Displaced

Chapter 124

Everytime Tehlmar entered Lord Ferros's massive fortress was an experience. The Louring Hive, the locals called it, and he could understand why. Towering over the rest of the bustling metropolis—or what passed for one in Otharia, at least—the hulking grey monstrosity exuded a foreboding aura that could not be ignored no matter where you stood in Wroetin. Its alien design, the constant bustle of mechanical beasts scuttling to and fro, and its overbearing size combined to lend an inescapable feeling of malevolent trespass. Set in the center of the city but very much not a part of it, the fortress served as more than a base of operations; it was an imposition, a demonstration of the Otharians' impotence, and most of all, a threat.

For Tehlmar in particular, however, it felt like he was sneaking into an enemy encampment, even though he was nominally allowed inside. The impression that he did not belong persisted even now, more than a season since his official employment under Lord Ferros began. The metal-clad man had never trusted him in the way he did Arlette or even a sniveling little shit like Sofie. His tasks seemed to be largely menial busywork and often made little use of his capabilities—not that he was good at much besides fighting. The fact that he had a job at all felt like more of a favor to Arlette than anything else. Tehlmar didn't mind; as long as he could stick around the love of his life, everything else was just details.

Stepping out of the way of a trio of machines as they rushed past, scurrying off somewhere to do whatever inscrutable assignment their creator had given them, he crossed through the outer courtyard that separated the large wall and the fortress proper. Today was an off day. Normally he wouldn't set foot within the place when he didn't have to, but today he had special plans for a day with Letty—a picnic, just the two of them, followed by a show in the local amphitheater hosted by a highly regarded band of Otharian minstrels, and finally, a dinner at a place he'd found on the south end of the city. The food there was quite good for Otharian cuisine, and the atmosphere was far more rowdy and boisterous, which was far more their style than the hoity-toity vibes of the more established venues on the north end.

Letty didn't know any of this, of course. She didn't even know he was coming over today. That was part of the surprise! He was sure that she'd be delighted, regardless. Their last extended outing had gone so well, after all.

Working his way upward, he soon found himself outside his love's door. A short knock later, and he found himself face to face with a puzzled-looking Arlette Demirt—or was it Arlette Faredin? Eh, didn't matter to him, really. Letty was Letty and that was all that mattered.

"Tehlmar? Why are you here?"

"Really wish you lived somewhere other than inside this dull grey maze," he replied, walking past her into her abode.

"This is by far the safest place to be, not to mention the cheapest," Arlette asserted. "With the terrorists still out there, not to mention the people's general dislike of me, I'd be too busy watching my back to sleep properly."

"I'd watch your back for you."

"Then I'd have to watch your back, instead. Actually, how come you aren't getting attacked in your sleep? You stand out here like a lone rain cloud on an otherwise sunny day."

"Oh, they learned their lesson after the third attempt," he told her with an easygoing shrug. Noticing she had a new, unusual chair standing beside her desk, one with a single central trunk beneath the seat that branched out near the floor into five horizontal arms, each with a wheel on the end, he plopped down into it. The seat and back tilted backward from the force, before swinging back upright as if pushed by an invisible hand.

"Third attempt? What did—wait, we're getting off-topic. Why are you here, again?"

"I'm not on the job today, so I came to surprise you with a day of fun, food, drink, and whatever else you might feel in the mood for by the end," he said with a wink.