The agreed-upon days passed, and the group reunited. The naturally cold climate of the continent of Ulfria created an astonishing wall of frosted fog around Thar-Abbys, and the almost spectral appearance of the Multicontinental, surrounded by lights and glows, only added drama to the melancholic station where one could barely see beyond a few meters.
"The Multicontinental bound for the regions of Ulfria, Gold Jungle Island, Allaughashir, Dremoria, Nher Vael Arhym, Fortuna Institute, and the city of Eophock is arriving. Please begin boarding. You are kindly asked not to forget anything, as after Ulfria we will cross the Rainbow Sea and therefore will not be able to stop, slow down, or change direction. Thank you for choosing us"—a female voice announced from the ecoquartzites, crystalline, purplish formations embedded along the installation, whose hue varied in coordination with the voice they emitted.
All the adventurers looked at the announcement boards and mission chalkboards to see if any caught their eye or fit their route. Meanwhile, on platform A1, Mina, Íthil, and Jacob prepared to board.
"You're not forgetting anything, are you? It would be very unpleasant if you left behind any important tools," Mina said in a serious tone as they gathered all their luggage.
"Don't worry, we have what we need," Íthil and Jacob nodded.
Among the three, Jacob was the most agitated. He had his eyes on the enchanted luggage cart, trying to load his luggage onto it without touching it, nervously. Just when he seemed triumphant, the cart moved slightly a few millimeters, touching Jacob and triggering his unfortunate allergy, illuminating all the platforms in the area.
"No way!" Jacob shouted as Íthil laughed at the top of his lungs.
Íthil threw the singed Jacob onto a sofa in their cabin.
"No doubt, Jacob, you'll be a great help on missions, hahahahaha," Íthil said, holding back a mocking chuckle.
After settling in, Íthil slept for a while longer while Jacob took inventory of his newly purchased portable weapon repair workshop and a small stove. Mina, for her part, prepared sturdy quartz flasks with their respective alchemical and medicinal compounds. A journey of two days and three nights awaited them.
At dawn on the third day, already past the city of Nher Vael Arhym, the group was preparing. Before them appeared a tree unlike any they had ever seen. They hadn't even seen its base yet, and they were already observing its canopy; it soared enormous and carefree on the horizon, beyond the clouds, while its massive trunk revealed a huge and bustling settlement nestled in its bark and along its thickest branches.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the station embedded in one of the tree's roots, where multiple vehicles were also arriving and departing.
"I've never had the chance to visit Eophock before; it's quite intimidating, to be honest," Íthil said, astonished by the tree's dimensions, but with a tone of distrust.
"Me neither… I have to agree with you, it's enormous! But there's an aura of tranquility coming from this tree," Mina said as she observed the city above in the branches. A multitude of vehicles of all types traveled among the branches, and entire residential blocks were nestled in its trunk.
"This city is incredible; I particularly agree it's big, but nothing is more extraordinary than the platinum mines beneath Thar-Abbys; they truly left me breathless!" Mina and Íthil looked resignedly at Jacob, who was lost in his mining fantasies.
They looked around from the enormous branch that housed them. From there, they could see residential districts, plazas, and commercial areas located on the tree and its roots. Meanwhile, on the farthest buttresses were farms with terraced plantings. With this landscape, they could comprehend the true dimension of the tree.
"Wow, the existence of this tree in the desert is truly incredible! One would think this land is poor and infertile," Mina said as she tried to tame her hair, which played wildly in the air.
"Actually, you're wrong, children; it's because of the tree that the Dumas desert exists. This tree is an Amhin-Talogh, a spirit tree from the realm of Garod," an attractive female voice said.
The three adventurers turned their gaze to a shop window in a nearby station establishment. On its balcony sat a woman whose age was dangerously hard to discern, with long, straight black hair that cascaded over her shoulders, down her back, and halfway to her thighs. The dark, deep tone of her hair contrasted with her soft, pink complexion. Large hair rings adorned each side of her face, and a platinum snake tattoo ran down her right arm. She wore a polished platinum amulet and a long, sleeveless, Chinese-style dress. A pleasant and relaxing scent emanated from her; deep experience could be seen in her eyes, but her face, with remnants of a large, half-eaten smoked pork leg she held in her right hand, somewhat detracted from the encounter.
"Aah!" Jacob and Íthil gasped, mouths agape, hypnotized, while Mina judged them with her gaze.
The charming woman, wiping herself with a handkerchief, approached Íthil and Jacob, and with her index finger gently closed each of their mouths.
"As I was saying, children, this tree creates the desert among its roots. These extend throughout Dumas, and in its thickest, exposed roots are the roads, oases, and medium-sized settlements, and in the middle of these are the desert expanses of Du…ma…s… Are you listening to me?" the woman asked Íthil and Jacob, who were staring intently at her, to which they merely nodded, intensifying their gaze.
PHOOM!—reverberated in the establishment, accompanied by a slight tremor. Everyone fell silent and turned to see Mina restoring her companions' ability to speak with a gentle tap on each of their heads.
"I must apologize for my companions; I see they are slightly weak to certain stimuli," she said, tapping her foot on her companions' unconscious bodies.
Sighing slightly, the beautiful woman looked at Mina and gently laughed.
"Well, it seems your friends and you have a task," she exclaimed as she looked at Mina's wooden medallion and the other two that lay on the floor.
"Yes, and I see you have one too," Mina pointed with her hand to the platinum medallion held by a half-red cape on her shoulders. This one had diamond letters that clearly marked a double SS, denoting the highest level among adventurers and masters; even directors and teachers usually only reached an S.
"Of course, everyone has work; it's rare for a Thar-Abbys student not to," the woman said, laughing charmingly as she picked up a medium-sized bag from beside her table.
"Cheer up, students, and good luck with your missions!" she said one last time before disappearing into the crowd of people passing through the station. The crowd parted as if clearing the way for such a beautiful woman.
Mina huffed and murmured—"Of course… everyone has work"—carrying the two unconscious figures and tossing them onto a nearby bench where they soon regained consciousness, and proceeded to continue their journey.
The group found the transport sections without much trouble. Jacob managed to get a good discount on transport to the swamps. They set off, loading their belongings, and began their journey to their next destination, traveling over the root in a cart powered by Stoneworks. The journey wasn't too long; the road was very well maintained, and along with the occasional clusters of houses embedded along the sides of the road and the terraced gardens maintained next to the desert, the journey always offered something to look at. At dusk, they stopped seeing the desert landscapes and noticed the change in the cart's movement; they had already left the root behind, beginning the dirt road. The change in the landscape was also evident.
"And… what kind of place are we heading to, little one?" Íthil said as they watched the vivid green of the tree gradually turn into twisted, sparse, and brownish trees.
"I'm not a dwarf!" Jacob grumbled while Mina let out a perceptible laugh.
"Well, the place we're going to is a free town called Theos," Jacob added.
"Free Town? What's that like?" Mina and Íthil asked.
"Yes… the Dragas region is known for not having concrete political stability and constantly changing leadership. In short, the region is very unstable. Fights and political disputes instigated by external powers keep the region chaotic, providing cheap labor," Jacob replied.
"Oh, yes, I've heard rumors about that; they say the source of all this are the Reclamationist Orders," Íthil added as he looked out the window.
"Yes, I've heard those rumors too," Mina exclaimed as she closed the window on her side of the cart.
"It's a possibility. The Reclamationist Orders have a strong presence in this region, from assassinations, coercion, corruption, and political movements in other countries and academies, supposedly for the collection of Archaeorelics," Jacob said somberly.
"An acquaintance told me that not long ago, the last legitimate male head of the already agonizing royal family of the region was assassinated. It seems there will be civil war soon," Mina said as the cart's movement rocked the group.