The Drury Bakery is a part of the Drury Lane and it was constructed within the southern wall of the Bazaar District of Dracthara City with two grand entrances, one that took you inside the city and the other that took you back outside. Most visitors passed through the bakery rather than passing through the great gates and Drury Lane is surreal as well as whimsical in nature. It is a pastel-colored dream world filled with gardens from which large candy canes and lollipops grew. There are flowery meadows with a town constructed in it that appeared to be full of candy shops and party decorations where many bakers, commonly magi of all types, sold their goods for all visitors that came through Drury Lane. There were many Selkie fairies flying throughout this place and those that were not were caged for they would otherwise set the garden ablaze. There was an Asrai magi that locals called the Sugar Plum Fairy for she was covered all cotton candy and she conjured with her magic to gift to the children. Near the end of Drury Lane there was a series of buildings and alleyways running between them that lead to a series of cul-de-sacs. The buildings here appeared to be made out of gingerbread, cake, and candy with gingerbread men running a lot everywhere, miniature and even human sized. At the end of one of these cul-de-sacs appeared to be several elven, human and kazarian individuals with the harpies standing on one of the rooftops, clawing into the rooftop off the building and eating the gingerbread. I would do the same because I was interested in how it tasted and it tasted like tiramisu, and I needed the caffeine badly. It was as if this enchanted place could sense it.
“Still hungry, little girl?”, asked Jill and I looked at her with a smile. “No, I just wondered how it tastes and I assume it tastes on whatever you desire the most at the time.”, Jill smiled and nodded her head. “You are correct. Welcome to Drury Lane, home of dentists and bakers of all types that make a living off our every day cravings.”, I smirked as I followed after her.
Jack and Jill opened one of the gingerbread doors that lead inside of a house where there were people sitting on chairs around tables, all made out of the same material on the outside. The interior is the same as the interior and luckily nothing melted, it all stayed rigid hard unless you scooped at it with your claw or hands. There were many individuals here that seemed to be occupied with just kicking down the walls and even jumping into them. The walls remained intact and the building didn’t cave in even though there were so many holes in here. Jack and Jill lead me down a flight of stairs and this time there was a concrete wall and a wooden door that they both knocked over. A latch opened and an eye appeared to look out that recognized the couple before opening the door. It was a large muffin man who nudged his head inside.
“Come on in, Thomas has been expecting you.”, said the gingerbread man. “Thank you.”, said Jill and Jack just walked in, and I followed along as the gingerbread gave me the weird eye.
This area wasn’t whimsical as the one outside. It is a shady and dangerous tavern where rogues and rangers of all kind conversed, gathering to drink alcoholic beverages with strippers dancing in gingerbread clothing that melted away. There were musicians here and merchants that conducted shady business clear to the naked eye. There were eerie eyes looking at us but Jack and Jill didn’t seem to care like I did. They walked behind the bar where a barkeeper stood and opened a door as both Jack and Jill stopped, turned towards me with Jack nudging his head.
“Okay, girl, get in there and try to look presentable like you did to us. It’s time to see if the big boss likes you as much as we do. We’ll be waiting at the bar for you, you got it?”, explained Jill and I nodded my head back, acknowledging what she said before I stepped inside the dark room.
The door closed behind me that left me completely in the dark. I stood there for a while before hearing someone clapping their hands as a chandelier lit up above me. The entire room remained dark but had sort of a night time feeling to it. There were several bookshelves pushed against the walls on all sides and a singular large round table in the center where many books and scrolls were opened up, and behind that table there were several sofas and couches with one of the sofas having a human lying over it. He looked at me and I looked at him, trying to focus my eyes to see who it was before hearing him say.
“Kirya?”, and in that moment I instantly recognized his voice. “Tommy?”, I replied and he got up to stand, walking to the other side of the table and observing me with focused eyes.
“It is you!”, he said happily and opened his arms. “Hey, big brother!”, I then spread my own arms and hugged him, we both found each other in a loving embrace after years being a part.
He then moved back, reached for my arms with both of his hands and observed me.
“I trust your journey here was pleasant? I gave clear instructions to the handlers to conceal your identity and to treat you well until you were safely smuggled here.”, I bowed my head. “Yes, brother, they treated me well and you got some dashing fine rogues that acted well on your part. The guards didn’t suspect a thing.”, I explained and Thomas smiled, patting my shoulder.
“Look, Kirya, I have something to tell you. I need to get it out.”, Thomas turned, facing the table and exhaling loudly, clearly in distress. “I’m sorry for what had happened. If I knew it would have been that bad in the end, I would have smuggled you out sooner. I could off smuggled them out sooner as well and…”, I knew what was eating him up but it was already in the past for me.
“I know.”, I interrupted him. “But we talked about this, time and time again. You predicted what would happen, but they were too stubborn to accept it and leave home. It’s not your fault.”, I comforted him like always and he turned to his doubts.
“I know, Kirya, I know, but it’s just…”, I cut in again and stepped forward, grabbing his hands. “Thomas, it’s not your fault. No one could of predicted what would happen, not to that extent, at least.”, I explained and he seemed to nod his head, calming himself down before sighing.
“You’re right.”, he said. “You’re right, just like you were in the letters. It just gets to me. It isn’t something I can easily forget and get over, you know?”, he explained and I nodded my head.
“I understand.”, I reassured him before he sighed yet again. “I missed you, little sister. I am so glad you’re back. I know it isn’t home, but…”, I placed my hand over his right shoulder.
“It’s home now.”, I assured him and he nodded his head with a smile on his face. “No, it isn’t until we get you a citizenship and the only way we can do that is if we prove your worth to the Empire, and even after that we need to get you full employment so you can remain safely inside the walls of the city.”, I sighed and knew this already from the letters he sent before.
“So you’ve written.”, I reminded him. “So what’s this job you were referring to in your letters that would help me prove myself to the Empire?”, I asked and he turned, moving towards the table behind him where there were a set of parchments with written orders.
“We are the League of Shadows. We are a part of the League of Assassins. We are one of many divisions and infiltration units, but our task is to investigate other worlds by traveling through the Eye of the Storm and I so happen to have one in mind for you.”, he pointed down on a map that was over the table and there it was, my first world to investigate. “Teyvat?”, I read the name.
“Yes, Teyvat of the Kingdom of Rosamond was once a beautiful and thriving lesser world that we traded with….”, he explained. “Lesser world?”, he raised his right hand. “Let me finish.”, he replied and I stepped back, crossing my arms and nudging my head to allow him to.
“Lesser worlds are planets that are not as technologically evolved and/or that are not as large compared to primordial worlds, such as the Dragonlands. They are also worlds that only have a singular continent and Teyvat was one such world filled with wine culture that has dominated the region since its conception. The lands here are lush and green, full of ruins that we investigated in secret from the eyes of the locals. We blended in with their surroundings and their culture, trading simple goods for their fine wine. However, they have gone silent in the recent years and what little remains off their society says that their kingdom has been cursed by an evil witch that has brought about the ruin of Teyvat.”, he explained and then I lifted my head.
“So what’s the mission?”, I asked and he took in a deep breath, I could tell he felt uneasy. “You are to travel to Teyvat by ship and with a crew that will manage it for you. Your mission is to go down onto the planet’s surface and make contact with one of my agents stationed there, and you do not have to worry about finding her. It will find you on its own.”, the way he worded that confused me and so I lowered my arms, lifting my right eyebrow staring at him questionably.
“It’s an android that resembles an alvan woman. She was reactivated after all the androids were shutdown when the Doom Falcon fell from the skies. It’s designation number is sixteen and it’s codename is Paleskin, and it goes by the human name of Naomi Pharon on the planet.”, Thomas explained and then I looked at him with wonder. “Why an alva though?” I asked.
“Because the humans that crash landed there might have been killed off by the natives but not to the point of losing everything. They still have cybernetics, but not spacecraft or androids. They are set back due to their fall from grace, more than we are, but not that far back that they can’t defend themselves.”, Thomas explained and then I stood there, thinking.
“Any questions?”, Thomas asked and I nodded my head. “Yeah, when do I leave?”, I would be leaving the very next day and from Venture Harbor where I saw my crew loading up cargo.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“Here’s the list of your crewmen, one of them should sound familiar to you.”, I took hold of the scroll and opened it to lead the list, all to which were unfamiliar to me, besides one. “Jack’ron Horner?”, I said and looked to my brother in thought. “Isn’t he a part of the Baker’s Dozen?”, I asked and Thomas nodded his head. “Yes, but he’s slow in the head.”, Thomas replied.
“What’s wrong with him?”, I asked. “I forgot what it is and I don’t care either. He’s been with us on several other flights like these and each time he served as the ship’s cook. I am pretty sure he will serve you well aboard the TEC-9.”, this name would of confused humans but not me.
Tec meant ‘The Emperor’s or Empress’ Chosen’ and the designation number was 9. The numbers usually represented the ship in line that was constructed and this wasn’t the ninth that was constructed but rather fully reconstructed. The TEC ships were vessels chosen for important missions and voyages that took interest to the Empyreal Council. The spaceships I would dock on board off were freighters, mainly created to carry passengers and cargo. They are made out of some metallic craft and what type of metal is used in its design is unknown to me for I am not an engineer or a tinker. It is round and flat, about ten meters in diameter, and has a rounded fin on the top. It has a reflective silver colored surface that appeared to be somewhat dirty with the rear of the ship being clearly distinguishable by what appeared to be engines that served as thrusters and jets that helped power the strange object. The object rested on a four columns of metal where it seemed several tinkers worked on the engines from below and were patching holes. They had retractable boarding ladders that extended below the port and starboard passage tubes.
“Come.”, my brother would take me up those stairs into the ship itself. “These here are the…”, he went to explain only for me to interrupt. “The escape pods.”, he smirked and nodded his head.
“Okay, you are not that technologically inept.”, he said. “There were plenty of escape pods aboard the Doom Falcon, little brother, and that was a city ship.”, he waved his hand, gesturing for me to follow him, as we walked the opposite direction into the ship’s heart and center.
The main corridor was round like the exterior of the ship and there were many doors that lead to various sectors of the ship. If I turned to my right and hung another right there was a corridor…
“That there path leads to the fright loading room.”, he pointed it out to me. “There’s an elevator at the end of that hall that passengers may use to bring cargo in this room or if you can’t walk. To our left here is the Observation Room.”, he pointed to a corridor that went down a ramp.
“That leads to the bottom center of the ship where there is a small lounge with several backup escape pods. It has a glass window that looks to the stars and that’s where you will find the ship’s cock, Jack’ron Horner, making his exquisite meals.”, he explained and I nodded my head impressed, I was liking the simplistic and yet effective design of this ship already.
If we went past these rooms, we would enter into a large and opened corridor that he would point to before revealing to me that they were…
“This is the Passenger’s Lounge. You got everything you need in here such as a large TV, round-bunk like sofa to rest over after a hard day that is built in the wall and several small couches beside it. Over there…”, he pointed to the far back of the room where there was a jackal-like android that bowed his head. “Is your local servant, your barkeep that will service your every day needs. His code name is ‘The Jackal’ or simply the ‘Jackal’. He will serve you your breakfast, lunch and dinner.”, he introduced me to the android whose image appeared beside me.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Hennington.”, I got spooked by his sudden re-appearance from one location to the other. “I am looking forward to our time together on board this ship.”, he explained and Thomas smirked before reaching over my shoulder, pulling me away.
There was a nazirh and malfhi sitting in the lounge that didn’t say a word to me. They drank a beverage and didn’t even wish to address me or the captain, both of them had a collar around their necks like me and therefore I knew they were not citizens. What Thomas didn’t mention was a large metallic door that was located in the right corner of the lounge with a sign beside it that read ‘Cockpit Access Corridor’ that I am assuming lead to the ‘Cockpit’.
“The cockpit is there as well?”, I asked him to show that I cared to know my surroundings. “Yeah, well, I didn’t want to mention that since you will be spending your time in the lounge, believe me.”, he explained. “It will become second nature for you to go there.”, he added.
We were now located on the left side of the main corridor with a room to my right that was…
“These are the passenger cabin with bunks. A crew of six sleeps in each cabin.”, he pointed there and explained before pointing to the left. “Refresher Room, also known as the bathroom, shower room, wash room… whatever.”, he walked down the corridor before pointing right.
“Boarding Room, Escape Pod Room again, because there’s one on each side.”, he quickly tried to explain it to me and I understood quite well, the layout wasn’t difficult to understand.
“Another passenger cabin.”, he pointed to the right and then to the left. “Circuitry Bay, that’s only for the engineers of the ship or the Jackal to work on it.”, he explained before we finally would arrive to the back of the ship where there was a singular access that lead into a large room.
“Freight elevator.”, he pointed to a platform before me and then to his left and right. “Small bunks where the engineers reside during the night in case of emergencies.”, he then stepped forward onto the platform before turning around and pointing back. “Behind us are the engines that serve as our thrusters and jets. All of these pipes, electrical equipment, pressure valves and so on are for tinkers only, not you. Do you understand?”, I nodded my head.
“So in other words, this is the engine room and the living quarters for the engineers?”, I asked and he pointed at me before looking up, thinking and nodding his head with a smile on his face.
“Exactly, big sister, that’s exactly what this place is. If you head outside and turn right, you will come across…”, as he went to explain I interrupted him. “Another passenger cabin and a refresher room?”, he then paused, exhaled and looked down with a smile on his face.
He then took a couple of steps forward and raised both of his hands over my shoulders while gazing deep into my eyes happily. He looked uneasy but he also looked proud.
“You are ready.”, he said. “You come back home safe, you hear?”, he stated and I bowed my head. “I will, brother. I didn’t make it all this way for nothing. I will go and I will return.”, I replied and he seemed to be joyous to hear that before stepping back onto the elevated platform.
I didn’t sleep the either night before this because I wanted to make up lost time with my brother and I felt so sleepy that when he lowered himself down that ramp, we both just waved good bye to one another without saying a word. We knew it wasn’t the last time we would see each other and yet it felt like we were being taken apart like we were in the past. The engineers on board this ship, a few gnomes and dwarves, stared at me. When I turned to look at them, they quickly returned to resume to their duties and I looked down in thought before returning to the lounge. Upon my return, I saw several crew members there and I felt it was overcrowded, I just didn’t want to socialize today and I thought of just heading right back towards one of the cabins before I saw Jack’ron Horner carrying two pies below into the Observation Room. I followed after him through the corridor until I arrived into the room with a glass floor surrounded by a circular platform. The platform was covered by a red carpet with bunk sofas built into the walls with a table in front of them. There was an opened corridor where there were many stoves, ovens, and large pots over fires along with tables where he placed his pies. When I walked into the room, he turned to face me in silence and observed me. He didn’t say a word and just turned to resume to his duties as I walked to one of the sofas, turned and fell over top of it. It felt so comfortable, almost like a water bed, and I closed my eyes, loving the feeling and just closing my eyes. I was so tired that I fell asleep and then I woke up to something kicking my sofa until I opened my eyes to see Jack’ron Horner, who lowered down a plum pie towards me and I grabbed hold of it with both of my hands as he smiled at me. He then walked away and I wondered for how long I was out cold for before the image of the jackal appeared me.
“Excuse me, Lady Kirya.”, the jackal started me that I almost dropped the pie and luckily didn’t. “My apologizes, I didn’t mean to startle you, I just wanted to inform you that we have arrived.”, I looked at the jackal with disbelief, got up to stand and then looked below through the glass floor to see that we have, indeed, arrived to Teyvat of the Lost Kingdom of Rosamond.
“We are ready to disembark whenever you desire, milady. The captain is awaiting your orders.”, the jackal explained and I then looked down at the pie. “Tell him I’ll come to see him once I am done with this delicious pie.”, I said and the jackal smiled, bowing his head. “Of course.”, the jackal then disappeared and Jack’ron seemed to happily smile from the kitchen at my comment.
I would, indeed, finish my plum pie before heading up into the main deck and making my way towards the lounge where there were a lot of crew members eating lunch. I slept a good eight hours as it was one in the afternoon but time might be different on Teyvat. I looked around in the lounge only for a single crew member to notice me that had goggles on his head and then he dropped his spoon quickly into the bowl before getting up from his seat, jumping down from it and walking towards me as it was a dwarf that seemed to be our captain.
“Good morning, las, I am Captain Drakwa. I wanted to introduce myself to you earlier, but you fell asleep before we even departed from the Dragonlands.”, he explained and I sighed. “That was my fault. I couldn’t sleep the entire night before and I just had to get some shut eye. I laid on the sofa below deck and just passed out.”, I replied and he nodded his head.
“No need to explain yourself to me, las, I get it. You just let me know when you’re ready to disembark.”, he added. “Now.”, I replied and he turned back to face me. “Alright.”, he replied. “Or…”, I interrupted him as he was heading towards the cockpit. “Maybe after lunch, huh?”, I asked and he smiled back happily, bowing his head. “I much appreciate it, las, thank you.”, he said.
The ship would land onto the planet’s surface, open its retractable boarding ladders, and I would disembark with everything I needed while a mafhi and nazirh crewmember would scout for me.
“We wish you luck, Lady Kirya.”, said the nazirh whom I didn’t even know. “Ugh, thanks, I guess?”, I replied and they returned to the ship as I would then head into the open field while the spaceship rose up to the skies before turning invisible and blasting off into space.
The world is just as my brother described, lush and green in nature. It is no wonder that it is a world filled with vineyard and where wine is heavily produced, it doesn’t surprise me at all. There are rolling hills that take turns with high and steep cliffs that gave me a visual of the nearby steepest vineyards in the world. There appeared to be ruins of stone-like structures all over the place that was unknown to me and my cybernetic eyes had little details to tell me regarding them as no data banks could be found until I heard.
“Kirya Hennington.”, I turned and saw a pale-skin looking alva with light blue glowing eyes and pale white air that seemed to know who I was. “Pale…”, I was about to say her codename until I stopped myself and said. “Naomi Pharon?”, she then bowed her head to acknowledge she is.
“Welcome to Teyvat, my milady.”, she welcomed me to the world and when I looked over the cliff I could see buildings that were made out of half-timbered architecture with gothic style churches and cathedrals that had me captivated immediately.