The next day had dawned, but for Velentham, the next day was merely the next moment in a long line of nothing. As soon as he felt the light shaking at his side, as soon as his eyes opened to see Gilean leaning over him, reality flooded back with painful acuity. "FATHER!" he screamed.
"Velentham... I'm sorry. Try to keep your voice down. We aren't exactly out yet."
Velentham stared at Gilean, his eyes narrowing. The hatred he felt within him for the priest was at the fore. For Velentham, the fault that his father was not here rested solely - squarely - on the shoulders of the lesser Celestial. Still, the priest was right, and Velentham got to his feet, attempting to finish what his father started. "Without a portal we won't get in even if we spent all day climbing," Velentham said, staring in the distance at the tall spire atop which sat the City of Sigil.
"We're out of the hells though. There must be a way for us to proceed."
"Yes. Just... let me think for a moment." Velentham sighed into a whisper, "We needed you, father."
"Velentham... you are strong and your father believed in you. You can do this, and I will help you."
"Come," Velentham said. "We will fly east. We should find a city along the edge of the plane that will have a portal up."
Indeed, after flying only moments and at high speed, the City of Automata rose up before them. They landed at the gates and a gnomish guard in full regalia stepped before them. "Be ye friend or foe?"
"Friend, of course," Velentham said with a deep bow. "We have no ill intent, we simply need a portal to Sigil."
"I'm just looking to return home," Gilean said.
"Very well. Center of the city. Mind that you touch nothing you don't understand."
"You have our word."
The tiny guard opened the gate to reveal a city that seemed to rotate on giant cog wheels. Everything was mechanized, including the street sweepers that moved along with jerking, halting movements. There was absolutely nothing natural, and to punctuate their differences, the first words from Velentham's mouth were, "It's hideous," while Gilean said, "Wow, impressive."
They ended up walking into the main square, more of a circle than square, as the entire contraption rotated on cogs which revealed and disguised a myriad of doors. A woman sat on the bench that rotated along with the fountain in the center, contentedly reading, and it was to her that Velentham turned on his charm. "Greetings, madame. I was wondering if you could point my friend and I in the direction of the portal to Sigil?"
Velentham felt the familiar tingle through he body as he sent wave after wave of charming energies toward the woman. Helpless, she replied with a coquettish smile, "Wait three full turns and the door to the north will appear once more. Would you like to sit here with me and wait?" Velentham pulled himself up to his full height and began to bow but was halted by Gilean stepping in front of him.
"Thank you," Gilean said. "That's very kind of you. We will just wait over there."
Velentham, thwarted, gave a polite bow to the woman before following Gilean to the other side of the square. "There's really no need to influence people like that," Gilean said. "It's a bad habit to get into."
"There was no need for you to interfere. You have a bad habit of doing that, too, you know."
"People are entitled to their free will. You shouldn't interfere with that just because you can. Not unless it's necessary."
"Well I did nothing to her that wouldn't have naturally happened," Velentham said with a shrug. "I can't help what I am."
"Yes, but you don't have to encourage it. You can restrain yourself. Learn to minimize the impact. You do have control over yourself."
"You aren't my father. I don't need your guidance."
Paying no further attention to Gilean's words, Velentham rose at the first sight of the Sigil portal as it clicked into place. "There. Come on, before it vanishes again."
The two men rose and entered the door, finding themselves almost immediately in a new place. Whether or not it was Sigil remained to be seen.
