He’d learned a lot about Olera over the last few days. The road out of Ezall eventually merged with a much larger one. That had been when they first ran into the merchant caravan. Like any successful salesman, the merchant was more than happy to talk with Atn.
The continent of Olera was shaped like a wonky U, according to the man Atn was chatting with along the way. The west side was larger than the east, and the south was larger than either—though the Vyrwallian range divided half of the south.
Iskle was the capital of the eastern regions. The second largest controlled territory of Olera. Ysessites controlled the entirety of the northwestern lands. Apparently, Yses was the most venerated god on many continents—Atn was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that there were multiple continents across the ocean—Hascea was the Ysessite capital in the region controlled by the religious order on the opposite side of Olera. Ysessite temples were scattered across the land, but there were other deities, too. Such as Myrt.
“Not everyone trusts in the powers and promises of Yses the Unsullied!”
So proclaimed the merchant. He spat whenever he said the god’s name. Atn hadn't asked the man to explain religion, but he was adamant to do so anyway.
“How can they follow some god when they don’t even know what it looks like!”
The merchant, Rawl, griped. Atn thought it an odd argument to pick. To each their own.
“What do you mean?”
“Every appearance of The Unsullied, every statue, every painting, Yses is draped in white robes and that is all you see of them. They faceless, genderless, never once has anything under the robe been revealed. They have no idea who, or what, their god is!”
Rawl delivered what sounded to Atn like a well practised speech. The merchant really disliked this Yses group.
“In my home city, people that believe in the Pure, believe on blind faith. The god does not reveal or involve himself as far as my knowledge goes. Of course, I’m not a Follower myself.”
“Idiotic, the lot of them. Me though, I follow Myrt. He’s the god of fortune. Superb choice too—you should consider converting. It was a recent thing. Got to talking with a fellow on the road, just a few months past, and he was telling me about his religion. He told me his god offered power and success. I laughed, until he proved the worth of his faith. I joined up the very next day. All I do in return is pledge myself to Myrt’s services should I ever be called upon—formality, a traditional thing, no god is going to need a merchant such as I.”
“And have you reaped any benefits from this deity?”
“Oh most certainly! Business has never been better. The last town I stopped in I sold a ware I’ve been trying to unload for the last couple years! Thought it was just a stroke of good luck until I got a new skill afterward, [Merchant of Myrt].”
The man spoke excitedly. It was curious. Atn had never heard of such godly intervention before. He’d also never heard of any of these deities, though, either.
The merchant continued to spread the word of his new religion to Atn as they grew nearer to Iskle. The City on the Horizon, as it was known.
Not much was visible except a large building situated on a bluff looming over the rest of the city. Iskle was built on a cliffside. The forest road eventually gave way to coastal grasslands. A dense yellowing grass, coarse, mixed with weeds and vining ground plants. Species that could withstand harsher coastal conditions.
“I better catch up with my caravan. Good talking with you Atncore. Make sure to stop by Travellers Tokens during your visit to Iskle.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks for the chat, Rawl.”
The merchant sped up to walk next to his wagons and guards as the travellers on the road neared Iskle.
The city had walls along the direction they approached from, but they only went three-quarters of the way around Iskle. The cliff on the city's north side provided enough security to not warrant a wall around the entire perimeter.
Tiny figures were patrolling on the stone ramparts. Atn couldn't see anything resembling voltage shields—a staple for protectors patrolling the walls in Last Stand—but he saw many sporting spears and bows.
The details gradually became easier to make out, and Atn was again stunned, like when he first saw the village of Ezall. Iskle left him feeling awed and intimidated, though. From out here, the city looked entirely made of stone. Of course, that was just the wall giving that appearance. Other hamlets and farms were visible across the grassy landscape. Enjoying the freedom of country living while benefiting from many of the protections provided by the nearby city.
Atn heard a barrage of unfamiliar noises. The sound of water energetically breaking on the pier's pilings. But other maritime sounds, as well. Gulls calling out, swooping high overhead. The faint ring of a bell. Heavy cargo being moved about. A deep bellow from a commanding voice.
Many of the sounds were likely imperceptible to most from this distance. Only due to his enhanced sensory perception could he make out the unique and foreign ambience of the coastal city.
Iskle’s wall wasn't very tall. In fact, the giant stone building covered in arched windows, sitting high on a bluff overlooking the rest of the city, had taller walls, albeit only spanning the southwest to the east side. Like the rest of the city, the waterfront was free of obstruction. It relied on the natural defences of the topography.
It was so unlike Last Stand in every way. And the complete opposite of Ezall. Atn had always dreamed of seeing other cities—a common dream for a population more or less trapped within its own walls. He’d have such amazing stories to tell his family when he returned.
The city gate was manned by four guards—when he had called them protectors, Rawl had corrected him to guards, Atn shrugged it off as colloquialism—two stood near the gatehouse entrances on either side of the road, vigilant and waiting for whenever they were called upon. The other two were inspecting goods and people coming into the city. The double doors were a thick, heavy walnut, reinforced with iron. They were currently open to allow passage.
Each door had large sigils on them. One, a complete circle with delicate lines creating foreign shapes within. The shapes were purposeful, clearly so, but not ones Atn was familiar with. The mark had a rose-tinted glow emanating from it. The other sigil was only half complete. Again, it was crafted with intention, in the shape of a triangle. The right door was a mirror of the left. When the gate was closed, he bet the triangle would power up like the two circular marks.
“What a fascinating gate.”
Theo shuffled out of line to get a better view of the doors at Atn’s comment.
“Have you ever seen markings like that?”
She looked back at Atn and Zsig while they waited behind Rawl’s group as the guards checked the merchant's goods and handed over a form.
“That is very interesting. Reminds me a bit of Grnulf’s, just on a smaller scale. It must be magic.”
Zsig shook his head in agreement with Atn but didn’t speak. He’d been relatively quiet during the last legs of their journey to Iskle—not that he was exceedingly chatty in the first place. It had been a long trip but easy. They just followed the road north. Eventually, they ran into Rawl, and followed them the rest of the way.
They didn’t get a chance to consider the gate any longer. Rawl’s procession entered the city, leaving the trio next in the queue.
A guard briefly looked over Zsig, Theo, and Atn. Then, checked a “Wanted” poster full of sketches plastered next to the gatehouse.
“Are you bringing any goods worth over 1,000 gold coin into Iskle with the intention to trade or sell?”
Gold, not chronocoin. Atn made a mental note to inquire about that.
“No, sir.”
“Do any of you come to Iskle with the intent to cause harm or commit crime?”
The guard spoke robotically. Plainly used to the routine.
Seeing as none of them knew Iskle’s laws it was hard to answer for certain. But they were just trying to find their way home, how much trouble could that possibly cause? Atn and Zsig were protectors themselves, they had no intention of purposely breaking laws.
“No, sir.”
Atn made eye contact with the guard, speaking earnestly. The guard glanced at Theo and Zsig, his gaze lingered on Zsig briefly before focusing back on Atn.
“Truth confirmed. Welcome to Iskle. Don’t cause any trouble.”
His tone was bored as he waved their group through. And that was Atn’s first introduction to the City on the Horizon.
“Clear the way.”
A rather short guard with a bushy brown beard stationed on the other side of the gate yelled. He wore armour and a metal helmet that made his hair flare out wildly. Atn had stopped to look at the glowing designs on the door but hurried along at the behest of the guard. Not because the man himself was particularly fierce but because the battleaxe on his back provided its own form of motivation.
His jaw dropped as he moved out from under the stone arch that led through the gate and into the city. He noticed Theo and Zsig wore similar expressions, though Zsig’s was significantly more restrained.
Atn began walking down the street before realising his legs were in motion. Head on a swivel, he couldn't decide which way to look. Cobbled stone and half-timbered buildings lined the streets. An architectural style Atn didn't recognise.
Iskle struck Atn as a city with character. It was clearly not ravaged by corruption, nor did its citizens bat an eye at the gates sitting wide open, allowing entrance to visitors.
What truly captured Atn’s attention were the people. Bipedal they may be, but human and biomech they were not. Atn saw people with impossibly shiny skin tinted in shades of blue or green. The sun reflected off it, making it difficult to look directly at them.
There were also short, hardy-looking people. They reminded Atn of Grnulf, but slightly taller, stout, with far more hair on their head and face. Similar to the guard that had yelled at him.
Some people had horns of all shapes, colours and sizes sprouting from their heads. Atn saw a horned woman with large leathery red wings exit an alleyway. The other pedestrians made room for her to walk without bumping into them. Her skin was similar, though not identical, in texture to her wings. It had a tough look to it and was a rusty colour. When the street became clogged due to wagon traffic and people coming into the city, the horned woman extracted herself from the bustle, spread her heavily tattooed wings and flew off.
“Did you guys see her?”
Theo stared wistfully in the direction the woman had flown off.
“What was she?”
None of them had an answer. But Atn was dying to find out all about these different species.
There were still humans. The four guards stationed outside the entrance were human. And plenty of them strolled along the streets. But they weren't the overwhelmingly dominant species in Iskle.
Atn felt an odd sense of…comfort in the multiple species. In Triahkel, he—his people—were alone, doomed to be the minority. There was only Natural Human or Biomech. And the regular humans far outnumbered the Biomech.
Here though. He looked around and saw himself reflected back in different shapes, heights, skins and hides. No one in Olera had questioned his Biomech nature, his silver-ringed eyes were usually the first thing most humans in Last Stand looked for. Here, no one seemed to care.
Every day in Last Stand, people would glare and sneer at Atn simply because he was Biomech. Many despised him for being born as he was. Not everyone, but a large majority. He had grown accustomed to such treatment. Yet, in Olera, there was a distinct lack of hatred directed toward him.
Predictably, Zsig and Theo were less moved by the diversity. There was shock and awe in their eyes, but they didn't have the same life experiences as Atn to inform them of how incredible this was.
“How will we find the Class giver person?”
Atn’s pace slowed as he considered Theo’s question. He’d been so caught up in the city's allure that he hadn't considered their destination. Rookie mistake. He’d been making a lot of those lately. For all they were regarded as high rank by the protectorate—because of perceived loyalty, not ability—he and Zsig were just getting out of their rookie years.
“Easy. Ask the protectors. Knowing their city is part of the job.”
To Atn’s relief, Zsig had the answer. At least someone was thinking.
“A great place to start. Good idea, Zsig.”
Atn walked with renewed determination. Tasks were easy. He enjoyed direction, rules, and situations where there wasn't a ton of guesswork—a clear-cut answer. That wasn't to say he couldn’t think for himself. He just preferred guidelines procedure. It's one of the things that drew him to a career as a protector. This whole debacle they were in was really taking him outside his comfort zone.
“Yeah. Good thinking.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Theo chimed in. Atn looked around for any protectors patrolling the streets but settled for asking a lady with curved, violet horns walking by with her daughter. The little girl had a tiny set of lilac horns poking out from under her hairline.
“Ma’am. Hello there. Do you know where we can find the nearest protector station?”
The woman gave Atn a funny look before grabbing her daughter's hand and walking away without a word. He asked the next person instead.
“Excuse me, do you know where the protector station is?”
“The what?”
A shiny passerby stopped to answer. He moved into the shade so Atn could look at him as they spoke. His skin and hair were mint green, and he looked as if he had been dipped in a metallic coating that made him shimmer even without the sun hitting him directly.
“The protector station? Even a security checkpoint will do.”
“You mean the guards? A guardhouse?”
The man inquired. Of course, Rawl had called them guards, not protectors. They must not use the term at all here.
“Yes, precisely!”
“Straight down the way, left at the bakers. There’s a checkpoint right next to the metalsmith's guild.”
The helpful person pointed them in the right direction to get them started. The corners of his smile disappeared into a green moustache that curled at the ends.
“Great. Thank you, sir.”
The man went on his way, blinding them when he stepped out of the shade.
Most of the buildings they passed were residential, separated here and there by alleyways. They were all constructed with the same white walls and wooden frames. The people were what interested Atn the most. He couldn’t wait to talk to them, and he really wanted to meet the lady who could fly.
They knew they had reached the baker’s by the smell of fresh bread. Atn breathed in deeply, and his stomach rumbled. The road had not been kind to their stomachs.
The building style changed slightly as they turned. A few massive stone buildings with clay tile roofs took up most of the street. From the signs hanging over each entrance, Atn could see they were the headquarters for various guilds in the city.
The first they passed was the bakers guild, conveniently located right behind the bakery they had turned at. Next to that was the metalsmiths guild, and then they reached a small shack, just large enough for a single person to stand in. A man in leather armour with a sword sheathed at his side stood in front of the structure.
“Hello, sir.”
Atn approached the guard, who looked a bit put out at being addressed.
“How can I help you?”
“We were just hoping you could point us in the direction of a…[Reclasser]?”
Atn briefly worried about the etiquette of asking to find a person by their Class, but the guard thought nothing of it.
“Hah. That’s a good one. What do you actually need, or are you just wasting my time?”
The guard narrowed his eyes at Atn.
“Really, sir. We’re looking for the person who can change someone's Class. We were told they could be found in Iskle.”
The guard's brow wrinkled up.
“First time I've been asked that. The [Shaper] works in an outbuilding next to the temple.”
“And where would the temple be?”
The guard gave Atn an unbelieving look but answered.
“Northeastern side of the city. Just before the road to the palace.”
“Palace?”
Atn could hear Theo whisper the word under her breath. It wasn’t a new word, but it also wasn't a term he was familiar with; he knew it was some sort of building.
Atn, Zsig, and Theo must have looked as confused as they felt because the guard took pity on them and elaborated.
“Go back to the main road and follow it. When you hit the fork, go right. You won’t be able to miss the queue outside the [Shaper’s] workshop.”
“I see. Thank you, sir.”
“Good luck.”
The guard waved them off, content to go back to standing in front of his shack, undisturbed.
Atn led the group as they backtracked to the main street. Then, they made their way deeper into the city of Iskle. Following the road until it began a winding ascent up to a castle. Last Stand did have stories, make-believe tales of kings and queens that lived in castles. Heroes stopping great evils. The Followers had many parables of such things as well, though theirs featured the Pure rather than royalty.
At the base of the winding road was their destination. Atn knew because of the crowd waiting out front a stone building shaped like a hexagon. It had a domed roof, with 6 carved pillars extending from the steps to the roof eave. Two large archways, floor to ceiling in size, let people enter from one side and exit from the opposite. Saving the [Shaper’s] clients from being bombarded after their session.
The trio pushed through the crowd, searching for anyone official looking. But as luck would have it, someone official found them instead. Atn felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see a man in a grey woollen robe standing behind them.
“Sirs, ma’am. Am I right to assume you are here to beseech the services of the blessed Shaper of Myrt.”
“Uh. Yes. And who are you?”
Atn was a taken aback. How did he know? Why did he seek them out?
“His assistant. Come with me, please.”
The robed man walked forward. The crowd began to notice; some even recognised him, calling out to the assistant. As the mass of people moved to intercept the assistant, he spoke.
“[Guided by Faith]”
The crowd parted before him. Clearing a straight line to the entrance of the building. People shouted in protest, upset they weren’t picked from the throng, but the assistant walked past them without sparing a glance.
He led Atn, Theo, and Zsig into the building and brought them directly to a tall, slim man sitting at a desk. He wore robes, but unlike his assistant, the [Shaper’s] luxurious black silk robes hung open in a surprisingly casual manner. He wore what looked like plain cotton trousers and a tunic underneath.
The [Shaper] was bald, with a geometric pattern of lines and dots decorating his head. He peered at them over his spectacles that had slid down the bridge of his nose.
“I could feel you’re uncontained power. A sensitivity of those with my Class. Why do you come to me?”
He didn’t bother with any preamble, just getting straight to the point. Theo and Zsig, as was now their usual, let Atn handle the talking.
“We are…unclassed. Someone told us to see if you could help with that.”
The [Shaper’s] brows shot up, and the glasses slid further down his nose.
“Unclassed you say? I have never met an individual without a Class, let alone three.”
“Yes, well that’s a long story. Can you help us?”
Atn pushed, not wanting to divulge their story if he didn’t need to.
“I may be able to assist you, I must warn you though my services are not rendered cheaply for the work I do is arduous.”
“That’s understandable. May I ask how much, sir?”
“500 gold per person.”
Atn’s shoulders slumped at the [Shaper’s] fee. That sounded like a lot—in chonocoin that would be a small fortune.
“Ah, I see. We will have to come back at a different time, it seems. Thank you for your time.”
Atn turned to leave with Theo and Zsig. The assistant was ready to show them out the other side of the rotunda, eager to get the next paying clients inside.
“You interest me. If you return with the coin, let my assistant know, and he will schedule you in right away.”
The [Shaper] called out to them.
Atn wasn’t sure how he felt about the Shaper of Myrt being interested in them.
———
They were lacking money. Without it, they could not eat, find a place to sleep, or visit the [Shaper]. After asking around, they found an inn willing to let them help out for the night in exchange for a cheap meal and a place in the stables. Atn wasn’t thrilled to sleep with more animals, but it was their best option. They’d have to find a way to make money soon.
Atn figured they had two goals. His first and most important goal was to get back home. Worry for his family and the distress his parents were likely going through nagged at him. They wouldn’t know what happened to him, and he knew the protectorate wouldn’t care much about updating a Biomech family on a case. Atn wondered if they were even investigating still. How long had it been now…weeks? A month? He’d lost track.
The second and far less important goal was to get a Class and learn how to use his magic better. He doubted it was crucial to finding their way home, but it was so cool. Specialized ammunition without a charge cartridge. Triahkel could finally put the war to rest completely if they had things like that. Would he be able to bring those powers back home?
The tiniest thought crossed his mind. A grand wish anyone with a good heart might long for, hope was possible. What if he was the person to end the war for good? As ridiculous as it may sound, he dreamed of peace between the highly intelligent biomech animals and the remaining people of Triahkel. No more barriers and cities separated by countless kilometres of hostile lands. It was a fool's dream, not something he would ever see in his lifetime.
Atn put aside childhood dreams of heroics and laid out the goals as he saw them while they sat at a table and scarfed down the hot stew. It was a simple meal of broth, chunks of meat, carrots and potatoes, but it was infinitely better than the forging and trapping they had been doing on the road. The carrot had caused a fuss at first. It was the correct shape, round and tapered, but a startling cerulean, not the orange, white, or purple he was used to. He’d been skeptical of the strange vegetable, and the innkeeper had laughed himself silly when Atn asked what it was.
“We earn money to pay the reclasser and search for a way home. An undamaged map would be helpful. I’ll see about that tomorrow.”
Atn started his sentence mid-thought, taking a page from Theo’s book, but they were all thinking along similar lines.
“I can probably find work with an alchemist or the like.”
Theo supposed, and Atn agreed. She probably wouldn't have difficulty picking up odd jobs for an alchemist or apothecary.
“Suppose this is a good a time as any to bring it up.”
Atn looked up from his stew at Zsig’s precursive tone.
“I’m headed off. I’ll hang around the city for a while, do some work and figure out the Class thing but this group stuff isn’t for me. I’m in no rush to get back to Last Stand.”
“What!”
Atn rubbed at one of his ears; he couldn’t have heard that correctly.
“You’re not going home? Why?”
Theo’s eyes looked like they might fall right out of their sockets they were so wide.
“I have my reasons.”
Atn wanted to protest, but he realised he didn’t know Zsig well enough to appeal to him on any sort of emotional level. He clearly wanted space and he didn’t exactly get along with Theo, which Atn could understand.
Theo was an…interesting travel companion, to put it mildly. She was book smart regarding most things related to alchemy, but she lacked any sort of social graces, and her common sense was questionable at best.
“What do you think will happen when we get home?”
Was Zsig afraid of something? Maybe he wanted out of Last Stand so desperately he would take any other option. Sometimes, people went stir-crazy and ran out into the Wilds in search of anything different.
“Don’t know. The protectorate will probably question you guys, then you'll go on with your life.”
Atn didn't miss how Zsig was already cutting himself out of the equation.
“Hey there. I couldn’t help but overhear that you’re trying to get home. Foreigners? If I’m wrong let me know. But I’m assuming you’re wanting to get to one of the further continents. Been adventuring Olera a while? The sea’s been getting worse by the year, bet you’re having a damned time getting a boat to sail through that. You’ll need to talk to an Undine if you want to get further than Acari’mar.”
Atn hadn't considered the possibility of sailing their way home. Could it really be that straightforward?
“I read that there once were other lands…”
Theo ruminated to herself, lapsing into silence. Her amber eyes shifted back and forth quickly, betraying her racing thoughts. Atn noticed it was something she did often, starting a thought out loud before stopping mid-sentence to think about it instead.
There was a lot to think about, though. He had to hand it to her. He’d picked up on continents being other places in the world. And you obviously had to cross the sea to get there. Did that mean Triahkel was just a boat ride away?
“Um. Yes, thank you. What’s a…I mean, where can we find an Undine?”
Atn finally spluttered as Zsig frowned at the man giving unsolicited advice.
“At the docks, of course. Nereids are always hanging around that dump of a watering hole. What’s the name again?”
The man’s dinner companion chimed in.
“The Drowning Siren.”
“That’s right, the Drowning Siren! Go ask around there.”
Atn just nodded, feeling an overload of information. Of all people, Zsig was the one to address the man and excuse them from further conversation.
“Thank you. We’ll check there. Have a good evening.”
“Not a problem. Sorry to cut in like that.”
The trio finished their stew in silence, mulling over these new insights.
Theo leaned in and spoke in a low voice, not wanting to accidentally invite more overly helpful people.
“I think we’re in the past.”
Atn slapped a hand over his mouth, catching himself before he could shout in surprise.
“Explain.”
That was all Zsig said as he sat with his arms crossed, his bowl sitting empty in front of him.
“There was a book I read once—”
“Of course there was.”
She scowled at Zsig’s muttered comment.
“—It said Triahkel was once one of many places in the world. Long ago. The other continents were all lost over time, leaving Triahkel alone. What if the potion was for time travel?”
Time travel.
He looked around the common room of the inn. It was built in the same style as the other buildings in Iskel. A dark wooden frame filled in with an off-white plaster. Window shutters matched the dark frame. The dining tables were old, marred and stained. The spoons, bowls and mugs were in a similar state. Atn hadn’t seen a single robot since arriving, nor any of the same technologies they had in Last Stand. It was as plausible an explanation as any, though he felt compelled to share his own theory.
“Maybe this isn’t the past. Maybe we were just teleported to a different continent. You heard the guy, he said the sea is getting worse and worse each year, but there are other place out there.”
Atn wondered how much ship passage would cost.
“The water has been impassable for decades in Triahkel. Why wouldn’t it be the same here if this was the same time period? Time travel makes more sense to me.”
Zsig interjected, and Theo looked surprised when he agreed with her.
“How would we even get back to our own time?”
Atn queried, running with the time travel theory for now.
“I don’t know, but find me if you figure it out.”
With that, Zsig pushed back his chair and stood.
“What? You’re still leaving, even after learning all this?”
Theo was flabbergasted.
“We haven’t really learned all that much. I’ll let you guys know where I’m staying when I find a place. Like I said, I don’t plan on going back to Last Stand anytime soon.”
“Don’t just leave—”
But Zsig didn’t care to listen to either of them try and convince him otherwise. He walked out the inn door, and Atn wondered if he’d ever see his partner again.
“He didn’t even help with the dishes.”
Theo attempted a joke. But neither of them laughed. They didn't know what else to say, so they sat in uncomfortable silence.
And now there were two.