Leaving Solor

On their way back, the journey is fairly peaceful. The tower is still spitting out foreboding purple light into the sky. The drive to Vin'chi is still fairly smooth. They pull up to their ship, with supplies being carted up by Walker.

There is minimal activity around the ship, with people shuffling around the underground entrance. The ship is venting steam out of its back and control panels move along. They both step out of the APC and into the main entrance of Vin'chi. They are hit with the humid and hot air, with the smells of soot and oil. The bar is very busy but the streets are quiet. They see a few guards talking amongst themselves.

A person comes out with a bandage around his arm as they enter the hospital. They see the female dwarf is coming out of a doctor's room. They peek and see a man who has lost his arm. She says it has been a busy day. She seems crestfallen when she realises what Sakiran is there for. Her office is dark with a flickering strip light above. She tried to personalise the room with a poorly painted field of flowers, but it is a very sterile room. She sits on a rickety chair.

The doctor sighs and hands them a paper. Sakiran doesn't understand what is written on it. The doctor says her blood is perfect, but this is wrong. She draws pictures and says that Aria has no imperfections that come from having two parents - her blood is too perfect. The doctor looks at Leoric and asks if he saw anything unusual when he found her. He said the facility had a lot of tubes with people inside, like some kind of testing facility. The doctor squints and asks if anything was written. He says he doesn't have it to hand. Sakiran says that Aria cannot speak and her throat must be damaged.

The doctor provides them with a pill bottle, saying that should help. The label is white and sundamaged so it is illegible. Leoric says he isn't sure if they can afford it. The doctor says she will only take 25 rands, so he hands it over. She says once a day should help her body to heal. She hands over the papers with the symbols and numbers and says they should help if they can find someone with better facilities than her. She opens the door to let them leave.

People are waiting to enter and the doctor says it has been a busy day. Sakiran nods at her and the pair of them go to the market area. There are a few choices for food. Sakiran walks over to the fish man, and asks for a cut from the spit roast. He places it in a paper bag and swallows the rands when she hands them over. She takes the package away, warm in her hands.

Leoric approaches a guard. The guard waves along his colleague and lights up a cigarette with his rifle. He asks what's up but doesn't care about petty crime. Leoric asks if he knows anywhere that sells good noodles. The guard says there isn't really, but good is subjective. Leoric clarifies that he meant edible. The guard points him towards the human baker and laughs at the notion that he might have tried it. Leoric asks where he gets his food from, and the guard says they get mainland food. He looks around again.

Leoric goes towards the baker's stand, seeing a tan gentleman who greets him airily. He has poorly dyed blonde hair tied in a topknot with some stubble on his face. His skin is smooth and well-looked after. Leoric asks what his specialty is. He smiles and says that it is bread. He says he also does dried pasta and has filled breads too. Leoric says it sounds good and he was checking for a buddy of his. He says best of luck to him without buying anything. His stomach grumbles.

Sakiran has already made her way to the entrance to get some fresh air. Leoric continues down into the city, trying to find someone to buy the goods that he has. He finds his way to a miscellaneous goods shop, with no traditional counter. There is a stool at the back and incenses burning all around the shop. A female gnome hops down from her seat and waddles over to him. She has feathers in her natural brown hair. Her clothes are baggy but ostentatious. She greets him enthusiastically. She says she has many exotic foods around here as Leoric wrinkles his nose and asks what she sells.

The gnome says she sells a bit of everything, with speciality being a bit too hard. Leoric says he has a lot of cargo that he wants to sell. Her eyes light up when he mentions the ship and she says she will buy all of it. Leoric pauses a moment and says they have a few cargo containers of items. She runs towards the back and chugs a small tincture and then runs out.

The pair exit the front and she slams the shutter down. Leoric says he could have got that for her and she locks it. She runs ahead of him, asking what way it is. Leoric notes that she is quite the hyper one. She says she always gets excited about a deal. Sakiran smells the meat and is salivating at the meat. Leoric walks past her, but smiles to himself that she is eating.

Leoric hails Walker and says they have a potential buyer. Leoric steps out so she is exposed from behind his leg. She greets him as a giant then runs up onto the ramp. Leoric opens one up. It is full of clothes. The other crate they open is full of the crawler mines. She says she'll buy them all for 500. Leoric was thinking more 1200. She looks at the other weaponry and crawler mines, offering 750. Leoric goes down to 1100. The gnome twitches and offers 950. She goes to 1000, then he counters with 1050 and extends his hand. She grabs it and runs down and grabs the money within a few minutes.

Leoric asks Walker to help move it with a few of the guys. He gets up, rubs his knees and drags a cargo container down the cargo ramp. Sakiran sits on the end of the ramp, legs swinging beneath it. She eats the cuts of meat that she has, watching the surroundings of the ship and nature. Nelalwe comes down and sits next to her. Sakiran offers her some meat and they talk about their fangs and the mainland. Nelalwe expresses her desire to hunt rats, and says she has been hunting in the vents. Sakiran sternly asks how much she has seen, and Nelalwe admits she accidentally crashed into the showers while Aria was washing. Aria blackmailed her into buying her sweets.

Sakiran learns there is a steaming hot shower, which Jasmine told Nelalwe to get out of until she had one, and asks Nelalwe not to fix it yet.

Leoric is smoking in his room and Thaunir barges in on him. He has two bottles, unmarked. He says to drink it in moderation and has half of the bottle. Leoric questions him and has a small sip. Thaunir asks where they're going, and Leoric says they are going back to the mainland.

Leoric asks how he and his wife are doing. Thaunir says Jasmine is not his wife, then says she is not very well and stuck in her own head. Leoric asks if it will be a problem and asks him to keep an eye on her. Thaunir admits they have set up a distillery for "medical alcohol" before he finds out from someone else. He whispers that Sakiran is a brew stealer. Leoric laughs and says he'll keep an eye out. He takes his leave and asks Leoric to enjoy his drink. They raise their bottles towards each other and Thaunir leaves, yanking the stuck door open.

Nelalwe asks when they are going to set off. Sakiran says whenever Leoric wants to. Nelalwe becomes serious and asks why Aria looks that way and if it hurts. Sakiran notes that they got medicine from the doctor that should help her, and gets her sweets for one last time.

Leoric meets Walker and speaks to him. Walker says the food is pretty bad and doesn't trust the meat. Leoric said Sakiran didn't seem to mind it, and he shrugs it off with a yeah well. He asks if Leoric can read Elvish, and he makes out the word beans on one of the tins. Walker smiles and says there is only one way to find out. They open each one. They find chopped tomatoes, beans and more beans. Walker says he can make something edible. He stirs it all together and adds spices. Walker looks out the window as it cooks, and asks how it's going to be with three elves, two dwarves and him. Leoric says it's fine if he's there. He scowls and says maybe. Leoric told him he appreciated the work he put in earlier. Walker clicked his shoulder. Leoric offers to pay him and he says he'll stay as his payment, besides he doesn't want to leave Nelalwe since she has settled in to the ship.

Leoric says he's good to her. Walker lowers his eyes and says yeah. He says he should bring everyone here and they can have some food, though they'll have to start rationing food from the dwarf. He sits on a bench and offers advice - Sakiran can handle herself but Aria and Nelalwe can't. Leoric said they'll have to learn, and it's just the way the world works. Walker says if he was there he'd draw attention. Leoric offers encouragement that the worst they can do is look. Walker tells him to call everyone over so they can eat.

Leoric goes to look for Jasmine first. He sees the ship looks decent thanks to Nelalwe and the dwarves' repair work. He finds Jasmine looking out of a porthole towards Vin'chi. She covers something in her hand as Leoric enters. She greets him casually. Leoric says he's rounding everyone up and is checking up on her. He asks how she's holding up. She seems a bit flustered and admits she isn't used to being on a ship. Leoric asks if the mountains are more to her liking, but she says it's a city. Jasmine fiddles with something in her hand and asks if they are going to Bastion. Leoric asks what it is. Jasmine says a lot of things have happened and there's a reason she left.

She doesn't go into details and tells him to ask Sakiran, but she needs to stay out of sight if they go into the city. She says she'll stay on board and Leoric says she'll keep Vae company. Vae pipes up saying she is indeed a conversationalist. Jasmine says it's just a bit of trouble and asks him a favour. If he finds a dwarven street clan then to let her know. He agrees to it and asks if there is bad blood. She says there is blood involved but not that kind. She says she'll make her way to the bridge and says don't tell anyone about anything.

He finds Aria in the storage room near Sakiran's room, trying to arrange it to be her own room. She drags a bunk, leaving dirt tracks as she drags it around. She is sitting on the cot panting. Leoric knocks on the side and waves at him. She beckons him in and pats the side of the bed. He asks if she dragged it in by herself. She nods and writes that it was heavy. Leoric smiles and says she's stronger than she looks. She flexes and there is no definition. She writes and asks him what is wrong. He pauses and looks at the medicine, putting it in his pocket before saying they are soon heading out to the mainland, to a city called Bastion. She asks what it is like. He says it's very crowded, and he can take her to a place that does good food. She asks how long it will take and how much food is there.

Leoric says it might take a while, but there is plenty of food to go around. Aria asks why they are waiting, and he explains he is just rounding everyone up and to go to the bridge. She runs out, stops and grabs a pouch of sweets from her desk, then carries on out.

He sees Sakiran head out of the shower room turning towards her in just a towel, flushed with the heat of it. Her hair is wet and dangling. She apologises for being in a state of undress and asks how she can help him. He hands her the medicine and asks if she can give it to her. She nods and heads to the bridge after getting dressed. There, she sees the dwarves gossiping together about the men's dimensions. She asks why they are talking about it, and they explain that they are bored. She walks past them and goes to Aria and hands her the medicine. Aria takes it with a sour look, though holds onto the bottle after learning it can make her better.

Sakiran leaves to get some water, and is met with a frosty reception from Walker. She asks what game he is playing and he says it has been busy. She demands an explanation when it is not busy, so she and Walker have a long conversation about why he had been avoiding her and Nelalwe. He admits that she looks too much like her mother and it reminds him of what he did in the past. She chides him for his cowardice. They have a heart to heart about their pasts. He tells her to head back in soon, dwarves gossip. He says he would like to spar soon. Before she leaves, Sakiran admits that she is in too much pain and is unable to. He thought that the nanophage stops the pain, but she says she told it to stop. Walker seems confused and questions her, but she insists it happened. She admits he is easy to speak to and she finds it strange, though does not elaborate further. He shrugs and finishes up.

Leoric finally finds Nelalwe within the turret. He hears banging of boxes as she tries to strangle a rat. He enters into the room hesitantly and asks if she is okay. With a last heave, she cracks its neck and is surrounded by dead rats. She says she found the last male and there should be no more, at least she believes so. But she needs to find the brood. Leoric asks Vae to scan life signs. She gives him sarcastic answers, saying she could unfortunately not find them. They were too small and her sensors too damaged. That is why she has Nelalwe climbing in the vents. Leoric asks if she is aware they are setting off soon. She says she was told by Sakiran.

Leoric asks how she feels. She says the turret is crunchy. He says he meant about leaving. She says she is excited. Leoric shifts uncomfortably.

Leoric checks on Walker and he apologises, saying he was trying to get everyone for food but got held up. He heads into the bridge and takes out a few pouches, tossing one to everyone except Aria. Inside there are 100 rands. He says he does not expect anyone to work for free. Vae says it is good to move again as she takes off on his command. They begin to fly to Bastion.