Private Tales A River Through the Land

[Christian Albrecht]

Christian began to pull out various vials from the crates, tossing them to the side with an alarming frivolity.

"MISTER ALBRECHT!" The alchemist screamed suddenly as he stepped forward and narrowly caught one of the vials in the air. His hands violently shaking with both a mixture of anger and fear. Chest quickly rising and falling as he continued to yell at the Architect. "What are you doing?! That's dangerous, these chemicals can't be exposed to air!"

"I'm well aware my good sir." Christian said as he turned around, suddenly clutching a handful of contained. Quickly he began to walk back in the direction of Azula, the Alchemist trailing him with no small amount of concern.

"Miss Tamiko, I understand your urgency." He said, though it seemed rather doubtful. "But a week?!"

Christian exclaimed as he began to look around for something, still clutching the highly volatile chemicals. "Our investors would scrap the entire project! Could you imagine that?! You'd be clear of me, the Albrecht Trans-Steppe Canal, and this whole assignment."

His head shook as he finally found a bucket. "Nightmare!"

 

[Azula]

Azula did pause - just for a fraction of a second - as she considered what a glorious thought that might be. Maybe they would let her go back to the army, her unit, even if they didn't restore her titles. Whatever her personal feelings though, she would be in a lot of trouble if he blew himself up doing whatever it was he was currently doing. So she elbowed the Alchemist out of the way to take prime position of fretting over her charge.

Keiko gave a sharp cry overhead to warn as the insects turned their attention from the now prone men at the entrance of the chasm to their group.

"There won't be a you or a Trans-Steppe Canal if you die, I must insist," she put a firm hand on his shoulder. "we're leaving."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"But!" Christian glanced over his shoulder, frowning at the swarm of insects coming towards them. The vials he still clutched to his chest as he frantically began to search for something else. "The project!"

He whined. "We can't just divert away from these...things!"

The way that he peered up at her was like a small dog whose tail had just been stepped on. A mixture of pitying pleading and hurt.

"I just...need." He glanced around for a moment, and then finally spotted what he had been looking for. "That!"

Christian said, pointing at a bucket, and causing some of the vials to fall from his grasp. Tumbling towards the ground where they would very likely explode if someone didn't catch them.

 

[Azula]

Azula's hand snatched out as the Alchemist gave a loud yell, swiping the vials out of the air before they hit the ground. She barely looked as she all but shoved them into the Alchemists' awaiting arms.

"Yes, we can. There are people who can clear these things it just might take a while. Investors will much prefer a delay to dead workers! And a dead Architect!" Perhaps the threat against his own life would snap him out of this idiotic idea. Not awaiting any further deliberation Azula took action into her own hands and in one swift movement bent slightly at the knees, wrapped an arm about Christian's knees, and hurled him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"My job is to keep you safe," she muttered as she stomped back towards their mounts.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"WAIT! BU-" Before Christian could object, and still clutching some of the vials, Azula swept him off his feet and threw his lanky form over her shoulder.

For many men this would have been an utterly humiliating experience, but perhaps slightly surprisingly Christian's response was still far more about the project.

"Miss Tamiko!" He whined. "Please! I can stop these creatures! They're just insects!"

His complaints went unheard as the the alchemist quickly scooped up the remaining ingredients that Christian had left behind. Running quickly now after Azula and the potato sack of an Architect. "Simple things! We just need a little smoke!"

Christian said as he waggled his legs.

 

[Azula]

The Alchemist seemed equally panicked, having realised that Azula really did intend to leave him there to clear up the whole mess on his own. As she strode, the little man almost jogged to keep up with her.

"M-maybe he has a point, Miss!" he squeaked. "The bugs... they don't like fire. If we just create some smoke they'll think there's a fire and flee."

Azula's gaze cut towards the man with a scowl.

"Then get on with it," she set Christian on the back of one of the squawking lizards. "And then you'll know where to find us once you have it sorted."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

Had he any dignity, Christian might have found the wits to silence himself. "BUT!"

He whined further until he finally noted the bastion of sternness that Azula wore on her face.

A slight sheepishness flickered over his features for just a brief moment, but before the woman could launch the both of them to speed the Architect began to rattle off a list of instructions. He knew the Alchemist could do his job well, but he doubted the voracity of the man's extended sciences.

In short, he knew the fool could make things go boom, but smoke? Different game.

"Remember, four parts Therocin Powder, three parts Yule Rot, two parts Vikren Soda." The Alchemist stared up at Christian, as if he couldn't believe he was actually instructing him. "That should do it."

He said, self satisfied. "WELL?!"

Christian demanded. "Get on with it man!"

The Alchemist sputtered, looked to Azula, then to Christian before letting out a loud sigh and quickly stalking off.

 

[Azula]

Whilst Christian barked his orders Azula mounted up on her own steed and reined him around.

"See? They have it perfectly under control. They'll send someone once it's all cleared up here," she tried to use a voice that could be described as calm and soothing, much like a mother would on a small child after their favourite toy had been broken. She reached forward and tugged his reins over his beasts head and tied them off on the pommel of her own saddle; she wasn't going to take the chance that he might get it into his head that he could come back here when she wasn't paying attention.

Keiko wheeled back over towards them and landed on her shoulder.

With a click of her tongue, Azula launched their animals forward and back towards base camp.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

The soothing and patient voice did little to still the storm that was Christian's ire. Though compared ot any other man, that storm was really more like a little drizzle than actual rage. He was about as gentle a man as one could find "Bah!"

He complained.

"That fool can hardly mix his own bombs!" The Architect said with a shake of his head. "My cousin worked with him once in Vel Anir. He nearly blew the top of a mountain!"

A long sigh escaped his lips. "They should have hired Ogrim. Now there's a man!...well, dwarf."

Unfortunately, politics got in the way, or that was how Christian saw it anyway. Half his choices for the people he'd wanted on this project had been entirely ignored. Always with the excuse that 'someone else was paying and you damn well better accept it'.

Poppycock.

 

[Azula]

Azula refrained from pointing out blowing the top off a mountain was exactly what Christian wanted. Instead she focused on the fact she had managed to get him safely away from the swarm. Day one of the actual build and it couldn't have gone much worse really. She hoped it wasn't an indication of things yet to come.

Despite the speed of the gürveluuny's, they had not made it far when a sudden boom sounded from behind them followed up pillars of smoke. Azula glanced over her shoulder with a grimace as the dark, unnatural clouds tainted the sky.

"I'm sure they'll... fix it," she couldn't even convince herself.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

Christian rubbed at his face. "It's ruined."

He whined.

"It's all ruined." Tears slowly began to stream down his cheeks, a slow sob wracking Christian's lungs. "They ruined it all."

The Architect looked up towards the sky. "Why unforsaken gods?! Why have you doomed me!? Is it because my theorem of absolution proved yourselves to simply be beings of a higher plane?! There's no shame in that! Really!"

Sniffling, Christian looked up at Azula.

"They are quite touchy." He commented.

 

[Azula]

This time, Azula didn't manage to keep the sigh in as Christian wailed and lamented at the sky above. The Kurīchāsaito had never believed in Gods the same way humans did, worshipping an invisible being up amongst the clouds. They preferred instead to communicate with their ancestors and place their faith they would guide them. Though, if Gods did exist, she supposed they would be angry at mere humans who claimed they didn't exist.

"I wouldn't know," she said with a shrug before steering the conversation back to the sane. "It's not all ruined. They will clear the bugs up and we will be able to continue. Perhaps you can look at the timetable and see if we can make up the time somewhere. Perhaps by not going on that day trip you intended as team building..."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

Christian looked at Azula aghast. "Then how will we even become a team?!"

He demanded.

"The whole project is falling apart!" The Architect continued to lament. Obviously the workers couldn't do without their team building trip, elsewise they would never work properly together when things turned actually difficult. "We don't have the TIME!"

How did Miss Tamiko not understand that, hadn't she commanded people before in the military? "I think it best we just tell everyone now its over."

Christian said dispassionately.

"I'm sure they would be more than happy about going home." The Architect said, letting out a long sigh.

 

[Azula]

Azula refrained from pointing out not doing the team building day would probably be seen as a blessing by most.

"Now, that's not the attitude to have," she chided gently as the beasts ploughed on. As much as she would like for the project to end so that she could return to the army, she knew that if it failed the Dynast herself would see fit to blame her, and then Azula would never regain her honour. She had to make sure this was seen through to the end. "The Alchemist knows how to handle these things, what with your instructions to guide him. I bet he even gets it sorted by tonight."

Maybe she would have to go nudge them along.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"THAT FOOL!?" Christian lamented. "We'll be lucky if he sorts it by next YEAR!"

The architect shouted, kicking his leg like a child before slumping over.

A long, dissatisfied, and possibly cantankerous sigh escaped Christian. It lasted for so long that one might have begun to think the Architect was a world champion diver. Yet eventually the breath ran out, and he had to actually speak.

"Fine." Christian said finally.

"FINE!" He agreed. "We cancel the team building exercise."

Which meant, most likely, that this entire project was going to fall apart in a matter of DAYS. How could these people ever expect to work together if they didn't know how to work as a team?! Everything was going badly and this was an unmitigated disaster. "We'll use the day to make up time lost. Yes, that'll have to do."

Even though everyone would definitely start murdering each other due to lack of team building exercises.

 

[Azula]

Azula caught the smile before it bloomed across her face; she was certain she'd get at least one good bottle of sake for getting the camp out of their team building exercises. To Christian however she gave him nothing but a sympathetic look.

"Once I get you somewhere safe I will send someone I trust back here to get things in line," she would have given anything to do it herself but in the state he was in she didn't trust him not to go and do something else utterly stupid.

"Come on," she clicked her mount into a lurching gallop back towards their base camp.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

Christian spent most of the rest of the way back towards Camp sulking. He didn't say anything apart from muttering some things about team building exercises. Once perhaps mentioning a game that he had invented called 'miniature-golf'. Which was simply a scaled down version of the Dwarven game of golf.

Eventually though, the pair made it back to the base encampment.

The moment they did, the disaster of the day was nearly forgotten when Christian spotted some of the work which had been accomplished. Though the day had been set aside for mostly preparation and laying plans, it seemed that excitement had gotten the better of those Azula and Christian had left behind.

"LOOK AT THIS!" The Architect said, almost immediately perking up. Apparently forgetting everything he had been sad and miserable about. "I didn't think we'd break ground until Firsday!"

A childlike glee entered his tone as he pulled on the reigns of his mount, still laying flat over the saddle on his belly, and immediately made a b-line towards the already working laborers.

 

[Azula]

Azula was rarely speechless but the sight before them rendered her slack jawed.

The beach as they had seen it last night was a hive of activity and the cliff face they had been camping on now had a very clear groove through the middle as though someone had taken a hot knife to the earth and taken out a slice. People were winding down for the day for the most part but a few teams were still hurling away the rocks and earth down on the beach. She wondered, briefly, what they would do with it all.

"How the..." Azula followed after Christian as they made their way to where a tall woman had set up a table and was peering over the plans. When she looked up she sniffed at the pair.

"There you are."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"Ah! Karla!" Karla half-giant, called so because she was half giant and her name was Karla, stood before the table with a condescending smile on her face.

"Did your little explosion go well?" The Mage-Keeper asked, partly out of curiosity but probably mostly because she was in competition with the master Alchemist.

An immediate frown touched on Christian's lips, though he did not seem to notice the pointed curiosity that Karla felt. In the architects mind, they were all working for the same thing. There was no need for competition."Ah! Not as well as I'd have liked I'm afraid."

The half-giant practically grinned as soon as she heard the words.

"But I see you've been moving in leaps and bounds!" Christian said, waving towards the progress. "Wonderful, though I'm afraid I have some more bad news."

Karla watched expectantly as the architect sighed. "Due to what happened, we'll have to cancel the team building exercises to make up time."

As he said the words Christian expected shouts of protest, anger, maybe even tears. He stared at Karla, who only looked at Azula with an expression that told it's own sort of story. Then, slowly, she looked back at Christian. "Oh. Noooooo."

 

[Azula]

The others gathered about the table mad similarly sad sounding noises whilst glancing at each other with hidden smiles.

"Such a shame."

"It's for the greater good though."

"A necessary sacrifice."

Azula dismounted and held Christian's reins as he slithered his way out of the saddle.

"I think the Alchemist will be able to rid the cavern of the bugs in the next few days. I'll send some of my best women to go hurry them along," soldiers could be persuasive when they needed to be. Certainly Tyreek and Petra; the two centauresses were menacing even when they were laughing at your joke. Her eyes flickered to the map and the crossed out calculations. They truly had outpaced themselves. "Not that I'm complaining but... what got things moving so quickly?"

 

[Christian Albrecht]

The half-giant smiled. "Oh! We were just so enthused about the project!"

As the woman spoke practically beamed, radiating with a joy that could make someone quite possibly forget that just minutes ago he had been utterly falling apart. Though it was doubtful that Azula would be one of those someone's.

Of course, it was also very obviously a lie.

If Azula asked in private, without the Architect present, she would find out the urgency was all due to a bet. The Master Alchemist and Karla had a wager in place for a great amount of money. This 'go-getter' attitude was the first volley in what would undoubtedly be a project lasting feud.

"Wonderful!" Christian praised again. "With this sort attitude we'll finish a month early!"

The architect beamed, running through the calculations in his head. "Isn't it wondrous, Miss Tamiko?"

 

[Azula]

"Wonderful," Azula echoed without any of the lustre that Christian's voice held. Though, really, she should be glad that the work was progressing so fast. The sooner they were done the sooner she could go back to real work. This was just an annoying bump in her career and she was eager to get over it as soon as possible. There was also the benefit of this work having put Christian back into a good mood; listening to him when he was mopey was worse than when he was excited.

"Why doesn't Karla take you for a little show around and I'll go grab us some food."

Or, in other words, have a break.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"Yes! A grand idea, Miss Tamiko!" It was clear from Karla's expression that she did not think so, but there was hardly any arguing with the architect.

Before any more words could be said, or any objection could be offered, Christian launched into the beginnings of his tour. Immediately heading towards the sight of the digs, whether Karla followed him or not. The Half-Giant offered a quick glower towards the general, then quickly made to keep pace with the fleeing fool.

The tour that commenced was, surprisingly, not much of a disaster.

Throughout most of it Christian simply complemented the laborers on their astute and fastidious work. Far too pleased with having found their progress so far along to offer any real criticism. Though he did off-handed mention to Karla once or five or twenty times where improvements could be made on the divisions of labor.

By the time the tour was over, the day was coming to a close. Twilight was beginning to hang over the sky, with the sun slowly setting and work coming to a stop.

Christian, all smiles, returned to his own encampment, his half-giant guide having ditched him quite a while ago while muttering something about 'seeing herself strangled silly'. Though he had absolutely no idea why she'd ever need such a thing.

People were so strange.

 

[Azula]

Several people around the fire suddenly got up, making excuses about needing an early night, as they saw Christian approach. Azula, who had been enjoying her few hours of quiet, gave a resigned sigh. She couldn't shirk this duty no matter how much she wished it. He was her ticket back to the army.

"Did your tour go well?" she asked then instantly regretted it. As Christian launched into the predicted detailed lecture on everything he had seen Azula dutifully stood and made the man a plate up of roasted bird and stewed beans and a warm cup of tea his people seemed to like so much. Azula couldn't stand the stuff. Once he was finished and before the next lecture she thrust it into his lap.

"You must eat. I have sent my soldiers back to look after the site and... encourage your Alchemist to take heart from what has happened here to get things back on track."

What had really happened was Azula has learnt of the bet and sent a smartly worded letter explaining how the Alchemist was about to lose a lot of money if she didn't get her arse in gear.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"Excellent, most excellent." CHristian said said as he sat himself down at the small table. Something that had specifically been brought for him, because obviously he wasn't going to sit around a campfire.

That was just uncivilized.

"It seems that today has been rescued." Christian said, quite happily indeed. "There was no need to panic after all!"

It was hard to tell if Christian had forgotten if he had been the one to panic, or if he was simply too thick to realize he shouldn't have panicked at all. "Wonderful."

He said again, and then turned to Azula. "So, what are we having?"

Christian asked pleasantly.