At the Port - II

While Abaddi was playing with a set of tarot cards, they slowly approached the entrance to the port of Maris on the delta where the Eldoria river meets the sea. This has been a historically important port, as much of the trade for the entirety of Herakles flowed upstream through this single river port.

During the winter, the river tends to ice up, so seeing ice-breaking ships, which are known as "icebreakers," is a very common occurrence here. These icebreakers have a long metal beak that they use to break the oncoming ice and push it away to traverse the icy waters of the Eldoria River during the winter.

Abaddi, Gelidra, and Isabelle were accompanied by five more people, and they made their way to the information center.

Stepping through the ornate entrance that is the building for information, they were greeted by a spacious and inviting chamber that resonates with the harmonious blend of voices speaking in diverse tongues. The scent of parchment and ink fills the air as scribes diligently record and disseminate the latest news, while cartographers hunch over maps, meticulously charting the ebb and flow of ships in distant waters.

In the heart of the chamber, a large, intricately carved wooden desk served as the epicenter of knowledge. Here, scholars and librarians, dressed in robes that mirror the richness of the port's cultural tapestry, offer guidance and insight to the curious and the lost. The desk is adorned with quills, inkwells, and an array of magnifying lenses, tools of the trade that hint at the depth of research and detail that goes into the Information Center's operations.

Lining the walls were shelves upon shelves of tomes, and scrolls stood like silent sentinels, holding within their pages the accumulated wisdom of the ages. Dust motes danced in the soft rays of sunlight that filter through stained glass windows, casting a multicolored mosaic of knowledge upon the chamber's polished stone floor.

Navigational charts are pinned to boards, outlining the ever-shifting currents, trade routes, and perilous waters that sailors must navigate. Nearby, a large chalkboard updates visitors on the latest arrivals and departures of ships, their cargoes, and their origins—an ever-changing mosaic that reflects the heartbeat of the port's commerce.

The party of six then headed to a desk titled "Bookings".

Abaddi leaned over the table, and the person at the desk visually pulled back, surprised by the proximity between them.

"Tell me, milady, are there any ferries departing for Astralon, Mythria?" He asked the lady, with his leaning hand on his chin, facing the young desk receptionist.

"Yeah, sir, let me check." She hurriedly moved back and pulled out a big chart that had a list of ships and boats that crossed the ocean.

"What kind of ship do you want to travel on, sir? A cargo-hauling ship or a full passenger ship?"

Abaddi suddenly started to shuffle the deck of tarot cards he had held in his hand. After shuffling it around quite a bit, he spread the card out in a wing in front of the young woman.

She looked at him, all confused. "Pick one," he said, smiling.

The girl let out a nervous chuckle and, after hesitating a bit, pulled out a card.

"What does it say?"

"Uh, the chariot, sir." The woman replied with a sense of doubt in her voice.

"Decisive action, huh, alright." He offered out his hand to ask for the card back, and she gave it back to him.

"Okay, book us in on the ship that leaves the soonest; we need to get across as quickly as possible."

"Yes sir. May I know the name of your reservation?"

"Malik."

"Your last name?"

He turned around and started walking, not saying another word. The lady turned to Gelidra and looked at her with confusion.

"Let it just be Malik. Call us, and you will know where to find us."

"Okay." The girl wrote his name down on paper and started filling up some other charts that were spread around the table.

"Let's get going, shall we?" Abaddi turned around and asked Gelidra and the others.

"On our way to Mythria!" One of the men in the crew shouted.

"Yeah!" The entire group erupted in a powerful response, with lively chatter.

"Alright, I'm hungry. Do you all want anything to eat?" One of the other men with a huge scar on his left arm asked everyone, who were now seated on a table on the side, awaiting their ferry.

"Do you want anything to eat?" The man came around to Isabelle and asked her.

She didn't answer.

Blackthorne asked her again, this time pulling on the shawl she had draped over her.

"Do you want to eat something? We won't be having much food on the ferry, so eat up as much as you can now."

Still, nothing from Isabelle.

Blackthorne grew frustrated at Isabelle not responding, "You little."

Abaddi stepped in between them before anyone could notice what was going on.

"Stop it. Don't make a scene here. Do you remember why we're doing this?" He grabbed Blackthorne's collar.

"Blackthorne, get something for her; it's up to her if she wants to eat or not." Abaddi beamed back to Blackthorne.

He nodded and promptly made his way to the market to get them something.

Abaddi sat down with Isabelle and took her hands in his.

"I'm really sorry we're making you do this. Unfortunately, it can't be helped."

Isabelle was very confused by this statement and furrowed her brow in confusion, looking into Abaddi's eyes. They seemed to carry the weight of a thousand sorrows in them. Beyond the intense eyes, she could see a man writhing in pain.

"Well, promise me you won't hurt my sons, and I will even help you meet your twisted goals."

Abaddi thought for a moment and let out a sigh.

"I can't guarantee your son's survival, but I will try my best to not kill them or let them get in harm's way."

No, I can do it." Isabelle replied with a stern voice.

Isabelle glared at him, but she soon found six pairs of eyes glaring back. She knew there was nothing she could do.

She let out a sigh and turned to face the window.

"Trust me, I know I'm working towards a very selfish goal, but the fact is, there are some promises I've made, and I've got to fulfill them no matter what."

With that, Abaddi got up and started to leave, saying, "I've got some business to do; I'll be back in a bit."

Isabelle was looking at the beautiful and serene winter that enveloped the port. The calm outlook of winter soothed her anxiety a bit, but one thought lingered in her mind.

"Ed, find me."