January 5, 1913 AC

Five days had passed since they had arrived in Krakor and they still found not traces of the Zlotine trees. Radek had followed Gottfryd and his men in search of the trees and he always returned to the airship dejected. Andre greeted his friend as he returned and Radek did his best to smile. Still, Andre could tell that his friend was feeling dejected after five consecutive failures. He was to remain in the airship today whilst Gottfryd spoke to Klaudius to begin 'negotiations.' 

Andre once more glanced at the photograph of his mother. He recalled his father's emotionless voice and his cold piercing eyes. He turned his attention to Lis and Lena. The two were engaged in a game of cards in the lounge. Lena thrust her hands in the air in celebration only for Lis to say "are you sure you've won already?" 

"Oh, I'm sorry, but it's clear that this game has already been decided." 

"Really?" asked Lis as she obscured the lower half of her face with her cards. 

Lena raised one eyebrow before resuming her attention on the game. Andre observed them. The two had known each other for such a short amount of time, and yet, he could feel the warmth in the bonds they shared. It was not dissimilar to the one he shared with his mother when she was still alive. Why can't my relationship with father and brother be like that? Andre wondered. 

"Would you like to join us Andre?" asked Lena. 

"Maybe later," he replied. 

"Alright. We'll probably be here for a while yet."

"Thank you," he replied. 

And then, he exited his airship. He crossed the vast grassy field and stepped foot on the cobblestone streets of the city. As he crossed from street to street, he observed the many shops that lined the sidewalks. Their innards were lit by bright orange lights displaying the many goods within. There were bakeries filled with bread, pastries, and cakes that came in more colours and shapes than he could count. He could see boutiques housing fine attires of cotton and wool. He could see stores that sold furniture filled with couches and  tables, chairs and lamps, closets and bookshelves, all neatly arranged in rows for prospective buyers. 

Then, he rounded a corner. A horsecar passed by. As the horsecar disappeared from view, he returned his attention to the streets before him only to be greeted by the sight of his brother. Crozius raised a hand in greeting. Andre returned the gesture. His brother then spoke. "What are you doing Andre?" 

"Taking a walk." 

"Not that. Why don't you join father and I in our house?" 

"I appreciate the offer brother, but I feel more comfortable in the airship." 

"You're a strange one." 

Andre rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and replied "well, you know me, father always accused me of having my head in the clouds all the time instead of focusing upon my studies. Of course, I did learn all that he required me to. It's just that I don't often show it." 

"What is it about your toy that interests you?" 

"My airship is not a toy!" Andre snapped back. He was surprised when his brother didn't retaliate in rage. "My airship was an invention I poured my heart and soul to make. It's comforting in a way that being at home isn't." 

"Fair point. And what of your servants? It's unlike you to take the servitude of gadzina." 

Thinking quickly, Andre replied "well, I guess the hunt for the Phantom Thief has hardened my heart towards the gadzina. I thought about father's viewpoints and I had to agree with him. Not fully of course, but mostly." 

Crozius nodded. "I see." 

"So, what are you doing brother?" 

"I too am taking a walk." 

"I see. Well, I guess I'll see you later." 

Andre resumed his tour of the city. He passed by one of the twelve squares in the city and read the billboards on display. The news articles posted were simply stories about the horror that the Nocswehr had caused when they took Reichskor and Pyrdyke. There was also news of the failed attempt by Krakoran soldiers to retake the city of Pyrdyke. 

"Those weren't soldiers," Andre muttered, quietly though so that the surrounding nobles did not hear him. 

He departed from the square and stopped by the foot of the staircase that lead into his father's house. He considered going up, but decided against it. Instead, he returned to his airship. Lis and Lena had paused their card game and were enjoying a snack of blueberry pastries and strawberry cake. Lena waved in greeting and Lis nodded at his presence. He waved back. 

"Ready for cards now?" asked Lena. 

"Alright," Andre replied. 

He reached for the nearest ten cards and sat across from Lena. Lis observed their game. As he observed the cards, he noticed as Lis turned her head towards the window. Red curtains were drawn over it, preventing any view inside or out. And yet, her gaze was steady and he could just make out the increased thumping of her heart. He said "what's wrong?" 

"There's someone outside," Lis replied. "I can hear footsteps. The person making them is setting their feet down as quietly as they can, although they're not very good at that." 

"I'll go see," said Andre as he set his card down. 

He saw a look of disappointment creep across Lena's face. "I'll return to the game. I'm just going to see who's at the door." 

"What's the point?" asked Lena. "They can't see inside thanks to the curtains." 

"I know, but it's better to be safe than regretful." 

As he neared the door however, a tiny prick of light caught his eye. He glanced to his lower right and was surprised to notice a little hole in the side of the airship. He knelt down and quickly examined the hole. It was small, only as wide as his pinky finger. And yet, he had never noticed it when the airship took flight. Was it damage that occurred during the bout of turbulence that rocked the airship? But what could have caused it? The walls of the gondola were made of wood and were not especially durable, yet they shouldn't have been damaged by any debris thrown by the wind. 

Unable to discern the cause of the damage, he stood upright and opened the door, glancing around for the figure outside. It was his brother. Startled, Andre said "what brings you here brother?" 

"I was examining your airship," Crozius replied. "Now that I see her up close, I can agree that it is a fine piece of work." 

Surprised at his brother's kind words, Andre replied "thank you brother. I've put a lot of thought into the design of this airship. I must say, I'm proud of how she turned out." 

"She?" 

"Yes. Since ships are addressed with feminine pronouns, I figured that I would address airships in the same manner." 

"I see. Well, I shall see you some other time brother." 

"Of course" said Andre.

He waited until his brother had returned to the city before returning to his airship. Lena said "who was that?" 

"It was my brother. He came to tell me what a fine piece of work my airship is." 

"Really?" asked Lis, raising an eyebrow. 

Her suspicious tone startled Andre. He thought back to the hole in the wall and the mysterious, unknown cause of its existence. Such a hole was unlikely to have been caused by debris tossed by the wind. However, vernbinding could easily leave such a mark. Wood was simply a remnant of a once living plant and could be given life just like skeletons could... 

"You think my brother was spying on us?" asked Andre. 

"Yes," Lis replied. "I'm not sure if he's seen anything but we should be more cautious from now on." 

"Right," said Andre. 

He whirled his head as the door to the airship opened once more. This time, it was Radek. Sweat poured down his forehead but a wide grin was spread across his face. He closed the door before whispering "I've found the location of the Zlotine trees!" 

"Really?" exclaimed Andre. 

"Quiet down!" muttered Radek. 

"Sorry," whispered Andre. "How'd you do it?" 

"I was visiting a restaurant that the council members frequent. There, I overheard a servant whisper to a friend that he worried about another theft of the fruit. His friend then whispered back that the Zlotine trees were safe inside the basement of the parliamentary building. After that, I told Gottfryd and he and some men inside the parliamentary building on a 'business discussion.' Once there, he disguised himself as a council member and found out that the servant was right!" 

"How'd he manage to convince the guards that he was a council member?" asked Andre. "Council members are required to carry around a silver pocket watch with a symbol inside it as proof of their identity." 

"You mean this thing?" asked Radek. 

He pulled out a pocket watch from inside his brown trench coat. The watch was made of fine silver. Its exterior was covered with leaf patterns outlined in gold. Radek opened the watch and revealed the symbol inside: a flower consisting of a gear with petals radiating away from it. It was the symbol of the Vrylander flag. 

"How'd you manage to steal that?" exclaimed Andre. 

"Gottfryd and his men kidnapped one of the council members. That council member was someone Gottfryd knew well, and so, masquerading as him was a simple endeavour." 

"Impressive," whispered Lis. 

"Where is the council member they kidnapped?" asked Andre. 

"I don't know," Radek replied. "But that's beside the point. Now that we know where the Zlotine trees are kept, Gottfryd is planning a raid in three days! He'll tell us the details soon." 

"That's great!" said Lis. "We can finally crippled those nobles for good!" 

Lena nodded in agreement. Radek retreated to the kitchen and returned with a full course meal. There was chicken seasoned with lemon juice and spices, tomato salad, minestrone, beef stew, and platters of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Lis and Lena thanked him before devouring the meal. Andre joined them. As they finished the meal, he couldn't help but feel worried. Events were progressing favourably, a little too favourably. It felt too easy. He recalled Lis's worries about his brother and shuddered.