~
It did not take long for the craft to carry us across the gulf. Again, I wondered what had caused such an immense rend in the city, for it was obvious that this abyss had not always been here and some great catastrophe had befallen this area of Scienocropolis, the result of which had made a vast area of the city fall to the desert so far below. I could only hope that the affected area had been unpopulated at the time for I shuddered to think about the loss of life that would have resulted.
As we crossed the abyss I noticed it could be seen stretching to the left and right of us as far as the eye could see, curving around until it could no longer be seen, but I just knew it was still there. I suspected that it went right the way around the city encompassing a circular area. Once we had landed on the other side and all were safely disembarked I glanced at the Pnook officer, he was talking head to head with the Pnook that Jondris had saved, this Pnook was rubbing his leg, the Pnook officer nodded and placed a reassuring hand upon the other others shoulder. I walked over, I felt I could at least ease the poor Pnook’s pain so I did so, at least his leg wasn’t broken, just a few stretched sinews and muscles, easy enough to heal. I then gestured towards the Pnook who had suffered broken ribs when Łĩnwéé had hit him. The officer nodded his consent and I set about resetting the broken bones and administering pain relief, the Pnook seemed thankful as he smiled at me when I was finished. The officer I noted returned the box that took control over us into the pouch on his belt. I felt great relief that it seemed at least we would not be subject to the horrid effects of the box and restraints once again, even though it seemed we may still be bound with hands behind our backs, for the gnome guards again moved towards us with the binding devices in their hands.
The Pnook that had been saved by Jondris stood and putting up his hand gestured for the soldiers to back off and leave us alone. I was expecting the officer in charge to take offence at this but he just turned and walked away.
Serinae stood and addressing the Pnook I had just healed asked, “who are you?”
He smiled at Serinae and said, “firstly my lady let me thank your human friends here for saving my life,” and turning to Jondris and Teouso he added, “thank you, I owe you a debt of deep gratitude, your swift actions have shown me that you may not be the criminals that we first suspected you to be. However, my father must still make that judgement. Tnie is still an outlaw by the statute of this city and all must obey the laws that govern us all, I’m afraid he must also follow those decrees. But if you give me your word that you will not attempt any hostility towards us and will not try to escape, then in return you will have my word that you will remain unbound.”
We all gave our agreement to his terms. Even though Łĩnwéé grumbled his affirmation with obvious venom. The Pnook then told us a surprising thing he had turned towards Serinae and bowed, “Since you ask My Lady, I am Prince Resen, my father if you have not guessed already is King Tuines who sits on the throne of this city and rules the Pnook world.”
Tnie who had been standing fell to one knee and with bowed head mumbled something that I could not hear.
Serinae then said, “well met Prince Resen, but if what you say is true I fear for your uncle, for if his brother, your father, has now become King then I assume the worst. I did not know him but this news, along with the damage to the city we have witnessed today fills me with dread. Forgive me but I would hear of what has become of Scienocropolis and its inhabitants, it has been many years since I heard any news from this part of the world and it sounds as if things have changed dramatically.”
At this the Prince sat down and bid us all to do likewise, he then started to relate the story as Serinae had requested.
“Well, where do I start, firstly I suppose I must say that alas, as you suspect the old king, my uncle is dead, along with many of the royal family. Something very ill had befallen us, something that we never thought possible, given the strategic safety we thought we enjoyed. The city was attacked by an army of which we had no prior knowledge; they gained the far perimeter one night without warning. We were taken completely by surprise, and that night the enemy managed to advance inwards quite far. Reports came in from every watch station around the outer perimeter, all the reports said the same, the invaders had the city surrounded and were advancing forward towards the centre of the city. It was to be some hours before we could fully mobilise our small army which had been much reduced over the years because we thought we were beyond attack being the only inhabitants of the Rust Desert and the fact that Scienocropolis floated high above the surrounding land. But there is more. The soldiers that attacked us were abominations of life, half flesh and half machine, they were ruthless in their advance and we did not have sufficient forces to stop them, for it seemed that for every one of the enemy we killed three would take their place.
The king decided to take his personal flight of airships in an effort to drop fire and destruction upon the enemy from the air. Preparations were made and each of the king’s airships was modified for war, something that had not been done for many ages past. Each ship had mounted upon its deck a machine originally designed for peaceful work to cut steel and rock for construction or to melt sand to make construction materials. We knew that to use these machines against our foes was dangerous as they could not be used to discriminate between friend and foe alike, to use such a machine would destroy anything in its path both Pnook and enemy. But the king with heavy heart decided that we must do this or risk the whole city being be lost. It took many hours to prepare the airships, but we worked night and day and eventually the flight took off, about fifty airships in all, the whole of the king’s fleet, each mounting one of the machines.
At first we were quite successful and the enemy was halted, but much of the outlying areas of the city as you saw was already badly damaged in the fearsome fighting. Then after a while the enemy became wise to our attacks and either learnt or were instructed to target our flying machines by concentrating their range weapons upon our craft. Even though it took many shots to bring down a flying ship in this way, our flying machines were not built for war and had little protection, we started to lose many to prolonged enemy fire. Too many air ships were downed and the king recalled what was left back to the city centre through fear that we may have to use them to evacuate the city if the worst occurred.
To cut a long story short, it was decided to destroy a vast area of the city, the area where the chasm now lies, in the hope that the enemy would also be destroyed in the resulting devastation. The plan was to cause an overload in certain of the engines that form rings around the city deep within the rock base; these engines normally reverse the arcane forces prevalent in the world and enable the city enough lift to hold it in position high above the desert. The destruction of the engines would result in a ring around the city falling to the ground below and taking the enemy with it. The king and near three quarters of those others who volunteered died in the act. My father was the only one of his family to survive; the rest had given their lives for the sake of the people and this city.”
I could not believe the drastic measure taken by the Pnook; it seemed beyond belief that they could accomplish such a task. I wondered what we would have done if it was a T’Iea city that had been attacked in such a way. Then I had a moment of panic, the force that attacked Corbond and the individual raisers that were overcome in Amentura, all these sounded the same as the description given of the attackers by Prince Resen, what if the T’Iea realm had been attacked already? I would not even know, having been away for such an extended period of time. I now knew about at least three such attacks by this mysterious enemy one of which I had been involved in first hand. This whole thought process disquieted me and I resolved to speak to Serinae about it if the opportunity arose.
But Prince Resen said, “but enough I am anxious for you to reach the city centre, it would be good to get this whole thing to a conclusion and secondly my soldiers tire as they have been on patrol without
much sleep for five days, I owe them the rest they deserve.” He gestured towards the Pnook officer who walked across to Prince Resen and saluted. A brief discussion went on between these two.
Once concluded Prince Resen again addressed us saying, “I thank you again, but I must get back to my command. Captain Nuaton will escort you the remaining way to the city centre, so I bid you farewell and take my leave.”
Chapter 16 The City Centre
Extract from ‘Scienocropolis the City of the Pnook’ by Solin De’Teinde.
Many were lost along the route. For the Rust Desert would not suffer passage across it without a heavy toll being paid. The heat, the wind and the treacherous sands took what they may on a whim. If the Pnook had not suffered enough, then they must have despaired at their suffering now.