Those Who Would Fly [Axel]

[Kala Leukos]

.

Central Bank of Gel'Grandal
8th of Glade, Year 122 Steel

Kala awaited her potential business partner in Room A7-C, nicknamed Gemütlichkeit. It was the only one she knew to ask for by name considering that was where she had met with Mister Valentin of the Office of Imperial Revenue. Perhaps because she had already been there, the powers that be when it came to real estate within the bank had seen fit to give it to her.

It was large enough to comfortably seat a dozen people around its central table, and decorated lavishly with gilt embossments and tiny marble pedestals displaying little treasures from the Central Bank's founders and investors, each bearing an explanatory placard. Above the central table was a dome with a circular skylight, featuring a small mosaic of nude women dancing, with backgrounds meant to represent the change of the seasons. She hoped her time in the city would include a show at Fellerer’s Hall, or perhaps time in one of the rehearsal rooms at the Valtrois School of Fine Arts so she wouldn't lose her dancing edge.

"Allegory," she murmured to herself, having more time to take in the details of the room this time. She took a moment to locate the room's small bar with its variety of spirits and glassware. She remained standing, waiting for one Axel Steinsaltz, would-be airship captain.

After he arrived, introductions were made, and perhaps drinks poured, they could sit in the comfortable overstuffed armchairs that gave the room its nickname.

"Gemütlichkeit," she practiced, shaking her head at the Kathalan. "Axel Steinsaltz. Herr Steinsaltz." It was probably best not to mispronounce his name when first they met. One never got a second chance to make a first impression. She didn't know if this ought to have taken place in a fine restaurant or perhaps near the airfield, but at least if she met him here, he would know that the Imperial banking institution took her and the zaibatsu's investments seriously.

.

[Axel Steinsaltz]

Axel sighed as he entered the building. How many times has it been now? He thought to himself. He knew it’d be easier for him if he were to make it known to potential investors that he’s the son of “The White Rook” of the Imperial Legion’s Golden Lion Chapter or that quite a few of his family members are either prominent figures in the commerce industry or married to one.

“I have an appointment at the…..” He paused and took another look at the piece of paper in his hand, “……room A7-C”.

“Good to see you again Herr Steinsaltz.” The clerk replied as she pointed out the direction to the conference room.

“Wünschen Sie mir Glück, Lucie”

“Viel Glück Axel”

Axel then made his way toward room A7-C, navigating the corridors as if he were no stranger to them. Well, after visiting the same place over and over again, the pathway became ingrained in his mind. Why did he even have to go through this tiresome dance routine? When he could easily ask his relatives for assistance. Maybe it was because of his pride? The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

He stopped in front of the door to the conference room A7-C and took a deep breath. Well, if this one doesn’t work out, his offer’s still on the table. I’d rather work for “The Jackal” than go begging on my knees in front of the family. His connections might prove useful down the line. He thought to himself before entering room A7-C.

Axel was taken aback by the interior design of the room. From the get-go, he knew that the person he was meeting is someone with influence. From what the captain told him, the person he will be meeting is a representative of a noble house from Kalzasi. Now, this is what I called hitting the jackpot. The person is truly in a different league than the other investors I met before. He thought to himself as he made his way toward the potential investor.

“Frau Mizal” Axel returned the gesture.

“How’d you find Gel’Grandal so far?” he asked as he sat down on the overstuffed armchair. He wanted to make a good impression and doesn’t want to be seen as that person who’s too desperate to jump on any deal that comes their way, even though he is. He figured that it would make for a good conversation starter, rather than jumping straight to business.

[Kala Leukos]

.

"Fraulein," she corrected, through she was clearly unperturbed by the mistake. "Herr Steinsaltz."

It was a bit of subterfuge, her name. Mizal was her secondary name, her middle name. But in the manner of her people, she would be Kala Mizal of House Leukos, whereas in Kalzasi, she was Kala Leukos. Here, she was being purposefully vague. She represented House Leukos. It was an Avialae house. But without wings, she could let people assume she was human and merely an employee of the House. She wouldn't lie if pressed, but she didn't want to be associated with the winged men who were collared to the Obelisk. People wouldn't look at her the same and she would be less effective.

He was a handsome man, but of course, she wouldn't let that affect the negotiations. Her elder brother might have opened with I can make you Kapitän Steinsaltz, but that wasn't her style. She was pleased that he took a seat, as she preferred to find people she could work well with and invest in them. A certain amount of familiarity greased those social wheels.

Kala sat.

"You may call me Kala if you prefer. The Imperial capital is quite grand," she admitted, "and full of opportunity, which, of course, is why we are here today." She indicated the bar. "You are welcome to have something. We needn't stand on ceremony. If we are considering going into business together, we might as well relax." Apparently, she would be billed for whatever they drank, but that was par for the course, the cost of doing business. While her personal fortune was quite modest, this was all on House Leukos' dime.

.

[Axel Steinsaltz]

“Ah yes, Fraulein Mizal” Axel replied. Way to go for the first impression, but she doesn’t seem to be bothered by it too much. He thought to himself.

Axel took a quick observation of her and noted the way that she presents herself and interact is how someone in a position of power would do. After all, it takes one to recognize one. There’s a certain air about someone in a position of power.

“….and you may call me Axel, Kala.” He followed the gesture and switched to a first-name basis.

“It truly is a land full of opportunity……” Axel paused. Well yeah, especially for those with the right connections and funding, he blurted the sentence in his mind. “…….especially to those creative and hardworking.” He continued as he stood up to make his way to the bar.

Well, now would be a good time to splurge. Axel thought as he looked at the content of the bar. But then again, there’ll be time to splurge when I have my collection. He took one of the commonly known brands of rum and poured himself a glass.

“So……” Axel began his pitch as he made his way back to his seat. “…..as what our mutual friend, the dear captain has told you that I am looking for a business partner.” He paused, sat down, and took a sip from the glass he was holding.

“The commerce sector is lucrative……….for those tenacious and creative enough. And as you know, nowadays not only traders but also the general populace are using less and less sea-based transport and opted for sky-based ones. Aside from faster travel, it has less risk of being intercepted by pirates.”

He paused and took another sip from his glass.

“The shipping industry that I have planned, well previously planned is for the transporting of goods. But, I think it would be profitable too to include transporting passengers to and from the Imperium to the North.”

He paused for a moment and glanced at the small mosaic of nude women dancing.

“Well, I already have a shortlist of employees that I will be hiring. All of them are experienced in operating an airship. If you would like to interview the potential employees, I could set up a meet.” He paused and took another sip from the glass he was holding. He left out the fact that the shortlist of employees were fellow vets from the Zythura front.

“Do you have specific trade goods in mind that you want to export and Import? Since purchasing the first fleet of airships would be quite costly and we want it to be cost-efficient yet effective right?”

“Since we need to take into consideration the speed and capacity of the airship. For example, faster and smaller airships for shorter routes, and bigger ones for longer routes. But it’s not always that way.”

[Mirage]

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. When called the clerk would stick his head into the conference room, an apologetic smile on his lips before he came inside.

"Excuse the interruption. This came for you." There was a pause before the clerk extended an envelop toward Axel, "It came by raven."

There was a bit of reverence in that last word. Notes delivered by raven were rare, and used exclusively for official letters sent from the Palace of Spires. The seal on the back would further cement the implications. The seal was that of the emperor himself.

With another apology the clerk excused himself, leaving Axel with the sealed letter. Should he open it the contents read as follows:

"Axel Steinsaltz,

This letter is written in response to a request made by the White Stallion Shipping Co. to be granted full rights as a recognized transporter of goods for the Imperium. Your case has been reviewed, and in light of your personal and professional achievements the Office of Imperial Business Affairs have judged the White Stallion Shipping Co. deserving of the rights and authorities to conduct its business within Gel'Grandal and the surrounding regions.

Furthermore, your request has earned the interest of his greatness, Emperor Abelard Fürsten, and by his absolute right and authority has granted the White Stallion Shipping Co. the authority to operate in the name of Emperor and Imperium as officially recognized couriers of all manner of cargo. This comes with an invitation to the Palace of Spires the coming Searing of the year 122.

A copy of this letter and an official writ with the seal of the Emperor will be delivered in three days to the current address of business. Continue to serve as a noble example of what is expected from citizens of the empire.

For the Emperor."

.

[Kala Leukos]

.

"Axel," she said with a smile. For the first time since her arrival, she was glad Kaus wasn't here. The bond remained, but it was stretched thin by distance. He would have cracked some joke in her head about how quickly things were progressing with this handsome man.

"I spoke with Mr. Valentin of the Office of Imperial Revenue," she said, taking a brief but unprofessional look at his backside as he perused the bar. "He also agrees that air transport could be a lucrative venture for House Leukos, and was pleased that I already had a meeting set up with you today."

When he sat back down, she smiled.

"Yes, the dear captain seemed worried I was too young to be business savvy and suggested you as an honorable man." She considered. "I wouldn't want to undermine your authority, Kapitän." She smiled, using the title as a good-natured joke. "I would rather take your measure, decide that we respect each other enough to do our jobs, and let you see to your own hiring as you are the one who will have to command them. I will certainly be happy to meet anyone you are considering and give you my opinion, but if we form a partnership, I want to support you, not step on your toes."

From what he said, his plans might have been more ambitious than she anticipated.

"It was my understanding that you wanted to be a merchant captain, but it sounds as though you might be thinking in terms of a fleet. I would be open to negotiation, though I would suggest we begin conservatively, ensure profit, and then expand. House Leukos can facilitate your entry into Kalzasern ports, which would give you a leg up on Gelerian competitors, anyway. Goods from Starfall go largely to Kalzasi, and you needn't fly to and from Starfall as it's quite remote, but that doesn't mean House Leukos doesn't want to expand beyond the Astralar Mountains and Kalzasi. And that is why we are here."

She paused when the interruption came.

"That looks important," she opined. "You should open it."

That was her opportunity to stand up and go to the bar to fix herself something, and she watched him out of the corner of her eye, allowing a bit of aether to thread through her Rune so she could expand her senses into the magical. There was a familiar resonance and she recognized a Rune of Kinetics. That might be helpful for an airship captain; it certainly was for her elder brother. He didn't seem terrifyingly powerful, but she cared more about his ability to lead a crew and—perhaps—a fleet.

.

[Axel Steinsaltz]

Mr. Valentin? As in The infamous Valentin of the OIR? Lucie and the other staff used to talk about him and from what I gathered that guy is influential, aside from the fact that he came from an influential family. Finally, Lady Luck is on my side. He tried to keep a straight face as he turned his back on Kala and poured his drink of choice. He was grateful for the opportunity to meet a potential business partner that had been vetted by Valentin. Kala was truly in a different league from the previous investors that he talked to.

“Well, never judge a book from its cover, right? But sometimes that’s the obstacles when dealing with the old……, those that have been in the business for longer than us.” He smiled.

Axel chuckled at Kala’s remarks “Kapitän huh?” He raised his glass “I appreciate that. That’s one of the most important factors for a good partnership right?”

Well, she knows how to treat her business partners, not like those geezers who thought that they could do better even though they never step foot on an airship or that damned Jackal, partners in name only, treating everyone working for and with him as pawns in his silly little games. He thought to himself as he took another sip.

He was taken a bit by surprise by her reply, though he quickly recovered from it. He held his tongue. “Well, let me rephrase that, sorry if I seem a bit rude. The fleet that I was mentioning isn’t like the regular shipping trading fleet. Well, more like a supply……” he paused. He was about to blabber on about using military tactics and fleets composition that he frequently employed while serving as an officer in the Imperial Air Force. Perhaps if he was talking to a fellow citizen then that won’t be much of a hassle, but she’s still a foreigner and a representative of a foreign Nobel House. “……well, it’s more like of a transport ship or two and an escort ship or two. Depends on the specifications and well, the funding too.” He paused and took another sip. “But yes, it’d be possible to start with a single ship with a few coins to make modifications. Entry to Kalzasern port would be a big advantage as well.”

“It’d be…..” Axel stopped when he heard the knock.

Axel was at a loss for words. He knew that letters sent by raven mean one thing, the letter came from the Palace of Spires. “Thank you” he nodded at the clerk. He turned the letter around and stared at the seal on the back. “Fuck” he mouthed.

He smiled and nodded as Kala stood up and made her way to the bar.

The Emperor’s seal? Fuck, I even haven’t made my peace with him since he left on that expedition for the Emperor. He’s the fucking White Rook of the Golden Lion Chapter, there’s no way. Axel looked at the sealed letter in his hand. He contemplated on opening the letter or leaving it be. After a few moments of contemplating, he broke the seal and read the letter.

One sentence repeated itself over and over in his mind as he read the letter. Earned the interest of his greatness, Emperor Abelard Fürsten. Damn, now this is what I called winning the lottery and an invitation to the Palace of Spires. He glanced at Kala, then back at the letter. The official writ itself is like being handed the key to the city. Perhaps, it would be better to take funding from the Imperial Bank, considering the new status received. But still, having a channel to the Kalzasern port would serve as an advantage for the Imperium and future trades. He took another glance at Kala then back at the letter. After another quick read, he folded the letter and placed it inside his pocket.

“Sorry for the slight interruption.” He apologized as he made his way to the bar and poured another glass for himself. “By the way, will you be staying in Gel’Grandal for a while? There are a lot of interesting trade goods to procure.”

Axel held up the bottle of rum “Such as this. From the southern region of the Imperium.”

[Kala Leukos]

.

She smiled again as he approached the bar. Instead of heading back to the seats, she leaned against it. There was room enough for the two of them to speak comfortably there and remain close to the libations.

"Think nothing of it," she said, waving off his apology. It didn't require a Rune to note he was a bit flustered by whatever news he had received, but he did hide it well. Surely that was a good trait for a captain. "I shall remain a fortnight, I think. My return date isn't fixed, but I do have responsibilities awaiting me in Kalzasi."

Blue eyes took in the rum, the shape of the bottle, the colors of the label, and the words written thereupon.

"Valentin and I discussed liquor as a trade good as well," she said. "Are you quite certain you aren't a Mesmer?" She laughed quietly. "In any case, you needn't oversimplify matters too much. I've had military training as well. Tell me your dream, Axel, and I shall see what House Leukos can do to be a good partner in seeing to its fruition. If you succeed, we will succeed."

But if they were going to discuss the rum in earnest, she would have to sample it. She opened the bottle, and poured herself a tumbler. Bringing it up to her nose, she inhaled the bouquet, then took a sip. Licking her lips, she let the flavors dance. After a moment, she swirled her finger in a little halo over the glass and pulled the Fire out of it. The glass fogged and chilled in her hand. She took another sip and nodded.

"This might sell in Kalzasi," she allowed. "If someone else isn't already exporting it. But please, do tell me the scope of your plans."

.

[Axel Steinsaltz]

“That’d be enough time to enjoy this beautiful city and perhaps look for goods that would sell well over there. As long as you don’t cross the river, you should have a pleasant experience of the city. Nasty bunch on the other side of the river.” He explained

“Oh, you did?” he chuckled “I think it's because almost everyone enjoys a drink or two and no matter your social standings.” He pointed at Kala then at himself “Someone who dabbles in commerce and someone who dabbled in the military.”

He then took a smaller bottle and placed it in the space on the bar top between them. Using his arcana he pushed the bottle slightly toward her, then pulled it back into his hand. “Well, Mesmer would’ve been an interesting arcana too.”

“Cheers to that.” He raised his glass.

He watched as Kala open the bottle, pour herself a tumbler, took in the aroma of the rum, and sip it. “Now that’s an interesting arcana.”

“True, if they wanted to be exporting it in times of w….” he stopped and made an apologetic face. “For starters, I’m sure that we could start with exporting several of the usual trade goods, coffee, gemstones perhaps, liquor and other goods. I will also reach out to the Company of Merchants and Traders as well as the other guilds if they have specific goods that they wanted to import from Kalzasi. And well, as you said earlier, see the numbers, if it makes or breaks the book, and then plan on expansion.” He paused and took a gulp. “I’m not that great with the numbers and stuff, but I know my way around getting cargo to its destination safely. Especially inside warzones.” He took another gulp. “Don’t want to get ahead of myself and say that I’ll be running a global shipping company right? As my uncle always said, set achievable goals.” He opened a different bottle and poured himself another drink. “I’m quite certain to say that with the right airship, my team could fly it faster than other merchants. Seeing as we probably won’t be taking a detour as the captain did, instead we will take a straight shot through Zaichaer’s airspace.” He paused “Well, not directly over the city of course.”

He browse through the collection of bottles and grabbed a bottle of wine. He placed it on the bar top and using his arcana, pushed it toward Kala. “Could try adding a bit of this wine into that. But probably it’ll be a hit or miss. The bartender at Rieger’s could do it better.” He chuckled.

[Kala Leukos]

.

Kala considered what he said and wondered if she shouldn't take a look on the other side of the river. Between her daggers and her magic, she wasn't unduly worried about her safety, even if she didn't have Kaus watching her back here. It was one thing to observe the upper crust of a city, but to ignore the commoners was to miss the full picture. But she smiled as he sampled the liquors and continued to talk, giving her more opportunity to observe him. Her minor show of elemental magic emboldened him to reveal what she already knew of his powers, but she supposed it was one more bridge between them.

"I always thought Mesmer would be a double-edged sword," she said. "If people know you can meddle with their mind, how can you get them to trust you? Other than by meddling with their mind."

She noted his quick correction.

"Why, Axel, are you trying to get me drunk?" Her smile was gentle, but there was a twist of amusement in it. She did add a bit of the wine just to see if he was correct. "Perhaps our next meeting can be more informal a tthis Rieger's you've mentioned. In any case, you needn't be diplomatic on my account. It seems likely that there will be war between Kalzasi and Zaichaer. If you have combat experience, all the better. If you can avoid combat with your knowledge of traversing war zones, even better still. Any ships we invest in ought to be fast as caution is the better part of valor, but we would also want to include shields and some armament in case the worst should occur. We want you to be as safe as possible in an unsafe world.

"I think we could do business together. You give us access to the Imperium and we give you access to Kalzasi and her allies. So, if you are amenable to that meeting at Rieger's, perhaps you could bring documentation for ships you are considering, and I could bring information about the best available goods to be shipped currently. How does that sound?"

.