Volume 3, Chapter 4 – Rekhilon. Meeting the Monarch in Shorts.
The City-State of Rekhilon. Located in the center of a large lake, with three canals leading from the lake to the sea. Ships dart around the city, coming and going, loading at ports packed around every side of this circular state. Across a wide bridge, loaded carts carry goods to various corners of the continent.
White rooftops felt like modern high-tech, but the carts brought you back to earth. Everything was enclosed behind a high wall of dense stone, slightly convex, curving inward at the top. A wide central street, lined with greenery on all sides, with little pots hanging from white houses and vines branching along the walls, creating a wonderful two-toned landscape.
Wyverns flew along the walls with riders, closely watching the ships entering the lake through the canal. On the ground, people walked with white patches and the heraldry of the Rekhilon family [A round coin like the city of Rekhilon, with the name above and a cat profile in the center].
As for cats — there were many of them, and they seemed to feel great, running around, playing, lying in the sun and on rooftops, constantly meowing.
In the center stood a tall castle with three black columns, standing out against all the white space, visible from any point, making it clear what this place was.
---
I walked slowly with Aviana and Paladin toward the bridge leading into the city.
"Now this is what I call a day! A breeze! Cool — not plus fifty degrees," I expressed my joy at being in such a pleasant place.
"Yeah."
Paladin walked beside me, dead serious. Apparently, over twelve hours, he'd fully immersed himself in the bodyguard role. But he collected glances skillfully — when a mountain like that passes by, it's hard not to notice, and once they spotted him, Aviana and I got our share of attention too.
We approached the checkpoint. Wyverns sat nearby, lazily eyeing us — one lay belly-up in the sun. I looked at it and thought: "The spitting image of Lelik."
A man of athletic build with a white patch on his arm came out. He gave Aviana an appraising look, then me, and lingered on Paladin.
"Documents?"
Aviana pulled out three passports from the Democracy of Silence (modeled after French ones).
"We are representatives of the country, the Democracy of Silence."
The border guard looked at the three ID cards in surprise, constantly eyeing the motionless Paladin.
"The Democracy of Silence? Never heard of it," the Guard replied. "And strange documents..."
"We have a diplomatic meeting," Aviana answered, taking back the passports.
I was completely zoning out, watching the blue wyvern bask in the sun.
"Alright. One moment," the Guard walked to a booth and activated a round stone dish. "Capital. A delegation has arrived from... the Democracy of Silence. Is anything known?"
[Capital]: Checkpoint. This is Capital. Confirmed. Let them through and escort them to the waiting room. Over.
(Amazing. They have a base too, and radio communications — only stationary. From the capital, I got a CUB vibe.)
"Follow me," the Guard said briefly and walked across the bridge.
We followed.
"Hey, what about a search?" a young border guard interrupted.
The Guard turned and approached him.
"This is a delegation. We don't have the right to search them," the Guard explained the law to the Junior.
(Wow... They even have diplomatic immunity. Though our fabric-wrapped thin rapiers make it clear we have weapons, but they don't know what kind of weapons they are.)
(Though, heh — it'll be funny watching Paladin hold one of these toothpicks.)
We walked along the beautiful paved bridge, and the railings were made of magic — if you tried to lean out, they gently lifted, preventing you from falling.
But the views were gorgeous. Beneath us, the turquoise lake, with all kinds of ships constantly sailing. With sails and wide decks, with paddle wheels on the sides. At one of the ports, I noticed metal ships moving by magic, clearly armed, but covered with white cloth, so I couldn't tell what they had.
(Apparently, this city is about more than just trade. Though I'm sure CUB already knows everything about every state's arsenal in this world — reconnaissance runs 30/7 with satellites and drones.)
We entered a noisy, lively city. So many people walking along the sidewalks, and you could see traditional clothing — namely various shirts with a white stripe on the back. And the greenery smelled so pleasant, and it was quite cool here because of the white houses and greenery, plus the sea nearby. I even got a little cold.
And the cats... They're so beautiful, lying in the sun. I walked up to one and picked it up to pet.
"Hello there!"
The Guard turned to me, and Aviana sighed, with nearby passersby clapping at the attention.
"Congratulations. We're glad you decided to take a cat," the Guard said.
(What?) I put the cat down.
"You are required to take it. Rekhilon's rules," Aviana said coldly.
"But I didn't know!" I protested.
"Too late. People are watching. We're a delegation. We need to make a good impression, and breaking city traditions is not a good way to start," Aviana explained and handed the cat back.
I looked at this white cat with black spots and sighed.
"Fine... Welcome to the family, Mary-Sue," I decided on a name.
And I, petting Mary-Sue, continued down the road. At the next intersection, wyvern riders blocked the road, creating a traffic jam of carts and pedestrians. And then a strange vehicle emerged before me.
It looked like a tractor. A low, cone-shaped iron cab, with open windows on both sides. Three people inside kept tossing crystals into the back and using two plates of different sizes to control it. The cab levitated above the ground, emitting a blue glow and cool air with a strange odor. It pulled trailers that also floated above the ground, carrying something tightly covered with cloth.
"What's that?" I asked Aviana, unable to hide my surprise.
"Starn. A state road train," Aviana answered.
(Amazing... Looks like this world isn't just fireballs from hands — there's stuff like this too. This whole city looks quite civilized — no one's digging in the mud or casting spells that destroy half the city.)
The Starn passed, and we moved on, heading toward the black castle. It looked eerie against all the white and green.
The Guard left us in a spacious hall with high ceilings and sofas made of a strange material — like leather, but with short fur. Mary-Sue and I sat down and waited. Aviana and Paladin stood on either side, calmly watching.
"Ah! Mary-Sue. You'll fly on a plane and live in headquarters, jumping on computers and entertaining CUB. Right?" I petted the cat.
Purr...
"That's great — the cook will make you tasty treats! We'll live well."
Purr...
A man in a butler's suit ran out to us.
"I apologize. We didn't expect you to... arrive within a day... We were expecting you in a month," the Butler apologized and bowed. "Please, follow me. The Monarch is already expecting you."
We followed him.
(So we flew for twelve hours, landed far away, and walked another two hours. So they don't have anything fast — or they think we don't.)
After a few minutes of navigating corridors and stairs, we entered a cozy office with a window to the left of the desk, and many cats running around the entire interior. By the window was a sofa made of the same material as in the hall.
"Monarch Charles, the delegation has arrived," the Butler smiled and left us.
A man in shorts and a shirt stood up from his crouch.
"Greetings," he shook my hand and Paladin's, and kissed Aviana's.
I looked at him and thought: (So I came here fully dressed, and the monarch meets me in shorts and a shirt, surrounded by cats.)
"How did you get here so quickly? Teleportation magic?"
"Yes," Aviana answered, and we all sat on the sofa, while the Monarch set a chair across from the table and sat down.
"Good," he reached for the desk and took a document. "It says here you claim the Silent Silence?" (Me: Yes.) "But how? The whole world has written that territory off."
(Huh. I said "Yes" in their language. That's already a success — I'm communicating with a native speaker. But thankfully, the earpiece translates everything, so I don't need to rack my brain over what he's saying.)
"The Democracy of Silence does not use magic on the territory of the Silent Silence. And we do not contain magic within us. Our magic is different, which is why the creatures ignore us," Aviana answered calmly.
I petted Mary-Sue and listened. Paladin stood at the entrance like a real guard.
"Have you encountered the creatures? What do they look like?" Charles asked, and an orange cat jumped onto his lap.
Aviana pulled a photo of one of the creatures from her pocket.
"This is one of them. If we want mutually beneficial cooperation, we can provide more information about the creatures, but we also want useful information from you — and we propose a trade alliance," Aviana stated, handing the photo to the Monarch.
Charles examined both the creature and the paper itself closely.
"Magical transfer of visual memory to paper?" he asked.
"No. Technology."
Charles continued looking at the image, studying the creature.
"Amazing..." he handed back the photo. "Such a drawing could be worth a lot. But neither I nor others can accept this as reality. A drawing is one thing — anyone can draw," Charles carefully reached for the desk and took another document. "Honestly. I don't believe it's true. The world has never seen them in all its history, and now you present this as fact."
Aviana put the photo away and pulled out a flask of Argo-2.
"We understand. But a drawing is one thing — this is another," she handed him the flask of black liquid. "This is a resource from those creatures."
Charles took the flask with interest and held it up to the light, examining the contents.
"May I open it?"
"Of course."
Charles opened it — a heavy smell emerged, and he quickly closed it.
"Smells terrible." (Me: Yes.) "Oh, forgive me," Charles paused. "Which of you is Seraphim? And CUB, according to the documents, is the head of your state?"
"I am," — [M] I squeezed out another word in their language.
"And you... CUB?" he asked Aviana.
"No. I protect Seraphim, as does he," she pointed to Paladin at the door.
I glanced at him. (Maybe he's asleep?)
"Where is CUB?"
"In the Democracy of Silence. The head of state is here," Aviana introduced me again.
Charles nodded and looked at the flask again.
"I don't sense any magic here..." (Aviana: There isn't any. Removed artificially.) "How?" Charles looked at her in surprise. "But... Can I pass this to my specialists? I don't like believing my eyes alone. If this is truly something useful, we can negotiate supplies of this raw material."
Aviana nodded.
"Of course. We'll agree on volumes once you receive a report from your specialists — and on the technology of magic extraction."
"Kourag!" Charles shouted, and the Butler tried to enter the office, but Paladin blocked the way.
"Paladin!" I called.
And Paladin slowly stepped aside, letting the Butler pass. Charles handed over the flask and sent him on his way.
"But... I can't accept that you really live in the Silent Silence. It sounds like a tavern joke," Charles smiled.
Aviana agreed with him and crossed her legs.
"You may not believe it now. But we propose a trade alliance. And as guests, we have brought four hundred and eleven metal ingots — of which one hundred and sixteen are silver," Aviana said calmly. "In the future, we also offer to share our technologies."
Charles looked incredulously, not understanding where four hundred ingots could be.
"Magical pocket?"
"No. Technology."
"Alright, show me. Let's see," Charles sat more comfortably, waiting for us to show him.
Aviana stood up and looked out the window, which was perfectly aligned with the central street — you could see all the way to the checkpoint by the bridge.
"Three vehicles will arrive at the bridge shortly. Please have them check the contents and let them through," Aviana said.
"Okay?... Show me these transport technologies," Charles said and called for the Butler again.
I stood up with Mary-Sue to take a look and show the cat.
[Aviana]: Base. Delivery.
[Base]: Aviana. Copy. One minute. Stryker escort.
Aviana turned to Charles, who was holding and petting the orange cat, then looked at me — and I was doing the same.
"Four vehicles. Fifty seconds."
Charles nodded, not believing we'd brought so many ingots, thinking there would be some ordinary carts or magical transport.
"Glad you found a friend. Seraphim, right?" Charles changed the subject, leaning toward me. "What did you name him?"
"Yes. I. Am. Seraphim. This. One. Is. Mary-Sue," — [M] I forced out a whole line with effort and was completely satisfied.
The Butler returned and handed over the magical plate.
[Checkpoint]: Monarch. We see four unknown vehicles. No magic. They make noise and smoke. Four people present. Three have no... faces — presumably spirits. What are your orders?
And at the checkpoint, three FMTV trucks and a Stryker with tarps pulled tight over the hulls pulled up.
[Monarch] (anxiously, nervously petting the orange cat): Check the contents.
Charles took a spyglass from the desk and began peering as Pex and two faceless ones opened the back of the trucks, revealing the contents to the wary Guards. The soldiers had wrapped rifles and pistols, and all were armed with wrapped rapiers as well.
Five wyverns circled around the trucks, warily watching.
[Checkpoint]: Monarch. First vehicle — copper ingots. Second — iron. Third — silver. At first glance, pure alloy.
And the Monarch completely melted.
[Checkpoint]: Monarch. What are your orders?
The Monarch didn't answer, processing the scene, repeatedly peering through the spyglass at the transport — which had already turned off its engines and was causing a traffic jam of carriages and carts (advanced as they were, still horse-drawn or magic-powered).
[Checkpoint]: Capital. This is Checkpoint. Instructions.
[Capital]: Checkpoint. This is Capital. Awaiting Monarch's orders. Over.
I glanced between the window and Charles with a smile.
"See, Mary-Sue, he's surprised. We did great. Yes, my Mary-Sue. You're a smart girl, like all of us," I cuddled the cat.
Aviana pinched Charles.
"Huh? Four hundred ingots?? Pure?" he asked Aviana in fright.
[Monarch]: Checkpoint. Let them through and clear the road completely, escorting them to Karik.
[Checkpoint]: Monarch. Copy.
[Checkpoint]: Capital. Requesting full road clearance.
"How did you make such ingots? And how did you get them here? And what is that transport?? How does it work without magic?!" Charles bombarded us again, carefully letting the orange cat onto the sofa.
"Technology," — Aviana pulled out the photo again and handed it to him. — "And if we continue to cooperate and you announce your recognition of us as a country to the world, we can establish a trade alliance. And teach you how to build such technology, as well as supply ingots and Argo-2 — what I gave you earlier," Aviana adjusted a strand of hair.
"So?" Charles flopped onto a chair, holding the photo with both hands. "So... You can make pure metal? And technology without magic and kinetics... And this..." Charles kept staring at the photo. "And this... is a real creature? And you really live where no one else could... But how did this transport get here?"
"[M] Technology!" I said, hearing Aviana say that word for the tenth time.
"Technology for air travel," Aviana clarified.
"Air transport?" Charles was even more surprised and stood up to watch the trucks speed through the capital — then froze again at their speed.
Charles sat on the floor, surrounded by cats, and began to slowly calm down. He looked at us, bathed in sunlight from below, trying to process everything, fitting it all into his head — everything that had happened in this office and in his world.
Silence... Cats meowed and ran around the office. Paladin stood motionless. Aviana sat on the sofa, crossing her legs, cats slowly climbing onto her. I stood with Mary-Sue, looking between Charles and Aviana.
"This transport... Four hundred ingots... The Democracy of Silence... Liquid... Technologies," Charles listed in shock.
"I'd like to consult with my advisors and look at the transport and ingots," Charles calmed down and stood up. "I'd like to offer you a walk around the city, and here," he quickly walked to his desk and pulled out a gold coin with his profile. "Show this coin at any establishment — you'll be served for free, and the guards won't bother you."
"Goo..."
[Lelik]: Seraphim! Aviana! Guys, did you know that if you take a cat here, you have to keep it?! Anyway! Three cats are flying home with us!
Aviana sighed. I chuckled, cuddling Mary-Sue.
"Good. Conditions: do not lift the tarps and do not touch the Soldier-functions inside. Also, do not open the front section. Only external inspection," Aviana concluded.
"Good. How can we contact you?"
"At the head of the vehicles will be a man with a face. His name is Pex. Once you finish the inspection, tell him — he'll be closely watching the process," Aviana added.
The Monarch nodded and quickly left us, leaving the Butler, who carefully escorted us out of the Karik.
"Phew! I said so many words!" I boasted to Aviana and Paladin. "Let's find a place to rest first, and we need to find Lelik!"
Aviana nodded, and we headed through the city streets. I took it all in with wonder, enjoying that I'd managed to speak even a little, and that I'd gotten out of home to such a beautiful place, and now I had Mary-Sue too. The day was a complete success.
We walked along bright streets between low-rise buildings on the sidewalks. I admired the beautiful walls of houses with greenery and cats climbing vines onto rooftops, lounging on balconies and sidewalks. I loved absorbing all of this. The novelty of this world felt pleasant. The wyverns in the sky were striking — when they sat on the ground, they looked calm enough, but in the air, they were terrifying. Everything played with lightness and magic, taking your breath away, while my brain gradually overloaded with new information, and we decided to find a hotel to rest and pick up Lelik along the way. Fortunately, the law here was considerate — no more than three cats could be adopted.