Status: Second chapter done! Sorry if it's boring, but I'm trying to establish some things with Mairi. I'm going to go into more detail about the Lords of Iratus in the next chapter.
The Palace of Kronos
Welcome to the Egg.
Welcome to the egg. Here people only have the clothes on their backs and food is scarce. What once was a golden economy is now a place where fear and the Lords of Iratus rule. Motherless children and nerveless adults fight for their next meal. Not a single thread of unity exists. Except for the one rule you learn from birth. Hide from the Kor. Even the Lords of Iratus tremble upon the Kor's arrival. They come and take, ravage, and kill. The egg has become their playground of amusement.
The egg is the size of a small moon. There is one opening used for trade and transportation to other planets and stations. Inside the artificial gravitiy works in such a way that it's only distributed to the shell of the egg.
When Mairi Niviane looks up she see the towers of the Down. She lives in The Up. The city encloses upon itself. She has never seen the stars, or the uninhabited planet that the egg orbits. She's heard stories from elders about what it's like to live on the ground.
The Egg was on it's 214th cycle. Mairi has been alive for 34 of those cycles. But if she went by the age system of her parents she would've been 17 years old. The egg would be 107 years old.
Mairi was searching for Dot. The little girl had gone missing the previous day, and she had a history of getting involved in the wrong crowd. So far Mairi had no lead, and she suspected that this time Dot would never be found. People went missing all the time.
Eleven years ago Mairi woke up to find her parents gone. They went missing just like hundreds of others. Perhaps they had been killed by one of the Lords, or maybe a Kor took them away. You never really knew these things. If someone went missing you continued on with your life. For Mairi it was a shock, she cried, and no one else blinked an eye.
Mairi decided to walk down the 24th market street again. She had a few credits on her Credit Key. Maybe just enough to bribe Alphonse. He knew everything about everyone, but his information came at a high price.
The 24th market street was just that. A market street. The vendors were yelling, trying to get the attention of the customers, and in turn customers were shoving to get the best deals. The prices always fluctuated, so you never knew where to find the best deals. But really only people who had credits could afford the market place. People of the Egg were all very poor unless you were a Lord. The Lords owned the market places and the trade port. They controled the egg.
Mairi shoved her way through the crowd. She had learned at an early age how to navigate the market places. It just took some extra elbow poking and quick feet. The Egg's purpose used to be a neutral center for all races to trade, so the crowd came in all shapes and colors. You had the tall Albu's with their clear skin long necks, all the way down to tiny Skylos who looked like walking heads of hair.
She made her way to 'Rit's Grog and Stew Stand' where Alphones spent most his days looking for customers. When she arrived she found Alphonse sitting at his normal seat at the end of the bar. 'Rit's Grog and Stew Stand' was one of the quiet vendors. It was known for it's shady crowd so most stayed away. It was also very tiny. There were a few tables around and only five people could sit at the bar.
Rit was a fat old man who had lost his legs. He used an old magnetic deflector chair to get around. Those were hard to come by.
"Ello little Mairi." Rit was shining his glass cups. "What can I do you for?"
"Just some stew and bread." Mairi took a seat next to Alphonse.
"Coming right up!" And Rit disapeared behind the curtain of the kitchen.
Alphonse was a half breed. Half Human and half Kor. That made for a pretty interesting appearance. Kor's were primarily bald and they had tusks growing form their cheek bones. Their skin tone was a deep red-brown. But Alphonse had it all. He had the blonde hair of his mother pulled into a slick pony tail, the eyes of his father which were black as buttons, and the tusks which were small and stunted. He was skinny like a human and tall like a kor. His skin tone was almost a pink color.
Although by all rights Alphonse should be dead. The Kor have a strict set of beliefs that label them the imperial race. Normally when a half breed is born in their culture it is put to death immedietly. But Alphonse was alive.
"Hello Mairi." His voice was smooth.
"I'm assuming you already know why I'm here."
"Perhaps."
"Dot," Mairi got right to the point,"where is she?"
"Why do you assume I know where she is?" Alphonse sipped on his grog. "People go missing everyday. Whose to say they haven't transported her as a slave?"
"I'm taking a gamble. Dot has a knack for getting mixed with the wrong people. More specifically your kind of people."
Alphonse smiled.
"Where is she?" Mairi wanted to get through this conversation as soon as possiblle.
"Mairi," He turned towards her, "you know more than anyone my information comes at a price."
"How many creds?"
"Oh I don't want credits this time."
"Then what do you want?'
"I know where Dot is, I'll tell you, but in return you must take me with you."
What was he talking about? Alphonse always asked for credits.
"Wait. I'm confused." Mairi crossed her arms, "You want me to take you to where Dot is?"
"No. I want you to get me inside the building where Dot is." Alphonse took another mouthful of grog. "I know your skill set Mairi. It's nothing you can't do."
He was right. Mairi had been raised to be an A-Class burglar. But that was only something she did in extreme situations. Mairi was intrigued by his request.
"Are you saying you need me? Alphonse the all knowing needs someting from me?" She chuckled to herself.
Alphonse was clearly irratated. "I'm the only one who know's where Dot is. So just this once we need each other."
"Okay. I'll get you inside the building. But after you're inside you're on your own. I also don't want to know what thing you're planning. The less I know the better."
"Then we have a deal?" Alphonse smiled. He loved it when everything went his way.
"Yes."
"Then meet me at the temple at the next sound at two."
Alphonse paid his tip and left. Mairi stayed till her stew was ready. She ate, paid, and left.
She pulled her blue jacket around her and made her way throught the back streets. She looked up towards the Down. She could see the lights inside the buildings, but any one person would be too far away to see. The Egg was her life. She only knew survival, and she hoped that survival was a lesson that Dot would soon learn. Tomorrow Dot would be safe again with her little brother. A family together just as they were supposed to be.
The egg is the size of a small moon. There is one opening used for trade and transportation to other planets and stations. Inside the artificial gravitiy works in such a way that it's only distributed to the shell of the egg.
When Mairi Niviane looks up she see the towers of the Down. She lives in The Up. The city encloses upon itself. She has never seen the stars, or the uninhabited planet that the egg orbits. She's heard stories from elders about what it's like to live on the ground.
The Egg was on it's 214th cycle. Mairi has been alive for 34 of those cycles. But if she went by the age system of her parents she would've been 17 years old. The egg would be 107 years old.
Mairi was searching for Dot. The little girl had gone missing the previous day, and she had a history of getting involved in the wrong crowd. So far Mairi had no lead, and she suspected that this time Dot would never be found. People went missing all the time.
Eleven years ago Mairi woke up to find her parents gone. They went missing just like hundreds of others. Perhaps they had been killed by one of the Lords, or maybe a Kor took them away. You never really knew these things. If someone went missing you continued on with your life. For Mairi it was a shock, she cried, and no one else blinked an eye.
Mairi decided to walk down the 24th market street again. She had a few credits on her Credit Key. Maybe just enough to bribe Alphonse. He knew everything about everyone, but his information came at a high price.
The 24th market street was just that. A market street. The vendors were yelling, trying to get the attention of the customers, and in turn customers were shoving to get the best deals. The prices always fluctuated, so you never knew where to find the best deals. But really only people who had credits could afford the market place. People of the Egg were all very poor unless you were a Lord. The Lords owned the market places and the trade port. They controled the egg.
Mairi shoved her way through the crowd. She had learned at an early age how to navigate the market places. It just took some extra elbow poking and quick feet. The Egg's purpose used to be a neutral center for all races to trade, so the crowd came in all shapes and colors. You had the tall Albu's with their clear skin long necks, all the way down to tiny Skylos who looked like walking heads of hair.
She made her way to 'Rit's Grog and Stew Stand' where Alphones spent most his days looking for customers. When she arrived she found Alphonse sitting at his normal seat at the end of the bar. 'Rit's Grog and Stew Stand' was one of the quiet vendors. It was known for it's shady crowd so most stayed away. It was also very tiny. There were a few tables around and only five people could sit at the bar.
Rit was a fat old man who had lost his legs. He used an old magnetic deflector chair to get around. Those were hard to come by.
"Ello little Mairi." Rit was shining his glass cups. "What can I do you for?"
"Just some stew and bread." Mairi took a seat next to Alphonse.
"Coming right up!" And Rit disapeared behind the curtain of the kitchen.
Alphonse was a half breed. Half Human and half Kor. That made for a pretty interesting appearance. Kor's were primarily bald and they had tusks growing form their cheek bones. Their skin tone was a deep red-brown. But Alphonse had it all. He had the blonde hair of his mother pulled into a slick pony tail, the eyes of his father which were black as buttons, and the tusks which were small and stunted. He was skinny like a human and tall like a kor. His skin tone was almost a pink color.
Although by all rights Alphonse should be dead. The Kor have a strict set of beliefs that label them the imperial race. Normally when a half breed is born in their culture it is put to death immedietly. But Alphonse was alive.
"Hello Mairi." His voice was smooth.
"I'm assuming you already know why I'm here."
"Perhaps."
"Dot," Mairi got right to the point,"where is she?"
"Why do you assume I know where she is?" Alphonse sipped on his grog. "People go missing everyday. Whose to say they haven't transported her as a slave?"
"I'm taking a gamble. Dot has a knack for getting mixed with the wrong people. More specifically your kind of people."
Alphonse smiled.
"Where is she?" Mairi wanted to get through this conversation as soon as possiblle.
"Mairi," He turned towards her, "you know more than anyone my information comes at a price."
"How many creds?"
"Oh I don't want credits this time."
"Then what do you want?'
"I know where Dot is, I'll tell you, but in return you must take me with you."
What was he talking about? Alphonse always asked for credits.
"Wait. I'm confused." Mairi crossed her arms, "You want me to take you to where Dot is?"
"No. I want you to get me inside the building where Dot is." Alphonse took another mouthful of grog. "I know your skill set Mairi. It's nothing you can't do."
He was right. Mairi had been raised to be an A-Class burglar. But that was only something she did in extreme situations. Mairi was intrigued by his request.
"Are you saying you need me? Alphonse the all knowing needs someting from me?" She chuckled to herself.
Alphonse was clearly irratated. "I'm the only one who know's where Dot is. So just this once we need each other."
"Okay. I'll get you inside the building. But after you're inside you're on your own. I also don't want to know what thing you're planning. The less I know the better."
"Then we have a deal?" Alphonse smiled. He loved it when everything went his way.
"Yes."
"Then meet me at the temple at the next sound at two."
Alphonse paid his tip and left. Mairi stayed till her stew was ready. She ate, paid, and left.
She pulled her blue jacket around her and made her way throught the back streets. She looked up towards the Down. She could see the lights inside the buildings, but any one person would be too far away to see. The Egg was her life. She only knew survival, and she hoped that survival was a lesson that Dot would soon learn. Tomorrow Dot would be safe again with her little brother. A family together just as they were supposed to be.