Legend of Ransera

'For a chance to fly with the best of Zaichaer's aviation teams!'

There it was plastered all across the sign which was put up all over Zaichaer for all the interested people to see and as Dakkur could tell when he saw other people, just like him, looking to the signs all excitedly chattering about getting on an airship and taking to the skies there was going to be a lot of interest. Of course the operating word was 'a chance' but Dakkur who was more interested in the mechanics of the airships had completely overlooked it in his excitement. To fly! With the best! The best of Zaichaer's aviation teams! Well who cared about the best of Zaichaer's aviation teams when he could be on the military grade airships?! How many opportunities like this could come by for the general public? Not much he would imagine. Maybe this was already a regular thing since he overheard some conversation of groups planning to go on the airship, again, but that would mean his next chance would be next year... or any other occasion the Air Defence Corps decided to use for their recruitment drives. That was all it was about was it not? At some of the more high traffic spots the posters were placed was a booth of sorts with a volunteer from the Air Defence Corps extoling the virtues of the Zaichaeri airmen and how anyone could have a shot at the glory as well if only they joined in their ranks to make the Fatherland proud.

The same old boring propaganda and not something which Dakkur was going to buy into although he was already plenty excited on his own; just not excited enough to immediately rush the Air Defence Corps Air Traffic office to register for his chance. Why rush? There were plenty of other people just like him wanting to get in the airship and Dakkur knew if he simply registered for his airship ride in the first few days just like the many other people excited to get into the air, there were so many people that he might be bumped so far back into the line that he would lose his chance to get on the airship altogether- that and he did not want to deal with the crowds if he could help it. Therefore just as he planned, Dakkur was at the Air Defence Corps Air Traffic office first thing in the morning of the seventh day of the Corps' event. However it was not exactly as he had planned. "How could there still be so many people..." he asked when he saw there was already a queue in place even before he arrived. Just how early in the morning did these people come to the traffic office just to secure a spot? Do the Zaichaeri have nothing better to do with their time?

But as he was already there, he too simply got himself in line. He could have went for breakfast, he skipped his today in his attempt to get a good spot in the queue, but then he would lose his current spot and even be further back in the line when he returned. Better to register first and then get a meal if he had a chance to he figured. Being in line was really boring. Just ask the kids running about wildly as they had no outlet for their energy. Seeing they were bugging just about anyone not in a group or too idle in their time, Dakkur quickly struck up conversation with the people around him. "First time getting an airship ride?" Oh it was great to know it was not for this woman. Actually she looked quite well off and based on a few assumptions based on the obvious asked, "a lot of trips out of the city in style? Business? Pleasure? How is it on the commercial ships?" Despite being from a well to do family, Dakkur had no reason to leave Zeraphesh... until now so this would be his first opportunity to get on an airship. For the woman it was all these and more, not neglecting how regularly she took the chance to take part in the Air Defence Corp's usual displays.

If that had really been true why did she not get any special treatment for being a recognizable regular? As one she too had become the perfect source of information of how this day would be. If... "if I'm chosen for an airship ride?!" It was then Dakkur finally knew that even getting on the airship was going to be like winning a lottery, because it was one. Her explanation made it seem simple enough. As long as he was chosen, he will be able to fly on an airship; the rest from the point of him getting on the airship therefore would just be following the instructions of whoever is in charge- just like all those tours to the 'historical' sites of Zeraphesh. Once his questions of the Air Defence Corps' were fully expended there was nothing much to talk about and the conversation soon died out, almost enough for him to get into the sights as the perfect patsy for a few of the kids around him already but fortunately for him, he had already reached the front of the queue and time for him to register for his airship ride. Whee.

Registration was not as taxing as being held up in line for so long and Dakkur even felt a lot more settled thanks to the pleasant demeanor of the registrar, the experience of the Air Defence Corps in hosting these events definitely showed at this point. "So how long until my ride?" he asked before he was told to simply pick a time and see if he would be able to get in. So not in, yet. Not wanting the day to be a complete wash he tried to ask for the best time to sign up for, which time slot would have the least people so there would be more chances for Dakkur to get in but no dice- it would not be fair everyone else wanting to get on the airship. Think of the children! That was what the registrar told him but what Dakkur thought however was fuck the children and what they wanted.

With no other choice he signed up for the next timeslot after the hour; he could get himself a late breakfast and then hopefully get on the airship during lunch which was the best chance for him he felt. Everyone else would be having lunch but not him, right on the airship. Unfortunately on his return he was told there was no slot for him, he did not get in, what a sad turn of events. However there was a consolation prize he could accept. Though he could not get an airship ride he could still get an airship tour. Plenty of grounded airships about just for that purpose and it was a lot better than nothing. "So how many airships are we talking and what do we get to see?" he asked. Just one and, anything his guide would want to show him within the hour which also is not classified material by the military but it was guaranteed to be a comprehensive and enlightening tour. "You sure I can't just try to register for another airship ride in a different hour?" Of course he could! There was nothing stopping him except the fact he would have to queue up all over again which still would not guarantee him a spot; the amount of airships in the air was definitely not a lot more than the ones grounded on the ground for tours throughout the days of the Air Defence Corp's event.

"Alright I'll go on one of the tours. What time does it start?" he asked and then followed the directions to the staging area. The guide was another peppy individual. Either the Air Defence Corps treated their personnel really well, or really badly on the flip side if they did not follow their orders or, all that time being in the air had their heads perpetually in the clouds. "So what's the airship we're going to look at" Dakkur asked as soon as he was given the opportunity for questions before the tour. It was of course the most important subject he cared for in this entire tour. Well that was an interesting one. A 'decorated and historied airship' or, looking beyond the marketing speech which Dakkur was familiar with in the ways his peers in dig sites would describe, old and worn out. Maybe this ship was going to be decommissioned already which is why it was safe for members of the public to get a tour in it without revealing too much sensitive information but of course Dakkur could not directly ask that so he only asked if it was going to be safe on this tour just for a hint of an admission he could use to make off.

But no such opening from a professional and the tour began with the many victories this particular airship had in its time in the skies. From the description of the battles Dakkur was able to hazard a guess of the amount and types of cannons the airship had, or used to, but was unable to try and draw out a more solid confirmation for fears he would be asking too much but thank the gods for the kids as they liking the big explodey toys ended up asking the questions he wanted to anyway. Good to know. Then they were shown the other parts of the airship, the usual. The bridge where the guide spoke of the past captains and officers in charge of the airship and their exploits, then the dorms and the daily life of the soldiers patrolling the skies, then the cargo bay which was of course empty, a stop by some old cannons which only had dud shells just for the kids and oh! Could it be? Were they actually going to show the engine? Dakkur would have thought that to be one of the sensitive things the military would try to hide.

Which he was right in thinking, kind of, because they were not going to show the internals of how it worked. Just the observation post of the aerolyth which powered the engine. Dakkur knew the basic concepts of the engine and was familiar enough with dragonshards since he worked with the latter a lot but wow that was a big chunk of aerolyth which looked like it was not controlled through runesmithing so... the control mechanisms by the artsy, scholary types instead of the tradesmen? What was it called? Scrivening? Dakkur did know much about scrivening other than how inferior it was compared to runeforging so he could only admire at the aerolyth before he reaized he could see some of the internal components of the engine if he knew where to look. Oh this was an interesting arrangement... while not enough to study for him to make his own engine it could be enough for him to get started on some other projects in the future.

So this craft was not going to be decommissioned because after these ten days it would be back in the skies, just, relegated to much easier missions which did not match up to its past glory. Dakkur was not surprised as he could see despite how well maintained it was, the airship was pretty shabby. After a nice run through the airship and the tour ending with even more opportunities for questions which Dakkur took advantage of, he ended with another question he thought was important. "When's the next time the ADC is going to do tours like this or give a chance for a flight?" Hopefully not too long.