Alnur felt more human after a shower, he looked it as well. Zo had laid out his fancy clothes on his bed for him. While he enjoyed a simple outfit that could be used in the fields if the need arose, he knew that appearances mattered more here in the capital.
The clothing was still in the usual black leathers and silks that were the common style of the Coast, the trim was a dark red, with white threaded embroidery on the chest to form his family sigil, the two headed snake. A small red shoulder cloak hung over his left side, an old tradition used to hide the dead hand from public display. It felt unnecessary since he was wearing gloves, but who was he to argue with what was fashionable.
There was no need to hide his blood crystal scars, or the large protrusion from his eye, the deep red cracks looked like veins of ruby. It gave his face the appearance of stone. On his belt hung Riptide, the large blade was too cumbersome for conventional scabbards, instead it hung around the middle of its sheath, covered mostly by the red cloak as it balanced.
His dark hair was getting a tad shaggy, he tended to have it cut after the festival, but that hadn’t gone as planned. Looking himself over once more in the mirror Alnur paused. His mind turned to Lillian, he knew that her reasons for not being here were valid, but that didn’t make it any easier to be apart for this long. Leaning his forehead on the cool glass of the mirror he sighed as he thought of his love. He wished with all of his being that he had been born a simple man with a simple lot in life, one where they could have been together properly.
Staring into the mirror Alnur cursed to himself. As much as he wanted to be in the capital to further his goals, he equally wanted to steal the nearest air ship and blaze a path home to his family. Vowing to himself, he swore to make his way back to Lillian as soon as he could.
The link pulled at his mind. He straightened up as he opened the link, Alnur sent. Good Morning sleepy head.
Tayla’s weary thoughts poured through the connection at a glacial pace. There is no such thing. Not when my days start with twenty to thirty reports, plus the half a dozen requisitions for obscure records that haven’t been seen in a decade or more. A crack of electricity shot across as Tayla began to rant. One of these blue robed idiots actually asked for our record of forestation, he looked absolutely shocked when I told him there were no natural trees in the Coast and that we could not grow any in our salted soil. She grumbled.
Alnur took a breath before asking the same question he had asked every day. Have you talked to-
No.
Grunting in frustration, Alnur finished the last touches on his outfit, he thought he looked fairly well all things considered. Tayla, please. How many times do I have to ask? He let a hint of his displeasure seep into the link before he stifled it.
I haven’t had a lot of time to try and hash things out with your girlfriend Alnur, you know, what with entertaining a literal demigod that wants to hang us! Tayla fired back.
Girlfriend? You mean the woman I love? The woman you grew up with your whole life? The one who has always loved and supported you? Is that the ‘girlfriend’ you are referring to?
Tayla sent a storm of frenzied emotions before severing the link with a snap. Alnur balled his fists as the lump of coal in his chest roared to life, a fire blossoming inside of him as he swore aloud.
After some deep breaths he managed to quell the flames in his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he and Tayla had butted heads like this, the stress of the recent events were taking their toll. He would have to try and reach out again to smooth things over, the knocking at the door told him that it would have to wait until he had finished with his sponsor.
Zo and Bynard were at the door in their respective dress uniforms, neither looked pleased at what was to come, but Alnur knew they would do their best to be respectful. The staff of the medical wing had assured them that the rest of their belongings would be transported later that evening when their new lodgings were finalized.
The medical wing was much busier than it had been earlier that morning, the sight of three Twin’s in full regalia drew a shocking amount of gawking stares. Alnur couldn’t tell if the looks he was receiving were positive or negative, most didn’t seem to notice his crown at all, instead their stares were leveled at the crystal coming out of his skull. The three made their way onto the lift, selecting the ground floor. As the door slid to a close a hand shot through the gap, causing the door to open again. A nurse huffed as she quickly squeezed into the corner of the lift, her head hung low as she caught her breath.
The nurse exhaled as she straightened up, Alnur raised an eyebrow as he recognized the young woman. “Hello again, Joan.” He said in a friendly tone. The woman finally looked at Alnur and his guards, her face growing paler than his own at the sight of three armed Twin’s in noble attire. The look of confusion on her face made it clear she was struggling to recognize Alnur.
“It was thanks to your kindness that I was able to try Sam’s food this morning.”
Joan’s eyes grew wide, her mouth opening and closing as her brain tried to process what was happening. She slowly looked up at the crown on Alnur’s head as she made a slight squeak of panic.
The lift door opened, Alnur offered a nod towards Joan. “I’ll be sure to return the favor at some point.” He said as Alnur, Zo, and Bynard left the lift and made their way through the entrance hall. As the trio stepped outside Zo and Bynard unfolded umbrellas, ensuring Alnur was covered from the worst of the rain. They walked through the plaza towards the meeting place, drawing looks and gasps of disbelief as they made their way. Some cursed under their breaths, while others offered prayers of mercy.
It didn’t take long to reach the gate leading to the northern part of the second ring. The gate had several guards and scribes stationed to check the slates of those seeking entrance into the innermost ring, the line for entry was remarkably long, while in comparison the line for exiting the first ring was almost nonexistent. The three walked up to the guard who was staring intently at her clipboard. The city guard seemed to wear a variety of different uniforms, some had no armor whatsoever, while others had full suits of gleaming golden steel. The gatekeeper was dressed in a simple uniform with an armored breastplate.
The gatekeeper spoke flatly without looking up. “Please present your slates.” She said without emotion. Zo and Bynard handed their slates over. The guard raised an eyebrow and pointed to Alnur. “Where’s your slate?” She asked.
Zo cleared her throat. “We are on our way to meet Sir Gideon Hawk, he is to be my lord’s sponsor and provide him with the necessary identification once we arrive at his estate.”
“No slate, no entry.” The gatekeeper said with a sigh as she handed back the slates. “Next!” She called out as she turned away.
Bynard held up a hand. “Wait, we were informed that it would be fine for our lord to enter the second ring without a slate? If you simply speak to your superior-”
The gatekeeper scowled. “I wasn’t informed of any such thing.” The woman slowly lowered her clipboard as she eyed the three Twin’s with disdain. “In fact, failure to produce your personal slate upon request from a city official is a punishable offense. Would you prefer I lock up your friend here till you can get his identification sorted out?” She said with a sneer.
Alnur put his hands on Zo and Bynard’s shoulders. “It’s alright. Let’s head back to the tower, we can get out of this miserable rain while we get this all sorted out.” He smiled, trying to calm Zo and Bynard.
The three turned to leave as the gatekeeper went back to her clipboard, whispering just loudly enough to be heard. “Fucking pale skinned freak.” She muttered.
Zo whirled around and grabbed the gatekeeper by the collar of her uniform. “What the fuck did you just say?!” She roared.
First born Twins weren’t huge by human standards, but they made up for their size by being generally well toned and muscled. Zo was no exception to this. The smaller woman tried to break free of the grip but couldn’t budge as she let out a grunt. “You heard me! This is our holy city and you think you can just dress up this freak and parade your crossbred mutt around?” The guard spoke with disdain, her eyes narrowed and focused on Alnur.
The other guards had their hands on their weapons as they approached, one of them calling out. “If you wanna keep that hand, you would do well to remove it right this second!” Their tone made it clear that this wasn’t a hollow threat.
Alnur moved forward between Zo and the guard, putting a hand on Zo’s shoulder he tried to smile reassuringly. He placed his other hand gently on the gatekeeper's shoulder.. “Come now, there’s no need for this to get out of han-” A blinding pain caught Alnur across his temple on his blindside, knocking him to the marble stones below as he caught himself awkwardly. Laying in the muddied street, his head ringing, Alnur looked up to see the butt end of a spear dripping with his blood, held aloft by the advancing guard that had called out.
“Keep your hands to yourself, filth.” The man said, his eyes uncaring.
Even as Zo and Bynard began to draw their weapons and scream at the guards, the world slowed to a crawl before Alnur’s eyes. Since his youth he had always struggled to keep the Fury at bay, the slightest spark could cause the lump of iron and coal in his chest to explode into an uncontrollable wildfire that if left unchecked would surely consume him whole. Something about the Fury had felt different since his accident, as though some restraint that had always held the worst of the flames at bay had been destroyed. Before it had felt like a voice, or a tugging of his emotions, now the Fury felt like a living, breathing thing, with a will of its own.
The scene was playing out before Alnur in slow motion as he watched, bewitched by the sluggish movements of the guards and his citizens. No, he corrected himself. His friends. Zo’s fist had struck the gatekeeper in the left side of her face, the skin of her cheek was slowly tearing open as Zo’s fist moved at a glacial pace. The skin rippled and creased as the force of the blow spread out, the jaw bone dislocated from its rightful home as the fist carried on into the woman’s nose. The cartilage of the nose resisted for a moment before giving way with a snap.
Looking over, Alnur saw Bynard fire his revolver, the hammer slowly dropping as the cylinder of the gun rotated into place. A plume of smoke and fire shot out of the barrel as the bullet crept inch by inch through the air on its path. Alnur followed the bullet, his eyes tracking the spiraling piece of metal as it parted the air in its wake, the bullet struck the raised spear that was being thrust towards Zo, shattering through the narrow length of wood, causing splinters to explode outwards in all directions as the guard that held the spear winced.
Alnur felt frozen, he could watch the spectacle playing out before him but as he willed his body to move, it refused. No, perhaps that wasn’t the case. His hand was stretching out to steady himself as he stood, just at an agonizingly slow pace. The Fury was raging in his veins, his ears deafened by the sound of his own blood, yet it felt wrong. He could see the crimson cracks of crystal on his skin seething with light, with his new perception of the world he could see the crystal beginning to spread slowly, tendrils and whisper thin cracks reaching outwards, hungry to devour him whole.
Fear gripped his heart as he watched the spectacle, whatever had happened to his body, this crystal seemed eager to feed on the flames of the Fury. It had taken the brightest minds in the Empire to save him once, if he allowed this infection to fester and grow any more he might be too far gone to be given a third chance.
The world snapped back into focus as time returned to its normal flow. The Fury grew silent, overshadowed by the panic that was consuming Alnur’s mind. The brawl before him still seemed a distant thing as the sounds of combat raged on. It wasn’t until a new voice called out over the ruckus that Alnur pulled himself fully back to reality.
He looked up to see the full scene before him. Zo was currently fending off three guards with her warhammer, a cut above her eye bleeding profusely. Bynard had a knife to a woman’s throat as he held a revolver to another guard's temple; he was also injured, a knife sticking out of his shoulder blade. Before the group stood a familiar man, his fists white knuckled as he seethed at the sight. It was Duval, the man was flanked by a dozen knights dressed in shimmering armor of gold. The Primarus let loose a scream that sent a chill down Alnur’s spine. “What in the name of the saint’s is going on? Have you all gone mad?” He looked over the fight with contempt, his eyes finally landing on Alnur.
Duval’s expression quickly shifted from anger, to surprise, to concern, to unbridled wraith. “Which one of you fools spilled this man’s blood?!” He roared as he looked over the guards.
The spear wielding one raised his hand hesitantly. “I did sir, he wa-”
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
“Shut your mouth! Do you have any idea what you have just done, you miserable wretch!?” Duval continued before the man could answer. “You have just spilled the blood of the King of The Black Coast, honored citizen of our Empire, vassal of our most holy gods, and the personal guest of The All Mother herself!” As the words left his mouth the guard dropped to his knees, the color fading from his face.
What did he just say about the All Mother? Alnur thought as he frantically tried to process what he had heard.
Duval pulled an ornate firearm from his belt and leveled the weapon against the kneeling guards head. “For your crimes against the Gods, you are sentenced to death. Do you have any last words?” He said Coldly.
The man stammered as tears filled his eyes. Alnur launched forward and put his hand on Duval’s gun, lowering it slightly. “What do you think you’re doing?!” He shouted.
The holy man looked down at Alnur’s hand with disgust. “Stay your hand, your highness. This man must be punished for his crimes.”
“This situation spiraled out of hand, yes, but near as I can tell we can still walk away without any pointless loss of life. He struck me, but I don’t want him dead because of something so minor, he doesn’t deserve that!” Alnur said.
Duval seemed to pause. “Very well. The Twin’s of the Coast are a merciful people it would seem.” He turned to the guard as he holstered his weapon. “Your life has been spared.” The guard’s face softened as he held a hand to his chest, letting out a shuddering breath of relief. Duval continued. “Instead, you will be given the chance to redeem yourself in the eye’s of the Gods, through the trial of Faith and Blood.”
The guard grew still. “Please, anything but that…” He said, his eyes distant.
Duval ignored the man as he looked at the other guards. “All of you will undergo the trial to cleanse yourself of your failures. That is, if that would please you, your Highness.” He said, glancing at Alnur out of the corner of his eye.
Alnur stuttered, his head was still spinning from the earlier blow. “If that means that nobody has to die, I guess.” He frowned for a moment. “What is this trial of Faith and Blood?” He asked.
Snapping his fingers, Duval ignored the question as he motioned for the golden knights to move forward. They quickly apprehended the gatekeepers, all of whom looked distraught and fearful. One of the gatekeepers tried to run, screaming as they spirited away. A golden knight raised a hand as a wall of energy launched forward and picked the gatekeeper clean off their feet, raising them several feet into the air like they weighed nothing.
Out of the corner of his eye Alnur saw Bynard rush to Zo, pulling out a marble with a rune etched on it. He ran the marble in front of Zo’s forehead as the deep cut began to sizzle and seal. Alnur glanced back to Duval, sensing he wouldn’t get an answer about this trial he spoke of. Duval refused to meet Alnur’s eyes as he pulled a pocket watch from his coat. “Your appointment is in twenty minutes, you should still make it if you hurry. I will personally take care of cleaning up this incident.” Duval turned to face Alnur, bowing theatrically as he spoke. “On behalf of the Celestial Court I would like to offer you my most heartfelt apologies for your mistreatment.” His words were respectful in choice, but entirely without emotion.
Alnur stared at the bowing Primarus for a moment, he couldn’t help but notice that the holy man was bone dry despite the downpour. Looking closely he could see a thin outline surrounding Duval’s body. A personal shield. The bastard was using one of the most rare artifacts from the old world as a fucking umbrella, it made Alnur sick to his stomach.
With a click of his tongue he left Duval and made his way to Zo and Bynard. Not wanting to spend anymore of his time around Duval if he could avoid it. Bynard was in the process of biting down on his belt while Zo removed the knife from his shoulder. As the blade was removed, she quickly held the rune etched marble to Bynards back to seal the wound. He whimpered in pain as he bit down on the belt harder and harder.
Once done, Alnur offered Bynard a hand to help him to his feet. The scout took the hand with a grunt of discomfort. Alnur raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you wait for one of the clerics to cast a healing miracle on you?” He asked.
Bynard shot a sour look at the golden knights. “I don’t trust the divine arts. There’s something unnatural about wishing on a star that your boo boo goes away and the stars answering in kind. Flesh shaping on the other hand is more tangible, you simply coax the body to move to your will.” He said as he spat out a wad of silvia mixed with blood.
Zo sighed as she felt the fresh scar on her brow. “Shame it leaves a nasty scar.”
“Some people like scars.” Bynard muttered under his breath as he put his belt back on.
“What did you say?” Zo asked.
With a cough Bynard started walking again. “Nothing. We should get going if we want to make this meeting.”
“You’re right.” Alnur said with a nod. “Hopefully they don’t mind us being a bit bloody and disheveled.”
“Somehow I get the feeling that they would be more upset if we were late.” Zo said with a sour look.
Duval watched the three Twin’s leave with a glare. The lowborn fools had the audacity to laugh and crack jokes after causing such a ruckus. Savages.
Looking down at his pocket watch, he flicked his wrist to snap the watch portion of the device out of the way, revealing the scanner beneath. The display was processing the readings, but soon spat out a small chirp of alarm. Vi=1.57%
Not the worst reading, higher than he would have liked, but not high enough to arrest the would-be King for heresy. For now it was best to simply keep his eyes on the bumbling idiot, the other Primarius were of the opinion that the King’s absence during his peoples botched ritual was a sign of his innocence. That some splinter group of cultists worshiping the Old Gods had simply tried to seize their chance during the confusion that had befallen the Coast after their hunt.
Duval seethed with rage at the notion. The others were panicked, the silence from above was becoming a problem, many in his ranks wanted this inquisition brought to a close quickly so that the citizens of the Empire could return to their blissful ignorance. He would not be fooled, he was the voice of the Gods, their instrument, their most holy servant. It was his duty to root out this filth and burn it until it was nought but ash.
So entranced was Duval that as he lowered his hand that still held his watch, holding it closer to the ground, he hadn’t noticed the display on his scanner flash with a new reading. The chirping of the alarm was drowned out by the screaming of the gatekeepers as they were put in shackles.
The watch read, Vi=13.68%
The Hawk estate was massive, gaudy, and opulent to the extreme. The mansion itself was large to the point of being laughable, with more windows and balconies than Alnur could count. The grounds of the estate were littered with everything ranging from gazebos, to fountains, to what looked to be a maze of hedges and if that wasn’t enough, there was even a full training arena in the back. The most outlandish thing was that compared to the other estates and manors that Alnur had passed, this was subdued. The second ring was living up to its reputation so far.
As Alnur, Zo, and Bynard approached the main gate, they found an intercom embedded into the gates side. Zo announced themselves to the voice on the other end and soon the gate opened on its own. The three quickly made their way towards the main building, though the road leading to it was still several hundred feet. Before long they arrived and made their way inside. And not a moment too soon, flashes of lightning had come to accompany the storm as the windows of the mansion were shaken from the howling winds.
The interior of the mansion was even more of a sight to behold than the exterior, a checkered pattern of different stones made up the floor, the walls papered with intricate patterns, the wooden roof was painted with scenery that Alnur couldn’t quite make sense of.
A man dressed in the outfit of a house steward approached the three, offering them some much needed towels to dry off with. The man looked to be nearing his seventies, his remaining hair and mustache trimmed and groomed to perfection. He adjusted his glasses as he motioned towards one of the many wings of the mansion. “Master Hawk is currently in the third training grounds, allow me to show you the way.” He said with a respectful tone.
Alnur smiled. “I thank you for your hospitality. Please, after you.” He said with a slight bow of his head. The steward led the way through the long winding halls until they arrived at a large chamber that housed a variety of training swords and armor. Suits of gleaming powered armor hung on display in great cases, many of these suits no doubt predated the exodus. A stabbing of sorrow crossed Alnur’s heart at the thought of these majestic pieces of work living out their days on display.
Standing before a training dummy stood a man in his early thirties, his red curly hair tied back into a ponytail as he frantically swung a training blade in quick succession. The man wore a loose linen top that was covered in sweat. Alnur was glad to see that the man was taking his swordsmanship seriously, he had been worried that nobles would be too afraid of getting dirty to actually train properly. As Alnur watched he couldn’t shake the feeling he had seen the man’s form before.
The man huffed as he caught sight of the approaching group, a large smile plastering across his handsome face. “Ah! You must be the guests from the Coast.” He sauntered over to Alnur, hand still loosely holding his training blade. As he neared, the man suddenly lunged forward with a thrust of his sword, his eyes focused and determined.
The Huntmaster had been a dedicated instructor, beating it into Alnur that he must always be ready to defend himself at a moment's notice. Perhaps he was also on edge after allowing himself to be hit earlier by that gatekeeper, either way, as the young lord launched his surprise attack, the instincts of his training kicked in.
Alnur raised his dead hand to take the thrust and deflect it away, as his other hand unsheathed Riptide, bringing the large blade down with shocking speed as he came to a stop just shy of the lord’s neck.
The steward looked aghast as he let out a gasp. “Not again! My lord, you cannot keep doing that!” He shrieked.
The lord’s smile broadened. “You’re the first to turn this around on me. I like you!” He said with a jubilant tone as he barked out a laugh. “Though you lose points for having to sacrifice your hand to do it!”
Alnur narrowed his eye. “You would be surprised what our dead hand’s can take before being destroyed.” He pulled back Riptide as he let out a breath. “I take it you are lord Gideon Hawk? My name is Alnur Ebontide, king of the Black Coast. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He said, trying to sound friendly after the sudden display of aggression.
Gideon put down his training sword as he shook Alnur’s hand. “The pleasure is all mine! I was a bit unsure when I first heard that my house was to entertain you and your people. But I can see that you are a man that appreciates the true tenets of a warrior.” He said as he puffed out his chest. “Honor, respect, dignity. You remind me of myself.” He nodded with self satisfaction.
The man claims to uphold honor, after trying to attack me as a greeting. Perhaps he was dropped on his head as a child. Alnur thought to himself as he raised his eyebrow. “Indeed.” He quickly changed the subject. “I couldn’t help but notice your form earlier. May I ask where you learned it?”
Picking up his sword once more, Gideon sliced at the air in a practiced motion. “Ah, you have a warrior’s eye. I was lucky enough to be taught by some of the finest blade masters the Empire has to offer. Perhaps we could spar when you have settled? I think you could learn a thing or two!” He said with a smug smile.
“Perhaps I will take you up on that, once I have recovered my strength a bit more. Speaking of which, I do not wish to sound rude, but does that mean you have made up your mind on sponsoring myself and my personal guards?” Alnur asked, trying to get back to the main topic at hand.
“Oh yes! My steward Henry will show you to your rooms, I will send my notice of sponsorship to the tower as soon as I am done. We can go over the nuances of the sponsorship later this evening over dinner. For now, you should go and rest, get out of those wet clothes.” The man leaned in close. “Not to sound impolite, but I noticed your guards were a bit slow to respond earlier, I could sell you some of my own personal guards if you want some real protection.” Despite leaning in to whisper, the man had kept his voice at the same bombastic tone. Zo and Bynard narrowed their eyes in response to the man’s words.
Alnur laughed abruptly. “I will have to decline. My guards are more than capable at protecting me. Isn’t that right Bynard?” The wiry man smiled his toothy grin as he pulled his hand from his pocket, revealing a small pistol that was cocked. “Zo?” She simply grunted as she flicked her thresher hook back to her hand, the bladed leather had been coiled around Gideon’s ankle, ready to rip his foot off should the need arise.
Gideon gulped. “Marvelous. How much?”
“I don’t follow.” Alnur asked, visibly confused by the question.
“How much do you want for the both of them? Name your price and I will see it done.” As Gideon spoke, he stared at Zo and Bynard like one would look at a farm animal for sale. Appraising them like objects to be bartered for.
Alnur grew serious, the air growing still as he spoke. “My people are not cattle to be auctioned for, they are my precious citizens, and I would ask you to never speak of them like that again.” The leather on his dead hand's glove began to crease and crack.
For the first time Gideon’s smile left as he looked into Alnur’s glowing eye. A hint of doubt crossed the lord's face, before quickly being replaced by another grin. “Forgive me your highness, I misspoke! The nobles of the capital are always trading talented folks for one another, it helps promote growth and the like. I only wished to add your guard’s skills to my own!” If there was any animosity in the man’s heart, he showed nothing of it.
Sighing, Alnur calmed himself. “I reacted poorly as well. We had a situation with the gatekeepers of the first ring on our way here and I’m afraid I am in dire need of some bed rest.”
“Say no more, go, refresh yourselves and I will see you all again for dinner! I would love to hear of your home land! None of my fellow lords or ladies have had the privilege of seeing the Coast, they will be green with envy when I tell them that I am hosting The King of the Coast.” Gideon laughed as he shook Alnur’s hand and bid them farewell.
Alnur was finally alone. His room was huge, the bed alone was larger than his entire cabin back on the Keel. Bynard and scanned the room for any arcane surveillance, he had found a couple listening runes but that was to be expected. Alnur would have felt insulted if he wasn’t being spied on a little bit. Thanks to Bynard though, the room was now clear.
Walking to the windows Alnur looked up at the Tower, even with the raging storm he could still see it in the distance, from this far away he could actually make out some of the details of the progenitor ship. The gleaming golden spear that had once crossed the stars and from which his entire race was born. Well, not his race, but the others. The Empire’s most iconic symbol.
The tower began to glow, a wave of bluish light traveled from the bottom of the ship until it reached the peak above the clouds. Alnur felt a thump hit his chest as a blast of energy rang out from the tower. The clouds around the tower were obliterated by the released energy as a bolt of pale blue shot into the sky. Alnur followed the bolt with his eyes, knowing what he would see at its terminus and growing more and more bitter. As the bolt of light shrank into the distance of the sky above, the source of all of Alnur’s hate and anger came into view.
There, hanging in geostationary orbit high above the planet's atmosphere, was Caelum Prime, the Celestial palace. Even from here, the sprawling city in the sky was visible, although faintly. Caelum Prime was the last vestige of the exodus, the last object of the old world to still be in the void of space. A symbol of the Gods and their ever watchful eyes.
The flash of blue light was now completely gone, if Alnur’s understanding was correct, that was a matter transporter. One of only three still in operation. A method to transport people and goods across vast distances at nearly the speed of light. Alnur clenched his fists in frustration. Marvel after marvel he witnessed in the capital were either being squandered and left to rot, or misused and abused for pointless status. Instead of the children of the old world using their time to study the relics of the past and preserve them, the gods and their servants had seen fit to hoard them for themselves.
Alnur raised a hand towards Caelum Prime, clenching his fist around the speck as the clouds crept back to cover the sky once more. He thought the words that he dared not speak aloud, lest he be found out for what he really was. One day, I will free us all from the tyranny of false gods. New and old alike.
