act20side

You know, Master Edge, I'm kind of intrigued. What was Stitch's mentor like?

I just knew you had an ulterior motive for coming with me, you runt.

You bother yourself with that Stitch boy an awful lot.

Hahah, you caught me red-handed.

That's just the kind of guy I am, hoping for everyone to hit it off and make friends.

Then you'd love his mentor.

Finch Canvas was his name. Most well-loved architectural designer in all of Zeruertza.

His style might've been leagues apart from the Durin vogue, but when he explained things, he always our hearts doing it.

In his words, he'd, er, what was it...? Right, 'throw off our ceaseless desires.'

His arguments were unique, relatively, but the Zeruertzans loved him.

So why would someone like him leave?

That's the mystery.

Huh?

He just up and went, and never told anyone.

That's... pretty weird for sure.

As for the apprentice he left behind... we all recognize his talent, but, well, you've seen how he acts.

Hahah. I bet it's to do with how his teacher suddenly left?

So we all reckon.

Oh? You got some results?

Hrmm, let's take a look...

*sigh*...

Verdict?

Ach. More or less how you predicted.

We've got just under a month's time left.

A month? Should be enough to enlarge the lifts, then.

Fancy meeting you here, Gavial.

Fancy me. Looks like you don't need me to pitch in anymore?

Mmm. This about does it for the survey.

Did you win over Avdotya?

Sure did. She said she'll help talk the Zeruertzans into it.

Good. All that's left should be putting out the official city-wide notice of the situation.

It's not just deciding how to head to the surface. We've got to settle the matter of the dome too.

Huh? What's up with the dome?

Oh, silly me. Nearly forgot you aren't Durins.

Right. Calamity doesn't come for Durin cities so often, but it's a decent bet a Durin has his city wrecked at least once in his life.

It doesn't haunt us to leave the homes we grew up in.

Contrarily, you see, we always make sure our cities are in the best condition before we leave them, so they greet destruction the finest they can be.

Wow, that kicks ass!

So you think? It's only natural for us.

And no matter why that hole's been sitting in the dome all this time, we've got to do something about it now.

Yeah, speaking of the dome, where's Stitch?

Eh? Wasn't he with you?

What? He said he was gonna find you guys.

Gavial, do you need Stitch?

You know where he went?

Mm-hm. I met him when we came in. He didn't say anything to me, he just went outside the cave.

Huh?

You solemnly swear to us you have a map, and now you tell us that map's likely in some book on a shelf somewhere?

(Clears throat) I can hardly do anything about that.

I've had no interest in returning to the surface, after all. You should be content with the fact I could remember once seeing a forebear's map recorded in a book.

If that cave network turns out to be as complex as you say, then I don't mind spending a little more of the time we do have.

So, do you still remember what exactly that book was called?

I've forgotten. I vaguely recall it should be a travel log, detailing the Durin author's variegated experiences on the surface.

What's the point of asking, anyway? It's not as if we can read Durish.

I can't, but don't forget. I've got my friends here.

Zumama. Zumama. Do you require help?

I want to find this travel log Avdotya's talking about, with a map recording the route through the cave network to the surface.

Library books: infrequently sorted. Difficulty of search: relatively high.

If you find it, I'll give you all an intense round of maintenance.

Zumama: friend. Assist Zumama.

Assist Zumama. Assist Zumama.

Fantastic. Take it away, then. I'll be waiting outside. Remember to shout for me if something gives you trouble.

Yep.

Also... High Priest.

Yes, I'm here.

Pitch in.

What in the...?!

A friend of mine.

Shouldn't you have asked me first if I knew any Durish, Zumama?

Is there any way you wouldn't?

Oh. Are you still miffed I never told you about all this business underground?

You see, Zumama, if I regaled you about every last thing I knew, you could figure out how to construct an entire nomadic city and build it too before I finished.

I personally believe the pursuit of knowledge has to rest at some point, though I'm not a person per se.

Will you help or not?

If you'll pardon me once I find it.

Deal.

Er, Inam, what are you standing at the library doors for?

I'm waiting for someone. And you?

Library caretaker called me over to discuss something about refurbishing the place.

He's been wanting to, but never got around to it. Now's a good chance.

I've been a little curious about that.

Plenty of time's passed since the broadcast, and, okay, none of the city's Durins are panicking, but...

Why are some even planning to refurbish their buildings?

Hm? Oh, right, you're a surface-dweller. I see, it would be lost on you.

You have built those roving cities to avoid disasters, haven't you?

Yes.

But we're different, see. Our cities can't move about.

Nomadicizing cities built underground would be much more of a challenge, yes.

Between you and me, I've heard of masters who've had thoughts of building cities just like that.

You see, if we fit rock-crushers and borer planes and the like onto the dome, and slipped a base plate under the whole city, it might just be within reach.

Er... I'm not great with construction, but that sounds even crazier than our nomadic cities are.

And I've never heard of anyone looking to actually pull it off, truth be told.

Anywho, our cities don't move. Unnomadic, if you will.

But. Every one of our cities does have Originium vein detector facilities, which send off an alert when one of them encroaches.

I wonder if those sensors could replace the jobs of Catastrophe Messengers...

I've heard of them. It's not quite apples to apples, see, because the spread of Originium veins is the only thing our sensors can pick up on.

True. Judging from what I've heard, there's also a stretch of time from vein discovery to vein activation, and outside of special circumstances like now, you'd plenty of time to evacuate.

But if hints of a Catastrophe were detected, getting so much time to react would be a miracle.

Circling back—you're used to abandoning your own cities, then?

Exactly the opposite, if I had to say.