When the lift opened, Gril’Die let out a light gasp as he looked upon one of the most marvelous things he’d ever seen.
Skogr City was far larger than he had ever imagined. It earned its name as a city not only in population but in sheer vastness. The wooden, domed wall that came around and over most of the city was, after all, living tree. In response to the inner light of the city, the tree wall had sprawled out into the city with branches, providing a very odd view of a tree that seemed to have been flipped inside-out. The bark was multicolored and multitextured, a result of the fact that it was, in fact, thousands of different trees pressed together naturally rather than one giant tree or cut-up wood boarded together, a practiced still used on some planets that embraced a lower-tech life.
This, however, was a highly advanced city. Pulse-cars zipped by and even a few shuttles were passing through the city’s limited airspace. The walkways were lit with a gentle light that simulated evening over the whole city right now, moving across the dome as a holographic representation of Linthia, the system’s only star. Looking about the dome some more, Gril’Die found the dim lights of the other planets and the large chunk of old Valr that Valhal had picked up and pulled into orbit after the Ragn’Rouk. Chunks of old planets like Valr served as a constant reminder to the Thorlinthian people of the Ragn’Rouk, and the light of the Bifrost in the skies served to remind them that they were, essentially, alone.
Thinking back to what had gotten him promoted to Mi’Olnr in the first place, Gril’Die frowned at the mentality of Thorlinthia. It was that victim mindset that caused the people to rally behind the destruction of an entire race of innocent people. It was the information behind that attack that Gril’Die planned to bring to the table today.
“Sir, please follow me,” said the guard beside him. Gril’Die acquiesced, allowing the guard to lead the way, knowing the guard was fully utilizing the full-angle capabilities of the helmet to keep an ever-watchful eye on Gril’Die as they walked along.
Gril’Die almost walked into the guard, stopping just in time to avoid the occasion. The guard spoke again, gesturing to the pulse-car before them. “Please get in. The people at Headquarters want to talk to you.”
Gril’Die stepped into the pulse-car, scooting along the seat as the guard followed. The inside of the vehicle was well-lit, but there were no view ports, indicating that this was a robotic pulse-car. The guard ensured that Gril’Die was seated properly before closing the door.
Once the door had closed, the pulse-car began to make the sound that earned its name as it rose up slightly, pulses of highly pressurized air pushing it into the air and forward. The pulses faded into background as the vehicle moved along, the occasional pulses of air being blown out of the sides to turn the vehicle along the streets as it moved toward an undisclosed part of the city.
Based on the number of turns, Gril’Die was fairly certain the pulse-car was following a route meant to confuse him. As it moved along, the pulses of the vehicle continued to be the only source of sound in the vehicle, a rather quiet sound at that. Gril’Die looked to the guard, who was merely looking forward, probably playing a game or taking notes with the helmet. Gril’Die’s own helmet was lowered in courtesy to show that he wasn’t presently communicating with anyone outside the city.
Finally, after several agonizingly slow centidays, the pulse car puttered to a stop, setting itself on the wooden ground. The door nearer Gril’Die opened before the guard’s door, and two more guards were waiting outside it. One reached in to help Gril’Die with getting out while the other kept a repeater trained calmly on Gril’Die, a caution Gril’Die could understand, given the location. The first guard finally stepped out of the pulse-car and said, “Come with us, sir,” before leading the way into the discrete building before them.
The building was very plain, looking similar to the buildings surrounding it, if a bit larger due to the pillar reaching up into the dome above, a rather common sight across the city. In fact, without knowing where it was ahead of time, it would probably be just about impossible to find. Well, that was probably the point, Gril’Die reminded himself before walking toward the building, the two new guards following him with their weapons trained on the back of his head.
The first guard opened the door and walked in as Gril’Die followed, leading him into a plain hallway much like the entrance to the city, though this one was wooden instead of being stonework. When they reached the end of the hallway, they all walked into another lift, which rose much more rapidly than the first one Gril’Die had taken.
When the lift opened, Gril’Die was surprised to see that they were on the surface, above the level of Skogr Lake. The lift must have been even faster than Gril’Die had suspected. As he walked out to the room awaiting him, however, the guards did not follow. As he left the lift, its door closed behind him, leaving him in the room with a handful of unarmored men who looked to be hunters or fishermen.
Just as Gril’Die began to suspect that this had been a ploy, however, one of the men spoke. “Good evening, Mi’Olnr. My name is Feriadd Khuda’Salongriell, and I am the elected leader of the Ginnung. What can I do for the Armada’s highest-ranking officer today?” Feriadd smiled at Gril’Die openly, and Gril’Die was made certain that he was hearing the truth.
“Actually,” Gril’Die said, “I’d like to do something for you.” At this, Feriadd raised an eyebrow, passing his hand over a small control panel.
The windows closed, and the light in the room dimmed, a large table and seats rising from the floor. The men in the room all began seating themselves at various spots, and Feriadd gestured for Gril’Die to sit, too. Once everyone else was seated and looking at Gril’Die, Feriadd sat and gestured with both hands to Gril’Die again. “We’re listening.”