It has been several days since the Dr. Biene's Request has sailed and has taken Nillian, Lyxia, Ned and Copper away to distant lands. In Kataria the ripples that their departure caused are slowly fading out, but not without leaving change in its wake.
***
In their home in Kataras Mary and William Luckett are just sitting down for tea. Though it looks like a normal day it is not. The house feels empty, cold. Mary shivers, and tries not to think about her two children. At night she worries that she will never see them again, never will be able to hug them again and see them grow old. Knowing that this is the burden of all parents, seeing their children leave, she still feels entitled for something.
"Dear ... shall we ask Rowena to return home? It would be nice to see her again, and we have room enough..."
***
In her chamber in Capes Rowena is thinking the same thing, longing to be back in Kataras. A month ago everything was fine, and life was good. Strange how everything can change so easily. Her brother and sister visiting, that was when ... when things began to slip. And now they are gone, on some crazy expedition. She feels a bit betrayed, that they are gone and she is still here, all alone.
Even Peter has left her. She hasn't seen him all week, and he never returned any of her letters. She really thought they had something together, and was ready to introduce him to her parents. But now she has the feeling that she will never be able to find love, to find someone... Rowena feels a tear forming in her eye, and quickly blinks it away.
Deciding to get out she prepares to write a letter to her parents, asking if she can come home.
***
In Kataras the University quickly resumes its normal daily routine. People talk a lot about Nillian and his expedition, wondering how everything is going. The prototypes and machines that were brought back from Capes have all been studied and tested, and caused some revolutionary new ideas in researchers and engineers.
The University council is the only group in the University that seem ... less pleased. They almost never meet anymore in the meeting room, instead they can often be seen meeting at their homes, talking about what is happening and what will have to be done.
***
The University council is not alone in the fact that they often meet and discuss the expedition of Nillian. All over Kataria in dark alleyways, abandoned warehouses and ruins people convene, all of them clad in black. But unlike the council they seem to be pleased, talking about the changes as if they were hoped for.
***
The Watch meets every month with commanders from all the cities in Kataria. This meeting is disturbing, as all commanders tell tales that sound the same. Crime is going down, criminals seem to leave, go in hiding rather than run. Even the bandits in Lorion Forest seem to be laying low, with the rangers hardly able to find any of them anymore.
Theft and Burglary is almost becoming non-existent, except for some things very specific things. Sails seem to disappear everywhere, as does dried food, wood and tools. The Watch has a feeling that something large is happening, but they cannot get a grip on it. They scratch their heads, and increase patrols, hoping for the best.
***
And then there ate the other people. People going through their daily lives, working and socializing. Nillian and his expedition made an impression, but talk is slowly winding down, newspapers do not mention it anymore and people find nothing new to talk about. But still there is something changed in their ways. Thoughts of long journeys crop up, where only satisfaction used to be. Younger people seem more affected than older people, but not by much. And things slowly, ever so slowly, becoming interesting. Change is in the air, and people seem to breathe it in hesitantly.
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