Prologue
"Good afternoon, dear passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are not approaching the King Alvar III International Airport. I would like to remind you that you must be seated with the seat belt fastened until the plane completely stops at the terminal. Expect a sunny day with 15 degrees in Kuressaare. Thank you for flying Viruinteravia" The voice on the speakers startled Indrek and he fully woke up, looking outside the window, as the sea was slowly closing in to the coast and the city of Kuressaare could start to be seen. Indrek, a man in his late 40s, was once blonde, but now he had full white hair, was still keeping an athletic built, wearing a suit, was sitting on the window row in the front of the airliner that was travelling from Propontis to Kuressaare. It was the only direct flight connecting Himyar in general to Vaalbara, and not necessary one of the most crowded planes he flew on. Indrek was looking out through the window and recognised the towns of Salavere and Jaani, as the plane travelled through the eastern fringes of Kuressaare, to land on the airport that was situated in the northern part of the city.
The plane landed quite roughly and then taxied directly to the terminal. The passengers started leaving the plane and taking their cabin bags. He had only a cabin bag, as he had too many stuff that he had to bring from Propontis, and thus he left them for the embassy, where he was working, to organise their arrival in Virumaa.
"Good day," said the guard from the border crossing, through his booth, as Indrek gave him his passport. The guard took the light blue passport, looked at the small "Diplomatic" label on it, opened it to check the name and photo and then gave it back to him without scanning it or checking the visas from the next pages. "Thank you, Mr. Veski," said the guard as he gave the passport back and nodding in approval.
Indrek went out of the airport and started looking for a taxi. The weather was quite nice, as it was announced in the plane, but as he was coming from Pelasgia, where probably the warmest summer day in Virumaa was cooler than the coldest winter day in the Himyari nation, he did feel it was chilly. Orange coloured taxies, owned by the different companies operating in the capital city were lined up right at the exit of the terminal. After he followed an argument between a bus driver who couldn't pull in his station and some of the taxi drivers, Indrek went to the first car. After a few seconds of thinking, he did name the destination: "To the Ministry of External Affairs," he said, putting his bag at his legs as he sat right close to the driver.
The car took off, going through the roundabout in front of the airport and then on the T2 Highway, through the Ulemiste and Rae towns, before entering Kuressaare. In the city, the car ran slower as they came at the perfect time for the rush hour, spending about an hour in traffic along the Queen Eha Boulevard, the main thoroughfare through the city centre. The car stopped in front of the entrance to the Tamm Palace, the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Indrek told the driver to wait for him there, as he won't be long. He opened his bag, took some files out of it and then went out of the car, leaving his bag behind.
Entering the building, he shown his badge to the guard and then sent up the stairs, until he met face to face with Veronica Laar, one of the foreign affairs councillors, and one of his long time colleagues. "It's good to see you, Indrek. We received the messages from the embassy in Propontis. The minister expects some explanations from you," she said with a slightly concerned voice.
He slightly growled. "He told me I'm done. I have no explanations to give. I am done with all that shit. He can find all the info he wants in here," he said as he gave her the files. "See you later," he said before she even had a chance to say anything, as he turned around and started going down the stairs. As he went out of the building, he was a bit shocked. Instead of feeling the world caving on him, he felt that actually there was a huge burden taken off his shoulders.
He went back to the car, smiling. "Everything, okay?" asked the driver, surprised too of his change of mood. "Eh, annoying business, as always when you deal with the government. Now, the last destination, in Pirita Boulevard, no. 32," he said as the driver revved up the engine and started driving. The car went along the Queen Eha Boulevard, round the old town, which was full on pedestrianised, still surrounded by the medieval walls of the old citadel of Arensburg, as the city was called for most of the early history, before they turned on the Pirita Boulevard, which was running along the seafront.
As the car parked, he paid the driver 40 Kroon, and then went up the apartment building. Feeling energetic, but still anxious of his final destination especially after such a long flight, he took on the stairs, as the elevator was slow to come. Up at the third floor, he knocked on the door. A woman, his wife opened the door after a few moments. Her initial neutral face went first through a surprise and then turned to a frown. "Oh... It's you...." she said as she just went back inside the apartment leaving the door opened so that he can come in.
"Good afternoon, dear passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are not approaching the King Alvar III International Airport. I would like to remind you that you must be seated with the seat belt fastened until the plane completely stops at the terminal. Expect a sunny day with 15 degrees in Kuressaare. Thank you for flying Viruinteravia" The voice on the speakers startled Indrek and he fully woke up, looking outside the window, as the sea was slowly closing in to the coast and the city of Kuressaare could start to be seen. Indrek, a man in his late 40s, was once blonde, but now he had full white hair, was still keeping an athletic built, wearing a suit, was sitting on the window row in the front of the airliner that was travelling from Propontis to Kuressaare. It was the only direct flight connecting Himyar in general to Vaalbara, and not necessary one of the most crowded planes he flew on. Indrek was looking out through the window and recognised the towns of Salavere and Jaani, as the plane travelled through the eastern fringes of Kuressaare, to land on the airport that was situated in the northern part of the city.
The plane landed quite roughly and then taxied directly to the terminal. The passengers started leaving the plane and taking their cabin bags. He had only a cabin bag, as he had too many stuff that he had to bring from Propontis, and thus he left them for the embassy, where he was working, to organise their arrival in Virumaa.
"Good day," said the guard from the border crossing, through his booth, as Indrek gave him his passport. The guard took the light blue passport, looked at the small "Diplomatic" label on it, opened it to check the name and photo and then gave it back to him without scanning it or checking the visas from the next pages. "Thank you, Mr. Veski," said the guard as he gave the passport back and nodding in approval.
Indrek went out of the airport and started looking for a taxi. The weather was quite nice, as it was announced in the plane, but as he was coming from Pelasgia, where probably the warmest summer day in Virumaa was cooler than the coldest winter day in the Himyari nation, he did feel it was chilly. Orange coloured taxies, owned by the different companies operating in the capital city were lined up right at the exit of the terminal. After he followed an argument between a bus driver who couldn't pull in his station and some of the taxi drivers, Indrek went to the first car. After a few seconds of thinking, he did name the destination: "To the Ministry of External Affairs," he said, putting his bag at his legs as he sat right close to the driver.
The car took off, going through the roundabout in front of the airport and then on the T2 Highway, through the Ulemiste and Rae towns, before entering Kuressaare. In the city, the car ran slower as they came at the perfect time for the rush hour, spending about an hour in traffic along the Queen Eha Boulevard, the main thoroughfare through the city centre. The car stopped in front of the entrance to the Tamm Palace, the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Indrek told the driver to wait for him there, as he won't be long. He opened his bag, took some files out of it and then went out of the car, leaving his bag behind.
Entering the building, he shown his badge to the guard and then sent up the stairs, until he met face to face with Veronica Laar, one of the foreign affairs councillors, and one of his long time colleagues. "It's good to see you, Indrek. We received the messages from the embassy in Propontis. The minister expects some explanations from you," she said with a slightly concerned voice.
He slightly growled. "He told me I'm done. I have no explanations to give. I am done with all that shit. He can find all the info he wants in here," he said as he gave her the files. "See you later," he said before she even had a chance to say anything, as he turned around and started going down the stairs. As he went out of the building, he was a bit shocked. Instead of feeling the world caving on him, he felt that actually there was a huge burden taken off his shoulders.
He went back to the car, smiling. "Everything, okay?" asked the driver, surprised too of his change of mood. "Eh, annoying business, as always when you deal with the government. Now, the last destination, in Pirita Boulevard, no. 32," he said as the driver revved up the engine and started driving. The car went along the Queen Eha Boulevard, round the old town, which was full on pedestrianised, still surrounded by the medieval walls of the old citadel of Arensburg, as the city was called for most of the early history, before they turned on the Pirita Boulevard, which was running along the seafront.
As the car parked, he paid the driver 40 Kroon, and then went up the apartment building. Feeling energetic, but still anxious of his final destination especially after such a long flight, he took on the stairs, as the elevator was slow to come. Up at the third floor, he knocked on the door. A woman, his wife opened the door after a few moments. Her initial neutral face went first through a surprise and then turned to a frown. "Oh... It's you...." she said as she just went back inside the apartment leaving the door opened so that he can come in.