No one ever drew a successful map of the Arosh, primarily because its buildings weren’t stationary — they changed positions while rolling through a gravitational curve in space. The Imperial Transportation Office (Saude Bir Arok) kept tabs on the buildings’ relative locations, which changed constantly.
Consequently, it was called the City of Chaos (Birort Kuneiguna).
Using the Gaftonosh as a metaphor for the entire Empire, the city was also known as Base of the Dragons’ Necks (Sath Nosher), because it was the point at which all the navigation routes (Biil) of the kingdoms (Fek) intersected.
A more accurate name for the city was City of Eight Gates (Birort Gasoder). Many star systems had multiple Sords, but this was the only one in the known human universe that had eight. They were, of course, all imported long ago, when they were closed gates (Sord Leza).
Since the greatest Empire in human history began in the Arosh, some referred to it as Cradle of the Empire (Gyrsaug Frybarar).
Due to its gruesome track record, the city was also known as Unsinkable (Dawatosaria).
Because many of the Abh lived in orbital mansions (Garish) and Menyu, their population was quite spread out. Consequently, the number of opportunities to meet people was low. To compensate, the Abh customarily spent about half their lives in the city, and nicknamed it the City of Love (Birort Neg).
However, in conversations, people mostly referred to Lakfakalle as “native home” (Muraut). People fell in love there, lived there, and created their children there. And although they usually left to pursue careers or military service, they often returned.
In honor of the city-ship that first brought the Abh into space, they named the fixed star that lit their capital Abriel. The emperor always took on the Traiga of Count Abriel (Dreu Abliarsar) and the star system was known as the Territory of Count Abriel (Dreuhynu Abliarsar). The etymology of the word Abriel was rooted in the Abh’s origins. The race of people who created the Abh to be their space-exploring minions worshipped a sun goddess with similar sounding name.
From a distance, the star appeared to be trapped in a cage of narrow, twisting fibers. Closer inspection revealed that each of the belt-shaped structures was actually five hundred Wesdaj wide, and each side facing the star contained solar batteries that powered Baish factories. It was the largest Baish factory (Joth) in the Frybar, and also the largest antimatter fuel factory in the known universe. In constant orbit six Zesadaj from the star, the Arosh Lakfakalle was usually three hundred Sedaj in diameter, and most often took the curved shape of a scythe’s blade. The capital comprised the Imperial Palace (Reubei), Royal Palaces (Lartbei), Imperial Capital Residences (Garish Arok) of the landed nobility (Voda), collective residences (Barsh) of landed gentry (Ryuuk) and Lef, space gardens (Deiu), shops (Ileiv), Labule facilities, shipyards (Lori), and so on. It was an enormous gathering of artificial worlds, with countless Ponyu popping in and out of various ports, docking here and there. Each facility had a certain amount of mobility, and they were programmed to avoid collision automatically.
The eight Sords were lined up at equal intervals in an orbit one thousand Sedaj out from Lakfakalle. Revolving in the opposite direction of the Arosh, the Sords each dragged along their own mobile air fortresses (Lonid Horka).
The ship carrying Jinto and Lafiel came through one of those Sords, bringing them squarely into Dreuhynu Abliarsar.
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Unlike the Pelia, the Longia resembled a smaller-scale passenger ship (Resibath). It was usually associated with carrying important visitors or messengers, so there were twelve guest rooms, each fully equipped with a Gorv. There was also a small meeting room on the ship.
Jinto snuck a peek into the common room, and saw Lafiel there, for a change.
“Is your written report finished already?” he called in to her.
“Yes.” Lafiel faced Jinto and pointed to a large display screen on the wall. “What do you think of Lakfakalle?”
The Arosh was like many cities at night — a dazzling conglomeration of lights and motion. It looked to Jinto like a miniature model of a galaxy.
“It’s amazing. Even better than I thought.”
Lafiel smiled. Jinto grabbed a coffee (Surgu) and sat next to her.
He hadn’t lied — the city was truly amazing. However, it inspired a more profound emotion in his heart.
Loneliness.
Although the journey from Dreuhynu Vorlak to the Arosh took a significant detour, it would soon be over. And that meant saying goodbye to Lafiel — possibly forever.
Despite their impending separation, she holed herself up in her room to draw up the written report, emerging only at mealtimes.
“Did you hear from the Manowas?” Lafiel asked.
“No, what?”
“We’re going to the Ruebei.” “Directly?” he said, taken aback. “Yes. Spunej Erumita has many questions.” “For you?” he hoped.
“No. Well, yes. But she wants to talk to you.” Jinto chuckled nervously. “It’s probably no big deal for you, since she’s your grandmother.”
“It’s been a year since I’ve seen her.”
“Then there’s certainly a lot to talk about!”
“There will be some catching up,” Lafiel stated, “but
Erumita is busy. Don’t forget, the Frybar is at war.” “Right. Have you heard any news about that?” She shook her head. “Why? Are you worried?” “Of course. Remember where my home world is?” Count Hyde’s Territory was on the other side of the
battlefield. Jinto wasn’t so popular there — the people called
him “son of the traitor.”
Since Fek Irik was semicircular, there were still
communications to that area. But just the thought of his
home world being occupied like Loebhynu Sufagnaum
gave Jinto the shivers.
The people of his home world would probably be
more cooperative with an occupation army than the Sos of Sufagnoff, just because of their intense hatred of the Abh. Jinto didn’t even want to think about what would happen to his father if Martine were invaded.
Even though Count Hyde was basically not present in Jinto’s life, he was still the only parent Jinto had left.
“Oh, right.” Lafiel blushed.
“It’s okay. I forgot, too, while we were on Clasbul.”
“Well, you did have other things to do.”
The nearest structure in the Arosh came into focus. It consisted of a number of spheres on top of each other and wriggling tubes that looked like antennae. All in all, it was a weird-looking beast of a building.
“That’s Lori Beitur. That’s where the Gosroth was built.”
“Nice!”
“And that,” she pointed to something beyond the shipyard, “is a Somulornyu. There are many of those in Muraut. It’s a padded cell with no gravity, where children go to master the laws of action and reaction and learn how to use their Alphas. If we don’t do this at an early age, when the brains aren’t fully formed, then the Rilbido won’t develop.”
Playing the eager tour guide, Lafiel continued to ramble excitedly. In turn, Jinto kept responding with the appropriate expression of awe. But he couldn’t help his mind from wandering to thoughts of whether she dreaded their approaching parting as much as he did.
✦ ✦ ✦
Almost a soon as they landed at the Imperial Palace (Ruebei), grave-looking chamberlains (Beikeburia) appeared and pulled Jinto away from Lafiel.
The escorted separation gave Jinto flashbacks to the incident at Lyumusko Febdak, but of course, he had no reason to worry any longer. They took Jinto to a large Gorv, where he relaxed in a hot bath.
By the time he emerged fresh and clean, a change of clothes waited for him. As the Gairit predicted, his shoulder was completely healed — fresh skin covered the hole over the wound, and the bone underneath it no longer hurt.
He climbed into a Sorf and long robe (Daush). An Alpha and Kreuno sat out for him, replacing the ones taken from him in Lyumusko Febdak.
Fully dressed in an Abh Nobleman’s (Bar Sif’s) uniform, Jinto signaled for the chamberlains.
“This way please,” said one of the men.
There was a mobile platform (Jazria) waiting for him in the hallway.
“Step on, please.”
Nodding, Jinto got onto the platform.
The man punched some buttons on the platform’s Kuro, and the machine lurched into motion.
“Where are we going?” sought Jinto.
“I’m to bring you to the waiting room of the Wabes Bezorlot.”
“Wabes Bezorlot? I thought that was only for the most important business — “
“Yes.”
“And we’re going there because … ?”
The chamberlain raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t know?”
Nervously, Jinto tried to laugh it off.
If at all possible, he didn’t want even more people to figure out that he had less common sense than a garden slug.