They finally made it to Stoneheart City, and the size astounded them. If Coal City were a microcosm of the Confederacy, then Stoneheart was its Exemplar. The Confederates called their settlements cities, but most of them could be more accurately defined as villages or towns. But not Stoneheart. Stoneheart was rivaled only by the Imperial City itself in size, and it was all nestled deep under the bowels of Ludia. Every inch of space this city had was carved out by the machines or hands of people,
There were forges all around, their work echoing away through the caverns. Tubes of earth carried them all the way to the surface so that they wouldn't choke to death, serving as additional support for the cavern, which was the primary difference in the city's aesthetic. Coal City had its structure hewn from the rock and stone that had dug it out. Stoneheart City's supports were usually clad in iron, but occasionally in bright stones like marble, limestone, and even lapis, and always decorated with fascinating patterns. It lacked completely the unity of the Imperial City, but that gave it a unique charm, and made things easy to find in their own way.
"Welcome to Stoneheart City," Kile said. "I never imagined a place made out of dirt could look so beautiful."
"Well, now you don't have to," Alora retorted.
It didn't take them long at all to find Callan. The first person they asked pointed them in the direction of her house, and everyone seemed to know where it was because a lot of people were sort of milling about it.
"Do you think she's home?" Lija asked.
"If she is, it might not be the best idea to bother her. It looks like we're not the only ones seeking her services." Alora responded.
"Ain't that the truth," said a young man nearby who had overheard. "Between you and me, I think she's at the hospital."
Kile nodded, "thank you," and that was their next stop.
The hospital was an impressive building, reaching up multiple floors and made of brick on the outside and wood on the inside. Lit by green luxite, it was a calm place. They weren't allowed past the curtain of the first floor, but were told to wait and Callan would be out when she was ready. Not 15 minutes later, Callan emerged from the tent.
She was short and she was big. The kind of size that came from a lifetime of physical work and the mass needed to sustain that much strength. She had bleach white skin like everyone else from the Confederacy had, and their faint blue eyes and orange nose patch. Her hair, however, was unusually reddish-brown. She had tied it into a single braid. She wore a suit of hide armor adorned with bits of metal in places of high impact like the knee caps and elbows.
"These kids were looking for you, Callan."
"Were they," she asked. "Well sorry kids, but as you can see I've got a lot to do. There's a kid upstairs who's dying of the flu, and I've got to help him."
"Will you at least hear us out?" Kile pleaded.
Callan gave a warm smile, sensing his confusion. "Young man, this entire city needs my help. Once I'm done here, there's a Metalbound and his apprentice who need my help with something. Then, the city hall needs repairs and I can do those quick and easy. After that there are probably 10 people at my door asking for help, just like you are now."
She looked down at him, a heavy glare in her eyes. Kile swallowed. "You have 5 words or less to tell me why your problem trumps all these other problems."
Kile let out a whimper and looked at his fingers. He began counting different phrases in his head, before settling on.
"I need help - Wild Magic."
Callan's eyes went wide for a moment, before she narrowed them. "So, you have the gift? Do your friends?"
"No, just me," Kile assured
Her gaze pierced through Kile as she asked, "and what is it you want?"
"I want...to control it. Or get rid of it. I...I just don't want to hurt people with it anymore."
Callan's warm smile returned, and in a soft voice she said "okay. Tell you what. I was about to go exploring a little place that had something to do with that. But like I said, I have a lot on my plate. If you can go and help the Metalbound I spoke of earlier out, by the time it's all sorted, I should be able to make enough time to lead you there."
"Where?" Lija asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"It's...hard to explain. Especially here. But I promise once you do part, I'll explain everything back at my house."
Kile nodded. He turned to his friends, "are you guys okay with this?"
Lija shrugged, but Alora returned with an enthusiastic, "of course!"
"Well you heard them, who do we have to help?"
YOU ARE READING
Kile of Zumada
Ciencia FicciónYoung Kile is just a humble farm boy of the Djezzi Tribe, trying to make ends meet - until he suddenly finds himself with mysterious magical powers that very few people in the world even knew existed. He is quested with finding out to control these...