Free Web NovelChapter 29: Big Ass Pillars
The Ascent Pillars were even more massive up close.
Nacho stood at the base of the nearest one, craning his neck to follow the pale stone column as it disappeared into the dark waters above. The thing was wider than the Old Willow Inn and covered in glowing runes that pulsed with a rhythm that reminded him of a heartbeat. Slow and steady and ancient.
So this is how you get to the Mortal World. Climb a giant glowing tube for who knows how many miles.
He pulled out the documentation Sera had given him earlier that morning. A folded piece of waterproof parchment with an official-looking seal stamped at the bottom. According to the papers, he was Tomas Verill, a trade envoy carrying preserved kelp and medicinal coral to the surface markets on behalf of the Lumen Merchant Collective.
Tomas Verill. What a boring name. At least Nacho has some flavor to it.
The checkpoint station sat at the pillar’s base, a squat building made of the same pale stone. Two guards flanked the entrance, both female Sirens in armor that looked significantly better maintained than anything he’d seen in the slums. They watched him approach with the kind of bored wariness that came from standing in the same spot for too long.
"Papers," the one on the left said. She didn’t even look at his face.
Nacho handed over the documentation. She scanned it with the enthusiasm of someone counting ceiling tiles, then passed it to her partner.
"Trade envoy?"
"That’s what it says."
"What’s in the cargo?"
"Preserved kelp. Medicinal coral. Some spices."
The guard on the right squinted at the seal, then at Nacho’s face, then back at the seal. Her partner was already looking past him at the line forming behind.
"Where’s the actual cargo?"
Nacho gestured vaguely. "Storage crystal. Easier to transport."
Please don’t ask me to prove it. I have no idea what a storage crystal looks like. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
The guard stared at him for another three seconds. Then she shrugged and handed the papers back.
"Pillar Three. Lift leaves in twenty minutes. Don’t miss it."
"Thanks."
He walked past them without looking back, half expecting someone to shout and tackle him to the ground. Nothing happened. The checkpoint’s interior was just as boring as its exterior, a waiting area filled with benches and a few merchants arguing about prices.
That was almost too easy. Either Sera’s documentation was really good, or those guards just don’t give a shit.
Probably both. ƒrēewebnovel.com
Pillar Three turned out to be the smallest of the group, with a lift platform at its base that looked like it had been built centuries ago and maintained approximately never. The metal was corroded in places, and the runes carved into the surface flickered with an inconsistent light that didn’t inspire confidence.
A handful of other passengers were already waiting. Two merchants with actual physical cargo strapped to their backs. A woman in robes who kept muttering to herself. An old man who appeared to be asleep standing up.
Nacho found a spot near the edge of the platform and leaned against the railing. His Apex Senses swept the area out of habit, cataloging every face and every potential threat. Nobody seemed particularly interested in him.
Good. Anonymous is good. Anonymous means I can scope things out before anyone important notices me.
The lift operator was a heavyset Siren woman with arms like tree trunks and a face that suggested she’d seen every possible variation of passenger stupidity and was no longer capable of being surprised.
"Everyone on? Good. Don’t fall off. We’re not stopping to fish you out."
The platform lurched, and Nacho grabbed the railing as they began to rise. The movement was smoother than he’d expected, the runes along the pillar’s surface brightening as they passed. The water around them seemed to thin out, becoming lighter and less oppressive with every passing second.
So this is what it feels like to leave the Ocean. Weird. I thought there’d be more of a transition.
The other passengers didn’t seem bothered by the ascent. The merchants were comparing notes about surface prices. The muttering woman had switched to humming. The old man was still asleep.
Nacho closed his eyes and let his Mind Fortress expand outward, skimming the surface thoughts of everyone on the platform.
—hope the kelp prices haven’t dropped again—
—forgot to feed the cat, shit—
—another day, another trip, another day—
—this young man has interesting posture, military perhaps?—
That last one came from the old man. Who was apparently not asleep at all.
Nacho opened his eyes and glanced over. The old man was watching him with small, sharp eyes that didn’t match his weathered face. He smiled when he caught Nacho looking, revealing teeth that were a little too white and a little too perfect.
Great. The one person on this lift who’s actually paying attention is paying attention to me.
"Long journey ahead," the old man said conversationally.
"Apparently."
"First time to the surface?"
Nacho considered lying. Then decided honesty was easier.
"Yeah."
"Thought so." The old man’s smile widened. "You’ve got that look. The one people get when they’re about to see the sky for the first time."
"What look is that?"
"Scared. Excited. A little bit nauseous." He chuckled. "Don’t worry. Everyone looks like that their first time. The sky’s a lot to take in."
The sky. Right. There’s a whole sky up there. With a sun and everything.
Nacho had seen the sun before, briefly, when he’d surfaced in the ocean to absorb that first Siren. But that had been different. That had been the sun seen through water, filtered and distant. This was going to be the real thing.
"Any advice?" he asked, mostly to fill the silence.
"Don’t stare directly at it. The sun, I mean. You’d think that would be obvious, but you’d be surprised how many first-timers burn their eyes out."
"Noted."
"Also, the air’s thinner up there. Drier too. Takes some getting used to." The old man reached into his robe and pulled out a small flask. "Ginger water. Helps with the transition. Want some?"
Nacho shook his head. "I’m good. Thanks though."
"Suit yourself." The old man took a long sip, then tucked the flask away. "Name’s Renly, by the way. Renly Cobb. I make this trip about twice a month for business."
"Tomas," Nacho said, using the name on his papers. "Tomas Verill."
