Their return was uneventful, Matthias, Judge and Merriam took the carriage and left for Novelty. Constantly Heather rubbed her hands together as if to ring out the tingle of pleasure he'd left. The girls went off-road, cutting through the forest. They got in one practice session with Lindi as lead. She took a most disturbing liking to both the dance and choreography.
Heather had seen such before, especially in the special divisions. The only reason the special division existed was to turn the most wondrous talents into lethal weapons. Though now and then a talent beat the call of duty. It was worrisome.
Some found running on a track more enjoyable than running towards the enemy, the crash of bodies in a rugby scrum better than the crash of breaking an enemy's formation.
They dropped out quickest and suffered the most bouts of insanity, or in some circles, possession.
No one enjoyed their company for three reasons. One) No one wanted to be friends with a quitter especially before they quit, you'd become a quitter by association. Two) Quitters and drop-outs reminisced too much for the average soldier to cope with. It was too easy to get lost in their glory days which were nothing like what they described. Stories that, with age, and grew more extravagant like a fine wine. All while seething over their failures.
And of course, the third reason. They could, on rare occasion, try and slit the throats of as many men and women as possible as they slept. Before turning their sword on themselves, depriving the survivors of revenge.
Their bodies were never burnt, instead hung by the neck over the ocean until the sheer weight of the rotting corpse broke the head off. It was funny to think of Lindi as one of those, but the idea of having someone cutting her head off in her sleep wasn't a comforting one.
The group entered from the forest in their outfits, coming in with no protest.
Novelty was as Qondile described. Taking up less space than Lumber House and Shadowfax but bigger than both. The people had clearly thought the best way to grow was up. Almost every single building there had at least five levels and stone. All imposing, like needles, where rock shot into the clouds. Each looked to be supported by the next building. There were others made of dense wood and thatch. These though, were nowhere near as high, but were still impressive.
They took the form of wooden pyramids. The bottom floors, massive, enough to be grand halls. The next almost the same, the walls only a meter closer. The doors at the base were wide and open, for good reason. These humans didn't just trickle, they streamed.
The Black Air Raiders drew attention as soon as they got closer to the heart of the city. Music could be heard, a stringed instrument softly, drawing them in.
They didn't walk so much as push their way against a current until finding a good one. The flow dropped them in front of a large stage, larger than all the others and wide enough to a be a pool. The crowd, an ocean of faces that dwarfed Lumber House by tens of thousands, looking bored. Bemused at best.
Even Heather couldn't help but grin.
They had no idea.