A long line of people was queuing up to be processed through the security gates of the 'Arrivals' terminal. Border patrol and airport security were behind metal gates, scanners and checkpoints.

The line consisted of the usual sort who traveled on economy class in the airboats - as business and first class had their own lanes, metal gates, scanners, and checkpoints. There were the screaming children and the frazzled parents, the overweight man with the intense body odor, the overly friendly matron with an overly loud voice, the couple who should really get a room and the great majority of people were just very tired travelers who want to get a shower in their hotel rooms or maybe get more edible food down their stomachs.

Tim was neither of all those groups mentioned, he was a nervous 17-year-old. He wasn't freaking out like this during the 3-day flight he had but when he saw the capital city, he was slowly thinking of the things that could possibly go wrong.

Tim is a methodical person, always has been since he was a kid. Especially a kid living in the streets, there was no time for tears and anger. You had to compartmentalize and that's what Tim did. The problem with compartmentalizing is that, eventually, your worries will come back and sometimes even harder. Like right now, Tim's worries are punching him in the face.

"... I've got everything I need..."

"... should be fine, I've read it a few hundred times..."

"... gasp! ... did I forget the thing? ... no no, I got the thing..."

Two kindly looking elderly couple in front of him have been edging away slowly ever since they heard him start to mumble. The guy at his back though just looked bored and impatient. He looked like a veteran traveler, he's probably seen it all.

Tim realized that the line had been moving away from him when he'd been occupied with his thoughts, he quickly moved forward to meet the severe-looking security guard holding a metal scanner. He put his carry-on, shoes, smartwatch, and belt through the conveyor belt and stepped through three different arch-scanners scanning for malicious spirits, mischievous monsters or illegal elementals. He got his stuff back and went on to baggage claim.

He fixed his clothes as he waited for his luggage. He's currently wearing a blue shirt- tucked in of course - with a nondescript belt on black pants and brown leather shoes. All his clothes were a little faded from washing too many times but they were all stiff and crease-free while his shoes were polished to a shine.

Tim learned from a long time ago that appearances are everything to everyone and he's never let him being poor be an excuse for sloppiness. He even grew out the beard puberty blessed him with, in the hopes that it could make him look more grown up. Every single strand of hair from his beard to his trimmed hair was combed with not a strand out of place.

Reliable, respectable and responsible.

A beat-up suitcase slowly rolls down the conveyor and Tim grabs it and pulls the handle up. He walks to along the corridors of the airport and the glass walls offer a magnificent vista of all the aerial vehicles present.

There were the airplanes, the worst of all them for comfort and amenities but they were the fastest and can get anyone to anywhere within a day. The food was horrible and everyone is packed in like sardines unless you're flying first class and business class.

The biggest is the dirigible, it offers a lot of space for viewing when in the clouds and offers restaurants and cafes with people having their own cabins to sleep in. The horrible thing about it the dirigible is its speed, what can take the plane hours of flight would take it at least three times. Usually, the people who take the dirigible is in for a more leisurely experience to view the aerial space of its many creatures, wonders, and mysteries.

The one that Tim took is the airboat. It offers enough space for comfort with commercial shops. Unlike the dirigible who needs a balloon to float the airboat runs on runes and inscriptions so it can also hold a greater amount of weight for cargo while its sails provide sufficient speed. Merchants and businesses love the airboats and usually buy them for hauling goods.

Eventually, Tim stopped in front of the exits and stood still for a moment. Worry began to gnaw at his heart once more, this feeling that he's always had since he was a kid. He's stepping into a new environment once again and this new episode in his life would determine if he could have a good future. He took a deep breathe as he stepped outside... and that breathe got stuck in his throat as he gasped.

The ancient City of Everlast, the capital of the Wottalia Republic. In Tim's eyes, this metropolis looked like a monster of stone, steel, concrete, bricks, glass, and asphalt. It was a giant hodgepodge of classical, medieval, colonial and modern buildings. And everything was nearly claustrophobically stuck to each other.

Usually there was a lot of space around an airport, but apparently not here in Everlast. There were old pubs next to concrete offices who were next to amphitheaters who were next to mage towers. It took Tim a few minutes to make sense of the chaos he's seeing.

Eventually, he stepped down to the busy streets and queued up for taxis. There wasn't one right now as it is quite early in the morning and there were four people in front of Tim. Slowly an autowagen, pulled up next to the travelers, it was painted yellow with four wheels disjointed from the body that was floating serenely. It had a sign at the top that says "Taxi." It rolled away after taking a passenger, its wheels bounced on the speed bumps but other than its speed the body was unaffectedly floating along.

Tim got into his own taxi and showed the driver his smartwatch. A hologram came out that showed the name and address of the motel Tim was to stay in for the next two weeks, completely paid for by the Academy.

"Can you please head here?" Tim asked the driver who nodded quietly.