The Dekmár Roads: The Factions of Natorna

Chapter 8: Fiery Supplies

Yet another trip in space, more days looking outside and seeing mostly darkness with some flickers of lights here and there. Even so, all the lights, but one, were so distant and cold it made little difference to the fact that space was an open, effectively empty, place to be. How lonely it would be to travel by oneself. Yes, it was true, on board the ship there were things to do that did not involve sitting put in a seat. There were various activities available even on the small, low class transport ship like the one Cearfer and his crew were on. There were larger ships like the militarized ones that the Liscznat and Lascart flew which would be more accurately described as well armed flying bases. They had many amenities on board, yet the same problem happened when you were stuck looking outside for too long; you were still trapped in the endless void of space, isolated from everyone and everything.

Cearfer had finished a meal that he ate in the dining area. He did not know which one it was, breakfast, lunch or dinner. Despite being accustomed for space travel, it would become difficult to understand the passage of time. If he, as anyone, studied their Time Keeper or monitored their travel process in the control room, Cearfer would see the numbers and know what they represent but it would do nothing for him. How could it when time appeared to stand still outside the windows. The time may change on the Time Keeper's face or the displays in the control room but when anyone looked outside, no matter what, they would see the same darkness and same distant flickers of light.

The Natent regional manager walked down a hall with long benches that bordered sets of windows. All the windows in the hall were obscured so no one could see out except for one. Laoenfer was sitting looking out that currently transparent window when Cearfer sat down beside him. Cearfer asked him with a smile of his face, "See anything interesting out there?"

Laoenfer turned his head away from the window. Frowning he replied, "No. Nothing is interesting out there. It is all completely boring me."

With a more serious look expressed on Cearfer's face, he asked, "Then why do you even bother sitting here looking out into the endless expanse, knowing nothing will change your perception. And if you are bored, you can come into the common room with the rest of the crew. They are playing some games there."

"Yes, but I am way too bored for that. Plus, I already played everything they have millions of times."

"So, your solution to that is to stare out into space? To combat your boredom with more boredom? That does not seem very sensible to me. Talk to me. What is on your mind? There has to be something, right? Or is it just as empty as the void you are staring into?"

"The factions are not as I remember." Laoenfer said as he turned his entire body toward Cearfer. While he did this, Cearfer secretly brushed his hand at a switch by the window to obscure the view into space. He knew that this was a serious conversation the Lascart guild member had in mind and the madness-inducing void of space would not help things. There was a reason why the windows were normally obscured in the first place. Cearfer asked, "How do you mean?"

  "Before I became a guild member in my faction, I was expecting so much, that becoming one would be such an honor. I thought it was so important for us to work for the defense of the factions."

"Is it not important to have a good defense?"

A good defense against what? We just have us who all are supposed to be at peace. We are all supposed to be good. But that is not the case. People are not good. People are not peaceful at all."

Cearfer paused and pressed his hand up against the side of his face and thought. A few moments passed and he released the hand but the confusion on his face remained. He said, "I don't understand. You are defending against bad people who want to harm these factions."