“So, what are you going to do with the bombardiers, then? Fire at will as soon as the object enters our atmosphere?! That would be insane!”
He shook his head. “No, Inalia. Don’t be foolish. They’re there in case we need them. And they’re there to help steer the object toward the Landing Bed, if possible. If it heads toward another populated area, and there’s a risk it will cause any kind of damage, then, yes, the bombardiers will intervene.”
Heat burst through me. I would’ve loved nothing more than to set him ablaze, but I couldn’t. Risking exposure to satisfy this petty feud would’ve landed me in trouble—the kind I’d never be able to get myself out of.
I took a deep breath, instead, instantly calming myself as I thought of the incoming object.
“Mr. Martell, violence is no way to greet our visitors.”
“Is that what the object is, then? A ship?”
“Not exactly. It has been described as a light orb, much like the one that came to Cerix centuries ago. We may be dealing with Druids and swamp witches again,” I said.
The mere thought made my heart swell. The previous delegation had only left us with a handful of spells to help our society advance—hence our current ability to build and power flying ships, and to harness the power of wind and solar energy to light our homes and streets, among other things.
Glancing over my shoulder, I reminded myself of how far our world had come since it had left behind the Hermessi worship. Granted, there were local cults rising and trying to bring it back, but our high chancellor wasn’t having any of it. I didn’t exactly agree with the brutal crackdown that Nalyon Martell signed off on, in the high chancellor’s name, but I did recognize the moral threat of falling into the trap of the past. We’d moved beyond the elemental worship, and we’d made incredible progress since.
“Do we know the speed with which it is traveling?” Nalyon asked.
I checked the notes again. “They’ll be here within minutes,” I replied, then looked up.
The light was getting bigger and brighter. Seconds later, we both heard the boom ripple across the sky, as the orb entered our atmosphere. I was pretty sure the entire city had heard it. The bombardiers moved toward it, their giant wings flapping and their engines grumbling and moaning as they approached our visitors.
My heart jumped. I sucked in a breath, unable to stop a smile from stretching my lips as I watched the light orb get closer. This was it. The moment I’d dreamed of my whole life. Nalyon cleared his throat, as if to remind me that he was still standing there, but I couldn’t care less about him now.
I’d worked so hard to get myself into the Foreign Outreach. I came from the Hadeen Domain, on the empire’s edge—the slums, as most Rose Domainers called it. I was a nobody for a long time, until I got accepted into Silvergate’s higher education institution, then worked my way into an assistant position in the Foreign Outreach. Here I was, ten years later, struggling with uptight bureaucrats like Nalyon Martell and difficult rebels like the Brothers of the Shadow—but, still, standing on the famed Landing Bed and awaiting the arrival of new visitors to Cerix.
Complete strangers who could maybe even help us and push our world a step forward, past the current turmoil and distress some domains still caused us. Complete strangers who could establish a more permanent diplomatic relationship with our world. Future trade routes and cultural exchanges. The possibilities seemed endless!
Taeral
One of the best things to come out of our Strava adventure had been their magi-tech. We all carried serium batteries with us now, at least five per backpack. They were perfect because they could be easily recharged if simply left out in a storm, and because they could be used to power swamp witch magic in order to modify the interplanetary spell’s trajectory and speed.
With our hearts in our throats, we took out one battery each, connecting the crystal ends through wires to Riza’s fingers. She whispered the chant required to manipulate the orb’s direction, then gently moved her hands.
We stood still as we passed through the atmosphere. The skies were clear, but there were strange-looking ships headed our way. They reminded me of earthly Spanish galleons—they were much bigger, with artful curves and sturdy hulls, made entirely out of black metal. Their bat-like wings flapped, but there were also engines powering them. We could all hear them gurgle. They flashed a pair of lights at us.
“Should we be worried?” I asked.
“I don’t think they can damage the spell bubble,” Amelia replied.
“Look!” Eva pointed to our right. More ships were coming from there. “I think they’re trying to guide us.”
We’d known there would be a civilization here. We just hadn’t known how advanced they’d be. However, the more we descended, the more impressed and downright breathless I was. The ships turned slowly and headed downward, flanking us on both sides as Riza steered the light orb toward a panhandle-shaped peninsula reaching out from the continent.
At its very end, seemingly built just above the ultramarine ocean, was a city. Its towers glistened in the sunlight—silvery and sharp like spears.
“I did not expect this,” Amelia murmured.
I smiled. “What were you expecting? Cavemen? Rabid wildlings?”
She laughed lightly. “I… I don’t know! This… This is amazing!”
Amelia was right. The planet was gorgeous, and so was the city we were headed toward with big flying ships at our sides. Hundreds of thousands of Cerixians had to live here. It was built on a gigantic disk, just above the ocean, like I’d suspected. I could only imagine what kind of support system they’d devised to keep this place up. It stretched for dozens of miles, and it was connected through long and sturdy bridges not only to the panhandle, but also to other continents. They went on for miles across the ocean, in multiple directions.
The city itself was superb, with firebrick-colored buildings and elegant thatched roofs. Most of them had at least three levels. There were plenty of parks and green spaces, public squares, and a lighting system that spanned every single boulevard, street, and alleyway. As the orb descended toward a plateau-like construction, I got a better look at the city’s inner workings. There was a charming combination of classic, centuries-old architecture with noble masonry and frilly decorative elements, and more modern technology, defined by electric lights and the seamless infrastructure.
Beautiful silver statues were sprinkled throughout the city, with the biggest ones guarding the main entrance into the city from the panhandle—two giants with massive armor and spears pointed at the sky. The flying ships, however, were neither old-timey nor technologically advanced. I was inclined to assume there would be some magic at play here, and that they wouldn’t be the only ones to benefit from it.
“Hey, they’re moving away,” Varga said, pointing at the ships.
They’d put a dozen more yards between us and them, sure, but they didn’t seem too eager to leave us be, just yet. The plateau we were headed toward reminded me of a stepped pyramid with its top half cut off, only it was circular. Perhaps a layered cake would’ve made a better comparison. There was a memorable pattern in shades of red and gray made by the stone tiles across its floor, and lush greenery framed the bottom of the stairs, stretching outward into a small park.
People were out in the streets nearby, from what I could see—a multitude of black dots. Surely, we’d been expected.
“They saw us from space,” I concluded. “I would guess they at least have telescopes.”
“What about the ships?” Varga asked. “They don’t look fully mechanical. I get the benefit of flapping wings combined with propulsion engines, but there’s more to them than that. They’re too big to not emit trails of black smoke. Well, too big, period. How are they even flying?”
I shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out when we get down there. Speaking of which, Riza, how are you holding up?”
The process of modifying an interplanetary spell’s trajectory could be taxing, even with serium batteries and magi-tech available. Riza was sweating, but focused. She gave me a brief nod.
“So far so good.”
“That’s our welcoming party?” Herakles asked, looking down at the mosaic platform.
There were only two people up there, but I could see movement through the surrounding park. There were bound to be more, soon enough.
