Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Seven - Haystack

Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Seven - Haystack

Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Seven - Haystack

This is neither easy nor peasy, I complained.

The area with warehouses was way, way worse than I had imagined. I thought it would be a few rows of warehouses, with the interiors filled with all the cargo passing through the port. But I was wrong.

Instead, there were several rows of warehouses, with warehouses above them, and then some warehouses below them too. The sylph had a whole system of elevators, cranes, and scaffolds so that they could use the limited space they had to maximum effect.

That meant that everything was a whole complex array of passages, ramps, and lifts, with carts being pushed around all over by sylph who werent usually in a good mood when we happened to step into their way.

The warehouses had nice big numbers next to their doors, which was helpful.

Less helpful was the way the warehouses started at forty-two, went to sixty-seven, then had single digits beyond that for a bit. Some even had letters at the end, for some inexplicable reason.

And the sylph claim to be sophisticated, Amaryllis muttered.

Maybe theres some sort of logic to the system that we, ah, just dont get? I tried.

I think the warehouses were numbered as they were built, Awen said. She pointed across the street and down. The road, which was really more of a grated catwalk, ended at a set of rails, and we could see down a couple of floors across. The bottom floors are all lower numbers, and they tend to go up.

She was right, the warehouse across from us went from thirteen, to fourteen, to sixteen, to twenty-one.

So theyre always rising in number, but they dont have odd or even sorting, and the numbers sometimes skip a few, I said.

That had nothing on the warehouses who had multiple numbers next to their doors, for some unfathomable reason.

Alright, enough of this. I walked away from my friends for a moment and flagged down a passing sylph. He had a hardhat on, and a sort of yellowish tabard over plain clothes. Excuse me, sir. Could you point us towards warehouse number seventy-four please?

Huh? he asked. Then he pointed towards the far end of the street. That way, left, then right at warehouse one-one-one.

Thanks! I called after him. That had been easier than I expected. Come on!

We navigated around the maze of warehouses, and I realized that I didnt ask which level warehouse seventy-four was on. That was a bit of a mistake, but there wasnt anything I could do about it, not unless I flagged someone else down, and I really didnt want to interrupt another worker. None of the sylph on the roads were idling either, it was impressive. Or maybe they just had their own little corners for relaxing?

We had to go down a level when we came upon a block in the road, then back up around the next intersection.

Warehouse one-one-one was easy enough to find, the three numbers being painted all up the side of the building.

There it is! Awen said as she pointed ahead and down.

We were a floor above the closed doors of warehouse seventy-four, which meant we had to backtrack to the nearest elevator, then go down a floor and back to where wed been.

In the end, the three of us stood in front of a pair of wide doors, hanging in place on a set of coasters. There was a smaller door next to the main entrance, so I walked over to it and knocked.

Nothing happened.

Well, this isnt great, I said. Maybe we can come back tomorrow? We know more or less where it is, now.

And lose another half-day? Amaryllis asked. I bet I can blow that smaller door right off its hinges.

That would be a crime, I said.

And noisy, Awen said.

I nodded along with her.

I could pick the lock, I think, she went on.

Pull harder, Amaryllis grunted.

I let go of my magical light and grabbed the ring in both hands.

I pushed stamina into my legs and lower back, then really gave it my all. Amaryllis groaned next to me, and together we got the hatch to lift, little by little, until it was nearly ten centimetres open.

Then my hands slipped and the whole thing crashed down with a whump.

Amaryllis coughed, and I pushed some Cleaning magic out to clear the dust wed kicked up. You know, Awen, maybe if all three of us lifted, Amaryllis said.

Awen stepped up between us, a large metal clasp in hand, and hooked it to the hatchs loop. There was a chain on the clasp that ran up to the ceiling. I followed it up with my gaze to a pulley block above, then back down to a large locking wheel on the far wall.

Awen began cranking the wheel with one hand, and the hatch started to rise.

Or you could do that, that is also helpful, Amaryllis said, a bit sheepishly.

I glanced down the hole leading to the floor below. The hatch was obviously large enough to let some cargo pass down, probably using the pulley system that Awen had found. That meant that there wasnt a ladder or anything to get down by. The sylph workers probably just flew up if they needed to.

The bottom was only four meters or so down, so I sat on the edge of the hole, then scooted forwards. Ill check for a ladder, I said before dropping.

I landed with a heavy thump on the wooden floor below, then created a small light to see by. More shelves, with more crates, though a lot less than wed found on the floor above.

There was also a distinct lack of ladders with which to help Awen and Amaryllis down.

A chain rattled from above and came to a stop at about head-height. I looked up, hand raising to illuminate the ceiling, and Awens legs as she crawled backwards down the hatch.

Amaryllis leapt down next to her, wings spread to catch the air and magic roiling below her to create a sort of cushion just before she landed talon-first next to me.

Awen hopped down and sighed. That was harder than I thought, she said.

Sorry, I should have carried you down.

She shook her head. Its okay. I like figuring out my own solution now. It... its good.

I laughed. Okay then. But if you ever do need help, then you know you can ask, right?

She nodded, very seriously.

As long as she knew that. I grabbed the manifest and hovered my light above it so that I could actually read it. Ah, more numbers and letters, I said.

Amaryllis moved closer and peeked over my shoulder to read the list too. Great, well have to walk all over to find that. If its even actually here.

If what is in here? Trespassers? Because there are plenty of those.

All three of us jumped, and I flashed my light towards the corner.

A rather scruffy pair of sylph were standing there, looking mighty displeased about our presence.

Who are you? Amaryllis asked.

We could ask the same! the sylph said.

Then the door at the very far end of the warehouse slid open so fast it banged against the wall. This is warehouse security! Come out with your hands raised! someone screamed from just outside.

Oh no, said the sylphs partially obscured in the shadows.

Oh no, I agreed.

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