[Short Story] Week 453: Liminal Terminal

[Redfin]

Total Word Count: 7353
Forward: I came up with the title first and then the plot second. As for what the plot actually is,

Liminal Terminal​

Chapter 1, Samwe​

It was getting late. Caesar was setting behind the mountains, leaving the peaks wreathed in an otherworldly glow. The air was chilly and biting. Strong gusts dug in with tight fangs. Elatus Spiritus was a hub of activity. It was the largest airship dock in the entire world. Built into the mountains, it was the perfect landing perch for all manners of flying crafts. The docks handled both long haul freight and small time air balloons. Both private aircrafts and company-owned fleets were located there. It took an army of workers and many terminals to handle everything. Even then, it was controlled chaos.

A heavy fog had set in for the evening. It was thick enough to form a cotton wall blocking the world further out. Only powerful lights could cut through, but they loomed off in the distance like creatures staring at the docks.

Productivity had ground to a halt. It was too dangerous for any ships to be taking off or landing. The usually busy docks were still. Grumbling people crowded around with nothing to do.

The passenger couldn't have that, though. They had places they had to be. But despite their best efforts, none of the passenger ships were running in such dangerous conditions. The only other thing they could think of was turn to private ships. Maybe someone would be willing to take them on their journey. They were directed to one of the furthest terminals.

The passenger moved quickly but carefully. Even with railings everywhere, the mountain slope was ever present and waiting to swallow up those that took a wrong step.

To reach their destination, they had to cross a long bridge. Partway through, the fog had swallowed up both ends, isolating the passenger from the rest of the world. Continuing forward signs of the docks returned. Specifically, there was an arch with the words, "L Terminal," written across the top.

The far terminal was a quiet place compared to the rest of Elatus Spiritus. It was far less busy almost to the point where no work was being done at all. The occasional person was around, but they were merely relaxing the night away, uncaring about the heavy fog.

"Hey," a laicar man said. He was leaning against the railing, cool as a cucumber despite the long drop right behind him. Though it was night, he still wore a pair of sunglasses. A red bandana was wrapped around his head with short tufts of dark brown hair poking out. The man flashed a smirk at the passenger. "I hear you're looking for a ride? Well, I have a ship. I don't mind going out in this kind of weather. Still, I'm not going to do this for just anyone."

The man looked around, staring up at the foggy skies. "This is some night we're having, isn't it? I feel like I'm getting drenched just standing around. It's not often we get this kind of weather, so you've picked a poor time to travel. But that's not going to stop you, right?"

The passenger extended out a handful of exa.

"Oh no," the man said. "I don't want that. I do need a favor, though, and you look like you'll do it well enough. There are four deadbeats around this terminal that owe me. If you get what I want, I'll take you on my airship. By the way, my name is Samwe. Just thought you should know who you're hitching a ride with.

"Huh? Your name? Nah, that's fine. I find the less I know about my passengers the better. Especially suspicious people that want a ride in this kind of weather. I don't need to know what's so urgent, but if it is urgent, you'd better get going." Samwe let out a laugh. In that quiet part of the docks, his voice carried on until it was swallowed up by the fog.

"Oh, you want to know who you're looking for? Don't worry, friend, you'll recognize those people that owe me when you see them. Just tell them Samwe wants his stuff." The man gave a thumbs up. "I believe that you can do it, even if you've never acted as an enforcer before. Don't worry. No one here is going to want to fight you." With one final nod, Samwe sent the passenger off.

There were four targets. The passenger shuffled along the far terminal trying to take everything in. Where were they supposed to start searching? The place was surprisingly huge. It was more than just the one row of piers. Buildings crept in and out of the fog. Staircases and ladders went down to lower levels. A tall tower was supposed to keep watch over the terminal, but it couldn't do anything in the harsh conditions.

The terminal was also more unique than the rest of the Elatus Spiritus. Colorful graffiti artwork filled the walls and railings. People had brought their personal belongings around and set up little private areas for where they could play cards or other games. Heat lamps helped keep the cold mist at bay.

The passenger continued on. They had people to find and places to be.

 

[Redfin]

Chapter 2, Arsico​

The passenger was amongst a group of people still at the far terminal. The three old people had a comfortable setup that included worn sofas, pillows and blankets. A lamp in the middle that was just strong enough to cover them in a sphere of light. The place was even decorated with a painting of a tree with rainbows falling out from the leaves.

The two old ladies of the group were busy knitting away. It looked like they were wearing their own creations, and it was possible to see the progression of their skill from the articles of clothing. They were currently working on making gaudy sweaters. One was a horrid color of puke green with red polka dots. The other had every pattern around. The stripes clashed with the chevron and melted into the argyle.

The old man was busy working on braiding rope. His wrinkled bony fingers moved with sewing machine-like precision. Fibers went in one end and rope came out the other.

"Looking for someone that owes Samwe, huh?" the old man said. "Don't look at us. We don't deal with him."

The woman on the left let out a cackle.

The woman on the right said, "I've known Samwe for a long time, and I've never asked for anything from him. He does what he says, but I think he's far too business oriented. The man has no compassion. It's all so transactional."

The man grunted. "What are we still doing here this late? It's too dark and dangerous to leave! If we're spending time out here, we might as well enjoy it."

The woman on the left cackled again.

The three of them were so skilled that they were staring at the passenger while working. Only when the passenger moved away did the three of them turn back to their tasks.

The fog was bearing down as strong as ever. It made getting around the place slow and treacherous. Tools left on the ground sprang out as tripping hazards. The end of walkways just appeared moments before stepping into the railing. Lights off in the distance were the best way to tell something was worth looking at in that direction.

The passenger looked around. The few people that were around didn't mind the poking, prodding and investigating. There were some camps that had already been left for the night. A game of chess sat abandoned, though it looked like black was a few moves away from checkmate. Another place had various boxes of boardgames. A handwritten sign with dripping letters read, "Borrow one!"

The passenger had no time to play, even though they were eying a jigsaw puzzle longer than necessary. According to the box, the complete picture was that of Elatus Spiritus.

While wandering around, the passenger spied a lone figure apart from the others. That figure was tall with long, slender arms. Getting closer, a velen emerged from the fog. He was lean and wore a tanktop that showed off his muscular body. Large fins with sharp spines grew from his arms and legs. He had a bored look while gazing around at the fog.

"Huh?" the velen said. "Do you need something? Me? I'm just bored here. Yeah, there are lots to do around, but sometimes, there's too much choice, you know? When you see everything, you just sort of freeze and do nothing.

"What? You're not here to listen to me blab about? Then what do you want?"

The velen tilted his head and folded his arms. "The name's Arsico. And yeah, I have something from Samwe. So he sent you to collect, then? I don't feel like giving it back. If you want it, you'll have to come and get it."

Arsico took off down the walkways of the terminal. He didn't get far, though, as the current path ended in nothingness. During normal times, it was a ramp for airships. During the foggy evenings, it was one bad step away from a painful fall off the mountain.

"Well, you would think I would know this place better since I work here," Arsico said. "I blame this fog! Let me tell you something. Everyone thinks velen are great swimmers. You know how hard it is to keep on swimming underwater? It gives us great strength!" The velen flexed his muscles. "I happen to train in grip as well, and it makes me a pretty good climber."

Reaching up, Arsico was able to grab onto a cable attached to the walkway. He swung off the side. Going hand over hand, he began to climb. It was enough for him to get around the passenger. Rather than continuing on foot, Arsico parkoured around from structure to structure.

The passenger tried to keep up, but the velen was still faster. The fog didn't help matters. The passenger came to a stop after losing sight of the target. They was bent over and breathing hard. There had to be a better way.

The passenger wandered around until they stumbled back to where the three old folks were working.

"What happened? You look terrible," the woman on the right said.

"Oh, so you saw who has Samwe's stuff, but he ran away?" the man said. "That's tough."

The woman on the right offered her seat. "Why don't you rest a bit, darling."

The couch had an old, musty smell, but the passenger didn't care.

"You're chasing Arsico?" the old woman asked. "Oh, that boy sure likes to run around a lot. I always worry that he might slip one of these days, but he doesn't listen. I suppose he must be confident in his skills." She turned to her companions. "Say, why don't we help out? Do any of you have any ideas?"

The woman on the left shook her head and let out a squeaking noise.

However, the old man rubbed his stubble. "I do have an idea. You could set a trap for Arsico." He held out the rope he had been braiding. "This should make a fine trip or snare. Though this was originally supposed to go to a fun young couple, I don't think they'll mind it being a bit used."

The standing woman nodded. "Yes, that's a good idea. Samwe would do well to be more like us, helping without expecting everything to be a transaction."

The woman on the left rocked back and forth in a cackle.

The passenger accepted the rope.

"Do you know what to do?" the old man asked.

The passenger shook their head.

"I think a snare would be better. If you try to trip Arsico, he might go tumbling off the platform, or he'll do some fancy somersault that makes me ache just thinking about it. So here's what you do."

The old man was knowledgeable about trapping, knots and more. In a few minutes, he had given a fast tutorial on how to make a simple pull snare. All the passenger needed to do was lure Arsico into the correct location, which was easier said than done.

The passenger nodded with renewed determination.

They returned near the place they first found Arsico. It was time to set the trap. Using all of their newfound knowledge and no practice, they managed to make a basic setup. As soon as Arsico stepped in the snare, they would pull on the string to tighten it. With the fog, they didn't even need to mask the trap.

The passenger found the target relaxing against a crate.

"Oh, you again," Arsico grumbled. "You're persistent, I'll give you that."

The passenger charged forwards, going low. The velen responded with a gleeful laugh as he vaulted overhead.

"Come on, this is too easy." Arsico danced around. "You're not going to catch me like that."

The passenger was deliberately moving slower and breathing harder. They stumbled around while clutching their chest. Step by step, they managed to lull Arsico into a false sense of security. When he moved onto the snare, the passenger struck. Unleashing all of their stored might, they pulled the rope taut.

"What?" Arsico exclaimed. The trap closed around his ankle. When he tried to jump away, he got more tangled.

The passenger kept a tight grip on the other end while moving closer. The more Arsico fought, the more rope wrapped around his body. He was soon unable to move as everything was a mess.

"Alright, alright, you got me," Arsico said. "Samwe sure picked an annoying one to get his stuff. Here, this is what I owe him." Still tied up, he managed to shuffle and twist around until he retrieved a moss-covered brick. "Take it and get out of here while I get out of this."

The passenger looked at the moss-covered brick. It was damp. The fog certainly made things more moist. If that was what Samwe wanted, that was what Samwe was going to get. They put away the first item. It took longer than expected, and there were still three more to go. The passenger hurried on.

 

[Redfin]

Chapter 3, Knaplan​

The fog rolled and roiled, erasing the world around it. The skies had vanished. The only thing lingering was a jagged golden glow cutting across the horizon. Elatus Spiritus, the docks built into the mountains, was quiet. Almost.

Music filled the air, but even that felt distorted by the fog. It came through sad and twisted. The sound was a mixture of melodious beauty and strained gasping. The passenger got closer to the source. Standing in the intersection of several branching paths was a demvir playing the accordion.

The demvir was a man with a metallic shell. His exterior had hints of rust looking almost like scars. He wore neat clothes similar to people playing in an orchestra, only cheaper. The man was grooving and jamming to the accordion playing. His entire body was part of the music, with the notes and tones carrying his movements.

There was a painting next to him setting the mood with a row of apples and oranges. They had arms and legs and were marching along. Next to the musician was a case for donations. A sign read, "Requests, 5 exa. I know everything."

The passenger didn't have time to stay and listen. They continued on with their task of finding the people that owed Samwe.

That portion of the terminal seemed to be used mainly for storage. Crates were stacked upon crates. Shelves had been carved into the mountain to hold even more things. Cranes loomed overhead like birds trying to snatch up worms.

"Huh? I don't owe Samwe anything."

"Nope. You've got the wrong person."

"Who's Samwe?"

Those were some of the responses people gave when the passenger asked questions.

"Oh, you're looking for someone that owes Samwe?" a young, bright-faced laicar woman said. She had full, rosy cheeks and a smile unbefitting such a dreary night. "No, not me. I'm the Omi. Nice to meet you. I just feel for your plight, so I want to help. How about it?" She extended her hand.

The passenger accepted.

"Great. Two people are better than one!"

Omi knew the terminal better than the passenger, so she was able to lead them around. They moved to an employee's only area which was a large warehouse. It wasn't any easier to see inside because it was dark and the only source of light was Omi's handheld lantern.

There was an enlil worker inside. He was in the middle of doing stuff, but upon closer examination, he only appeared to be busy. The worker moved boxes from one side to the other and then back again.

He stopped when they approached him.

"Oh, people," the enlil said wearily. He was young but he moved like there was the weight of the world on him. His body drooped and his arms swung without any tension.

"Hey!" Omi said. "It's, it's you." She faltered as her face turned into a frown. "You, there, guy."

"My name is Knaplan," the enlil said.

Omi clicked and pointed. "Right! Knaplan. How's it going?"

"What do you two want?" Knaplan asked. "Huh? You're looking for people that owe Samwe?" He let out a long sigh that deflated his body even more. "I knew this day would come. Yes, it's me. I have something that Samwe wants."

The passenger extended their hand.

"I'm not going to just give it to you," Knaplan said. "I've hidden the item somewhere that you'll never find."

Omi crossed her arms. "Come on, Knaplan. Why do you want it, anyway?"

Knaplan scratched his chin. "You know, I don't remember. And you two are going to keep on bothering me until I give it to you, aren't you?"

The passenger nodded.

"Sheesh. Fine. I'll give you what I owe Samwe on one condition." A smile emerged. It was a weary smile, but it lifted the man's mood slightly. "I am going to ask you a question, and you have only one chance to answer it. If you're wrong, then you'll have to search yourself for what I owe, and it could be anywhere. Are you ready?"

The passenger once again nodded.

"What am I afraid of?" Knaplan asked.

Omi burst out, "What kind of question is that? I thought it was going to be a riddle or something. How are we supposed to know what you're afraid of?"

"That's not my problem. You two figure it out. You can take all the time you want."

"Can we look around?"

"Sure."

Omi pulled the passenger away until they were outside of view and earshot. "So, what do you think? How are we supposed to answer his question?"

The passenger shrugged.

"Don't look at me. I don't know him that well. I know he's a warehouse worker, but that's about it. I barely see him outside. He's always just lurking about in here or another warehouse." Omi tugged on her face. "What would he be afraid of? You know what this calls for? Investigation! He said we can look around, so let's see if we can't dig up some dirt on him."

For lack of a better idea, the passenger agreed.

First, they poked and prodded around the warehouse area. It was where Knaplan worked, and maybe there would be a clue. They managed to find where the enlil took his breaks and learned he drank mainly soda and ate a lot of junk food. Nothing about what he was afraid of, though.

They started asking around, but the other workers still around the terminal had no idea either. They all enjoyed speaking with Omi, though, and the woman would chat for minutes at a time. The passenger had to nudge her to keep her on task.

"Yep, yep," Omi said, "moving on."

While walking down one of the walkways following the wall of the mountain, the passenger spun around. A shadow flitted just inside of view. However, nothing was there.

"What's up?" Omi asked. "I didn't see anything." She squinted. "I think it's just this night. All this fog really plays tricks on the mind, doesn't it?"

They could hardly see in front of them and behind them. Things just emerged from nothingness as they got closer. Shadows lingered in every corner, especially the eyes. The passenger shook their head and pressed onwards.

Still, even after looking all around, they couldn't find any real information on Knaplan. Music drew them back to the main intersection of that area like rats to the piper. The demvir was still playing a bright, cheery song.

"Hi." Omi waved to the musician. "This guy has been here a long time, always just playing away. I like coming here to listen to him. I don't know if he actually works for Elatus Spiritus, though. Hmm? He's certainly been here before I started here."

The passenger pulled out a five exa coin. They dropped it into the donation case.

"Would you like to make a request?" the demvir asked in a deep, hoarse voice. "Sure, I know Knaplan's fear. Isn't everyone's the marching of time? The inevitable end creeping close bit by bit and the only thing you've done is spend all your time working because you don't have enough to do anything else? And even giving it your all, you still never get ahead. All you can do is to slow your slipping further and further into the grind.

"And he's also acrophobic."

Omi nodded along. She had a smirk as nudged the passenger. "Wow, nice going. I suppose you didn't need me after all. Let's go back and get your item."

They returned to Knaplan in the warehouse. The enlil's feathers puffed up. "Well?" he asked. "Do you have my answer? You only get one chance."

The passenger nodded.

Knaplan covered his face and recoiled in shock. "Yes! You're right, I'm afraid of heights. Isn't that pathetic for an enlil?" He ruffled his feathers. "My friend got me this job not knowing that. I spend all my time here, so I don't have to look at all that height outside." He slumped forwards even more until his body was resting on one of the containers.

"Since you answered my question, here." His voice was garbled from his cheeks being flattened down. His hand reached around, reaching into a nook between crates. A large egg returned in his grasp. He cracked it against the side, and a clutch purse dripped out. It wasn't some cheap thing. It was a name brand Fortis. "This will do for Samwe."

The passenger scooped up the purse. There was something inside. They were about to look, but Knaplan said, "Don't open that. The contents are only for Samwe."

The passenger nodded and put away the purse.

Omi stretched and let out a long yawn. "Well, that was fun, but I'm feeling a bit tired. If you want to continue on, good luck. I'll be rooting for you." She patted the passenger on the back before leaving the warehouse.

Still two more items to collect.

 

[Redfin]

Chapter 4, Roubabou​

The night grew deeper and more inscrutable. Three glowing spheres stared hazily through the fog. Yet, the terminal wasn't quiet. The mountain rumbled and groaned. The many ropes strained as they held onto airships drifting back and forth . Cold wind whispered through the walkways. Metal creaked, and fabric flapped.

The passenger continued on. A giant rectangular shape emerged from the mist. It was the lobby of the terminal. Most of the time, it would be a welcoming place where people could rest while waiting. That night, it was empty and silent. The lights were still on inside.

The passenger went in to be greeted by a painting of a farmer picking an apple from a happy tree. The tree was the one that had a great smile on its trunk while the farmer just didn't have a face.

The rest of the lobby was meant only for a short stay. It was filled with hard benches. The information booth was empty, and the table of schedules had been wiped blank.

Strange. Despite the mist, the terminal was still officially open. While there might not be any passengers around, the staff should still be on site. Yet there was no one. The passenger wandered around, poking into places that were usually off limits to the general public.

The break room was empty. Mugs were left on the counter. A stale box of pastries sat in the corner. The janitor's closet was filled with cleaning supplies, paper towels and more. A mop stood against the shadows, creeping just out of sight.

The walls and hallways were decorated with more paintings, all by the same artist. The signature in the corner belonged to one Roubabou.

After wandering around the west side of the building, the passenger was about to head over to the east side. A lone person was standing in the main lobby.

"A passenger?" The voice was soft and feminine. It belonged to a demvir with a stout, blocky body. Old color splotches stained her body. "Yeah, this place is a bit quiet right now. What can I do for you?

"Oh, you're looking for things for Samwe? I am Roubabou, and I do owe Samwe. Unfortunately, I don't have his item anymore. I used it for one of my artworks. Have you seen them?"

Roubabou headed to the front of the lobby where one of the paintings was located. "I have many more all around." She left the building for the cold, misty air outside. Her gaze turned towards the skies, with the apertures of her eyes adjusting for the haziness. "If you want to find the item, I won't stop you. You'll have to carefully consider which painting I've used it on, though. I will tell you two things. The painting is inside this building, and you will need this." She handed over a powered lantern.

"Well, good luck. Roubabou out." The artist spread her arms with her back against the railing of the walkway leading to the lobby. She tipped upwards, flipping over the side.

The passenger ran over, but the fog was too thick to see what had happened to the demvir. There were no sounds from below either.

The passenger looked down at the lantern in their hands. Why would that be necessary? When they turned to the lobby, all of the lights had gone out. The passenger turned on the lantern. Even at maximum brightness, it only covered a small area around them.

They entered the building again to be faced by "Picking an Apple," the painting of a farmer picking an apple from the happy tree. Had the plaque with the title always been there? Had the passenger just not noticed it before? They held up the lantern and carefully made their way around.

The inside of the lobby was even darker than the outside. None of the lamps and lights could penetrate the walls. The air was chilling. Silence dominated the space. A seeping feeling of dread slithered down the passenger's back making them shiver.

All of the paintings they had seen before had titles. "Swimming in the Pond." "A Loop Over A Moon." "Three Praeca Playing."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The passenger's footsteps punched against the silence.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The noise bounced back from the emptiness.

The passenger found themselves over by the stalls. They were supposed to be selling goods to people within the lobby, but all of the clerks had gone. Nothing was locked up, however. The snack stall still had a few pastries left in the case, but insects were crawling all over it. The machines of the juice stall were clogged up with some kind of fibrous red slop. The sight of it was enough to make the passenger lose their appetite.

A clanging noise caused the passenger to stop. The sound came at regular intervals, and it didn't seem to be getting closer or further away. The source was somewhere within the darkness.

The passenger had no idea why, but they investigated further. The noise was coming from behind the merchant stalls. Something red had splattered the floor. There was a streak of something that had been dragged through. The trail led through the swing doors of the kitchens.

The passenger pushed through, leading with the lantern. The sound of clanging became louder. It was definitely somewhere from the dark of the kitchen. The trail of red converged towards the noise.

The passenger swung the lantern around. Everything seemed to be in place. Spices were neatly arranged on the racks. Pots and pans were stacked up. There were no knives around.

The red drag marks ended behind the sink with a knocked over red paint can nearby. Next to it was an unfinished painting titled, "A Rosy Day."

The noise continued, however. Sliding forwards with the lantern raised, the passenger headed towards the stoves. The clanging noise was coming from above. A vent hood had come undone and the wind from outside was causing it to shake and rattle.

Both mysteries were solved, but that did little to help the passenger find what they were looking for. What was they supposed to do? Was it one of the paintings that Samwe wanted? But which one?

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The passenger retreated from the kitchen. They continued to wander around hoping for something.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

They stopped. That was the sound of their footsteps, wasn't it?

Tap. Tap. Tap.

There seemed to be a second noise coming from further away, somewhere inside the lobby.

The back of the passenger's neck prickled. It felt like something was following them. Watching them. They spun around sweeping the lantern across the empty lobby, but there was no one.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The passenger turned their gaze upwards. A pair of eyes stared down at them.

"Enjoying the Skylight." A painting of a person was on the ceiling looking like they were lying face down upon glass.

Tap. Tap. The passenger stopped their third step in midair.

Tap.

That footstep came from somewhere else.

The passenger took off running, but it was dark and they got turned around. They wanted to head to the main entrance but found themselves hurtling deeper into the lobby. Was it a place they had been to before or somewhere new? Only by looking at the paintings could they tell they hadn't been to that area before.

They ran into an open room that turned out to be an office mixed with file storage. There was no other way out, so the passenger shut the door. They used one of the tall filing cabinets to block the way. The lobby outside had fallen silent again with no footsteps approaching or retreating. Still, the passenger remained quiet with ears open.

When minutes passed and nothing happened, the passenger relaxed just a bit. They turned to examine the office. Almost none of the original wall could be seen. They were either taken up by shelves or cabinets, or they were decorated with one of Roubabou's paintings. There were no windows meaning the lantern was the only source of light. The passenger scanned each of the dark corners to make sure nothing was hiding there.

They turned to look at the paintings.

"Glittering Stars." "Consideration." "Sunset Over the Valley."

Wait.

The passenger returned to the second painting. "Consideration." What was it Roubabou said? The demvir mentioned something about carefully considering something.

The painting was that of a man with an intense look burned onto his face. He was studying what was in his hands: a fish. It was a deep consideration. The painting felt different from the other pieces of art. Rather than being vibrant and full of color, the fish was dull. Hues, shading and tone all made it as realistic as possible in sharp contrast to the more cartoony man.

The fish was too different from anything else around. The passenger reached out, running their fingers over the painting. They pulled out the fish revealing what the man was actually considering: a bright pink cupcake.

The passenger looked down in consideration at what was in their hand. The fish had its scales removed. It was also gutted and cleaned. The moment of consideration ended. They had a task to complete. With the building plunged in silence, they risked heading out.

No one else was around as they made their way out.

 

[Redfin]

Chapter 5, Ert​

The passenger looked at the sort of things in their possession. There was a brick, solid and heavy. They also had a clutch purse with something inside. A flashy letter F was emblazoned on the front. Lastly, they had a dead fish that looked ready for frying. Were those really the things Samwe wanted? The passenger hoped so. There was only one more item left to obtain.

They had been all throughout the far terminal of Elatus Spiritus. It was a solemn place with few people around. The heavy fog cast everything into a mysterious darkness. It was difficult to get a full sense of the area when the walkways, buildings and airships were hidden from view. Vague shapes lingered just out of focus. Lights blinked and flashed, trying their best to signal those still at the terminal.

The passenger felt as if they had been everywhere, yet they had only found three out of four people that owed Samwe. If they couldn't find everything, then they couldn't get a flight out. No one else wanted to risk heading off during such heavy fog. Only Samwe agreed.

"Hey, wait up," a soft woman's voice called out.

The passenger turned around. A person wearing a hooded jacket came running over. A slit had been cut in the back to make room for a fluffy tail. There was a deftness to her steps. Clawed fingers held the jacket closed. Shadows covered her face, but a pair of glowing eyes pierced outwards. They were locked on the passenger and refused to budge.

"I want to apologize." She was calu. While her soft, joyful tones were meant to put people at ease, tension still filled the passenger's body.

The passenger tilted their head.

"I didn't mean to scare you in the lobby. I saw that you were doing things for Samwe, so I started following you to see how you did. I'm surprised you actually managed to get so far."

The passenger folded their arms.

The hooded figure laughed. "I mean, I'm sure you're a very determined person. Ah, I'm the Emergency Response Technician, so you can call me Ert. I'm not going to ask why you're so desperate to leave right this evening, but I will say that I'm the last person that owes Samwe."

Ert smirked, showing off sharp fangs. "I'll give you my item if you do somethings for me, first. Four things, to be specific."

The passenger sighed.

Laughter shook Ert's body as she looked away. "Sorry! I'm sorry. I'm only kidding. You don't have to glare at me like that." She waved her hand. "Here, follow me. I'll give you what I owe Samwe. You would be doing me a favor since otherwise, I would have to give it to him myself."

Ert led the way through the terminal. She headed towards a place that didn't look like a path at all. There was a small gap in the walkways that was sectioned off by an easily undone chain. It led to a ledge along the mountainside. There were no safety railings at all, but handholds had been nailed into the stone.

"Watch your step," Ert said. "Keep that lantern handy, and keep one hand on the handholds at all times."

The passenger did as instructed. Their grip was at least twice as tight as normal.

Bright lights shone above, sharp enough to pierce through the fog. The mountainside path looked to be a way to access and maintain those signals.

Ert didn't go that far. She stopped partway down the path where it widened enough for a chair and table. Some of her belongings were there, including a container of half-eaten dinner. A dim lantern provided a bit of light, but it was fighting hard against the fog.

"Hold on. Let me get what Samwe wants." Ert crawled underneath the table. Her tail moved to and fro. A duffle bag was stuffed there. She punched into the contents causing a sickening, squishing noise.

Ert came back up and her hand was stained red. Held in it was a heart, one that was too large to be laicar's, velen's or enlil's. "Here you go!" She was smiling with her tail wagging.

The passenger made no movements to take the item.

"Oh, hmm." Ert tilted her head. "Right, this is a bit messy." She used a towel from the table to wrap up the heart. It wasn't long before the blood started to seep through. "And both your hands are full, so I'll just tuck this in with the rest of the items Samwe wants."

To the passenger's disgust and chagrin, Ert nestled the bleeding package into their possessions. "Okay. Here you go. Be careful making your way back."

With the fourth item thrust upon them, the passenger carefully made their way back to the terminal. They were glad to be off that narrow path and could finally release the tension in their hands.

As time went on, the fog only seemed to get worse. The passenger hoped they could still fly out of Elatus Spiritus.

 

[Redfin]

Chapter 6, Samwe II​

The passenger returned to where they first made the deal to obtain four items. The laicar man was still there, seemingly not having moved at all. He was leaning against the railing with arms folded. A pair of sunglasses covered his eyes. Long golden hair was tamed down by a blue bandana. The man had a pleased smile as the passenger came up.

"Hey, you're back," SamweII said in a cool voice. "How'd it go? Did you get what those deadbeats owe me?"

The passenger put down all four items: The brick, the purse, the fish and the heart.

"Yeah, you did it! I'm impressed, really. I didn't think you would be able to do it. You want to go right now? Hold on, hold on. There are still preparations that need to be made. First up...."

SamweII pulled out several objects, including a crate that acted as a seat, a grate held up by two stands, a large pot, and a second crate that acted as a table. "I'm going to start on dinner. Don't worry, this won't take long at all."

He took a seat and then set off to work. First, he used his hands to strip and peel the meat off the fish. That part didn't interest him and was discarded off the side of the mountain. Left behind was a knife that made up the center of the fish. The blade was used to chop and chip the heart into individual twigs. They acted as the perfect kindling to start a fire underneath the pot.

SamweII poured a jug of water into the pot, and while that was heating up, he went to work on cutting the vegetables including the brick. The knife sliced through the solid block as if it was butter. The inside was white and soft like tofu. He scooped everything into the pot, using the fish blade to stir it.

The final ingredient came from the clutch purse. Inside was a large egg that needed two hands to be held. SamweII cracked it on the edge of the pot. He opened it, letting the gooey goodness drop into the soup.

"There we go. If you keep an eye on the soup for me, I'll let you have some," SamweII said. "Anyway, I'm going to prepare my ship while this is cooking. I'll let you know when everything's ready." He gave a thumbs up before heading off into the fog.

The knife was left inside the pot. The passenger wasn't sure if they wanted any soup, but it had been a while since they had eaten. There was nothing else to do anyway, so they gave the contents an occasional stir.

"Hey, it's me!"

The passenger turned around to see Omi. The cheerful laicar woman walked up with a wave of her hand.

"How is it going? Oh, you found all four items? That's great!" Despite her words, a frown was on her face, and her body was closed up. "Say, where's SamweII? Okay, so we have some time to talk."

She took a seat on one of the crates. "What do you have there? Oh. I see. Anyway, I wonder, is it really that important for you to leave right now? You could just go back or even stay here for the night and leave once the fog clears, though by most recent weather reports that won't be until late tomorrow."

The passenger gave an emphatic nod.

Omi tapped her chin. "I guess you have some pretty important reasons, still, I want to ask you to wait. I've been asking around a bit about SamweII. He doesn't like to travel in this kind of weather, so there must be a reason he's doing it. It seems like he recently made a transaction with some mysterious individual, so he still owes them. I don't know if that has anything to do with you, though." The woman let out a sigh and stared down at the bubbling soup.

"Well, this is your choice, but SamweII taking you where you need to go is different from him taking you where you want to go." Omi smiled. "Speaking of which, I should go. I have other things to take care of, after all." She stretched upwards. There was a spring in the steps of her freshly-loosened body.

The passenger continued to stir the soup. It wasn't long before SamweII returned with two bowls and two spoons.

"I see you've been helping tend to my dinner, so you get to have some." He scooped up two servings. "Also, I'm ready to leave as soon as I've eaten. Don't worry, just a few minutes longer and I'll get you to where you need to go." The man flashed a big smile. The cold night air tempered down the temperature of his soup.

The passenger held the bowl in hand but didn't eat. The soup smelled of nothing and did little to whet the appetite. At least it was warm to the touch.

Once SamweII slurped down the last of his dinner, he let out a satisfied sigh. "That was nice. You didn't want any? That's fine. Come on, then. Time to go."

The fire had died into smoldering embers. SamweII put it out the best he could with his feet. He scooped the remaining glowing char into the empty soup pot and then covered it with a lid.

The passenger set their bowl of soup down on one of the crates. They followed SamweII to the end of the docks. A small personal airship awaited them, floating up and down. The passenger stood at the base of the ramp, looking upwards.

SamweII was at the pilot's station. He turned around with arms outstretched. "Well, are you coming?"

The passenger nodded. They headed up the ramp and onto the airship.

The craft disconnected from the docks. "Alright, folk, keep your hands and feet inside the airship at all times. We should have a smooth ride after we get away from the docks. I can't promise the same for the landing if it's still foggy, though." He let out a sarcastic chortle. "And we are off."

The airship took to the skies. Elatus Spiritus retreated into the distance until it was swallowed up by the fog. Even the mountains had disappeared. All that surrounded the passenger was nothing.