"Please, Richter, use every single dirty connection you have in the lower city to find us a solution before our empire burns to the ground."
Vanya's desperate plea still echoed in the shadows of Richter's memory as he stepped into the damp, freezing expanse of the abandoned shipping facility. The secret warehouse near the docks was a hollow monument to Aethelgard's forgotten industrial boom, situated right where the dirty grey water of the canal slapped against stained concrete foundations. The air inside smelled strongly of rusted iron, stagnant river water, and the pungent oil used to grease heavy steam winches. High above, gaps in the corrugated metal roof allowed thin beams of moonlight to cut through the swirling fog, illuminating thick columns of floating dust.
Richter stood comp
