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Welcome back to Our Great Continent.
Where we travel past the diverse landscapes and inhabitants you
can find. From the most Northern tip of
Frystwald, All the way to the stretching deserts surrounding
Vilmere Bay. Last week we left you to marvel
in the dense forests of Lehemaa. This week we will travel to the
Copper Mountains that lay on the north of New Vilirth.
Despite its barren peaks, the mountains house a plethora of
species. On the tops, mountain goats roam
with their white coats of fur. These animals are able to face
near vertical cliffs and thread steady footed even in the
highest of places. In the skies, circle the eagles
that nest on the top branches of the highest reaching trees,
right at the tree line where the rugged peaks of mountains begin.
When we go deeper into the mountain, the darkened damp
surroundings make for a scarce environment to survive in.
Yet, even in these dark depths you will find the most
interesting creatures. In shallow pools of water live
transparent salamanders scouring these springs for small insects
and filtering the water for algae.
And in the deepest tunnels lives the most intriguing creature of
all. If only because barely anyone
has seen the beast and lived to tell the tale.
It belongs to the largest beings of the underground dwellers.
We call it the Krenir. Its skin is made from
impenetrable rock and black eyes see shadows where we see
nothing. Only a few times a year it comes
to the surface to gather food larger than salamanders and
rats. It generally prefers beasts such
as the Neekh of which the Krenir is the only predator since the
Neekh stinger can't pierce its skin.
Or the Weald Hound that lives in the forests on the east side of
the mountains. Similar to a snake it can live
for many moonspans on larger prey.
When undisturbed the Krenir isn't aggressive but like many
other animals once the female has laid her eggs she will
attack unprovoked. Both to protect her eggs and to
gather enough— Wake up, New Vilirth!
Chapter 4 Blood thicker than water I didn't even bother to
wipe the sand from my suit or leave my shoes by the door.
The sand had taken to the greasy shoe shine and covered the black
leather in an equal layer of dust.
Sandy footsteps followed me all the way to the sitting room
where I slumped down in the dark.
For a while, I sat like that, my eyes closed.
The weight of my body dragged me down.
I allowed myself to sink to the edge of sleep before rousing
myself and sitting up straight. I rang the bell and an instant
later my butler appeared in the door opening.
Despite the late bell, she looked impeccable.
Sir? Bring me some herbata and a
change of clothes. I'll be in my study.
Yes, sir. The butler disappeared again.
I took another minute to collect myself before getting to my
feet. The papers on my desk were
stacked into neat piles. The empty cups had disappeared
and the floor was cleaned. I left a fresh set of footsteps
on the woven carpet. I barely had time to settle down
in my chair before the door opened.
Instead of my butler, Nadya stepped inside, carrying a
platter with a cup of steaming herbata and a fresh set of
clothing which she draped over the couch.
Most coffee plantations were destroyed after the big eruption
of Mount Spinel years ago. Herbata became a faster growing
alternative as the plant grew naturally on the other side of
the mountain range. I preferred coffee to the sharp
and bitter tang of the herbata, but over the years I had grown
to appreciate it. First with sugar, and when that
ran out, plain. Are you working?
I'm trying to. Nadya set the cup down on my
desk. The cup was small, diluted with
more water than I would have liked, but two cups would boost
my energy enough to work through the whole night.
She had also brought me a basket with salted bread rolls.
At least we were never short of sea salt.
How were the mines? I rubbed my temples.
The headache was returning in full force.
Manageable. Nadya raised an eyebrow.
And how are you going to manage it?
I took a sip from my herbata and leaned back in my chair.
I let the heat of the bitter tea warm me.
Nadya walked over to a cupboard from which she retrieved a
bottle of clear liquor. The strong stuff was courtesy of
her family, who had brought it all the way from Volkowiya.
Here. You need this.
She filled a cup of the clear liquor.
She meant well. But I couldn't help being
reminded of the neomorphic memories my father had been
taking. I shivered.
I had tried it once, in an attempt to act as the reckless
heir for one night, alongside some of the actual reckless
heirs. We had sat around in a study not
too dissimilar to this one. Despite the illegality of the
substance, it was something you did if you worked higher up in
the climate of the aristocracy. And as students on their way to
doing exactly that, it was already becoming a habit for
some. It was a part of our initiation
into the real world. Some students, like my old
classmate Feliks, had wormed their way into these circles
through hard work at the university and endless bells in
thankless jobs. He had climbed up the social
ladder to land in the study of an heir who had been handed all
his success on a silver platter. Like me.
Yet I too had sat next to Feliks, studying deep into the
late bells at the university. The difference was I didn't have
to work the mornings after. A nurse or someone who looked
like it had connected all of us to a system with a needle.
I hated that part. I felt it pierce the skin behind
my ear and I could feel it sitting there until the memory
kicked in. We have a multitude of
destinations. Even some older ones from across
the seas. Giddiness hung in the air.
I nearly felt apprehension and anxiety.
You can also go for a specific experience.
We have adventures too. We can bring you to the top of
Mount Spinel or into the depths of the mines.
But we also have a whole range of more intimate experiences
available. Don't hesitate to tell me what
you would like. We can make it happen for you.
She winked at me and I wanted to sink into the leather couch.
I picked the destination. A short holiday.
I wasn't one for holidays or relaxing, yet that didn't
matter. The memory did it for me.
It was the weirdest feeling as the memory slowly dissolved the
room around me. My thoughts weren't my own
anymore. The worries and anxieties
disappeared. My entire body relaxed as I
relived a memory that felt like mine.
No massages or steam baths compared.
The bliss had lasted several bells after the memory.
But when it disappeared, it had disappeared hard.
Anxiety aggressively rushed through me for days.
I had managed to stay away from the memories after that, even if
the others made fun of my weariness.
I took a sip from the liquor and allowed it to burn my uneasy
feelings. It would never work as well as
that memory, but it did its job valiantly.
Nadya slid her hand over the desk and took my fingers,
intertwining them with hers. I stiffened, but allowed it.
Feeling her sticky fingers against mine made me shiver.
I didn't understand what people found comfortable about holding
someone's hot and clammy hand. But it seemed to calm Nadya
down. Can I help you?
We need to kill it. Alright.
I'm just going to hold a little brainstorm session here.
Nadya let go of my hand and leaned backwards.
What about explosives? The mine will collapse.
I took another sip from my drink.
And the Krenir will survive that.
Toxic gas? Even if it kills the beast, and
that's a big if. No one will be able to work the
mines for weeks on end. Maybe moons.
Nadya chewed the inside of her cheek.
Move? To a different part of the
mines? No, they found a new copper vein
there. No chance.
Suddenly the door swung open and Sasha strutted in.
I could have known. No conversation was private with
Sasha in the house. You know, I did recommend you to
hire the Oneiroi. This is a private conversation.
You want me to hire a criminal? You work for a criminal.
I was about to defend myself when I stopped.
No, we are not having this conversation again.
Nadya is right. This is private.
I'll decide if it's private. Disagreeing with someone's
business practices does not make them a criminal.
Sasha ignored her and turned to me.
You did tell me to keep an ear open to gossip, Konsti.
Yes. And as soon as you have anything
useful to share, I would love to know.
Nadya watched the exchange with cautious eyes.
She wasn't particularly fond of my cousin.
Like everyone else, she didn't know what to do with her.
Sasha spoke with an insolence that got you killed in most
places. And she would have been had she
not had my protection. Although moments like these made
me wonder why I even bothered. Well, she's back.
Be less cryptic. Sasha rolled her eyes.
Rhea Räsänen, daughter to the president of the Oneiroi
Vanguard. Or former president, I suppose.
Former president? What are you talking about?
So I guess you do need my intel, after all.
Ulva Räsänen. Aleksantri Räsänen's younger
sister has taken over. But Rhea doesn't seem to feel
the same alliance for her as she did for her father.
She went on a rogue mission with two of her companions and now
she's back. And we both know you can't
survive out there without bumping into a monster or two.
And I bet, with everything changing around in the Vanguard,
she wouldn't mind a well-paying job like this.
Nadya and I exchanged looks. I already have a solution.
Both Nadya and Sasha frowned. The memory of taking memories
had given me an idea. A last resort, in the form of an
old university friend. If there was anyone who could
defy odds, it was Feliks. And if the Oneiroi Vanguard has
changed president, my father ought to know.
I reached for my phone. Oh, he already knows.
I told him. You shouldn't go over there by
yourself. Look, I appreciate your constant
fuzzing over me. But if you don't mind, I'm not
going to let staying alive depend on whether or not you
feel like it. So ungrateful.
Sasha's head snapped to Nadya. Being in a room together changed
both of them into children. Well, I'm so sorry, but I'm
trying to stay alive here, aren't you?
By marrying into the most powerful family in New Vilirth,
despite knowing its heir has zero interest in actually
fucking you. How dare you!
Enough! I stood up.
The force pushed my chair back and slammed it into the
bookshelf. Several books tumbled to the
floor and fear flashed over Sasha's stubborn face.
I quickly unclenched my fist upon seeing that look.
My chauffeur will bring you home.
I waited for Sasha to protest. Words crowded behind her lips
and her eyebrows knitted together.
But the words dispersed and she kept silent.
I hit the bell on my desk. My butler stepped inside.
Miss von Leirkova would like to go home.
She can wait in the hallway. Sasha got up without complaining
aloud, but the thin slit of her lips said enough.
In silence she followed the butler.
Her final goodbye was the slam of the study door.
I walked over to the couch and took my change of clothes from
the hanger. You are dismissed.
I turned my back to Nadya. I couldn't see her face as she
walked out, but the sharp snap of the closing door told me
enough. I changed and folded my dirty
clothes neatly onto the sofa. I replaced the fallen books
carefully onto the shelves, making sure the binding was
still intact. As I sat down, I heard footsteps
up ahead coming from Nadya's room.
I toyed with a glass of moonshine before emptying it in
one gulp and pulling the stack of papers towards me.
My cheeks were red from scrubbing the ink off my face.
I had fallen asleep on a letter, the words still wet.
My butler had carefully mentioned it when she came to
bring me breakfast. I had made sure to avoid Nadya
as I sneaked into the bathroom. I hadn't spotted her, however.
Chances were she was avoiding me, too.
I looked in the mirror. The suit I picked today was
different from the simple suits I usually wore.
While all my suits were expensive, if you know where to
look, this suit was made to show people who knew nothing about
clothes that this was an expensive piece.
It radiated money. Sir, your car is ready.
I accepted my mask and coat before heading outside.
The effects of the alcohol and the herbata had worn off, and
all that was left was exhaustion, a headache, and a
still unanswered question. How was I going to get rid of
the Krenir? As we headed off into the heart
of the city, I gazed unseemly ahead.
A rumbling shook me back to reality.
Watch out, sir! He and everyone around us
stopped their car. The rumbling grew.
I grabbed the seat in front of me, and the car shook back and
forth. Earthquakes were a common
occurrence in New Vilirth, but I couldn't get used to it.
Yet, I suspected these had not been caused by Mount Spinel's
activity. I looked through the curtains,
anxious to see if there was anything in danger of falling on
us. It should be over in a minute,
sir, but it's best to get down. I did as he said, crawling in
the space behind the seats, and waited.
I kept my ears peaked for any screams of danger in case we had
to run. The shaking came and went.
But I stayed in the position I was in until the horns behind
the car began honking. I was forced to get back on my
seat. I shifted in place and avoided
looking in the rearview mirror. I hesitated.
In the flickering day imitating lights of the underground,
everything looked eerie. My hand hovered over the
doorknob. The door did not reveal anything
that lay beyond it. No sound, nor light.
It was, by all accounts, an ordinary door.
I thought this to be the right one, but I wasn't sure.
And if it was the right place, I didn't know exactly what it was
I going to do here. I pushed the indistinct door
open, leaving the unremarkable alley behind.
It was an empty hallway I stepped into.
Doors lined it, and a stair led my eyes upwards.
Had I stepped into an ordinary apartment block?
No. Now I recognize the curved
railing and flashes of memories. And the railing shone far too
clean for any simple apartment in the center of New Vilirth.
I headed up the stairway. In between the creaking of my
footsteps, I began to hear the swell of music.
I was in the right place. The stairway changed from wooden
and plain into decadent when I turned the corner.
I hadn't noticed a carpet appearing, but suddenly it was
there, soft beneath my polished shoes.
A man stood at the entrance, still as a statue.
Not a single wrinkle in his suit, his muscles pressed
against the fabric, shaping it. A gun hung on his chest.
He was human, but he came very close to my length.
Mr. Von Leirkov The guard made a small bow.
Welcome back to The Dragonfly. The throbbing in my head came
back in full force when the door opened and the wall withholding
the music broke. What greeted me was a normal
club. Albeit an expensive one.
In so far that there was music, lots of alcohol, it was dark,
there was dancing and there were round booths for rich patrons.
Where it differed was what was in those booths.
The high back seats provided both privacy and entertainment.
Dökkálfar lounge there, connected to a system of clear
flasks integrated into the booths themselves.
Each patron selected one flask to their liking as if selecting
songs from a jukebox. If a jukebox made you go
bankrupt. It was easy to spot them.
The Dragonfly had been in different buildings over the
years, but their booths always remained in the exact same place
within their establishment. Only a few booths were up for
customer rotation. Ivanov's blonde curls danced
above the back seat. He hadn't changed a bit since
university. Two women, humans, laughed
opposite him. One pressed her metal fingers
against her mouth to stifle it. Her blonde hair pooled to the
benched seating and covered her more than her clothing did.
Although neither they nor Ivanov noticed me, Feliks did.
His mouth turned up in a smile, but his eyes narrowed.
Look who has graced us with a visit.
His arm was slung around one of the women.
I walked around to the booth's entrance.
Only Feliks' eyes were clear. Herkus, who sat next to Ivanov
and Ivanov himself, stared blankly into space, tubes
connected behind their pointed ears.
Sit. My legs obeyed.
Feliks beckoned a woman. She wore a dress that introduced
her as a nurse, juxtaposed by the tray of shot glasses she
carried. How can I help you?
He'd like vodka. In fact, we all do.
And get my setup ready. Feliks glanced at me.
Unless you want to try something stronger?
We can have you hooked up to our system in a jab.
We barely passed twelve bells. I'll have some herbata.
I didn't look up at the waitress.
I clamped my hands together on the shiny surface of the table.
If you aren't here to drink, what are you here for?
I glanced at Ivanov and Hurkus, who sat slumped in their seat,
blinking slowly. I wasn't sure what I expected.
Perhaps that, if I came early in the day, they would be
discussing politics and be scheming.
You've heard what happened in the mines?
Of course. For the first time his attention
was truly on me. A place like this was more than
a pleasure den. News spread, deals were made,
politics were established. I wouldn't be surprised if my
father showed up here every now and then.
Which was why I had made sure he was in a meeting for the
foreseeable future. Do you know what caused it?
That information would certainly buy his way into some important
conversations. No.
Some miner messed up, right? Quiet.
Go see where the drinks are. He waved them off.
But you only just ordered— Go! They got up and shuffled past
me, brushing their bodies against me.
I recoiled, pressing back into the seat.
Don't worry. I won't tell Nadya.
I don't—I'm not going to do anything here.
So you have a problem to solve? He leaned over the table.
Perhaps. You're such a shitty liar, von
Leirkov. Always have been.
Stop wearing your heart on your sleeve.
I wish the waitress came back so I had something to do besides
just sit here. Yes.
I have a problem to solve. I thought perhaps— I could help.
And what would you give me? Anything you want.
And then what would I do for you, Konstantin?
You have the same, if not more, resources than I do.
The little hope I had for answers, ideas, or anything
useful wavered. The waitress returned, followed
by the two humans. They lingered behind her as she
set the drinks on the table. The last thing on her tray was a
simple bottle with a clear liquid that sloshed around like
syrup. Instead of placing it on the
table, she set it in an alcove in the wall.
She turned to the panel and tapped in commands too fast for
me to see. Her long nails rattled against
the screen. The bottle began moving until it
was behind Feliks, where it stopped.
An automated system replaced the cap for a cap with a tube
running through it, into the clear liquid.
Feliks leaned back. If you stay long enough, someone
here might have answers. Excuse me, sir?
He pushed his hair aside and leaned forward.
With deft movements, she connected the end of the tube to
the connector behind Feliks' ear.
Should I turn it on straight away?
Feliks glanced at me, assessing me.
Yes, I think we're done here. Or are you going to join us?
Oh, you were never any fun, were you, von Leirkov?
It's been five years and you're still worrying about everything.
You have everything you need. Money, a hot wife, more money,
live a little. You, turn it on.
Certainly, sir. The waitress returned to the
control panel. Feliks kept his eyes locked on
me as the clear liquid began to run through the tube towards his
head. His eyes slackened the moment it
hit. I averted my eyes and picked up
the herbata, nearly burning my hands.
I took one sip of the tea and immediately burned my tongue.
It was time to go. Despite what Feliks said, I
wasn't going to find anything here.
These people did nothing but ignore reality.
I had to accept that I would have to find another way, though
that seemed impossible. I set my barely touched herbata
on the table and was about to stand up when three figures
entered the establishment. Slowly, I sank further down in
my seat so I could watch them without being too obvious.
My pulse quickened. Perhaps Feliks had been right.
Thank you for tuning in. We hope you've enjoyed your
stay.