As soon as she forms the intention to leave -

the key flares in her skull. White fire bursts from her brow, and envelops her. She vanishes from her bedroom, and lands on uneven cobblestone.

She's in a city. She's surrounded by... people? Aliens? A couple of humans as well. There are carts full of fruit, and strange beings hawking their wares. They turn to look at her, then turn back to what they were doing.

She wobbles a bit, but keeps her feet. Did the head come with? If so, she wants to find a quiet spot to interrogate it. If not, she wants to find a quiet spot to freak the fuck out. Either way, where's the nearest deserted alley, please and thank you?

The head came with. (One of the humans observes this and raises her eyebrow.)

There are so many deserted alleys. The city where she finds herself appears to be a bit of a rat's nest.

When she's situated herself in an alley, the head speaks. "This was not planned," it says. "Already... interesting."

She holds the head in both hands with its face toward her, for a more conversational atmosphere.

"Congrats on learning English so fast. What the whole holy fuck just happened? And how do I rescue my boyfriend from it?"

"Pfah. English. I speak and you hear me. Your... boyfriend... is the destined king. The seven vultures descend, have descended, in hopes to put him in my place and save them from the End. If you wish to rescue him from royalty, you must become royalty in your own right."

Brief pause. "You will complain that I do not answer your first question. Your boyfriend was kidnapped by angels. Angels are terrible. Vermin. Trust them not."

"I've never thought of myself as the royal type but there's a first time for everything. So what's your place in all this, Headless Gandalf?"

"The center," he says flatly. "I am invested in your success, but I am not your Gandalf."

"Fair enough. Where am I, how'd I get here, and what was that thing you put in my head?"

"You are in the city of Throne, at the center of all worlds. You wished to flee, and while this is not a safe place it is far from the dangers you have fled. And the thing I put in your head was a Key of Kings. The Key of Kings, strictly speaking. Your enemies have a hundred thousand each; you need only one. It will open the way for you wherever you wish to go. Also, its implantation has strengthened your body, mind, and soul - though not beyond the level of one with a few centuries' training, five at the most."

"Oh boy, one of those places, huh."

...hang on. That gives her an idea.

"...how serious is that 'wherever', and am I gonna need another five centuries to figure out how to use the thing safely—?"

"Any location you know within the Wheel - the seven hundred and seventy seven thousand, seven hundred and seventy-seven worlds formed by the division and subdivision of the corpse of YISUN. You will need some time, but not centuries - a few weeks' serious meditation should suffice."

"Uh-huh. Do I have a time limit on boyfriend rescue? Is a few weeks of downtime gonna end up screwing me over?"

"It is not likely. But I will say that you should... prioritize. There are many paths to power, and some take far longer than a few weeks."

"Gotcha. Any tips?"

"No. Many things need doing, and I think you will fare quite well without my guidance."

And with that, she is no longer holding a severed head.

"Thanks. Dickhead," she mutters at thin air.

Okay, fine. She'll fare well without his guidance, will she? Then clearly the thing to do is get her coat the rest of the way on now that she won't have to juggle a severed head to do it, and head out into the streets of Throne (what a name) in search of the most helpful-looking being she can find.

There's this plausibly human woman, her skin so black as to be purpleish, wearing a white toga bound with a simple golden clasp. She's the one who raised her eyebrow at the severed head. She has a gem embedded in her forehead that, at a second glance, is probably a Key.

She says something to Alice as she exits the alley, in what might be Greek.

"Can't understand a word you're saying, sorry," she says cheerfully.

"Ah," she says, chuckling. "English. On Rayuba this language is forbidden. It is a taste of chaos. I asked if you enjoyed your head."

"We had a lovely chat. Taste of chaos, am I? Suits me."

The woman nods, looking her over. "I must say that you have me at a disadvantage. You know my master, I am sure, but all I know of you is that you are someone of potence."

"I don't actually know who you are or who your master is. I'm pretty new in town." She thinks for a second, then says, "You can call me April."

The woman looks like she is much too well-bred to look confused. "And you may call me Esther Septima. Descendant and emissary of Solomon David. I am here on business, of course, but in business there is always time to talk with an interesting novelty - like a keybearer I do not recognize."

"To say I'm not from around here would be putting it lightly." At least, it would if you call her April, because she collectively suspects that April is not from any of the umpty-seven worlds of the blah blah blah dead guy, especially not if you construe April as being from, heh, Barbarian Fairyland. There's just something about the aesthetic. You could probably say the same of Sean but she's less confident there. "What's your business, if you don't mind me asking?"

Esther smiles slyly. "While Grandfather attends an urgent meeting, I am to perform certain awfully tedious trade negotiations he had planned with the servants of Nadia Om, who are of course covering for their mistress' presence at that selfsame meeting. While I negotiate, naturally an underling tends to my own business - and one lower to his - and so on, I imagine, until at the bottom of the chain we find work which can be deferred until tomorrow. Is not the bureaucracy of gods a marvelous thing!"