CHAPTER ONE [PART TWO]
The Citadel
103 Years Since the Citadel's Founding
Year of the Void-Scarring Talon, Month of the Egg.
I was happy to find I was still breathing quite effortlessly.
“You were really nervous for a second,” Burst pointed out, following shortly behind.
“I was just pretending.”
“So was I. Of course you can breathe here. We place every in-transfer to the Citadel in a district suitable to their preferred method of habitat.”
“This was my preferred method?” I asked, glancing at the building I’d stepped out of. It looked like if dozens of trailers had been stacked up atop one another. In it’s defense, at least it seemed reasonably kempt.
“And your budget.”
“Budget,” I repeated, unable to hide my dejection. Figures I need to start worrying about bills again.
“That’s why you became a freelancer, isn’t it? The Union? Don’t worry, the Freelancer’s Union will take care of you. As long as you fulfill your end of the deal, you can live a good, well-lived life and retire before you know it.”
“I want to be optimistic-”
“You’ll make your mind up yourself. My job’s not to convince you of anything, just to show you around. Come on, follow me.” Burst led me down a few sets of stairs down to street level, which was quite busy. There were no motorized vehicles to speak of, but narrow roadways for all manners of more modest wheeled, mysteriously powered transportations. And amongst those, there were varied sorts of people to be seen riding a myriad of both terrifying and cuddly creatures. Overhead, much the same could be found. Flying beasts ridden across the city, though alongside smaller flying transports, there were bigger vehicles than could be found on the roads. And finally, there were two seemingly never ending tracks that stretched beyond view. I could just about see the back-half of a people-mover speeding behind a far off tenement. Burst spoke once more, having allowed me a second to be in awe at my new surroundings. “By the way, your watch can definitely look up most commonly known information. They’ll be sending you off-Citadel during the year, you’ll have to get used to looking up if you can breathe on some far off-planet. Though, your sort isn’t very common among freelancers, so I imagine you’ll be setting the groundwork for a lot of qhimphal freelancers that might follow in your footsteps. Even if you don’t do much, you’ll have done a good amount for your people just by getting around, in all likelihood.”
“I’m not much of a nationalist. Or, species-ist? I’d rather not be representative of my… uh… people.”
“I’d say I can understand what that feels like, but I find myself detached from mine and incapable of being a representative if I even so desired. So be it.” He points to the railing far off ahead. “That monorail can get you to any district across the Citadel,” he points to a second set of railing, “and the sub-monorail will get you anywhere you need to get to within the district. Those mountains out there, the island off the coast, the mountains on the south end are all reachable on the sub-monorail. There’s shopping centers, eating hubs, training grounds, ranches, sanctuaries. You really won’t run out of things to keep you busy before the academic year starts.”
You said that. You said it enough times for me to be suspicious. “What happens if I leave the district?”
“Once is an accident, two is a warning, but you’ll have some explaining to do on number three.”
“No information on what happens if the explanation is insufficient?”
“You die.”
“Ha.”
“That isn’t a joke.”
“I was hoping.”
“Freelancers have varied moral standards, and the Union’s laws are flexible towards those. Some won’t shy away from killing a lawbreaker. Some will even delight in it. It’s better to commit a crime under the assumption that some may respond to it rather definitively.”
“Freelancers are glorified cops?”
“Cops?”
“Psychopathic law enforcers and property guards.”
He waited a long moment, deciding how to answer. “Some of them could be described as such. You’re not familiar with freelancers? You’ve never had any back in your homeworld? Unusual. How were you recruited?”
“Special circumstances…?”
“I see.” He waited a moment. “I’ll be forthcoming with what I know, and you tell me if I’m already covering information you’re aware of.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Freelancers fulfill contracts for rewards. Those contracts can be to maintain the law, but it shouldn’t be reduced to that. There are all sorts of contracts. For example, guiding prospective freelancers once they’ve arrived at the Citadel. Maintaining the apartment building you live in. Operating the monorail. Maintaining the monorail. Teaching at the academy. And so on, and so forth. The Union handles ensuring contract terms are fair, and offer several other benefits. A fixed stipend, housing on the Citadel, free education at any academy, finding contract work. And so on, and so forth. Of course, you have to pay Union dues, but that’s not much of an issue if you’re working steadily, and the Union has no shortage of work for that.”
So they’re gig workers with benefits?
“And I’m going to an academy where I’ll learn to be a freelancer?” I had to admit, that didn’t seem very… inspirational? Or worth abandoning my old life over. But there’s magic. And constructs. And I’m not human anymore! I should latch onto that. Stay positive. I’m also a god. Or I’m supposed to be. Doesn’t matter, ultimately. There’s no going back, remember? No going back. Ever. But being a god would still be nice.
“Ah. I guess I missed the most vital part. Freelancers use aura to complete contracts, for the most part. Not all contracts require aura. Many don’t. I suspect there won’t be much need for me to use aura on this contract. I think it’s better if I show you what I mean when I say people use aura for all sorts of things. Come, let’s head to the station. Today is going to be a busy day, especially if I’ll be doing a lot of teaching. I’ll let you relax tomorrow, so bare with me for the day.”
We headed towards the sub-monorail station which was relatively crowded.
“What sort of calendar do you guys have on the qhimphal homeworld?”
“Calendar?”
“The Freelancers Union operates by its own calendar, which many other nations have adopted. I thought you might have already known this, but today is the new year. There are a lot of events around the district, which means a great deal of tourists. And a lot of other students who’ve just arrived and are seeing the town as well. If you keep an eye out, you might notice a few in uniform like you.”
Before I could even get to the point of identifying tourists from student from resident from guide, I found my eyes stuck on the wide variety of species here. I tried not to stare too much. I noticed a few, particularly those with similar uniforms as I did, staring at me as well. Burst had said there weren’t a lot of qhimphals around, so it made sense. We stepped into the sub-monorail, a somewhat orderly line forming out of each door.
“Aura can be used for a lot of things you might deem mundane. It gives us access to the Primordial Language, which allows us to cast spells. And the limits of spellcrafting are impossible to define and being pushed further outwards every day. In the same manner that we continue to stretch what the Known Infinite comprises. The qhimphals weren’t a part of that until recently. In short, Freelancers specialize in using aura to solve problems. Problems like keeping this sub-monorail clean. Or building this sub- monorail to begin with. The entire Citadel wouldn’t be possible without aura. Or the ambition of dwarrows.”
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“Aura lets you do magic, and magic makes life easier. Got it.”
Burst considered that for a moment. “That’s more or less it. The Freelancers Union likes to give anyone who is willing a path to becoming a freelancer. It makes it easier to get different nations on its side. If enough qhimphals like you decide they want to be freelancers, then the influence the Union has over your people will expand.” I held back any skepticism I felt over the idea of an ever-expanding organization like that. “And, likewise, the influence of qhimphals will also expand over the Union.”
“And what do you do at the academy exactly?”
“Learn aura, more or less. Most students have a basic understanding of how aura works, but there’s plenty who don’t as well. The academy helps you narrow down what you’re most interested in. Though, I fear I’ve probably given you a softer image of what being at the academy is like.”
“You mean it’s not just learning spells to make cleaning easier?”
“The Citadel is a utopia, the rest of the Known Infinite, not so much. It’s chaotic, and untamed. And dangerous. The point of the Freelancers Union is to make that chaos orderly, to tame the untamed, to make the Known Infinite a safe place to inhabit.”
“And how do they get about doing that?”
“By learning and growing. Exploring. Experimenting. And yes, a lot of people do get hurt in that process, so that others don’t need to get hurt down the line.”
I said nothing for a time, though my burgeoning desire to criticize the Union’s ethics were tough to hold back. I knew too little of this world, too little of Burst, to be so vocal about it. My questioning to this point probably had informed Burst enough that I was hesitant about the Union.
“This is our stop,” Burst announced, after a while. Most of the people-mover emptied out as well. “There’s a New Year’s Day parade, most of the district will be there. You have parades back where you grew up?”
“Maybe. I guess we’ll have to see what you all take for a parade here.”
“The parades tend to be mostly the same across the Citadel, but small communities form across the districts based on the kindred spirits, or shared origins, and they like to ensure they’re also represented in the parades. Maybe if we get enough qhimphals here one day, there can be a qhimphal element to the parade as well.”
“Perhaps, though participating in a parade seems more an exercise in terror than thrill for me. I’m content with simply observing.”
“And what is a parade without its observers?”
The crowd surrounding the pathway that had been left for the parade seemed smothering and overly loud, but Burst did not join itself to the gathering, instead making for one of the nearby buildings. Many people were also watching from the comfort of porches, balconies, and rooftops without the claustrophobia of being at street side.
“Another freelancer has access to a rooftop around here. Likes to offer it up to guides like me so students can get a better view. It’ll be a good chance to see other students, too.”
I hoped I wouldn’t be expected to socialize. I was just getting comfortable with Burst and wasn’t much feeling a desire to have to manage my words with others too. For once, being in a crowd might’ve been preferable. Too loud to have much of a conversation, enough time to get my bearings and thoughts together. We stepped into an outdoor elevator which brought us to the rooftop of a tenement overlooking the parade, though equally offering a good view of a greater portion of the district. Fortunately, it appeared that the parade’s pathway had been cleared of airborne traffic, for the other side of the building seemed to be cluttered with things flying about.
The rooftop itself wasn’t too crowded, with a couple dozen people gazing across the railing down at the parade. There was enough room for Burst and I, small as we were, and still space for anyone else who was late to the festivities. Although some of the other students seemed to be talking to each other, I decided to stay by Burst’s side.
The procession down below seemed remarkably ordinary at first glance. Oversized balloons bloated the skies as they were escorted between crowds of on-lookers. A orchestral band played odd instruments from a different platform, but the sounds couldn’t carry over to the rooftop. More peculiarly, winged creatures danced around, sparkles and streaks of neon in their wake. Behind that platform, two translucent ape-like behemoths wrestled, though none of their actions which should have shaken anyone nearby off their feet, seemed to have any tangible effect.
“Those are illusions. Solely constructed out of aura. It’s not easy to do on your own, but below the platform, there’s a dozen or so people orchestrating it.”
“Are there actual creatures like that?”
“The Known Infinite is home to all manners of beasts and monsters. You’re fortunate if there aren’t any such creatures on your homeworld. Of those specifically, I’ve never seen firsthand. But I don’t tend to wander outside of the Citadel.”
And beyond the bend, another platform appeared, on top of it, another behemoth-sized creature. This one was not an illusion, as far as I could tell. Though it was laid down leisurely on the platform, surprisingly unperturbed by the thousands of people roaring all about it, or even the illusion of two creatures wrestling in front of it. It appeared detached from most everything happening around it. Drugged, I imagined. The creature was orange and faintly striped, several horns jutting out from its lengthy jaw, almost tusk-like. A protruding hump emerged three quarters out of the length of its body. Almost mammoth-esque sans trunk.
“Is that an illusion?”
“No. Though I don’t know what sort of creature it is.”
“That’s a mastodon. B-Tier monster. Mostly harmless. Easily slain, if you’ve a big enough blade. Otherwise you’re liable to get run over or stomped. And that’s if it’s not owned by a giant. They’re not keen on their herds being down a number. Odds are this was rented out from one. They’re pretty docile, safe monster to parade around with, but there’s undoubtedly some sort of emotion dimming spell being worked on it, or perhaps a strong enough sedative keeping it calm.” The figure that spoke towered over Burst and I. In fact, it was twice as tall as Burst. It had the face of an owl, wings enveloping clawed hands, and four taloned feet wrapped about by what I figured to be another symbiote. It’s sharp eyes were unnerving. “I expected you earlier, Burst. You missed the sunrise.”
“I should’ve warned you. My friend here must’ve been exhausted by the journey. Did not wake when I stopped by, so I decided to let them rest and took the chance to visit a new cafe that opened up. From a family of rasho. Delightful beignets, there. “
“You’ll have to bring me sometime.”
“I’d be delighted. Ah, Tatu, this is the prospective freelancer I’m showing around. 3451, this is Tatu. It’s by her generosity that we find ourselves on this rooftop.”
She half-bowed. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“3451 is qhimphal.”
“Qhimphal?”
“Only recently added to the Known Infinite. Perhaps the first of many you’ll meet.”
“I might’ve mistaken you for a cayouk, you don’t have the big rump though. A subspecies I hadn’t seen yet, I thought.”
“Not quite a cayouk, though the similarity is certainly there. 3451 doesn’t know much about the world of freelancers, I am trying to catch them up.”
“Have you bored them with your idea of a freelancer?”
“Only so you could terrorize them with your idea of a freelancer. Tatu here is one of the most common types of freelancers… and the dumbest… and greediest: a rift delver.”
“Should I confess I don’t know what a rift is?”
Tatu chimed in. “A rift is a gateway into a pocket world. Does that make sense?” Though it’s face wasn’t all that expressive, it spoke in a sing-song voice.
“Enough sense,” I said.
“And in these rifts, there are all manners of monsters and treasures to be found. They appear across the Known Infinite, in the vastness of space and on homeworlds. I’m surprised there haven’t been any on yours, but it may just a case of fortune that you never came across one. In any case, sometimes, the rifts also leak, and the monsters that inhabit it escape. It became a necessity, long ago, that some be brave enough to ensure that those escaped monsters were exterminated, and that they were prevented from leaving these rifts to begin with. The origin of freelancers depends on who you ask. If you ask me, it started with those who entered those rifts and left with treasures in abundance. I’ve inherited that role. I’m a rift delver. It’s a dangerous job. I’ve seen a lot of good people die. A lot of indescribable horrors. Research and preparation are important. Making sure you’re skilled enough for the rift you’re entering. Mental fortitude is equally important. It’s not for everyone. But the thrill of the hunt, and the rewarding feeling of uncovering a valuable treasure, they’re all worth it. Besides, there’s the goal that every rift delver seeks to achieve. The rift handcrafted by Ntro, the God of Games.”
“That’s more than enough, I’d say Tatu. Does all that make you more or less excited to be a freelancer?”
“You’re asking if the idea of going into dungeons to kill monsters and get treasure, and eventually make my way up to conquering the ultimate dungeon makes me excited? Yeah, no shit. Well, I do have some concerns.”
“Dungeons?”
“Rifts, I meant. Sorry.”
“Are your concerns death?”
“That’s at the top of it, yes.” Godliness still unconfirmed, after all. “
“Don’t worry. That’s what the academy is for. You’ll see what it’s like to delve into a rift yourself. You’ll learn to use aura to protect yourself. And there’s more to rift delving than just fighting. There’s a role for everyone as a freelancer, you simply have to embrace it. Or you can be like Burst here, and settle for a simpler, safer life. Not everyone is keen on risking death, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We wouldn’t have the Citadel without people like Burst.”
“Thank you, Tatu,” Burst said.
“No problem. I know how insecure you sometimes get.”
“Nature of being so pedestrian,” the construct shrugged.
“What are your plans for the rest of the day, Burst? Heading to the concert?”
“I thought we would go watch the Blood Gem game. Give 3451 a chance to see aura in action.”
“Not a bad idea. Maybe you’ll fall in love with it. It’s quite lucrative nowadays, almost as lucrative as rift delving.”
“And less lethal.”
“It’s a sport?”
“A combat sport. We call it Arena Battling. Five on five strategic brawls. Your future academy will be playing against the next door neighbors, District 41. The bowl games are usually pretty exciting. More showmanship than strategy. Not a great demonstration of what a regular season game is like, but a good demonstration of what Arena Battling at it’s most exciting can be. ”
“This is another thing freelancers do?”
“Just another thing in a list of countless possibilities. There’s freelancer duelists, racers, doctors, herbalists, chefs.”
“Yet none as exciting as rift delving,” Tatu said.
“None as exciting as rift delving,” Burst confirmed.