Originally we had wanted to wait until after nightfall, but we'd been assured that it would be okay to go through now. According to data they had, the other side was located in a parking garage at a sports stadium.
"Well, might as well go." I said and looked at Evean. "I'll go first."
"Sure thing, Will."
I walked up and put my hand on the portal, it was another one I didn't recognize, and then just stepped through.
Fifteen
3rd World
Ultraman - Stadium
I stepped out into a parking garage, as expected and moving out of the way quickly I immediately started to look around to see if there was anybody else around.
There were cars parked down at the far end of the garage, which was pretty far away from where I was now.
Joseph followed next, then Gregory, Suzona, Loomis, Teshes, and Evean.
"Just as the reports said," Evean said looking around.
We'd all changed into the street clothes that we'd last worn back in Japan before coming through. From the pictures we'd seen, it looked to be the most innocuous. We'd also packed everything into the Honshin Tigers gear bags and put the backpacks away.
"Well, let's go," Evean said and linking arms with Loomis she led the way.
I found myself partnered with Teshes and Gregory and Suzona had teamed up again, with Joseph walking solo behind us.
"Maybe we should buy Joseph a leash," Suzona teased.
"If he wasn't the size of a large pony, that would be a good idea," Evean said.
"He'd draw too many looks," I said, "he's a wolf; people would be staring at him."
"Which means they wouldn't see us at all," Gregory noted, "as they'd be too busy staring at him."
"They have a point you know," Joseph said. "It's not like I mind being a dire wolf, quite the opposite in fact," he added with a shrug.
"I'll keep it in mind," Evean said. "But first, we need to get a better idea of what this place is like, and where we have to go to gather intelligence."
"First we need to find our way out of this building," I grumbled looking around. One of the problems with traveling into a new sphere was that while you picked up the spoken language automatically, you didn't get the written one.
Oh, you could learn it pretty quickly, and the more languages you learned the easier it got over time. At the last place the computer terminals we'd been using had the ability to read the text on the screen, which had saved us a lot of time. We'd only gotten them to set that up for us once they'd realized we couldn't read their language and they got tired of translating everything for us. So right now none of the signs meant anything to us.
Twenty minutes and a few wrong turns later we made it out of the garage and out onto the street. We didn't really stand out all that much. While our clothing was different, there were so many styles on the people walking around, that I don't know if anyone would have cared.
"We need to find a place to stay," Evean said. "A base of operations to work from."
"I think I can do that," Suzona said. She was in her champion form, and she was drawing quite a few looks from the men walking by. She unhooked her arm from Gregory's and started to strut off down the street. Once she was fifty feet in front of us, Evean shrugged and started to follow.
Within the next ten minutes a rather well dressed man came up to her and started to talk to her, after a few minutes he took her hand and fifteen minutes later we were at a rather nice hotel. Which the two of them went up into.
"Damn, you been giving her lessons or something, Evean?" Joseph teased.
"I may have handed out a pointer or two," Evean said with a grin.
"Now, all we need is money," I said looking around. "Should a couple of us split off and find a pawn shop or something?"
"Let's settle down and wait here for a little while and see what Suzona has for us."
I shrugged and went and found a place to sit. There were quite a few benches in front of the hotel, and no one bothered us at all.
It was probably a half-hour later when Suzona came out, waved to us, and then led us into the hotel, through the lobby and into an elevator.
"So, got us a room?" Evean asked.
Suzona nodded, "Yes, it should do for now."
I looked at the elevator panel and figured out the number symbols fairly quickly. We were going up to the eighteenth floor.
When the door opened, she led us down a long hall, to a room, and pulling out what looked like a credit card, she used it to open the door.
"I only have one of these, so if we all go anywhere, you can't get back in without me. Unless we leave someone here." Suzona said.
We followed her inside, the room was rather nice, and as hotel rooms go, it was big enough. There were two double beds, and a small sitting area with a couch and a table and a couple of chairs.
I went over to one of the nightstands by the beds and started opening drawers. Sure enough, I found a rather large book, with lots of writing and strings of digits on one side.
"What's that?" Teshes asked.
"Phonebook," I said.
"Or the local equivalent," Joseph put in.
"What's a phone book?" She asked.
"A listing of all the people and businesses in the area that have a telephone. We can use it to contact them." I said looking through it. "All we need to do now, is learn the language," I sighed, "Which could take weeks."
"Oh, I got that covered too," Suzona said, looking a little, well; best I could describe it would be 'guilty.'
"Oh? How?"
"My god Isengruer now knows it. I suspect tonight when we all sleep, our gods will teach it to us."
Joseph looked at Suzona, "How does your god ...." He stopped and gave her a pained look.
"I asked Isengruer not to kill him, with any luck, he should be able to send him back, or at least some place nearby in this plane."
I was about to ask, but then I remembered what I had done to that senator.
"What happened?" Teshes asked me.
"She chucked him through a portal into her god's main temple," I said
"Oh?" She paused a moment, "And?"
"A god can pretty much read any normal mortal's mind within their own main temple."
"Oooooh," Teshes nodded. "Well, I guess I'm going to take a nap then and speak with Selentia.
Evean looked around at everyone, "It's getting late in the day, we might as well all do the same."
I nodded and went and lay down on the couch stretching out. I hadn't slept in a couple of days and was out like a light.
§ §
The first thing I noticed was that Fel looked rather somber, that did not strike me as a good thing at all.
"How bad?" I asked, looking around the bar. Nothing in it had changed, and of course I had not felt anything, unlike the time one of Fel's temples had been destroyed. Then again, I was not on the same plane right now, so maybe the distance had muted it?
"It's not as bad as it could have been, William. It is however not good and there are a few things that I know will hurt you personally."
"Was Jane killed?" I asked concerned. That would bother me, however she would reincarnate in three days if she had been.
"No, Jane managed to survive, barely. However Shin was killed, as was Felecia."
That stopped me.
"Felecia is dead?" I asked, shocked. "How?"
"The monster went after Fordessa's temple. We suspect that because it is a main temple and the monster being a creature of the negative plane, that it was drawn to the powers that the temple exudes.
"Jane, Shin, and of course Fordessa, with the help of the army and the faithful did manage to drive it off, eventually. But the damage to the area was substantial. While Felecia was instrumental in its being turned away, she died in the process."
I sat there stunned, I just couldn't believe it. High priestesses rarely saw combat, and for one to have died, it must have been a huge shock to Fordessa and her power!
&n
bsp; "Yes, it was," Fel said, "And it will be several days before she is over it, at least Jane survived and was able to appoint a new High Priestess in her wake, or things would have been significantly more difficult.
"However, I have some worse news for you, William."
"What could be worse than that?" I asked, shocked.
"Goth was also killed."
"WHAT! Goth? How?" I was on my feet with no recollection of having even stood. "What was she doing there? Why was she fighting? What happened?"
"She was helping to care for the wounded in one of the shelters that had been set up, in a large building near the temple, before anyone had realized that the temple's presence was drawing it.
"While they were fighting with the monster and repulsing it, it leveled the building, everyone inside was killed," Fel said softly.
Some people will tell you that you cannot cry in a dream. Well I can say that they are most definitely wrong. After all I had been through with Goth, the arguments, her attempts to make me more than just her adopted father; I had never once pictured a world without her in it.
And now she was gone.
"Did, did she suffer?" I asked.
"No, William. It was quick."
"I notice you didn't say painless," I gasped, trying to collect myself.
"Has it ever been painless for you?" Fel asked gently.
I shook my head, "No, it hasn't."
"So, you'd know I was lying if I had said it was."
I nodded, "At least it was quick. Can I go talk to her?"
"In a moment. I think you should spend a while here with me first," Fel said and pulled me close and hugged me. I couldn't remember ever being hugged by him before, but it did help, I got my composure back after what felt like a few minutes.
"Are we in the right sphere, Fel?"
"You are in one on the way to where you must go, anything more than that, I can not tell you. Isengruer did share the language with the rest of us, and I have now shared it with you."
"One last question," I started.
"Yes, Goth has earned paradise. She really was among the faithful and her actions today were worthy. She died working hard to save others less fortunate than herself."
"Thank you, Fel. Do you know if it will attack the city again?"
"I do not think it will. Either it will attack the towns outside of Marland, or it will continue up the river and perhaps attack Riverbend next."
I nodded and turned and slowly walked towards the door. I really had no idea what I was going to say or do, and I was dreading having to say goodbye to my daughter, but I had to do it.
I found her almost as soon as I stepped out of the pub; in that dreamlike semi-haze that everything was when I came here in my dreams. She came running up to me and grabbed me.
"I'm sorry, Daddy!" She said hugging me.
"It wasn't your fault, Goth," I said and kissed her and hugged her back.
"If I hadn't volunteered to help with the wounded, I might not have been there," She sighed.
"You were doing the right thing; you were helping others who needed help. How could you have known?"
"I know, but I'm still sorry," She sniffed.
"Well, at least you get to go to paradise," I said and hugged her again.
"Really? What's it like?"
I shook my head, "I have no idea."
"But you've died, several times!"
"I don't get to go, until I stop working for Fel." I gave her another hug, "Do you want me to say anything to Adams for you?"
"He's here too, Father."
I looked up over her head, and sure enough, there was Second Adams.
"How did he?" I asked her.
"He was protecting Felecia, and he tried to protect her with his body. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. You know she's here too?"
I nodded. "I need to see her, but I can't stay long. This is a dream to me; I'm actually sleeping and will have to wake up soon."
"Okay, and thank you, Father, for saving my life. I know I would have died years ago, cold and alone, if you hadn't saved me. I had five wonderful years that I would never have gotten."
I nodded and gave her a last kiss and hugged her again. "Goodbye, Goth, I'll see you on the other side, someday."
"Goodbye, Daddy."
It took me a moment to let her go, even if it was only a dream, it was still difficult.
I went over to Second Adams, and shook his hand, "I'm sorry, thanks for treating my daughter well, and thanks for fighting to save the city and the temple."
"You're welcome, Sir," He said and then he went off to join Goth.
"Isn't easy, is it?"
I turned and saw Felecia standing there.
"It never is," I sighed. "Though this is the first time I've had to say goodbye to family here."
I shook my head, "So how did it get you?"
"That stupid breath weapon it has. Hurt like a bitch too!"
I smirked, "Dying always hurts, at least it always has for me."
Felecia nodded, "Well, at least it was fast. Poor Jane, she's so distraught. She thinks she could have saved me."
"Could she?" I asked.
"No, not at that point. She would have just been killed as well, along with her friend Shin. Then things would have been a real mess with no one around for Fordessa to tell who to appoint in my stead."
"Well, when I see her next, I'll talk with her."
"Just get that thing, whatever it is you're all after, soon. Get it and kill that monster before we lose too many more people."
"I will, Felecia, I promise, I will."
I could feel somebody tugging at me, in the real world.
"I have to wake up now, goodbye Felecia," I said and gave her a hug and a kiss.
"Not going to try for fling before I cross over?" She teased.
I sighed, smiling, and then waved as I left.
§ §
I opened my eyes, it was Suzona.
"Yes?" I grumbled.
"Let's go check out some of the shops in the area," she said.
"What about the others?" I said sitting up and stretching, I noticed Teshes and Joseph were getting rather comfortable on one of the beds.
"Gregory is already off looking around, and Evean and Loomis are in the bathroom, getting 'clean'." Suzona smirked when she said the last word.
"Evean said that?" I sighed and stood up.
"No, Loomis said it. I suspect he's a bit shy."
"Unlike those two," I said and nodded towards Joseph and Teshes, who were quickly going from 'comfortable' to 'intimate'.
Suzona laughed and the other two ignored us as we left. Most of us really weren't all that shy about sex anymore, a lot of champions having a rather freewheeling approach to sex and sexual relations, which after a while tended to rub off on you.
"I think Loomis is still pretty new," I said as the door closed behind us and we headed down towards the elevator.
"He is a local one, isn't he?"
I nodded, "So is Teshes."
I like Teshes," Suzona said, surprising me, "she's a nice girl."
"Gee, and here I had no idea at all," I teased half-heartedly.
Suzona winked at me and smirked, "And you will continue to have no idea, other than perhaps in your dreams."
I shook my head at that. "What about Loomis?"
Suzona shook her head then, "I do not like him. It is like he is always up to something."
"We're all up to something, Suzona. We're champions after all."
"But none of us really hide it, it's like he's not on the same," she paused a moment, "I guess the word would be team?"
"What about Evean?" I asked, curious about that now, as we got in the elevator.
"I have found that I respect her," Suzona sighed, "she is a strong woman, but she knows when to bend. A rare trait."
That surprised me a little, "Oh? Do you know when to bend?"
Suzona gave me an annoyed look then, "Apparently I am still learning."
&nb
sp; I nodded, "Years ago, many years ago, before I became a champion, someone once told me that the hardest lessons to learn were always the best."
"And do you agree?"
"I'd like to go back and punch them in the face," I grumbled. "Because while the hardest lessons might be the most important ones, learning them still sucks."
Suzona smiled at me then and took my arm as the doors opened and we walked out of the elevator, "It is nice to know I'm not the only one who feels that way."
"I don't know, you always seem to be the first one to go out and challenge anything or anybody, Suzona."
"That's because I'm a woman, and a beautiful one as well, William. I had to work twice as hard to prove myself when I was a young girl. Men look at me and most really have only one idea in their heads."
"Can you blame us?" I said with a wry smile, "Some of us find beautiful, confident, and competent women rather sexy."
"Hush," she said and gave my arm a push, but she was smiling all the same. "We are here to look for a pawn shop. Not so that you can seduce me."
"Just being honest, I'm still rather surprised at how much you chased after me."
I was surprised to see Suzona looking just a tad embarrassed then.
"Yes well, it's not often that a woman of my looks is refused by a man. It made me curious, especially when I could see you like women, a lot. I haven't had a lot of men say no to me before, William."
"I bet you haven't had any men say 'no' to you before."
"Evean told me that you treated her the same way at first, and after having seen her champion form, I must say that I am quite impressed."
I shrugged, "Desperation isn't a good dating strategy. But to be completely honest, there are people who I love, and who I do this all for. So just getting laid doesn't really do all that much for me anymore. I'd rather sleep with someone I like, than sleep with someone just because they're beautiful."
Suzona didn't say anything right away, we just strolled along looking at the shops, getting used to being able to read the signs. It's always a little strange at first when your god puts something in your mind.
Portals of Infinity: Kaiju Page 15