WORSHIP ( ❥ ) DREAMNOBLADE [Reupload]

04. | HIS TERMS

'You know where to find me then.'

Dave hadn't even signed the letter but Clay knew it was him; the paper was a light baby pink, and the envelope itself an incredibly bright white, its seal of a fine crimson wax with the pattern of a pig's snout stamped into it. It was beautiful and delicately done. Dave's penmanship was far better than Clay's, that was for sure.

Clay felt his body unconsciously slow its pace as he got closer to the large portal leading to the region in which Dave resided. He was nervous—justifiably so—considering who he was about to go see. Clay would've prayed to not let it impact his performance but prayer didn't seem to do him any good recently. Begrudgingly, Clay forced himself through the plasma, coming out on the other side to a much quieter, small

town full of Tudor style buildings packed tightly together. It was rather odd, since there was still modern commodities like cars and vending machines, but the overall aesthetic of the place was much older. It was no secret that Dave lived on the northern most hill, so that's the direction Clay began walking in.

It was tough to believe such a violent man was surrounded by such peace.

Along the way he asked for directions, making his journey to the northern gate much, much faster. Beyond the metal bars, a quaint landscape of rolling hills and tall grass went as far as the eye could see, Dave's giant home sat atop the tallest hill, all of its chimneys puffing out heaps of gray, cloudy smoke.

It was a refreshing change from the crowded, loud inner-city that Clay lived in. Atop the largest hill was a gigantic manor, obviously Dave's. Clay's jaw dropped and he just stood there for a moment, staring at it. Furthermore, there were zero power lines in sight; they must've been underground then, right?

"Ah! Are you Clay?" a man by the gate asked, the reins of a horse tight in his hands.

"Yeah-"

"Lord Brauner instructed me to wait for you so you'd have a mode of travel to the manor, please," he beckoned to the horse at his side, handing the leather straps over to Clay.

Clay knew Dave did a lot of things in a more traditional way but he didn't think horses were a part of his daily life; somehow, it didn't surprise Clay though. It was a very Techno thing to do. Clay hoisted himself up into the saddle, sitting up as straight as he could. It'd been a long time since he had to ride a horse, his only experience being in events, but he remembered the necessary basics. Clay gently tugged the reins back and the horse broke off into a light trot down the rock path; it was either barely used or highly well taken care of based on its appearance. Clay was genuinely unsure which was the correct answer.

Clay never had the horse fully gallop—that would mean arriving faster. The closer Dave's residence got, the stranger the feeling in Clay's gut became. It was beautiful, though—Clay thought so. Around halfway down the path to it small bushes began, slowly trailing into more and more white lilies growing everywhere around the place. Short, stout trees were dotted around as well, getting taller the closer they were to the giant building. Everything still looked brand new, like it was just built yesterday. The front entrance was in full few now, a large slab of concrete surrounded by greenery leading up to the steps to the monstrous front door. A small fountain was in the center, a few birds resting on the lip of its lowest tier.

Dave was already waiting at the top of the steps, without his crown, shockingly.

"You can just tie its reins to the base of the railing," Dave informed.

Clay nodded, dismounting and doing as he was told, "What if it storms?"

"Servants will take it over to the stables where it'll be safe. Come inside."