Ballo: "Slow down, Virno. I can't keep up!"

  Virno: "Just trust me, dammit. Weren’t you the one in a rush to leave? Quit dragging your feet!"

  After coming to terms with his current situation, Virno reluctantly agreed to follow Ballo. Together, they fled Clavia’s bustling workshop, winding through the industrial labyrinth of the city in their bid to escape Nox’s reach.

  Virno: "The streets ahead are smooth as silk, no cracks or bumps. Just put one foot in front of the other, old man. You’ll be fine... At least until we reach the gates."

  Ballo held tightly to Virno’s arm, his near-complete blindness making every step harder than he wanted to admit.

  Ballo: "I’m doing my best... You’re sure this is North Gate Three, aren’t you?"

  Virno sighed, rolling his eyes.

  Virno: "Yes, I’m sure. I may be a dumbass in battle, but I *can* read a street sign."

  Ballo: "Can you, though...?"

  A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Ballo’s lips, but Virno clenched his teeth, unamused. Ahead of them loomed the massive northern gates. Towering stone walls framed enormous steam-operated metal doors. At ground level, rows of warehouses hugged the wall, some sealed shut while others stood open, revealing a mix of animals and mechanical vehicles within. Just as they neared the gates, a guard intercepted them.

  Guard: "Good morning, gentlemen. Entry and exit through North Gate Three is strictly reserved for mechanical or animal-pulled vehicles -- no foot traffic allowed. If you intend to leave the city, I must ask you to --"

  Before the guard could finish, Ballo reached into his pocket and extended a rusty token toward him. The guard’s eyes widened at the sight of it, and his tone immediately shifted.

  Guard: "...Apologies. We didn’t recognize you. May I have your token, sir?"

  Ballo nodded, handing it over without a word.

  Guard: "One moment. Please wait here."

  The guard disappeared into one of the warehouses. While they waited, Virno couldn’t help but marvel at their surroundings.

  Virno: "This is insane... I never knew cities like this existed! Are all these contraptions powered by steam?"

  Ballo: "Some, yes. Magic plays a large role too. But this isn’t exactly new, Virno... You came from a well-off family, didn’t you? Didn’t they give you teachers or books to learn about the outside world?"

  Virno crossed his arms, his eyes scanning the enormous walls before him.

  Virno: "I wasn’t much for learning, okay? And my family isn’t ‘well-off’ anymore... We’re as far from that as you can get."

  The tension between them grew thick. Virno’s gaze wandered into the distance, his thoughts clouded with memories of his family’s fall from grace. He wondered what had become of their home. Was it abandoned now? Had another family moved in? And what about the servants --would he ever see them again? Most of all, his heart ached to see Instructor Pocna one last time.

  Guard: "HEY!"

  Virno snapped out of his thoughts as the guard’s shout cut through the air. One of the warehouses had opened, and the guard stood beside it, waving them over.

  Virno: "Come on, old man... Let’s move."

  Inside the warehouse was a mechanical marvel that caught Virno’s breath. It resembled a horse cart, though almost entirely constructed from gleaming metal. Its driver’s seat was fitted with valves, buttons, and levers, with no sign of horses to pull it.

  Virno: "What is that...?"

  Guard: "One of Clavia’s vehicles. She usually drives it herself. I’m surprised she’s letting someone else take it... But given your driver, I suppose it makes sense."

  Ballo: "Our driver...? We weren’t supposed to have --"

  Before Ballo could finish, the vehicle’s engine roared to life, drowning out his words. Steam blasted from its six side-mounted exhaust pipes, filling the room with a sharp hiss.

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  Virno: "It’s like a living, breathing animal made of metal!"

  The vehicle let out two deep honks, shaking the air around them. A figure seated in the driver’s seat turned toward them. They wore an iron helmet that completely obscured their face, their voice amplified and distorted by some built-in mechanism.

  Driver: "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get in!"

  The driver’s impatient tone left no room for debate. Despite their small stature, they handled the machine with an effortless confidence, pulling it up beside Ballo and Virno while opening the doors for them.

  Ballo: "Clavia didn’t mention a driver..."

  The driver revved the engine.

  Driver: "And she didn’t mention a distrusting, blind old bat either. Now get in -- we don’t have all day!"

  With Virno’s help, Ballo climbed into the back of the vehicle, which sported two rows of seats facing each other. Virno took the front passenger seat, his eyes glued to the console as the vehicle roared out of the warehouse and toward the city gates.

  Driver: "So... where to?"

  The driver pressed a button on the dashboard, and a glowing holographic map projected itself into the air. A small dot pulsed on the map, marking their current position as they moved.

  Virno: "Is... Is this moving dot *us*? This is amazing!"

  Driver: "Yeah, yeah... Thrilling stuff. Now, where are we going?"

  The driver turned toward Ballo, realizing Virno was far too distracted by the technology to give a coherent answer.

  Driver: "Well? I’m waiting."

  Ballo shook his head, his expression unreadable.

  Ballo: "... I don’t know."

  Virno and Driver (in unison): "You *don’t know*?!"

  Ballo leaned back in his seat, a faint smile playing on his lips.

  Ballo: "No. If anyone here knows where we’re going, it’s Virno."

  Virno blinked, caught completely off-guard. Ballo had been the one so insistent on leaving the slums behind, so surely, he must’ve had some sort of destination in mind -- right? But now it sounded as though Ballo was leaving that decision to him.

  Virno: "... You mean..."

  Ballo nodded gravely.

  Ballo: "We are out of time, Virno. Ready or not..."

  Virno’s heart began to race, his chest tightening as the weight of realization hit him.

  Virno: "...I didn’t think we’d go for it so soon..."

  He clenched his hands into trembling fists.

  Ballo: "I wouldn’t call it ‘soon’ just yet... I don’t even know how far it is. It could take days to reach... or it could take months."

  The driver, visibly annoyed by their cryptic conversation, interrupted.

  Driver: "What are you two rambling about?! Just where are we going?"

  Ballo’s tone hardened, taking on an authoritative edge.

  Ballo: "Eyes on the road. *We* aren’t going anywhere -- *you’re* simply escorting us. Clavia hired you to accompany us, so do your job... and mind your own business."

  The driver muttered something under their breath, barely audible over the rumble of the vehicle’s engine.

  Driver (muttering): "'Hired'... That’s rich. As if..."

  With a sharp turn of their head, the driver addressed Ballo directly.

  Driver: "My business *is* knowing where we’re headed! So, someone had better spill it already!"

  Ballo didn’t respond, remaining silent and composed. Frustrated, the driver turned their attention to Virno.

  Driver: "Well?! Got an answer for me?"

  Virno closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to focus.

  Virno: "As soon as I have an answer, I'll let you know."

  Virno went quiet, slipping into a meditative state as he tried to communicate with the only one who might now where to go. In turn, Ballo awaited in deafening silence, admiring the scenery as it passed them by without so much as uttering a single word.

  Driver: "Ugh... This is going to be a long ride."

  The vehicle continued rolling along the road, the rhythmic hum of its engine filling the air. Virno quickly sank into his mind, reaching out to the voice within the curse. The cradle of the world flickered in his thoughts -- dark towers illuminated only by dim yellow lights emanating from the windows. He heard the voice echoing through the depths of the abyss.

  Greed: "North... Keep going north."

  Virno snapped back to reality, exhaling deeply as he returned to the present.

  Virno: "North...! That’s where we’re headed."

  The driver glanced at him, their expression obscured by the iron helmet.

  Driver: "North...?"

  Virno nodded.

  Virno: "North."

  The driver sighed, throwing their hands up in resignation.

  Driver: "...Feeling especially specific today, aren’t we? Fine! North it is."

  Ballo opened one eye, reacting to Virno’s newfound clarity.

  Ballo: "You can contact it at will now, Virno...?"

  Virno: "I can. Used to be the other way around -- it would interrupt me whenever it felt like it. But now... now it feels like I’m starting to take over. At least, to some extent."

  Ballo: "‘Take over,’ you say..."

  Ballo’s tone was quiet and pensive.

  Virno: "Ballo... do you know anything about a place called the ‘Cradle of the World’?"

  At this, both of Ballo’s eyes shot open.

  Ballo: "M-maybe... Describe it to me."

  Virno leaned back into his seat, recalling the strange visions.

  Virno: "It’s like a dark abyss, with a river flowing at the bottom. The water is so buoyant you just float, carried along the current. And then there are these huge buildings with --"

  Ballo (interrupting): "Bah! Nonsense. Sounds like a fantasy conjured by your mind to help you connect with your... ‘informant.’ Nothing more."

  His abrupt response was uncharacteristic, almost defensive.

  Ballo: "Still, we can discuss it another time, if you insist. For now, I suggest we rest. But Virno... take every chance you can to learn from what they have to share. You’ll need it."

  Virno turned in his seat, surprised by Ballo’s sudden shift in tone. Ballo seemed to sense his questioning gaze, though his poor eyesight prevented him from seeing it clearly. Instead, he mouthed a single word:

  Ballo (mouthing): "Later."

  Understanding the subtext -- Ballo didn’t want to discuss it in the driver’s presence -- Virno nodded subtly. Turning back toward the road ahead, he steeled himself for what lay ahead.

  Finally on the path to finding the Sword of Greed, Virno braced himself for the trials that awaited him. Somewhere far to the north, his destiny -- and his reckoning -- waited.