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Chapter 4:

Nabiil

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Farah held the flight schedule in her hands and frowned. The next Chariot leaving Nabiil wasn't scheduled before midday tomorrow. For all the progress the city had achieved over the years, its reliance on a single Chariot held it back. Midaharia's capital didn't suffer from such issues.

The kingdom boasted over a dozen wing-powered Chariots that could hold over a hundred passengers. She scoffed at the thought of a maximum capacity of thirty seats here.

She crumpled the paper in her hands. There was no other option. She had to wait. Staying in one place for too long was hazardous, but it was either the ride friendly skies or the unfriendly trail. Nabiil was a long way from her comfort zone. She needed the time to gather her thoughts, anyway.

Standing under the shadow of a clock tower, Farah stared up at the sky. Night wasn't as dark here as it was in Khalm. Smoke and steam from Nabiil's ever-expanding industry coated the sky in a cocktail of unworldly hues. “I'll never understand how anyone can live in this city,” she remarked.

Farah grabbed the hilt of her short sword, alerted by the sound of approaching footsteps. She spun around, her weapon partially unsheathed. A young man stood before her. His pair of aviator goggles and a leather flight jacket betrayed him. He was a Griffin Carrier, someone who made a living riding on the backs of mighty beasts and delivering letters all around the world.

The young man threw his hands in the air. “Whoa, hang on! It's just me!”

Farah re-sheathed her weapon. “You shouldn't come running up behind people.”

“You're the one who said it was urgent.”

Farah reached into a pocket concealed within her cape and retrieved a folded piece of paper.

“How soon can you get this to the capital of Midaharia?”

“It'll probably take a day or two. There's a big storm brewing south of Tazwiir. We'll have to go around.”

Farah frowned. It was her desire to travel to Tazwiir by way of Chariot tomorrow. From there it would be another short Chariot ride to Midaharia. But if there was a storm flights would either be grounded or rerouted. And this time of year, the winds and rains would dance together for a long time.

“Very well.” She handed the young carrier the paper. “Do not rest until this is in the hands of one of Midaharia's five generals. He will pay you handsomely for your delivery.”

“Yes ma'am!”

The carrier left in a hurry, vanishing into a crowd of pedestrians. Covered in soot and dirt, some of them carried on as if they were sleepwalking. Their legs went through the motions after a long day's work in a factory somewhere, but their minds were already dreaming. How quickly would their eyes flare when another war between nations erupted.

As Farah climbed the steps leading to her hotel room, she noticed Aiden sitting outside the door. His head was buried in his arms and knees. “Aiden? I told you to stay inside.”

“I...I don’t want to be here..” he sobbed.

Farah poked her head into the room, checking to see if the Ahrman was where she left him. She placed a hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “Come. You should get some rest.”

“I don’t want to rest. I want Quinn. I want to go home!”

“Aiden..” Farah sat next to him, gathering her thoughts. “Aiden, how long did you know Quinn?”

“Since...since I was little..”

“So, you grew up together?”

“We did. I...I don’t remember when he wasn’t there with me.”

“I didn’t know him as well as you, but he seemed very brave to me.”

Aiden wiped tears from his eyes. “He really wasn’t.”

“No, he could have abandoned you to the Ahrman. He could have saved his own fur and left you this night. He didn’t. He stood with you because he was strong for something as small as he was.” Farah pulled Aiden closer, wrapping her arms around him. “Do you think he wanted you to be strong, too?”

“I...don’t know. Maybe.”

“I know. If he was my best friend I would be sad, too. But there’s much that lies ahead of you Aiden. With or without Quinn, you need to be able to stand on your own and face what tomorrow may bring.”

“That sounds like something Mister Laul would say.”

“Come.” Farah took his hand and rose to her feet. “What would Quinn think of you staying up so late after the night you’ve had? You deserve a good night’s rest.”

“Okay. Quinn stayed up longer than me, though.”