Between Worlds Three by J.L. Williams

Author:J.L. Williams [Williams, J.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-03-21T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

As they got closer to the floating town, more and more of the water around them became visible as the lights from the settlement peeled back the darkness. The first thing Jason noticed was just how clear the water beneath their boat actually was. More to the point, he was surprised to see fish were present. A small shoal of ugly looking black-scaled beasts was floating along just beneath them.

To be honest, he’d never really considered Raknos as having an ecosystem. Perhaps in the massive storm racked oceans that made up most of the planet, but from everything he’d seen, the land was almost entirely barren. As far as plant life was concerned, all he could really recall from up above were little hardy weeds, growing from cracks in the weather worn stone. The less said of animals, the better.

Though looking at the fish below him as they darted into a patch of seaweed, he couldn’t help but wonder if his earlier observations had been deceptive? If the surface was just the proverbial tip of the iceberg, and the actual ‘planet’ was in the expansive cave network below?

It bore thinking on.

Because if the Ufrians have somehow managed to hide all this right beneath our noses, who knows what the Roaches have down here?

He could only hope that the regiment’s commanders were aware of all this, and he simply hadn't needed to be made aware of it. Either way, he’d be making a report the moment he returned to the regiment. Until then, he had a meeting to prepare for.

With that in mind, he looked up at the approaching town, and was utterly unsurprised to see a number of guards lining the nearby dock. Though they weren’t alone. A small crowd of what were clearly civilians were also present, watching with wide eyes as their small boat pushed towards the jetty. Fortunately for his peace of mind, a number of those same guards were positioned to hold the crowd of curious onlookers back.

Though he couldn’t help but note that while those who’d been assigned to ‘crowd duty’ carried the typical swords and spears he’d grown accustomed to seeing in the hands of Ufrians, those standing on the pier itself were armed entirely differently.

They had real weapons.

“That’s a few more guns than expected.” Nora whispered, giving voice to his own concerns as he looked at the motley display of firearms.

“Doesn’t change anything,” Jason whispered back as the boat pulled to a stop at their designated berth. “We’re here to talk, not fight.”

Waiting for their guide to properly dock, by tying the boat in place at their designated berth, Jason moved to stand and clamber onto the jetty. Only to stop as one of the guards stepped forward, reaching out an arm to help him.

Surprised at the action, he accepted the young woman’s aid – before noticing to some amusement that no such offers were being extended to Nora or Yaro.

Ah, our hosts are being chivalrous to the male in the group, he thought, as he glanced back at the young brave who had helped him.

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