Sunlight streamed through the tall, stained-glass windows of the Floutin Expeditionary Association's dining hall, casting kaleidoscopic patterns on the long wooden tables as the young professor Warius Kosos picked at his lunch. He speared a piece of roasted chicken ate it, satisfied still with the somewhat flavorless cafeteria food.
"Did you hear about the disappearances in Nathari?" a grizzled man sitting across from Warius asked between bites of his own meal. His eyes, sharp as ever, watched the young man for a reaction.
Warius chewed thoughtfully before replying. "Can't say that I have, Calpon. But it's a dangerous world out there. Teams go missing all the time."
"True," replied the senior professor of Zeppelinry, Lieutenant Captain Calpon, as he wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin. "But it's been happening more frequently lately. Makes you wonder if something's brewing."
Warius shrugged, taking a swig of his drink. The cold, bitter taste of elvenberry tea washed over his tongue, refreshing him. "Could be anything, really. Seems like every few years we see a spike in trouble. It'll blow over soon enough." His nonchalance was evident in the way he leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other.
"Maybe you're right," conceded Captain Calpon. "I just worry about our younger expeditionaries. They don't have the experience that we do. If they keep going out and getting themselves killed like this some day we won't have enough to spare."
"Ah, but they've got us to guide them," Warius said, patting his own chest. "And don't forget, we were once young and inexperienced too."
"Well, maybe you." Captain Calpon chuckled softly, the sound like gravel underfoot. "I still remember when you were a swabdeck on my ship. We've come a long way since then, haven't we?"
"Indeed we have," Warius agreed, his thoughts drifting to the countless expeditions he had flown with Calpon over the years. The thrill of soaring through the skies in a zeppelin never quite faded, even after all this time.
As they continued their meal, Warius kept his mind on the present, enjoying his meal before he had to go back to listening to dissertations. In the back of his mind, however, he filed away the news about Nathari. He might not be concerned now, but he knew that even the smallest detail could prove crucial in the ever-changing world of the Region of Spring.