Trudging through the city, and simply having to deal with the perverse gaze constantly on her body from the ever staring statue, Tiff looked between the rickety, pathetic hovels with a discerning gaze.

They were built with such little care, even the most drab slums in some of the poorest countries seemed like they offered better living conditions than these rundown homes, if they could even be called such things.

Rotten boards and wood scavenged from multiple places were bound together with mud, leaves and other foliage to create something that could barely resemble four walls and a roof, although none of them would be nearly enough to withstand even the slightest drizzle. A dreadful thing for a country known for being incredibly wet and raining 90% of the time.

Whenever she peaked inside the homes, which was easy as they had no doors, she found that they had no furniture at all. Some had blankets of leaves or furs, but not all of them. The only consistent feature within these huts, was a miniature statue, identical to the giant one glaring down at her.

Even these miniature statues had soft, glowing eyes that acted as the sole source of illumination within these hovels.

All signs of the previous civilisation had been utterly uprooted. Metal, stone, even roads had been removed as the city was plunged back into something resembling the middle ages. The only remnants of life before, was the wood that they had used to build those pathetic excuses for houses.

Yet, from what they could see of the people, and those that they talked with, none of them seemed to mind it one bit. With the pair posing as newly integrated refugees, the people were more than happy to proselytise their beliefs to the pair and tell them any information they asked about.

They talked of the release from the worries of luxury and how their new lifestyle connected them with the earth much better. About how they had been freed from the shackles of the previous society and liberated with a life of simplicity.

They told them that only once they had resolved themselves of all unnecessary tethers and possessions, that they could feel His light properly and become worthy of His blessing. The bright, glassy eyed smiles on their faces and the way they got very handsy when speaking these words definitely unsettled the pair.

Clearly they were completely different to their own church members. These people were lost from the truth of the true god of this new world, and only those from the Lord's Church like Tiff knew the actual truth.

It was sad really, watching these people dedicate themselves to someone so worthless and posing as a false god, when they could instead be worshipping a real one.

More questioning led them to a few more revelations of the city, and of these poor deluded people's twisted beliefs. From what they had been told, the city was built in a circular formation, with the statue acting as the centre point and three layers to the circle.

The outer layer was what they were currently standing in, and was the largest section of the city. It was built, or deconstructed in their opinion, for those initiates and those 'yet to receive his blessing', which meant those without abilities.

The second layer consisted of those who had received the blessing, as well as where all of the children, regardless of their parents stature or class, were taken for education and initiation. If Tiff hadn't slipped away from her creepy, lecherous guard then he would have ultimately sent her to this part of the city, although it would have been to the part he lived in. So it was probably for the best that she slipped away.

Finally, the most inner layer - the one beneath the statue - was where the 'Lightbringer' resided alongside his Paladins, who were the strongest members of the city, equivalent to the status of Astra or Fox.

Indeed, these people were under the impression that abilities were not a fact of evolution, or something granted to them by an all present system of some kind, but were in fact the direct blessings of their God. Even those who came from outside of their city with powers, such as their group, did not break this belief. Instead it only seemed to reinforce it for these people, who once again got very handsy.

They were rubbing the girls shoulders and arms, as if trying to rub the blessing off of them, and insisting that destiny had brought them to this city. That they were lucky to have received his blessings, and that they were so kind for talking to lowly peasants such as themselves.

It was both disturbing, and a little gratifying, to have these people grovel at their feet like they were angels descended from heaven. It was certainly a stark difference from their own home, but who could resist a little bit of worship every now and then.

At the people's insistence, they moved closer to the second layer they didn't have to wonder when they were getting close. Obviously there was the wall, much more robust and complete than the one surrounding the city, showing clear priorities, but there was something more eerie that gave it away.

Exactly a metre away from the imposing wall separating the two layers, it all simply stopped. Be it the dirt road, unkempt grass, rotten houses or even the overbearing light. All signs of poverty and 'lower class' simply and immediately stopped and instead gave way to a moat, one that was being sustained by the large river that flowed outside the city.

Poking out from within the moat, Tiff could see a few dorsel fins covered in glistening silver scales. They appeared out of the water, carving through it for a moment before disappearing underneath.

'Puddle Sharks... Not ideal, but should be expected.'

The creatures in question, Puddle Sharks, were named mainly for their ability to appear within and transport themselves between any body of water large enough to hold their bodies, which was about as large as a chihuahua.

It should be mentioned that the measurements of the body of water only included length and breadth. Depth was not a concern to puddle sharks, leading to them often being seen within shallow, but wide, puddles. Hence the name.

They were usually non aggressive to people, feasting on birds and rodents that wandered near their hunting grounds, especially when it rained heavily - which was a lot since they were in Scotland - but their appearance did lend an intimidating air to them. It was unlikely that the person who had built this moat told the people on this side of their harmless nature.

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the moat, a number of thoughts and theories were going through Tiff's head, but she put them to the side for now until she had more to back them up, and instead knelt by the water.

Still under the blasting radiance of that overbearing light, she pretended to be checking her appearance in the reflection of the water, tapping the surface to rid it of any ripples and get a steadier pictures.

She leaned forward and over the water so that her head was in the shadow of wall and outside of the light, and stared down into the moat, as well as down at the reflection that was not her own.

Where there should have been her gorgeous, flawless face reflecting back at her, there was instead the face of a grumpy, grey haired old man with stern and serious eyes. Tiff regarded the reflection with a neutral expression, speaking softly just in case,

"Have you met up with the sand man yet?"

The reflection narrowed its eyes before it leaned forward, until Fox's head pushed its way out of the moats watery surface, without a drop of water touching his perfect grey hair.

"Yes, we met by chance. Have you found what we are looking for yet?"

"Not yet. But I know you don't carry a communicator, So I thought I would be nice and help you out. The light is surveillance, avoid acting suspicious under it. Move deeper into the city, there is a zone without it for those with abilities. I expect we will find our target there. Rendezvous inside."

She leaned back, touching the collar around her neck as if she was adjusting it, before standing up straight. She couldn't risk spending too much time with her reflection, otherwise they might get suspicious. Or, even worse, they could think she was just vain, and she was much too pretty for that.

Fox nodded softly, his head disappearing into the water's reflective surface without so much as a splash, before her reflection shimmered and returned to what it should be.

***

Fox pulled his head out of the hand mirror that Lee was awkwardly holding, before the grey haired man dismissed it back into ink that flowed over his hand. That was quite the useful requital he had gained, even if he did have to specifically hunt everything with shiny scales to get it.

He, Lee and Bob were currently hiding within an empty, abandoned building. A destroyed remnant of what had once been an actual house, instead of the one's that the people now lived within.

They might not have known about the Light, but they weren't stupid enough to do such things in the open. When Fox recounted the conversation to the other members, they grew visibly uncomfortable and started to eye the light outside with suspicion.

Now that they were aware of the danger, Bob held up his hand and displayed the ring that wrapped around one of his sandy fingers, before they left the building and put on their best casual act.