~
When I came downstairs the following morning, the house was silent. I was not surprised. I, myself had a fitful sleep and if it was the same for the rest of my companions then I suspected that they may be trying to get as much rest as possible. I had found my own clothing smelling fresh and clean and neatly laid out on a chair in my room when I retired for the evening and it was these traveling clothes I wore once again.
I found myself walking back into the library where I had left Seri the night before. I was surprised to find her sitting in the same chair where I had left her, she was reading a book and sipping from a cup. I wondered if she had been up all night thinking over what had been said. There was a pile of books on the table next to her that I had not noticed being there the night before.
She took note of my glancing at the books and smiling said, “Good morning Mini, good to read sometimes don't you think?”
I replied that it was and asked if she had read all these this morning she smiled and yawned and I realised that actually she really must have been up most of the night reading through this collection of books. But I noticed that she was changed out of the gown she was wearing the previous evening back into her normal chain mail and leather.
“We are leaving today?” I asked.
“Yes we are,” was the reply.
Just then Tnie appeared from behind a screen in the corner and gave a wry smile in my direction. He was also ready in travel clothes and wearing a rather heavy frown on his face.
I glanced towards Seri who smiled and said. “Ah, we have another travelling companion to boost our ranks. Master Tnie here has very kindly consented to guide us to the Pnook city of Scienocropolis.”
I was surprised at this apparent turn of events, I expected to be back on the road once again, but not to the extent that Seri spoke of. I spluttered, “but that's many miles from here across the Great Trad Ocean, almost right the way around the other side of the world. Are we going to seek passage on a ship?” I asked with a hint of concern. My sailing experience had been confined to sunny days in coastal fishing boats with my uncle, I had never been on a big ocean crossing ship in my life and the whole idea of being in the middle of a vast ocean beyond the sight of any landfall on a constantly shifting deck was worrying to say the least.
But Serinae smiled and glanced briefly at the Pnook and said, “kind of yes. Tnie here is the owner of a vessel of sorts and has agreed to place it at our disposal.”
Tnie gave Seri a rather surly glance. But just then a young girl entered the room carrying a tray of fruit and other breakfast fare. She placed the tray on the table and said, “my mistress bids you all good morning and hopes you will enjoy this breakfast; she apologises that she cannot be here to greet you but she has pressing business elsewhere at this time. But she has asked me to tell you that her house is at your disposal for as long as you wish.”
At this she curtsied and made towards the door. As she reached the door she stepped back into the library smiling, then giving a slight bow with her head she stood to one side to allow the rest of our party to enter. Immediately Tnie rushed across and started to fill a plate with food. I didn't feel that hungry I had too many questions playing on my mind. Jon walked across to me and taking my hand looked questioningly into my eyes.
“We are leaving Jon.”
To my surprise he replied, “I know Mini.”
It then occurred to me that I must have been the only one to have gone to bed last night. First Tnie ready to travel, then Jon already party to the news that Serinae had surprised me with this morning.
I frowned and said rather unkindly, “ok keep your secrets then.” I felt a bit of a fool and what with getting little sleep the night before I angered quickly and I know it showed on my face.
Jon took my hand and said, “we all agreed last night to let you sleep Mini, I'm sorry that you had no part in the decision, but we have urgent business with the gnomes of Scienocropolis.”
I felt the irony of what he just said, but instead of commenting on my actual lack of sleep I asked, “but why there?”
Seri was the first to answer, “I read through many books last night Mini, many proved to be very interesting. One in particular had some interesting illustrations of small devices made by the Pnook. These devices are used to control many mechanisms that the gnomes build, in fact Tnie here has many such devices with him.”
She looked towards Tnie, he seemed to begrudgingly reach into his jacket and pull out a small leather wallet. He loosened the tie string that held it closed and opened many leather flaps within. He then laid the open wallet on the table next to Seri. We all moved closer to take a look. There within the folds of the wallet where little glimmering squares that seemed to reflect the light in myriad directions.
I had seen something similar before, I had to think where, then it occurred to me, the necklace that Tezrin had back in Corbond. That necklace contained one of these little square mirror like things. I said, “dragon scales.”
Łĩnwéé came to stand by me, “aye lassie, dragon scales true enough.”
At this Tnie said, “you may call them what you like master Grûndén, but dragon scales these are most certainly not.”
Łĩnwéé glowered at Tnie and replied, “I know they nat be real dragon scales ye foolish‘n, d’ ye think me a dolt? That just be the name m’ people give to such things is all.”
He returned to look in wonder at the devices nestling in little pockets within Tnie’s wallet.
“So,” said Seri, “Tezrin was searching for this necklace, I think perhaps he may have sort what was held within rather than the necklace itself. If this is the case then he may well seek the aid of the Pnook to find out more about it, or even how to use it, so I suggest we go there to see the Pnook. It’s a good a place to start as any don’t you think? Who knows we may even bump into him there.”
At this she nodded in thanks to Tnie before saying, “even if we don’t catch up with him then at least we have a mediator travelling with us to seek advice from the Pnook on the kind of device that may be mounted within the necklace, or even if they knew about it first-hand.”
I took a sideways glance at Tnie, he looked very sheepish. I got the distinct impression that he hadn’t told us something of importance, but I let it go for the time being even though I had a slight feeling of misgiving in my mind. We finished breakfast and went our own ways, under orders to meet later ready to start off.
So after gathering my things and saying goodbye to Solin’s staff, I met the rest of the company in the road outside the house. Solin had joined us and stood amongst us chatting.
When she came to me she gazed into my eyes and smiling said, “I am so very pleased to have met you Minervar, Serinae was right to choose you for a companion.” She sighed then and said, “my long life has been full of travel and discovery, my heart longs to go with you, but my body aches at the thought.” She clasped both my hands in hers and speaking softly, “you are in good hands, Serinae will ensure your safety to her last breath, just as she has committed to me over the long years.”
She then stepped back and addressing us all said, “my friends, I wish you every speed and success on your journeys, my thoughts will remain with you always until we may meet once more. My house is your house, may it please all the powers that you will return here one day and we may speak of your adventures.”
She then turned to Serinae and looking into her eyes she planted a kiss upon her brow. As she turned away her eyes downcast I thought I saw wetness there, I wanted to say something but Jonas held the arm of his mistress and with a concerned look upon his face led her back through the gate and into the garden beyond.
A fine mixed group we must have seemed, but it was still quite early and the citizens of this particular part of Amentura had not in the main began to stir and go about their daily lives. We moved off, Tnie leading the way heading back down the hill towards the town itself. Not much was said as we walked, for each bore their ow
n thoughts. I did learn from Serinae however that many of the party stayed up most of the night reading and discussing the previous evening’s events. They had been joined by Solin and Serinae frowned as she remarked while shaking her head slowly how tired Solin had looked this morning.
To my surprise we did not make for the harbour, but rather circled around keeping to the main streets of the town. It soon became apparent that we were heading for the artisan quarter, for as we walked the buildings were becoming less residential and more functional in their use and appearance. We passed several smithies that were at work already, some potteries, a glass maker, but these businesses soon gave way to larger buildings, two sometimes three stories high with gibbets protruding out from the upper floors. Wide double doors were set in their walls, some of these portals were flung open and the gibbets being used to haul up various boxes, bails, large glass or stone jars wrapped in sack webbing and straw for protection. All manner of things were stored here I was sure. I assumed then that these building were merchant’s warehouses, the larders, store houses and vaults of Amentura and probably the hinterland regions beyond.
We turned a corner and there in front of us quite on its own was a lower building, completely circular in shape. The architecture of this building was completely different from those surrounding it and it quite obviously was designed with a completely different purpose in mind. We walked up to it and Tnie retrieved from somewhere about his person a large bronze key which he used to unlock a set of large sliding doors that easily opened when pushed upon. They slid soundlessly, curving around the circular building running on little pulley wheels that sat in metal troughs full of grease. I began to wonder if this building and its architecture originated from the Pnook rather than any other race. We entered, following Tnie inside. Once we had all walked within, Tnie slid the doors closed again helped by Jondris. This done he locked them, this time from the inside.
I couldn’t see a lot within the dark interior of the building, but I could see that something large occupied most of the space, we could not see any detail for it was too gloomy and whatever occupied the space was disguised being covered in heavy tarpaulins.
Serinae beckoned to me to help her pull back the heavy drapes from the grubby windows which I noticed ran in continuous fashion all the way around the circular structure. The glass panes looked although they had been splashed with watered down paint, perhaps to conceal whatever lay within from prying eyes. Once these where pulled back and some sunlight streamed through the stained windows we could better make out what looked like some dormant monster looming in the centre of the single room. Tnie began to beckon to each of us to help him pull off all of covers and stack them folded to one side. Slowly a great machine began to be revealed, looking somewhat like a small sea going ship, but we were not near to the ocean or to any river, and the machine seemed to have no mast on which to unfurl a sail of any sort.
Once all the tarpaulins were removed we could get a better look at the machine. It was quite sleek in appearance, it gleamed silver in the sunlight and we were all reflected in the material like a mirror. I did imagine it as being some kind of ship for one end was in deed sharper looking much like the bow of a ship. About midway down its length two stubby constructions stuck out from each side of the ship’s hull on the end of which were two smaller hulls similar in shape to the main hull but about a quarter of the size. I thought it looked like a ship with two rowing boats tied alongside.
The whole thing was being kept upright by a purpose-built metal frame and trestles upon which the machine rested. Tnie was intent on walking around the thing inspecting it from every angle as if trying to satisfy himself that it was ok, or that it was complete. I turned and inquired from Tnie what the machine might be.
He smiled at me and said, “Amentura has for many years been a trading town for the Pnook of Scienocropolis in the Great Rust Desert, machines like these have been used to travel between here and the Pnook city across the Trad ocean, this building used to be one of many, but as the years have marched onward trade has slowed, these buildings have been demolished in favour of others and this one now remains the last example of its kind in Amentura. A final testament I’m afraid to Pnook inventiveness in Dahl’Ambronis.”
“But we are not near to any water, how are we to sail on such a vessel?”
He smiled again, I frowned as I thought he was relishing my ignorance. “Wait Minervar please, in the time taken for me to explain we will have left on the journey, there is much to be done in preparation of the vessel, but take it from me you will be pleasantly surprised.”
I frowned at him and replied, “ok keep your riddles, for I can see you are enjoying this.”
“Minervar, watch and wait, you will not be disappointed I promise.”
Tnie then ran his hands over the hull of the machine, a couple of times he stopped and opening a little flap or cover reached inside and seemed to pull upon some hidden thing. After removing his hand each of the little doors was closed once more. Eventually he stopped and standing back from the machine, seemed to come to some satisfied decision.
Taking another key from his person he walked over to where stood a large wooden cabinet the doors of which were painted a dull silver colour, some of the paint had flacked off and lay at the foot of the cabinet. Unlocking these doors he looked inside and pulled out a heavy looking device that I still cannot describe to this day, it was roughly a cube in shape with rounded corners, but had various projections from its surfaces, including a shaped piece of metal that seemed to form a handle by which Tnie carried the object. I could tell Tnie was struggling with the weight of the thing for he looked over at us and Łĩnwéé moved to his side to help him lift the object. Tnie guided Łĩnwéé and the object over to the machine, as they passed by me a strange thing happened, all the hair on my head started to sway towards the box they carried as if a stiff breeze was blowing my hair towards it, I also felt the fine hair on my arms be attracted towards the device, but the air in the room was still. I had felt this before when in the presence of strong arcane energy which had the natural property of attracting things towards it.
Once the two short men were beneath the machine they placed the object, or the accumulator as Tnie called it, on the floor carefully. Tnie then walked back over to another section of the wall. Here he started to wheel a set of tall metal steps across the floor and positioned them by the accumulator that now sat on the floor. I was fascinated by what was going on as were the rest of my companions. After some minutes of moving the steps around Tnie obviously became satisfied with their position and again beckoning to Łĩnwéé, the two again picked up the accumulator and side by side carried it up the steps to the platform at the top. I’m glad Łĩnwéé had offered to help Tnie because I doubt the size of any of the rest of us would have allowed us to easily manhandle the accumulator to the platform because of the width of the stairs.
Once they were both standing upon the small platform at the top of the stairs, Tnie with the help of Łĩnwéé hefted the accumulator to shoulder height and moved it forward towards one end of the small hull sticking out of that side of the machine. They lifted it a bit further and pushed it against the small hull, then turning the device this way and that it eventually made a clunking sound and had obviously engaged into a receptacle made for the purpose. Tnie then turned the device through thirty degree’s or so and with a further loud click stood back as the device seemed to be drawn inside the small hull and became completely pulled within, a sliding door shut hiding the device from view. Obviously satisfied that the device was now in place, Tnie pressed a hidden button on the side of the small hull. Soon the machine began to hum with a low pitched sound. I noticed then that the air under that side of the machine started to shimmer, similar to a heat haze. I stepped back wary of what would happen next.
Tnie, followed by Łĩnwéé made his way back down the steps, to do this he had to pass through the edge of the hazy shimmering air, he did not seem to be affected by
this at all and I felt more comfortable again. He now proceeded to move the steps across to the other side of the machine and similarly position them beneath the small hull on the other side. Then again with Łĩnwéé’s aid he retrieved another identical accumulator device from the same cupboard and together they similarly positioned this accumulator into the smaller hull on the other side. As before, the insertion of this accumulator also caused the machine to hum but a little louder now as both accumulators were now installed. As before, the air on that side took up a shimmering look.
By this time I stood in wonder at what was happening. I was even more drawn to wonder when I noticed that the machine instead of resting upon the metal frame it was now lifted slightly and none of it contacted upon the frame, in fact I could see no mechanism or method supporting the machine, it seemed to be floating in mid-air unaided. I walked forward and touched the main hull gently, as I made gentle contact the hull moved away from my outstretched hand and continued moving slowly away from me. I watched in fascination as the whole machine slowly continued on its path away from my hand. I felt a sudden panic and ducked under the hull and quickly placing my hand on the other side I was relieved to find I had stopped its slow rotational movement. I was about to try and push on the machine again when Tnie grasped my hand, he smiled and shook his head. I lowered my outstretched arm and moved it down to my side. The look on his face clearly said, please do not touch.
Tnie then walked over and removed the steps from beneath the machine and placed them back where he had got them from. Then walking to the front of the main hull to where I could see a large metal eyelet protruded, he pulled gently on the eyelet and the machine moved about as he moved his hand. Even though I had done it myself, I found it difficult to believe that such a weak force could move the large heavy machine so easily. He seemed to be carefully positioning the machine, I noticed him look down several times towards the floor. There were marks on the floor and Tnie seemed to be aligning the machine carefully over these marks. After he became satisfied with the placement of the machine, with his other hand he then opened another little hatch in the hull beside the eyelet. I could see that this revealed a bank of small switches which Tnie proceeded to flick with his finger. Once this was done he tried to move the machine again by holding on to the eyelet, but this time the machine would not budge no matter how much pressure Tnie exerted upon the eyelet, all that happened was the hum of the machine changed very slightly in pitch as if the machine was resisting Tnie’s efforts to move it.
Being satisfied with his efforts he closed the hatch. He then moved back over to the closed doors of the building, here there was a lever set into the floor, Jondris was across the other side of the doors and Tnie beckoned to him as if to say please you grasp that one, for indeed there was a second lever on Jondris’s side of the doors. Tnie depressed a locking button on the top of the lever and pulled it towards him, he gestured to Jondris to do the same which he did. There began a loud creaking, clanking rumble from above our heads and a long straight gap appeared part way along the length of the roof. The gap was widening and I could see the clouds and blue sky through the opening. After a few minutes the noise stopped and the ceiling stopped opening, but by this time a great rectangular aperture had appeared in the roof of the building directly over the machine and a great expanse of sky could be seen. Tnie walked beneath the machine itself again through the hazy looking air, he opened another little door or cover on the main boat hull and reaching inside pushed a button within the hull, as he stepped back a trapdoor started to open slowly downwards. As this large trapdoor hinged down from the hull, we could plainly see on the inside of the door were jagged structures that looked like teeth, in fact this door looked just like the bottom jaw of some immense beast opening to swallow its prey.
The lower end of the door stopped just above the ground and it became apparent that the jagged structures were in fact steps. Tnie moved forward and placed his foot on the bottom step, then walking up this stair case he disappeared from view into the body of the machine. He soon reappeared however and returning back down the steps alighted once more upon the floor of the building or hanger as he called it afterwards. He beckoned for us to follow him, we did so and he led us to a row of lockers along the wall behind the machine, he opened one of the lockers and removed a hanger on which was some kind of suit of clothing. It appeared to be made from some thick leather hide, there was also a leather helmet that looked although it would cover the entire head of the wearer, for there were two holes in the front covered in what looked like clear glass, obviously positioned for the eyes and another hole where the nose and mouth would be, but this hole unlike the eye holes had some kind of a metal gauze stitched into it. I had seen similar things on some face masks of armour that allowed the wearer to breathe, but at the same time offered efficient protection for the nose and mouth. Tnie asked each of us to open the lockers and find a suit of this kind that would fit each of us, but there seemed to be only three sizes and we had to choose the size with the nearest fit, which meant that Serinae and I had to have the middle size, but even this size made us look like two deflated balloons once we had our suits on. The leather suit was designed to go down to the ground, but again on Serinae and I it went beyond that and we had to lift the hem of our suits to enable us to walk back to the machine. We found it impossible to get up the steps into the machine wearing these suits. Thankfully Tnie told us that we didn’t necessarily have to wear them at this time so we gladly removed them and carried them on board.
Once all the suits, all our gear and all of us were inside the machine, Tnie showed us where to stow all of our belongings and the equipment that we had carried on board. Everything had a place to be stored. I reached out and felt the hull of the machine on the inside, I could feel a prickle as my skin touched it, not an unpleasant sensation, just like sometimes when an article of clothing is put on and you feel a sort of crackling prickle.
Tnie then climbing another short flight of steps, opened a hatch above our heads, this enabled us to climb out upon an outside deck that was obscured from view as we stood on the ground. The machine really did look more and more like a ship. We all climbed out onto the open deck and Tnie requested that we all sit down upon benches that ran along the outside edge of the deck, these were set well below the surrounding parapet and once seated we could not see over the edge of the machine.
I stood again so that I could see how far up we were as I looked over the side. Once all seemed to be ready Tnie left the machine one last time and walking over to the two levers by the side of the entrance doors to the building set them back into their original positions. I expected the ceiling above us to close again but this did not happen and I could just hear a ticking noise like a clockwork mechanism somewhere in close vicinity of the two levers. Tnie returned briskly and climbing through and closing both hatches one last time sat at a single seat mounted centrally on the deck of the machine. He reached inside his jacket and withdrew the same little leather wallet that he had shown to us in Solin’s library earlier that morning. Opening this as I had seen him do before, he took something out, something much too small for me to see from where I sat, but I assumed it to be one of the little dragon scales as Łĩnwéé called them. He opened a little flap in the desk in front of him and carefully he placed whatever he had in his hand within, he then closed the flap again. Immediately the deck of the vessel started to vibrate rhythmically and it moved beneath my feet. Looking back over the side of the parapet I noticed that we had in fact shifted position, for now it looked like we had risen some two or three metres.
I noticed the seat in which Tnie was now seated was surrounded by several levers and either side of the seat at waist height were mounted two wheels with four spokes each. Each spoke had at its outer end a small wooden handle I supposed to make turning the wheel easier than otherwise just gripping the rim. Tnie sat on the seat and seemed to spend a little time familiarising himself with all the levers and the two wheels. Each t
ime he moved one, or both, the wheels the machine shuddered and seemed to be straining to get free of some restraint upon it. Eventually Tnie asked us to sit and when we all had done so he pulled on one of the levers, there was a grinding noise that ended in a loud click immediately followed by a movement from the machine, it felt just like the movement of a ship once the anchor is stowed away and the wind caught the sails and the ship was free to move upon the waves. I looked up at the ceiling of the building and could just perceive that it was moving gently as if it was swaying in a light breeze; it then occurred to me that actually a building cannot move in this way and it must be us and the machine that was moving. Another lever was pulled, but this time much more gently, I felt a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach and we seemed to lurch somehow. This time when I looked up I noticed that the ceiling of the building was getting nearer and nearer with every second. I realised that we were ascending somehow. Before long the ceiling of the building had disappeared altogether and all I could see was the sky and clouds above us.
I couldn’t help but stand as did some of my companions. Serinae walked across to join my side and Jondris walked to the other side of the machine. Łĩnwéé seemed to be frozen in place where he sat, his knuckles white with the exertion of gripping onto the edge of his seat. I ventured to look over the side of the flying machine, for flying it was, I could see the city spread out before me as if I was looking from some vantage point in a high tower. We had come right through the roof of the building and were gaining altitude by the minute. I looked directly down over the edge of the parapet; I could see the building below us, the rectangular opening which we had just passed through was now closing getting smaller until with an audible clang it shut completely. We were obviously on our way.
We continued to rise higher and higher for the next few minutes. As we rose the view over the side of the machine became more and more stunning, the city began to look like an architect’s model placed below us. I could see beyond the city to the blue horizon of the ocean to the west. We were now so high when looking north-east the far distant white peaks of the mountains of Ambrunista could just be made out. A few minutes later the feeling in the pit of my stomach receded and Tnie asked that we all sit down, once this was done he gently rotated the two wheels either side of him and there was a jerk as our direction changed from going up to going forward, he opened a flap mounted on a post directly in front of him and scrutinised something that we could not see, I was later to have him explain to me that this device was called a compass and it showed with great accuracy which direction we were moving in. He proceeded to move one wheel then the other and I felt, especially with my stomach, the machine pitched about like a ship being thrown about by waves. Eventually the wheels were left in position and my stomach calmed once more.
We were allowed to stand again and as soon as my head was above the parapet a terrific wind blew my hair around my face as if I were standing on a cliff top with a stiff sea breeze tousling with my hair. It was very pleasant to feel the wind blowing in this manner. Just then Serinae appeared by my side, she had her hair tied back behind her ears and she offered me an ornately carved clip made from some bone or perhaps a tusk, I took this and tied my hair behind my ears in similar fashion. By this time we were obviously moving forward through the air at quite a pace, my excitement at this realisation was quite considerable and I rushed from side to side of the ship looking at as many different views as I could. Poor Łĩnwéé however did not seem to take to flying at all, he remained glued to his seat his knuckles getting whiter as he groaned to himself in a most forlorn fashion. I rather liked the feel of flying, I guess it appealed to my adventurous nature to the extent that this great curiosity and sense of excitement overcame any fear that I may have felt and I contented myself with looking around at the views of the land passing beneath us. At this height the horizon extended way beyond that normally visible. Miles upon miles of land could be seen all around us to one side and the massive endless expanse of the ocean on the other.
We continued to fly south keeping the land to our left and the Trad Ocean to our right. It transpired that navigation of this craft was purely accomplished via land marks or waypoints. Tnie told us that he needed to get to a particular waypoint on the coast to the south before we headed out and over the great ocean, as he knew from this waypoint that setting a certain direction on the compass would bring us over a further waypoint on the coast of the Rust Desert where he knew that he needed to adjust our direction to ensure that we came finally to Scienocropolis.