"Hmm, let's see," I said as I pulled out the brochure mid-flight. "The Phoenix District – unsurprisingly run by the Phoenix Crest, which consists of 400 pneumarians, 1,500 klevonians. Nearly each of them is born with the Blaze cintracy, boasting a primary element of fire, and the Crest as a whole has a worth of over 2 trillion spendil, believe it or not," I whistled at the staggering number.
We were flying over a sea of fire as we headed toward the central city. I read in the brochure that most of the district was covered in those flames, which was the source of the district's high temperatures and slight smoky aroma.
"Apparently, the district's main city is called Plucis," I continued. "It's a classist-governed territory."
"Meaning?" Za'Fia asked.
While not as extreme as the Goblin District's plutocracy, Plucis is run in a way that prioritizes the elite, such as those with status or royalty, Viraa clarified. The best treatments and opportunities go to them first, sometimes at the inconvenience of the less privileged.
"My kind of place," Avarice commented with a smirk.
Za'Fia rolled her eyes, and I ignored him as I continued.
"It says the use of droplets is banned here." I'd never seen a droplet, but I read about its healing effects, as well as the addiction it could cause. "The Phoenix Crest is most known for their district's hospitals, being the best natural medical option in Pneuma City. It seems they're so respected by everyone that nearly every district's Crest Head permits one Phoenix Hospital in their district's major city. Each one is run by one Phoenix pneumarian who teaches the local nurses and doctors all but the best healing and medical practices to help those in need."
"So the best knowledge is reserved for only the doctors in Plucis, making traveling to the Phoenix District the only option in the nation to receive the absolute best medical care without resorting to addictive substances like droplets," Avarice deduced. "Wise."
Yes, the Phoenix members are very proud of their medical advances, Viraa stated. The Crest Head themselves are given the sacred gift, Flames of Restoration, which offers their flames a unique, regenerative property that heals non-fatal wounds of others.
The city was now visible on the horizon. As we approached, I enhanced my vision and could see across the entire state-sized area. I spotted the tallest building somewhere northwest. It was a major hospital in a heavily populated part of Plucis, and on its roof sat a nesting, colossal phoenix that gave off sparks of fire. Around the bird flew miniature versions of itself, its babies.
I quietly smiled at the sight as we rapidly approached the city walls. Once we were inside, we stopped and gawked at the city. Plucis wasn't like a city you'd see on Earth. There were no skyscrapers. The tallest buildings I had seen, other than the hospital, were maybe 20-25 stories high, but they were still industrial, and the smoky scent in the air was somewhat welcoming within the city walls.
"Incredible, it's more advanced than anything on Earth, yet nothing seems to be powered by electricity," Avarice stated, impressed as we started to move forward. "Astral energy really is something," he said, tapping a nearby glowing stone on a sign as we passed by it.
We saw an aircraft flying low overhead and landing somewhere nearby. I couldn't see through buildings, so I levitated higher until I saw what looked like a hangar bay in what probably passed as an airport there.
That was a shuttle, Viraa told us. There are many personal vehicles one can buy to traverse space and explore other worlds. It is a more affordable option for the typical person who cannot afford to use a transporter.
"Not interested," Avarice said, lowering back to the ground.
"You have a problem with space shuttles?" I asked him as Za'Fia and I lowered too.
"If we can fly at the speed of light in space, why would I be interested in something like that?" He asked as if the answer was obvious. "Have you ever seen me or my children in a vehicle while on Earth?"
"I guess not," I said, realizing that I never had, although I believe he used a jet to get the jump on Michael once, and that he hadn't seemed to own any expensive cars or planes despite having been the richest guy on Earth at one point.
"Any vehicle made is likely much slower than us, so why waste our time with them?" He pointed out.
"Hm, I don't know, it could be fun to ride through space at a leisurely pace," Za'Fia commented as we entered a market area.
When I thought about it, I almost found myself agreeing with Avarice, but was interrupted as a nearby short guy stepped in front of us. I wasn't familiar with his species, but I knew he wasn't cindarian.
"Interesting conversation you're having! I take it you're newcomers! You all caught my eye as soon as I saw you turn the corner. Heard you were surprised about us not needing electricity. It's hilarious because what backwards planet still uses electricity as power?" the short guy laughed. He babbled, as if he wanted to sell us something. It quickly became apparent that he was indeed a merchant, but not a shady one. My Heart's Eye revealed he was just eager to attract new customers.
"Gotta love glemit, am I right?" He grinned politely. "Hey, come over here, let me show you something."
I looked at Za'Fia, who shrugged, then back at the guy who was already walking toward a small store with Avarice trailing behind him.
"Welcome," he said with open arms as we entered. Inside, the store's walls and displays were adorned with a variety of items that caught the eye.
The merchant led us to a section designated under a banner titled "Gleme". There, we found a bunch of stones displayed on one wall. Some glowed yellow, while others glowed blue.. The merchant picked up a yellow one.
"This is glemit. Imported straight from the Star System's planet Gleme," he held up the small stone. "They are designed to harness star energy, which is the energy of a living sun, making them great conduits for astral energy too!"
He grabbed a blue one and held it next to the yellow one for comparison.
"Natural glemit," he shook the yellow stone, "can pretty much only serve as a source of light for anyone other than a starling, the species that call Gleme their home. But," he raised the blue stone, "being such great conduits for Cindar's astral-e, the Goblin Crest's Lady Meira, owns the sole factory with an astral-e printer capable of charging glemit with astral-e. This version of glemit generates enough energy that just a few can power a home for up to a year."
I grabbed the blue stone and turned it between my fingers as I examined it.
If astral-e is as potent as everyone believes, it could give unlimited energy to everyone. Yet they choose to make the effects temporary so people would have to continue to purchase them...it's no different from humans, I thought to myself.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAb8QTTJjuW
and then Add to home screen.