"Beyond Enemy Lines"

Earlier That day.

Ashenfort – The Southern stronghold of Epher

On the Crimson Port:

The sun rose over the horizon, its rays cast a warm glow over the bustling seaport. The salty scent of the sea wafted through the air, accompanied by the screeching calls of seagulls. The docks groaned and creaked under the weight of stacked barrels and crates, as merchants and sailors alike bustled about their business.

Amidst the commotion, a man with striking silver eyes disembarked from a small fishing boat onto the weathered planks of the port along with a young boy, barely in his twenties, with tousled auburn hair and bright blue eyes that shone like the sea itself.

"Follow me," Kal signaled the young boy.

They navigated through the throngs of people and piles of cargo until they left the clamor of the seaport behind them, and approached the city ahead.

"I had only heard about it, but now that I am looking at it, all I can say is, wow!" the boy said, his voice filled with admiration.

Before them lay a fortified city, its enormous walls stretching high into the sky, almost touching the clouds above. The walls looked impenetrable as if no enemy could ever breach them.

Eadric's curiosity was piqued. "How come Ashenfort isn't covered in snow like the rest of the empire?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"Legend has it that a great battle took place here between Surtur, the first Vulcan, and a powerful Enigma. The battle caused a permanent shift in the region's weather patterns, sparing the city from the constant snowfall," Kal explained.

However, despite that, the weather was still cold enough to make them wear warm clothes.

As they drew closer to the city gates, the walls loomed high above them, casting deep shadows on the dusty ground. The massive gates of Ashenfort stood ahead of Kal and Eadric as they joined the long line of travelers waiting for clearance to enter the city. Eadric noticed a symbol of a serpent coiled around a sword. It was the symbol of Zelion.

The line snaked its way down the winding road and around the corner. Armed guards stood at the entrance, carefully searching each person as they passed through. Suddenly, there was a commotion at the start of the line. Eadric craned his neck to see what was going on.

"Arrest this man immediately!" One of the guards shouted. It seemed like they had found some imposter at the front. The man was dressed in tattered clothes and had a wild look in his eyes.

The man decided to make a run, stumbling and falling when a loud gunfire noise resounded in the air. The body of the man was lying on the ground, motionless. Blood was seeping out of his body, staining the dusty ground. He was killed in an instant. Cold sweat. Cold sweat broke from his forehead and this served as a quick reality check for Eadric that he wasn't here on vacation.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, it was their turn to approach the guards. Kal stepped forward and handed over their papers.

"What business do you have here?" one of the guards asked harshly, his eyes scanning the documents closely.

"We are just merchants looking to buy stuff and maybe open a stall here in the future," Kal replied.

The guard glanced over at Eadric. "Is he your son?"

"Ah, yes. Lad helps me around with work," Kal told them.

"Very well," The guard seemed satisfied with his answer and handed back their papers, motioning for one of his subordinates to search them. Kal and Eadric stood patiently as the guard patted them down. These were times of war, so they weren't allowed to carry any weapons with them. After getting clearance, Kal and Eadric stepped through the towering gates of the city.

Once inside, Eadric stretched his arms, the stiffness of their long journey evident in his movements.

Noticing this Kal suggested, "I think it's best to rest for now and wait for it to get dark. Our informant will be meeting us then."

"Yes, I think that would be best," Eadric responded.

After having some food they rent a room in one of the nearby inns, and both Eadric and Kal went to sleep. As night fell, Kal gently shook Eadric awake.

"Get up, it's time to go," he told him.

It was time for them to leave and meet their informant. The room was dimly lit by a small candle on the nightstand. They quickly extinguished it, not wanting to be spotted by prying eyes. They both wrapped themselves tightly in their thick cloaks, hiding their faces under the hoods.

Without making a sound, they moved towards the window and opened it carefully. They stepped onto the windowsill and looked out at the dark alley below. It was quiet, and they could see the faint glow of torches in the distance.

Kal went first, lowering himself down to the ground with ease. He looked up to help Eadric, who followed suit, landing softly on the ground. They both looked around, making sure no one had seen them, before moving towards the street.

The town was eerily quiet, except for the occasional sound of footsteps echoing off the cobblestones. They knew they had to be careful not to draw attention to themselves, especially since they were outside past the curfew hours.

"In the clocktower next to the east wall, that's where the informant will meet us," Kal informed Eadric. "It's not heavily patrolled, but we still need to be careful. We can't afford to get caught."

With only a small hand knife for defense, a confrontation would be too risky. They exchanged a wordless glance before both nodding in agreement and made their way through the narrow alleys and side streets, avoiding the main roads where guards were stationed. The darkness was their ally, and they moved like shadows, blending into the night before reaching the designated spot.

The clocktower had a wooden door at the bottom but it was locked. Kal took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. After twisting the doorknob, the wooden frame creaked open.

Eadric and Kal stepped inside the clock tower, their footsteps echoing against the bare walls. Dust particles danced in the moonlight that filtered in through the high, narrow windows. The only feature in the otherwise empty room was a spiral staircase that wound its way up to the middle and top floors of the tower.

When they reached the middle floor, they found a figure waiting for them, standing near the base of the clock face. It was a woman, tall and regal, with azure eyes and long, dark hair. She wore a cloak of deep blue, fastened at the throat with a silver clasp.

"Took you long enough, Kal. I was almost thinking of leaving" the woman said, unturned, "And you seemed to have brought some young blood with you. I presume he is your son."

"This is my son, Eadric," Kal introduced him, "Anyways, what news do you have for us, Maelin?"

"Let me show you something," Maelin turned and asked them to follow him. They stopped in front of a window and she gave Kal a pair of binoculars and instructed him to see in a certain direction.

Peering through his binoculars, the military base came into view. Kal scanned the base, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of the night. As he looked closer, he could see the flurry of activity below. Soldiers were bustling about, some carrying equipment, others loading supplies onto trucks, but that was to be expected. However, the thing that surprised Kal was something else.

In the distance, a strange metal contraption sat on the ground, surrounded by soldiers in uniform. Kal had never seen anything like it before. The machine was long and sleek, with a pointed nose, wings that stretched out on either side and two seats in the middle. But what fascinated him the most was the strange propeller that sat at the front, slowly spinning as if alive.

"What the hell is that?" Kal asked in wonder.

"It's some sort of device that they use for flying," Maelin said, "Airplane, they call it."

"But I thought aerial flights were impossible due to the high concentration of 'Psionyx' in the upper atmospheric levels, so how?" Eadric asked. He was just as confused as Kal.

"It is as you say or so we thought, but that's not true anymore," Maelin told them, "I have seen the thing fly, but there is one thing I heard."

"What? What did you hear?" Kal interrogated.

"This thing can't fly above a thousand feet. Even The Chroncrafters couldn't make it go any higher," Maelin said.

"The Chronocrafters?" Kal said, "Those good-for-nothing bastards! The only time they ever use their skills is to ensue chaos ."

It seemed like both Maelin and Kal knew who these 'Chronocrafters' and only Eadric was unaware of them so he asked, "Who are these Chronocrafters that you speak of?"

"The Chronocrafters is a guild of 'Tinkers' that originates from Nyxari, the land of the free tribes. Tinkers have the ability of crafting. Anything be it technological, or architectural, they can do it. But The Chronocrafters are the best among them," Kal told him, "Since the free tribes are not allowed to trade with the empire, they instead make a living by selling their skills."

"Regardless of who made it, this thing can shift the tide of the war, and if Zelion wins..." Maelin paused.

"Let's focus on things at hand instead of what hasn't happened yet," Kal interjected. "It's getting late. We should get going."

Kal had a stoic expression on his face that didn't show any emotions, but he was deep in thought. If Zelion won then not only Epher but the rest of the world would also be ravaged by the flames of this conflict.

Kal, Eadric, and Maelin put on their hoods to conceal themselves and made their way down the tower. Instead of leaving at once, Maelin went ahead first, and before she left, Kal said, "Maelin, be careful."

"I will," She turned back and said with a smile, "So long, Cousin," and left. Kal and Eadric waited a while before exiting the tower.

They had just left the tower and were on their way back when their footsteps came to a sudden halt with a clicking noise.

"I want your hands in the air and slowly turn behind," a voice commanded, the sound of a gun reloading echoing through the night.