The square was bustling with people, most of whom hustled to and from the buildings along the edges. Between the skyscrapers were much more modest structures – at least in comparison. However, when held against most other cities Elijah had visited, they were sitll impressively constructed. Some looked grand and regal, like baroque palaces that could rival the most opulent of seventeenth century French architecture. Others were more subdued in their artistry, taking cues from modern sensibilities. And there were many more that ranged between those two extremes.

In short, for someone that appreciated varied architectural styles, it was a lot like heaven. And Elijah spent quite a few minutes just appreciating the talent on display. From a passerby, he learned that each of those buildings – counting more than fifty – were the headquarters of one guild or another. The current residents weren’t the first, though. In fact, most of the structures themselves were viewed as temporary. When one guild fell from the top fifty-four, they would be ousted by their replacement, who would doubtless erect a new building to represent their tastes.

Of course, most of those renovations were cosmetic. The underlying structures remained the same, their sizes dictated by available space as well as status. After all, the fifth ranked guild deserved a larger headquarters than the forty-ninth.

The rigid system of rankings struck Elijah as petty, but who was he to judge? Doubtless, the visible evidence of their relative power was useful, and in a number of important ways. Perhaps it even prevented conflict, shifting the guilds’ focus from fighting one another to trying to one-up their rivals and jump them on the rankings.

The fact was that he didn’t know the underlying foundation that dictated the situation, so he couldn’t, in good conscience, judge the results. However, he could very much appreciate the interesting architecture birthed by the situation.

Some of those buildings clearly traced their influences back to foreign cultures. Elijah recognized some of their characteristics from Ironshore, but others were entirely alien to him. And that made them incredibly interesting, to the point that he regretted that he couldn’t spend a few days just wandering around and inspecting each one.

He had an appointment to keep, though, and he was already on the verge of tardiness. So, after spending nearly half an hour playing tourist, he moved on to his final destination – the comparatively squat structure at the center of the square.

It was only a couple hundred feet across and four stories tall, though it seemed much taller – likely due to the vertical emphasis, with tall, narrow windows and geometric ornamentation. Each story subtly stepped inward, and its integrated, square pillars jutted skyward, ending in elaborate and symmetrical shapes that Elijah belatedly realized were meant to represent a cross-section of stars.

The entrance that was his destination featured an ornate, tiered overhang carved with a sunburst pattern.

Even though it was much shorter than the buildings surrounding the square, it still dominated the eye-line, almost looming over the entire area. Fewer people headed in its direction, though there were enough to suggest that it housed a significant number of support personnel.

Elijah also couldn’t miss the smattering of guards here and there. None of them were police like the ones he’d already met. Instead, they wore eclectic gear that marked them as so-called adventurers, the label given to those people who routinely braved towers and would eventually make up the bulk of the forces to combat the Primal Realms. Elijah suspected that most of the guilds’ membership was comprised of such men and women, though he knew their rosters included every archetype, including non-combat personnel.

Striding forward, he was well aware that his passage drew more than a few eyes. It was impossible to fly under the radar while wearing his suit, which was likely what Hope had intended when she’d made it. Elijah resisted the urge to summon the Verdant Fang and let the flaming Antlers of the Wild Revenant show. If he went that route, it might just cause a panic – especially given his actions the last time he’d followed that line of thinking in public.

It didn’t take Elijah long to cover the couple hundred yards to the entrance, and as he approached, he noted that the guards on duty – four of them, in fact – tracked his every movement. When he reached them, one stepped forward and, with a respectful nod, said, “Mr. Hart. The council is expecting you.”

“Oh, good. I’d have hated to have to introduce myself. Do I just head in? Or…oh, a guide. Swell.”

Indeed, a short, stocky man in a bow-tie stood in the doorway, a tablet in hand. He adjusted his round spectacles, saying, “Yes, if you will follow me, Mr. Hart? I’m to lead you inside.”

Elijah noted that the man’s accent was British, and he radiated enough power to mark him as having a few levels under his belt. Far from ascended, but still, he’d clearly put in some work.

“Lead on, then,” Elijah said with his best smile. The man flinched at the expression.

His guide, who then introduced himself as Chester, did just that, and Elijah was as impressed with the interior of the building as he had been with the exterior. The art deco styling was still in evidence, with a preference for vertical lines, sharp edges, and geometric shapes.

“Nice place you have here,” Elijah remarked as the steps from his leviathan-skin shoes echoed through the spacious lobby. There were plenty of people around, all hurrying about one task or another, and more than anything, it reminded Elijah of a mid-century, high-end bank in a populous city.

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“Thank you. It was designed by the noted Architect Esther Carmichael and assembled by our most accomplished Builder, Avi Cohen and his crew,” Chester said as he led Elijah through the lobby and to a set of double doors that glistened with ethera. “This is the Guild Hall. Each of the top two hundred guilds are represented in our monthly sessions.”

“What constitutes a guild?” Elijah asked. “And are we only talking about the ones based in New York? I’m certain there are other similar organizations in other parts of the world.”

“A good question, Mr. Hart,” Chester said, taking a right turn. Apparently, they weren’t headed to the Guild Hall. “There are many organizations that have yet to join our alliance, though we hope to add them in the future as world communication becomes more facile.”

“What about city-states and kingdoms?”

“They are not included in our alliance, though we do have agreements with many of them.”

“Like Seattle?”

“That is not for me to discuss. If you would like to know more, then the Guild Heads will answer all your questions,” Chester answered.

The non-answer was a bit annoying, but Elijah understood the reasoning behind it well enough. Even if Chester knew all the details, saying the wrong thing might drive a wedge between Elijah and the members of the Four Corners Accord. And given that they’d yet to finalize their truce, that would be disastrous.

So, seeing that he’d hit the limit of what Chester was willing to discuss, Elijah fell silent as he followed the man to a nearby hall. It was decorated similarly to the rest of the facility, though the art on the walls tended toward climactic battles. When he finally asked his guide about it, Elijah found that they were meant to represent notable victories for the guilds.

If he commissioned such paintings to commemorate his own battles, what would they show? Elijah almost chuckled at the notion of someone painting a picture of him being digested or ripped in half.

Doubtless, that wasn’t the image of heroism the guilds wanted to portray.

Soon enough, Chester led Elijah to another set of double doors. Unless he’d lost his bearings, Elijah believed the room on the other side was at the extreme eastern end of the facility. When he asked, Chester confirmed that that was the case, adding, “The western end is where the Small Hall is located. There, representatives of the fifty-four highest-rank guilds meet to discuss subjects of great import.”

“And what do you call this?” Elijah asked, nodding to the doors before him. They were made of dark wood and covered with glyphs he recognized as enchantments. “And what’s with the enchantments?”

“The Inner Council Chamber is enchanted for privacy and durability, and nothing else.”

“Ah. Good to know.”

After that, Chester opened the doors to reveal a simple room, maybe fifty feet across and featuring a large, square table at its center. The table itself was a work of art made of stone and featuring what appeared to be a topographical map of the island at its center. The walls were paneled with dark wood, and a domed skylight featured in the ceiling.

But Elijah was far more concerned with the people.

The ones seated at the table were varied. An elven woman with white hair was the most striking, though Elijah’s eyes were drawn to the two humans. One was a hulking, dark-skinned man whose cheeks were marred by stratified ritual scars. His bare shoulders also bore dimpled scars that almost made his skin look like scales. Otherwise, he wore a flowing robe featuring multiple layers and colored various shades of pale blue, with white trim.

More importantly, the man practically distorted the local atmosphere with his power, evidence that he was not only high-leveled, but also had achieved some significant strides forward in cultivation. If Elijah had been forced to guess, he would have put him just shy of Sadie’s level, though it was difficult to say without real focus.

The other human present was also dark-skinned, though clearly of South Asian descent. He wore a high-collared, red jacket with subtle embroidery decorating the chest. His beard was tapered, his hair was well coifed, and all-in-all, he looked like he paid quite a lot of attention to his appearance.

If Elijah went on that alone, he might’ve dismissed the man as a vain dandy. But he felt the power emanating from him, suggesting that the Indian man was at least as strong as the African.

The elf’s power was a little more difficult to pin down. When Elijah focused on her, he only sensed an ephemeral cloud. Menacing, but diffuse.

The final occupant of the table was a red-skinned goblin, her ears bearing multiple piercings and her features understated for her race.

Elijah knew all of their names. Davu Adebowale was the scarred fighter. Ram Khandu, the well-groomed Indian. Gix, the goblin. And finally, Shanala, the elf.

They weren’t the room’s only occupants, either. Occupying much of the space was a small army of what Elijah suspected were attendants and Administrators like Chester. The only other person present who gave Elijah any notion of real power was a tall, dark-haired man wearing slacks, a sports coat, and a collared shirt.

Elijah knew his name as well. Desmond Farina, leader of the League of Ancients. Disappointingly, Chelsea was nowhere to be seen. Not a surprising development, but still notable. Either she wasn’t important enough for such a meeting, or she was smart enough to know better than to insert herself into politics.

Probably a little of both, though Elijah suspected that they were interconnected.

Whatever the case, the gathered people all went silent as Elijah stepped inside the room. The four leaders stood as one, though Davu Adebowale was the first to speak.

“Welcome, Mr. Hart,” he said with a bow. “We are honored by your presence.”

“Thanks for having me,” Elijah responded with a nod of his head. “You have a nice setup here. Very organized. I’m impressed.”

“Thank you. Would you like to take a seat?” Adebowale asked, gesturing to a chair at one corner of the square table.

“Suppose that makes sense,” Elijah said. “Though, perhaps introductions are in order. As you all know, my name is Elijah Hart.”

After that, the four all introduced themselves, confirming Elijah’s initial impressions. When he reached Shanala, she fixed him with an appraising gaze, then remarked, “I expected someone far wilder. I am happy to be disappointed by your civility.”

“Figured I’d put on my Sunday best for a meeting like this. If wild is what you want, you should see me when I’m…ah…working.”

“Indeed.”

Gix was a little more reserved, though no less judgmental. Ram Khandu, on the other hand, asked him for his Tailor’s contact information. Elijah told him that he’d see what he could do, though he had no intention of letting anyone in that room near Hope or his grove. They were predators all.

Which put him in like company.

When he sat, he asked, “So, are we ready to get down to business?”