The railcar's first stop was at the small town of Restig, the last settlement north of the Carve where travellers could stop before taking on the days-long journey through the man-made valley.

  David and Niala took a few hours to go find a restaurant, and exercise their legs by meandering. The small rest-stop town had little to offer beyond inns and eateries, though the view of the snow-capped Spireridges was worth taking a few minutes to enjoy. This close, the massive mountain chain looked like a jagged wall bisecting the continent, going indefinitely east to west. Which, until the construction of the Carve and, more recently, the advent of airships, it did.

  Even today, only two safe land routes existed: the Carve, the most practical one, and the Endless Caves, farther out to the east.

  Of the two, only the Carve allowed mechanized travel. The Caves had to be traversed on foot or with draft animals, being little more than a winding path threading through a series of caverns, with barely any artificial roads beyond the paths pounded through the rock from centuries of travel.

  Impractical, it was nonetheless a popular tourist attraction, and quite a few small settlements had sprung up in some of the bigger caverns or on one of the few open-air valleys and plateaus that the path went through.

  Just after noon, the railcar blew its whistle, the last stragglers jumped on, and their trip resumed.

  Travel through the Carve was, all things told, rather unimpressive. While it was a nearly incomprehensible feat of humanoid ingenuity and perseverance, it offered very little in the form of scenery. The only things someone could see for the vast majority of the passage were two rocky walls, with only a few small stretches where the natural contour of the terrain had been used, giving brief but grandiose glimpses into the Spireridge's heart.

  The next town along the rail was just south of the mountain chain, called Edshak. A mining town, from which several paths tendrilled into the Spireridges, linking up many smaller, usually nameless temporary worker camps.

  Several common minerals were extracted and refined on-site, then shipped as ingots or building materials along the more extensive railcar network of the southern half of the kingdom.

  Given the extensive population of miners and factory workers, Edshak had a rough, down-to-earth ambience, its people more concerned with getting to work, and then forgetting about it in inns and taverns, than maintaining the city itself.

  The air smelt of smoke and grease, with a subtle waft of sweat. Although they spent some time walking through the city, neither David nor Niala thought much of what it had to offer, and soon retired to their clean, and clean-smelling, cabin.

  After an overnight stop, the railcar resumed its journey in the morning.

  A few days later, the railcar turned a bend around a small hill, and there, spilling out of the vast, gentle valley of the Saint Redrick River, was Majestic.

  A sprawling metropolis of over two million inhabitants, which gobbled up more of the surrounding lands every year, houses and shops sprouting up like mushrooms along the gentle slopes of the surrounding hills, no other city bore its name as perfectly as Majestic did.

  Under the mid-morning sun, even a full bell out from the outskirts, the massive amount of traffic along the town's major arteries, bridges, and its port could be seen. Ships came and went constantly, berthing at the continent's biggest port. In the distance, dozens of airships could be seen moored, landing, or taking off from the city's airport.

  Small trains crisscrossed the city, ferrying people and cargo over the local rail network, while regular railcars, such as the Norso, travelled along elevated railways toward the heart of the city, where the multi-tiered Majestic Grand Station rose, the rail network's nexus of the south.

  Hundreds of small compounds ringed the City, each flying a different flag; embassies, orders, guilds, companies and so on, all grabbing and holding on a parcel of the city's valued land.

  To satisfy the city's unending appetite for mana, vast mana-gathering arrays covered the top of the surrounding hills, connected to gigantic mana-hearts strewn about Majestic, which then refined and distributed power to entire districts.

  Everybody knew that Majestic never slept, and that it was the city where everything could be purchased, found, or sold. As far as David knew, there were no equivalents on this side of the Inner Sea.

  It was Majestic.

  David and Niala stepped off the railcar near mid-afternoon and rented one of the taxi autocarriages that loitered around the station to bring them to the All Brew compound.

  The trip through the congested roads of the city made them glad they didn't have to navigate the main thoroughfares by themselves, as people, animals, carts, carriages and trolleys fought for space. David wondered if the circulation officers, who stood in the middle of everything and ensured the flow of traffic, had hazard pay.

  He certainly wouldn't have taken up the job without a generous incentive.

  Next to him, with her head resting on one of her hands, Niala stared out the window. She had been mostly silent since they had walked off the railcar, and, even if their link hadn't been letting off a rising sense of anxiety, he could tell why.

  Every time she had spoken about her flight from home, he had felt that she still blamed herself. For his sake, his little catkin girlfriend had put up a brave front, acting as if coming back to face her father was nothing but another step toward Wardenburg. He knew it wasn't so; this was her monster, and she was forcing herself toward it, because it would help him.

  He smiled and moved his hand to grab Niala's. She jolted at his touch, her head swinging around to look at his hand covering hers. She let her ears droop as she returned his smile and flipped her hand over, lacing her fingers with his.

  He didn't feel the need to say anything. He simply squeezed her hand and focused on a feeling of peace and belonging.

  She relaxed... somewhat, as the tip of her tail began swishing lazily, where it had been frozen rigid before.

  But then she caught a glimpse of her father's compound, and he felt her stiffen once more.

  The taxi-car pulled up in the disembarking area of the compound and, under the stare of the door guards, David stepped out, walking to the other side and opening the door for Niala. She remained seated for a few deep breaths before hurrying out and standing straight as a pole, looking at the large double doors, over which her father's commerce signage hung, a dozen meters wide, reading, in golden letters, “Cornelius Concoctions Company. Owned by Cornelius the All Brew.”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  As Niala scrounged up the courage to step forward, David eyed the guards, who were observing them from their posts on each side of the gate.

  One of them, a middle-aged man, tilted his head before a wave of recognition flowed over his face, his eyes going wide. He bolted to the guard booth and picked up a small receiver, speaking hurriedly into it. The other guard, a younger man, split his gaze between his colleague and the new arrivals, his brow knitted.

  The older guard nodded a few times as someone spoke back to him and stepped out of the booth, approaching them.

  “Excuse me... Madam. Are you... You are Miss Niala, correct?”

  Niala flinched at hearing her name, refocusing on the guard. “Ah... yes, that's me. Can I, huh, come in?”

  The guard beamed a smile. “Oh! Of course, Miss! Please do come in! I've called ahead, you'll be expected!” He turned to the other guard, speaking loudly. “Lind, open up the door! Let our guests in!”

  Jostled into action, the younger guard pulled one of the two doors as the older guard stood to the side.

  David put a hand on Niala's stiff shoulder. Letting out a breath, she forced herself forward, her steps mechanical. David gave the older guard a polite nod as they passed them and entered the courtyard.

  It was a small garden, with a wide gravel path that led toward another set of doors ahead, under a long porch, attached to what looked like a mix of company headquarters and posh summer house. To the sides, smaller paths circled through the garden and around two multi-levelled fountains.

  Niala walked a few steps and stopped. The large wooden door closed behind them, cutting off the outside's sounds.

  For a while, they remained there, a few steps from the main entrance, with only the warbles of falling water occupying the space.

  And then the door ahead swung open, and a short, middle-aged catkin man, with round spectacles and wearing a deep red robe, dashed out, followed by a tall, blonde young woman wearing a draping blouse and form-fitting pants.

  The man darted toward them, only to stop a few steps away from the door, mirroring Niala.

  Both stared at each other, ears and tails frozen. David wasn't even sure either of them was allowing themselves to breathe.

  The moment endured, neither of them moving a single muscle. The link was hosing him with a chaotic mix of emotions: fear, elation, dread, happiness, guilt, joy... enough to make him feel dizzy.

  He caught the blonde's gaze, and he dipped his head slightly as she faintly smiled and did the same.

  Both of them bent forward, bringing their heads near their respective frozen catkins, and whispered a few words in their ears.

  “Just go. He's more scared of you than you are of him.” David said, giving Niala a small push forward, while the young woman opposite David did something similar to her father.

  They both took one step, and then a second halting one, before both breaking into a run and smashing into each other, trailing tears as they did, embracing each other with their arms.

  A jumble of words and half-finished sentences followed, half-spoken, half-cried.

  The woman motioned to David, who looked up and saw her pointing to the side. Nodding, he walked up halfway and to the side of the interlaced catkins.

  As he approached, he got a better look at the young woman. She had the same eye colour as Niala; bright amethyst, but, where his girlfriend's eyes were full of innocent curiosity and empathy, the woman's were those of a benevolent fox in the process of charming a chicken. Enticing, observant, and calculating. If Niala's intelligence ran in the family, he had no doubt this was the kind of woman who could wrap people around her fingers. He felt strangely naked under her gaze.

  “So,” She spoke through a practiced smile, her voice resonant and sonorous. “You must be the delver friend.”

  He tilted his head. “Delver...? Oh, the Delver's rot. Yeah, that'd be me.”

  She looked him up and down. “You don't look like a delver.”

  “I'm not, I'm a Free Courier.”

  Her eyebrows rose for an instant. “Ah! Yes, I can see it... eyes that have seen a lot, clothes meant for long travels, and a bag full of cargo cloths. A successful Free Courier.” She said, a twinkle in her eyes.

  “Right... so you must be Niala's sister? Angeline?”

  “I am! It's a pleasure to meet you, mister...?” She said, doing a small curtsy.

  “David Wayman.”

  She dipped her head. “A pleasure, David Wayman.” She said, turning her head back toward the catkins.

  “She came back sooner than I thought she would. Are you to blame?” She asked.

  “Hmm, you could say that, although I would think you would know. Aren't you privy to your father's correspondence?”

  A corner of her smile tugged upward. “I am. Heading to Wardenburg to offer my sister's healing services to an ailing noble. Quite the journey, and quite the connection. Are you that well-travelled?”

  “I would say that I am.”

  She let her eyes run up and down David once more. “And quite the upbringing, I would say. Your manner of speech and bearing remind me of my little puppets...”

  David arced an eyebrow. “Your puppets?”

  Her eyes lit up, “Oh, yes! All the little puppets that I play with at my father's balls and receptions! You know, nobles.” She explained, leaning in.

  “...Ah. I did a lot of courier postings for the upper crust. I guess some of their runoff has stuck to me.”

  She giggled. “As if they were slimy creatures! Oh, I like this.”

  David turned to look at Niala and her father, who were in the process of smearing snot all over each other's soaked shoulders. “Maybe we should separate them, before they cry themselves dry?”

  “Hmm, a good point. Let's.” She agreed, walking up to the entangled family members and clawing her hand over the back of her father's collar, and pulling back. He let himself get lifted away, his arms falling limply to his side, just as David held Niala back from rushing forward.

  “Father, I think it's enough. Niala needs some time to breathe properly.”

  The catkin sniffled, “I- I... I... understand, my dear.” He said, Angeline releasing him as he dusted himself and straightened his robes.

  He looked back at Niala. “My precious daughter! Niala! Welcome back! Please, come in with us! We have so much to catch up on!”

  Niala, wiping her face on her sleeve, nodded and moved forward, following after Angeline.

  Cornelius watched her approach before turning toward David. “Ah, you must be the escort my daughter hired to see her back here. You have done well. Go wait by the guardhouse outside. I will have a reward sent your way.” He said, his tone imperious and uninterested.

  David tilted his head before glancing at Niala, who had seized up, and Angeline, whose mouth was tugging upward.

  Cornelius kept staring at him, his brow lowering. “Was there something else you needed, my good man?”

  David scratched his head. “I think there's something Niala ought to tell you.”

  Arcing an eyebrow, Cornelius turned to face his daughter.

  Niala stared back before rigidly marching up to David's side, and, averting her gaze by looking at the ground, laced her arms around one of David's.

  “Dad, this is David. He's my... hum...” She swallowed. “Boyfriend,” she managed to murmur.

  David looked up at Cornelius, only to find a statue staring back.

  A statue that was very clearly trying to figure out what kind of accidents he could cause and get away with.