CHAPTER 18: RUSH
The Airssel cut gracefully across the ocean's surface, its form sleek and streamlined like a predator at rest. Its body was broad and smooth, painted in white and deep blue, sunlight sliding cleanly along its polished skin.
Across the hull, the word "BATES" was emblazoned in bold lettering.
Inside, the craft was no less impressive. The space opened wide with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, flooding the room with natural light and an endless view of the sea.
Neutral-toned sectional couches sprawled across the lounge, their softness offset by the cool transparency of glass floor panels that revealed the ocean churning beneath. At the back, a staircase of clean, geometric lines climbed toward the upper level, sharp angles standing in contrast to the organic sweep of water outside.
Kale Bates leaned into the sunlight, wine glass in hand, the taste rich on his tongue as he studied the horizon. "Hmm, looks like the Czarina's main Tessel hasn't left the Wise Man Sea yet."
A smile tugged at his mouth as he sipped again.
"Father… tch, I should stop calling him father. Vex Bates said the Czarina hasn't made an appearance in the Fourth Rishon yet, but I should be careful. An Acme's methods are beyond my comprehension. Even if it's unlikely a minor character like me would catch her attention, I should still tread lightly."
He tilted the glass high and chuckled, swallowing the last of the wine in one gulp. The weight of his thoughts pressed heavy as he slumped into a chair, shoulders loose, sighing hard.
"It will be hard establishing my own set as a mere Status Seven. The Bates name will help me start, but the other sets won't just bend over if I try taking high-degree contracts." His voice was low, more to himself than anyone.
Kale's eyes drifted to the transparent floor, watching the sea foam ripple far below.
"It will be difficult recruiting Crew Teams under my set who are willing to be contracted to the Southern Hemisphere. No amount of Equi will compel anyone to face certain death. But it's my only option to learn more about the Old Worlds.
I just hope Vex's ethereal complex plane is really on Crew County's main Tessel as he said. He could be using me… giving me something so valuable. I can't grasp his angle yet. Still, I need that ethereal complex plane to establish a set on Crew County's main Tessel."
The light shifted.
Kale's gaze snapped upward as a vast shadow fell across the windows. A structure — immense, unmistakable — loomed into view. He rose from the chair, wine glass dangling carelessly at his side, and stepped toward the glass wall.
A grin curved across his face, sharp and expectant.
___
On the main Tessel of Crew County, towering black arches rose skyward, supporting a vast translucent roof through which the shifting sky could be seen.
The architecture was sleek, its smooth, rounded buildings aglow with illuminated windows. At ground level, lush greenery softened the steel: landscaped gardens, palm trees, and neatly trimmed hedges lining the broad walkways.
People drifted across the plaza in scattered clusters, their movements weaving a quiet hum of life beneath the vaulted ceiling.
At the center lay a circular plaza where Siah, Asha, Jade, Stetto, and Lohim sat together on a long bench. Their faces were drawn, weighed down by silence until Siah broke it with a cold snort. "I think we should join a Set. Recruiting when we have no Equi to even feed ourselves is pointless. Mortals wouldn't even be interested, much less a Status Seven."
Lohim nodded quietly, while Jade sat stiff, her thoughts far away, until Siah rose, absently petting her back. "I command your perseverance, but unlike you all I am just a mortal. My body needs rest. I'm going back to the quarters."
Asha and Stetto's eyes hardened. Her voice cut firm and sharp. "Nobody is leaving until we solve this. Do you want to end up as a servant of Crew County?"
Siah only shrugged, his tone indifferent. "You, Jade, and Lohim are nobles. Why didn't you ask your Houses for Equi? This problem can be solved easily."
Stetto sneered, his gaze narrowing. "Do you think things are that simple? This is not your village. Most of us came here to escape Dyson's influence."
Siah scoffed, his crimson eyes flashing. "I never mentioned you, Grelon slave. You have no backing."
The insult struck hard. Stetto clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding, rage barely leashed. "You talk tough knowing I can't attack a mortal."
Siah turned away, ignoring him, sinking into his own thoughts. His steps carried him aimlessly until his eyes fell upon a vast library, its pillars shadowing his path.
"Sigh… I have no Equi to even learn about evil spirits. Who was that woman? I must be frustrated, imagining things. She mentioned Kushim died at the hands of Acme Santis… She must not be simple.I don't know much about this world, so it's difficult to connect the dots."
He scratched his head in frustration, his steps clumsy—
—when he collided with a boy.
Golden hair spilled messy across the boy's brow, the rest swept back in layered strands. Papers scattered across the floor as piercing blue eyes shot at Siah, brimming with disgust.
Siah froze, his crimson gaze meeting the boy's. Without a word, he ground his dirty boots onto the fallen pages."Are you waiting for your servant to pick them up?" Siah's voice was cold.
The boy's lips thinned."Mortals often think they are beneath a Stillness' punishment," he said, tone calm, though his eyes never left Siah's back.
Siah tilted his head, jaw tightening."You're the second person to say that to me in the past few minutes. I'm really getting tired of it. I have stress I need to vent. You don't need to hide behind your Stillness. We can settle this without alerting any help you might receive."
The boy chuckled, smiling faintly as he gathered himself."I have just the place."
Siah gritted his teeth, heat flashing in his eyes.
"Lead the way, pompous bastard."