It was another week at sea before they reached their next stop, the city of Beylaya in the Grand Duchy of Okevyurt. Situated at the mouth of the Kobalok River, it was another large port city, serving as the primary coastal trade center for the capital and the dwarven nation in the western mountains. They'd be staying in the city for a full three days to resupply and make time for shore leave for all the crew. They'd gotten to know Monica, the [Sailor] they'd eaten with the first day, a bit over the course of the journey, and she explained that Beylaya catered heavily to the [Sailor] crowd. Pithos was a religious and administrative center, but Beylaya thrived on trade above all.

Thus, when Gloria and Vittorio left for land, they did so in a crowded rowboat filled with excited crewmembers. There was talk of bathhouses, taverns, brothels, and the arena.

"Fighting", Monica explained. "There're duels and massed combat and stuff in the arena and people bet on it. Sometimes nobles send champions to fight things out for 'em, but that's rare."

"So you're going to... watch people die?"

"Nah, not die. It's first blood or first hit. It's pretty fun seeing what they can do."

Gloria and Vittorio looked at each other. "I think we'll pass", Vittorio said.

"Suit yourself", Monica answered, and the conversation died.

The differences between Pithos and Beylaya were immediately apparent, with the buildings here looking far older and more worn-down. In many places, the usual straight walls were instead slightly sloped, as if the builder hadn't trusted them to stay standing, and those buildings had few windows. The streets were also quite different, with fine paving in the center flanked by poorer workmanship or even dirt. The people walked on the sides with wagons occupying the middle - Vittorio thought it a waste, as the wagons rarely moved faster than walking speed anyway, until a carriage passed by at high speeds. People would stop and look down the street before crossing, wary of being struck by a hurtling carriage. Very strange.

Vittorio also noticed that jewelry was very common, even among workers. In particular, most of the locals wore pins on their chests in different colours and shapes. The most common was a simple, square design: Upper half green, lower half blue, with a vertical yellow line in the middle. Many wore versions made of some cheap, painted metal, but the more affluent favoured patches of cloth. At least it didn't seem like a law or anything, as nobody challenged them on their lack.

The Free Company hall was not far from the harbour. The building was comparatively small, though tall at five floors, and as they entered they found the main hall nearly empty. The official at the desk was happy to explain things to them.

"The Company has two halls in the city", he said. "The Harbour Hall is mostly for visitors like yourselves and people keeping an eye on the sea. We do have a quest board, but it's usually empty." He nodded at a board that was, indeed, empty.

"I saw a lot of people wear brooches?", Gloria asked. She'd noticed nobody here did.

"Shows who you work for", the man said. "The noble you serve. It doesn't really do anything, it's just a way for the nobility to show how many people they have and how rich they are. It's mostly the Count of the city and the Duke of Asagi Nehir around here. Adventurers on quests for a noble will wear one as well."

Their days in the city were pleasant but unremarkable. The one standout was the people, who were very warm, welcoming, and generous to a fault. On their second day they went for a late lunch at a tavern, and were joined by the owner who regaled them for over an hour with stories about the locals and the tavern - and at the end, she refused payment. Vittorio hid some money under his plate when she wasn't looking.

From there, the ship continued for another eight days until they reached Barkuruk in Nulbumundi. Following Avourels advice - and the crew's example - they stayed onboard. The city's architecture was very similar to Beylaya's and the harbour seemed highly organized, but there wasn't much more to tell. They only stopped for half a day to take on supplies ahead of the crossing to Kara.

Until now, the ship had been following the coast northwards, but when Vittorio emerged on deck the next day they'd left land behind. Looking around and seeing nothing but the ocean in every direction felt oddly lonely. The crew was in quite good spirits though.

"Nothing like it!", Monica said, taking deep breaths. "Just look - that right there is the world ocean. Who knows what might be out there? Don't you just wish you could head on out and see what's to be found?"

Vittorio didn't have the heart to tell her the truth, so he just nodded instead.

"Land's fine and all, but once you've seen the sun set into the water, there's no going back. Attris will have your heart for the rest of your days." That evening the two of them, Gloria, and many of the rest of the crew did just that, settling down to watch the sun be swallowed by the ocean. Vittorio had to admit it was almost painfully beautiful, though he would have preferred to see it from land.

The first two days of the crossing were calm, as the ship left the shallower water and protection of the continent behind. After that came the most dangerous, crossing deep sea as they headed for the edge of the Shallows. The crew worked 20-hour days to keep the ship in perfect condition and to be ready for anything, but other than heavy rains there were no problems. Magical lighthouses built on outlying islands would guide them the rest of the way to Kara, though they were by no means safe: There was nothing between the ocean and the ship's port side - Vittorio was quite pleased with himself for having learned that - and a storm could push them into the Shallows. This was somewhat mitigated when, halfway to Kara, Vittorios boon improved again:

Enduring Boon: While traveling, you and any mode of transport you use face no headwind and reduced air resistance. Some sidewind is redirected to tailwind. Price Evaluation: A small fraction of wind stopped this way is added to your paid price.

The had already had a private chat with Vittorio about his effect on the ship. It seemed it put a strain on the sails that could have been dangerous to another ship, but she had a Talent to deal with it. She wasn't angry but wanted him to be aware that he should have told her about it. They had another once the change happened and she reiterated that it could be a problem for others.

In all, the crossing took nineteen days, and Vittorio spent many of them sick. The [Sailors] said the sea was quite calm, but his stomach vehemently disagreed. He spent most of the rest of the time below decks, in either his or Gloria's room, as they'd both found the sea more tedious than wondrous. He'd managed to figure out Weakening Hex, an achievement he was very proud of, and had started working on the Watery Veins Hex. They were interrupted two days out by banging on the door and someone shouting "You've got to come see this!"

Rushing to the deck, they did not need to ask what was happening. The Soaring Harpy had met many other ships over the last two weeks, all of them around its own size. The ship they faced now was not. It was wider than the Harpy was long, and the railing was high enough that you'd have to be most of the way up the Harpy's main mast to look over it. The ship had no mast of its own, yet was moving faster than the Harpy.

"What is it?", Vittorio asked.

"A Titan", Monica breathed. "It runs on some magical machine invented in Kara. There are only three of them in the world."

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Four", the cut in. "Haven has a small one as well."

"I heard they're unsinkable", someone said. "That they've goune round the south of the Shallows."

"If that were true, why would it be here?", the asked.

The entire ship was painted red and yellow, and as it drew nearer Vittorio realized it wasn't made of wood - it was a metal ship! Near the prow, in enormous letters, was written "Manchakuy". People waved to them over the railing, and they waved back. The ships passed each other hundreds of meters apart, but the sheer size of the Manchakuy was daunting, and its length matched its other dimensions.

"What are they shipping to need that?", Vittorio asked.

"Rumour has it nobody's filled one up yet", Helia said. "It's more one-upmanship between the big companies. The three with Titans stand above the rest regardless of what else is going on. I mean... makes the Harpy look kind of sad, doesn't it?"

Vittorio wanted to disagree, but he couldn't.

During the final stretch of the crossing, they met more and more ships going west, though nothing like the Manchakuy. Every time the two crews would give a friendly wave. It was odd to see two ships going opposite directions so close to one another, given that the wind could only be blowing in one direction, but Helia had explained that anyone commanding a ship doing the crossing would have skills for that.

At long last, land was spotted ahead of them, a few rocky outcroppings off the coast of the island Shelter. They were soon followed by the island itself. Barren, dark stone stretched into the distance until it came to a sudden, unnatural stop at a straight cliff creating a clear divide between unclaimed stone and Kara, the Free City.

Even the outlying area of Kara looked like the center of a city, with tall buildings made from the islands dark stone crowded together, and most streets too narrow for two carts to meet. A larger road, busy with people, roughly followed the coastline. The only greenery to be seen was right by the water, and even then it was sparse. The Harpy continued its way eastward and the city grew larger before Vittorio's eyes, soon reaching the horizon.

Gloria and he stood by the railing for over an hour, watching the city go by. Occasionally the cityscape was broken up by much wider, arrow-straight roads going inland, and the architecture shifted and changed. In some areas, the buildings were painted, and some even had carvings, but always they were made of the same black stone. Small piers for fishing boats were common along the way, but as they reached the harbour things changed drastically once more.

Dozens and dozens of ships were moored to piers or anchored in the bay, and on land the residential buildings had largely been replaced by vast storehouses. The wide road they'd seen along the coast grew wider still, but even so, it was packed with people, carts, and goods. The Soaring Harpy slowed and stopped, dropping anchor as two [Sailors] and the [Merchant] - whom Vittorio had barely seen, much less spoken to - set off in a rowboat. Monica explained that they were off to see the harbour master to get a berth.

They had to wait for a couple of hours before they were given one, and once they had docked the ship sprang into activity as the crew prepared for large-scale trading. Vittorio and Gloria, meanwhile, stayed on the ship to wait for Avourels friend, who was supposed to come find them.

Day turned to evening before a handsomely dressed human woman with shoulder-length auburn hair, a high-necked cream shirt and long, black skirt approached the Harpy while Vittorio and Gloria were still looking out at the city.

"Hiya!", she called out. "Sorry about the wait, I wasn't expecting you for days yet."

"Uh, who are you?", Vittorio asked.

"I'm Dido, I work with Avourel. He did tell you I was coming, didn't he?"

"He said someone was coming."

The woman tsked. "Typical. Well, we're all here now. You're Gloria Innkeeper, a [Fervent Warrior], and Vittorio Merchant, a [Pactmaker]. You're here from Pogna because you've been recruited, bla bla bla. I'm here to supply you with some equipment. All good? Good. Then let's have a look at what you've got and what we can get you." That said, she got on board. The three looked at each other for a moment. "Come on, show me your equipment. I need to know what we're working with."

They led her to their cabins and started pulling out their equipment and laying it on their beds. She started by looking over Gloria's: Metal helmet, greaves, and bracers; chainmail shirt; leather skirt; plain shield and sword. Dido inspected each item in near silence.

"Passable, nothing's a problem quality-wise so we can keep whatever we don't replace. It does lack style though - the helmet goes for sure, not flattering at all. Avourel said you're a defender, right?"

"Yeah", Gloria said. "And I'm not looking for flattering, I don't want my head cut open."

"No reason it can't do both, and if you want to get noticed by the big leagues you need to look the part. This", Dido said, gesturing to everything, "looks like you walked into a shop and grabbed the first best thing. I'm thinking... lose the skirt, new upper leg guards, new helmet, something to cover the chainmail, some decoration on the greaves and bracers, magic shield, and maybe something to boost your aura. We'll see what shield we can find and then try to match the rest. That sound good?"

"Sure?"

"Great! Let's see what you're working with, Vittorio." She left and went into Vittorio's room to inspect his equipment: Mostly dark leather armour with a leather-covered metal helmet and a manica, a piece of armour covering his left arm from shoulder to hand, as well as his wand.

"The helmet will have to go again, it makes you look like a militia member on their first day. Skirt too. The manica's a nice touch. Hmm... You're some sort of [Mage], right? Something to do with air or wind I'm guessing, since your clothes keep flapping about indoors."

"I can change things around and do different things, but mostly air and occult, yeah."

"But you could start using a weapon?" Vittorio nodded. "Three themes... Avourel mentioned you'd be tricky, but I've had a look around and I have some ideas. Manica stays unless we can find an enchanted one, then a magical wand and a weapon. As for the rest... apart from the helmet it's not bad, but it doesn't quite fit with the manica. We'll see what we can find. Right, just put all this away and we'll be off!"

Vittorio and Gloria hurriedly stowed all their equipment back into their bag, mundane and of holding. They gave warm thanks to the crew who remained on the ship and followed Dido toward the city.

"Stay close", she said. "Don't want you to get lost, you can do that another day. And you will, I guarantee it!"

She walked confidently into the masses by the docks. Gloria and Vittorio tried to copy her but with their packs and lack of certainty, they got jostled around a bit, though not enough to lose track of Dido. She led them up one of the main roads, then turned right and headed down a much less crowded street. They crossed several major roads this way, casually chatting about their journey.

"Is the shop right by the harbour?", Gloria asked.

"Gods no, they're much further inland, but there's no way we're walking there."

"So... you have a carriage somewhere?"

"No, we'll use the network. There's a stop right where we want to go."

"The network?"

Dido looked amused. "Don't know much about Kara, do you? Some paragon [Translocationist] set up a portal network throughout the city. Well, the city as it was then. So long as you're sticking to the old, central areas, the network will get you where you need to go. We just need to get to the harbour station."

It wasn't much further, and the station was obvious: Where there should have been a building, two broad staircases split by railings faced each other and went into the ground. A steady stream of people walked up one set of stairs, and just as many walked down the other set. Many walked up the "up" stairs just to walk across the landing and down on the other side. Dido stopped them before they entered the crowd.

"Right, brief network lesson: All the portals are one-way, and all the main stations look basically like this. Above the stairs down there are signs." She pointed at large, square signs above the stairs. "Those tell you where you're headed. If you keep following one you'll go in a loop and end up where you started. There's a map over there too but I know where we're going. If we get separated, just keep following the yellow triangle signs and I'll be waiting for you." She took a step before turning back. "And don't stop on the stairs unless you want to get trampled."

She set off for real then, and Vittorio and Gloria hurried to keep up. Vittorio couldn't help but feel that he would've liked a longer explanation for what was going on but the crowd at the station wasn't a good place for a chat. He followed Dido down the stairs under the yellow triangle. Once they were about a floor down the stairs ended, but the railings did not, leading him no longer straight ahead but off to the side. On the far wall, there were five white circles in the air and the railings were leading him towards one of them. People were disappearing left and right. Dido looked behind and said "Just touch it" before reaching out and doing just that, vanishing. Vittorio did the same...

...and stumbled quite badly, disoriented by the teleportation. Remembering Dido's words about stopping he made sure to keep moving, and Gloria came tripping behind a moment later.

"Fun, huh?" Dido teased. "You'll get used to it. Come on, keep moving." They went up stairs, down stairs, stumbled through a portal, and did it once more time. After their third hop Dido stopped at the top of the stairs. "Blue circle, just one stop," she said and led them down the stairs on the far left. Vittorio had noticed that the symbols always lined up, so they'd just been walking in a mostly straight line so far. One more portal and they ended up somewhere far less busy. Just one person was climbing the stairs ahead of them and there was only one portal on the wall.

"Yellow triangle is one of the main loops", Dido explained once they'd regrouped and started moving away from the station. "So the stations are really busy with people going all over the place. This is just the one stop. Welcome to the Upper West Fourth district, also known as the Makers Market."