjuring that up to make it look nicer..." Steed complained.
"Sir, can you please clean up this mess when you have guests?" Marrow insisted expressionlessly.
Steed lolled his head in annoyance. Too bothered to give a response.
"First impressions matter, Sir."
"Ehh, don't wanna. I'm trying to take a nap here."
"Sir..."
"Ugh. If it means so much to you, then you do it," Steed lazily waved off his attendant.
Marrow turned to us and bowed slightly.
"My apologies. As you can see, our failure of a leader values sleeping over dealing with matters such as properly greeting another Crest Head."
"I heard that..." Steed mumbled as he tried to fall asleep.
"I would hope so, Sir."
I blinked, surprised at his boldness.
"Won't that kind of attitude get you in trouble?" I asked, leaning in a little.
"Well, you see, that would require him actually to apply himself to his job. Unfortunately, as you can see...," Marrow motioned to Steed stretched out.
Steed groaned as he sat upright and placed his feet firmly on the floor.
"Forget a stick, this guy's got a steel pole stuck up there. How'd I get stuck with you as my right-hand man?"
"The others in the crest didn't want the job and unanimously saw me as the perfect counter to your neglectful nature. Everyone insisted I keep you on track. That is, after all, why our crest still flourishes," Marrow replied, handing Steed a handkerchief to wipe away the paint stain he spotted on Steed's hand.
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