Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight — The Great Grey Wall
Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight — The Great Grey Wall
It took a long time for the scale of the Grey Wall to make sense. At first it was just a vague line over the horizon; grey, of course, but the dark grey of something hidden in shadows.Then we continued to move, flying forwards through the early morning on a straight path towards the wall. It felt like it was taking forever to reach it; even as mid-morning passed, the wall was still just a huge thing in the distance.It wasn’t until we were so close that the shadow of the wall was below us that I really started to take in the scale of it.We were a kilometre off the ground, and the wall was blocking our view of the horizon.Its sides looked like smooth stone, with the top built as tiered segments, each covered in battlements that looked like they were wide enough to fit a house between them.“Impressive, isn’t it?” Clive asked.I nodded and leaned against the rails of the quarterdeck to better make out the little details of the wall. Not that there were many. It looked like whoever built it made sure that it was as flat and plain as it could be on the outside. “It’s so big!”“Took near-on a century to build,” Clive said. “And by the time it was done, airships were becoming common enough that it’s hardly worth much at all.”That was true. As a defensive thing, it was pretty useless if people could just fly around it. For that matter, there was ocean to the north and south of the walls, two different oceans. I could imagine someone just sailing around the wall.“It’s really impressive though,” I said.“Aye, there is that. I suppose most folk would think twice about wanting to pick a fight with someone who can build something like that. I certainly wouldn’t want to be aboard a ship that made itself an enemy of the cry.”“Why not?” I asked. Not that I planned to be anyone’s enemy, of course.“They can bend light, and use strange and powerful magics that can make the very air burn, no matter how far from them it is,” Clive said. “Not something that you want to face when you’re aboard an airship.”I nodded along. That was scary.The Beaver continued along, bobbing and bouncing as we met a bit of turbulence near the top of the wall. Clive spun the wheel and soon we were skimming along the edge of the wall, using it as cover from all the wind.When we were within a hundred or so metres of it, I moved to the side and shielded my eyes from the sun to better take it in. It wasn’t quite as smooth from up close. There were little holes, and... windows?I stared at a little balcony as we flew past it. Just a little thing, with some flowers in planters and a stone door behind it. People lived in the wall? That was so cool!“Captain, I think we’ll be needing all hands on deck soon,” Clive said.“Got it!” I hopped down to the main deck, then stuck my head into the door leading into the cabins. “Everyone! All hands on deck!” I shouted.There were some grumbles, but soon enough my friends came up and we started preparing the ship for some more complex maneuvers. “We’ll need to deploy all sails, then retract them in a hurry. Gordon, get your flags ready.”A section of the wall ahead of us was jutting out. Long metal beams stuck out and held up an entire village of wooden homes with tin roofs. Above and below the village were docks for airships, though only about one in five had any ships in them.A tower stuck out of the side of the wall, and from it came a flash of light, then a bunch more. It was like morse, but a lot quieter and also brighter.“Gordon, do you know what they’re signalling?” Clive asked.I squinted at the light. “They’re saying... They want to know if we’re looking for permission to dock.”Clive looked at me. “You know light code?”“I guess so?”He nodded, seemingly impressed. “Can you flash them back?”“Don’t encourage her!” Amaryllis shouted from mid-deck.I stuck my tongue out at her and moved to the Beaver’s side. I didn’t have a mirror or anything fancy like that, but I did have fire magic! Cleaning magic didn’t glow nearly as bright, so I pinched the tip of my tongue between my teeth and created a burst of Fire mana that I quickly shut off.It was really wasteful, mana-wise, and it wasn’t as fast as the flashes from the tower. I imagined the people reading my message felt as if I was talking really slowly. “Hello! We are the Beaver Cleaver, we want to stop for fuel,” I muttered as I sent a reply one word at a time.A return message came back a moment later.“What are they saying?” Clive asked.“Start,” I translated. “Move to dock twelve. Upper level. Wait for inspection. Stop.”Clive nodded. “Aye, upper deck, twelfth dock it is. That’s a handy skill to have, captain.”“Thanks!” I replied. “I kinda cheated though.” It’s not like I had studied to learn it; it was all my weird Riftwalker magic doing the heavy lifting for me. It was hardly fair to someone that studied and learned things the hard way.The Beaver nosed up a little bit as we gained altitude. It rose over the top of the wall, where we had to fight with the wind a little to keep steady.It was a nice day though, with some puffy clouds above, but not too much wind. A decent, if chilly, day for flying.The little town growing out of the wall grew clearer as we approached, and I could make out some numbers next to the docks built above the town. The little forms of workers around dock number twelve suggested that they’d already been informed of our arrival.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.I felt a bit useless as Clive took over and called out some quick orders while handling the engine and the helm all on his own. He was a really impressive pilot, and we were slowing down to a gentle coast on our approach to the docks.Seeing that we were in safe hands, I leaned over and took in the top of the wall. There were some large wooden poles sticking out of it every hundred meters or so. Trebuchets? I didn’t know if those would be dangerous to an airship, but I imagined they’d be bad news to any army walking up to the wall.Workers jumped off the dock, and I felt my heart skip a beat until they started to fly towards us. A mix of harpies and sylphs, all of them with long ropes trailing behind them.They landed on deck, and one of them, a short sylph woman in overalls, ran up to the quarterdeck. “Who’s the captain?” she asked.“Hi! I am,” I said.“Good! Permission to come aboard?”It was a bit silly, since they were aboard already, but I appreciated the politeness all the same. “Sure!”“We’ll be mooring you to the dock’s bits,” she said a moment before waving to her companions. They undid the ropes around their waists even as Clive set the Beaver’s engine to full reverse, slowing us down to a bobbing stop.Soon enough, we were linked up to the docks and being pulled in by a set of huge winches. Big pads were brought up, and the Beaver slid into its moorings with barely a scrape.“Tie her up!” the sylph said.“Actually, the Beaver’s a he,” I said.She blinked, then shrugged. “Okay. Well in either case, welcome to Wallwatch.”“Thank you!”The sylph saluted, a quick and lazy thing. “Don’t forget to watch your step!” she said before flying off. Soon, the others on-deck leapt off, more ropes trailing after them as they moored the Beaver more securely.I jumped down to the main deck and found that our usual away-crew was already gathering together: Amaryllis and Awen and Bastion. The Scallywags were looking a bit nervous too, and I saw them gathering on the Beaver’s other deck to talk in quick whispers that I couldn’t catch, not even with my big ears.Were they thinking of leaving? We never really had a solid agreement with them. They were aboard for however long they wanted. Amaryllis was sure to pay them fairly, and I figured the experience would help a bunch too, if they were looking for more work later, but they could take off and find their own adventure whenever they wanted.“We’re not here to sightsee,” Amaryllis said, snapping me out of my temporary distraction. “We need fuel, some foodstuffs to replace our perishables, and that’s it.”“If that’s the case, then why are all of us getting ready to go?” I asked. Amaryllis was dressed for adventure, and even Awen had her big heavy coat on.Amaryllis huffed. It was an interesting new huff, I think it meant ‘because I know that what I’m saying and what I’ll do aren’t the same, but I need to put on a facade anyway.’ It was definitely one of the more interesting huffs I’d heard from her. “Because with our luck we’ll run into trouble.”“Then we just need to make trouble our friend,” I said.“Idiot,” she said. “Come on, I’m sure you’ll insist that we walk around and take in the sights.”Awen stepped up next to me as we started to head off the Beaver after telling Clive that we’d be back eventually. “Do you think Amaryllis is projecting?” she asked.“Projecting?” I repeated.“I can hear you.”Awen nodded. “She’s blaming you for something that you might do, but it’s like... she’s basically letting you do that thing already. I think she just wants an excuse.”“What do you take me for?”I pinched my chin. “You know, you might be right. That sounds real clever and cunning, and Amaryllis can be that way sometimes.”Awen paused by the edge of the ship, screwed up her nose, then jumped over the gap between the Beaver and the pier. She landed with a little stumble, but I helped her stay even. “I think my mom used to do that kind of thing. She used to be very good at projecting.”Amaryllis huffed most mightily and scowled at us. “Don’t compare me to your mother. And I’m not projecting!”“So you don't secretly want to go on an adventure?” I asked.“No!”I grinned. “No, you don’t, or no, you’re not being secretive about it?” I asked sweetly.Awen giggled by my side, and I noticed Bastion paying very close attention to the sky.Someone coughed, and we all froze a bit then stared at a man in a suit that didn’t quite fit. He had a little pin to his lapel that read ‘port authority.’ “Hello. I hate to interrupt, but I have the bill for the docking procedure and the pier for the remainder of the day.”Amaryllis stepped up and took the papers the man extended, then she made a big production about how everything was far too expensive before they started bargaining in earnest. I don’t think Amaryllis actually knew how much a berth cost—she was just going to argue for a better price because that’s how she worked.I let her haggle while moving to the edge of the pier. There was an entire town here, maybe even a city if there were more homes within the walls. So many people from so many races, and soon we’d get to explore, even if it was just a little bit.I was looking forward to it!
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Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine — Armour Up
Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine — Armour Up
“You’re going to fall off if you keep hanging over the edge,” Amaryllis cautioned.I looked at the rail I was leaning on, and how rickety it seemed, and decided that maybe Amaryllis was right. I’d been enjoying looking down, my head poking over the edge so that I could take in as much of Wallwatch as I could.The ground was so far below!We’d been higher aboard the Beaver, of course, but that was different somehow. The Beaver was flying. Right then, we were just at the top of a very large building. It was a whole lot more intimidating.“The view’s nice,” I said.“I’m sure,” Amaryllis said. “I’m all done. We should be fine as long as we leave before sunset.”We were waiting next to a small tower at the end of the docks. It was a strange little building, made of tin and designed to look a bit like a lighthouse. A really misplaced lighthouse.I clapped my hands. “Alright! Where do we adventure to next?” I asked.“Ah, I think we should get fuel,” Awen said. “It’s the most important thing right now. And after that, if we have time, I would like to visit an armourer.”“An armourer?” I asked.Awen looked down a little, fingers twinning together. “Yes? I think I could use some armour, maybe?”“Armour would be a good investment,” Amaryllis said. “We don’t need you getting hurt, and with your skills as a mechanic, I’m certain you’d be able to maintain it well enough. You could afford to get something more complex than unmoving plate.”“Let’s go shopping!” I declared.“After we get fuel,” Amaryllis said.I rolled my eyes, and then grinned as her feathers started to poof in indignation. “I’m not dumb,” I said. “I know we need fuel first.”“I question that every moment I spend with you,” she said. “And don’t roll your eyes at me! It’s ill-mannered.”Laughing, I bounced ahead of my friends, half-turning once I was a few paces ahead. “Come on, I don’t know where to buy fuel from!”There wasn’t exactly a fuel store, or a gas station for that matter. Amaryllis asked around, and we were directed to a building one level down. That meant taking a circular staircase down from the docks and to a level of the city filled with lots of workshops and more industrial businesses. There weren’t any shops like I was familiar with here. Just local crafters selling things from their workplaces.The fuel depot wasn’t too far off, a little office next to a hole where big tanks were suspended. Hoses stuck out of them, one leading into a cart with a much smaller tank on the back.I followed Amaryllis in, and found it to be a cramped little place, just a front desk with a mana-powered fan squeaking away on it. It smelled like peppers and oil, and the man behind the counter wore a stained jerkin.Amaryllis led the negotiations, because she could be mean in a way that I just couldn’t manage. I’d probably just accept the first offer made and be happy with that.It took a few minutes, but in the end Amaryllis and the man shook, albeit reluctantly, and we were told that as soon as the last delivery of fuel was done, we’d be next.“So,” I said as we stepped back out. It was strange to be outside during midday, and yet not be out in the sun. The layer above wasn’t fully covered, so it left big spots of sunlight along the walkways and streets, but even bigger shadow-y spots lingered too. “We have a couple of hours, then?”“We do,” Amaryllis said.Bastion shifted his shoulders, obviously waiting for us to pick out something to do, since he didn’t seem to mind any. “In that case, we should find Awen some armour! And you too, Amaryllis.”“Me?” the harpy asked.“Yup. You got hurt last time too.”“That was a slight miscalculation.”“The next slight miscalculation could end up with you hurt again,” I said. “I don’t want to see my friends hurt at all.”She squirmed a bit. “Armour is heavy.”“You’re a big, strong birdgirl,” I said. “And with armour, you’ll be a big, strong, tough birdgirl.”“Idiot.”We had to ask for directions to an armourer. As it turned out, there was only one in all of Wallwatch. The city wasn’t all that big, more of a multi-story town than anything. It had all sorts of people from all sorts of species, but only a modest population.It made sense. Wallwatch was about as out-of-the-way as a place could be. I imagine that it was a cool place for people that wanted to be left alone.The armourer’s shop was on the lowest level, where instead of roads there were bridges all over, connecting homes and little plazas together. It was a decently large shop, with a big long chimney sticking out at an angle to spew smoke from the side of Wallwatch.“Hello!” I said as I opened the front door.I was greeted by the ringing clangs and bangs of metal on metal. My bun ears flipped back, protecting them from the noise a little.Awen stepped up and started to give the place a tour. There was armour on racks, and more piled up on shelves along the walls. Not that many though, the entire storefront was small and confined, and with all four of us it was even tighter. We couldn’t even keep each other at more than arm’s length without bumping into the walls.The hammering paused, and someone poked their head in. A grenoil! I hadn’t seen any grenoil in a long while. “Ah! I ‘ave clients!” he cheered. He had that distinct Deepmarsh accent, though it wasn’t as strong as some of the other grenoil I’d met. Probably he spent a lot of time away from home. “Welcome to Wilbur’s, ze best place for armour and trinkets in Wallwatch!”This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.“H-hello,” Awen said with a quick courtesy that used her jacket’s hem in place of a skirt. “We’re looking for, ah, a few things.”“Oh of course, of course,” he said as he moved to be behind his counter. It was pretty low, likely on account of grenoils not being all that tall to begin with. “I see some interesting work here. The sylph has some nice equipment there. Is that a Lukas piece?”Bastion looked down at his armour, then back up. “You’re familiar with the royal armourer?”“Just his work, and just wiz my eyes. The bun miss here has... zat’s from Deepmarsh?” he asked, standing a bit taller.“It is!” I said. “Port Royal, a place called, uh.” I turned to Amaryllis and she answered with a shrug.“I know where the shop is, not what it’s called,” she said.“It’s good quality,” Wilbur said. “Does it need any adjusting?”I shook my head, then gestured to Awen and Amaryllis. “My friends keep getting stabbed, so we need armour.”Amaryllis glared. “I’m not even going to waste energy on being indignant. You’re too stupid to be worth the effort.”Wilbur nodded while wisely pretending he didn’t hear that. “Who do we start wiz? I can make somezing custom if you give me a day or two.”“Ah, we don’t have that much time,” Awen said. “I... I’m the one that wants something, mostly.”Wilbur stepped around and started to walk around Awen. “I have a few things that’ll fit with just some quick changes. Not zat big are you? Is zat what you usually wear when out getting stabbed?” He gestured to how Awen was dressed.She had a nice blouse on, with pants tucked into her boots, and of course her big blue coat over it all. “This is what I usually wear, yes.”“Hmm. Not much. I don’t know if stuffing you in full plate would be a good idea. A... mechanic? Well, at least you’ll be able to maintain it. How about scale?”“Scale?” Awen asked.“Over a zin gambeson to prevent chafing,” Wilbur said. He moved back and pulled something from a shelf and held it up. It was a piece of armour, like a long shift, but made entirely of long metal scales.“That looks a bit... much?” Awen tried.Wilbur tossed it back. “Course! In zat case, maybe somezing zat fits a little more snug? I’ve got chain mail zat ought to fit you. Long sleeved too, with a proper gambeson under it so you should be covered fairly well.”The armourer moved to the other side of the room and pulled out a suit of mail with a whole lot of clinking. Awen moved over and poked at it, then nodded. “I think that would be nice.”“Wonderful! I’ll need your measurements to fit zis properly.” He tossed the mail onto his counter, then went to the back and shuffled through a rack with what looked like thickly padded clothes. “Here! Zis is new, it should adjust to you,” he said as he returned with what looked like a long-sleeved shirt that was padded here and there. Nothing as poofy as my first gambeson, but I imagined that the chain would make up for it.“Ah, thank you,” Awen said.“Well, put it on.”Awen’s face changed colours a few times. “Do you have a washroom?” she asked.Wilbur nodded, then directed her to somewhere where she could change. While she was gone, he turned his attention to Amaryllis. “You needed armour too?”“My friends are insisting,” she said.Wilbur tapped his chin while looking her up and down. “The coat’s leather?”“It is.”“Any room inside it?”She pinched the front of her jacket. “Some? I’m hardly overweight.”“Well zen, I have some steel inserts sitting around. Made zem for somezing else, but I’m sure I could fit zem into zat coat of yours. It would armour you up a little. Not too heavy eizer. I’d still suggest a hauberk. Maybe a zin one to wear under ze coat as well?It didn’t take much work at all to find some armour for Amaryllis. She didn’t want her arms covered at all, because that would limit the use of her wings, so Wilbur found a mail shirt similar to the one he’d found for Awen that had a decorative edge to it. By the time Amaryllis surrendered her jacket for the grenoil to modify, Awen returned with her coat folded over an arm and her new gamberson on.It was a deep blue, not too far from her coat, with a tall neck and just a bit of embroidery on it to pretty it up.“Nice!” I said.“It fits well,” Awens said.“Good,” Amaryllis replied. “Speaking of... do you do enchantments?”“Afraid not,” Wilbur said. “I can prepare zings for it, but you’ll need to find someone who knows zat sort of magic better zan I do.”Wilbur told us that the modifications would take a couple of hours, so that left us standing around with nothing much to do. “Should we get lunch?” I asked.That got everyone moving again. We told Wilbur we’d be back soon enough, and as a group, we left and started making our way up a floor, eyes peeled for somewhere to eat at.I was expecting an inn, or a tavern, but instead we found a sort of mom-and-pop restaurant run by a couple of harpies. They specialized in breakfast food, though without any eggs on their menu.But they did have fresh cinnamon buns!We ate, drank (mostly fruit juice, Awen took one look at the alcohol stuff and went pale) and had a good time. It wasn’t some grand adventure, but it was fun with the people I loved the most, and sometimes that was more than enough.
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