NOVEL NEXT XLIX. The World Sleeping Beneath
Ballo: Slow down, Virno. I can't keep up...!
Virno: Just trust me, dammit. Weren't you also in a rush to leave? Quit dragging your feet!
After coming to terms with his present situation, Virno accepted to go with Ballo. In their attempt to escape Nox's clutches, they left Clavia's busy workshop behind and were making their way out of the heavily industrialized city they were in.
Virno: The streets ahead are as smooth as silk, no cracks or bumps whatsoever. Just put one foot in front of the other, you'll be fine. At least until we reach the gates up ahead...
Ballo held onto Virno's arm tightly, doing his best to become accustomed to the near-complete absence of sight. Barely being able to see the path ahead made it harder for him to walk than he'd like to admit...
Ballo: I'm doing my best... You're sure this is north gate 3, aren't you...?
Virno rolls his eyes, letting out a brief sigh.
Virno: Yes... I'm sure. I may be an idiot in the battlefield, but I can at least follow street signs.
Ballo: Can you, though...?
Virno clenched his teeth, as Ballo betrayed a slight smirk. Ahead of them laid one of the imposing gates that led into the outside of the city. It was a towering wall of stone, with steam-operated metallic gates embedded onto it. Down by the ground level, several warehouses were arranged along the inner perimeter of the walls. These uniquely numbered warehouses seemed to house animals and vehicles within, some open, some closed. Just a few feet away from the gates, one of the guards intercepts them.
Guard: Good morning, gentlemen. Entry and exit out of north gate 3 is reserved exclusively for mechanical or animal-pulled vehicles, no foot traffic allowed. I would ask you to head toward either gate 1 or 2 instead, if you intend to-
Before the guard could finish, Ballo reaches into his pocket and extends a rusty token in his direction. As soon as he realizes its origin, the man interrupts himself.
Guard: ... Apologies, we did not recognize you. I'll have your token, please.
Ballo nods, and the guard takes the token from his hand.
Guard: One moment, please wait here.
As the guard turns around and heads toward one of the warehouses, Virno couldn't help but marvel at the sight before him. He had never seen so much bleeding-edge technology, all concentrated within a single city before.
Virno: This is insane...! I never knew cities as advanced as this existed... Are all of these contraptions operated by steam...?
Ballo: A few, although magic plays a large role, too. But this is hardly something new, young man... You come from a well-off family, didn't they give you plenty of teachers and books to learn about the outside world?
Virno crosses his arms, his eyes scanning the massive walls in front of them from top to bottom.
Virno: I was never much for learning -- not for most of my time back home. Also we're not so well-off anymore... We're about as far away from that as you can get, nowadays.
The air got tense. Virno's gaze wandered off into the void, as he became lost in thought, wondering about the past. His family home... What might have happened to it since they left? Was it abandoned, now...? Perhaps a new family had moved in. All the butlers and maids -- would he ever see any of them again? And Instructor Pocna... Now there's a face he wish he could look at once more. Just once more... If anything, to give him a proper goodbye.
Guard: HEY!
Pulled back into the real world by the guard's shout, Virno notices that one of the previously closed warehouses was now open, with the guard waving at them beside it.
Virno: Come on, old man... Let's get moving.
As they approach the warehouse, Virno notices a large mechanical contraption within. It resembled a horse cart, although it was almost entirely mechanical in nature, with several valves, buttons and other gizmos where the driver would be. There were no horses in sight, suggesting that it was perhaps moved by some other means.
Virno: What is that...?
Guard: One of Clavia's vehicles -- one she usually drives herself. I'm surprised she's letting somebody else take it, but given your driver, I suppose it makes sense .
Ballo: Our driver...? We aren't supposed to have a-
Someone enters the driver's seat and turns the vehicle on. The roar of its engine drowns out Ballo's voice, as it lights up and whirrs, releasing a cloud of white steam through an arrangement of six side-mounted exhaust pipes.
Virno: It's like a living, breathing animal made of metal...!
Out of the contraption blast two, deep, earth-quaking sounds in sequential order -- the driver, honking twice.
Driver: What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get in!
Their driver was wearing some sort of helmet, covering up the entirety of their face. They seemed to be well-acquainted with the vehicle, easily pulling up next to Ballo and Virno and opening the doors for them. Even though their stature was small, they had a deep, almost artificial voice -- most likely because the thick, iron helmet had to make use of some sort of voice-amplifying mechanism to allow for the voice of its wearer to make it past its dense shell into the outside world.
Ballo: Clavia did not mention a driver...!
They impatiently rev up the engine.
Driver: She didn't mention a distrustful blind old bat, either. Now come on, we haven't got all day!
With the help of Virno, Ballo makes it into the back of the vehicle, where two rows of seats faced each other. He sat as close to the front passenger seat as he could, where Virno sat. Buckled up and ready to go, they leave the city behind, with Clavia's mysterious driver at the wheel.
Driver: So, where are we off to?
The driver presses a button on the dashboard, producing a hologram of the map near their current region. Its position updated in real time, as they traversed the landscape.
Virno: Is... Is this moving dot us?! This is amazing...
Driver: Yeah yeah, super...
The driver quickly gave up asking Virno for directions since he seemed almost stupefied with all the technology surrounding him, and instead turned to the much calmer and collected Ballo.
Driver: So...? I'm waiting.
Ballo shakes his head.
Ballo: I don't know.
Virno and the Driver: You don't know?!
Ballo: ... No. If anyone here knows where we're going, it's Virno.
His statement caught Virno off-guard. He thought that since Ballo was the one adamant about not returning to the slums, surely he had to have had some other destination in mind, right? So how come he wouldn't know where to go? Unless...
Virno: You mean...
Ballo nods.
Ballo: We are out of time, Virno. Ready or not...
Virno's heart raced. His chest pounded.
Virno: ... I didn't think we'd go for it so soon...
He clenched his nervous hands into fists.
Ballo: I would not call it "soon" just yet... I myself do not know how far away it is. We could take days to reach it... Or we could take months.
Impatient, the driver interrupts their conversation.
Driver: What are you two rambling on about?! Just where is this thing we're going to get?
Ballo changes his tone of voice, lecturing the driver in an almost authoritarian manner.
Ballo: Keep your eyes on the road, "we" are not getting anything. Clavia hired you to accompany us, so do your job... Mind your own business.
Driver (mumbling): "Hired"... That's rich. As if...!
The driver turns around to address Ballo directly.
Driver: My business IS knowing where we're headed! So, can someone tell me already?!
Ballo does not respond. The driver faces Virno.
Driver: Well...?!
Virno closes his eyes, trying to focus.
Virno: As soon as I can get an answer, I'll let you know.
Both Ballo and Virno go quiet, in meditation.
Driver: Argh... This is going to be one long drive...!
Shortly after shutting his eyes, Virno manages to focus and contact the curse's voice. Visions of the cradle of the world briefly flicker in his mind, as the voice echoes between the many dark buildings therein, lit only by the yellow lights inside their windows.
Greed: North... Keep going north.
He opens his eyes, taking a deep breath as he re-connects to the world around him.
Virno: North. That's where we're headed.
The driver's head turns to face him. They simply stared.
Driver: North...?
Virno nods.
Virno: North.
The driver sighs deeply.
Driver: ... Feeling especially specific today, aren't we...?
Virno focuses on the road ahead, looking at the horizon.
Virno: That's all we have for now... I'll let you know as soon as I have more details.
The driver shrugs in resignation.
Driver: I suppose that's better than nothing... North it is.
Ballo opens one of his eyes after hearing Virno's newly acquired information.
Ballo: You can contact it at will, Virno...?
Virno: Now I can. Used to be the other way around... It would disturb me whenever it felt like it. Nowadays it's different, it feels like I'm taking over. At least, somewhat.
Ballo: Taking over, you say...
Virno nods.
Virno: Do you know anything about this place called the "cradle of the world"...?
Ballo's eyes both widen.
Ballo: M-maybe... Describe it to me.
Virno relaxes into his seat.
Virno: It's like a very dark abyss, with a river at the bottom. The water is so buoyant that you can just float, carried by the stream... There are these huge bui-
Ballo rapidly interrupts.
Ballo: Sounds quite nonsensical to me. Must be some imagined location you manifested in your mind in order to better connect with your... "Informant". We can discuss it some other time, if you want. For the time being, I propose we rest. But do take this opportunity to learn as much as you can from them. You will need it.
Surprised by Ballo's sudden, unusual reaction, Virno turns around to look at him. Ballo's poor eyesight still allowed him to perceive movement in Virno's seat, to which he responded by mouthing a single word.
Ballo (mouthing): Later.
Not wanting to share more information due to the presence of the driver, Virno acknowledges Ballo's true intentions, and turns forward once again. Finally on the track of the sword of greed, Virno braces himself for the challenges to come...