Industry & Intrigue Read online

  INDUSTRY AND INTRIGUE

  Book 1 of

  The Saga Of Industrial Fantasy

  Ryan McCall

  Copyright 2014 by Ryan McCall

  Smashwords Edition

  This is a work of fiction and deals with fictional events in a fictional world. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright holder. The author has asserted the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  © 2014 by Ryan McCall

  Maps by Joseph Freistuhler, Iconoclast Design

  Cover by Clarissa Yeo, Yocla Book Cover Designs

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank all of the wonderful authors and storytellers whose work I have had the pleasure of reading ever since I first walked into a library. All of them have helped to inspire this work in some way.

  I would also like to thank the community on forums at www.alternatehistory.com, the amazing work and discussions on there is what really fueled my passion to write.

  I would also like to thank Sheila Haab for her excellent job as a beta-reader. She has her own website, www.sageediting.com, so if you’re need of her services, I highly recommend it.

  And last but not least, the skilled artwork professionals who did my cover and map, Clarissa Yeo and Joseph Freistuhler, respectively. You helped to truly bring my vision to life more than I could have anticipated.

  Chapter 1

  “In the long ago days of our world the colossi had dominance over the world. In their heyday they walked the earth like gods, massive creatures. When one of them passed, the ground itself must have shaken like an earthquake. We have only fragments from those days, samples from the fossil record, but what we have found is impressive,” said Professor Ling Xerin to her Zoology 110 class.

  The first week of classes was always interesting, the new students fresh from high school, who were eager to learn with the excitement that flowed through the Alkos University campus. Then of course there were the looks she received from the less cosmopolitan students. Drakons weren’t exactly rare in the Alkon Empire, but they tended not to venture further than the capital or the other major cities of Daltilloch and Arketh. Drakons that conducted business or immigrated here found that a bustling metropolis was well-suited to them.

  So, of course those best and brightest from the rural areas of the empire who graduated into the university curriculum had rarely seen a drakon in person and they gave her curious but intrigued looks.

  One of her students had once had the audacity to ask if she could breathe fire. Xerin had laughed and emphatically said no, contrary to whatever myths the girl had been told. A bipedal species that breathed fire was unlikely to have developed such an intricate voice-based language like that of her native Weicarus. Though she wasn’t surprised at the question, drakons were descended from common ancestors to dragons. In appearance alone Xerin’s bronze-scaled skin, sharp talons and reptilian shaped skull was testament to that.

  She continued on with her lecture. “The fossils that have been found give us an impression of the incredible size of these beings.” She drew a chalk comparison on the blackboard while she talked.

  “This is an average biped and here next to it,” she drew a much larger shape, “is the original colossi leg bone discovered by Sebastian Payne in 1702. Note that the biped is only the height of one of the talons of the colossi foot.”

  “And now let us take a look at some photos from recent dig sites.” She walked around to the back of the room and turned on the optical projector. It made a loud whirring sound. The noise was distracting but Xerin cherished the new devices ability to show enlarged photographs to her classes.

  “Here you can see images of fossilized colossi remains that were only discovered ten years ago in the Crean Valley,” she said and clicked through the series of images. In actual fact the Crean Valley find had not uncovered much beyond minor limb and skull fragments of colossi fossils, but the pictures from that dig were the most extensive. As the pictures moved into the segment of artistic impressions of the colossi, one student put his hand up.

  Xerin didn’t like too many interruptions in her early lectures. She preferred to get the baseline of the year’s material over with and move onto the more in-depth material but she appreciated inquisitiveness enough to let him ask.

  “Ah, I see we have a question. What can I clarify Mr. Galius?” asked Xerin. His name was Reese Galius and both his surname and platinum blonde hair indicated Estaran heritage, though when he spoke it was in flawless Alkon.

  “Well Professor Xerin, these artist’s impressions are good and all, but aren’t the people who drew these simply adding whatever takes their fancy to a few bone fragments? We only have a small sample of colossi fossils to examine and what has been found is similar to primordial dragon fossils.”

  Xerin grinned, he was an astute student. “Yes, you are correct Mr. Galius. Many of these pictures are vast exaggerations of what these creatures would have looked like and compared to the ancient dragons we don’t have much to work with. None of you should interpret these pictures as real evidence, they are only speculation. It is always good to be skeptical, particularly when it comes to fossils, in the past there have been numerous attempts at hoaxes for fame or profit. While it is true that the colossi fossils do bear resemblance to the primordial dragons there are distinct differences.”

  She clicked the projector a few times and pulled up a picture of a comparison of dragon and colossi fossils. “Firstly the colossi fossils are far older, based on their placement in the fossil record and their residual energy dating. Secondly they are far larger than all of the primordial dragons. Even Dragensis Epsis, the largest dragon for which we have a full skeletal structure, does not come close to matching the sheer scale of these colossi fossils. Thirdly, there are myths and legends in every culture of the world involving gigantic monsters, and the breadth at which these stories exist gives us an idea that there may be a factual basis for them in history. And finally there is the theory of biological diversion which supports the idea of the colossi, which we will get into much greater detail further into this course.”

  She was about to continue with the projector but the same student put his hand up again. “Was there something else Reese?” In spite of her appreciation for curiosity, she wanted to move on to the next points of her lecture.

  “I wanted to know what your own culture’s take on colossi is?” he asked.

  “That…is complicated,” she replied. That wasn’t usually a question she received in zoology. Most drakon legends on colossi came under the folklore category, not science. “I will only say that most drakons accept that they exist but not directly in this world. It would take more time than we have in class to discuss it in detail, so I won’t elaborate further, but if you’d like to know more, my office hours are on the curriculum. If that is all?”

  Reese didn’t look entirely satisfied but he nodded.

  “Excellent,” replied Xerin. She was glad he was done. She switched off the projector and headed back to the front of the class. She re-focused the class’ attention. “Now let us move on to basic classification and the three kingdoms of life.”

  ***

  After class let out for lunch, Reese went to meet his best friend Michael O’Daly at the university cafeteria. The cafeteria was on the north side of the university, one of the newest buildings on the campus, the last few years had seen s
tudent numbers swell and thus the university council had deemed it necessary to provide more on-campus facilities, although Alkos City’s downtown was only a short tram ride away.

  Reese passed the shops and doctor’s office they had added before entering the cafeteria and spotting his friend. After sitting down, Reese described to Michael about being shut down on his questions in class.

  “It sounds like she wanted to answer your questions but didn’t want to get too far ahead of the course. What can you expect, not all of the students are whiz-biologists like yourself, the others need to get the building blocks first,” replied Michael.

  “Whiz-zoologist, not whiz biologist,” said Reese “I’m a specialist not a generalist.”

  Michael shrugged. “Whatever,” he said.

  Reese nodded while poking at his lunch “But you’re right. It means I’ll have to visit the professor in her office.”

  “Oh, listen to you,” Michael scolded. “It’s the first week of university, pace yourself. We’re not in school anymore, we made it. You don’t have to go nuts studying right off the bat, we need to take our time and soak in the university environment. We’re in Alkos City, the center of the empire and the civilized world. I mean, sure we’re here to learn, but we should enjoy ourselves too.”

  Both Reese and Michael had grown up and been schooled in a small town to the north east of Alkos City. Michael’s father owned a large brewery and winery in their hometown of Airdlagh and had frequently taken trips to the capital for his business deals and occasionally taken his son and friend with him. Reese had been born in Estara, a nation bordering Alkos’ north-eastern border and had been raised by his father’s cousin, who was a jeweler and the current mayor of Airdlagh. The reasons for his relocation and his parents absence was something he kept to himself, although he had confided it to Michael and one other person.

  Physically they could not have been more different, Michael was short and muscular, a result of his hunting hobby, he had dark brown, wavy hair, common to many Alkons. Reese was taller and thin, with his straight, blonde hair and blue eyes giving him the look of an Estaran noble.

  The relationships of their families being the most prominent in Airdlagh and each having similar interests had nudged them together and they had been close friends since they were eight years old. Now they were attending university together, Reese studying zoology and Michael studying chemistry.

  “We have more freedom now than we’ve ever had in our entire lives,” lectured Michael. “On our own in the big city, plenty of coin for living expenses, why not enjoy it?”

  Reese had stopped paying attention to what he was saying and was looking elsewhere.

  “Reese, hello…Reese! Can you hear me?” He could hear an exasperated Michael outside of his vision, but then he stopped trying to get his attention. “Ah, see now that’s what I’m talking about” said his friend in understanding.

  Reese was looking over at the food counter where a tall and beautiful girl was paying for her lunch. She had shoulder length, black hair, pulled back into a ponytail. Her high cheekbones and thin face, hinted at Kordatian ancestry. She had small glasses with dark rims, giving her an intelligent look without detracting from her facial features.

  “So who is she?” asked Michael, poking Reese on the arm.

  Reese turned back to his friend. “Oh, just someone from my zoology class.”

  Michael shook his head. “That’s why you zoned out to what I was saying? For just someone? I don’t think so.”

  “Her name’s Cassandra,” replied Reese.

  “And? If that’s all you know then why don’t you go talk to her?” asked Michael. He glanced over in her direction briefly again. “In fact I insist on it, I don’t want to see you missing out on a good thing. You better hurry before she gets lost in this crowd.”

  “Wait, why are so insistent all of a sudden?” asked Reese. He was suspicious of his friend’s intentions with good reason. Michael had played plenty of practical jokes on him in the past.

  “Oh, no reason,” said Michael, with a sly grin.

  Reese was still skeptical. “Sure,” he sarcastically replied. “I’ll talk to her next time after class. For now it’ll have to wait.”

  “You’re not chickening out are you?” asked Michael. “Look I know you and Sofia had a rough break, but so what? It was a high school crush, get the fuck over it.”

  Reese did not want to talk about that anymore. It was over and done with. “I am over it. I don’t have time right now, there’s something I need to take care of.”

  “You’re going to talk to your professor right?” asked Michael. “Typical. Well, let me know when you do talk this Cassandra, if ever.”

  Michael had a nerve, especially considering his bragging before they had started at university. “What about you?” Reese asked in an accusatory tone. “Where are all the girls you went on about meeting before the year started?”

  “Alright, point taken. Go to your meeting already,” Michael replied, slightly huffed.

  Reese stood up from his seat and took another look at the girl. She sat down at one of the table by herself. It wasn’t only her looks he was attracted to. Cassandra had shown she shared his interest in specific areas of zoology.

  Reese wandered around campus for a time before heading over to his destination; he didn’t want to disturb Professor Xerin during lunch hour. When he arrived, he lightly knocked on her office door.

  “Come in,” came the reply. He walked into the large office, the professor was seated at her desk, a large book open in front of her and few sheets of notes she had been making. Her office was immaculate, everything organized perfectly.

  She had three bookshelves which extended right to the ceiling, each one full of books and another smaller one that was only half full. Her large wooden desk was bare except for a quill, book and papers and two small objects, one a fossilized claw and the other a preserved arachnid in glass. Behind her desk were a large set of filing drawers. Above that was an artist’s impression of a malcan serpent, it was rearing above several tribesmen, the artist obviously wanting to demonstrate its size to scale. Reese took a good look at it. It was intricate; most pictures of malcan he had seen were far cruder.

  “Excellent work is not it Mr. Galius?” said Xerin. “I had it commissioned personally by an elven artist named Waaken en’Litrot, quite a fellow. Dedicates his art to live subjects, though I imagine for that particularly piece he did not start painting until he was well away from the malcan.” The enormous serpent beasts of the Kordatian wilds were well known for the ferocity, though their numbers had been declining due to increasing encroachment of settlers and hunters from the Kordate Union disrupting their environment.

  Reese nodded in agreement; it was certainly an impressive painting.

  “So, what can I do for you Mr. Galius?” asked Xerin, putting her notes aside.

  “Well, I was hoping I could have short discussion with you on colossi?” he asked.

  “I thought so, given your questions today,” replied Xerin, “though I certainly did not expect to see you in here so soon. We are not even through the first week of classes yet. I applaud your commitment though. May I ask why you are interested in the colossi in particular?”

  “My father was a biologist, dedicated his life to study of the colossi,” he replied.

  “I see,” said Xerin. “Forgive me for being indelicate, but I notice you used ‘was’ rather than ‘is’,’” she asked. The implication of a question was there.

  Reese bristled, but there was no point in hiding it. “It’s fine,” he replied. “He died a long time ago. My family was another victim of the Estaran Civil War.”

  “So your family-”

  Reese finished the sentence for her, “Are all dead. Killed during the initial Siege of Tercium.” Xerin looked like she wanted to ask him more but she didn’t press the issue, which he was grateful for.

  He carried on. “I was rescued when the siege lifted and a family fri
end took me to my relatives in Airdlagh. My father’s research and notes were destroyed that day, his entire body of work. I want to be able to reclaim it.” He hoped she could at least appreciate that desire even if it wasn’t exactly the truth. He did still have a few remaining items of his father’s work.

  “I see, admirable,” replied the drakon, nodding in understanding. “If you ever feel the need to talk to anyone in more detail, the university has an excellent counseling service.”

  “No, it’s fine, it’s all behind me now, I’m more interested in restoring my father’s legacy,” said Reese.

  “So you want to know about the Wei take on the colossi?” she asked.

  Reese leaned forward, his voice taking on a happier tone now that they were talking about his passion. “Yes, my father studied all the legends from different cultures around the world, trying to find the patterns and connections between them. He had a theory about a complete colossi fossil that existed and he wanted to be the first to discover it. If I can do it then…”

  “I understand,” said Xerin. “That would certainly be a milestone event if a fossil like that does exist. It is no small task. But since it may help I will tell you the drakon myths of the colossi.”

  “Myths? I thought you said your culture believed in them?” asked Reese, puzzled.

  “We do, but it is more of a spiritual belief,” Xerin sat back and explained it to him. “You have to understand, the Wei have been very superstitious in the past. Thankfully much of that has been overcome, though we still have our little rituals. In my land the colossi were only ever told in the tales of the ancient world, benevolent beings that indirectly aided heroes during the Age of Dragons. Most of this is merely exaggerated stories for children, but the same theme is always present in the stories, gigantic, benevolent beings. Even to this day many drakons think that all the fossil evidence is simply large dragons, much like you questioned this morning.”