At the appointed time, two independent groups — [Ushumgallu, Sheila, Gonor, Iliman] and [Zibaba, Sisandra, Genus, Black Jack] — along with Erika board a train to Shina. Passing through the fortress-city of Sugar, they first cross the Sushin Gates, then spend some time at the Calcite border, where they are thoroughly searched. Eight of them pass this procedure without issue, but Jack is not allowed into Calcite — first they try to make him remove his mask, and when it becomes clear that it cannot be removed and moreover in the photo on his documents he is without it, he has to get off the train. It was impossible to see what emotions he had at that moment because of the very same mask, but before he left the vehicle, Genus whispered something encouraging to him.
The train moved on, but passengers were unable to enjoy the beautiful views from the window — a strong sandstorm prevented that, and they reached the city in its company.
ShinaIn the past, Shina was the main and essentially only staging ground for attacks carried out by Calcite against Asuguh, but since relations between the two states more or less improved, it became the primary hub for trade and tourism crossing between them, which boosted its economy, although it still represented nothing valuable beyond its shared border with the southern kingdom — by and large, it was a remote hole cut off from the rest of Calcite's life, pointless and ruthless, whose countryside outskirts resembled the same vistas one could observe beyond the Gate of Exile in Mufigure. In the
Sand Haven, a modest-looking pyramid, all administrative activity of the city was conducted. Near the
Citadel of Merriment, located outside the city, there were, among other things, an
information broker's office, a
betting bureau, a
paid hospital, a
public bathhouse, and a
workshop — everything a promising arena fighter might need. In the city itself, one could visit the
Church of Arcelia, a
flower shop, the
beacon of the south, an
equipment store, and a
transport station where our heroes currently found themselves.
Happy Life
Граф Орлов
