> "Umm..."
> Sigh.
> "...all right. Lead the way."
>The soldier nods, and both of them lead you away.
>Outside the room, or the chariot, you suppose, things are vastly different. You are in what seems to be an immense chamber made of...you're certain a lot of it is metal, but other parts seem to be stone and things you just don't recognize. It is immense, easily reminding you of the Ancient City's cavern, though not quite as large as that. The ceilings arcs dozens of feet overhead, supported by arches of trussed metal. Lights shine down from bright disks that you imagine much have some kind of spell on them. The whole place is filled with strange metal things that remind you...somewhat over the chariot you just rode in; huge metal things with basic shapes and apparent places for people to enter them. Some have wheels, others have long stiff wings, still others just defy comprehension. As you look around, you can see some small wheeled vehicles moving around, a person driving them as they haul items that you cannot really identify in beds on the back or in wagons behind them; powerful magic must move them as you can see no other thing that would.
>There are humans all over the place here. Soldiers that have come in, likely in response to the chariot arriving, people in strange clothes that seem to be one entire garment that covers the whole body, working on the large vehicles, and VIVIT. At first, you wonder how she got out before you did, and why she is assisting some man with a toolbox. Then you see her across the way, using some device on a vehicle. Then you see her walking down the hall beside herself, both VIVITs carrying a heavy-looking box. It is...disconcerting, to say the least. People look at you curiously as you are escorted away. You know the look, and it is comfortably familiar. It is the look of people who have never seen a youkai before, and are experiencing the reality that they truly aren't the only people in the world after all. Some things never seem to change.
>You are ushered from the immense bay, and into a large hallway. The floors here are tiled with some kind of white and gray stone, you think it's some varient of marble or alabaster. The walls seem to be made of some kind of wood-like material, painted white and kept reasonable bare. There are doors at regular intervals, some with boards outside with papers dangling from them, some with machinery consoles like the ones in the chariot. The ceiling is reasonably high overhead, and curved. There isn't a lot of decoration; while it isn't really ugly there is a definite feel of utilitarianism to the whole place. At one point you pass by what looks like the reverse of a fountain, with the water contained inside a glass jug and a spout on the underside; some kind of dispenser?
>The people here seem less coarse, many of them are dressed in pressed shirts, pants, or skirts. Sometimes the wear knee-lenght capes, with their hair neatly arranged in various styles and colors. It gives you a feeling very similar to the halls of Higan, but somehow less...authentic. Like these people were doing jobs that weren't as important, but wanted to believe they were. You recall minor functionaries like that, back in those days. However, they look at you with the same curiosity as the people in the bay. Among them you note around a half dozen more VIVITs.
>After a few minutes, you are lead through some large double doors and into another smaller hall. This one is much more white than before, and has a kind of strange clean feel to it. You only see one person in the halls, a woman in a white capelet and blue clothes underneath, who gives you the same curious look as everyone. You are led into a side room, where there are several obvious cells, five little rooms with bars and doors built into the bars.
>"We'll need to take your possessions," says the soldier who has spoken thus far. "They will be kept safe."
>_
