Expand

‘Yes, that will work,’ said Emissary Cobbalt. ‘This is better than what I had coming here, and I won’t have to spend three days walking to the coast.’

‘Do you accept, then?’ asked Lord Regent Tepper. He held out one hand for a handshake, and over it, the other hand with a sealed scroll with Sorostade kingdom’s sigil engraved on the lid.

Cobbalt turned to scan the faces of the Rockbase Administration who had come to Sorostade’s riverport to see him off. Four were present; Seelastraxx was an extremely rare sight at the earliest hours of the day, and this day was no different to her. Everyone present was clad in their best combat equipment which came to be their ceremonial attire over time, and it was the first time for Cobbalt to see them like this. It made sense for Oneiron to be a Dark Knight, a perfect fit for apprehending targets on the run. The man had shaved for this occasion too. Esther was in her lightblue regalia buttoned up to her chin, and had her hood lowered just far enough that she could still see forward. Teec, as Cobbalt just learned, was a Bard who never, ever, wore the class gear or learned any abilities since coming to live here. Krush was clad in a set of mail in the colour of brass, cleaned and polished, and had a massive two-handed sword strapped on his back. Like Teec, he never used those items or left the urban areas.

They said nothing to advise him, and to his questioning look they only answered with shrugs. It’s between you two and your city, they seemed to say with their body language. Cobbalt turned back to Tepper, and accepted both hands.

‘I accept.’

‘Splendid! I do enjoy a good contract,’ he said, and gestured with open palm at the boat moored to the quay. He used this gesture often. ‘It will carry you and your cargo safely and surely.’

‘May I ask who used it before? It’s quite well-maintained. Looks ready to use.’

‘A smuggler. That’s how I know it carries cargo well. He won’t be needing it anymore.’ Tepper’s mouth stretched in a wry smile. ‘Now excuse me. I have urgent matters to attend to which I can’t afford to neglect,’ he gestured for the four lightly-armed royal guards to form around him.

‘Of course. Matters of state can’t wait,’ Oneiron said.

‘Oh no, it’s worse than that. It’s my wife.’ He marched away towards a carriage that awaited him nearby.

Cobbalt stood, clutching the scroll tube in his left hand. In accordance with the pact he had just verbally accepted with the most powerful baseline human in the Sorostade Kingdom, he was to bring this message to the ruler or rulers of Upperland. What the message was, only Tepper knew. In exchange, he was given a proper sailboat here in Sorostade, on a river that would take him east to the sea.

‘I guess this is it, friends. It’s been an interesting week.’

‘Oh yeah,’ said Teec, stepping forward and offering a handshake of his own. ‘I’m glad you’re going already. Every girl has been asking about you, it was getting tiresome.’ They laughed.

‘Good luck out there,’ Oneiron said.

‘Safe journey,’ said Krush.

And then, to the surprise of Cobbalt and Esther, the three members of Administration turned around and marched away as if they practiced it together, leaving the two alone. Esther’s cheeks burned red as she pulled her hood down to cover more of her face.

—

By noon they were all seated in Esther’s house as the Town Hall was currently being demolished and built in a different spot nearby. They were not invited. They met outside her house, and insisted there is an important topic to discuss, and walked right through the door when she opened them. This time, Seelastraxx was with them too.

‘Hey, something smells good here,’ said Seelastraxx.

Oneiron noticed the microscopic frown on Esther’s face.

‘Hey, don’t be like that. We brought food,’ Oneiron attempted to improve Esther’s mood over this unannounced visit. The smell of pastries filled the room as he lay a paper bag on a table; a table that was in truth a crate with tablecloth over it. He had to be careful. There was a tall vase with a bouquet of Prasteria already on it. ‘Straight from Lufillis. We told her we’re going to your place and she added extra buns. She doesn’t do that for me, how about you guys?’

‘I… I will pour some drinks,’ Esther went to the kitchenette and busied herself. ‘So… what is this about?’ She asked with her back turned to them.

‘Krush has an idea,’ said Teec, now back in his “civilian” clothes and seated on the floor so that Seelastraxx could take one of the two seats Esther had. Oneiron stood at the door. ‘Go ahead,’ Teec gestured to Krush who had been gazing out the window, staring at something in the distance, something that perhaps only he could see - in his mind’s eye. All of them except the women had to leave their gear elsewhere before coming in. They would not fit in the room or the door otherwise. Krush turned to them, cleared his throat, and began speaking.

‘We can kill a few birds with one stone. Remember when the other day I kind of joked about building an aqueduct? I’ve been thinking about it since, and after the latest report from Teec about the conversation with Torvis, it sort of just clicked in my head, you know? Let’s build it for real.’

Silence answered him.

‘Huh? No objections? And here I was prepared to the teeth with counterarguments. Huh.’

‘Jst kip gowin’ said Seelastraxx through the red bean bun she stuffed her mouth with and gestured to continue.

‘Okay. Problem statement: Sorostade was struggling with clean water supply even before we showed up. Obviously, we made it worse. A few hundred Players have emigrated out to live in the provinces because having a bath was too much of a problem here. This movement slightly alleviated the problem for those of us who stayed, but it cost us many good fighters we may need one day. Also, if we find a way home, we will have a tough time gathering them all from every corner of the kingdom at short notice. Therefore, it is in our best interest to have everyone here.’

‘Furthermore, Rockbase lies kilometers away from the river. We rely on wells, or we go to Sorostade’s meager bathhouses to maintain hygiene. Nobody likes that.’

Someone choked on a red bean bun. Esther hurried over with a set of cups on a tray.

‘And now for less obvious benefits. Firstly: we get support from the population by providing a dramatic improvement to their lives. This will come in handy if, or when, we’re in open conflict with the Church.’

‘Oooh, clever,’ nodded Oneiron, and saw that others felt similarly.

‘We will be seen as providers, not invaders,’ Teec added.

‘I mean we already kill a ton of monsters everyday around the kingdom,’ interjected Seelastraxx.

‘Yeah, that sounds good, but still… that’s a very large project, isn’t it?’ Esther asked, cutting a pie.

‘Wait, I didn’t get to the best part yet. You’re all gonna love it. Okay, so we bring the pipeline here, to Rockbase, and only then we branch off a channel towards Sorostade city. And since we control the flow because it’s on our turf, we can shut off the flow to Sorostade and thus force Tepper to talk to us, or even force him to just give in to our demands.’

‘Ow. OW. That’s devious,’ Oneiron said. ‘Risky as hell. It can backfire badly.’

‘I agree,’ Teec supported his colleague.

‘To be pragmatic, though,’ Seelastraxx commented, ‘it’s far better to have leverage and not need it than to not have it and need it.’

‘Exactly my thoughts!’ Krush clapped his hands, and spoke directly to the Priestess. ‘I knew you would see it!’

‘But… that’s a really large project. It will take a long time to complete. Will we even be here to see it work…?’ Esther asked again.

‘We hedge our bets. If we’re still here by then, our life here improves significantly. If we’re not then we’re home, in our world, and we don’t care if it’s finished or not.’

‘Alright, alright. Now tell us about the downside,’ proposed Seelastraxx.

‘There’s a suitable lake to the north, about sixty-seventy kilometers from here. I know it sounds like a lot, but to give you context: the longest aqueduct in the world is, like, two hundred and forty kilometers - and they built it in antiquity. We only need a quarter of that, and we work fast, and our needs are smaller. Moreover, some of those aqueducts still stand and work to this day, over two thousand years later, because they were massively over-engineered. We can be more efficient and not make them as grandiose, but it pains me to say this. Anyway, it’s doable.’

Chins and heads were scratched in thought, while Krush continued:

‘We need to ask around about climate and weather cycles. If the water source tends to dry up, it’s no good to us. Furthermore, we’re going to need an architect - because I’m a mechanical engineer, not a civil engineer - and obviously, permission from Tepper to give us land for the project. He should have no objections if we take the bulk of the work on ourselves. And finally, we’re going to need people to work in construction.’

‘Fresh water is a strong motivator,’ Teec agreed. ‘I’m not going to lie, I would love to see that built. But I’m not capable of thinking in terms of large projects and tell if your proposal is sound or not. I may be too stupid for that.’

‘Then let’s find an architect first,’ Esther said. ‘But there’s a problem: that architect must be fully on our side. The moment they see the blueprint, they will notice our gambit and may go straight to Tepper with this. Actually, how do we hide it from Tepper in the first place?’

‘I’m glad you asked!’ Krush was evidently in his element. ‘We don’t. We tell him that bringing it through our neighbourhood first means fewer demolished buildings in his city. Because we will need to demolish things to clear the way, that’s for sure. And if he doesn’t like it, we withdraw the offer altogether.’

‘We will go with that, but we will need backup arguments if he doesn’t buy it. For now, let’s go to Torvis. He has contacts, and there are many people that want to be his friend now,’ Seelastraxx told the team. ‘Ask him about architects or labourers skilled in pipework. I know they have pipes in Sorostade. Someone had to lay them. Then we show them our plans, and ask what they think.

‘I’ll do it,’ said Teec.

‘Take Esther with you. Krush, make some sketches, a map, something to show Tepper and the architect. Oneiron, you go check on the Town Hall site if there are any problems. I will go look for a volunteer to investigate the climate pattern,’ Seelastraxx said, then addressed everyone: ‘Say nothing about this to anyone, for now.’

Back at the door, Oneiron started to laugh. ‘What’s funny?’ she asked.

‘Look at this guy!’ he pointed to Krush. ‘We’re in a fantasy world with swords, magic, maybe dragons and stuff, and this guy just wants to play SimCity. That’s hilarious!’

Everyone was amused, even Krush himself.

‘I don’t deny it. This is my fantasy!’

—

Esther and Oneiron found Merchant Torvis in his three-storey brick-and-mortar house, spending time with his family. It was a holiday in all of the Sorostade kingdom, a commemoration of lance-knight Saint Yshier. By tradition, it was a day on which people abstained from work and spent it with relatives. A visit to a temple and lighting a candle was also expected.

‘A recommendation, you say? I don’t think I have any connections to help you with this. There are many good workers in this city. After all, over a hundred thousand people live here. I’m sure you will find someone,’ the merchant told them.

‘Who is it, dear?’ came a female voice from inside the house, and an apron-wearing lady came into view.

Torvis stepped aside letting his wife see the guests at the door. ‘It’s just friends from Rockbase, Mia. Esther and Oneiron.’

‘Good day, Lady Mia,’ Esther said, giving a curt bow while Oneiron remained upright. ‘Apologies for bothering you on this day.’

‘Nonsense!’ the merchant’s wife said. ‘Don’t stand like that, Torvis, let them in! Are you staying for dinner? I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting you in person. So this is Esther? It’s true what they say, you’re cute as a button. And the mysterious Master Oneiron. Oh and don’t call me Lady, please, we’re not nobles!’ she said, pointing at the apron she was wearing.

‘Thank you, Miss Mia,’ Esther replied tactfully, ‘but we’re only looking for someone. We will be on our way.’

‘For whom?’ Mia asked, stepping over to her husband and taking his arm.

Torvis, being a full head taller than his wife, looked down to her face and explained.

‘They’re looking for a taskmaster, or an architect for a large project.’

‘One that can be trusted to keep a secret. That’s why we came to you first,’ Oneiron added.

‘How about Lucia’s father, Hobart?’ asked Mia of Torvis.

‘I thought about him, but he’s… not the right choice. He’s been not himself lately. Not right in the head, if you get me. I think he has the earthen disease. Poor man, he’s the only parent of Lucia. Lucia, you see, is one of our two maids. I should have sent an apothecary to see him, but I never met that man and Lucia never asked, so… Either way, I don’t have anyone else for you. I can ask around tomorrow, but since you said this is a hush-hush matter…’

Oneiron and Esther shared an understanding look with each other.

‘Where can we find this man?’

—

‘This should be the place,’ Esther said. Neither she nor Oneiron had ever been in this area of Sorostate, and they had to ask for directions several times, attracting quizzing looks and raised eyebrows. The powerful Players, as they still called themselves, rarely delved into the poorer neighbourhoods of the capital city. Some roads were not paved, houses were unpainted, and sanitation was… inadequate, as Esther would describe it.

They knocked on the door of one such modest dwelling, which was visibly better-maintained than that of the neighbours. A sign of a skilled hand, perhaps.

A thin, teenage girl opened the door, making wide eyes when she realized what kind of people stood before her. Oneiron wore casual but good quality clothes, but Esther was in her Mage gear. Both of them unarmed, but still imposing. The girl did not know what to say, and was obviously worried. ‘Let me handle this,’ Esther whispered to Oneiron.

‘You must be Lucia,’ said Esther, smiling at the girl. ‘Torvis told us about you. My name is Esther, and this is Oneiron.’

‘Um… hello,’ she said weakly. ‘Have I done something wrong? Today is not…’

‘Don’t worry, we’re here to see Mister Hobart. He’s your dad, right? We heard he’s a skilled craftsman.’

The girl was confused and visibly did not want to talk, to open the door wider, or to let anyone in. Esther did not relent, and eventually she convinced Lucia to let them in.

She led them into a side room that only had a bed and a table in it. The only window was covered by cloth to block the light. The air was stale, and there were empty bottles on the floor. The bed’s occupant was a middle-aged man, visibly unwell; drained, parched, pale. He was mouthing some words that no one could hear, and only stared at the ceiling.

‘Father, someone is here to see you,’ the girl said to him, before stepping aside and letting the guests in. The man made no reaction at all. Lucia stood in the door, and added: ‘I can’t promise he will notice you. He has better days sometimes, but…’ There were tears in her eyes. Only now did they notice how exhausted she was herself.

‘This is not what we expected,’ Oneiron whispered to Esther. ‘Torvis said he was sick, but this… he had no idea.’ Esther nodded silently, obviously empathetic to the suffering of the man and his daughter, who must have been going through a really dark time trying to care for him and bring bread home.

‘How long has he been like this?’ Oneiron asked Lucia.

‘A few weeks. He was fine, and then… he wanted to send me to school, but that’s not cheap, so we needed more money. His work changed, he was in the workshop a lot suddenly, all day, every day… h-he worked all day every day… and… gradually got sicker and sicker, and… he said he was fine, just tired, then he got clumsy, made mistakes… they told him not to come, he could not work anymore, and… I don’t know what to do.’ She was on the brink of crying. Esther kneeled next to Lucia, and embraced her. The girl accepted the gesture and the tear dam broke.

‘Has a doctor seen him? A medic?’ asked Oneiron, and the girl could only shake her head sideways. Her mouth was shut hard, trying not to let her sobs be heard.

‘We will help you,’ Esther said. ‘I promise.’

‘I think I know what this is,’ suddenly said Oneiron. ‘I need to see where he works.’

—

Oneiron was hurrying back to Rockbase, attracting some odd looks due to being the only person to walk this fast since everyone else was enjoying the holiday. When Lucia was able to speak again, she had told him how to find Hobart’s place of work. It was not far, and Oneiron left Esther with them and visited the workshop. There was nobody at the site due to the holiday. Not thinking much about it, he kicked in the door and explored the materials and the tools inside. A side shed contained what he suspected was the problem.

Once past the Eastend bridge he took a sharp left northwards. He went past a large property, one of only six of this type: a Clan house. This was where members of the gaming clan Kill Loot Repeat lived together, the sixteen who found themselves in this world out of eighty one total members they had before the… before that day. They were mostly absent at the time, gone to join the First Raid of Rockbase. Then there was a sizable garden that a Player named Luzifer maintained voluntarily, and after that an alley where the communal food kitchen was. It was one of the initiatives funded by the Goodwill Tax that residents of Rockbase paid if they wanted to. The Administration concluded there is no way to force people to pay, so instead they posted a board listing expenses that the tax covered: feeding those who can’t fight and earn coin; raid group support; construction materials, and Sorostade advisors’ fee. ‘Make way, make way!’ he implored the crowd in the alley to let him pass. He soon reached a fenced camp with several tents and a larger building inside. This was a place that most people avoided, and the Sorostade townsfolk were straight up banned from approaching or entering. It harbored a secret the Players all knew, but preferred not to talk about.

Oneiron knocked at the door and waited patiently. While waiting, he looked around to see if the person he was looking for was currently in the tents, tending to the poor patients. She was not, but Oneiron was relieved to see that the place was still running alright without Senkar’s help. The saint of a woman who still spent her days here was one of the very few people who cared for them.

The door opened, and a red-headed woman in white scrubs greeted him, wiping her hands on a cloth.

‘Oneiron? What can I do for you?’

‘Hestia. I need you to come with me, right now.’

—

‘You were right to call me here,’ Hestia said. She sat on a chair by Hobart’s bed when Esther entered the house with a bucket of fresh well-water. Hobart’s room was now brighter without the cloth in the window. Fresh air was let in, and scraps of cloth were prepared for helping the patient with hygiene.

‘Oh, hey Hestia,’ Esther said, then turned to Oneiron. ‘So that’s where you’ve been.’ Oneiron nodded, taking the heavy bucket from Esther. The weight was nothing for an enhanced body of a Player, but he still thought she should not carry it when he can do it.

‘Esther, hello! Haven’t seen you lately,’ answered Hestia. ‘Is Lucia still around here?’

‘Yes,’ came a reply from another room. Within a moment Lucia stood in the door, puzzled by how there were now not two but three powerful individuals in her poor house.

‘Lucia, child. Answer me truthfully. He is violent sometimes, isn’t he?’

Lucia’s lips shut tighter and she turned her face away, but she was betrayed by her hand protectively moving to cover something under her clothes.

‘I see.’

‘You are both malnourished too. It means you’re not eating enough,’ Hestia assessed the girl.

‘Food got more expensive, and father is not working, so…’ Lucia said without looking at them. Esther nodded somberly, knowing who or what exactly caused a rise in food prices. She was now looking directly at the consequences that the local people suffered as a side-effect of the Players’ spiriting away to this world. How many more are going hungry because of us?

‘I see. I will examine you in a moment,’ Hestia assured the girl, and turned to Esther and Oneiron. ‘It is as you suspected. Loss of appetite, hearing loss, delirium, seizures, bouts of aggression, tingling, slurred speech… it does look a lot like lead poisoning.’

‘Yeah. They recently started using lead for pipes instead of copper. Must have been cheaper or something. How bad is it?’ Oneiron asked.

‘Depends how long and how often he had been exposed. There is good news, great news, and bad news. The good news is that it’s treatable for the most part. We’re going to put him on a diet rich in iodides and certain acids to remove lead from his bloodstream, but this will take a while. We’re taking you both to my “clinic”. You may live there with me and stay close to your father,’ Hestia told Lucia, and the girl could not help but stare at the Priestess with a newfound spark in the eye. ‘The great news is that we have magic now, which is basically cheating as far as medicine is concerned and I can just repair a lot of the damage to his body caused by dehydration, malnourishment, etcetera, here and now. The bad news…’

She paused, unsure whether to speak of the avoided topic, but then decided she did not care if a teenage girl heard it. ‘Lead damages the central nervous system and… healing spells can’t heal a mental illness… just like the two dozen of our friends at my clinic whose minds just… aren’t there. They just lie there. Broken. Empty. I tried everything… They say everything psychological is also biological, but I guess it’s not always like that…’ Her gaze was fixed on the floor.

‘It’s not your fault. You know that,’ Esther assured her.

‘Yeah…,’ Hestia trailed off. After a moment she composed herself, and continued. ‘So… if he was poisoned as an adult, then that is good. This would be really catastrophic for a child. Tomorrow I’m going to visit the workshop and have a conversation with the overseer there.’

Lucia did not understand a word of what was being spoken, but she seemed relieved to see three super-humans concerned with the health of her father, whatever their reasons were. After all, everyone knew they were crazy and dangerous, and it was best to stay away from them. That’s what father said, but lately he said a lot of things…

‘Now. Lucia, child. Come here, and hold my hand. I need your help for this. Hold tight, and don’t close your eyes, alright?’ Hestia asked, showing the warmest smile and offering one hand to the daughter and laying the other on Hobart’s chest. When the girl held Hestia’s hand in both of her small palms, Hestia concentrated. Her mouth whispered words, and the eyeballs under her closed eyelids moved left-to-right as if reading from a text from her memory. Her brows furrowed, and her head dropped a little. The litany was not short, and it was apparent the art did not come easily. But eventually, a tiny white light manifested under her palm, and grew in intensity and size as Hestia the Priestess continued to mutter words.

Lucia’s eyes went wide as she witnessed what she could only describe as a miracle.

—

Later that day in the late evening, Seelastraxx was again visiting Esther’s place (Don’t worry, I brought drinks!). It was just the two of them, and the Mage had just finished telling the Priestess the events of the day. A single flame danced merrily on a candle knot casting a pleasant ambient light, even though Esther had an oil lamp hanging in the same room.

‘You did a good job there,’ said Seelastraxx. ‘Compassion aside, this will earn us some good allies too.’

‘And you? Should I even ask if you had issues finding someone to go ask about the weather history? Eh, you know what, don’t even answer.’

‘You know me,’ Seelastraxx said, smiling above the cup of strong starberry juice. Then her purple eyes again went to the Prasteria bouquet on the table. After a few moments of silence, she said: ‘Esther, you silly woman. If you don’t tell him to come back, he won’t come back.’

‘How do you know I didn’t?’

‘The boys were hiding behind a barrel. They told me.’

Esther’s cheeks went red, and it was not the juice. ‘Seriously! You guys are the worst.’

‘Sticks and stones,’ Seelastraxx said with a mischievous grin.

‘What was I supposed to do? I don’t want to grow roots here, you know. If… when we go back to our world, what then…?’

‘Then you just find each other again in real life. You know each other’s names. Oh you didn’t exchange them? Oh. You messed up. What are you, sixteen?’

‘Nineteen.’

‘My, my. Didn’t you tell me in private you’re twenty five?’

‘Sorry. Are you mad at me?’

‘Of course not. You think I never lied about my age online?’

They both laughed.

‘So what’s your age?’ Esther asked.

‘Twenty five, of course.’

‘You’re lying?’

‘Of course.’

They laughed again.

‘Also… you know, I don’t look like this in real life,’ Esther gestured to her face and body. ‘If we meet there, in real life, and…’

‘That really doesn’t matter as much as you think.’

‘It doesn’t sound believable coming from you.’

—

The land of the Sorostade kingdom was slowly disappearing behind him. He was much further south than where he had landed, but for now, the wind and the tides favoured him and carried him where he wanted to go. He did not particularly care about his position. Sooner or later he would hit one of the islands he sailed past previously, and from then he would know how much to correct north or south. It was impossible to miss his continent. So for the time being, he locked the rudder in place, sat back, and scanned the landmass over the rudder. He should memorize it. It was possible he would be coming here again in the future. Maybe even regularly, if he played his role right.

The sloop was good. Almost a dozen metres in length, a hull of teak, one mast with lateen rigging of triangular headsail and mainsail. There was a flaw in this rigging type when sailing at certain attitudes, but he made the first journey in something worse so this was no reason to complain.

In fact, there were no reasons to complain at all. Cloudless sky, warm air, long rays of the setting sun, wind in his ears and his sails, cool water under the keel, and a memory of black hair, embarrassed cheeks, and blue eyes.

On that evening, the Emissary was as happy as he could be.