With Realmfleet help, Galnyar\u2019s plan to create the first Fae railways (dubbed the Fae Rail Project) was well underway. A quarry from the Eastern District of the forest was contracted with making railway ballast. The rocks had to be cut up in irregular shapes so vegetation wouldn\u2019t grow between the rail ties and would lock together so the tracks would be stable. The Lunar Ridge Quarry was the most productive and had an excitable demolitions expert to manage rock extraction. The expert was a Sprite woman named Kelofel who was one of the few members of the Borg family that was granted amnesty, given that she fought against the Realm Trinity Empire later in the Final War. Something about an explosion always made her giddy. Lardeth was watching the whole operation. An explosion rocked the quarry and Kelofel cheered as the rocks fell to the ground. Once everything settled, an inspection team headed off to make sure all the explosives went off. \u201cThat was marvelous!\u201d cheered Kelofel. \u201cAbsolutely fantastic!\u201d She turned to the inspection team. \u201cYou see, lads?! That\u2019s how I did it back during the War! That is the beauty and majesty of well-placed and well-timed explosives!\u201d Lardeth turned to the quarry\u2019s new engine, a tank engine Mechanica woman named Velmar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow is it that she\u2019s never caused a serious accident?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d remarked Velmar. \u201cBut she IS a professional and she takes pride in her work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo do I,\u201d said Lardeth, \u201cbut I\u2019ve never had the urge to blow something up, even during the War, even when the mission called for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFair point. Still, Kelofel\u2019s one of the best demolition experts I\u2019ve seen since I was built. \u2026Then again, she\u2019s the only one I met so far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, that\u2019s well-deserved praise. I worked with her once or twice. She really is one of the best. No matter the size of the rock she brings down, it never damages the rails. That\u2019s a true miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA true miracle?\u201d asked Kelofel as she approached the two. \u201cTalking about me, are we?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were,\u201d chuckled Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, you can tell me about it when the day\u2019s done. The site\u2019s safe for you to collect the stone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd ALL the explosives went off?\u201d asked Lardeth, still a little worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, if it didn\u2019t, Your Highness, you\u2019ll be the first to know!\u201d joked Kelofel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Oddly enough, that statement only makes me uneasy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, lighten up, Lardeth!\u201d chuckled Velmar. \u201cI\u2019m sure everything is safe!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFeel free to check,\u201d offered Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll right, I will!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d assured Kelofel, \u201cI\u2019m ninety-eight percent sure all the explosives went off.\u201d This time it was Velmar\u2019s turn to be uneasy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026What about the remaining two percent?!\u201d she gulped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t panic, no one\u2019s died on the jobs I\u2019ve been on, skin or steel. \u2026I mean, the only times that happened were against the Borg family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026You mean-?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo! I know what you\u2019re going to ask, and no! The Borg family is dead! The instant I get married; I\u2019m taking my husband\u2019s last name!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAren\u2019t there those in the Borg family you still love?\u201d asked Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe only ones I loved,\u201d replied Kelofel, \u201care currently enjoying their amnesty and are eager to give up the Borg name. The Borg family died when Cytanek died.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I\u2019m sorry for-\u201d began Velmar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all right, It\u2019s just\u2026still raw for me. I shouldn\u2019t have snapped like that. You didn\u2019t know.\u201d Kelofel\u2019s smile then came back. \u201cThat\u2019s why I throw myself into my work! It\u2019s the best way for me to put some distance between me and the Borg name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, we all better follow your example,\u201d declared Velmar. \u201cNow, I\u2019m gonna go check to make sure it\u2019s safe, just to be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood on you!\u201d cheered Kelofel. \u201cAll the same, if I\u2019m wrong, it was nice knowing you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWHAT?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All the explosives DID go off, so the site was safe. Lardeth was perplexed at how calm the inspectors were. \u201cHow are you not terrified at Kelofel\u2019s attitude?\u201d he asked a Sprite woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEasy, we all said \u2018hi\u2019 to Baldra when we started the job,\u201d explained the Sprite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBaldra? Who\u2019s Baldra?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat boulder up there.\u201d The Sprite pointed up to a massive boulder on a high cliff. It looked like a perfect sphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026How did nature form that?\u201d muttered Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are many theories surrounding that,\u201d explained the Sprite. \u201cOne of them, the ones tourists love, is that it isn\u2019t REALLY a natural thing, but something a woman carved for herself as a charm to ward us off back when the Fae hated Big-folk. The story says that the woman was named Baldra, so when she left it behind before the Fae Republic formed, we simply called the stone Baldra. We don\u2019t really know, but the local legend is that if you say hello to Baldra, you\u2019ll have good luck throughout the day. Everyone in the Eastern District always says hello to her when they get the chance.\u201d Lardeth arched a cloudy eyebrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPardon me for saying this,\u201d he said, \u201cbut it doesn\u2019t look like time was all that kind to the land surrounding Baldra.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, the ground looks unstable and\u2026well\u2026I feel\u2026odd about Baldra.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI assure you, Your Highness; the ground has remained stable throughout the entirety of the Republic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI guess I\u2019m gonna have to take your word for it,\u201d mumbled Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou never met Baldra before?\u201d asked Arsha when Lardeth told her about the day, as well as Foresna and Falnii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, and I frankly wish I never did,\u201d remarked Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d asked Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s partially the stone and\u2026okay, this is gonna sound odd, but I SWEAR I heard the name \u2018Baldra\u2019 before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe I can find something,\u201d offered Falnii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf it can give me peace of mind on that front, then go ahead.\u201d Falnii kissed his cheek, then headed off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I, for one, want to see Baldra for myself!\u201d declared Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019m heading to that part of the forest myself,\u201d said Arsha. \u201cI\u2019m sure I can take you along.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTake care,\u201d warned Lardeth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With Realmfleet help, Galnyar\u2019s plan to create the first Fae railways (dubbed the Fae Rail Project) was well underway. A quarry from the Eastern District of the forest was contracted with making railway ballast. The rocks had to be cut up in irregular shapes so vegetation wouldn\u2019t grow between the rail ties and would lock […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1439,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,239],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-5428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-6-the-eternal-age-of-unity","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5428"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5429,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5428\/revisions\/5429"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}