From this distance, I could already tell this domed city is freakishly massive. The dome starts at the edge of the city atop a shining black wall of some unknown metal. (well unknown to me) The wall itself is approximately the height of a forty story building. Judging by what I Can see from this distance. They support the dome in the center by what seems to be a massive building that reaches all the way to the top at close to two miles in height. There is a flat space on top where spaceships are landing and lowered down into the city below. From what I Can get from Jarlen, those ships make mine look like a tiny toy.

"Will we be finding our crew here?" I ask in awe at the engineering that this city must have taken to build.

Jarlen, who is also looking into something on his Tablet, answers distractedly. "No, we will need to head to the capital of sanctuary for the crew. I am looking into an old friend of ours, a dwarven engineer if he is not too drunk to answer his messages."

Nodding, I accept his help. He knows more about the crew we need, anyway. "What about the rest of the crew?"

"Well, for your navigator, we should look for a Dark elf. They're damn good at the job. As for logistics, let me take on that role. We already covered weapon technician with Gregory." Gregory stuck out his thumb and went back to whatever he is doing. "Should we hire a chef?"

"Might as well. I sure don't want to cook for an entire crew. Get someone for cleaning and other odd jobs as well while you're at it," I say.

After typing out something, Jarlen nodded at me "ok, noted, do we need anyone for security?"

"I can cover some of that, but it wouldn't hurt to have another good fighter if we need to split up. Got anyone in mind?"

"My elder sister, she is probably the best fighter around that we could get on brief notice. Because she needs to get off-world or those old farts in the council are going to force her to marry one of their sons."

"I take it that's the real reason we need to head to the capital once our papers are in order? Speaking of getting papers in order, will I be able to walk around? I am fairly sure your peoples don't see a lot of Humans around here."

Thinking for a minute, Jarlen asks. "do you have a hat that you can use to cover your ears if then you can pass off as an ugly elf, I think."

I stare at Jarlen, stupefied. "I have such hats, but wearing something like that would be even more conspicuous in this climate? Nope, that definitely won't work. Let's just say, I was born with deformed ears."

As we neared the city, I discovered my estimates were way off. The surrounding wall was closer to a thousand feet tall. Or close to one hundred floor building from Earth. When we passed inside the massive gate, Gregory swiped a card in front of a screen without even opening his vehicle's bubble, and we continued on inside. The wall was only fifteen feet thick; I was expecting closer to fifty, or maybe even a hundred feet thick. After we flew through the city for around fifteen minutes, we stopped in front of a small building in what I assume are the suburbs. Which I was told is Prince Jarlen's private residence in this world.

While I looked around the rather small house. It is literally one room with what I assume is a door leading to a bathroom on the opposite wall of the entry. There is not even a window. Glancing over at Jarlen, who was still scrolling and typing into a tablet. "Are you really a prince? This is little more than a shack?"

He looks up, glancing around. "What more do I need? It is only me here, and I don't often visit as it is. Besides, I don't have any money; they set this up for me like I said. When I wanted to come here to visit Gregory a few years back."

"I will guess that they are the council you mention often enough. You realize this was most likely meant a san insult, right?"

Jarlen shrugs, "only if I let it be an insult I find ignoring their antics upsets them more, and if I retaliate, it makes them feel superior."

With a hearty laugh, I walk up to the prince and slap him on the shoulder. "We're going to get along very well, my new friend. Oh, how old are the two of you?"

Gregory grunts, "I am thirty years old."

While Jarlen raises an eyebrow, "You know most don't bother asking us elves that because it makes them feel inferior. However, I Am one hundred and three this year."

"I see. Well, I turned three hundred this year, so don't worry about your age upsetting me." I say with a wink.

Both of them stopped and gaped at me "your race lives that long. I have never heard of any races living past one hundred and twenty. Except the elves or the tiny sprites." said Gregory.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"Many of my fellow humans don't live this long. However, because of an accident, our race changed, and we have begun living far longer."

There was a ding sound, and Gregory looked down at his tablet. After reading the message for a few minutes, he said. "I got you an appointment with one of the port masters, but we have to meet today." Then turning to Jarlen, "do you mind if we use the teleport array in the back?"

After waving us on, Jarlen focused on his tablet. "Alright, I should have a message from my sister and maybe the engineer by the time you get back."

Gregory led me through the door I assumed was the restroom, only to see an empty chamber with a glowing pillar in the center. He touched a few buttons. Turning the room bright for a second when I opened my eyes, we were in a different chamber. Being hurried along by a man in a gray uniform carrying a clipboard.

"Which shuttle bay," said the bored man.

"None," said Gregory, "we have an appointment with port master Harlon."

The uniformed man tapped a few times on his clipboard and finally said, "ah, here we are." Then he led us to a smaller chamber, typed something into the column, and with another blue flash, we moved again. "Just follow the corridor until you see the door with the port master plaque. You can't miss it." Then he hurried us out and ported. I assume back where we were.

"Wow," I said, "your people are far ahead of ours in tech."

Gregory thought about that for a minute, then replied, "I don't know about that. Your people seem to have gone a different route is all, focusing heavily on spatial technology, -- that I can't even fathom."

Pondering his words, I nodded. "That's true. It makes sense, though, considering my people have the abilities that let us focus in different areas that would be difficult otherwise."

Knocking on the office door, we heard an irritated voice. "Get in here Gregory, I'm on overtime already."

Gregory pushed the door open and walked up to the desk. "Harlon, long time no see, don't worry, we will make your time profitable. Besides me, this person is an engineer who has been building his own space yacht for several centuries now. When he wanted to give it a test flight, I mentioned that he would need to register it first."

Listening to Gregory, Harlon looked me up and down. "Kinda ugly for an elf. What's the deal with the ears?"

With a raised eyebrow, I let out a tiny fraction of my aura, and the Little Forest sprite immediately apologized, practically falling over. "I apologize, my lord. I will inspect the craft myself right away."

I smiled "that's fine. However, I wish to stipulate that anything you see inside my craft can never be told to anyone without my express permission. Is this acceptable?"

"It is, My Lord. In fact, I will swear it on my bloodline if you insist."

I looked at Gregory questioningly.

"I don't believe that will be necessary, Harlon. I would not have contacted you if I couldn't trust you." He then gave me an obvious look. To drop this subject.

Nodding to him, I turned to Harlen. "Well, my young friend here says I Can trust you and since I trust him. (not completely, but enough to get along with) I will just say, when do we start?"

"Come with me. I have a private shuttle bay and can turn off all the cameras in the vicinity before we begin."

Harlon lead the way for a good fifteen minutes before we came to a sealed door that he punched a rather long code into. Entering the tiny chamber, he explained, "it is mandatory to decontaminate everyone coming in or leaving, so nothing follows you on or off-planet."

For a full minute, a blue line ran up and down our bodies. I couldn't feel anything, but my companions were clenching their teeth, and from the look on their faces, you might think bugs were crawling all over their bodies.

"What was that?" I ask.

Harlon shrugs. "Supposedly, according to the weirdos that installed it a few years back. It is some kind of radiation, harmless to people but deadly to microorganisms. Don't make no sense to me, but orders are orders."

Gregory shudders. "I hate it every time I enter one. Feels like bugs are crawling all over my body."

A few seconds later, the door to the hanger opens up, and Harlon turns to me, "alright, contact your pilot, and control will lead them here."

I blink for a second then turn to Harlon "um, where do you want the ship?"

With an annoyed look, Harlon points at a yellow circle in the center of the bay.

Grinning and winking at the surly sprite, I walk forward, bringing out my ship and tossing it toward the center.

Harlon was about to say something but stops and drops his jaw as my ship unfolded from its pocket and emerged before him. "Is that spatial technology? I had heard nothing about any breakthroughs in that area, actually since when were we developing in this direction." He asked me, confused, to which I just grinned and waved him closer to the ship.