| abstract
| - Solid ground, at last. He was tired and cold, but he had reached solid land again. He looked around, though there was clearly nobody here. But he was safe, and that was most important. He walked a little, quite unable to grasp the fact that he has arrived. Delinius couldn't imagine how things were on the mainland, and he didn't want to know. This continent had a new opportunity for him to live without too much problems. As he walked around, he spotted a pair of rails. Rails were a good sign: it indicated the presence of a settlement. He travels for the rest of the day until he finally discovers a city's skyline. He reaches it by nightfall. Fortunately, the currency here was the same, and he could spend the night in a hotel. He reflected on the problems that he'd had on the mainland, with paranoid and hostile people that went after everything that was magic or alien. It was over 30 years ago that he last was able to stay in the same place for more than a week. The next few days, he learned that he was in the city of Ivinopia, one of the few larger urban areas on Auzos. But that's not what struck him most: everywhere he looked, he noticed considerably more alien species, as well as Gridmasks that made use of magic visibly. Perhaps the paranoia of the mainland had not taken its full effect here, he thought. And yet he noticed that most of them were distant to him, as if they did not want a newcomer from elsewhere. For several days, he had looked for a job, anything even as simple as sweeping the streets, without success. At least, until today. He decided to write it down, as a sort of journal. The next weeks, Delinius familiarised himself with his work. He trained to deliver faster and work in less-than-great weather, when the few others that worked alongside him usually stayed inside. It was far from ideal; he was the only person with the ability to negate any traffic, however. Most of them were young, most likely selected for this task because of their spirit, perhaps also their tendency towards reckless behaviour. One or two seemed to dislike Delinius, yet he couldn't care, as long as he was able to do his work. Even so, it seemed as if not only they, but practically the entire company regarded him as strange, just like he had noticed before. Auzos wasn't exactly warm in welcoming foreign travelers. Theo sat down. Three days and not a single job. He was sure it was impossible that there was absolutely nothing he could do: there is no city where there's no work to pick up. No, he knew what his problem was. He was an outsider, someone who you couldn't trust because who knows where he came from. Sure, they weren't hostile or paranoid, at least not like the people in the place where he ran from. He'd come all the way across the sea to find a better living here, and it looked like his hopes of finding a better life were false. With no way of going back, that also meant he was stuck here, in a city that he didn't know, with people that he didn't know and who ignored him, and most importantly very little food left. He could hold out another day, but the bag he carried was incredibly empty by now. He sighed. "You look very miserable, I must say", someone said. He looked around. A passer-by had stopped to look at him. "Yeah, laugh at me." "I wasn't laughing, mind you." Theo took a better look at the man. He was only a little taller than Theo. His red-brown hair seemed to spring up in all sorts of directions, but without being very messy. What was most unusual, though, was his clothing: even though it wasn't exactly warm, he was walking around in some sort of vest, with a silly red band going across it. "Then what are you doing?" ""I'm standing here in a city of xenophobe-ish fools on a distant continent. You seem no more home to this place than I am." Theo gave a short laugh. "At least there's someone in this damn city who will talk to me." The man had walked closer and now offered him a hand. "My name's Delinius. At least you're not entirely on your own." Theo shook the hand. "Theo. Good to know that, I guess." "I suppose you don't have a job, do you?" -"Been here for three days and I haven't had any luck." Delinius sighed, as if he understood the frustration. "I was fortunate enough to run into a man who apparently noticed my ability to fly at some time." He stepped back a little, and a pair or wings sprouted from his back, glowing with energy. "They carried me across the ocean, and now they've given me work. I can't begin to describe how important it is. I have a day off, though." Theo looked at the wings, impressed by their size. He then showed Delinius what he did best: he held up his hand and formed a cube on it. "Not as great or impressive, but it's something, hey?" Even though that wasn't the only thing Theo was able to do, Delinius didn't have to know everything about him. At least, not now. He wasn't a total stranger, but that was it. "I'm pretty certain that it has some purpose you could use it for, though what I don't know. In any case, I referred to that day off, hm? Although I'm no rich man, I can definitely spare some money to get you something." Theo couldn't believe it. Not only was Delinius the only person who decided to be nice and talk, he was willing to help him out - with his own money. "Uh, thanks... you don't have to do that, though." "I insist upon it. After all, you'd do such a thing if you had any money." Delinius didn't just do this because it was right, it was something he wholeheartedly wanted himself. "Well, if you want to, I could use some food, for starters." Delinius nodded. "Then follow me! I can't promise it will be a feast, but food you will have." Delinius walked off at a decent pace, forcing Theo to walk as fast as he could to catch up. "Hey, could you, uh, not walk so fast? My condition isn't what it should be..." Delinius looked back at him. Theo felt a little ashamed to admit this. "Well, I suppose we have enough time. I thought it would bring some action into you, but it seems that was a bad idea. Off we go then, be it at a slower pace." Delinius was sitting behind the small desk in the room, writing something down. When Theo entered, he stopped writing for a second. "Yes, Theo?" "Met this other dude who just got here. Gave him some food and a jacket, but that's all I could do. There's a lot more of them lately..." Theo looked at Delinius, waiting for his answer. Ever since Delinius had rented this apartment a few weeks ago, Theo had been staying there with him. Although he knew Delinius better than at first, he was still a mystery on occasion. Delinius turned around. "That's perfectly fine, though. Quite a shame we can't house a third person in here..." "No, we can't..." Theo replied. Delinius suddenly rose from his chair. "Yet there's something else..." Delinius walked to the kitchen to get some coffee, a strange kind of smile on his face. "You said that there are more refugees as of late, is it not? Could you give an estimate?" Theo nodded. Whatever he needed the estimate for, he knew exactly how many people he'd helped out. He'd kept track of them, hopefully never to lose any. "I'd say there's 8 or 10 of them, but that's just the ones I know of. There's probably a lot more of them." "Indeed... if you could gather these people, would they be able to live together without too much discord?" Delinius had a strange gaze in his eyes, as if he was envisioning something... Something larger than Theo could see happening. "If you mean how well they could get along... I'm pretty sure they would be fine. I mean, you and I did help them a lot, they could put differences aside if that would give them a permanent place to stay. Where are you going to find that, though?" Delinius smiled. "Come, I must illustrate my plan; unless I do so, you wouldn't understand." That made no sense, Theo thought. Delinius was this weird, nothing could stop him from doing that. "But... what is your plan?" Delinius didn't reply, but put on a coat. Just going with him was Theo's only option. They walked for several minutes until they reached an abandoned warehouse. "Is this your plan?" What could an abandoned warehouse have to do with housing people?" Delinius didn't speak, and instead headed for the entrance. "Wait, do you know what's in there?" "There's merely a bunch of drunkards and lowly addicts. In the worst case, one of them aggressively approaches. And that, Theo, couldn't possibly scare me. One moment." He took an old leatherbound writing book from his pocket. He mumbled a few words, after which it began glowing. Out of thin air, it created an axe, leaving Theo to stare. "Oh, right... I forgot to explain that, didn't I? It's a little beaten from the years, but it's a convenient way to store my axe rather than carrying it with me. Moreover, it's much less conspicuous to carry a little book than an axe." "Uh... okay..." Theo still got surprised by Delinius at times. The day before, he had suddenly cooked something, and casually told him that he would cook food rather than getting frozen meals or takeaway. Of course, it was cheaper, but it was completely unexpected. Delinius opened the door, revealing the inside of the warehouse. Whether his prediction was right or he had actually been there before, the result was the same: a bunch of drunken people were fast asleep, whereas a few others were sitting against walls or large crates, waiting for their prized narcotics to be delivered. Theo hesitated to go inside: Delinius didn't seem extremely strong, and Theo was even less prepared for a fight. Although drunk people didn't exactly have great coordination, they were more explosive, and there were many of them. Delinius simply stepped inside. One of the drunken people woke up, blinking his eyes against the daylight outside. "Wh- who's openin' the door? Close the fucking door! Close it, you-" Delinius cleared his throat, awaking more people and drawing attention to himself. "There's plenty of room in that other warehouse down the street. It would be really, really good for you to go there. Want to know why? It's a lot better isolated and there's more space. And if it helps, I could give each of you a little money." One of the drunks protested, the very same that had complained about the light. "What, you gonna try to shove us out by givin' monneeyy? You knoww who you messsing with?" He rose from his makeshift bed, shaking his fists as he wobbled towards Delinius. "Yyoou gonna feel what hhapenns whenn you don't pay me ssome respect!" He attempted to punch Delinius, who stepped sideways as the man lost his balance and fell. "Unless you all feel like trying to go for my head, I don't think there's any reason why you shouldn't leave. In fact, I'm willing to guide you there if it's a problem. Now, get your lazy rear ends up and go away. I have important things to do and they require this warehouse." Some of the alcoholists muttered, either in agreement or because they weren't yet sober. One of them stood up with an extremely happy face. He was clearly not sober. "BLESS YE SAVIOR, YOU HOLY LIGHT SHINE UPON MY FACE!" He continued to laugh and yell other nonsense. Delinius chuckled. He looked at Theo, who was quite scared of all these intoxicated people. "Let's hope his wailing song is sufficient to drive everyone else out. Quite obviously, that other warehouse is little different from this one, but they needn't know." Soon enough, most of the people stirred. Some of them went without a word, others came to ask for money. Delinius gave them a small amount, though probably more than what the average beggar would collect in a day. The last to depart was, in the end, the singing drunkard, who waved extensively before stumbling out and hitting a street light, which knocked him out. "So... what's next?" "Next, we gather those people you were talking about. You needn't hurry; we can leave this as it is for the time being. I doubt any of those poor souls will wish to come back here, what with my small gift. Quite remarkable how a few of them went without a question. Not something I'd expect to happen, honestly." "So uh, why did you bring us here?" Theo waited as a few more people joined the little group outside the warehouse. Most of them were clearly not too eager on staying out here for long, what with the cold wind. "I'm sure Delinius would be here to explain that to you, but I have no idea-" The doors of the warehouse suddenly opened. Delinius came walking out. "Although I know you may wonder where I've been, that's of later care. For now, I invite you to this warehouse. Of course, the process of making it fully habitable is not yet finished, but it will do. Follow me, please." He guided everyone into the warehouse, revealing a warmly lit place. A kitchen area takes up one corner, a large dining table another. Armchairs and sofas alongside a large rack take up another wall. About a dozen smaller, sectioned off rooms take up spaces around the other things, and materials for more of them are stacked against a wall a little distance away. Theo looked amazed, and so did everyone else. "You wouldn't guess there's this much space from the outside...", Theo said. Delinius had been very secretive about the development of the warehouse over the past year and a half. Only at some point in the beginning had he taken Theo here to describe his plans of warm light, comfortable seats and proper rooms, but had otherwise remained silent. "Your rooms currently have light and running water - though I would like to request you do not overuse them. Electricity will follow as soon as I've won my fight with the responsible company." Delinius walked around, showing the place as if he were a salesman. However, he turned to everyone and adopted a more serious tone. "I have put quite some effort into this project, and I hope you understand that this is not a gift or a bargain. If you wish to live here, you will have to contribute a part of your income for the sustaining and continued development of your home. It's not bound to any sort of written agreement and the part you pay is significantly less than the newest housing contracts of our government." He paused for a second. "What do you say? Does this seem a very advantageous deal for a living place? It's no luxurious apartment, I admit, but it's better than living on the streets or in a shabby rented room." One of the people raised a hand, an older male of some alien race. "Would there be space for relatives at some point? Like family?" Delinius pondered on this question. What context to place this question in? Unless, of course, the man had a family of his own. Delinius nodded. "Of course. As you say, it will be possible at some point for everyone. It also illustrates the idea of contribution: as we continue, this building will grow in its abilities, and draw in more such as yourselves - refugees, arriving here to escape danger in their homeland. The government has slowly started to take action to house them, but I am certain they will still not support everyone. And as we take in new people that work - usually the group that is left unsupported by the government, they too contribute to this building. Perhaps the things I envision are too ambitious, but the direction of my thoughts should be visible. Well then, are there any questions I leave unanswered?" He looked around inquiringly. "I don't think we should even question anything when you've got it planned this well. Heck, you do better than an entire government. Let's just unpack out stuff and do this!" The woman who spoke these words clapped in her hands with her last words. With an unusual cheerfulness, everyone picked a room, quite without any conflict. The woman walked up to Delinius and shook his hand. "Lyka. You can give yourself a pat on the back, you know. You keep talking as if this is only basic at best, but it's probably better than the government will do for another ten years. By the way, do we all just buy our own food or is that also a community thing?" It took Delinius a few seconds to process the stream of words. His own fault, for he'd done the exact same to these people. "Thank you. I haven't quite made up my mind about food, quite honestly. I'd offer to cook for everyone, as I enjoy it and the result is never disappointing, but I predict I will be occupied with other things too much." Lyka laughed. Her laugh wasn't as high as that of most women, and much calmer. "You know, I was really interested when you were talking about what you're planning to do. Maybe if you have time tomorrow I can talk about some things I thought up when you were walking us around. I mean, you don't mind input from everyone who's joining, right?" She smiled, but whether just out of kindness or something else, he couldn't see. "I most certainly would love to hear your thoughts on it, yes. Which reminds me, would it be an idea to make some sort of door boards to put names on? It would make for a much more personal touch to an otherwise blank door." Delinius and Lyka continued their talk until the evening. Lyka had made her way to Auzos by herself, sailing across in a small boat. Delinius has decided to cook something for the occasion, and he hasn't made a bit too much of his dish. Many compliments on the fine taste come his way, even throughout the following day. Delinius can only smile. He had been very nervous about the initial showcase of his hard work. Would it give enough room space to everyone? Were the separate bathrooms complete enough? Was it a problem that there was still a lot of work to be done? All his worries had been taken away when Lyka had encouraged eveyone to move in. He was prepared for legal issues; he was prepared for angry inhabitants of Auzos. These 15 people, Theo and himself would take them all on, headfirst. His work was far from done, but it had just become a lot more certain. He had noticed that Lyka had taken the room right next to his own. Was she interested in more than his plans? Although Delinius didn't know, Lyka had seen him as more than just the man that offered a place to stay with very lenient conditions: she too was a Soul Flame, and had been hiding from paranoid people for a while. She had sensed part of what his past was, and for some reason she recognised her own experiences in it. Was she interested in more than just Delinius' great plans? She saw someone who she already knew and trusted. Or was she in love? She couldn't tell the difference. But she did know she wanted to be there where he was as much as possible.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)