"So that is Nin's home?" I idly asked no one in particular whilst leaning towards the glass. Longingly touching the glass as I worried for my friend and where he might be. And, while I looked at the distant city. I tried to think of what might be there that makes my friend so reckless.
I could understand if he had a family there that he cared deeply for, but I couldn't see that being the case. Nin was peculiar compared to most of the people I knew, he was very cynical with friends. Sure, I have met and known many cynical people, those who have lost hope or are shown mostly the bad. But Nin was slightly different, it was as if he was raised like that, to not value friendship...
How someone could do that, I could not figure out. Every year we had an entire month dedicated to celebrating our friendships! Every year we paid homage to the God of Friendship, Undwote, and we honoured our friends. So how could Nin have been raised to be so paranoid of close relationships?
It did not make much sense, but, then again, a close friend just running off didn't make much sense either. Neither did my circumstances either if you thought about it. But, I never did like thinking about that sort of stuff. Not outside of the moments I was doing it, anyway.
"Hey, it does look like a birdcage." Einervaene then said as she came close to me and commented on its shape.
"Nin has mentioned that?" I asked her upon turning to face her.
"Yeah, back near when I first met him. Not long after I found out about his... Condition. We talked about our homes. And, well, he told me to think of a birdcage to get an idea of its shape." she explained as she sat down on a chair. Meanwhile, I was on the top of the machines she was in front of. My legs crossed over into a squarish shape.
"Did he mention much else?"
"If he did... I can't remember. But, now is a good chance to remember it, no?" she initially sighed out before awkwardly laughing at the end. I smiled at her like I often did and went along with it.
"Make sure you learn a lot, then. Because I will be bringing Nin back quicker than you can turn into lightning and meet the clouds." I then told her as I turned back towards the glass.
"Yeah, maybe I can even find some of the things Nin has worked on. He has said he was a wall-engraver or something."
"Yes, he has said something along those lines. An artist in all but name." I said while nodding.
"But, what if you can't find Nin before me and Vadei are done with finding her sister and the others... Should I turn back and help you?"
"No, don't worry about me. I will find him. I will find my friend..." I tell her before looking down at my palms. Looking deep into all of the lines on my palms as I started to go quiet.
"He's not just your friend." she then told me sternly, something that saw my head turn to her again.
"A... You... You are right, Einervaene." I said while looking up and down her body. A sigh then left me once more.
"If you want to try and find him on your own, fine. But, he's not just your friend. Not just mine. He is a friend to all of us. Mine, yours, Vadei's. And, of course, everyone else who is not here right now. So, please, Larishazza, if you can't find him, let me help. Two people is always better than one." she explained to me after getting up and putting a hand on me. A hand I intently stared at as she said what she did.
"Your offer is appreciated..." I, for some reason, reluctantly let out before I put my hand on her wrist. Soon holding her hand in mine whilst she smiled at me. A smile I would return for the time being.
"Alright, you two, can you come over here, please?" Vadei then asked from the other side of the room.
"Okay, just give me a moment." I said to her with a smile as I slowly uncrossed my legs. Intentionally falling on to Einervaene as she walked off in order to get a laugh.
"Walk there on your own!" she laughed out as I lazily clung to her before falling to the floor. A floor I did not move from yet still giggled on.
"I can't!" I joked to her.
"Yes, yes you can." she then said as she gently kicked a bit of lightning into me. Something I reacted to exaggeratively in order to get more laughs to come from them. And, as I came to a stop, I leaned on Vadei's chair to see if what she was looking at concerned me. It did not, she was just looking at some numbers and other things, a little picture of her daddy in the corner.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked once Einervaene had arrived in the space around the chair.
"The plan of entry." Vadei quickly answered as a large screen appeared. One filled with soldiers, scientists, workers and other things. Lots of machines with guns, lots of men with guns and lots of guns on their own.
"Your handiwork?" Einervaene asked as her eyes focused on the large craters along the path to the lonely wall.
"It is, and, by the looks of it, they've taken it very seriously."
"Is this going to be an issue? None of these weapons are magical, are they?" I then asked, just in case. I know this is meant to be magic-less land, but still, I didn't want to be reckless.
"Some might be, but, I have no idea how dangerous they are. It's not magic like you can do, it's just magical materials. Thunder-gold specifically." Vadei tried to explain before she got Einervaene's attention.
"They can refine thunder-gold?" she asked in disbelief.
"No. We trade her and it. They give us no magic." Heiya's daddy explained as he came in out of nowhere. A man whose presence and words quickly made me foul of mood.
"Oh..." Einervaene let out as she became disappointed...?
"Well, thank you for the explanation, now go!" Vadei then snapped at the man who walked away towards the front of the bridge. HIs little hands soon tapped away at one of the machines as he went on with his business.
"So the point is, some of their weapons might be able to hurt us?" I then questioned while frowning. I was hoping to just get in and out of the city and move on to the countryside. But if they had weapons that could injure me or Nin then this is a lot more complicated.
"I think the main concern is more along the lines of, they can hurt Nin if they wanted. As I said and showed, he flushed all his magic out in one big go. There's no certainty that he is strong enough to survive these weapons right now. Not until we can give him some magic." she explained as one of her nails lingered near her teeth.
"What about how common they are, do the people with these weapons stand out?"
"They do, actually!" Vadei said with some cheer as she began to mess with the screen before us.
"The ones with glowing hands?" Einervaene asked while she pointed at the picture we were now shown.
"Yes, those are the ones with magic capabilities as far as I know. 'Goldhands' is what Nin calls them." Vadei answered as another screen came up. One that showed off magic signatures by the looks of it. And, indeed, these goldhands did show up slightly on it. Just barely, however.
"Alright, we just slap them out the way." I then casually commented as we could all see how weak they clearly were. In comparison to us, anyhow.
"You say that, but, we'll all be working under the restraint of not using our magic."
"You've saved most of them, no? Surely magic is somewhat okay to use now?" I asked while staring at the troops in our way. Those who would try and stop me from finding my friend and bringing him back.
"Yes, but I still have some I still need to save, and, I don't think Nin will be particularly appreciative if we blow up his home!" Vadei explains loudly to which I nod in embarrassment. It was a very careless suggestion for me to make...
"So we just need to mostly ignore all the guards and soldiers and vehicles and pretty much everything?" Einervaene asked after she listed off most of the obstacles that could shoot at us.
"That is the case, it would seem. I know we can use magic to some extent, I did to save most of my family. But, you two are much stronger than me. There's no guarantee you'll be able to be as... Subtle, as I was." Vadei tried to explain before she slowed down at the end. She was clearly aware of the irony of her last few words.
"Then we drop down before the city and practise a bit?" I then offered to her.
"No, we need to do this quickly. In and out and then we can get moving once more..." Vadei nervously declared while looking at the small picture of her daddy. Something I couldn't take my eyes off as my slowness might lose me a friend... And, that was something I was unwilling to accept.
"Then we best get going, I want to go back to Suhurlodst with all my friends." I told the pair as I began to walk off towards the airship's railings. Waiting for them to follow me to the outside and join me in the breeze.
"At least let me lower the AIR-" Vadei began to explain before I grabbed her and leapt off the airship. Laughing wildly as she screamed maniacally in my arms. Arms flailing about as she screamed and screamed until she went quiet. A large arcane explosion then suddenly erupted around us with my magic keeping her safe from it.
"Slowpoke." I joked to Einervaene who had struck herself down to the ground as a lightning bolt.
"DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Vadei then screamed into my face as she grabbed onto my clothes. A wide smile on my face as I watched her breathe in and out harshly and rapidly.
"She has a point, Larishazza." Einervaene commented quietly as we watched Vadei tremble and collapse into the ground. Only for her to start violently coughing when her breathing brought in some gravel and dust.
"Pffft, she's fine." I said with a grin before jumping over her as she recovered.
"I'll leave you behind again!" she threatened as she got the last of the coughs out.
"No, no you won't because you need me to look after the showers." I told her while poking my tongue out. I didn't mean it in a particularly serious way, but it was true. I was the one who was needed to look after the water.
"Shut up..." Vadei bitterly mumbled as she began to walk towards the city in the distance. We may have just jumped from the sky and crashed down magnificently. But, we were still quite a distance off.
"I suppose we should get going then?" Einervaene then asked as she went next to Vadei.
"Sure, I'll see you guys again when I find Nin! I promise you!" I tell the pair before I move to run towards the city.