Zed chuckled. “I did tell you not to flinch, didn’t I?” His gaze swept across the room, taking in their stunned expressions. “But we don’t have time to sit around marveling at this, so let’s get straight to it.”
Emilia opened her mouth to speak, but Zed was faster. He pressed another button, and the hologram shifted, revealing a flickering, digitized map.
“This,” Zed began, pointing at a glowing marker, “is where we are right now.”
The image zoomed in, revealing the town of Lina from above—a cluster of buildings nestled along the riverbank, their rooftops forming a patchwork of stone, thatch, and wood. Narrow streets wound through the settlement like veins, connecting markets, homes, and the central town hall. Warehouses stood along the outskirts, their larger structures marking the industrial edge of the settlement. Beyond them, fortified palisades stretched in a wide perimeter, enclosing the town like a protective shell. Surrounding the walls, neatly arranged farms and grazing lands extended into the distance, their rows of crops and scattered livestock barely visible in the dim light.
The group stared in quiet awe, many seeing their home from this perspective for the first time. A quiet “Wow” slipped from Fairchild’s lips.
Zed continued, “And this is where we’ll be going.”
The holographic display responded instantly. First, the image zoomed out, shrinking the town of Lina until it was just a small glowing marker on the map. Then, the perspective shifted, the hologram smoothly panning across the landscape before rapidly zooming back in on a new location—a vast, arid expanse of desert.
The terrain unfolded before them in stunning detail. Rolling dunes stretched endlessly beneath the harsh sun, their windswept ridges casting long, shifting shadows. Jagged rock formations jutted from the sand like the broken bones of the earth, while dry riverbeds snaked across the land, remnants of water long gone. The heat distortion wavered at the edges of the projection, giving the illusion of a shimmering mirage.
Zed let the image linger for a moment before continuing.
“This structure right here is our destination,” Zed said, pointing at what appeared to be a large, rectangular rock nestled in the middle of the desert.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
He turned to face the group, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. “Notice anything yet?”
Emilia let out a soft “Oh!”—not out of surprise, but in awe of the image before her. Lane and Mario had already filled her in on the details, but seeing it for herself was another matter entirely.
The seven escorts, on the other hand, struggled to make sense of what they were looking at. Confusion flickered across their faces—until Evasco suddenly gasped.
“Wait… is that the—” He faltered, the rest of his sentence lost as realization dawned on him.
Zed nodded, his voice steady and matter-of-fact. "That's right. According to your esteemed governor, this is what you call the 'moving city.' Though, if it were up to me, I'd call it a mobile stronghold."
A collective murmur of disbelief rippled through the group. Lumen leaned closer to Evasco, whispering, "I thought that was just a myth?"
John, wide-eyed, edged toward Risty and muttered under his breath, "What... what is he even talking about?"
Risty, without taking his eyes off Zed, simply raised a hand in a silencing gesture. John scowled but reluctantly fell quiet.
"As this vehicle is the first of its kind here, I’ve taken it upon myself to be its driver," Zed said, casting a glance at Lane, Mario, and Tek. "I’ve already mapped out our route, and based on my calculations, we should reach the edge of the... perpetual sandstorm in approximately 24 hours."
He paused for a moment before adding, "Now, finding the stronghold itself could take another 24 hours—but that will depend on a few factors." His tone was calm, but there was an unmistakable weight to his words, leaving the group with a sense of both anticipation and unease.
Zed let the silence linger for a moment before concluding the briefing. “Well, that’s everything you need to know for now,” he said, scanning the room once more. “I know this is a lot to take in, but questions can wait. For now, get some rest—tomorrow will be a long day.”
His sharp gaze sweeping over the group. A mix of emotions played across their faces—uncertainty, curiosity, and quiet apprehension. One was deep in thought, another whispering to them in hushed tones. Someone looked confused but chose to stay silent, while another appeared contemplative. One individual seemed entirely indifferent, while another was clearly holding back from asking a question out of fear of embarrassment. And, of course, Old Nil was still sound asleep.
Lane and Mario remained composed, their expressions unreadable, while Emilia subtly glanced around, gauging the reactions of those around her. The weight of the mission was settling in, but how each of them would process it remained to be seen.
He leaned back slightly, glancing at Mario and Lane. “I’ll be in the driver’s seat. If anything urgent comes up, let me know.” With that, he turned and made his way toward the front, leaving the group to process what they had just learned.
