Per 
Chapter 01. A Hardworking Dock Manager
Tomoyo Tamika, a dock manager at the Havo City Docks.
City Security flies above and around the city and between the buildings in their small, three-man ships. The majestic towers and beautiful streets are filled with people, horses, and cars. A train could be seen running through the city, transporting civilians from one district to the next. The tracks merge and separate, creating massive railyards at the city center and the docks.
In the docks, hammering, machinery, and shouting fill the air. The airships cautiously direct their tips towards the docking towers, perfectly locking in. Civilians load up into the massive ships as workers shuffle left and right, carrying cargo and tying down the ships to anchors on each dock. They come and go, being pushed back and taking off to make room for the incoming ships.
The City of Havo.
"LET'S GET THOSE CEDARS UP!" Tomoyo shouts towards the workers. She watches as two smaller airships are pushed back and launched into the air. Resting her hands on her hips, Tomoyo steps back a little, unaware of the heavily clothed man behind her, and bumps into him.
"Oop! Sorry about that," she exclaims, turning briefly to look at the man.
The man replies, "No worries, just wondering-"
Tomoyo runs off before the man can finish his sentence, shouting, "I NEED FOUR ON THE PORT SIDE!" Quickly grabbing a rope and tying down a docking ship.
After tying the ship to the ground, she looks back at the man, covered in head to toe in fabric, his face barely visible. Her eyes then direct themselves to his friend. He appeared young, with white hair and goggles, looking as if he was being dragged along with the man. Tomoyo subconsciously brings her hand up to her own white bangs before remembering she was still at work.
"FIVE SEVEN EIGHT!" She shouts towards the dock workers.
"COPY!" The workers shout back at her as four airships leave the dock.
She briefly looks back where the mysterious man and his white-haired friend were, noticing they had disappeared. A dock communications officer shouts to her.
"TAMIKO!" He shouts, "WE HAVE TWO FEDERATION SHIPS COMING IN AT DOCKS NINE AND TEN!"
"COPY!" She shouts back, "DESIGNATE DOCKS NINE AND TEN."
The communications officer nods, shutting the door of the booth and continuing to speak into the phone.
Tomoyo orders some workers, "DOCKS NINE AND TEN, MARK FIVE TWO-"
Without warning, a massive explosion could be heard from inside the city. Tomoyo instinctively ducks before turning as the shockwave produces a deafening sound at the docks, nearly knocking her down. She stands straight and grabs her binoculars to observe the smoke that grew from the city.
All heads and faces turn to see where the sound came from, some even removing their hats out of shock. A golden silence overtook the docks as everyone watched, not knowing what to do. Cargo was lightly set down and the phone booths went silent. The oxygen was sucked out of the air, leaving everyone motionless. A second explosion could be heard, though less powerful as before. All that followed was a smoke cloud and silence. City security could be seen swarming the skies above the site of the explosions.
"Shit." Tomoyo comments.
The ear-raping sound of metal on metal, coming from a ship scraping against the docking tower broke the silence. Dockworkers scramble to secure any docking or docked ships as security runs through the docks, rifles in hand. Tomoyo turns back towards the docks.
"PROTOCOL FIFTEEN. PROTOCOL FIFTEEN," she orders at the top of her lungs, "TURN BACK ANY SHIPS THAT ENTER, DOCK THE ONES WE HAVE RIGHT NOW."
Communications officers scramble to redirect ships before more chaos ensues. Dockworkers run left and right, up and down, to tie down the ships and to secure the cargo. Civilians are escorted out by the city security as bomb-sniffing dogs to search the warehouse. Massive traffic manifests outside of the docks, filling the air with the sound of airships hovering. Tomoyo turns back towards the city.
"What the hell…"
Chapter 02. Escape.
Zen Caddel, known extremist and terrorist, fugitive of the City of Havo.
Running. The sound of airships hovering over his position fills the air. The city sirens wail out, sending more fear and adding to the chaos of the city. His sword at his side, explosives in his pocket, and a crossbow on his back. He was ready for war and looked the part. Sprinting down the open street, Zen threw a few more sticks of dynamite behind him.
Boom. Boom. Boom. More explosions and more smoke filled the air as the city security desperately chased him. He turns the corner to an empty street. The airships open fire on his position. A few dozen bullets riddle the streets, just barely missing him. He rapidly turns into an alley, hidden from the city. Zen Caddel, wanted terrorist and was known for his ability to escape the police. A nice title to add to the collection, he thought.
He stops for a moment, catching his breath. Laughing at the chaos he has caused yet again, he throws over his thick clothing and spots Ace.
"About time," Zen mumbles.
Ace walks towards Zen, "Well it's not my fault I'm an insane terror- WOAH!"
Zen grabs Ace by the wrist, dragging him along and into the semi-crowded streets. The airships begin to circle the area, looking for anyone or anything suspicious.
"Stay low," he orders Ace, "you never know where they're hiding."
Ace looks up at Zen, "What?"
Zen shushes Ace, eavesdropping on a conversation between some city security officers and a commander.
"Set up a perimeter," the commander stands firm, "check everyone coming in and out of this region."
"Yes sir," the officers reply before running off.
"Looks like we're gonna need a new way out," Ace smirks.
Taking his words into consideration, Zen begins to think.
"Whatchu gonna do smart boy?"
A lightbulb illuminates up above Zen's head.
"This way," he replies, hurriedly dragging Ace back into the alley. He walks towards a sewer cover and gestures for Ace to help him open it.
Ace's face lights up with disgust, "Hell no I'm not going in there."
Two officers could be heard walking past the entrance of the alley.
Zen stares at Ace dead in the eyes, "Get in here, or we're both dead."
"On second thought," Ace moves towards the sewer cover, helping Zen lift it. The duo hops in, Zen first, and close the cover behind them.
Sewers under the City of Havo, used as an escape route for Zen Caddel after the bombings.
Zen jumps down, clearing the area around him. Steadily climbing down, Ace's foot slips on the ladder, causing him to fall back. Zen runs quickly to grab him, catching him before he touches the ground.
"Thanks," Ace says as he's brought back up to his feet.
Zen gestures for Ace to follow, running swiftly through the sewers. The stench nearly knocks out Ace as they run. Zen stops at a T-intersection, looking left and right. He motions left before disappearing behind a corner. As Ace turns the corner, a blinding light overtakes him, causing him to slip in the water.
Zen continues to run, not noticing that his "partner" had slipped. Reaching the end of the tunnel, his feet crunch in a thin layer of snow, creating an unstealthy sound just outside the city gate. Rapidly looking left and right, he finds his horse.
"Wait up!" Ace exclaims as he gets back up and catches up with Zen.
The duo sprint towards the horse, with Zen taking control and Ace sitting behind.
"HIYA!" Zen snaps the reins, sending the horse in a sprint away from the city. Ace struggles to hold on for dear life as they ride into the distance.
Chapter 03. Greetings, Inspector.
Inspector Miyamizu, Federation Security Bureau, FSB, assigned to the case of Zen Caddel after the bombings of Havo.
"WE GOT SIX FEDERATION SHIPS COMING! FULL DOCK FOR RESUPPLY!" A communications officer screams at Tomoyo.
"COPY," she shouts back, "DESIGNATE SECTOR BACTA FOR FULL DOCK AND RESUPPLY!"
The communications officer shuts the booth closed, continuing to direct airships through the telephone. Tomoyo runs to Sector Bacta, the rarely-used military section of the dock, alongside dozens of her fellow dockworkers. They immediately get to work, teams splitting up to handle the landings while others run into the warehouse, carrying crates of munitions and food for the naval ships. She steps out towards the edge, grabbing her binoculars wrapped around her neck.
Through the shined lenses, six beautiful airships flow over the land, a battleship, a cruiser, a destroyer, and three frigates overtake the sky with their beauty. In the battleships, he stands at the bridge, watching as the City of Havo slowly reveals itself over the horizon.
Inspector Miyamizu's Battleship, The Viscount.
"Inspector Miyamizu," one of the bridge officers calls out to him. Miyamizu turns to where his name was called as the bridge officer continues, "we will be docking at Sector Bacta shortly."
"Thank you, Lieutenant," he replies, turning back towards the window.
A soldier of the Silent Guard, a specially trained unit under the direct command of Grand Admiral Sakagami and his trusted officers.
Tomoyo puts the binoculars down, pivoting to watch the movement on the dock.
"MARK FIVE TWO NINE!" She screams at the top of her lungs.
"COPY!" The dockworkers shout back.
Commotion left and right as the cargo is prepared, the docking towers raised, and anchors secured. Tomoyo watches as a crate containing ammo is dropped, sending thousands of tiny round bullets across the cobblestone. She rushes over to help pick them up, hoping nobody steps on one and falls.
With the city in full view, Inspector Miyamizu places his trust in the bridge crew to ensure a successful landing. Turning away from the window, he signals for two of the Silent Guard to accompany him.
The Inspector walks through his ship towards the exit, saluting to the crew who stop to salute him. A soft, metal clanking from the guardsmen persists behind him.
Tomoyo watches as two dozen military police officers enter the docks. The fleet was now completely visible to the naked eye.
"FIVE SEVEN SIX!" She shouts.
"COPY!" The dockworkers shout back.
The massive airships make their way into the dock, with The Viscount docking right in front of her. The military police find their way to the dock adjacent to the battleship, lining up down the lengthy pathway. Chains are thrown off the deck as workers attempt to secure the ship. Tomoyo stands there proudly, hands on her hips, smiling at another successful landing.
A crew member steps in front of the Inspector to open the airlock. A hiss could be heard, then the scent of the mountainside, then the sight of militants lined up and down the walkway. Workers move a staircase down the rails and extend it to meet Miyamizu's feet. He proceeds down the stairs, the guards following behind, to eventually meet one of the MPs.
"Greetings," one of the soldiers welcomes him, "I'm Sergeant Baker. Welcome to Havo."
Chapter 04. A Not-So-Friendly Greeting
Crickets chirping. The night sky lights up the dock in a beautiful white and blue. Tomoyo sighs, looking left and right around the dock. Another long day over with, she thinks to herself. Walking back towards the offices, she spots Hodaka on her way.
"How was your shift?" He asks, stopping and turning towards Tomoyo.
"Tiring," she sighs, stopping alongside him.
"Only tiring?"
"Yup."
"Well, I'd expect two bombings and a shut-down dock a little worse than tiring," he remarks, "but hey, props to you for handling the whole thing."
"And after this, I have to go to the village to see my father," she whines, looking up at the sky, "why must life be so difficult?"
"Hey, ya can't call it life if there aren't some bumps along the road."
She looks down at him, head tilted, "I evny your wisdom and optimism."
He chuckles, "I best not keep you any longer. After all, duty calls. Is there anything I need to know before I start my shift?"
"No no, it's alright," Tomoyo thinks for a moment, "besides the literal elephant in the room- the military airships- I'd say look out for anybody trying to dock or launch while we're on lockdown?"
"Gotcha," he begins to walk off, "stay safe."
"Thanks, you too."
Tomoyo begins to walk to the offices, lazily reaching her arm out towards Hodaka before letting it swing back to her side.
A walkway near the offices of the Havo City Dock.
She sighs, listening to the sound of her boots on the cobblestone, echoing throughout the now-empty docks. Her hand reaches for the knob as the door swings open, greeting her with the fresh scent of wood. Six desks lined up in two columns, a desk for each of the dock managers, fill the room. Tomoyo walks to her desk, pulls out the wooden chair, and sits.
Grabbing a pen with her right hand and moving the paper to write on with her left, Tomoyo fills in the details of her shift.
Start of shift: 10:12 a.m.
End of shift:
Notes from shift:
She checks the clock on the wall, 21:56 p.m.
End of shift: 21:56 p.m.
Notes from shift:
Do two bombings count? She humors herself, recollecting any other events from the day.
Notes from shift: Two city bombings, a small detachment of a Federation Fleet docked in Sector Bacta, just about everything you'd expect from a normal day.
Setting the pen down, Tomoyo gets up from her desk, walking to the door. She tucks her white button-down shirt in her black paper bag pants, tightening the belt. Her hand flicks the lights off as she exits, greeted by the dock once again. Her boots guide her through the city, left, right, left. The dimly lit streets filled with the sound of boots walking along the rocky pathways, echoing between the grand buildings.
Around a corner, one of the bomb sites reveals itself. Lit up by moonlight and lights set up by police, rubble covers the street, leaving a very thin walkway open. The post office, once a grand building, reduced to nothing. Officers still monitor the scene, scouring through the debris to search for valuable evidence. Tomoyo to manages slip past the cops through the narrow walkway, only to be met with the disgusting stench of dead bodies accompanied by a row of body bags on the other side. Covering her nose with her sleeve, she dashes as far from the scene as possible.
All those people dead, Tomoyo thought to herself. She finds her way to the city stable, grabbing her beautiful white horse. The horse never had a name, she never thought to give it one. To her, the horse was nothing more than an acquaintance, a sort of "I depend on you when I need it" relationship.
She opens the gate and hops onto the saddle, walking the white beauty to the city gate. Looking along the city wall, Tomoyo notices a very minimal amount of soldiers along the wall. The gate, still open, invites her to dash off the cobblestone streets and into the snow.
She snaps the reins, "HIYA!"
Dashing through the gate, she crosses the threshold. The sound of clopping shifted into a sound of crunching. Tomoyo pulls her goggles over her eyes as she rides on through the snow, reaching the border of the forest.
Thu-thump, thu-thump, thu-thump. The horse would glide and fall as it ran through the snow. Trees zoomed past Tomoyo at incredible speed, the cold running straight into her face. She held herself close to the horse, feeding off its body warmth. Traveling along the road, a mysterious dark figure appears in the distance, hidden by the trees. As she gets closer, more distinct shapes could be made out against the snowy background.
"HIYA HIYA!" Tomoyo snaps the reins once again.
A heavily clothed man and a horse, she notes, no, two people and a horse. Wait is that-
"WOAH!" She screams out, pulling the reins back as fast as possible. The figures move further into the forest, completely oblivious to her presence. Turning her horse towards the individuals, Tomoyo follows them from a distance.
Zen Caddel's snow cabin.
A small cabin could be seen past the individuals, peacefully sitting in the snow-covered forests. The figures eventually come into clear view, a heavily clothed man directing the horse, with a younger, white-haired man laying on the back of the horse face down. So it is them, she thinks.
"HEY!" She foolishly calls out.
The man turns the horse back towards Tomoyo, his face partially visible.
"Who is it?" He asks in a threatening tone, "wait a moment, aren't you that girl from earlier-"
Tomoyo jumps off her horse, pointing at the white-haired individual, "what are you doing with him?"
"Hm? What do you mean," he asks.
As she steps closer to his horse, she notices the pouches of dynamite attached to the saddle.
Tomoyo gasps, "no… It was you… YOU!" She shouts, waking the white-haired boy, "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO BLEW UP THE POSTAL OFFICE-"
"My apologies," the man chuckles, "it just so happened to be the first government building I could find."
The white hair boy groans, his voice muffled, "what's going on?"
Her face stern, she runs over to the white haired boy, kneeling to see his face, "are you alright?"
"Don't get the wrong idea, he agreed to come with me," the covered man says.
"Yeah," he reaches for his head, "I think I fell off the horse."
"You know, it's dangerous to be riding this late," the individual comments.
Completely ignoring him, Tomoyo asks, "what's your name?"
"Ace," the white hair responds.
Looking at the numerous cuts and scrapes on his face, she informs him, "Ace, you need medical attention," attempting to pick him off the horse.
The mysterious man gets off his horse, "now now, just what are you trying to do," he asks, menacingly standing across from Tomoyo.
"I'm attempting to take him from you to get him proper medical attention you psychopathic anarchist," she grunts, finally picking up Ace and carrying him on her back.
"Maybe you should ask him if he wants to be taken by you," the man smirks.
"I'd like to go with her," Ace answers in an instant.
"I know what I'm doing you condescending asshole," she stares dead into the man's partially visible eyes, "so piss off."
Walking to her horse, Tomoyo manages to lift Ace onto the saddle.
"Eh, he wasn't much help as a hostage anyways," the man remarks.
Her face lights up with disgust, what the hell…
She gets back up onto her horse grasping the reins, "let's get out of here," she comments, snapping the reins.
"He kicked me…" Ace mumbles, already half asleep, arms wrapped around her.
Should I tell city security, Tomoyo thinks to herself finding her way back to the road without looking back, would it even be worth it?
Pondered about this, the two ride back to Havo. I have to tell them, she commands herself, you saw all those bodies, you wouldn't be any better than him if you didn't tell them.
But what if I get dragged into it, a countering thought questions, your dad lives outside the city- not like you're going to see him tonight. You or your dad could become his next victim- Tomoyo watches as the city gates come into view.
"HELP!" She shouts, hoping to catch someone's attention.
Two officers ran towards the gate, ready to provide assistance.
Yanking on the reins, the horse begins to slow down, stopping in front of the officers.
"Are you alright, miss?" One of the officers asks.
"He needs," stopping to catch her breath, Tomoyo tries again, "he needs medical attention. He was taken by the bomber who lives in a cabin just off the road in the forest."
Two more officers come in, taking the knocked-out Ace off the horse and carrying him into a building.
"Thank you ma'am for your help," one of the officers replies, "is there anything we can do to help you?"
"Help me???" Tomoyo stares, stumped, "shouldn't you be contacting someone or mobilizing to arrest him-" she groans in frustration, not knowing what to make of this.
To her surprise, the officer responds, "we already know who he is and where he lives. We can't do anything about it."
Chapter 05. Stonewalled.
"Greetings," one of the soldiers welcomes him, "I'm Sergeant Baker, welcome to Havo."
"Inspector Miyamizu, FSB," the man replies, his hands hidden behind his back, "I am here per request the of the Grand Admiral to help you with some… unresolved issues."
"Any help would be appreciated," Sergeant Baker holds out his hand for Miyamizu to shake.
Taking his hand, the Inspector asks, "I assume you run operations around here?"
"No sir, I head the Counter-terrorism Task Force," Baker corrects.
"Then let us waste no time," Miyamizu retracts his hand, waiting for the Sergeant to lead the way.
"Very well, come with me," the Sergeant replies.
Baker directs a squadron of his unit to follow him and begins to walk through the docks. Miyamizu follows shortly behind, with two of the Silent Guard following behind him. Moving in unison, the group moves in unison between the buildings which slowly get taller as they get closer to the city center. The daily commune of hundreds of civilians pay no attention to the small militaristic force marching through the crowd.
Small stands call out their product, shouting to any potential buyers as bells ring, signifying a door opening at the shops. Some stand in the balcony of their apartments, overlooking the sea of people while others catch up with friends and buy lunch together. A small, four-man band plays their grand and magnificent music to the public. Coins fill the small tin cup they've left at their feet, hoping to take home a small profit when the day is over.
The commotion reaches its climax when the buildings fade away to reveal the majestic city hall. Police officers, city workers, and civilians alike flow in and out of the marvelous marble steps leading up into the heart of Havo. Heavily armed security patrol the area, on the roof, stairs, and ground, hoping to prevent an attack on the densely populated building.
Havo City Hall.
The Sergeant and Inspector pick up more officers in their escort as they make their way up the stairs. Passing the threshold, a grand and beautifully furnished city center takes view. Glass elevators cover the center of the lobby, moving with unprecedented efficiency.
< Sorry reader! It appears that there isn't anymore writing beyond this point. However, a magical bird told me that if you message me to update you, I'll let you know when each section is finished! >
Chapter 06. Revenge of the Fire-Breathing Beasts
The Dragon's Den.
Chapter 07. Roses.
Grand Admiral Sakagami, highest rank in the Peno Federation Navy, PFN, and a well-renounced leader and tactician.
The Vindicator, Grand Admiral Sakagami's flagship, a dreadnought, and the second largest airship in the PFN surrounded by other airships from the Peno Federation Navy.
Chapter 08. A New Home
"Tomoyo Tamiko," drawn by ミミトケ on Pixiv.
"The City of Havo," drawn by unknown, found on Pinterest.
"Zen Caddel," drawn by unknown, found on Discord.
"Sewers," drawn by Marek Madej, found on artstation, originally titled, "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Sewers Concept Art."
"Inspector Miyamizu," drawn by unknown, found on Pinterest.
"The Viscount," drawn by Moff (?), found on wallhere, may originate from isotx but due to the website looking like it'll give me a virus, I was unable to access the site.
"The Silent Guard," drawn by unknown, found on Pinterest and scifi-fantasy-horror, though the specific page for the original image is unable to be located.
"Havo City Dock walkway," drawn by Thomas Vlekke, found on artstation, originally titled "Victorian England Concept Art."
"Zen Caddel's cabin," drawn by Sabina Lewis, found on Sabina Lewis' website.
