The floating cities dirty secret.

Upsetting the locals hadn’t taken Killian long today.

Luna had mentioned this ‘great floating city’ to him a while back and he had laughed. To his people floating cities were something from a by gone age. Why waste space making your house float when you can trap a whole dimension inside another? The basic principles involved in this kind of magic had been taught to him as a child. It was the equivalent of levitating dinner plates to him. When he had done mocking their ‘primitive’ magic Luna also mentioned that this city was where a guild built the airships of this world.

It was that fragment of information that had lured him here. He had arrived in his own airship – one not of this world. A completely alien piece of magic that the Novella had ridden in from a different realm. (This act had broken the ship- he could no longer make it shift in and out of worlds.) He had appeared secretly, somehow able to run the engines silently. He locked the tiny impossible ship and snuck out of the abandoned warehouse he had landed it in.

So far so good.

As he walked north however, his sneaking started to fail. Whilst looking at all the ships floating around the city, loaded with cargo and people he couldn’t contain his mirth. He giggled a merchants ship bobbing along – and stopped and laughed as a gondola wouldn’t start up. “So, that was very rude of me.” Killian smiled as he approached, the gondola’s owner looked flustered. Mind if I take a look?” He asked politely, after all he’d already figured out three ways to make the vessel more efficient. The driver’s face turned red with anger. “You aren’t with the guild! Guards!” He roared, pointing at Killian.

Killian looked around and suddenly noticed several men dressed in deep blue robes slithering out of the crowd. Airship magic was supposed to be a secret here. It was a business – and a profitable one. The hooded figures were multiplying and approaching him, on their robes was the crest of the Shen Michi Yuren the ring of fire that the powered their ships with. Stand still, we have questions for you! Killian considered sticking around – but then noticed weapons being drawn. He didn’t like the look of their ‘questions.’ The Novella started backing up. “Yeah, about that – in a bit of a rush, just needed a few parts.” He answered, still backing up. The back of his leg touched the wooden side of the broken ship. “SIEZE HIM” Shouted the guild member with the biggest staff. The men rushed forwards. Killian stepped back and fell into the boat. A moment later and the ships mechanical engines burst into life. The ring of fire powering it flushed with energy, sending a shockwave of energy. The guards fell backwards and the airship disappeared.

It reappeared in an alley way at the other end of town. Hotwiring ancient and unfamiliar magic was hard work and this is as far as he had managed to get this useless ship to go. As he reappeared the ship disintegrated around him and he was left in a heap on the floor. The small knock on the head suddenly reminded him of the other reason he didn’t like wasteful floating megastructures like this.

“What do they do with the gas?” He asked himself aloud. Then he realised that he hadn’t just appeared in a deserted alley, he was actually stood in front of someone. “Hello! The name is Killian. Do you live here?” He asked politely.

Suddenly in his way there was this scruffy-looking person impeding his path. Efrain hated many things, and interruptions to an otherwise efficient daily routine was one of them. When this rascally person started introducing himself the apothecary could smell he was up to no good. The dark-haired boy narrowed his eyes and glared hard at the man. "What do you want?" Today Efrain was dressed up in the local attire as he was preparing to open shop. People stopped asking questions when you dressed like the locals, or at least they asked less. Heisei was waiting for him to come back with the purchase of dried cordyceps so they could refill their stock and spend the next few hours waiting for somebody to walk in for medicine. "If this is a robbery I'll have you know I have a dozen acupuncture needles primed for your vitals." One of the best things about learning internal medicine was knowing how to use that knowledge as leverage. You didn't need much to send someone to the mortician all wrapped up and ready to go.

Either way, most encounters with strangers never went well from the boy's experience. Perhaps he should make a hex that would drive those troublesome individuals away? Keeping his eyes on the man, he slipped into his shop and flipped the sign over to 'Open'. The bell chimes over the door were primed to ring and he set the package down on the counter. As according to the traditional Karithian layout of most apothecaries, the door was left unlocked for customers to enter into a wide room with a high wooden counter. A wall of drawers containing various roots and herbs reached from the floor to the ceiling, each labelled for a different thing. Jars of dried sea creatures and desiccated oddities were on display for buyers to purvey with prices handwritten on placards. With inventory handled, Efrain took his seat at the counter and tapped his fingers impatiently for the time to pass. Heisei, his Ataiyan dragon assistant, was in the backroom brewing a fresh pot of oolong tea.

This lad was a bit rude. Still Killian supposed appearing might have surprised him a little. The Novella’s question was ignored completely – as was his question about gas. Killian felt the young man’s eyes on his vital points, he was not exaggerating this kid was ready to stab him. Killian’s sapphire eyes could sometimes lock with a stranger and cause them to trust him implicitly. Today, it hadn’t worked. The boy walked off – opened his shop and continued with his day.

The town alarm bell had started to ring. He needed a plan, and quickly. It hit him like a blow to the head. The Novella spun flamboyantly on the spot, then followed the young lad into his shop. An Apothecary! Killian smiled as he walked in – instantly he started to gather a few dried herbs, a root and a piece of petrified wood. “So, this kind of levitation magic is flawed. It’s the mechanical element to it – too dirty. Too lazy - inefficient.” At this point it was unclear who Killian was talking to, mostly himself (He had a need to narrate his own brilliance sometimes.) but also to the young lad with the grumpy face that had threatened him.

Once he had gathered everything, he needed from around the well-stocked shop he dumped it all into a cauldron beside the wooden counter. (Killian didn’t have much self-awareness to start with- but he wasn’t from his world and walking around a shop and helping himself seemed natural.) “Money, you’ll want money, give me a second.” Killian added a deep red liquid to the cauldron and stirred it three times with his wand. He took a glass vial from behind the counter and filled it with his freshly brewed potion. From inside his pockets (bigger on the inside) He pulled out a dusty bar of solid gold. An ingot with the crest of some far-off king stamped upon it. “Will this cover the cost?” He passed the gold ingot to the boy and returned to the alley. He threw the potion on the windows and door of the shop and went back inside.

“Okay, that should keep us unnoticed for twenty minutes.” Killian stated as he returned inside. “So, back to the floating city! I can fix it. The problem.” Killian smiled. “The gas is very dangerous, they have to vent it somewhere.” Killian looked around the store and considered his argument – he needed help and he had decided that this kid would be the one to provide it. “So can you show me where they vent the gas? If it helps I can pay you.”

Good gods this man was back again. He should've expected as much seeing how these types weren't the kind to leave when told to sod off. Efrain was glaring daggers at the scoundrel who proceeded to traipse into his shop, take some things, and use his own equipment without permission–all while rambling to himself. While the man was working the cauldron the apothecary felt the distinct urge to hit him in the Stomach 9 pressure point and toss his unconscious body out into the gutter. And when the man had the utter gall to try to placate him with a gold ingot–that was the last straw. "Now listen here you bloody reprobate! How dare you come into my shop, use my stock, operate my equipment, and WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY STOREFRONT YOU LUNATIC–" The boy shrieked as he heard the sound of breaking glass and something splashing the exterior of his place of business. When Killian came back inside Efrain grabbed him by the clothes–the closest part within reach due to the difference in height–and looked about ready to strangle him.

"That's it–you're a dead man!" It was then that all the commotion brought Heisei out from the backroom. He had heard everything and finally gathered enough interest to see what all the screaming was about. The small Ataiyan dragon floated over and saw the scene of his partner absolutely livid at this person who wasn't local. Not wanting to have this escalate into attempted murder, he flew in and pulled out a notepad with a quill. "You heard him. I think it would be best if you take your leave before things get even worse. Please don't come back again." Ripping off a page the dragon handed it to Killian and it read: 'Come to the backroom, now.' The dragon pried the irate apothecary off the man and pulled Efrain to the backroom where a table with a cooling teapot in the midst of shelves bearing extra stock were gathered. The dragon motioned to Killian to follow. When everyone was present, Heisei flipped the sign outside the shop to 'Closed' and locked up the doors. 

"Now then," Heisei said sliding in. "We have questions and we want answers. First, who are you and why are you here?" Still seething Efrain added: "And what the bloody blazes are you talking about?!" The dragon assistant hefted the gold bar and eyed it with a scrutinizing look.