The Sphere

Sissy, accompanied by Kar, had gone to check with the gate guard. Night was coming close, and the whole day had stressed out everyone, and they didn't have enough energy to chase after a man. They would get information today and would capture Fordishe tomorrow.

Martin and Kishna made their way towards the ship that was supposedly their sleeping quarters till they arrived on the other continent. Outside the encampment was what looked like a mall's parking lot, with clearly defined borders and neatly arranged vehicles. The difference was that the used were very large and varied in design drastically.

Some looked like alien spaceships, one was even a very large demi-gryph with a basket on its back. Most though were variations of a blimp and a ship. Their ride was different, with it being a perfect sphere. Its diameter was about five times Martin's height, which made it a massive behemoth compared to the others.

And if to punctuate the stupid wealth of the guilds, it was gold. Or at least plated with gold, upon closer inspection at the scratches on it, it definitely was just a thin gold layer over a silvery-chromatic metal.

From the seamless surface of the sphere, a door appeared, magically seperating and moving without a hinge. Inside they could see Recruiter Velkron with another man, this one with a pot belly and a cherry smile. The man had a cap on his head, vaguely reminiscent of a navy hat.

"Hohoho! Younglings! What a sight to behold, please come in." The man's voice was grandfatherly, warm and deep that wrapped you up and hugged you. His hand perpetually resting on his stomach and the constantly cheery smile he kept on to that. "Welcome aboard the Fourth Sun, this beautiful vessel will be your home for the journey! I am her Captain, Bartos Moss, happy to meet you!"

"Get on board, I will show you to your quarters." Velkron's middle eye seemed giddy, narrowing in a way that emanated joy. Velkron saluted. "If you'll excuse us Captain Moss."

The merry captain nodded to the saluted sargeant and waddled his way back into the depths of the craft.

Out from the sphere, a flight of stairs began jutting out and dug itself into the ground. Kishna tentatively stepped on them, testing their strength, then climbed them. Martin was mesmerised, stars in his eyes as he followed her inside. The moment he saw the interior, he knew there were magical shenanigans afoot.

It was bigger on the inside! Like the tardis! And in the middle of the whole craft, where the centre of the sphere would be, was a hologram of the sphere and its surroundings. A crew sat below the hologram, behind desks that looked like they came out of star trek.

"The Fourth Sun is a creation by a Tier 4 Mage Crafter, the founder of the Guilds Asafix Asharn." Recruiter Velkron smiled fully, a truly peculiar expression on his severe face. "Nothing like it has ever been replicated, it is simply genius. Come on, I'll show you to your beds."

Through hanging walkways, they ascended to the middle of the sphere, where a circle of rooms, more than three dozen in total and more just hanging from wires in the middle, were their rooms.

The rooms hunging the walls were occupied by the crew, so they only had the options of choosing the rooms that were hanging from wires. Velkron assured them that there had been no accidents involving the hanging rooms, but Martin still felt dear as he stared down at the floor and saw the bottom of the sphere where the crew desks were situated.

Whoever made this was an insane genius, should these ever fall, they would kill the whole crew and destroy the stations. Or maybe they would be a magical suspension system that would keep them in place should the wires snap, military vehicles like these have been jealously kept secret systems that would not be told to a no-name recruit.

"Make yourselves at home. The mess hall is on the floor above, and the training grounds are above that." Velkton said as he fiddled with something on an access panel. "I've keyed in your signatures to this room, only you four could access it."

The room itself had two bunk beds, a connected shower room, toilet space, a bookcase filled with tomee and other minor furniture. It was cosy, with a panel on one side of the wall displaying the view around the sphere.

Kishna marvelled at the moving picture, and Martin was right beside her. He was marvelling at something else, the night sky, he gulped and turned to Velkron.

"We can exit anytime?" He asked, the amazement in his bones had overwhelmed his tiredness.

"You'll have to inform me of your exit, and not for long." Velkron replied. "Alright, I'll leave you here Kishna, you can rest. As for you Martin, come with me."

Ripping his eyes away from the screen, Martin followed the recruiter out of the room and into the main spherical chamber. Up and up they went, passing the communal kitchen-slash-mess hall, past a gym and tranining ground, and finally arrived on one of the upper floors. The walls were closing in, the walls closer and the furniture more tight knit.

Here though, it was a series of offices, meeting rooms and a security room that was empty but the displays were still showing the insides. It dawned on Martin that this wasn't just a mere vessel anymore, but a fortress by itself. A mobile base for the top brass to use as a command centre. It seemed like it was only staffed by a skeleton crew in peacetime or for trivial missions like transportation.

If this was a fortress, then that meant it had ship weapons on board, that would be a sight to see them fire.

They travelled through a series of empty desks until they arrived at an occupied one. A decrepit old man, skin and bone, strands of grey hair clinging to skin, and bushy eyebrows with grey eyes beneath them. The old man languidly stared at them, huffing.

"What do you want?" The old man gruffed, flicked his quill to the side. Martin saw it fly away to another desk and it began writing, a magical quill that could write by itself.

"The new recruit doesn't know how to read and write. You are to teach him." Velkron's voice was dead as stone, but the irreverent old man only yawned at him, which made the usually impeccable recruiter twitch his face. "It is an order from HQ and your job-"

"Yes yes yes, I get it, no need to tell me what I already know kid." The old man turned his dead fatigued eyes towards Martin's. Martin only smiled and kept eye contact. "Foolish little kids, I'll teach him. Kid, once you finish your mission, our lessons will start at the apex of the two suns. Now go and leave me alone. Call me Clerk."

Martin nodded and glanced over to the side, seeing Velkron suppressing a growl and only huffing, motioning for Martin to follow as he stomped out. He heard the old man let out a chuckle and shook his head. Better not talk about Clerk in front of Velkron.

"What is above this floor?" Martin asked as they made their way to the stairways down.

"The captain's quarters, though you are not allowed to ascend to that floor, you don't have the required access." Velkron turned a gimlet eye to him. "And trespassing will result in severe consequences."

Martin nodded and as they made their way to their barracks. Once he was inside, Velkron left him alone. Kishna was out cold, and he could hear a very light snoring, cute.

Carefully, he trawled through the wardrobe and saw robes, trousers and shirts of various sizes. Feeling grimmy, he got himself a shirt and pants combo, and made his way into the showers.

Refreshed after a warm shower, the grasp of sleep was seeping deep into his bones but he shrugged it off. Glancing over to the screen on the way displaying the exterior, he convinced himself and made towards the outside.

Velkron was by the crew, having been chatting when he saw Martin coming down the steps. Most of the crew had gone to sleep since the suns had set, and only a handful of people were left to keep watch.

"I want to exit." Martin announced to the recruiter, who mercifully had his magical eye firmly shut.

"Why?" The man asked as he got up from his seat.

"To see the night sky." That answer halted the man's steps for a moment, his mouth moved to answer, but he reconsidered. Then Velkron nodded.

"I'll let you back in with your companions, when they show up." Velkron motioned for them to head towards the door.

The door was like that of a submarine, with a screen showing the immediate area on it. Velkron put his hand on it and a keypad became jutted out. Martin averted his eyes lest the vigilant recruiter caught him snooping.

With a swish, a breeze of cold air rushed into the warm interior. Climbing down the stairs, Martin stared marvelling at the constellations, and the most glaring of celestial objects, the Moons Ring.