Wrong Epochs - Chapter 5: Descend into nothing.
Knock. Knock. Knock-knock. Knock. Knock-knock. Knock.
A distinct knocking pattern. It's Smoke From Fifteen Waxed Chairs, Your Lead Conductor. What could possibly be the reason they're knocking on Your door this late?
- "Councillor! I am so very sorry to be waking You up this late, but a message just came in from the Hartnebalkia Head Country Council, responding to Your initial request for trade."
Ugh, another response?
- "chairs, why are you even awake this late…"
Chairs looks at You with a confused look on their face.
- "Councillor, your voice."
Really? You don't have time for this.
- "i'm too tired to do the voice. doesn't matter anyway. i'll respond in the morning, when i'm fully rested."
- "Councillor, this is a very urgent message! Excuse my use of old wording, but You really should not be leaving the Hartnebalkia Head Country Council on read!"
- "what?"
And just like that, thirty nine firesilver frames wakes up half rested. They realise that they were dreaming again. They have not dreamt in a long time, but recently they've started having dreams that feel very real. They wish they could be a Councillor. Just imagine the trading negotiations. All of the world's delicacies right at their fingertips…
…They get up and start getting ready for work.
A citizen hall drifts through the sky. Aboard are 5 crew members, with 3 of them conducting the vessel. They are headed to Hartnebalkia, to steal metal and meat. On the way, twenty six gilded spears, their lead conductor, sees something on the ashen ground below them.
- "what in the world is that?"
The others aboard the hall turn to look at spears.
- "it's... a gilded hall!"
Everyone stops what they were doing and heads over to look down and confirm that, yes, there is indeed a gilded hall stopped at the Ashen Wastes.
- "everyone, prepare your weapons and descend."
They all know what to do. They prepare for a fight.
4 of the crew are combat-trained, while 1 of them, thirty nine firesilver frames, is a skilled fixperson. The rest of the crew consist of: sixty three orange clocks, who is skilled with throwing knives, twenty three clay pots and seventy seven holographic bags, who are both skilled with acrobatics and hand to hand combat, and twenty six gilded spears, their leader, who is skilled with, well, spears. They are all wearing similar attire. Lightweight, soundproof shoes, long black socks, reaching up to black capris and black and brown trench coats, with various personal items and weapons on the belt. thirty nine firesilver frames has various tools, sixty three orange clocks has a large amount of throwing knives, twenty three clay pots has medical supplies, twenty six gilded spears has pouches for stolen goods and a scar on their cheek, and seventy seven holographic bags has pouches with various refreshments. They all have a badge on their trench coats. The badge shows a rising black sun over a lake of gold, and around the badge, a mantra is written:
"ALLIANCE OF THE COLLECTIVE UNDERCOUNCILS | NEVER STOP FIGHTING FOR THE NEW DAWN"
It is dark.
The lights are off.
The treader makes their way through the vessel, their way illuminated by the occasional dim red emergency lights.
It is almost silent.
Only distant sirens can be heard.
They move for what feels like hours. Another light. Another hallway. Another place to briefly rest before continuing. No one may be left alive. They know what will happen if they allow anyone to live, no matter how much they want company.
No matter how far they look, they can never find what they search for.
The past.
The citizen hall lands on the ashen ground and the 5 thieves step out. twenty six gilded spears gestures for the group to advance into the gilded hall with caution. They do not know who may be inside there with them. They are as quiet as possible.
- "..."
They hear someone nearby. The sound of wheel boots fills the area. seventy seven holographic bags silently, but quickly, moves to an area that lets them see the figure without being spotted. They see their attire, their weapons, and their long, flowing golden hair. They begin returning to the rest of the group to describe the figure, but they trip on a metal pipe that falls off of the catwalk they were on and lands behind the figure, making them fully alert. seventy seven holographic bags retreats as fast as they can without making any noise. The Treader looks around, before continuing onward.
- "HOW LONG UNTIL THE INTRUDER MAKES IT HERE?"
- "I would say we have only a few minutes left with where they are now, councillor."
- "...PREPARE YOUR WEAPONS. I SHALL PRAY FOR SAFETY.
THEY HAVE BREACHED ALL DEFENCES AND KILLED ALL CONDUCTORS SO EFFORTLESSLY. FACING THEM HEAD ON WILL SURELY END WITH OUR DEATHS. WE MUST FIND A WAY TO ESCAPE FROM THEM. THE ONLY WAY I IMAGINE THIS HAPPENING IS IF WE TRAP THEM IN THE COUNCILLOR QUARTERS, IN WHICH WE ARE CURRENTLY STANDING, SINCE THIS IS THE MOST HEAVILY ARMORED PART OF A FLIGHT PLATFORM."
They begin preparing.
- "MAY THE STARS OF HARTNEBALKIA PROTECT ME IN TIMES OF DANGER AND SAVE ME FROM DEATH. MAY OUR COUNTRY LIVE ON TO SPREAD THE WORD OF THE ONES WE ORIGINATED FROM AND GUIDE THE MISGUIDED."
- "Councillor..."
- "WHAT IS IT?"
- "They are here."
- "..."
The Treader has found them. The only thing that stands in their way is the door to the Councillor Quarters.
The door automatically opens.
They see...
no one.
They look around.
They know someone is here. They tracked them down.
They walk further in.
They look around.
- "..."
They hear running.
- "!!"
Before they are able to react, the door slams shut behind them. They quickly move over to the door to cut through it with their laser gun. It works, but it is slow. The two that tricked them are running away. It takes tens of seconds, but the door eventually breaks down.
sixty three orange clocks communicates with the others nonverbally.
"what is that noise?"
seventy seven holographic bags responds.
"sounds like running."
twenty three clay pots adds.
"maybe the figure found who they were looking for?"
seventy seven holographic bags:
"sounds about right."
- "Who are you?"
Leaves From Ninety Seven Curved Metal Sheets spots the 5 other intruders and quickly readies their staff in case of a fight. They notice that there are 5 of them and they take a step back.
"leave."
They don't understand why the one with a large spear on their back is moving their hands in a strange way. Maybe it's some sort of spell they're trying to cast?
...Sheets is not aware of the existence of sign language.
- "What are you doing?"
- "leave."
They leave, intimidated by the group of spellcasting filth underling and return to GRAND FIRE OVER SEVENTY FOUR GREEN PACKAGES the Fourth.
- "HAVE YOU FOUND ANYTHING WE CAN USE TO DEFEND OUR SELVES?"
- "No. Not yet, however... I did find a group of intruders."
- "DID YOU DISPOSE OF THEM?"
- "No... I couldn't. They intimidated me with some form of spellcasting tactic."
- "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? ARE FILTH UNDERLING CONNECTED TO THE STARS NOW? DO NOT BE SILLY. WHAT INFORMATION COULD YOU GATHER FROM THEM?"
- "They seem to be from Okrameslanon and perhaps... hiding from the one with golden hair?"
- "INTERESTING. SO EVEN THE CARELESS OKRAMESLANONIANS SEEM TO BE AFRAID OF THEM."
- "Maybe we should go to them and form a temporary alliance while we are both in danger."
- "WITH THE OKRAMESLANONIAN FILTH UNDERLING?"
- "Councillor, we have no other choice. Hartnebalkia has not responded to our calls and the one with the golden hair is not giving up their pursuit."
- "IF THAT IS THE ONLY CHOICE... THEN SO BE IT. WE SHALL GO TO THEM AND ASK FOR A TEMPORARY ALLIANCE AGAINST THE GOLDEN-HAIRED INTRUDER."
- "no need to ask."
Leaves and GRAND FIRE OVER SEVENTY FOUR GREEN PACKAGES the Fourth turn to look at the filth underling standing in the doorway of the room they're in.
twenty six gilded spears speaks:
- "you gonna... say anything? i think instead of waiting here for the golden-haired figure to find us, we should start pl-"
- "SILENCE, FILTH UNDERLING. INSTEAD OF CHATTING, WE MUST PLAN FOR THE INTRUDER'S ARRIVAL."
- "i was literally going to say that. whatever. i already thought up something we could do to trap them, but it could be risky because-"
- "YOU SHALL ONLY SPEAK WITHIN VIEW OF A COUNCILLOR WHEN THEY ALLOW YOU TO. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE INTRUDER IS TOO SWIFT AND DEADLY TO FACE HEAD ON, SO I HAVE COME UP WITH THE IDEA OF TRAPPING THEM. HOWEVER, I DO NOT KNOW HOW WE SHALL DO SUCH A THING IN SO LITTLE TIME."
- "i was literally going to say what we should do."
- "DID I ALLOW YOU TO SPEAK? WHY DO YOU VIOLATE HARTNEBALKIAN LAW?"
- "we aren't in hartnebalkia."
- "...SILENCE."
- "we don't have time for this. we need to prepa-"
- "I KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO TRAP THE INTRUDER."
- "let me finish. the way we-"
- "DO NOT INTERRUPT ME, FILTH. TO TRAP THEM, WE MUST-"
- "..."
They begin.
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