Time passed by slowly as we sat in the train. According to Ester, Laestrithan followed the 'standard' day length. Apparently, the twenty-four-hour day I was used, was the most common. While Azodu had a thirty-two-hour day, and the sun was only up for three hours Ecethis, most dimensions weren't so different. This didn't mean it was exactly the same as Earth's days, but not too far off. "Thirteen hours of day, thirteen of night", she'd told me when I asked.

Despite this, the night seemed to stretch long. I was unable to sleep, even after Ester did. It was too cold to sleep. Every nerve in my body was on end, and if I even think of nodding off, my shivering will startle me awake.

Besides, my mind was occupied. Was this all worth it? What was I willing to do to get the Leviathans Hoard? What would it take for me to realise I'd gone too far? Would I be better off living a life in hiding back on Earth?

Eventually, I shook my rustling my brown hair as if to wash the thoughts out of my mind. There was no use in overthinking. I'd my choices a long time ago, now it was too late to question my decisions.

I stood up from the lounge booth, careful not to wake Ester. I told myself I just wanted to stretch my legs and clear my thoughts. But as I walked along the carriages, I found myself wondering if Noe felt the same way I did.

I touched the locket that hung inside my shirt and around my neck. Thoughts of Gran Shelly came back to me. Her sweet smile, her kind nature. Had she faced the same issues in her youth?

I entered a new carriage, a cold breeze whipping me as the doors closed. My fingers were numb, but I'd started to get used to the feeling; shivering becoming natural, like breathing.

Along the seats I spotted a head of purple hair. Noe sat on one of the booth lounges, his head on the table, his arms wrapped around it as if he were trying to create a cocoon of warmth around his face. He shivered severely, to the point where I actually began feeling sorry for the arrogant fool.

I remembered his constant irritated comments back on Azodu when he'd noticed how hot I'd been. After a moment, I sighed internally. Gran Shelly had taught me better than to get caught up in petty hatred. Almost to prove that thought to myself, I took off Ibryn's jacket that hung on my shoulders, instantly feeling the missing warmth as the chill of the air ran colder onto my skin and into my flesh and bones.

I approached Noe, placing the heavy yellow jacket over his hunched shoulders. I saw the flinch through his shivering as the material made contact with his own green jacket. He lifted his head, his face pale and his expression flat.

"I didn't hear you coming." He stated like he was just sharing the fact. I realised he might have intended that as a compliment.

Before I could respond, he returned his face into his arms and waved me away like he was dismissing a servant.

My eyebrow twitched. "Don't strain yourself with gratitude" I scoffed quietly, turning to leave. I was surprised to not hear a snarky comeback but decided to enjoy its absence.

I reached the door for the carriage; much colder than last time I'd passed through it just a moment ago. I definitely not be able to sleep now. I lingered near the doors; my fingers paused over the button that opened them.

"Do you ever regret it?" I asked, my voice seeming to echo in the silence, settling heavily in the thick air. Silence was my only response, stretching on until I decided I'd never get another one. Just as I decided again to press the button, Noe spoke, his face still in his arms, resting on the table.

"Are you second guessing your decision?"

Of course, answering a question with a question. I wasn't sure how to answer. All my life I'd spent sneaking around, stealing things and doing what I shouldn't. I justified my actions because I needed to do those things to survive. If I was pushed to, I would hurt people in order to make that happen. Was this so different? All that waited for me on Earth was prison and poverty. And the same fate awaited me in all the other dimensions - an illegally smuggled Eastilian without even a cent to my name. If spying for these pirates helped me get this treasure, I'd do it. If things got bad, like at the auction house, I knew I'd have to defend myself no matter the cost. But to go out with solely the intent to kill... was that my red line?

"I asked you first." I said at length, deflecting.

The shaking of the train had become as natural as the chill in the air, as natural as the rumble as the train crossed ocean. It brought a certain cozy feeling to it, once you were able to look past the sting of ice under your skin. It seemed to encourage calm and quiet, our voices following suite.

"I only regretted one kill." Noe said, as if it was a normal sentence to say to someone. "It was here, in this blasted place." His voice reflected irritation for a moment, before returning to calm.

"I'd been sent to take out man, before I'd joined the Sea Warden. I worked independently, getting tipped targets and their details from whoever wanted them dead. I had the freedom to choose the cases that I wanted. I done my research, only went for the worst people to avoid any kind of guilt." His voice was solemn, interrupted by a dry laugh.

"Well, I succeeded. Only to find out the guy had young kids, who'd watched me do it." His voice didn't give off much emotion, as if he'd long come to terms with it. "I took my name out of the system after that. It led me to meeting Axe, who recruited me to the Sea Warden."

"I'm the latest addition you know." He added, "even little Reneta was here before me." He scoffed, humour in his voice.

I let him words echo into the silence, not willing to respond. Not sure how to.

Finally, he lifted his head from where it rested on the table, his tired eyes looking into mine. "They've survived this long without you, if you decided to back out, I'm sure they will deal just fine."

It was true. I was under no obligations to them, past providing them with intel. But I couldn't switch off that side of me; the side that wanted to do. This was me - sneaking around, pumping adrenaline. It was all I knew.

I decided to steer the conversation back to Noe, chuckling, "So that's why you look so miserable in this dimension."

He grunted, sitting back in his chair and pulling Ibryn's jacket tighter around him. "No, it's because I'm Azoduan; I'm not built for this kind of weather." His tone returned to normal, casual.

"It's not pleasant there either." I responded, chuckling awkwardly. The tension in the air hadn't left, just ignored. Was it just me who felt it?

Noe grumbled wordlessly in response, hugging himself against the cold as he leaned back against the window, looking out.

I let a smile flicker across my face for moment, unseen. At last, I pressed the button, the carriage doors sliding open smoothly. As I stepped through, Noe spoke, still watching the passing scenery.

"Oh, Eastilian." I paused, looking back at him.

"Don't worry about the missions. You can do the sneaking, and when things get rough, I'll do the rest. The way you fumble with a knife isn't very inspiring."

I bit back a smile. Did the angry pirate have a soft side after all?

Wordlessly, I exited the carriage, returning to the rest of the group.

~

Grendfrost was greener than I had expected. All around, as were pine trees of thick and thin trunks.

Mountains rose high above us in every direction as we navigated through the trees, following Axe's lead.

Cupped in his hands was a strange crytal-like object. The way it angled like an intricate sun dial gnomon. Its base was a pale grey circle, small enough to fit comfortably in his two hands.

The deep coloured crytal seemed to glow brighter, then dimmer as we walked, as if its light was being blown away by the icy wind.

Axe stared closely at it as we walked through the thick snow, occasionally glancing up to see where he was going.

"It's just a crystal compass." He said dismissively when I'd asked about it, like it was nothing special.

"It leads you to the nearest crystal beacon. Every main city has one. The brighter it glows, the closer you are." Ester hadn't clarified.

"So, a magical compass?" My breath rose as steam around my face as I spoke. It wasn't as cold on this...country, just Ester had said. Grendfrost, was it called?

"It's just an artefact." She shrugged, expressionless. "I guess you'd call it magic on your world, wouldn't you. People seem to use that word for science they don't understand."

I rubbed my nose with the sleeve of my jacket, trying to get the feeling back into it. "Yeah, I guess we do. What's an artefact, though?"

Ester flashed a look at me, an expression that I couldn't quite pinpoint on her face for a moment before she looked back away. 'Is this kid serious?' It seemed to read. Or 'Do I have to answer this guys endless dumb questions?'.

Yet somehow, her face didn't seem to reflect any malicious thoughts, just genuine concern for my lack of knowledge.

I took a deep breath, exhaling in a sigh that went unheard through the constant billowing of wind. The sound didn't stop. Once I became conscious of it, I thought I might never stop hearing it.

~

When we arrived at this 'crytal beacon', it needed no introduction. A crystal, similar to the crystal compass Axe had been holding in the way that it glowed deep shades of blue and purple, loomed high atop a mountain.

That was hardly the impressive part, however. In the sides of the mountains were deep carvings - deep, high, and wide.

Etched into the mountain sides were cities bustling with life. The inhabitants were shielded from the bulk of the snow, and the mountain acted as their roof, walls, and floor.

I had a decent view of this scene, despite still trudging through the trees. This was due to the way the trees closest to the mountain had their tops pulled into its opening. The roots remained in the ground, the tree alive and well, but bent over like a bridge leading into the mountain.

All the surrounding trees were like that, until they couldn't reach anymore. In gabs between the trees, I could see staircases carved into the mountainside.

I gaped at the sight before realising I was being left behind. I sped up to catch up with the others.

From what Axe had explained, he intended to find the capital city of Grenfrost to ask the locals where the map maker 'Themric Korsa' was.

"People of his feild travel a lot. There's no telling which part of Laestrithan he might be at." Axe had told me. "But he's from Grendfrost, so that's our best start."

I questioned where mine and Noe's 'mission' came into things but decided it was best not to ask. I didn't want to come across as sounding eager.

As we reached the stone stairs and began to climb up, the sounds and scents within got louder.

Voices boomed like a crowded restaurant, overwhelming the clatter and shuffle of objects and feet. Smells of pine wood, smoke, meat, and other things I couldn't identify wafted down like a scent riddle.

When we reached the top, my legs burned from climbing so high with cold muscles. The sounds and scents had now multiplied, the sights adding to the tame chaos of the city.

Pillars, thick and tall, reached high until they touched the ceiling. It was high enough that birds flew around freely, undisturbed by the people below. A light fog lingered up there, partially fog, partially smoke.

Along the sides of this enormous, presumably man-made cave were shops, houses, and buildings. Some were open roofed, and some had their roofs reaching the ceiling.

Between these, like a thick road separating them, was empty space for people to go to and fro. I estimated it was wide enough to fit over ten of Earth's car lanes.

Despite this, it still seemed to not be wide enough for the number of people travelling or lingering along it. I felt like I was in a market or an event hall. Shoulders bumped, people walked sideways to navigate faster, and people held their more precious belongings over their heads for safe keeping.

I followed the group of pirates through the Sea of people, trying to keep at their heels so no one would squeeze between us and lose me in the crowd.

I noticed very quickly some notable features about these Laestrithan people, as I passed by so many of them in such close quarters.

For one, almost all of them had pale hair - mostly white, some silver, and fewer with other colours, so pale they were basically white. They primarily straight haired too. Only on occasion did I see brighter or deeper colours or curlier textures, which lead me to assume they were foreigners.

The people also were very diverse in size, with many being 6ft high, and others being below 4ft.

As we walked, the crowd thinned considerably, until I found myself breathing easier.

Voices still boomed and shoulders still touched, but the crowd was calmer and left more gaps for me to exist in.

My nose tingled with the scent of meat and wood cooking. My head followed me nose, making me notice a shop on the left of the road that appeared to be selling meat. A man muscular old man with a full face of hair was holding up a dripping leg of meat that was bigger than my head, calling out something to a customer.

The two laughed loudly at a joke I didn't hear, the customer smoking a large pipe of something that smelt wood-ish.

The shop on their left had a cluster of people, some inserting pieces of pine wood, branches still attached and snowy, into a machine that grinded them to dust. Other were adding them to a controlled bonfire for some reason unknown to me. Smoke billowed away from their shop, smelling similar to the previous man's pipe.

We finally stopped at a shop on our right, unfortunately right across from the meat shop, making my stomach grumble audibly.

The shop was modestly sized, with maps and small gadgets laying over every bench top. Open maps of places I didn't recognise were stuck to every wall and pillar within the shop, and rolled ones were stocked in wooden shelves and open drawers.

I originally thought no one was attending to this shop, but as we got closer I noticed a short girl with a bob of straight white hair laying on top of a map bigger than her, which was splayed out on the stone floor.

I grumbled something irritably to herself as she drew on it with a coal tipped pencil, not noticing our presence right away.

I thought she might have been a child - ten or twelve perhaps - until she looked up, coal smeared on her pale cheeks. No, she was easily around my age, or even older, but yet she appeared so small.

"Oh hello, travellers! Locals!" She called out cheerily from the floor, before standing to dust herself off. Maybe it was the climate, but everyone seemed so pale here, that I might actually fit in.

Her blue eyes, pink lips and freckled cheeks were all so pale she almost looked ghost-like.

"Welcome to Howl's Atlas & Maps! The size is humble, but I promise you the maps are not!" She said, waving her arms around the shop like she was showing off her grand palace.

"Thank you," Axe started, "do you have any maps on the crystal mines?"

The girl nodded her head, pulling out stacks of rolled and open maps from our the shop and piling them onto one bench.

"I recommend these if you're looking for a new spot to try your luck. But if you don't find what you're looking for, Themric Korsa has much more!" The girl sat back atop her map on the floor, saying "just call me if you need help. My name is Yahana Fang."

Axe nodded and I flashed her a polite smile before we all turned to our respective maps.

-Interdimensional Pirates
-April Bluebird/@BlueWhiskers1
-23/Nov/2025
-Chapter 25: Grendfrost
-2913 words
-1.61K 👁‍🗨, 390 🌟, 992💭