The streets of Tinith were formed around a core of government buildings including the Hall of Knights which governed the Tinith branch of Order of the Pillars. Major arterial roads extended radially from this center. The largest of arterials were the Dawn and Dusk Roads which ran west and east, respectively, from the core. Together they formed what was once the largest trade route before the Sundering. Five other arterials ran to the to the six major pillars with the exception of the Fourth Pillar, the Maan Tree which was connected to the center of the city via the Dusk Road. Minor roads circled the major radial arterials contracting them to one another and the city at large.

The Insula unit that Atlas called home was in the Outer District of the Third Pillar. This district was located in the outer ring northeast of the city center. Here Naile could reach the Foundries of the Second Pillar by heading into the inner city and counter sunwise. Conversely, Atlas could reach the Eastern Pavilion of Bobaross Trading Consortium which was situated in the eastern edge of the Fourth Pillar by heading sunwise and outwards. They had chose to live in the Outer District of the Third Pillar as cheapest place for residence beyond the Southern Districts and the outskirts.

Atlas weaved through the many roads and between the many people. He headed southeast towards the Bobaross Trading Consortium. Eventually this led him into the Dusk Road with his destination due east on the road.

A cacophony of sights, sounds, and smells hit him as he entered the Disk Road. The road was a massive thirty-meter-wide road of limestone and mortar. Along each side of the road centuries old buildings of stone lay interspersed among new age buildings of concrete and rock veneer. Most of these buildings held stores, restaurants and other businesses. The sheltered and recessed rooms by nature catered to the wealthier and slower moving patron offering fine dining, salons, and other services. Semi-permanent stalls were erected beyond the concrete buildings, they were built of weather worn fabrics tied to steel rods to protect from sun and wind.

The Dusk Road was bustling loudly in the early morning, locals hurried about trying to finish tasks before the noon heat and crowds of tourists and wealthy patrons came down. Merchants called out to passersby trying to entice them to stop and peruse their goods. A broken mixture between the regional languages, Patavium, Tinish and Praestes, rang out on the road.

Foods, spices, weapons, pottery, armor; a thousand things to be expected in a market and a thousand more lay before Atlas. A century ago, before the Sundering it was said that if you could not find something in the here it did not exist on the continent. Now though it was still impressive but it’s opulent variety had given way to arms and armaments and the bare necessities.

Atlas took his time walking, going as far as to stop and take breaks. Between his injuries and his crystal lung disease his body was greatly stressed. He had checked for his injuries, while they were without infections, they were still serious, he couldn’t even twist his torso for fear of ripping the stitches. The pain from the external injuries melded with the ever present burning of the crystal lung disease.

Finally, Atlas found himself before the pavilion of the Bobaross Trading Consortium, this time after two pentads.

The pavilion was made of a flat stone floor several steps above the road, large square columns formed a grid holding up a thin and flat concrete roof.

Between the road and the pavilion, where a row of wagons once stood, were empty bays.

Atlas walked onward through the pavilion.

The side alley and inner parts of the pavilion were also devoid of wagons or carts; even those smallest ones only used internally.

The normally bustling pavilion was still and empty. The workers and haulers were nowhere to be seen. Even the receptionist was absent, in her place a sign indicating the Consortium was closed.

The floor was clear of the pavilion any wares. That was not to say it was clean, many scraps of canvas, sections of rope and grains of flour littered flour. Unlike a pentad ago when the floor was clean but cluttered.

In the center of the abandoned pavilion there was a large wooden table. A ring of stools surrounded it. The table and every still was a different species creating a spread of white, tan, red, and brown hues.

On one of the stools alone sat Madam Lucretia, who looked despondently at her reflection in a cup of tea. She had her purple clay tea set laid out before her, as she always did.

Madam Lucretia looked up from her cup of tea, her gaze was troubled. “Atlas?” She paused for a moment as she processed his presence. With a slight smile Madam Lucretia continued. “How have you been these past few days?”

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“Hello Madam.” Atlas said. “It’s been an overwhelming couple of days…”

Arias had had a long time to think on what he was going to tell Madam Lucretia. To avoid drawing unsure attention to himself he figured he should just pretend to have arrived earlier than he did.

Atlas: “I’m sorry that I didn’t check in with the company after returning to Tinith. With how hectic the tainted wave has been I’ve been preoccupied. It was a mistake and I’m willing to take the penalty for it.”

Madam Lucretia narrowed her eyes, in all the years Atlas had worked for her he had never missed a check in. Still, she had no interest in prying unnecessarily. She wanted the best for all those who worked at the Consortium. Madam Lucretia sighed then shrugged. Then she rattled out the standard questions for a ln emergency check in.

Madam Lucretia: When did you arrive at the Bobaross Trading Consortium?

Atlas: Three days ago.

Madam Lucretia: Where are your wagon and goods?

Atlas: On the Fool’s Road at the ninety-ninth mile mark.

…

By the end Atlas knew that Madam Lucretia knew he was lying about something. I’ll see if she calls me out on what I said.

Madam Lucretia smiling briefly said “At least you are alive.”

Sighing she continued “Of the hundred fifty haulers you are only the twenty ninth to have returned. The rest are missing and probably dead.”

Atlas listened to her as she spoke of the tragedy that had befell the haulers. He felt awkward at the moment. Other than listen what could he do?

Madam Lucretia: I hope that they are alive and well. But that is very much a fool’s hope. There haven’t been any communications nor survivors from beyond the Shield of Tinith.

Atlas nodded along his mind racing listening to Madam Lucretia. Should I offer platitudes or look at the bright side of things? It seems insensitive to do that right now, with the severity of the situation.

Madam Lucretia wrung her hands “At least thirty dead, maybe up to seventy? Heavens, hopefully it’s not that high, to lose half the haulers in a pentad.”

Atlas: After what I saw on the Fool’s Road… it’s probably worse.

Madam Lucretia: “If only more of you guys had headed for safety immediately.

Atlas: Most people didn’t seen to take the emergency too seriously, deciding to cut it as close to the wire as they could. Me included. I should have though.

Madam Lucretia continued unaware of Atlas’s thoughts. “You had the sense to head back immediately and abandon the wagon. Thank the heavens you weren’t greedy like your rest of them. Losing a pentad’s worth of goods is nothing compared to your lives.”

Atlas nodded along with what Madam Lucretia said. Internally his mind in turmoil and he wanted away from the conversation. Listening to Madam Lucretia praise my lies make me feel awful. I’m just like those idiot haulers that Madam Lucretia is lamenting about. No… I’m worse I survived and decided to spend my time lying through my teeth.

Madam Lucretia: “I should have made more of an effort on the emergency procedures for a tainted wave...”

Madam Lucretia continued, she speaking of loss and regrets…

Atlas spent the better part of the day listening to Madam Lucretia. This time no other haulers came to save him from the conversation lost beyond the Shield of Tinith as they were. Compounded with the severity of the situation it felt like an extended verbal lashing session to Atlas. By is conclusion he was mentally and socially exhausted.

As the monologue ended Madam Lucretia had a moment of retrospection and clarity. She realized that she was wasting Atlas’s time. Normally haulers arrived early and waited for their wagons to be loaded, they would listen to her ramble until their wagons were ready. But Atlas was obviously not here to haul. He probably wanted to discuss something with her.

Madam Lucretia concluded saying. “I’ve gone on long enough. Was there something you wanted besides checking in?”

Atlas was somewhat surprised, Madam Lucretia usually continued to do speak until the last hauler left her table and wouldn’t stop voluntarily. A moment passed as Atlas pulled his mind from the abyss of boredom. Then Atlas replied. “Yes, I was actually here to ask what is going to happen to me. With the tainted wave the hauls I usually do don’t seem to be possible.”

Madam Lucretia nodded thoughtfully. “As you can tell from the state of the pavilion, the operations here have all been suspended. With the tainted wave is blocking the Fool’s Road and the Order using their own manpower for supplies to the Shield there is little for us to do.

All personnel here at the Eastern Pavilion are being temporarily transferred to the Central and Western Pavilion. If you want, I can transfer you as well. They are offering large bonuses for hauls from Patvium. With the tainted wave there has been a panic, the demand for grain and weapons has shot through the roof.”

Atlas paused as he thought over Madam Lucretia’s words. I do want the extra money, I’ve almost saved enough for a bare bones war rig and this could be enough to push me over. But I’m in no condition to be doing a haul. I’m still injured and I’ve also run out of tainted beast jerky to alleviate my crystal lung disease. If I want to do this haul I’ll need to find another source of high quantity qi out haul Really slowly.

Atlas: “I hurt myself on the way back during the emergency. I’ll being taking a break for two pentads. Maybe after?”

Madam Lucretia shook her head. “The demand for these good and the bonuses would probably drop to normal levels by the time you return. In addition, historically, tainted wave has rarely lasted more than three pentads so by that time a temporary transfer would be ill advised.”

This time it was Atlas who frowned in disagreement. “But from what I’ve heard this is no ordinary tainted wave it could last far longer.”

Madam Lucretia shrugged. “Time will tell. In either case you are only there as a temporary hauler, you won’t be able to be promoted or get recommendations. Unless you want to permanently transfer there you will be stagnating.”

Atlas nodded to her words. I would rather not have to deal with the hassle that a temporary transfer will bring if I’m not getting a bonus. “I guess I’ll return when the tainted wave had been resolved then.”

Atlas and Madam Lucretia exchanged a few parting words. Then Atlas left to return home and rest.