Expressway Around a Little World

To: Empress Herja Aresdóttir the I

How has everyone been? I'm still really sorry for having to leave grandma when I visited back in April, but my brother and I were worried for Suðurkulda and whether it should be left alone without our leadership during such turbulent times. Thankfully, we didn't encounter any troubles — I think grandma gave a bigger share of it when she was trying to keep us, and I think that was one of the hardest choices I've had to make. She has such a way with her words, her food, her everything. Makes me wonder how she was in her prime.

But anyway, I figured that the least I could do after chickening out was to invite you to Suðurkulda, you know, repay the favor and let you come check out what we have. It's been a while since you last came here, and I think my protege, Kvöld Árnadóttir, would love to meet you too, but we should probably have you keep a bit of a lower profile, one where it's not obvious the Empress herself is visiting, if you do come around. I have a feeling that most Ezharans are going to faint seeing you here.

Feel free to invite whoever you wish, though.
Sincerely,
Arneiðr "Valkyria" Lórensdóttir

P.S. Right as I started heading down to the post office to send this, Gisara texted the Mascots and randomly said that it's been a while since we had someone use the Heleumeseu Express, the bilevel train that we usually have for VIPs. Now, I'm not sure if you have the schedule for this, but I was thinking that maybe we could use it and go through all of Ezhara, visiting each of the cities and picking up some Talents and maybe other guests along the way, if there are any. Invite whoever you wish, and tell me if you have any requests so I can tell Gisara, though this is just a hypothetical for now.

I think you should, though. Some of these kids are seriously impressive, and I don't think all of them would be able to make it if you went to just Suðurkulda. Besides, there's sights in other cities that I think you should see in person — the fireflies at dawnbreak in Jae-Syu, the baths of Woroshire, the cathedrals at Odona, the braziers in Sessenan, the botanical gardens of Din Thi Di, the blue town Alzrqa. They just aren't as good in online pictures.

Seal:

---

Ru Yoon-Jung
Princess of Northurland
22 years old

Somewhere above the Medietas

Portrait:

Konvastar 1900 :

At 30,000 feet, luxury abounded. Flying on her Majesty's jet aircraft was a spectacular affair that was further refined by the fact that I enjoyed my own personal suite within the plane's second deck. With a bed and private washroom, it was a comfortable arrangement that I was glad to occupy on the long flight to Femasa.

After washing up, I dressed myself in a simple silk robe, finding the high quality fabric to be exceptionally smooth on my bare yet slightly damp skin. I walked over to the suite's outside window, peering outside over an ever expansive stretch of ocean. Taking slight offense at the amount of sunlight that poured into the room, I closed the blinds over each window and bathed the suite in darkness.

Acceptable. I like the darkness...

With that, I plopped myself on the bed, bouncing softly from the impact with the cushiony material below. Reaching for the remote, I sprawled out on the bed as if I were some sort of sea star and turned on the TV. Courtesy of the aircraft's WIFI network, I was able to stream anything I could down on the terrestrial world, only at an altitude of several miles. The television turned on with a push of the button, displaying a menu which showed our position on a global map, as well as the view of an outside camera placed on the back tailfin of the plane. Interesting, but not the most stimulating entertainment available.

I navigated to a Kanime streaming service, feeling that a piece of ultra violent fiction would satisfy my attention. Yet I only encountered... multiple romcoms. I wasn't even opposed to romcoms, but seeing them dominate this season of kanime left me craving for suspenseful action.


Romcom after romcom after romcom...

Kanime is a big deal in Kanadorika. There are two major types: Gugtonese kanime and Yokoharan kanime. Both are visually similar, however they are voiced in different languages. An experienced Kanime watcher could tell the two apart with ease, even when muted. To the untrained eye though it was probably the same thing. Nevertheless  both the Gugtonese and Yokoharan kanimes consisted of a wide range of genres and settings... yet for some reason both the Gugtonese and Yokoharans decided to cram this season with romantic comedies.

I caved in. I easily could have simply watched an action series from a past season, but I wanted something new. I settled on a Gugtonese slice of life comedy, pressing the play button and pulling the blanket over my body. I wasn't even cold; I just liked blankets. I found myself quickly nodding off, and soon I was asleep.

...

The site of humongous kanime breasts in a bikini was the first thing I saw when I woke up. It appeared the show was on its archetypical "beach episode", complete with sound effects for the momentous jiggle of the busty character's boobs. A quick glance to the clock revealed that several hours had passed since I initially laid down. I hopped out of bed and raised the blinds that were over the window. It was still light outside, yet not too far away I could see.... green?

좆됐어!_(shit!) We were almost going to land and I was wearing nothing more than a gown... I wasn't ready at all!


I quickly shut off the television and ran to the washroom. Both the Empress and her grandmother were probably picturesque right now, yet here I was an absolute mess. With a blur of motion, I combed my hair and changed. I was a Weiduoliya, and as such I dressed accordingly. The outfit I had chosen was Heise, meaning it was dominated by darker colors and was a gothic inspired take on Viktorian era fashion. The black dress was lacey, contrasting with the white stockings I wore underneath. I put on my heels and ran back into the washroom, where I applied the makeup to complete my look.

By the time I finished, the plane was touching down on the runway in Femasa. The sudden jolt of the wheels impacting the tarmac nearly knocked me aside. If I had still been applying makeup I would have smeared lipstick across my face from the motion. Thankfully I was finished, and before I left my suit all together I grabbed my indispensable parasol. I proceeded to meet up with Herja and her grandmother so that we could make a grand exit for the Ezharan media.

"Sis, come on, let's not leave our guest waiting any longer," Nova Canaria said, turning around to face his sister, only to run headfirst into a column. "Ah! Whoopsies."
"Nova, pay attention." His sister passed him by, with one of her birds flying next to him with a smile on its beak. "And besides, look out there. I don't think any of those jets touching down is ours. They all look normal, don't they?"
"Did Senala tell us what to look for?" He walked over to the window, shading his eyes with his white gloved hand.
"No. Just said we'd have an esteemed guest that Arneiðr invited." A beat as Canaria and her birds looked around. "You know, I don't see much media out there yet. Do you think they forgot?"
"In Ezhara? No way. I mean, I told Carmen—"

"Novaaaaa!" A girl around his age, dressed in a brown cloak with a single red rose in her brown hair, ran towards him, and he caught her in a spinning hug while Nera turned away, her half-smile between amusement and disapproval. "Where's the VIP?" she asked once she was set down. "Actually, who is the VIP? And why didn't you tell anyone else?"
"We don't know yet, but the airport told us that it shouldn't be much longer. And I thought you'd want some... advantage above the other journalists, so I figured I'd only tell you."
"And Senala?" Carmen continued. Nearby, one of Nera's birds squawked and roosted on its owner's shoulder, staring behind the journalist.
"Behind you."
"I'm not going to fall for that sort of trick again."

A sheathed sword fell onto her shoulder, and the Mascot of Femasa smirked as the girl shot straight up. "'Ello, Carmen."
"Wah!" She jumped forward, again into Nova's arms. "D-don't laugh at me, you'd be scared too if her sabre fell onto your shoulder."
"No, I wouldn't," he said. "Here, Senala why don't you—" She brought down the sheath, and he too found himself shooting up as a shivering chill rocked his body. "Y-yeah, see, I'm fine." One of Nera's birds flew over to him, and as it roosted on his other shoulder, he stumbled as his shock burst. "Sz— no fair, Nera."
"What? Oh, come ba—" The other canaries squawked and took to the air, and as she turned around, she saw an unfamiliar plane touching down on the tarmac amidst the flurry of golden feathers from her birds.

Well, she had seen it once before, but seeing it in-person, like this... The squawking of her birds faded.
"N-nera, don't faint," Nova said as he dove towards her, supporting her up. "There, I gotcha, I gotcha. What's so... oh." He felt his own strength flicker, but his devotion to his sister kept the two of them up. "Oh my God, isn't that Herja's plane?"
Carmen stared ahead. "That can't be right, can it?"
Senala raised an eyebrow as she checked her phone. "No, it is right. I just got told by Nera's dad that that is Herja's plan. It's registered for the imperial airline. That is to say, hers. Huh, the empress herself." A maniacal grin came over the Mascot. "Wonder if she can sword fight."
"Ask her later. Right now," Nova said as he helped set his sister straight, "we better go, go, go." He sprinted towards the staircase leading down the tarmac, Nera half-running, half-stumbling just behind him.

"Slow down, Nova, everyone's watchi—"
"No time to lose, Nera!" Carmen and Senala watched as the two siblings vanished down the stairwell, with Nova having no sign of slowing down. After a moment, the journalist stepped forward, then paused. "You think they'll be fine?"
"Nova's durable. Nera..."
"W-woah—"
"Nova! Wh— Leo!"
"Yeah, they'll be fine."

Soon enough, all four were assembled around where Herja would land. "Oh my God, I never thought I would get to meet someone like her," Nova said as he examined his clothes, trying to ensure that everything was straight, ironed-out, and ready to meet the empress. "A-are you guys ready? I don't know if I am."
Carmen readjusted her rose. "I guess something like this was bound to happen, eventually, right? But first of the Talent-journalists..." She wiped her brown of sweat. "Senala, why didn't Arneiðr tell anyone?"
"Dunno. I guess she thought it'd make a nice surprise."
"Some surprise... I feel like I'm about to have a heart attack. Nova, catch me if I fall."
"Of course, of course, but Nera first."
"Some friend you are."

"I-it's not like that, Carmen. You can sense how her birds are too, right? If she's nervous, they're doubly nervous, that's how they are." Of them, two roosted on her shoulders, preening their feathers.
And the third lay in her hands, evidently unconscious as Nera stared at it, patting its head. "Do you think Empress Herja'll say something about Leo here?"
"We're all nervous, Nera, so don't worry. I'll tell her. I think she'll understand that your birds are, um, sensitive."

Kanadorika wrote:I proceeded to meet up with Herja and her grandmother so that we could make a grand exit for the Ezharan media...

There was no such grand entrance, as it turned out, no paparazzi-flashbang, no journalist-cacophony. Indeed, the tarmac was deserted beyond the normal outflow and inflow of foreigners, though the presence of such a luxuriant plane turned the heads of all of the workers — the jet, of the Empress of the most powerful nation, here, among the sandstone-colored walls and pale glass of the Femasan airport? A few of them strayed close to the exit of the plane, and upon indeed seeing the familiar lethality of Herja herself, hurried back to work. She was in a sovereign nation, yes, but their panic assumed her to be conquering it.

As for the Femasan entourage, Nova was the first to approach her, still smiling as always; those who knew him called him "like the sun," someone whose radiant brightness and cheery nature could never be turned off, no matter the situation, and his white attire, adorned by sky-blue and golden details, only confirmed his boundless energy. Against Herja, though, his smile became more nervous, a manifestation of his sheer terror at the empress, and he bowed as he came close, with Carmen stepping aside to take a picture of him and the Kanadorikans. His sister glanced at him as he did so.
"W-welcome to Femasa," he said. "I'm Nova Canaria, Idol-actor of Ezhara. It's nice to meet you— oh, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, please. We're all here to make sure this'll be a nice trip. And the girl here is my sister, Nera Canaria. She's a Talent-Singer too." She bowed. "Don't mind the birds by the way, they're just... a bit nervous."

At that, Senala stepped forward and offered her own bow. "I don't quite know why, but your cousin Arneiðr somehow kept it entirely secret that you, of all people, were coming. I think a part of her thought it'd be funny to surprise everyone, but, well... it didn't quite give Nera's canaries time to process it, it seems." The girl quickly nodded as she half-hid behind her brother. "Same with the rest of us, really. Of which, I really must apologize if you were expecting some more photojournalists and whatnot, but I'm sure they'll be here soon, if you'd like to discuss here."
"If it's fine for me to speak," Carmen said, hiding behind her camera, "I think it'd be better to head to your hotel. I don't think we should stick around here for too long, even if it's for other journalists to come by and take pictures and all that. It might get hotter. Oh, and I'm Carmen Santiago, Talent-Journalist. I'm sorry if I'm not what you, um, expected."
With the exception of Senala, who remained tall and proud with her sheathed blade, Herja's first impression of Ezhara would be one of nervousness. But seeing as it was high schoolers talking to the most powerful woman of the most powerful nation, perhaps it would be excusable?

Outfit:

Walter von Götzen-Iturbide
King of the P.G.A
En-route to Femasa, Ezhara

Aircraft:

Walter would be attending the event underway in Ezhara. Walter had gotten word of the Kanadorikan Empress attending, & decided he would attend as well. To not only legitimize his own rule in Aztlán, but to also possibly strengthen relations with the Kanadorikans, & possibly individuals of repute from Ezhara. Thus began the, “Ezharan Escapade” as he began to call it.

Now, his Government had decided to organize a luxurious jet to take Walter which would be requisitioned from a Civilian Airline, “in service to the Nation.” However, this was not Walter’s style. Instead, he decided to retain an aircraft from the Military. A small attack aircraft was refitted to be a commercial aircraft with no attack capabilities so as to not give the wrong impression to Ezharan air authorities.

Walter would undergo extensive flight training with a few individuals in Aztlán only weeks prior to his travel. As he would not be very experienced, a trained military operative would fly with him to ensure the King could be protected in the event of anything going haywire. The operative would fly the aircraft back to Aztlán once Walter was dropped off & secured on the train. While the Government had established an escort detail, Walter protested & ultimately cancelled the detail. Walter would state,

“If the Cartels or rival Governments wish to test me in Ezhara then let them come. I will fight head on anything they send my way.”

While Walter’s brash statement was admired, it was still reckless. Nonetheless, the officials relented. Understanding that they would get nowhere.

Anyways, Walter would eventually pick his destination as Femasa. A city with uniquely Latin “vibes.” Which were similar to those in Aztlán. Thus he decided to arrive there. While the Guthic city would’ve likely been chosen by the other members, he decided to go with a different city. One that didn’t emphasize the Aztlani-Ninhundish cultural connection.

In addition, Walter would prepare clothes of a more laid back nature. Rather than anything formal or “elite” in a fashion sense, Walter would pick out casual clothing. Would he look out of place with the others? Perhaps. But Walter was a King amongst the people first & foremost. He would not let his people back home think he presented one front to them, & a different front to someone else.

Adding on, Walter had decided to learn the dialect of the Ezharans to ensure he was not completely clueless. However, he would learn that Hvidovian was considered a “lingua franca” in the Nation. Walter had learned & become fluent in Hvidovian due to his days in Kanadorika. Thus he had no trouble on that end.

As for the trip itself, Walter would focus on the goal that was mentioned earlier. However, he would also attempt to simply have a good time. Let the troubles of Aztlán die down for a bit. Perhaps make some friends in Ezhara.

All of this was on the young King’s mind as he traveled to Ezhara. While he had not been formally invited, he would simply arrive & immerse himself in the event. After all, why get a formal invite when one could just directly involve themselves?

Katrin Óla Makan Valursdóttir
Imperial Knight; Legion of Iron
The Most Ancient Order of the Spur

Portrait:

I had never visited Ezhara before. The nation had an interesting reputation to say the least. If one were to compare a nation such as Ninhundland to a ravenous wild beast bent on mindless destruction, Ezhara was the opposite. Ezhara was more concerned with creating than the likes of the Ninhundish, though like their Guthic counterparts, Ezhara prioritized elements of their culture to perhaps an unhealthy level.

Of course I was still looking forward to this journey through their nation, and as I stepped off the plane onto the tarmac below, I was greeted by a refreshing breeze. As per Kanadorikan custom, I was attired a bit over the top, wearing a magnificent white cloak over an equally white Knight's uniform. On my head, I wore a red and white torse; a crown of twisted fabric that was one of many symbols of Kanadorikan Knighthood. Another such symbol were the golden spurs attached to my cavalry boots, as well as the more prominent sword I wore sheathed on my hip. Knights certainly weren't conspicuous when dressed for ceremony, and this outfit still paled in comparison to the full suit of armor we wore for the most formal events.

I gallantly stepped down the stairs leading from the aircraft to the ground. Behind me was the Empress, her mother, as well as the Northurlandic Princess; all of whom I was sworn to protect. Ahead of me was the Ezharan delegation. There were four in total, all appearing rather young but certainly full of enthusiasm. A flock of birds seemed to be mobbing the group, possibly explaining the commotion and erratic movements of the Ezharans. Maybe it was common to be attacked by vicious birds in this country. As the group grew closer it became apparent that this wasn't some sort of avian attack at all, rather the birds seemed to belong to one of them, as a girl was holding a bird in her hands.

The first to approach was a boy in his teens. He was wearing the most peculiar outfit that looked as if someone had mashed together a formal suit and a pinstriped baseball uniform to create... a rather interesting fashion statement to say the least. A wild mess of golden hair sat atop his head, dancing in every direction with each gust of wind. A smile decorated his face, but it grew increasingly unsure as he neared myself and the Empress. Unless he had a fear of old women and was nervous around Mrs. Jenna, I presumed the aspect of meeting the Empress was something that made him slightly less confident than usual.

"W-welcome to Femasa," the Ezharan boy stuttered. "I'm Nova Canaria, Idol-actor of Ezhara. It's nice to meet you— oh, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, please. We're all here to make sure this'll be a nice trip. And the girl here is my sister, Nera Canaria. She's a Talent-Singer too. Don't mind the birds by the way, they're just... a bit nervous."

This Nera character must have been the owner of the flock, as the beasts made a habit of circling around her, never mind the one she stroked in her hands. I made a fist and extended my right arm; a traditional knightly salute, and introduced myself, speaking on behalf of Her Majesty.

"I am Dame Katrin Óla Makan Valursdóttir of the Legion of Iron. I am here serving Her Most Illustrious Imperial Majesty, Empress Herja, Her Royal Highness, Princess Ru Yoon-Jung of Northurland, as well as Her Highness Jenna, Grandmother of the Empress.

Another girl spoke out, much more sure than the others. I quickly noticed that she carried a sword on her waist. "I don't quite know why, but your cousin Arneiðr somehow kept it entirely secret that you, of all people, were coming. I think a part of her thought it'd be funny to surprise everyone, but, well... it didn't quite give Nera's canaries time to process it, it seems. Same with the rest of us, really. Of which, I really must apologize if you were expecting some more photojournalists and whatnot, but I'm sure they'll be here soon, if you'd like to discuss here."

The last girl, one holding a camera, took her turn to announce herself. "If it's fine for me to speak, I think it'd be better to head to your hotel. I don't think we should stick around here for too long, even if it's for other journalists to come by and take pictures and all that. It might get hotter. Oh, and I'm Carmen Santiago, Talent-Journalist. I'm sorry if I'm not what you, um, expected."

Now, the Empress stepped forward. It was unusual for others to be so direct with her and in Kanadorika it would have been deemed against proper conduct. I sensed that Herja nevertheless approved of the apparent courage the Ezharans exhibited by how they so confidently (at least relatively) approached her. Of course they were visibly anxious, but they just made direct contact with the Empress as teenagers, something even grown men have struggled with.

"We appreciate the hospitality bestowed on us by your people." the Empress remarked in a voice that did little to reveal her inner emotions, "Knowing my cousin Arneiðr refrained from acknowledging that she did indeed invite me is not a surprise. As my dearest Grandmother here can attest to, Arneiðr is masterful at keeping her secrets. Regardless, I must agree with your friend Carmen's offer for us to ride to the hotel. I am greatly looking forward to this railway expedition."

please eventually visit Dixie
ping me in the discord if you do so that i can act out my characters

Kanadorika wrote:I had never visited Ezhara before. The nation had an interesting reputation to say the least...

Senala smirked at hearing about Arneiðr, while around her, the three teens all visibly relaxed; their heads were still on their necks. "Really now?" she said, folding her arms as Carmen set up a tripod and camera to take a few more pictures. "She's so stern nowadays. Can't imagine someone like her keeping her secrets. But no matter." Her right arm unfolded, and she bent her wrist forward as she heard another plane, one much smaller than a standard passenger plane. "Say..."
"What's an Aztlani plane doing here?" Carmen asked. "Did Arneiðr invite someone else?"
Nova shrugged. "Even if we knew..." He replaced his nervousness with a smile. "What-whatever. I'm sure—"
The plane landed, and Carmen inched closer. "Nova, do you think King Walter of the Aztlani—"
"Eh? King-king who?" He smiled harder, and wiped his forehead despite the lack of sweat. "Ho... ho my god. I thought it was just Empress Herja."

"I suppose we should've expected this," Senala said. "It's not a daily event for the Empress to visit Ezhara, but I think that's why nobody believed it here. I'm sure the other cities will love this surprise we've got going..." A chuckle as she turned to the Kanadorikan delegation. "Would it be any qualm if we invited him along?"
"Can we really just do that?" Nova asked. "I mean, this was a trip for the Empress— it's not like we can invite just a bunch of randos onto it, right?"
Senala waved her hand. "Within reason, I'm sure. If it is King Walter, he will not be nearly as unknown, but it'll be up to the Empress and her retinue if she is willing to accommodate other passengers beyond our Talents and Idols." The Mascot looked to the empress.
Assuming she was fine with it, Senala would then gesture for them to follow her. "There's a limousine waiting for us. Nova, Carmen, could you please manage our other guest?"
"O-of course."

Quetzalcohuātl wrote:Walter would be attending the event underway in Ezhara...

Nova was first to notice King Walter, and the boy froze. Another foreign dignitary? He wiped his forehead; no sweat, but by the gods was his spirit dying having to deal with this.
Whatever. He'd have to take it on. He smiled at Carmen, and the two of them hurried towards Walter, then gave him gracious bows. "Goooooood morning, dearest King Walter," he said, hoping that his cordial introduction would be enough. "I'm Nova Canaria, Talent-Idol of Femasa."
"And I'm Carmen Santiago, Talent-Journalist." She grinned. "Smile!" A moment later, she would take his picture. "We're honored to receive you, as sudden as it is. Anyway, the Empress of Kandaorika is already heading to her limousine with the rest of the Femasan group, so we should get going." She gestured for the two of them to follow her, while just up ahead, the empress and her entourage were directed underneath the main airport, where the cars were.

Once there, a suited woman with her hair in a bun behind her smiled. "Good 'namin, folks," she said, throwing her hat up and catching it. "I'll be your chauffeur for this journey. Name's Miss Taylor. Delighted to serve you folks today." She smiled as she opened the seat into her limousine. "So come on in, and we'll get going right on."
The younger members of their group seemed about ready to run forward, but they only took a few steps before they paused and gestured for their guests of honor to step in first.
Miss Taylor looked them over. "I suggest we have the Ezharans on one side, and the Kanadorikans on the other," she said. "Keep it a bit organized, right?"

Assuming all went well, the lot of them were soon headed up and out of the airport, into the sunny streets and modern glass of downtown Femasa — a vast contrast to the cool interior of their vehicle.
Of course, the Talents were not nearly as cool: Nova kept looking down at his twiddling hands and Carmen kept staring at her camera's pictures. One of Nera's canaries hopped about on her shoulder, twisting and turning its head, another sat in her lap as she pet it, and the last was hopping about on the floor in front of her.
It was hopping towards Herja, and when it came to just in front of her boots, it stared up at her, tilted its head.

For a few moments it sang a shrill song, a mixture of high-pitched chirps like a bright morning day amidst a forest. "Ah, um, Oro," Nera said, gesturing for the bird in front of Herja, "come back, please." Her bird turned around, still singing, then took flight, staying in front of Herja and staring at her, head tilting to and fro. Was it thinking something?
"Kst, Oro." Only now did it return to its roost on Nera's shoulders. "Sorry if that came as a surprise. He, um, likes to sing to new people." She shrugged, and the other canary on her shoulder nodded, as though to back her up.
Nera turned down to her bird. Did Herja enjoy the song? She seemed more like a stern, strict soldier who would have sooner crushed the bird underfoot or demanded it be silenced, but maybe at least her grandmother might like Oro's small performance? Yet, there was something about the way he hovered in front of her...

Nera turned to the bird at her shoulder, and he tilted his head as she raised her free hand to pet him. It wasn't suspicious or anything for Oro to fly around people, but why stare? He usually didn't do that, and Nera could see Nova watching her bird out of the corner of his desperate smile. No doubt her brother was thinking of all the wrong ways this could go, but they were just kids with some birds, after all. Nothing that warranted something more dramatic, right?
Whatever the case, she sighed in relief when she heard Senala begin speaking.
"There might be some paparazzi in the lobby," she said. "They won't be so stupid as to bother you immediately, though, since we have a more designated time later in the afternoon, but if you still got the energy, feel free to talk to Carmen."
The Talent-Journalist perked up at that, glancing up and down from her phone, reviewing her notes. "Oh, um, yeah, yeah. Being the first of them to meet you has sort of saddled me with that, um, responsibility to help out with anything news and media related— if you need any. Yeah... yeah."

Soon enough, the lot of them arrived in front of a reddish hotel that glowed a gentle golden in the morning sunlight. The columns, the roof, the style, the geometric perfection all harkened to an ornate Vizelian style, with the porte-cochère extravagantly carved with inscriptions and prayers. In front of it was another reddish fountain, decorated with birds and cut into so that the base of it seemed to have petrified plants surrounding it. The garden all around it was filled with red flowers that stood straight up, and various hummingbirds were visiting it already; Nera's own birds were staring at them.
Above the middle of the glass doors read the name of the hotel: Alhambra.
Senala smiled as she got up. "Right, let's head out, shall we?"
Nova and Carmen were first out: Herja wasn't on their side, and so they scrambled. Still, they did their best to not look like they were being hunted for their lives, anxious as they were.
Only, Nera's three birds stayed behind as she got up, and she looked at them.

Their eyes were all on Herja. Watching? Judging? Simply observing? She didn't know, but she scooped up one of them, and the rest followed onto her shoulders. The songstress offered a nervous smile as she clambered out.
Senala shrugged as she exited and gestured for the rest of them to as well. "I'm sure they'll get used to you as the journey continues. Not everyday we meet someone like you folks, after all, though some of them take to it much more... readily."
Once everyone was outside, she addressed them again.
"Right, well, if you're tired after the flight, feel free to take a break in your room. It'll be a little while before our lunch, but if you're not tired... well, I'm sure we can find something to do."
Behind her, Nova visibly wavered a bit, but Carmen kept him up.
"Up to you folks," Senala said, fiddling with her scabbard. "Plenty to see around the city."