Ceremony 2

They didn't doubt ARC's calculations, not in the slightest, but they couldn't fully wrap their heads around how large the Great Csillacra was.

A planet was barely within their scope of understanding, what they were drawing closer to definitely fell outside of it. The Oberlux barely qualifying as a twig in comparison to the mighty trunks they could make out.

How thick might those pieces of wood be? Hundreds of kilometers? Thousands of kilometers? They would have to be thick and strong enough to support the rest of the branches under the weight of a fierce gravity wouldn't they? Or was there some other force at play here?

Regardless, the distance between their jaws and the floor only grew shorter the closer they approached.

Mercedes' hyper disposition mellowed over time as well, the excitement now gone as she was confined by Don. The dog still found time to tug at the end of Donovan's sleeve, an invitation to play. This was of course reprimanded, if only for the moment.

"How does this thing dock itself?" Don had a sudden question pertaining to the structure of the Oberlux, it's erratic outer layer not being conducive to a streamlined or easy procedure.

"Just shut up and watch Don. They know what they're doing."

As if on queue the ship lurched, turning around to face the opposite direction.

'A deceleration maneuver.' Donovan instantly identified the intent, this was something he had to do plenty of times to land a craft.

The thud was not a sound they had heard this ship make in the past though. Maybe it was part of the process?

"You two can get up now." The Captain called down to them. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling alright, Diana?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary here."

"Good." The Captain gestured for them to follow him. "It is time for your audience."

Both of them turned to look at each other, incredulous at the flippant disregard for safety during a docking procedure. "Isn't it hazardous to stand up when docking?"

"Docking? We already finished." He called over the Courier. "Please inform the Arboreal Maiden of our arrival, though I am certain she already knows. Relay that we are ready to meet with her at her earliest convenience."

The Skwiven shot off down the stairs as it had done before, this time it would not be returning with water.

He turned back to address his crew. "Until further notice, you are granted leave. Make sure those not here are notified. As for you cadets, it has been a pleasure to have you along. I hope you have found it a similarly pleasant experience." He turned to the pair again. "Let's get going, it is quite the walk."

- - - - - - - - -

"How much further?" Diana wasn't yet at the point of sweating, but her legs were starting to hurt. She hadn't been subjected to the same training regimen as the two of them, only her walks with Mercedes interrupted her otherwise sedentary lifestyle.

"It shouldn't be much longer at this point, a few minutes at most." The Captain pointed to an outcrop, a branch, in the distance. "A ride awaits us over there."

"A ride? Is it an animal?"

"No, the Great Csillacra is far too large for a mount to traverse it. It is a ferry."

"Cool." Don wondered what it looked like. He was told that the Oberlux's shape and construction was unique among ships, so he couldn't use it as a reference.

He wondered what their design philosophy might be. Ferries were not something he was all too familiar with, there was no purpose in designing a ship to fill a niche that didn't exist. You lived on the station you worked on, if you worked on one.

If you needed a ride elsewhere, you could hitch one on any number of other miscellaneous ships.

"Did the Courier get on one ahead of us?" Diana didn't see anything fly by when they started walking over. It was fast, but it wasn't that fast.

"No. The Skwiven don't need them."

"Then how do they get around? This place is massive!"

"It's one of the mysteries surrounding them. They travel so quickly around the Great Csillacra you could be forgiven for thinking they teleport."

"They can teleport?" A surprising development for Donovan, but not out of the realm of possibility. Humanity had figured out a limited form of teleportation, jumping, without Split. With how little he knew it might be feasible for a living being to do it with assistance.

"No, we know that much at least. The Great Csillacra confirmed they move as they would normally, they just receive some sort of assistance."

"Assistance how?"

"Like I said, we don't know."

- - - - - - -

The climb up the branch was a further strain on Diana's sore legs. The stairs were short and wide, probably a consideration for a horse or some other creature who did not like to walk down steep slopes.

It made it annoying to walk up though, the spacing making it awkward to make a steady pace up. Some steps needed two footsteps, others three.

What waited for them at the top looked like something out of a fantasy book.

At a glance, it appeared reminiscent of the gondolas that patrolled the waterways of Venice before it sank, only larger and more intricately detailed.

Further inspection revealed sets of appendages sharing the appearance of bird wings, four pairs running along the keel with a pair on each of the horns.

Along the centerline was a long building that looked like a cottage, reddish planks made up the walls and a variety of brown shingles covered the roof. It even had a chimney!

"Is this it?" While Don was impressed with the aesthetics, a field he had no experience in, he was less than enthusiastic about the capabilities. "Will it really fly?"

"Without a doubt. Make yourselves comfortable inside if you feel so inclined, I will make merry with the boatswain." The Captain left, implying that they weren't to follow.

The rules of etiquette they had practiced up to now were in full effect from this point on.