The Winter's Oasis Wiki
Romps and Reconstruction in Loka: Steam, Magic, and Mysteries in the Frozen Wasteland.
Dec 21, 2024
Search
Reinventing the Lightbulb - Part 4
Previous - Reinventing the Lightbulb Part 3
Zorro pads along with the arctic fox and the tiger, looking over the map, “So… how far away are we again?” He squints, looking at the paper and flicking his tail in confusion. Those giant ears bobble.
Raziel glances at the map, though the brevity of his look suggests that he knows where he is. “Well, we’ve officially entered the forest. We need to continue east to Quark, and then southeast from there to…somewhere.”
Viktor nods, looking at the map as well, not actually understanding any of it. “Raaiht. Hopefully ve caahn pik up zohmvaahn vrom Qvaahrk thaaht knows the aahreaah. “
Zorro’s big fennec ears seem to flop around more whenever Viktor talks. “Mmn… Yes, hopefully so.” The fox looks forward, “I’ve been to Quark before, at least. I know it’s not /too/ much further, but we may have to camp once more at this rate.”
Raziel shrugs. “I’m not sure we’d need a guide. If I remember Viktor’s description accurately, all we have to do is head south from Quark until we find an arch. I’m not sure I’d trust a guide from Quark, anyway. It seemed a nice enough place when I visited, but it still had a rather…shady quality to it.”
Viktor shrugs. “Thiz iz the faahrthezd Aai’ve ever been, zo aai’ll let yoo two decaaide on thaaht.”
Zorro keeps padding on, his short little legs having to double time to keep up with the two of you, “Well, I’m just as happy to keep moving til we’re nearly there.” The fox mms, “I know it’s only been about a day, but for some reason it feels like it’s been weeks.”
Raziel chuckles. “Travel sometimes feels that way. All the scenery tends to blend together when there’s nothing interesting in between. Still, even that can be a tolerable change of pace from being shot at.”
Viktor listens in on the talks of travel, clearly interested on what everything is like outside of the Delta range. “Yoo haahve ztories yez? Maahy Aai heaahr them?”
Zorro nods, “I’m a writer. If I had no stories, I wouldn’t be a very good one. Though, the one that I remember most… is not pleasant” He mms, “Some time ago, I met a friend. A cat. He knew some people in Naraka that were working on experimental technologies. ANd he tried to leave it all behind…” The fox shook his head, “One day he was kidnapped and beaten in front of my eyes. We didn’t find him again until he was hooked into some old Svargan technology, and rotting from the inside out. So much pain…” He shivers.
Raziel runs a hand over his head, and flicks his ears. “That isn’t a very pleasant story, is it… Personally, I have a few stories, yes. But they’re not very long, and most of them end the same way. I left Serendipity to travel, and to test my weapons in the field. For some strange reason that defies all logic, bandits attack me on a regular basis, despite my size and above-average armament. I do tend to travel alone, but still…you think they’d give up eventually.”
Viktor nods, still intrigued. “Aai vould like to heaahr more, iv yoo voulden’t mind. Ve ztill haahve aah long vaahyz to vaahlk.”
Zorro nods, “Well, he had found some crazy stuff about Svarga and automatons, and whatnot— but he said that the world wasn’t ready for some of the things he learned. He saved a bit of the data onto a little crystal thing, and then blew the whole facility he was hooked into up in one crazy explosion.” He shakes his head, “That hurt my ears something fierce.”
Raziel stares off into the distance, thinking. “I’ve always had an interest in Svargan technology. But never enough money or luck to come across any in working order.” He snaps back out of it, and looks to Zorro. “You say he destroyed the facility…but also that he was immobilized. How did he accomplish that?”
Viktor is interested in this as well, focusing intently on the little fennec with a curious look, padding softly beside him.
Zorro looks up, “Well, he was in this… this chair…” He tries to motion around with his paws, as if that helps, “And, there was this thing, that was jabbed into his head. He seemed able to control things with his mind, but whatever that thing was, it was also killing him. He smelled… just… awful.” The fox shivers, “The crazy man who hooked him up like that— he didn’t fully understand what he was doing with that tech, I reckon.”
Zorro’s ears flatten. “Yes. I had gotten to know him over the course of a few weeks. I saw him beaten and carried away. We found his arm and an ear before we found him. Those parts had been taken away in order to make room for the machines they had stuck in him. He was suffering. It was the most horrifying thing I’d ever seen.” He shakes his head.
Raziel listens intently. When Zorro finishes, he simply replies, “I…I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry for your loss,” before continuing in silence.
The day is at it’s peak as the group stumbles on into Quark, the small township being their first and last stop both ways in the Sastra forest, so it would be wise to gather supplies here and other things which can be useful. Such a place should have many things that could come in handy during the trek.
Zorro looks up, “Oh! Look, we’re here.” The little fox wags his brush back and forth, and smooths back his whiskers, “Quite a hike there.” He scurries along, looking about the shops, trying to decide which one to resupply at first.
Raziel trails behind slightly, lacking the general enthusiasm of the small fox. “Oh, the trip wasn’t that far. Not nearly as far as walking from Serendipity to Muon, anyway.” He briefly rifles around the inside his backpack, finding once again that he is good on all supplies he should need…except food.
Viktor moves around the stalls and tents and stores of things, just looking them over. “Iz it reaahly thaaht vaahr? Zerendipity to Muon?”
Zorro mms, “Well, it was, until they got the train in, but that thing keeps gettin’ blown up before we can use it!” He hmms, “Though I suppose someone could always walk down the tracks, they really discourage it.”
Raziel nods at Viktor’s question. “Oh, yes. From what I’ve seen of maps, they aren’t /tremendously/ far apart. But following the roads adds a considerable amount of distance.” He nods at Zorro’s statement. “Indeed. I’d truly love to see that line up and running someday.”
Viktor nods, picking up another shoulder bag to go with the one he’s already carrying. “Aai zee. Aai’ve only heaahrd ov traahinz. Vaaht aahre they like?” He moves over to a food stall, picking out some foodstuffs that won’t perish easily or quickly.
Zorro mms, “Well, I went on one once. It was pretty interesting. They went faster than any other ground vehicle I’ve ever seen— not even the horseless carriages from Naraka seem to match when it gets top speed. Though maybe that’ll change— I imagine it’s easier to upgrade something not on rails than something on rails. I’ve heard some people get a lot of smoke and soot in their eyes, but the wind must have been nice that day, because I didn’t.”
Raziel walks over to a different stall, yet one that is easily within earshot. “I’ve seen the train that runs between Acre and Muon, though I haven’t had the opportunity to ride it. They’re extremely impressive machines, and from what I know of steam engines, equally complex.” From the stand, he purchases what can only be described as ten pounds of beef jerky, which he promptly wraps and stores in his pack.
Viktor picks up a slab of dried meat, wrapping it up nicely and placing it in one of his bags. “The only zteaahm think aai’ve zeen iz the zteaahm zhipz in Mezon. Vonderfull little boaahtz, but aai’ve only ridden vohn vonce.”
Zorro nodnods, and gets little bits of meats and cheeses, as well as some of the more hardy vegetables. He also draws some water from the local well. “Well, we’re still going to have to hoof it where we’re going. So, this place we’re going is just outside of the town, right?”
Raziel shrugs. “I…honestly don’t remember how far, just that it was to the southeast. Do you know what these ruins are called, Viktor?”
Viktor erks a little, shaking his head. “No, aai don’t remember…. aah, but ve need to go zouth for a vaahz.”
Zorro hmms, “Well, I’m sure the hard part is over, hiking all these ways. We’ve got food and water now. No reason to tarry further, eh?” He slings his now full pack over his shoulder, having paid for his supplies.
Raziel feels that he is missing something…but can’t think of what it is. Something vitally important for survival… “Oh! Water.” He treks back slightly towards the well, and fills his metal canteen, before joining Zorro. “I agree. If we’re going to get lost, we may as well do it now,” he says with a smirk.
Viktor nods, falling into place behind the two, shouldering both his strapbags and keeping pace. “Yez, the zooner ve get there, the zooner ve kaahn kome baahk.”
Zorro starts padding southward, ears bobbling as he listens and looks around. “So, how many of those guy’s Illuminators do you think he’ll be able to make with one of these?” He’s set on making that the marketing term!
Raziel follows along, easily keeping pace. “I don’t know exactly how many, but he said each light contains a very small amount of metal, and this statue is supposedly pretty solid. Should be enough for quite a few. Hundreds, maybe. All I know is that I’d be willing to forego any ‘real’ reward for one of the prototypes.”
Viktor steps up behind the two closely. “Aai haahve no ideaah, aahbout thiz ‘Illuminaahtorz’ but he offered to paahy aah qvaahrter ov the debt aai haahve left. “
Zorro smiles, “I have to wonder what sort of debt you’re in for that to be a worthwhile investment.” The fox looks onward, “Don’t tell him that, Raziel. Always best to get money AND goodies.” He winks, “What would you do with a prototype, anyway?”
Raziel chuckles at Zorro’s suggestion. “Quite true. As for the prototype, I’d use it for home lighting! I live in Serendipity; it shouldn’t be /too/ hard to reroute one of the electrical wires in order to power it. Also, it will make an excellent conversation piece,” he says with a smile.
Viktor smiles at the conversation. “Heh, he offered to paahy it ovv, but aai taahlked him down to aah qvaahrter. It vould be nize to haahve no debt, but I maahde it vor myzelf, aahnd aai believe aai need to paahy it off myzelf, for the mozt paahrt. I vont refuze help totaahly though. Aahnd iz for evaahry think aai own, but moztly vor the tunink vorkz. Aahll ov them.”
Zorro nods, “You go through a lot of em?” He raises an eyebrow, “How many uses do you get out of a fork?” The fox looks onward, sniffing about and looking around for something ruinish.
Raziel likewise keeps an eye out for the ill-defined arch that marks the path, while listening to Viktor and Zorro converse. “If it isn’t too intrusive a question, who is it that you’re in debt to, Viktor?”
Viktor shrugs. “Aai haahven’t done much vith them to know how much uze they get. Aai haahven’t broken aahny zo vaahr. Aahll my debt kaahme vrom buildink the zet, aahll my klothink, evaahry think aai own. Aai levt Cetaahyaahnti vith nothink. Aahnd aai aahm in debt to the blaahkzmith who maahde my vorks.” Zorro ahhs, “That makes sense, then. I imagine they’d have to be of pretty pure material to do what they do.”
Raziel nods. “I ran into a number of monetary troubles when I first began construction of my rifle. I purchased and dismantled a number of rifles for parts, though obviously some of the pieces are entirely unique, and had to be custom forged. I could do the metalwork myself, which saved me quite a bit, but the materials still weren’t cheap. Managed to pay all that off before I left Serendipity, though.”