by Sarah Lin
Though he had the essential information he needed, Eemal did seem bored, so... "Eemal, would you be willing to give a fellow outsider some insight into the politics of Norro Yorthin? I'll need to take up work with a House, and I fear that many of them would offer deals with no future for my daughter." He set his hand on Senka's head, which she tolerated for approximately a nanosecond before squirming away.
"You are right to be cautious, but most of the Houses offer salaried servitude, some of them even fair terms." Eemal circled his body on the ground, though in a spiral instead of a snake-like coil. "It's the small Houses that you need to watch for, because they'll squeeze the life from you in their desperation. Most of the larger Houses could offer you real opportunity, if you have the talent."
"Which ones dominate the city?"
"With Fithans, it's always about strength. Three Houses within the city are led by a Stronghold-tier soulcrafter, so they are also the most powerful by social or economic measures. Of course, there are also the outside forces... Arbai controls its own affairs, Aathal exerts an influence, and the House of Waves represents powerful Fithan forces, even if they don't have a Stronghold."
"Let's focus on the local Houses for now." Though Theo suspected he might have to deal with broader politics eventually, he knew that he was in no position to do so yet. So the city had three Strongholds... that was the highest tier he and his allies had reached in his past life. If they had arrived in the city with their full strength, they would have completely upset the balance.
He considered asking about any Dominion-tier soulcrafters, but decided that it would seem too ambitious for a conversation between Archcrafters. Besides, if there had been any, Eemal would likely have mentioned them first. Dominions generally ruled nations or led powerful militaries, though they did gather in rivalries in some of the world's most dangerous places.
"House Crimson is most prominent, of course," Eemal said. "They have a powerful Stronghold, but also two Authorities they hope can ascend, giving them superiority in raw power. By contrast, the House of Coin has a weaker Stronghold, but more Authorities and a great deal of economic might. Most of their attention is to the business of the city, and so long as they remain in their field, they are unchallenged."
Both potentially promising choices, if they were as honest as proclaimed. "And the third Stronghold?"
"A bit of an odd case. The House of the Lost is an organization of travelers from strange worlds that was a lesser House with only one Authority, until they gained a powerful new Stronghold. With such undeniable power, all must negotiate with them, but their position is tenuous."
"I understand." More importantly, he understood that he would have absolutely nothing to do with the House of the Lost until he had gained extensive information about them. In many languages "Lost Ones" referred to people like him, from outside the Nine Worlds, and that made the organization far too suspicious. It might be an interesting opportunity, but the chance that it was a trap was simply too high.
"Any other questions?" Eemal rose up to his full height, peering over the gate, then descended to eye level again. "I may need to conduct some of my other duties soon, so our conversation must end."
"Just one more: which of the lesser Houses are large enough not to fall into the disreputable category you mentioned?"
"Those led by an Authority, essentially. House Blacksilver is the most aligned with foreigners, and it attempts to buy favor with public works. House Teal is old and stable, with an Authority who has long since given up on ascending. The House of Burning Leaves is young and ambitious, with many weaker Authorities. Aside from the outside powers, those are the primary movers in the city."
"Thank you, Eemal. You've been a great help to me and... my daughter." He glanced around for Senka, who was no longer anywhere near his legs, only to find her crawling atop a nearby gate somehow. "Senka, get down from there."
Eemal promptly rose to pick her up, but Senka skittered away and then threw herself at Theo. "The rocky fumpet is trying to eat Senka! Senka doesn't want to get eated!"
"He just wanted to help you get down." Theo patted her on the head and then tried to pry her fingers from his clothes to set her down. While struggling with her, he gave one more smile to Eemal, assuming that the Eubhan was used to humanoid expressions by now. "You've been a great help to us both."
"Oh, it's no trouble." Eemal returned to his guard position and swayed back and forth in a friendly fashion. "Perhaps one day you'll return for a true visit to Arbai, but for now, enjoy yourself in Norro Yorthin. Be careful not to let the earth swallow you."
Was that an Arbaian idiom? As Theo headed back into the city, he searched through his memories but came up with nothing. Despite the ominous tone, his new optimism was unharmed. He trusted Eemal to have given him a reasonably accurate picture of the city, so he now had a realistic plan upwards.
Finish scouting and confer with the others, then choose a House. Through one of the most powerful organizations in the city, they could definitely acquire all the sublime materials they needed to ascend while finding a way to acquire Chasm Invitations. Then the Chasm of Lamentations and beyond...
Chapter 5
As they walked through the streets of lawless anarchy, Fiyu found herself wondering if other worlds were just a series of progressively larger and more terrible cities. Myufuru had been an unacceptably large number of people, but Nlukoko and Anguedan had shown her horrifying new densities. Now she followed Companion Nauda through Norro Yorthin, which teemed with such a mass of people that she feared they would merge into some sort of monstrosity.
Though Fiyu did her best to assist her companions by observing the city carefully, she couldn't help but focus on the oppressiveness of it. Her senses were utterly overwhelmed by movements on all sides, impossible to track, much less fully evaluate. She had to resort to using her sight to pick out particular individuals, where she could at least glean some understanding.
Her attention naturally fell on the Ichili in the crowds around her, gloriously familiar after so long without seeing anyone from her home world. Even the cavesteaders, huddling together in clusters that made her uncomfortable, seemed familiar by comparison. She was most impressed by a few she saw who clearly ranged civilized lands, but had adapted to the city. They flowed through the crowds as if stepping through water without getting wet, maintaining a thin layer of solitude around themselves in a way she could only hope to mimic one day.
Until she mastered such a skill, Fiyu gripped Companion Nauda's sleeve tighter and stuck closer. She wished that Companion Theo was there to guard her back as well, as people lunged into the space behind Companion Nauda's back with aggressive indifference.
"Are you okay, Fiyu?" Her companion turned back to her with a concerned look and Fiyu immediately smiled in response. Companion Nauda did not fully understand, thinking that her unhappiness was more an illness than simple pressure from the density of people, but her kindness was still welcome.
"I am okay, Nauda. Let us continue until we reach the gate."
"If you say so." Companion Nauda's arm tensed as though she clearly wanted to touch her, but instead only grasped her sleeve to pull her on. "Have you seen anything interesting to you?"
"Many of the walls are quite elaborately carved, though their interiors are simple natural stone." Fiyu realized that her words were overly critical, and though no Fithans were listening to be offended, she still sought for something she could compliment wholeheartedly. "The statues have also been very beautifully carved."
"A bit too warlike for me, but I'll admit it's good work."
Companion Nauda didn't attempt to make further conversation, since it was difficult over the noise of the crowds. In a sense, the sheer number of voices became a sort of silence, a sound that contained no meaning and simply lay beneath everything else.
To ignore it entirely would be an unacceptable risk, but perhaps she could soulcraft Companion Theo's curtain to better reduce the cacophony. It might req
uire additional materials, perhaps those used by silent hunters like she might find on Ichil. Cheered by thoughts of a potential solution or a return to her home, Fiyu continued on with a more focused approach.
When someone roughly bumped into Fiyu's shoulder, she drew the shock and disgust into herself and pushed it back out like a foul wind. The other person who had bumped her hadn't even seen her, didn't remember her, probably hadn't even noticed the collision. It meant absolutely nothing and it should mean equally little to her.
Reframing it in that sense, the city became slightly less atrocious. The people might be packed together, but in another sense they were pleasantly alone, anonymous in a sea of meaningless encounters. Even though the surprising touch still made her recoil, if she reminded herself that it wasn't intentional or even considered, it became less shocking. She could almost imagine growing to accept such an isolation, not that she would ever prefer it to her home.
Though Companion Nauda had planned a route that took them through a large arc of the city, she had recognized Fiyu's eagerness and didn't take long to bring them nearer the gate to Ichil. Fiyu remained observant for differences that might signal their arrival, but other than slightly more Ichili in the streets, the city remained its spiky Fithan self, right up until the moment she finally saw it.
The gate arched higher than the nearest buildings, built from a crimson stone even brighter than that of the city. It was at once inappropriate for Ichil and a great relief. Fiyu ignored her vision and instead let her senses wash over the solidity of the arch, reinforced beyond normal substances. When they brushed against the wall of the gate itself, she felt at once infinitesimal lightness and impossible weight, exactly as the other gates had felt.
But through this one, she saw nothing but comforting shadows.
Though the markets surrounding the gate were filled with familiar sublime materials, Fiyu noted that there were mostly Fithan merchants. She feared for a moment before realizing that their wares were mostly materials that might be gathered from an unoccupied region. In fact, many of them could well be from the Shadowdeeps, so she eagerly pressed in.
"Fiyu?" Companion Nauda sounded surprised, and her muscles flinched as Fiyu moved past her into the market. She followed soon after, her staff hitting the stone hard as their pace increased.
Getting closer actually let her see little more of the gate, because it was surrounded by a dense wall. Even if they had gone back to acquire the sleigh, she noted constructs atop the walls that would have captured or brought down anything that attempted to pass over. That meant the only way in was through the gate, but there was a line of people waiting to enter, and the guards were Fithan.
Even as she walked toward the gate as fast as she dared, Fiyu ran her senses over both groups. The people waiting were either relaxed, as if this was routine, or shifting nervously as if anticipating the journey. All of the guards stood or sat with moderate stiffness throughout their bodies, alert but focused primarily outward, not toward the gate at their backs.
As the people in line were not moving particularly swiftly, Fiyu ignored them and instead walked up to one of the guards standing beside the line. "Hello. I need to make use of your gate to return to Ichil and find my relative."
"Then get in line." The guard pointed with his chin, barely looking at her. "We have to control the gate."
"I understand that, but I am looking for my relative. I have money to pay the necessary fees." Fiyu reached back to Nauda, hoping that she would reveal the appropriate amount, but the guard waved her away.
"It's not just about the fee, it's about getting permission. Ichil is a dangerous place... you might be better prepared than most, but we can't let just anyone in there. Especially since you're just a first tier soulcrafter."
"I will be with her." Companion Nauda stepped up beside her and placed her staff firmly on the ground. Though Fiyu should have smiled at her, she was still far too tense, now so close to her destination and forbidden from entering.
"There's more to it than that. Ichili materials can sell for a good price here, so they need to come from certified Ichili merchants or Houses here who have specific permission to harvest from the other side. If you have family on the other side, get them to vouch for you from there."
"That cannot be." Fiyu tightened her fists, taking a step closer to the guard. "I have become separated from my relative. It is important that I return to find them."
The guard actually looked at her this time, then sighed and his back slumped. "Another one of these... yo, Hirot! Got somebody here for you!"
An Ichili man stepped from one of the buildings, robes flapping around him. Though they were layered in a Fithan style, he wore a mask like those who ranged the Deep Ice. It was intricately etched with symbols of flame and a scowling face, which Fiyu found quite comforting. Though he appeared to be a member of the Fithan guard, based on how no one reacted to his movement, perhaps he would be more reasonable.
"Please tell me why you require access to the gate."
Though she understood him easily, Fiyu no longer wanted to hear the harsh tones of the Fithan language. Instead, as she had learned from Companion Theo, she focused her will and spoke in an Ichili trade language. "An accident separated me from the relative who was mentoring me. Please assist me in locating him, to the degree that it will not impede your own travels."
"Apologies, but I will require more information." He switched to the same language, sounding much smoother as all his words came out with the proper polite inflections. "The gate leads to the Greater Dark region. Are you familiar with it?"
Relative Guchiro had taught her extensive geography as part of her education, but it brought her only pain as she recognized how far the gate was from her home. She noted that Stranger Hirot's facial muscles shifted slightly behind his mask, likely in authentic concern. "I apologize for my emotion," Fiyu said heavily. "I fear this gate cannot take me home."
"Then I must also apologize, because I can help you but little. If you can contact relatives, I can acquire special permission for you to use the gate, but it seems that is not useful."
"Is there a Biolumin Relay in this part of the Greater Dark?" It was a vast, mostly uninhabited region, but sending a message was her only hope. She felt the answer in the movements of his face before he spoke.
"I regret to tell you that the nearest Biolumin Relay is near a cavesteader community quite some distance from the gate. Many months of travel walking, and still weeks even at speed."
Fiyu's last hopes crumpled as she acknowledged that this was not to be her way home. She had known that this outcome was likely, but Stranger Hirot's words still depressed her deeply. "Thank you for your assistance," she said with a polite bow. "I must retreat for now to consider my journey."
"May your path be shadowed." With that, Stranger Hirot retreated, a mild degree of additional tension in his body, as if he regretted that he could not do more, but saw regrettable situations on a daily basis.
After he left, Fiyu was silent for a time before Companion Nauda stepped beside her and spoke in a low voice. "I didn't understand any of that, but based on your expression, the answer wasn't good."
"The other side is a dangerous region that is not my home." Fiyu sighed and relayed the information to her companion before shuffling away, wishing that she had a room to return to. Companion Nauda followed her, still smiling, but the muscles near her eyes made the fact that it was forced obvious. Though Fiyu appreciated her kindness, she had no strength to receive it.
"That doesn't sound impossible. If we stay here, we can gain permission, bring the sleigh, then travel to this place to send a message."
"I will do my best to help." Fiyu lowered her head and followed her companion, no longer attempting to follow the movements of the city.
Chapter 6
It had hurt Nauda to stay back from Fiyu, but she recognized that her friend needed space to recover. But even hours later, Fiyu remained mute and subdued. She didn't seem hurt or di
scouraged so much as she had simply shut down, operating at her lowest capacity.
Even after all their time together, even after everything Theo had said, Nauda had a hard time truly believing that she couldn't help Fiyu with an embrace. The urge to comfort her was so intense that it required significant willpower not to begin any actions that would probably just seem like a threat, given the way Fiyu behaved now. But Nauda had noticed how comfortable Fiyu seemed during her stiff conversation with the other Ichili, so she did her best to understand with her heart as well as her head.
Though her second instinct was to find a dark hotel room and let Fiyu hide herself, she thought the other woman wouldn't want to be pitied. So, despite her misgivings, she explored the rest of the northern end of the city with Fiyu trailing glumly after her.
Along the streets, she pretended to be interested in many minor items in order to chat with the merchants and listen to the conversation around her. She made sure to inquire both with the shops that displayed their House allegiance proudly and those that had small banners or none at all. Asking questions directly would only lead to them telling her what they thought she wanted to hear, but she let them make assumptions and found truths in what they left unsaid.
While they stopped to eat a meal, Fiyu only picking at her food, Nauda listened to the conversations around her. As expected, many discussed the politics between Houses, but she heard more who simply spoke about the Houses as facts of life. They didn't care that House Crimson had snubbed House Teal in a duel, they were simply interested in whether or not either of them would be willing to offer employment, trade, or building permits.
They passed through a market dedicated to local food and Nauda made use of the farming knowledge she'd gained in Myufuru to pretend to be an interested trader. From the merchants, she finally got an answer to how they supported a massive city in a wasteland: plants that grew in underground caverns, plus small animals captured in the regular dust storms.
