Alastir's Story [Warning: Long/Incomplete Read!]

 This is a long read, and incomplete one at that. I just wanted to post this here so I have a record of it somewhere. If you would like me to finish/flesh this out, please let me know on our mutual messaging system. Enjoy! 

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  “Wake up.”

  I do as I am told. I blink to adjust to the light and white walls of this strange room. I glance over to the left and allow my body to adjust before noticing the other man. The man’s back is turned to me and facing a fountain. The only thing I notice is that the man is wearing a rather lavish white cloak with gold trim and rubies on the trim. The man turns. “My name is Ambassador Arthur.” I look over Ambassador Arthur. The man’s shoulder-length brown hair sweeps to the side as his green eyes flick up and down. The ambassador adjusts his cloak over his white and blue thawb. “Now, you’ve been brought to the city of Peponi by- well, it doesn’t matter where-” My mind suddenly leaves Ambassador Arthur’s words and flashes to the sound of a blade through something, and a liquid squirting out of something. It’s all vague, almost like a dream I would rather forget. The looks on my face seems to register with the ambassador. “I see. It didn’t work.”

  “Sorry?” My voice eeks out. Its tone startles me a little.

  "Did you have a flashback to a specific memory just now?"

  "No."

  "Oh. Interesting." Ambassador Arthur wears his smile again. "Don't worry about what I said. I-" He shakes his head quickly. "Do you remember having a name? Something you would be referred to?"

  I pause to think. Besides those strange noises in my head, I don't remember having a name. I shake my head. "I don't remember." I see him nod more to himself than to me. It makes me wonder what he must have done. Did he purposely mess with my mind? I dart my eyes around as I label every item I see.

  "At least you still have your memory for language, I see." Ambassador Arthur smiles sheepishly to me. I nod slowly, unsure of why he is smiling like that. "Why don't you close your eyes and think about what you feel inside you? See what name pops into your mind." I hesitantly close my eyes. I'm still suspicious of this man, but I do as he asks. As I take in a deep breath, I feel myself slip into a meditative state. I linger in it as I wait for something to happen. I hear a small female voice in the distance of this strange blueness of my meditative mind. I draw closer to the sound. It is definitely a blurry mother figure holding onto a baby. Why would this be in my mind? I move closer to the figure to hear her cooing at the small one. "It's alright, my little one. There is no need to be afraid. My poor sweet little Alastir."

  "Alastir? A curious choice of a name." I snap back to the present moment and find my mouth open. Did I speak it aloud as I heard it in my mind? Ambassador Arthur smiles, but I sense a strangeness to it, as if that name means something to him. "It is a nice name, of course."

  "Something wrong with it?" I ask.

  "Oh, no, not at all. I'm just surprised, that's all." He grabs a spherical object from his cloak. After a few touches, it opens a holographic screen. What strange technology is that? He takes a writing tool from inside the sphere and jots a note down a note on the screen. I can't see what he is writing; I'm assuming for privacy. "And what about your surname, young one? You have a choice between-"

  "Surname?" I interrupt.

  "Yes. A name that belongs to your family. Or, in your case, you. Now, someone has already chosen to take care of you during your time here; think of it like an adoption. However, the current Queen has asked that I allow you to decide that for yourself."

  "And how am I supposed to 'decide that for myself' exactly?" I ask. This whole routine was odd to me. I wondered if anyone else was subjected to it.

  "The same way you decided your first name." Ambassador Arthur answers matter-of-factly.

  I roll my eyes closed again and slip into that same state. It felt a bit weird to go between the white room and this blue void-like space, but that's what it was. I wait a bit longer than the first time. I hear Ambassador Arthur's voice singing in the distance, but I assume it is my mind picking up something from the outside world. Then I listen more, I can hear a baby crying and a few more people joining him. "Ladies and gentlemen of the court, I present our newest youngling disciple to the Temple of Protection. This is Alastir Falkenroth of-"

  "Falkenroth?" I hear Ambassador Arthur stammer. 

  I get forced back into the present by his voice. "You said it, not me." I snap at him.

  "How did I- I don't even visit-?" He clears his throat and relaxes. "I'm sorry. That was a bit of a strong reaction on my part. I apologize." He writes down something else and mutters under his breath. "Alastir Falkenroth. A pleasant name." He trails off but recovers quickly. "Welcome to Peponi, the holy city of Canlanma. You were brought here by Lord Spymaster Ulric. He has offered to take care of you in exchange for your consent to become a Royal and train in Aryun Academy."

  Something foreign to my mind makes my body shiver at the word "royal" and the name of the academy. It felt funny to me to hear those two words. I see no problem with this new life I am given, but two things tug against my mind. One seems to revile the thought of being a Royal; the other elated. I push them both aside mentally and nod to Ambassador Arthur. "I consent."

  "Awesome." Ambassador Arthur motions to a collection of clothes. "There are a variety of options to wear in that pile. They will fit you naturally, so choose what you wish. I will leave and tell the Lord Spymaster of your decision." He makes a few more notes on his holographic screen, then taps a different spot on his sphere. The screen disappears and Ambassador Arthur puts it back into his cloak. He notes my interest in his sphere. "Don't worry. You'll get one of those once the Lord Spymaster takes you home." He gives me a single firm nod and walks out of the room. It is only then that I notice I am in a thawb like his, only it is just white. I glance to the pile of clothes and try to pick out something I like.

  I walk out of the room into a long hallway with more doors. I chose a red long-sleeved shirt, black denim pants, and a pair of black combat boots. I grab a dark red cloak with a hood and a silver chain on my way out. I scan the doors, listening for a clue. I hear Ambassador Arthur talk to someone at one end of the hallway. My curiosity leads me down the other part where I can hear something else. It sounds like chanting, but I'm nervous to check it out on my own. It sounds like a call and response chant, probably for a ritual. I stop and turn myself around before I think about it too much.

  As I enter into the room where I hear Ambassador Arthur, I notice how spacious the room is. I say room, but there must be a better name for it. The walls around me curl into a dome ceiling with a halo of bright light near the top. I can hear the sounds of men and women talking and chanting in small groups. A toucan lands on my shoulder and chatters in my ear. I jump at its noise, but it doesn't fly away. It stays perched on my shoulder. I continue my walk inside to hear more birds and see hundreds of trees of different varieties. I am in awe of all the animals I see around me. I stay on the brick path to avoid stepping on the grass and flowers on either side of me. I tiptoe past some tigers nearby, and a pair of lemurs swing around me as I duck under a viney branch. By the time I reach the center where Ambassador Arthur stands, I don't initially notice who was standing next to him. "You came out quickly." He says with a chuckle. "Lord Spymaster Ulric bet me that you would take longer than you did."

  I watch the toucan fly away before my gaze lands on the man next to the ambassador. The man comes across as intimidating with his pointed black wolf ears and the black fur ruffled on the back of his hands. Or maybe it is the black beard. It could have been his red and black suit with a silver handkerchief in the breast pocket. He looks up at me with steel grey eyes. "Ah, there you are, Alastir." He circles around me and takes a look at my features. "Was the blue and black natural in his hair?"

  "It is. I checked myself when my priests couldn't get the 'blue dye' out." Arthur answers with a more serious tone.

  "Fair enough." The Lord Spymaster muses. He comes around and stares me down. I stare back, unafraid of him. "He's confident. Composed. These green eyes of his show his hardiness." He passes around me the opposite way with a chuckle. "It seems we have similar styles as well."

  "Befitting a Lord Spymaster's son." Ambassador Arthur comments.

  "So it seems." Lord Spymaster Ulric smirks. He stands in front of me again and looks me over. Ambassador Arthur flashes his own smirk. "I'm glad to see you, Alastir. You may address me as Lord Ulric or father, if you feel comfortable with that." He presents me with a black box about 16 centimeters all around. "This is for you. I would prefer you opened it while you were at home, but you can open it now if you wish."

  I tuck it under my arm. "I will wait. Thank you… father."

  Lord Ulric smiles. "My pleasure. Shall we go? We can take a tour of Peponi if you want, but I mostly want to go to Ludum and to the Academy." 

  I nod. "Ludum alone sounds fine." I nod to Ambassador Arthur. "Thank you for the outfit." Ambassador Arthur nods at me as he shakes Lord Ulric's hand. Lord Ulric leads me out of the temple and into the open air of the city of Peponi. We take a few steps away before I turn to see … a tiny temple with a single door. My curiosity draws me to the small temple that I can walk around in twenty steps. It is basically a small shrine with a doorway behind the small altar. I am a bit confused, but Lord Ulric seems amused by my confusion. I look to him to see a giant grin on his face. I look up to the sky, expecting some sort of immortal entity to be up there with popcorn halfway stuffed into its mouth. “What is with this city?” I asked while I stare at the sky a little longer; I’m waiting for that entity to pop up.

  Lord Ulric laughs. “All of the temples are like that. Hence why we can have so many in this city without crowding the space. The only fully sized temple is the Temple of the Everyman in the center of town.” I follow the direction of his pointing to a large lotus flower of a temple with a spherical glass centerpiece with a lectern inside. I now find my mind wandering around on the edges of each of the petals as they rise into the sky above us. “That temple is huge!”

  “It has to be able to hold all of the Royals who serve in the powerful Crown and Tree hierarchy and their families, as well as anyone else who comes in from the rest of Canlanma.” Lord Ulric explains as I stare a little more. “Come on. We need to get going if we want to get to Ludum before the sun sets and everyone gets moving for setting meal.” He moves toward a different looking building in this apparently holy city. This one isn’t made out of marble and glass like the temples; it carries a more stone fortress look. It is near the city wall which is just as pristine as the temples seem to look. I can’t help but notice this contrast, but it seems commonplace to Lord Ulric. He enters and motions me to follow. He shows some sort of tattoo on his inner wrist to the security guard and motions with his head to me. The guard nods and lets both of us through. I pass by and nod to the guards in my attempt to be polite. They both bowed their heads toward me, then resumed their task of guarding the building. 

  Once inside, I can see different modes of transportation wandering through. Some look like electro magnetic train rails that carry a lot of people. There are some enclosed stables with various animals and carriages. Besides them look like more personal carriages that look like they can be brought together into caravans. Lord Ulric approaches them and speaks to a plain young lady in a uniform. I follow behind while I watch a few ships of various types being cleaned by their crews and captains. I can hear and kind of feel vibrations coming far below my feet. Maybe the trains, maybe something else. I wasn’t quite sure. I glance around and do my best to not be nosy while I watch a line of people go through some portals on the far end of the building. All of this ability to travel and so many people weaving in and out is making my mind dizzy.

  “Alastir?” Lord Ulric calls for me. I finally bring my attention to him and bow my head. “Are you alright?”

  “I haven’t been in here before.” I comment as I focus on a carriage approaching us. It’s a black thing; a mix of a horse carriage and a slick train car. It has a transparent roof and rather comfortable looking seats with a table in between. “Is this ours?”

  “Yes, it is. Well, it’s what I use when on personal business.” Lord Ulric speaks to the young lady for a moment. “Is everything ready?”

  “Of course, Lord Spymaster. All of your belongings and specified accommodations have been taken care of.” The young lady smiles. She looks at me, and I notice that her eyes don’t look entirely natural; they looked metallic compared to the rest of her. “I hope you enjoy your time in Ludum, Mr. Falkenroth. I hope to see you back in Peponi for Qorrax.”

  “See you for … Qorrax.” I reply back with a hesitant smile. She smiles a little bigger as Lord Ulric and I step into the carriage. I sit across from him and watch as the transparent top darkens slightly. The platform disappears from underneath us as the carriage settles into the ground and takes off to the south.

  "I figured we would take a longer travel time this time around. Usually I go by airship, but I guessed that you would want to discuss some things while we were travelling." Lord Ulric states after a few moments.

  "I have some questions, actually." I respond.

  "Please, feel free to ask."

  "What was that mark on your inner wrist that you showed to the guard?"

  "Oh, you mean this?" Lord Ulric pulls up his sleeve and shows me the tattoo. I can see it better now; it is an outline of a black snake's head with a small glistening crown on its head. I nod. "This is my personal tattoo for me in Canlanma. This signifies my role and where I live. The snake is the representation of a spymaster, and the crown means I have earned my title as Lord Spymaster."

  "Does the color have any significance?" I ask.

  "It does, actually." He smiles. Has he been waiting for me to ask? "The crown is made out of crystalline ink, making it a symbol of Canlanma as a whole."

  "That explains why you were treated so well."

  "Yes. My full name and title goes like this." He pulls his sleeve down and sits straight. "Lord Spymaster Ulric (LN) of Canlanma, Royal Spymaster of Queen Genieve." He says it so regally, but I can tell he feels it is unnecessarily long like I do. "In all honesty, most formal moments address me as Lord Spymaster. Thankfully I don't need the whole title. And I don't tie myself to the Guides in Peponi, or else I would have more."

  "Oh, yeah. The Guides." My mind refocuses on the mark. "Will I get one?" 

  "Yes, you will. We have to take a tour of Aryun Academy first so you can meet the Lords and Ladies that will train you. After that, I will show you where we will live in the Capital -Caelum- and get you to Queen Genieve and Animus for your mark."

  The name of Animus sends more shivers down my body. My mind spins again as the dueling thoughts twist around again to battle. One side wholly detesting the names of the two; the other side rejoicing to see them both. I don't recognize either feeling as something from my mind. Both feel foreign and off-putting, so I try to push them aside.

  "Of course, we will have to get your Inane as well. Vitally important that we get that for you." Lord Ulric comments aloud.

  I careen back to the present. "Inane?"

  Lord Ulric pulls out a small sphere from his cloak. It is about the size of the oranges in the tray nearby. It is a dark metallic silver with different designs etched into it. I can't understand any of them. "This is an Inane. It carries just about everything and anything you could want or need inside of it. Useful for Royals -like us- or anyone who can afford to pay its price."

  That last sentence feels ominous to be, but I assume it is just Lord Ulric being slightly dramatic. "And I get one?" 

  "Once we finish your tour of Ludum." He puts his Inane away while he looks outside. I join him in looking outside to see a white city wall in the distance. It is rather bright against the sun above us, but I can still see the tops of a huge castle in the center of the walled city. It is a mix of wood and marble with various colors along the rooftops. He seems to stare at it with a somewhat forced admiration. I can sense a layer of disgust behind his small smile and dimmed eyes. "What city is that?" I ask, still looking at him as we pass by it.

  "That is Caelum. Where I normally work." He keeps his eyes on the city. He fiddles with his Inane in his pocket, or what I'm guessing is his Inane. "It means we are about halfway to our destination." He finally looks at me as he relaxes in his seat. "We have time to rest and relax before we reach Ludum. Please help yourself to the fruit and sandwiches in here." He gestures to a small compartment between us. "Put your hand on the lid, think of what you want, and the machine will give it to you once it is prepared. There are also fruit drinks and water as well." He spins his feet to the other cushioned seat on his right. "I am going to rest my eyes for a little while." 

  I nod and watch him doze. I really want to see the Capital again; I remind myself to explore every inch of it another day. I help myself to an apple first, then a glass of water while I stare out at the landscape. I can only see plains for the moment, but looming in front of us seems to be a mountain range. I let my mind wander as I finish the glass and the machine takes it back. This new place I am in feels more like home with each passing moment. I glance overhead to see an airship coasting on the waves above. It seems so peaceful up there with its shimmering translucent sails and black bottom.

  Before I have a chance to think about the ship any further, I see a new city. This one seems less glamorous than the Capital, yet it still holds a certain air of honor and pride around it. I sense a lot of movement under me, somehow below my feet and the carriage. A pulse, almost. A steady, almost musical pulse noted with subtle pops of music around me. What is this feeling? The closer we get to the city, the more I feel it. The pulse marches forward and the pops of music become a little louder. They carry the same rhythm as the stride of footsteps. The cadence between the different songs only makes what I'm sensing more chaotic. I feel myself sway a little and wonder if I will pass out. What if I did? Was there something wrong with me?

  "Ah, good. We made it to Ludum." Lord Ulric's words startle me. As soon as I focus on him, all of the noise I thought I was hearing disappears. He looks at me askancely. "Are you alright, Alastir?" I nod slowly. He seems to pick up on my apprehension, but says nothing. "Good. Like I said, we made it to Ludum." He gestures grandly toward it. "The City of the Everyman, if I remember what the locals call it. They're considered the most balanced city in Canlanma in terms of social expectations and standards of living."

  "Huh. And the rest of Canlanma is not as balanced?" I ask.

  "In my opinion, no. Not as much as Ludum." Lord Ulric looks out the window as they approach a similar looking station to the one in Peponi. "Sometimes I wish I could live more here than in the Capital." He coughs to clear his throat. "Sadly, my duties at the Capital outweigh my wishes for most of the cycle, so - it is what it is." He checks his outfit and cleans it up. "Are you ready?"

  "I suppose so." I raise my hands in a half-shrug. The idea of the station reminds me of the attendant inside. "Oh, father?" Lord Ulric looks to me. "The attendant in Peponi; her eyes were metallic looking. What caused her eyes to look like that?"

  Lord Ulric chuckles a little. "All of the attendants with the Transportation Department have computerized bionic eyes. They specifically look for humans with between 25 and 50 percent bionic parts when asking for new workers." He sees my surprise. "Thanks to the Creator, we have a variety of entities with different traits. Some are born with those traits, some force their minds and bodies to carry those traits, and some have those traits forced upon them by life itself. It is nothing to be concerned by unless they are harming themselves, another entity, or the environment around them." I relax at hearing that I saw something that was less ominous than it appeared to me. I finally get a good look at the station as the carriage slows down and a platform appears underneath us. The platform slows us more to a walking pace as it lifts slightly. Lord Ulric looks at the sun's position in the sky and mutters something under his breath. I can't tell exactly what, but it seems more relieved than anything.

  "Welcome to Ludum's Transportation Station, Lord Spymaster." A different attendant greets as the carriage pulls into the building and we step out. "How was your travel?"

  "Excellent, as expected." Lord Ulric smiles as motions to me. "This is my son, Alastir Falkenroth. Could you please let Lord Ronan we will be arriving at the Academy shortly?" I nod respectfully to her.

  The attendant bows. "Of course, Lord Spymaster. Welcome to Ludum, Mr. Falkenroth. I hope you enjoy your time here."

  "Thank you." I smile like Lord Ulric does before I feel him nudge me away. I take a second longer to look at her as I murmur to him. "I think I've seen any form of a human with feathers for hair and a bionic pair of eyes. It looks like she's got bionic implants for her hands as well. The skin looks a bit artificial to me."

  "I happen to know her." Lord Ulric comments just before we leave. "She is a peacock hybrid who was unfortunately involved in a premeditated house fire. Thankfully, the entity who did the deed was - taken care of." I feel a wave of pity for her and embarrassment for myself. I stand in silence and look down. I feel Lord Ulric rest a hand on my right shoulder. "It's fine, Alastir. You are making observations, which I am proud of you for. You are learning how to interact in this new life of yours. It's fine to have these moments so you can be better as you train and adjust." I take a deep breath and nod. He makes a good point. I find myself a little less concerned as we step through the archway and into Ludum.

  The first thing I pick up on in Ludum is the variety of entities I see. They are all at least humanoid in nature, but how human they are seems to be on a spectrum. I see a cluster of humanoids with cat-like heads and various patches of speckled fur sticking out of their thwabs; a human with swan-like wings and markings on its face pushes past me and toward a female-looking variant of it. They hug and move along as a horse in a tweed suit walks toward us. His eyes track us and he trots over to Lord Ulric. "Lord Spymaster! How great to see you again!" He whinnies. He looks to me and back at Lord Ulric. "A new spy, or something more personal?"

  "My son, actually." He does as he did with the attendant in the transportation station. "This is Alastir. I am taking him on a tour." I bow to the new acquaintance. 

 

  The new acquaintance bows in return with his front legs. "Redfield, equestrian bookkeep at the local Ludum Library. Pleased to meet you, Mr. -?" 

  "Falkenroth." I answer back. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Redfield."

  I see the horses' ears swivel forward as he tilts his head slightly. Was it something I said? I turn a little red. The bookkeeper relaxes again. "I am sorry to distress you, Mr. Falkenroth. I did not mean to startle you. I just find your name rather curious. As a studied student of names, I find your name rather peculiar." 

  “Ah. Alright.” I’m a little confused, but it’s becoming more common. Lots of things are new to me. I thought I would have known about them right now, given that I feel almost like a grown entity. Now that I’m thinking about it, what kind of entity am I? I haven’t really had a chance to look into a sort of mirror or reflection, so I have no idea. How old am I? Do I have anything that makes me stand out? 

  “It seems like my son is a little overwhelmed with all of these new things, Redfield. Perhaps we can get together another day and have a chat?” Lord Ulric chuckles lightly. I come back to the conversation. It seems like Redfield agrees as he simply bows and walks off.