B2 - Chapter 1: Arriving at Tradespire (Patreon)

An elegant ship was silently gliding through the air just above the cloud layer. The sun had just risen, bathing the world in the first light of the morning. The usual hustle and bustle of the craft were still absent as most of the crew and passengers were asleep at this hour. The entire scene had an otherworldly feel to it. On the prow of the vessel stood a solitary figure. His crimson hair was the first feature that anybody would notice when looking at him.

Upon closer inspection, one would be able to notice his youthful appearance. His muscular frame and tall stature were not able to cover the fact that he still bore the immature features of a teenager. The exception to this rule was his eyes. The two golden orbs showed none of the naivety of a teenager. They were calculating and hard, making him appear more shrewd than a boy his age had any right to be.

Naturally, it was Ezekiel von Hohenheim who stood at the bow of the ship. He was looking out at the sea of clouds that stretched as far as the eyes could see. They had spent almost exactly a week leaving the territory of the empire. After another three days of continuous flight, they were finally due to arrive at Tradespire.

The end to their travels could not come soon enough for Zeke. The journey had been stressful, to say the least. He was anxious to get a sense of stability back into his life. He had so many problems that needed to be addressed. Yet, he had been trapped with nothing but his thoughts while on this journey.

He was woken from his deep contemplation by a voice calling him from behind. Zeke turned around to find its source. Leo had come up to him and was only standing a few steps away. Zeke looked his friend and now adopted brother up and down.

Leo looked terrible. His posture was slumped and his once vibrant amber eyes were dull and listless. The heavy dark bags made it clear that he had not slept in some time.

Zeke had learned that David had knocked him out during Maximilian's fight. Leo had immediately tried to charge into battle to assist the old man. Even though it would have been a foolish move and a sure way to die, Zeke still admired his brother for the attempt. When he learned of Maximilian’s fate after waking up, he had been inconsolable.

Ever since he was a boy, Leo had dreamed of joining the von Hohenheim family. Now, a mere month after his dream came true, it had all come crashing down. This whole situation must have seemed like a nightmare to him.

Zeke closed the remaining distance between them and forced a smile.

“What’s up, Leo?” he asked as he rearranged Leo’s disheveled clothing. For a while now, Leo had stopped looking after himself. The once energetic boy seemed like a completely different person. It was as if a dark cloud was following him around, constantly shrouding his being in darkness.

“The captain said that we are beginning our descent. The city is going to come into view any moment now,” Leo said in a flat tone before turning on the spot. He was clearly about to leave again.

“Wait a second, Leo,” Zeke said quickly while grabbing Leo by the arm. His brother didn’t turn back around, but momentarily paused his movement.

“Just because Maximilian is not here anymore doesn’t mean that you have lost your place, ok?” Zeke said in an earnest tone. “Your adoption was not just a formal procedure to me. I consider you a true brother. I want you to know that you still have a family. What I want to say is that if you need to talk, I’m here.”

Leo didn’t respond. The situation was about to turn awkward when he finally nodded his head fractionally, prompting Zeke to let go of him. The moment he was released, Leo walked off as if fleeing.

Zeke sighed as he watched his brothers retreating back. He had really hoped to have Leo’s support during this time. The loss of Maximilian had also shaken him to his core, but he didn’t have the luxury to wallow in self-pity. If he didn’t present a strong front during this time, the entire family would collapse. No matter the challenges, he would do his best, he owed the old man that much.

Leo’s back became indistinguishable as the entire deck was shrouded in white moments later. They had begun their descent through the clouds. Zeke turned to the front of the ship again. He could barely make out the figurine of the beautiful woman on the bow of the ship. He waited with bated breath for them to emerge on the other side.

He didn’t quite know what to expect. The city-state of the Merchant Union was located on an island. Apparently, the entire island was one giant city. Zeke had a hard time imagining such a thing. But there was one point that was referenced in all of the sources Zeke had read on the subject. Tradespire was a city like no other.

The white screen was soon broken by the rays of the sun, making the remaining moisture in the air shimmer in all colors of the rainbow. It was then that they finally broke through the last vestiges of clouds. Zeke's jaw fell open upon seeing the sight in front of him.

Beneath the Alexandria he saw a landmass surrounded by an endless ocean. The island was way larger than he had expected. Even from this far up, he could barely make out the edges in the distance. He was also surprised by the fact that the entire island seemed to rise toward the center. It was shaped like a flat cone. Zeke had heard of volcanoes and he was pretty sure that this was a volcanic island.

But he couldn’t be certain of his assumptions as the entire thing looked man-made. It was impossible to make out any natural terrain at all. Strange-looking structures were filling the landscape as far as the eyes could see. It was like nothing Zeke had ever seen. The sheer scale of Tradespire was astonishing. He had believed Magusburg to be impressive, but this was something else.

What truly shocked him about the sight was how alien everything appeared. The streets were filled with horseless carriages and even the air above the city was filled with flying vehicles. The entire place was bustling with a mixture of human vitality and technological ingenuity in equal parts.

Zeke had never heard of most of the technological wonders he could see everywhere here. Even the buildings looked foreign to him. Giant, towering spirals of steel and glass could be seen dotting the landscape. They were like nothing Zeke had ever seen. Even the grand tower of the Elementium and the imperial palace would be dwarfed by these monumental constructions.

The city was separated by layers that ringed the central mountain of the island. Every subsequent layer of the city had less space than the previous one. Even from high up, it was not hard to tell that the quality of architecture and luxury rose with each layer.

Zeke focused on the top of the mountain, the centermost part of the city. It was where the tallest and most luxurious buildings could be seen. The entire central area was illuminated by an uncountable number of lights. It appeared to him like a shining beacon, signaling weary travelers that they had finally found civilization.

In the very center of the topmost layer stood an artistically constructed tower of unimaginable proportions. The spiraling facade of the construct gave it an otherworldly look. Zeke was reminded of a spear being pointed at the heavens.

The Alexandria had come to a halt above the city, and Zeke finally noticed that the crystals on top of the regularly spaced towers had started to glow menacingly. He suddenly realized that those buildings were most likely some sort of defense system. The Alexandria remained in place, signaling their peaceful intentions.

It was only minutes later that their ship was approached by a much smaller vessel. Zeke was intrigued by what he was seeing. Its modest size made the ship a lot more agile. This fact was proven by the way it was traversing the air like a needle, turning on a dime as it made its way around the Alexandria.

It came to a halt a ways off in front of them. An amplified voice could be heard from the direction of the smaller craft. “We are going to land on your deck for identification purposes. Be warned, any hostile action will be met with deadly force.”

Not waiting for any response, the sleek airship approached. Zeke observed as it deftly maneuvered on top of their deck, before gently lowering itself onto an empty section.

A man emerged from the craft. He had a serious face and Zeke immediately got the impression that he was a military man. He was wearing a formal suit and appeared unarmed as he stepped onto their ship.

Kerim, the ship’s captain, was already waiting for him. The moment their guest laid eyes on him, his posture relaxed. It was clear that the two were acquainted. Their discussion seemed to have devolved into small talk and Zeke waited anxiously for them to finish.

Suddenly, he saw a change come over Kerim. His face turned slightly pale and his eyes looked alarmed. Something the other man had said must have shocked him. Without any heed to decorum, Kerim left the man behind and stormed over to where Zeke was standing.

Zeke’s heart clenched when he saw the expression on the captain’s face. This was not gonna be good news. The man came to a halt in front of him and immediately launched into an explanation.

“Bad news, our estate is in trouble,” he said.

“What kind of trouble?” Zeke asked in a forcefully calm tone.

“He wasn’t sure himself. But there appears to have been a lot of activity from our people over the last couple of days, the rumors he heard suggest nothing good,” Kerim said. “We need to go there right away.”

Zeke merely nodded, turning back around to mull over the news. The military man had already retreated to his vessel and was in the process of leaving. Clearly, they had been given permission to enter.

“Damnit!” Zeke cursed the moment he was alone again. This came at the worst possible time. He just hoped that the trouble he would find was something minor. He really couldn’t afford a setback right now.

The ship lurched into motion again, lowering itself toward the city. Zeke had no idea what to expect from their estate. He merely hoped that it would be big enough to house them all. He was surprised when they approached the third highest layer of the city. It appeared that Maximilian had quite the standing if he could afford to live here.

The building they finally approached was enormous. Even compared to the other estates on this layer, it was among the biggest. A smile made its way to Zeke’s face as the captain expertly landed the Alexandria at the dock.

The dock was obviously constructed with this ship in mind. The entire setup fit like a glove around the Alexandria. Zeke’s moment of awe was interrupted as he could make out footsteps coming from behind. It was David, Maximilian's most trusted aid. The man had a look on his face that was so serious, it instantly wiped the smile off Zeke’s face as well.

“What’s wrong?” he asked the man who had come to a stop right beside him.

David silently observed the vast estate that was laid out in front of them. The scene looked breathtaking in the morning light. A serene silence hung over the mansion. The man didn’t immediately speak up and Zeke silently joined him in observing the scene.

“Do you hear that, young lord?” David asked.

Zeke strained his ears, determined not to miss even the slightest noise. Still, even after focusing for a good minute, he couldn’t hear anything.

“I don’t hear anything,” Zeke admitted.

“Exactly,” David responded with a nod. “There should be around 100 people working in the mansion alone. Furthermore, nobody has come out to greet us.”

Zeke's face paled as the realization hit him. Something must have happened here. A knot formed in his stomach as he continued to look at the utterly still sight in front of them. The once serene silence had now taken on a note of dreadful foreboding.