Leviathans

Lucy awoke on the second day after they had had their audience with the empress. She yawned, stretching like a cat. Rubbing at her eyes, she stood. Today would be the day, Lucy thought. Her project was close to completion. She had worked on it incessantly ever since their first delve. Heinric had kindled in her something Lucy hadn’t thought she’d find. Pleasure in her work. Lucy had never really put any thought into whether or not she liked being a technomage. She did it simply because she was fairly good at it and it paid well.

But She had begun to learn alchemy with Heinric. Salves, potions, interesting compounds, and best of all were the explosives. This, was something she enjoyed. It was just as technical as what she did before, but it was also deeply inventive. Lucy loved it, and spent as long as she could perfecting what she thought of as her new profession. And perfect it she did. Heinric was astounded at how quickly she progressed, grasping the fundamentals and the peculiar kind of reasoning that was needed faster than he had ever seen.

That wasn’t all, however. Heinric had instilled in her a deep inquisitiveness for the properties of different materials. As Lucy walked through the city of stone, she regularly found herself wishing she could find out which acid would dissolve it best. What she really loved about it though was the sense of accomplishment when something she tried worked. And nowhere was that more apparent than in her work with the sand wyrm’s carapace. Lucy had taken pieces of it with her when they had left their first delve. Heinric had watched, and guided her, as she experimented.

It was her hope, as she dressed herself, that today would be the day she finished. She went down the stairs. Rayne, sitting at one of the bar tables with Aria, waved at her. Lucy smiled, and waved back. She was glad for her friend. Rayne had always been distant from other people, and seeing her grow close to someone else felt right to Lucy. Aria herself had grown warmer as well, something that Lucy felt secure attributing to Rayne’s influence. Rayne had a way of making people feel like she needed protecting, Lucy thought. A laugh escaped her lips. If anyone didn’t need protecting it was Rayne. Confident, secure, intelligent. She was even stronger than she looked, and brave on top of it. It was actually kind of funny to Lucy that Rayne exuded an aura of helplessness thanks to how clueless she was.

Lucy walked through the city. Years as a technomage had taught her to memorize directions very quickly, and so making it back to the docks wasn’t an issue. A couple of days before, She and Heinric had gone to buy some of the things she needed for her project. “A weak acid to chemically treat the outer shell, some leather and beeswax, as well as a small oven. Last but not least, strong and flexible string.” Lucy whispered to herself, counting off the list on her fingers. She smiled, her boots clicking against the stone under her feet.

Heinric met her in his room on the ship. He welcomed her with a gentle hug and a smile. Lucy chided him playfully over the fact that he had simply pushed all of the furniture, including the multiple beds, haphazardly aside. “Ah had to make space” he defended himself gruffly, and Lucy laughed. “Are ye ready? all tha’s left fer the crossbow is the string. Fer the shield, Ah’ve already started heatin the leather” He explained, sitting back down in front of an oven. “Is the wax melting?” Lucy asking, dropping her pack on the floor. “Ah knew I fergot somethin” Heinric mumbled, using one hand to turn on a small stove. “Question. isn’t this dangerous inside of a wooden ship?” Lucy asked. “Aye. If ye’re not competent” Heinric scoffed. Lucy shook her head in amusement as she sat down next to him.

Heinric opened up the small oven with one hand and gave lucy a large block of wax with the other. She dropped it into a double boiler she had placed on the stove and looked into the oven. “Oh wow, that looks really good Heinric” Lucy breathed, the shaped leather armguard within beautifully crafted. “O’ course. Ah was a blacksmith. We don’ just work with metal.” He answered with a smile.

As she waited for the leather to finish heating and the wax to finish melting, Lucy walked over to a large metal basin. and looked inside. Floating within the murky, sour-smelling liquid inside the basin were a series of pieces from the sand wyrm’s carapace. Lucy grabbed a pair of metal tongs and prodded the carapace. She frowned. “You think these are ready?” Lucy called, and Heinric looked up at her. “Ah have no idea. Only one way ta find out” he said, and she nodded.

Heinric pulled out another large metal basin, and helped Lucy move the pieces over. “don’t ferget the gloves” he reminded her, sitting back down in front of the oven. Lucy nodded and watched for a moment as Heinric carefully removed the hot shaped leather from the oven and began to brush the melted beeswax onto it. Lucy pulled on a pair of thick leather gloves and using water and soap began to carefully wash the acid-coated carapace.

Some time later, her task finished, Lucy called Heinric over to see the fruit of their efforts. She pulled off one of the gloves and wiped sweat from her brow. “Beautiful. Ah hope it works” he said, smiling, as they both looked at the now iridescent surface of the pieces in the basin. Heinric picked up the largest piece. A roughly oval shaped section that was as large as his torso. He hefted it in one hand, amazed at how light it was. “Le’s test it” he said with an excited glint in his eye. Lucy nodded, swallowing nervously as Heinric placed the shell on the floor. He grabbed a hammer, and looked at the sand wyrm carapace laid out in front of him.

The shine was almost mesmerizing. It seemed to change color as he shifted around it, looking for where to best place his blow. The dull black color that seemed to sit just underneath the layer of iridescence served to make the piece look even more striking. “Ready?” Heinric asked, and Lucy nodded. In one large motion, Heinric pulled the hammer up and struck the shell like a piece of metal on an anvil. It deflected his blow, sending him staggering backwards. “Ah, damn!” he exclaimed in surprise, dropping the hammer to the floor. Lucy moved to quickly inspect where he had struck, and found not even a scratch. “It worked! Heinric it worked!” she called, nearly jumping up and down for joy. He smiled at her, proud as a father.

“We’ve got to mount it still, but this is gonna be really good!” Lucy continued excitedly, as Heinric grabbed the now hardened armguard in one hand. “Ah’ll do et. go string the crossbow” he suggested, and Lucy nodded eagerly. She walked over to one of the beds. The one that Heinric had pushed up under the porthole. Lucy did her best to ignore the scratch marks on the floor as she picked up the crossbow that sat on the bed.

As far as crossbows went, it wasn’t too large, and she could lift it with relative ease. The polished wooden stock that Heinric made for her was engraved with the weapon’s name “Acid Rain”. Heinric had thought it was ridiculous at first, but had graciously agreed it was appropriate after Lucy had told him it’s purpose was to “toss large amounts of acid and explosives at things”. Lucy cradled it in her arms.

Heinric had made and put together most of the crossbow, with the exception of the firing mechanism. Lucy had put it together herself. She had used a leftover sphere as well as a passive gathering unit that was meant as a replacement for the one in her jacket if it ever failed. Ultimately, the effect was that the crossbow would rearm itself after being fired unless she disabled it for storage. Lucy was rather proud of the design, and the only thing missing was the string. After some struggling, she managed to get the string on. After testing the firing mechanism a couple of times, she stopped to watch Heinric work.

After another couple of hours, everything was ready. Heinric and Lucy went up to the deck, ready to test the new equipment. Lynn stood on the deck, watching with interest. “And these are for?” he asked, and Heinric smiled. “Little Lucy ere wanted to be better equipped to help us” He explained, and Lynn raised an eyebrow. “I see” he said and turned to face the city again, longing etched into every line of his form.

“Is this safe?” Lucy asked, hefting the crossbow with both hands and aiming it at Heinric. “No” he answered, kneeling down so the large carapace shield covered as much of his body as possible. “Experiments rarely are” he continued “whenever yer ready.” Lucy took a deep breath, loading one of the glass vials she had made specifically for the crossbow into the arrow track. “that looks dangerous.” Batari said dryly, making his way onto the deck. Lucy looked back at him and smiled. He glared at her. He’d yet to forgive her and Rayne for lying to him.

Lucy sighed, and took aim again. The crossbow felt steady in her hands as she pulled the trigger, launching the vial filled with explosives at Heinric. As it the shield she saw what happened in her mind’s eye. The tip of the bolt pushing backwards into the vial, scraping on a piece of flint as it went. The cacophony of sparks igniting the explosive powder, bursting the glass walls of the vial. Shards ricocheted off the shield in Heinric’s hand, his grunt lost to the sound of the explosion.

For a breathless moment Heinric stayed behind the shield, and Lucy was afraid he had been hurt. Then he stood, brushing his hand through his hair. “Ye singed me a bit” he said lightly. Batari stared, anger forgotten. Lynn had turned back to face them and his mouth had dropped slightly open. “That was awesome!” Lucy exclaimed, ears still ringing slightly from the blast. People from airships nearby were looking over in alarm, trying to figure out what had happened. “Here, try holdin’ both” Heinric said, giving the armguard and the shield to Lucy. She strapped the armguard to her forearm, the shield attached firmly to it. She laughed at her success. At how it had gone exactly as she had hoped. She could use the shield and the crossbow simultaneously.

Batari approached her carefully. “Interesting. Not technomagic.” he said quickly, and Lucy nodded. “Alchemy, mostly” she explained and it was clear his curiosity was warring against his anger. “How does it work?” he asked, curiosity winning. Lucy looked over at Heinric, who gestured at her to go ahead. “ye know more than I do” He said with a smile, and Lucy blushed. She began to explain the properties of the chemicals that went into the explosive. Batari interrupted constantly to ask questions, and Lucy was more than happy to answer them.

They were interrupted by a group of guards approaching the ship. Lynn saw them, and scowled. They asked a question in Altressan, and Heinric shrugged. “Ah don’ speak yer language. Only understand a bit” he said as the guards prepared to board the ship. Lynn yelled something back at them, and they stared at him. They muttered amongst themselves. “It was just a test! look!” Lucy interjected, showing them the crossbow. They eyed the crossbow warily, and the woman that seemed to lead them glanced over at Lynn. “Keep an eye on that traitor. His actions nearly cost us our peace. Be careful that they do not cost you yours” she warned.

“What are you talking about?” Lucy asked, and one of the younger guards, a boy who looked like he couldn’t be more than seventeen, pointed an accusatory finger at Lynn. “You mean you don’t know? He killed the visiting prince of -” he began, and his superior threw out a hand to stop him. “Enough” she commanded, and he fell silent. “We take our leave. Please refrain from disturbing the peace again” the woman told them with a sigh before turning and leading her squad away.

Lynn watched them as they left, his mouth a grim line. “Please do explain.” Batari said, looking at Lynn. The ex-royal guard glanced at him, and then away. “They call you traitor. Are you? explain yourself.” The elementalist demanded. Lynn continued to studiously ignore him. Batari waited for a few heartbeats. “I will make you, then” he threatened. At that, Lynn turned to face him and Heinric quickly stepped between them. “Ah’d like to know too, Batari” the alchemist began, raising his palms. “But et’s clear he won’ answer. Les ask Richard, hmm?” The old man suggested, keeping his voice steady. Batari frowned, but some of the heat in his expression faded. “Very well” he conceded. “But we do so now.”

Lucy and Batari followed Heinric through the city, back to the inn. They found Richard sitting at the bar alone, talking animatedly to the bartender. The drink in his hand was half-empty, and his cheeks were rosy. Batari strode forward past Heinric, and stopped next to Richard. Richard glanced over at him, pausing mid-story. Richard’s smile faded as he saw Batari’s face. “What is it?” the man asked, serious. “I think ye have somethin’ to share with us Richard” Heinric told him, arms crossed.

“And what would that be?” Richard asked, swirling the drink is his glass, an eyebrow raised. “Lynn. Why is he called traitor? Why are we warned against his presence?” Batari demanded. Richard closed his eyes for a moment and then gazed into his drink. “Must you ask me? It isn’t my story to tell” Richard pointed out, taking a sip from his glass. “Irrelevant. If I am to stay, you will tell us” Batari argued. Richard sighed, his shoulders dropping. Richard searched for support on Heinric and Lucy’s faces, and found none. He finished his drink.

“Lynn was exiled for killing a visiting nobleman from one of the neighboring countries” Richard said, not looking at them. He waved for another drink, and the only sound for a few moments was the clinking of ice into a glass. Batari, Lucy, and Heinric shared glances. Each was hoping one of the others would contradict what Richard had just said. None of them did. “Why?” Lucy asked.

Richard shrugged, downing the glass. “That depends on who you ask. The story is that he was in love with the princess, and when he found out that she and the noble were… involved… he killed the man in a fit of rage.” Richard told them. Lucy dry swallowed. She had seen what Lynn could do in a fight, and that came to mind now. “Others say that he was too loyal to the Princess and to the Empress to do something like that, and that he was framed. Regardless, it was a diplomatic incident. Were it not for his harsh punishment war may have been declared.”

“A murderer then. In our little party” Batari said, and Richard shook his head. “Has he ever been a threat to you? or anyone else here? Lynn is an honest, honorable man. Regardless of his past” He countered, pointing a finger at Batari. Richard’s gaze fell on Heinric. “I thought that you, of all people, would understand regret”

Heinric’s mouth went wide in surprise, and then he grimaced. “Aye. Regret. But one regret Ah don’t have is killin” Heinric growled. He and Richard stared at each other across the small space. Batari had taken a step back. He glanced at Lucy now, who shook her head to dissuade him from asking anything. The moment stretched until the silence went from tense, to simply uncomfortable. “Pardon me. I think I’ve had too much to drink. I’ll see you all tomorrow” Richard said awkwardly, standing. Heinric stepped to the side as he passed. They all watched him climb up the stairs to the next floor. “Now we know, I guess” Lucy said, after he was gone.

Batari muttered a few words to himself, and then turned to leave. “Where are you going?” Lucy asked, and he paused. “The ship. I must practice to be of use.” He said, and Lucy felt relieved to know they’d still have his help. She had the feeling this next delve would be even more dangerous than the first. Having somebody with them that could use real magic? That was an advantage Lucy was glad to have. Heinric returned to the ship as well, leaving Lucy alone in the inn. She sat down at the bar, and ordered a drink.

The next day, Richard called them all down to the bar. He sat at one of the tables, a glass of juice in front of him. He motioned for everyone to sit with a quick flick of his wrist. His eyes were excited, and the smile on his face was as wide as Lucy had ever seen it. Heinric moved to sit across from him. “Yes, then?” he asked, and Richard nodded. “We’ve been granted permission to delve, as well as three hundred gold bonds to hire mercenaries to accompany us” he explained. Rayne, who sat down on the other side of the table from Richard, laughed. “Three hundred?” she asked, hardly believing it. “A small fortune, yes. But that’s not all” Richard continued, leaning forward.

“We’ve been granted a fully crewed ship. It will be captained and crewed by the Altressian military, and so will come at no cost to us” Richard said, taking a large sip from his drink. Heinric shook his head in disbelif “Are ye serious, Richard?” he asked, and Richard nodded. “Oh yes. I intend on hiring the mercenaries by this afternoon, and leaving by tonight. I would like to reach the ruins as quickly as possible” he explained seriously.

“Well, this is going to be fun” Aria smiled, and Rayne agreed. “Please prepare yourselves and wait at the ship. I’ll meet you there once I’ve found a suitable group of mercenaries. Heinric, please take care of resupplying our own ship, and preparing three weeks worth of rations for thirty more” Richard told them, standing up from his chair and pushing it in. “Aye” Heinric answered, leaving immediately. “The rest of you, should you find that you require any other equipment for our trip, let me know once I return and I’ll do what I can to acquire it” Richard continued, looking at each of them slowly. “Imagine it,” he began, a smile on his face “we will make history”

The rest of the day went by in a flurry of activity. They each collected the belongings that they had brought with them to the inn, which for Rayne amounted to nothing more than clothes for a few days, and left. They returned to their ship, small compared to all of those docked near it, and began the process of making sure they had all they needed. Lucy retreated to Heinric’s room, taking stock of the various reagents he possessed in his stead.

Rayne double checked all of her own equipment. She opened a hidden seam on her jacket to check the conduits within, making sure they were all in good condition. Rayne tested each of the different generators she had. One of them wasn’t working. She turned it over in her hands. The small, rectangular artifact was about the size of her palm. A series of holes formed a circle in the center. A singular conduit ran out from within the casing, and she started there.

Rayne grabbed her knife and carefully peeled away the rubbery outer layer surrounding the core of the conduit, revealing the metallic surface underneath. The metal at first glance seemed to be etched with innumerable lines, but it was actually made up of an incredible amount of tiny wires. They were intertwined in such a way that the center of the conduit was hollow, allowing the passage of magical energy, while also allowing the cable itself to shift according to pressure. She closed her eyes and felt the cable with her fingers.

Rayne examined each of the delicate wires with her fingertips, slowly running her hand along the length of the conduit. The reddish-brown wires flexed slightly under her fingers. Rayne could feel the magic that the metal still held within it, and eventually she found what she was looking for. A small disjointed section that would let the magic stream out through it. Rayne set the artifact aside and grabbed her toolbox. She reached for a pair of items. A small rigid hook and a long, needlelike rod.

Her goggles were next, and she pulled them onto her head and adjusted the optics, cleaning them to make sure they didn’t blur her vision. Finally, she pulled the generator back onto the floor in front of her. Using her goggles, she zoomed in on the damaged section of the conduit and used her tools to painstakingly readjust the metal. A half hour later, she wiped some of the sweat that had beaded on her forehead, and set aside her tools. Happy with her work, she peeled off her goggles. Rayne turned the generator on with the push of a small button, and heard a humming whir as it pulled and purified magic in the air.

After testing its output, and finding that the generator was now working as expected, Rayne used a rubberized coating to reseal the conduit. She put everything away, and sat on her bed. Everything Rayne needed, she had. So now all she had to do was wait, something she had never really been good at. Rayne went over to her dresser, and opened up one of the drawers. Her fingers brushed the two fiery gems, and she carefully moved them aside to grab a book nestled into the corner of the drawer. Why she had left it there, Rayne didn’t really know.

Before she moved back to the bed, Rayne caught a look of herself in the mirror. She stared at herself for a moment. Were the circles of silver in her eyes larger? Rayne brushed aside the thought, a shiver running down her spine, and she sat down to read. “Runestones and their theoretical uses” the title said. Rayne sighed, and set about ignoring every mention of runestones not existing.

Lucy entered their shared room soon afterward, checking items off on a list. “Hi Ray” Lucy said, smiling absently. Rayne waved, not taking her eyes off the page. “Got everything you need?” Lucy asked, pulling open her drawer and checking the contents. Rayne nodded. It was always this way, Lucy thought. It comforted her. Despite everything that had happened to them, and everything that Lucy felt would come, Rayne could still lose herself in a book. Honestly, Lucy doubted Rayne had even heard a word she was saying. The nodding was purely mechanical. A response to the sound of Lucy’s voice.

Lucy smiled, and sat down on her bed to wait. Occasionally, she would talk to Rayne, and her friend would respond wordlessly. It was, in some ways, relaxing. Knowing that Rayne was listening without actually paying attention. Lucy shook her head, and went back to her list. Next, she needed to check her toolbox.

That night, Rayne stood on the deck, looking out at the farms and factories that lined the city. Everything was ready. The mercenaries had been hired. All of the equipment they needed had been purchased and loaded. Now, all there was to do was leave. Lucy had taken the helm, as she and Rayne both refused to let a stranger pilot much to Richard’s chagrin. A slight breeze ruffled Rayne’s hair, and she gripped the railing. Richard gave the word, and Lucy pulled away from the dock. Heinric stood off to one side, eyes watching as the massive battleship the Empress had assigned to them followed.

Aria, instead of hanging on the rigging as she usually had, stood next to Rayne. The two watched the lights below. Too steady to be fire, the repurposed and rebuilt machines cut through the darkness of the farms. What their purpose was, Rayne could only guess. The small amount of runic lighting on the deck around her cast it’s bluish-yellow light out into the darkness, bathing everything around them in a soft glow.

They pulled through the same cavern they had entered from, the warmth of the city quickly being replaced by the biting cold of the outside. Rayne shivered, closing her jacket and increasing the temperature. Rayne watched as Aria trembled in the cold, a smile on her face as a blast of icy wind cut into the bare flesh of her arms. “How can you stand it?” Rayne asked, and Aria shook her head. “I spent two years of my life trapped in a hellish desert arena” Aria began, and Rayne watched intently. Aria had never said anything about her past before, despite her constant prodding.

Aria looked down at the floor. “I fought every day. Or it felt like it. I was barely fed. I hardly ate even when they did feed me. I thought I was going to die” the woman breathed, her gaze rising to the stars. “Every night I went to sleep thinking it would be the last time. Every day I fought, and bled” she continued, wrapping her arms around herself. Rayne was sure it wasn’t because of the cold. “Richard saved me. Bought me from the slavemaster. Told me I could leave if I wanted, that I was my own” Aria’s voice was low. “I told him I owed him. That I’d follow him until I felt like I didn’t anymore” Rayne watched as Aria shivered, some of the smile returning.

“Now,” she began, opening her arms wide to the star studded sky above them “This?” she said, gesturing at everything around her. “The cold hurts, and it reminds me I’m alive. It reminds me I’m not in that desert anymore. It reminds me I have a future” Aria finished, her voice dropping to a whisper. Her eyes met Rayne’s, and Aria blushed. “There’s just something I need to do first. Then, we’ll be even” She said, more to herself than anything else. “what do you mean?” Rayne asked. Aria looked at her, with a pained expression on her face. It looked like she was going to say something, but then she looked away, guilty.

A sound, behind them. The door to the inside of the ship had opened. Out, stepped a figure. Clad in full armor, minus the helmet that hung at his side, was Lynn. He paused for a moment, as those on the deck stared back at him, and then he moved towards the prow. His armor was immaculate. The silvery metal shone in the lantern-light, the designs embossed on them an extension of those that were on the pauldron Lynn had worn on his shoulder.

It was as angular as the armor of the guards that Rayne had seen in the capital city of Altressa, but was different somehow. The tasset at his waist flared out violently to accommodate the large cuisse that covered his thighs. The pauldron which had seemed so large on Lynn alone now seemed at home as they topped the large rerebrace on his upper arms. As Lynn moved, Rayne saw six generators, slightly larger than the one she had in her jacket, embedded into the back of the suit of armor. They ran parallel to his spine, and the armor expertly integrated them so they would be neither a hindrance nor too large a vulnerability. Rayne began to wonder what it was that they powered, and then she saw the sword.

It was gigantic. Larger than any sword Rayne had ever seen. It hung on his back at an angle, the blade as wide as the space between Rayne’s pinkie and thumb if she extended them as far as she could. The single edged blade was a dark, matte gray. It seemed to almost drink in the light around it. Rayne followed a slight inward curve that began at the guard until it curved back out and in once more. The effect was of a large, elongated “S”. Once it came to a point, some four and a half feet from the hilt, it curved back inwards on the back side for a small amount before straightening all the way down. There was no guard to speak of, and the hilt seemed almost to be carved into the blade. As Rayne eyed the blade, something caught her eye. Near the hilt was set a large runic capacitor, and Rayne could only guess at its function.

“I’ve never seen him in full armor” Aria said, surprised. Watching for a few moments as Lynn adjusted a vambrace. “It suits him. Though I wonder how the hell he even uses that sword” she voiced aloud. “Practice” Lynn answered, without turning to face them. Aria shook her head. “What’s the sphere for?” Rayne asked him. Lynn shook his head, the myriad of colors in his hair dancing in the wind. “I know not enough to explain. I pray we remain safe enough that I need not answer through action”

Rayne looked over at Aria, who shrugged. “Don’t go asking me. I’ve never seen it either, not in the years he’s been with us.” Rayne nodded, and looked back at the Battleship that followed them. It blotted out part of the sky, but was far from silent. Even from this distance she could hear the sounds of the mercenary company’s revelry. Richard explained that he had not hired Altressians, as none of them were mercenaries. Those of age all served in the military in one or another capacity, and those not of age considered it beneath them. “Of course,” he had continued wryly “Altressians still make use of the mercenaries when needed.”

And so their voyage commenced. As Richard had said, it only took them a couple of days to reach the site of the delve, going at full speed. Below them, stretched a vast expanse of ruins. A decrepit, overgrown city. every building seemed to tower over the roads that cut past, hidden partially from above by the vegetation. calcified constructs were spread throughout the city. “I wonder what happened” Lucy asked, looking down below. Rayne stood next to her, observing. “Doesn’t it look like they’re attacking?” Rayne commented, leaning over the railing to get a better view. Lucy considered her words, reaching out to grab Rayne’s belt to make sure she didn’t fall off. It did look like the constructs had been, when they were still functional, attacking the city.

“Legends say that this city has remained untouched since the great war” Richard told them from his position at the helm. “I’m inclined to believe it” he said, as they swept over an aqueduct, water still running through it. The babble of the crystalline fluid followed them just as they did the aqueduct, eventually coming to a stop at what was likely at one point a reservoir or lake of some sort. A large ovular depression, a set of walls built around it, sat beneath them. The clear water of the aqueduct fell through the air and spilled into the lake. “And here we are” Richard said, taking them down towards the lake.

Slowly, they approached, and Rayne found that the trees were much farther away from the lake than she had originally thought. The trees, the lake, the buildings, the constructs, everything was much larger than it had seemed. Rayne marvelled at how small she was compared to the constructs as they set down next to one. It stood as tall as the entire airship. “now I know why it was called the great war” Aria remarked dryly. “I hope we don’t have to deal with any of those that still work” she continued, and Heinric grimaced. “Perhaps” he said, and Lucy stared at him in disbelief.

Richard took them down. a hushed silence fell around them. the only sound that of the soft thrum of the engine and the heavy whooshing of the propellor blades pushing them forward. Rayne saw it, then. One second it wasn’t there, and the next it was. She stared. A bubble, for that was the only word that could accurately describe what Rayne saw, stood in front of them. Rayne took a single step back in surprise, her mind racing. They were going to hit it. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but their prow struck the bubble before she could.

Rayne watched in what felt like slow motion as the bubble stretched like rubber around the ship. Then, they pushed through. The bubble remained, the liquid rainbows dancing across its surface nearly blinding. “Do you see that?” she finally asked Aria, as they slowly passed through it. The bubble hadn’t popped as they passed, it was almost like it decided to allow their passage. “see what?” Aria asked, looking towards her. Her eyes widened. “Woah” Aria said, “Lucy?” Aria called her over.

Rayne watched as the bubble passed over Lucy. Lucy paused for just a moment, and then kept walking. “What is it Aria?” Lucy asked. Her voice sounded ever so slightly distorted to Rayne. “Look” Aria said, jerking her head towards Rayne, worry sprouting on her face alongside the surprise. Aria stared at Rayne. Rayne, for her part, watched as Aria passed through the bubble. Rayne raised a hand to touch it. For a fraction of a second, the bubble dipped at her touch. Rayne felt it push against her, felt the electric touch she had associated with magic. Cold rushed through her, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. The certainty that they were being watched shot through Rayne. And then, it was gone.

“What are-” Lucy began, and then looked at Rayne. “Oh” Lucy said simply, the annoyance vanishing from her face. “Are you okay Ray?” Lucy asked, moving towards her slowly. “You didn’t see that?” Rayne asked, looking behind them now. The bubble was still there. “See what?” Lucy asked, concerned. Rayne realized that as she had passed through the bubble, Lucy’s voice had returned to normal. “Nevermind. I’m okay” Rayne said. She was far from it. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her mind was racing. what the hell just happened? she asked herself. “Rayne, look at me” Aria commanded, breaking Rayne’s train of thought. “What?” Rayne asked, annoyed, but following the woman’s instructions.

“Ray your eyes!” Lucy said. “My eyes… what are you talking about?” Rayne asked, exasperated. “Here” Aria answered, drawing her polished dagger with a short snick. Aria held it up in front of Rayne. Rayne’s reflection stared back at her. The silver circle in her eyes was now thicker than she had ever seen it. And it was shining. Rayne’s stomach dropped. Everyone hated the way her eyes made her look. Herself most of all. “I-” Rayne began, and then stared at the floor. “I’m sorry” she mumbled. Only one person hadn’t thought her eyes were off putting. Lucy. Rayne found herself wondering what Aria had thought. For one of the few times in her life, Rayne cared about what someone that wasn’t Lucy thought about her.

Aria glanced over at Lucy, who seemed to be desperately trying to communicate with her without words. Lucy’s eyes flicked towards Rayne, and so did Aria’s. Rayne held her hands in front of her meekly, still staring at the floor. It was the first time Aria saw Rayne this way. Aria had to keep herself from laughing grimly. Despite their physical relationship, this was the most exposed she had ever seen Rayne. “Are you okay Rayne?” Aria whispered, approaching Rayne slowly.

Rayne sighed, still looking away. “Sorry. I know they probably bother you” Rayne said, gesturing at her face. “It’s okay” She continued, giving Aria a sad smile. Aria paused for a moment, her heart breaking at the expression on Rayne’s face. “No, Rayne, it’s okay. I think they’re beautiful” Aria told her, hugging Rayne. Lucy looked at both of them, and turned away. It looked like Aria could do what she hadn’t been able to. A part of her stung, but a bigger part of her was happy.

Lucy moved over to the railing again as they finished their descent. The wind picked her hair up and whipped her ponytail to the side. Her lungs filled with the fresh air over the lake below them. It seemed incredible that this place was untouched. Altressa must punish those that delved without permission harshly indeed. She felt the airship slow beneath her, and braced herself. They came to a stop.

The following few hours were a flurry of activity. Both airships were unloaded, the mercenaries quickly and efficiently carrying their supplies down the battleship’s loading ramp. Their commander, a man in light leather armor decorated with colored strips of fabric, directed them. Lucy helped Heinric bring down the chest of alchemical supplies, and Rayne brought down both her and Lucy’s toolboxes. They brought out the cart and filled it to the brim with food, water, and other necessities.

Finally, they were ready. Richard conferred, some distance away, with both the leader of the mercenaries and the Altressian commander. After a few minutes of speaking to the man and the woman, which Rayne presumed were used to figure out their transportation once they returned, Richard led them onward. They advanced through wide roads that cut past massively tall buildings. The buildings were a mix of metal, and stone, and Rayne knew they had to be incredibly resilient to last as long as they had exposed to the elements.

Each crack in the walls was filled with vines, some of which stretched all the way to the tops of the buildings. Rayne watched as Aria eyed them curiously for a few moments. The technomage laughed out loud at the image of Aria climbing along the side of the building. Lucy and the others joined in, much to Aria’s chagrin, once Rayne explained why she was laughing. Even Batari, who was still nursing some of his anger at Rayne and Lucy seemed to be in awe at the structures around them. He was constantly muttering to himself, writing into a notebook he was carrying, occasionally cursing as he smudged the ink.

Occasionally, they would pass one of the constructs. Large, imposing things. They were made of stone and metal, and Rayne could feel the residual magic in them as she passed. Their eyes were cut stones, and glittered in the light of their runic lanterns. Lucy shivered. “It feels like they’re watching us” she said, eyeing one of the constructs warily. Rayne felt that it was an understandable fear. It made sense, after all, that if they had found working ones before nothing was stopping these either.

The mercenaries followed them at a respectable distance, and Rayne was impressed with how disciplined they were. At first, they had approached the constructs, but their commander had soon dissuaded them. All the better Rayne thought. Anything that might set the constructs off was as far as she was concerned, idiocy. The sunset faded quickly into night, bathing them in shadow. Some of the constructs were broken, vines and greenery growing out of cracks and split stone. It made them look almost diseased.

Richard stopped them for the night. “We’ll make camp here. Tomorrow, early in the day, we enter the underground section of the ruins” he told them. And so, they followed his instructions. As they slowly made camp, Rayne found her excitement mounting. She felt the heat from the two stones in her breast pocket, and they comforted her. The leviathans are real. Rayne knew that. Now, it was just a question of finding out what they were. Her hopes rested on the delve they would begin the next day.