Johaggis
Not a La March
Something’s wrong here. Gale was glancing through the visual captures she had taken of the corpse before disposing of it. Usually I’m better at figuring out what’s off, but this is much more subtle than that, yet somehow everywhere. It looks like everything’s just slightly off.
Putting the pictures down, she started to get dressed. She had only managed to sleep for a few hours, but Leo said they were nearing Heldenheim, and she needed to move quickly once they landed. Ilmarinen had to know about the splinters, the corpse, and about her scar. It had spread a bit while she slept, and now was solidly on her shoulderblade. It still was rather thin and vein-looking. Though Ilmarinen was the Supreme Director of the Sciences within the Frozen Court, he himself had specialized in medicine once upon a time, and Gale still regarded him as the best doctor in the country.
Gale exited her room and made her way to the cockpit. In front of her, the massive city loomed.
Heldenheim: the capital of Erigan, and a masterpiece of architecture. The city was situated on three mountains, expanding over both the vast space between them and tunneling through them. The city had no walls to speak of, as its natural defenses made it night impossible to assault, even in the days when it was three separate cities on three separate mountains. “Sky tunnels” connected various platforms on the outer rim, made of enchanted glass and steel. Spires rose up from the summits of the mountains, coils of metal wrapped around them. In very center of the mountains rose another great spire: the Ancient Library of Erigan. The city itself was a symbol of superior engineering and technology, but the Ancient Library was its true pride. The Library grew higher with each passing decade, as more space was needed. The library was known to reach all the way to the lowest point of the valley below, and then further underground. It was said that on the bottom floor of the library were the oldest books in Aravad- records and maps of a different world, from a different time.
Surrounding the library were the laboratories of Erigan’s world-renowned scientists. To the east lay the engineers, to the Southwest the biologists, and to the Northwest, the chemists. It was rumored in foreign nations, particularly Miriel, that Erigan was ruled by the scientists. However, Erigan was in fact ruled by The Frozen Court. This consisted of five members, each specialized in a different aspect of government: The Supreme Directors of Sciences, Armaments, Trade, Correspondence, and Jurisprudence. They were elected by different groups of people, ranging from the entire population of Erigan, with regards to the Director of Jurisprudence, to a small committee, with regards to the Director of Sciences.
Suddenly, a voice came in over the radio. “This is the border guard of Heldenheim, requesting identification before allowing you into our airspace.”
Leo picked up the transmitter and spoke.
“This is Leonard Argen, captain of the Sky Reaver speaking. I should be in your systems already: my entrance code is 5667343.”
There was a brief pause, before the voice returned. “All clear, you are indeed in our systems, Mr. Argen. What cargo is on board your craft?”
“I bring with me a few textile goods from Avalon, as well as two passengers, citizens of Erigan. Dr. Gale Elvek and Mr. Weidr Durgsson. They should also be in your systems.”
Again, a brief pause. “They are indeed. Where is it you are planning to land your craft?”
Leo turned to Gale. “Where am I dropping you?”
“The Elgrath District, please.”
Leo pushed the transmitter. “The Elgrath District”
“Roger that. Transmitting you to platform G now.”
With that, the radio went static for a moment before another voice spoke.
“Hello, this is Platform G. Please confirm your entrance code.”
“5667343.”
“You are cleared for landing. Proceed.”
Gale took out her communicator and entered in the code for Ilmarinen’s office. His assistant answered in Old Eriginian. “This is Dr. Frederikson’s office, how can I be of service?”
“This is Dr. Gale Elvek, of the Neo-Biological Core. I need to speak with Dr. Frederikson urgently.”
“Dr. Elvek, I regret to inform you that the Frozen Court is in session if we speak, and will be likely for the next few hours. I could contact that the court and see if they will admit you, if the matter concerns the nation as a whole.”
“It does. Please send a formal request. The nature of my request is splinter developments in Avalon and further findings.”
“I will contact you when I have a response. It may be a few minutes.
Gale sat down in the cockpit as Weidr came up.
“Goin’ to see the Frozen Court?”
“If they’ll see me.”
“About the incursion?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll come too, I can provide some information you can’t, as well as add credibility to your story.”
“Very well. You’ll act as my assistant, then. Moken is on Lokasen anyways.”
“Moken is…?”
“My real assistant.”
“Ah. You certainly are quite the traveler. Not too common for someone to be as mobile as you these days. It seems to me that tensions rise every day between the nations.”
“Wait a second. That’s it.”
“What’s what?”
“The splinters…they’re also travelers. That’s what’s off!”
“I’m lost.”
Gale pulled out the visual captures and showed them to Weidr. “Look at these pictures. All of them have different skin color and patterns than what you usually see on splinters. Splinters always have a kind of seithr-signature, a density and aesthetic look that shows where they’re from, but I don’t recognize any of these. It’s almost as if…they’re not from anywhere. I’ve seen splinters from every country and none look like these.”
“So if they didn’t come from anywhere, where did they come from?”
“The only place they could. The surface.”
Putting the pictures down, she started to get dressed. She had only managed to sleep for a few hours, but Leo said they were nearing Heldenheim, and she needed to move quickly once they landed. Ilmarinen had to know about the splinters, the corpse, and about her scar. It had spread a bit while she slept, and now was solidly on her shoulderblade. It still was rather thin and vein-looking. Though Ilmarinen was the Supreme Director of the Sciences within the Frozen Court, he himself had specialized in medicine once upon a time, and Gale still regarded him as the best doctor in the country.
Gale exited her room and made her way to the cockpit. In front of her, the massive city loomed.
Heldenheim: the capital of Erigan, and a masterpiece of architecture. The city was situated on three mountains, expanding over both the vast space between them and tunneling through them. The city had no walls to speak of, as its natural defenses made it night impossible to assault, even in the days when it was three separate cities on three separate mountains. “Sky tunnels” connected various platforms on the outer rim, made of enchanted glass and steel. Spires rose up from the summits of the mountains, coils of metal wrapped around them. In very center of the mountains rose another great spire: the Ancient Library of Erigan. The city itself was a symbol of superior engineering and technology, but the Ancient Library was its true pride. The Library grew higher with each passing decade, as more space was needed. The library was known to reach all the way to the lowest point of the valley below, and then further underground. It was said that on the bottom floor of the library were the oldest books in Aravad- records and maps of a different world, from a different time.
Surrounding the library were the laboratories of Erigan’s world-renowned scientists. To the east lay the engineers, to the Southwest the biologists, and to the Northwest, the chemists. It was rumored in foreign nations, particularly Miriel, that Erigan was ruled by the scientists. However, Erigan was in fact ruled by The Frozen Court. This consisted of five members, each specialized in a different aspect of government: The Supreme Directors of Sciences, Armaments, Trade, Correspondence, and Jurisprudence. They were elected by different groups of people, ranging from the entire population of Erigan, with regards to the Director of Jurisprudence, to a small committee, with regards to the Director of Sciences.
Suddenly, a voice came in over the radio. “This is the border guard of Heldenheim, requesting identification before allowing you into our airspace.”
Leo picked up the transmitter and spoke.
“This is Leonard Argen, captain of the Sky Reaver speaking. I should be in your systems already: my entrance code is 5667343.”
There was a brief pause, before the voice returned. “All clear, you are indeed in our systems, Mr. Argen. What cargo is on board your craft?”
“I bring with me a few textile goods from Avalon, as well as two passengers, citizens of Erigan. Dr. Gale Elvek and Mr. Weidr Durgsson. They should also be in your systems.”
Again, a brief pause. “They are indeed. Where is it you are planning to land your craft?”
Leo turned to Gale. “Where am I dropping you?”
“The Elgrath District, please.”
Leo pushed the transmitter. “The Elgrath District”
“Roger that. Transmitting you to platform G now.”
With that, the radio went static for a moment before another voice spoke.
“Hello, this is Platform G. Please confirm your entrance code.”
“5667343.”
“You are cleared for landing. Proceed.”
Gale took out her communicator and entered in the code for Ilmarinen’s office. His assistant answered in Old Eriginian. “This is Dr. Frederikson’s office, how can I be of service?”
“This is Dr. Gale Elvek, of the Neo-Biological Core. I need to speak with Dr. Frederikson urgently.”
“Dr. Elvek, I regret to inform you that the Frozen Court is in session if we speak, and will be likely for the next few hours. I could contact that the court and see if they will admit you, if the matter concerns the nation as a whole.”
“It does. Please send a formal request. The nature of my request is splinter developments in Avalon and further findings.”
“I will contact you when I have a response. It may be a few minutes.
Gale sat down in the cockpit as Weidr came up.
“Goin’ to see the Frozen Court?”
“If they’ll see me.”
“About the incursion?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll come too, I can provide some information you can’t, as well as add credibility to your story.”
“Very well. You’ll act as my assistant, then. Moken is on Lokasen anyways.”
“Moken is…?”
“My real assistant.”
“Ah. You certainly are quite the traveler. Not too common for someone to be as mobile as you these days. It seems to me that tensions rise every day between the nations.”
“Wait a second. That’s it.”
“What’s what?”
“The splinters…they’re also travelers. That’s what’s off!”
“I’m lost.”
Gale pulled out the visual captures and showed them to Weidr. “Look at these pictures. All of them have different skin color and patterns than what you usually see on splinters. Splinters always have a kind of seithr-signature, a density and aesthetic look that shows where they’re from, but I don’t recognize any of these. It’s almost as if…they’re not from anywhere. I’ve seen splinters from every country and none look like these.”
“So if they didn’t come from anywhere, where did they come from?”
“The only place they could. The surface.”
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