Young Flame

We depart the train to far greater fanfare than Fisross. Rowdy crowds surround the train-station of Flehullen, cordoned off by a bunch of serious looking ursu in uniforms. My elders, to my immense amusement, cannot stop twisting their heads at all there is to see. They may be old, but they truly haven’t experienced the world.

A welcoming procession waits on the platform, but both mine and each of my elders’ sight falls on the giant of an ursu that stands well above any of the other — already huge — citizens of New Vetus. Tore captures the attention of all. Śuri, Iri and Ildri, the first of us off the train, freeze. It is only momentary, and they quickly hide their reaction, but it is clear they never believed my words of Tore’s strength until they could see him themselves.

I jump down the step of the train and push past the grand elders. Without any of the hesitation of my elders, I stride up to the big ursu with a grin on my face. It is a pleasant surprise to note my natural form clears his knees now.

Restrained as ever, the only hint I get that he’s happy to see me is the very slight upward tilt of the fur at the corner of his mouth, but that is enough for me. I lift my arm and offer my hand, the entire upper length twisting in flame until it’s the same size as his and no less solid.

He raises an eye at me, but I only grin wider when he takes my hand and his brow raises further. I knew he would notice the difference.

“It’s great to see you again, Tore,” I say. “I can tell the ursu people have been doing extremely well under your care.”

The big man simply inclines his head in thanks before kneeling down. “Welcome back,” he says, his heavy voice weighing on each that hears it.

I notice his eyes turn to the áed behind me, so I spin on my feet to introduce them. “These are my elders. The first six are Grand Elder Śuri, Ildri, Iri, Ignatia, Yalun and Kikotawân.” I point to each of them as say their names. Surprisingly, Tore’s eyes lock on Kiko’s immediately. Has he noticed his strength? Not even Śuri could. Well, I’m sure Śuri suspects, but I doubt he knows for sure. “They are each a part of the áed’s leadership and shall operate as our representatives.”

Tore’s gaze falls on the last two that leave the train carriage, before turning to me in question. Considering this is a diplomatic introduction, I was only going to introduce those that will be part of the talks, but I have no reason to hold back if he’s asking. “This is Cyrus and Enya. They are both elders from my tribe.”

Tore nods to the two before returning his attention to the other six.

I should probably introduce the giant as well, right? “Everyone, this is Chairman Tore.”

“Tsar,” Tore says, reaching his arm forward to shake Śuri. “I refuse the title ‘Chairman’.”

“Oh, sorry,” I say quietly before raising my voice again and correcting myself. “Tsar Tore.”

“It’s great to meet you, Tsar Tore. Solvei has spoken many good things.” Śuri grasps the ursu’s hand, looking much like a child grasping an adult’s finger. “I look forward to speaking with you and experiencing the intriguing culture of your kind.”

Once all the greetings are done with, another ursu steps forward. An ursu with rather familiar scars and features.

“Now, shall we show the áed to their residence? I’m sure they’d appreciate some rest after their journey.”

“Gerben?”

The war veteran flashes a gruff grin at me. “Long time, no see, Solvei. Leal can’t wait to see you. Wouldn’t stop complaining about how long you were taking.”

“What are you doing here?” I ask as he leads us to a procession of open-roofed cars obviously adapted from the original Henosis designs. “I thought you were living down near the southern coast.”

“I was,” he says as we walk past the fenced-off crowd. “But they wanted someone who was at least familiar with you to be a part of organising. I swear, they might have even had my daughter do it if she wasn’t so… obsessed with her research.”

It’s a strange sight to watch all the tall ursu leaning over each other to see our procession. My elders are no different. As they stride toward the road, they cannot resist their wandering gazes from following the taller, wider beings that surround us. I don’t think it’s the size of the Vetusians that enraptures their attention so much as the sheer number of them.

There are hundreds. Maybe over a thousand. I’ve seen armies with plenty more during war, but so many standing around the exit of the railway station as they are, even I think it’s crowded. My elders can only stare at the numbers. Numbers they know aren’t even a portion of their population that have come simply out of curiosity. We had a few thousand áed at the Agglomerate during the conference, but that was almost half our tribes. Even if these ursu were all residents of this city — and they aren’t, not even close — they still have dozens of cities just like this across their nation.

That’s honestly what is most terrifying about these eastern nations. They have the sheer manpower to overwhelm us unless we can keep it to a fight between elites. Their millions compared to our thousands.

Of course, I don’t believe Tore has a reason to attack us, but my elders don’t have my confidence and trust. To them, these giants could become our enemies now that we’re reaching out. I can’t stop them from thinking that way, but I hope they don’t let those concerns get in the way of cooperation between our races.

“So where is Leal, anyway?” I ask as Gerben welcomes me, along with Yalun and Śuri into the leading car.

He climbs into the driver's seat before answering my question. “She’s waiting ahead. We’re heading to the building that Tore is gifting you. The entire structure is yours to do with as you wish; an embassy.”

“For Solvei, specifically?” Śuri asks from the back seat. Seats that are surprisingly the right size compared to the disproportionately large one of the driver's seat. I guess they’ve got these set aside for visits from pact nation diplomats… and, I guess, us.

“No. For all áed.” Gerben starts the engine, the unfamiliar rumble shaking my seat. “Though it’s likely only because of Solvei that the building you got is so large. Most other nations get a plot of land to build on, but not much more.”

Behind us, the rest of our group climb upon cars of their own. As soon as we’re all in, the convoy rolls. Tore stands at the railway station, waving us off as a few more vehicles pull in ahead of us. Enhanced warrior ursu and their large blades stick out the open roof, unmissable to any eye.

Our convoy rolls through the stone-paved streets at a running pace. Nothing slow, but restrained enough to allow my elders to gawk at the city. The excess use of rare metals to decorate the fronts of their stone buildings is something I notice both Yalun’s and Śuri’s eyes return to. Guards along the street cordoning off the public for our procession hold rifles, and I can’t help but be impressed by how far they’ve progressed in only so long.

The weapons look nothing like the adapted Henosis equivalents. No longer do they look like flimsy sticks with unguarded triggers. No, now they look heavy. Twice the length of the previous mass production model, their new weapon is like a cannon in their massive arms. A design only an ursu can wield.

I know it’s only the unenhanced that don’t carry swords like the warriors in the car before us, but those weapons look like they could do some damage.

It’s surprising they’re putting so much effort into our guard detail. With Tore around, nobody would be stupid enough to try anything. Well, not unless they were prepared for an instant death. That’s not even considering the quality of the áed force being protected. I’d feel bad for any fool that would attempt our assassination.

…Nah. Not really.

Soon, we roll up before our embassy. Thankfully, to no assassination attempt or any other hitch during the brief trip. Gerben wasn’t lying when he said the building was big. Almost a dozen storeys tall — ursu storeys — the structure sits on the inner ring touching the open space surrounding the continae. The Continae. Their central point of governance. The same one that collapsed while Tore and I removed the council.

The Continae is currently being rebuilt, but it is already half of its previous height. Despite not yet being finished, it rises nearly as high as the buildings surrounding it. I’m not sure if that’s fast or slow for building construction, but building something so tall is still incredibly impressive, and I know my elders think the same.

Our Agglomerate may be more impressive than anything the ursu can build, but it’s not like any áed could recreate such a mountain of glass. Not unless Elder Ember descended to bestow us another.

Gerben parks out the front of our building decorated with an array of blue and silver metals that flicker in the afternoon light. As a couple of ursu open the doors for us, I send a glance back to my elders. Hopefully, they don’t attempt to eat any of it. When I see them clamber out of the vehicles, none hold the look of hunger for the outer walls I expect.

Oh, so it’s only me?

As we are led in through the large front double-doors, I twist my head around, but I can’t find what I’m looking for.

“Where’s Leal?” I ask Gerben as the other áed are led to their own rooms.

“Well, we felt it better to not welcome you with a water mage… or at least what most know as a water mage.” I tilt my head, unsure what he means. “She’s waiting in your room.”

Excited to see her after a full year since we parted, I wave to my elders before following Gerben up the stairs ahead of the rest. The stairways themselves are wide and fancy, with a long chandelier that hangs from the far ceiling and reaches all the way down to the second floor. An inscription running through the suspended crystals light the stairway despite them being in the centre of the building.

We pass the third floor, then the fourth and fifth. Every time we pass another hall, I think we’ve reached where my room is, but we just keep going up. Eventually, the stairs end and there’s no hallway. Only a large set of doors.

I glance up at Gerben, tilting my head, but only the edges of his lips lift as he steps forward and pushes open the doors. “Of course, the penthouse is yours.”

I step into the lavish space. My ‘room’ isn’t so much a room as it is a mansion. Just looking through the open area, I can see this penthouse wraps around the stairway and takes up the full top floor. It’s incredibly impressive and considering it’s made for an ursu, it’s almost comparable to the Cano manor I once infiltrated, but isn’t this too much?

“Is this fine?” I ask. “I mean, it’s not like I’ll be staying in Flehullen forever.”

“Absolutely. This was once a commissar’s private accommodation. It was either gift it as a show of our nation’s appreciation, or find some other purpose. The building was just sitting here unused, so it was perfect when we heard you were preparing a delegation.”

Huh. Well, in that case, I don’t mind if I do.

“Solvei?” a voice reaches me before a head pokes in from the other side of the penthouse entry lounge, where balcony doors are wide open.

An ursu shoots across the room in moments, barely enough time for me to register that her glowing markings aren’t the same bluish translucent glow they once were. She slams into me and pulls me into a hug, my feet left dangling.

“Been a while, Leal,” I say.

I struggle in her arms for a second longer, before an idea comes to mind and a smirk crosses my face.

Before she can react, I’m a swarm of flames and her hands grasp nothing. As she stumbles, I take shape again, only this time I’m the one nearly double her size. I have to duck my head to avoid the ceiling, but as my arms take form, I wrap them around Leal and lift her up.

Damn is she heavy, but it’s worth it to see her reaction.