Three Spheres

Chapter 18 - Knowledge

It is already night at station that had been visited a few days before. Amadeo's luggage is nothing but a big suitcase, only with clothes. He approaches a booth where a man absently files his nails.

_ Excuse me. _ He says, leaning over _ I have a trip to Libasto now.

_ Right... In whose name is the reservation? _ The man pulls out a record book.

_ It's an Ecclesia trip.

The man looks up and rubs his eyes. Then he lands his finger on one of the marked lines in his book.

_ I need your passport, Ecclesia attest and 1,000 Croix in advance.

_ Yes, yes... _ Amadeo pulls the requested items from his pockets.

The man gets up and leaves the cabin. He takes Amadeo's suitcase and tells him to follow. They arrive at an arch, similar to a doorway. The man says:

_ Have you ever traveled with SD? _ Before Amadeo could answer, he continues, in a monotonous tone _ SD means Space Distortion and represents the fastest transport route ever created. Two points in space will be connected for no more than 5 seconds; enough time for you to pass through the portal and reach your destination. We recommend keeping objects and limbs close to the trunk, within the safety line, to avoid unpleasant accidents. SD can cause nausea, discomfort, dizziness, and cardiac arrest in susceptible individuals. Questions?

_ Hm, no, I already know, actually...

_ Great, this saves time. Your trip is scheduled for exactly 1 minute and 13 seconds from now. Libasto, right? Stay on that platform, please.

The man touches several buttons and a light starts to flash over the top of a huge pole above the booth. It causes dozens of other similar poles to blink at the same frequency, in a domino-effect activation. The light signal propagates to the destination, where another man in another cabin, initiates similar procedures.

_ When I count to 3, you take a step forward, young man.

_ Yup!

The countdown starts. Amadeo holds his breath. 1... 2... 3! He takes a step forward and, in an instant, finds himself facing a completely different city. Moving on, he hears the portal closing and a man welcomes him:

_ Thank you so much for traveling with Space Distortion! How are you feeling? Do you need any assistance? Need help getting to your final destination?

_ No, no! It's right! I'll ride from here...

_ Where are you going? I can recommend carriages to take you!

_ I'm going to Ginsta, on the border with Yanmu. And I think there must be a ride waiting for me. There's an Ecclesia stable here, right? _ Amadeo looks around.

_ Ah! Well of course! Your lordship is one of our glorious protectors! _ He leans forward, looking at Amadeo's chest; the boy pulls his coat, showing his insignia _ Ohh! By the Goddesses, a Paragon! _ He bows _ It's an honor to be of service to you, sir!

_ Heh... Thank you! See you in a few days, huh...? _ Amadeo asks, smiling.

_ Seraph, sir! I'm Seraph.

They say goodbye and Amadeo heads to the stable. There, he receives a Crocotta*, already tamed, but still aloof. The creature snarls under the muzzle and resists Amadeo's control a little, but soon gets used to it and the two leave.

The beast is fast, agile, and fearless. Their gaze is fixed on the horizon. Amadeo keeps his body bent, holding his briefcase and a bag of meat in one hand, while the other grips the metal collar tightly. The distance is almost 10 km, but Amadeo enjoys every second of the trip. He decides to follow his own memory and not check the map in his pocket.