“Let me be the first to welcome you to Landing,” said the man in front of me, with a smile. “And congratulations on joining the greatest group of explorers, investigators and puzzle solvers in all of the Kingdoms!” he said with the zeal of a true believer.

  “Thank you.” I replied. “I’m supposed to report to the Royal Palace that I survived the journey and made it here. Is it on the way to the Head office?”

  “Ahh yes, you will need to do so. Fortunately the head office is in the Royal Palace, so I will take you to report in, and then we can take care of those reports you are carrying.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Jenkins? Right? I’m Aenara, it's a pleasure to meet you.” I offered my hand.

  “Christoph Jenkins,” he replied, taking my hand and giving it a firm shake. “If you want to come this way, I’ll point out the places of interest on the way to the palace.”

  The wooden pier we had stood on merged into more permanent stone docks. Christoph led me up a short ramp into a warehouse district. Huge buildings with large open doors. The air was dominated by the smell of the sea, but tainted with the stink of human bodies in close proximity to each other. I soon realised as we passed the first few, the warehouses had been converted into hastily built shelters. Makeshift wooden walls and cloth dividers had been put up to give the families inside an illusion of privacy. There were kids running around, screaming and shouting in that way happy children do, a handful of parents keeping an eye on them. It reminded me of disaster relief photos, people battered but surviving with hope rekindled. They could see the light at the end of a dark tunnel and they were starting to live once more. I could see smaller side roads joining the wider avenue we walked along, its smooth flat surface more akin to a modern road than the cobblestone roadways the technology level the ships implied humanity was supposed to have.

  “We had underestimated how many people the fleets would be able to rescue.” Christoph said, as he saw where my eyes were looking. “Us and the Wardens reclaimed enough buildings to house several thousand survivors, only for the first fleets to bring considerably more than that.” He ran a hand through his hair. The weight of his voice made me glance again at the children, playing with abandon. “We’ve been finding space where we can, but it has meant everyone is cramped in while we try to clear more of the towers. Fortunately we are seeing an increase in the number of people, like yourself, who have successfully integrated with the system. If enough of you are able and willing we will soon have expanded enough that the families here can start to spread out. Though more and more are arriving as the ships scattered by the storm hobble in.” It sounded like a worthwhile goal, and would make for a good hook to encourage groups to push out into the wilderness. We walked past a cart being drawn by an ox that had been stopped to load it with goods.

  “Wardens?” I asked.

  “The military arm, front line warriors. Where we seek those who want to explore the world and look into its mysteries. The Wardens seek those more interested in running into the fight. Standing guard and pushing back against our common enemies. We often work together to help clear the local ruins or when we uncover a threat that needs to be dealt with.” We crossed a dividing line between the warehouse district near the docks and the buildings became more short squat office-blocks, which had also been repurposed to hold families. “They will most likely try and poach you when we arrive at the palace.”

  Our path led us to a crossroads on a huge tree lined avenue, a grassy verge in the middle splitting the lanes of traffic, everyone keeping to the left. “In that direction,” he pointed down the avenue to our right, “you will find the Artificers district on the river front. Armour smiths, weaponsmiths, magitech engineers, and various other crafters. Their work isn’t cheap, but it is the best in the region. You will also find the alchemists selling their wares there, though their crafting area is on the other side of the river, about as far as we can get them from everyone else, in case they blow themselves up, again. If you stay on the avenue you will eventually get to the road heading along the coast to the south.” He then pointed to the wide road on the opposite side of the crossroads. “That road is the most direct path from here to the edge of the claimed city. The Wardens have an outpost there. Right now we have some senior staff running things from an office in it, as we assist in taking more towers.” We turned left and started our walk towards the cliffs.

  “The Statue is called the Meditating Mage, I think most just refer to her as Mellissa. The mages claimed the palace behind her as their Sanctum and Collegium. Assuming you aren’t just wearing that set for the look… you will most likely need to check in with them as well.” I nodded.

  “Wendy’s echo gave me some lessons.” I confirmed.

  “Really? They will definitely want you then, she is…was…one of our greatest mages. You might want to start referring to her as Master McCoy or Mage McCoy, some of the older mages and Explorators are sticklers for decorum and might take offense to your casual use of one of the highest ranked member’s first name.” I nodded. No point antagonising people for no reason. “Our destination is the Palace, you would have seen it as you approached. A large ornate building on the top of the cliffs?” I nodded, remembering the building he referred to.

  “Next to the mage statue?”

  “Not quite, but an easy mistake to make at that distance and angle. We will need to take the lifts up the cliff side.”

  The avenue we were walking along, merged with another, which ran along the cliffs, our destination was a long building on the other side of it. A track came out of the top of one side rising up the cliffs, and then came back down to go into the top of the other end. Every minute or so, a metal cage-like structure would emerge riding the track up the cliff, in time with another entering the other end. There were a number of people, including some dressed in the outfits we were given on the Indefatigable, queuing to enter the building. Christoph led me up to the door, flashed a badge and the pair of us were waved through.

  “Don’t tell anyone, with you being in that gear, they’ll have just assumed you already had the authorisation,” he grinned, whispering to me conspiratorily. “Technically you do, well will, as soon as we process those reports.”

  Inside the building, the track came down on the right, crossed over the room and then went up the other side. There was a platform at the same height as the cages, as it levelled off, an attendant opened the door, people got off, then at the half way point, people stepped into it, and then just before it lifted up, another attendant closed the door. Christoph led me over, bypassing the queue of people waiting, he waited for the attendant to stop letting more people in, and then we stepped on just before the door was closed.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  “There are five slots reserved on each carriage for the use of officials. We didn’t bump anyone, and being last, we get the best place to see one of Landing's sights.” He turned me to look back, away from the cliff as we rose up through the roof of the building.

  The motion of the lift was smooth and constant. The sun was setting, and lights in the city were starting to come alive. I could see the avenue we had walked along extending out into the distance, crossing over the wide river, hemmed in by buildings which slowly became sparser and sparser before giving way to fields of wheat and corn, glowing in reds with the light of the setting sun. Further to the east I could see other avenues heading south from the one running along the cliff bottom. I could see the side roads, linking the avenues creating blocks of buildings, which gradually got taller and taller the further east they went before merging with impossibly tall trees of the forest beyond.

  Looking upon the docks, it was clear the fishing vessels had returned beating the setting sun, as that side of the docks was a hive of activity as people helped to unload the catches, and wheel them into the warehouses behind the piers.

  As we rose higher and higher it became increasingly apparent just how alive this city was. I wasn’t alone in my admiration. Several other players, mostly in the starting gear, in various different states of repair, were all mesmerised by the view.

  “Wow…” I couldn’t help myself from saying.

  “Spectacular, isn’t it. I’ve been here nearly fifteen years, and I’m still not tired of it.”

  My view was interrupted by the underside of a building built out over the cliff. We rose up into a room, and then levelled off and started moving across it, the reverse of the one at the bottom of the cliff. Another attendant opened the carriage’s door and Christoph and I were the first to step off. We followed the path out, around the hole that the elevator came in through and up a flight of stairs into the upper part of the city.

  We found ourselves in a large plaza, an ornate fountain made up of a group of women holding jugs, facing in each of the cardinal directions, pouring water constantly into the pool below. It sat in the middle of a two hundred meter wide plaza. To our right, I could see a road heading away, large ornate buildings, fronted by varieties of pillars, hanging baskets, and a plethora of flags. There were several soldiers standing guard over the road, directing most people away.

  “Embassies, senior functionaries, what is left of the gentry,” he said. “It’s not quite as cramped for them as it is for everyone else down below, but it is a lot less than any of them are used to. Complaining about it is about all some of them do.”

  He turned and pointed at a gate opposite the embassies’ road. The plaza stretched until passage was impeded by a series of white marble stone pillars, connected by inverted arches in the same stone. It was all topped by an immaculately manicured evergreen hedge of the darkest green. Two intimidating mages stood guard before the ornate black gate which was the only visible means of passage in that direction.

  “The Sage’s Collegium had claimed it for their own when it was determined to have once been a center for learning. The Mages guild emerged shortly after and has come to hold a majority position in their politics. Those of us not of the Art, tended to, shall we say step lightly, around those who could manipulate the elemental forces.” We stopped and stared at the gates for a moment. “I was always advised to just stay out of it. However since the arrival of their Majesties, it seems the politicking has gone into overdrive. The influx of new scholars, bringing with them their full libraries, senior scholars who came with an expectation of seniority…” he ran his hand through his hair.

  “Oh?” I asked.

  “It’s been described as a powder keg, with a lit fuse. I’d suggest not going in at all, but as a mage, I think you will have no choice. I urge you to be careful there.”

  I looked across at the neatly trimmed hedges, and an old man in pale overalls with his shears out making the occasional snip. “It looks quite peaceful.” I comment.

  “True, but then so does a fireball until it hits the target and…Boom!” his hands mimicking an explosion. “Ahead is the Royal Palace. Our destination" He turned to look at me for a moment. “It will save us some hassle if you assign the Explorator Title,” he remarked. I opened my HUD, went to the titles page and selected the newest one, [Explorator].

  To the north of the plaza was the building I had seen as we sailed in. Or at least, I had seen the top of. At least six stories tall, topped with a shiny golden roof which seemed to glow as the setting sun hit it. There were buildings in different styles which had been added on throughout the years, the core of it though looked to have been made of a white marble like material, with wide expansive windows, all of which looked over the courtyard we were approaching. Armed soldiers stood aside as we approached, the lead man, sergeant stripes on his arm, exchanged a salute with Christoph.

  “Welcome back, Sir. The Commander’s presence has been requested, is she on her way back?”

  “No Sergeant. Who made the request?”

  “Her Majesty, Sir.” the sergeant responded.

  “In that case, you’ll need to send someone down to the Curiosity’s berth. You have anyone already in the dog house?”

  “So it was her ship? Sadly, I’ll need to go myself.”

  “My sympathies.” They exchanged salutes again, I received a nod and the sergeant and two of his men hurried off.

  “Good man, that.” he commented as we crossed into the courtyard. “First we should get you registered, new arrivals are over to the left.” The courtyard was wide and open. The buildings immediately being low, allowed the maximum amount of the sun’s light to cover it. From here I could see that the buildings built up, like steps the further back you went. We turned left and headed for the first set of doors.

  It led into a large hall, with people queuing in cordoned off paths, each led to a number of desks which had uniformed men and women reviewing paperwork, stamping it or redirecting them to another desk. It was bureaucratic hell.

  We weaved between the lines to a mousey woman who was sitting to one side behind the other desks, working on some paperwork. Christoph, slipped round the desk to the now smiling woman and gave her a peck on the cheek.

  “As much as I enjoy seeing you, to what do I owe this pleasure?” she asked, smiling at him.

  “I need a favour. Aenara here is a Voyager who just arrived…”

  “And you want her fast tracked?” she asked with a raised eyebrow and a sigh. “It’s a good job you have a nice smile.” She stood up. “I’ll process her myself, and bring her by your office.”

  “Daniels told me to use hers…” he said a little sheepishly.

  “And clear it as well… Husband, you will regret being late to dinner.” She softened her berating tone by going up onto her toes and kissing him on the lips. She gave me a look for the first time, seemed to decide something, let out a sigh and then smiled at me. “Come, let’s get you registered.”