Another Writing Project (Working Title: The Exiled World)

[RazorStar 4,025]

SURPRISE SUPER ULTRA AWESOME BONUS CHAPTER!

 

Chapter 10: Heated Proposal

Leone had a favourite hangout in the city, a bar in the lower tier where she had started out. It wasn’t a well policed area, despite its proximity to the city’s new found power supply. The use of heat power was only possible due to the magma chamber located deep under Crystalia. Technology that could harness that raw power had finally been developed. This errant heat left the city at a far more comfortable temperature than the surrounding tunnels and caverns, which ranged from frigid to terrifyingly hot. She swung the bar door open and took a seat in the booth in the corner. She greeted the young waitress there, who had become used to her face. She gave a polite smile as she ordered her usual. Taking her order in stride she went to the back, and disappeared behind the double doors.

 

The owner of the bar came out with a glass of water to greet her. “Well if it isn’t Leone, my favourite customer.” She said with a wide grin. A heavy set woman with an ample chest, she always left a motherly impression. “How have you been, dear? I haven’t seen you for a week. How have your friends been?” She peppered her with questions.

 

Leone gave a polite smile, as her eyes turned to the sign hanging above the doorway. Lucky’s Bar. It was written in bright gold lettering on a green sign. In its inception the bar didn’t live up to its name. Theft was a common problem, along with kids vandalizing the doors and windows for no reason other than ‘it would be fun’. She had just begun her own mercenary company at the time, and was desperate for work. When their interests coincided, she became the primary protector of the little establishment. In time the place grew more and more popular as one of the few places that kept its patrons under control. She had a large part to do with that, and a lot of her new recruits were sent here for their first jobs.

 

“I’ve been fine, Shae.” She said casually, taking the water from her. “Have you had any problems lately?”

 

“Oh please, we haven’t had to worry about thugs and hooligans since I’ve known you.” She laughed heartily, slapping her on the back. “The worst we get is some idiot forgetting to pay his tab before leaving. It’s nothing major, and your men do good work.”

 

“That’s good to hear. I’ve been getting a lot of new faces so it’s hard for me to evaluate everyone personally.” Leone gave a wide smile.

 

Shae smiled and sat down with her. “You’re becoming famous, Leone. I still remember when you were just some young girl trying to convince everyone you were a mercenary. I can’t even count the number of people you sent limping away for trying to hit on you.”

 

“It was a lot, I’m sure. I do my best not to remember assholes.” Leone saw Shae’s frown, and swiftly changed her manner of speaking. “Uh, I mean jerks. Too many men in this world think I’m weak just because I’m a woman. Honestly, I’m glad that they’re starting to change their mind when they see me nowadays.”

 

“Have you found a man who isn’t a jerk yet?” She asked prying into her life. “You aren’t gonna be a young woman forever, Leone.” She became acutely aware of Shae’s graying hair and slight wrinkle lines extending from her eyes.

 

“Just a few flings. Nothing serious.” She admitted honestly. “I don’t have time to settle down, Shae. In fact, I’m not here to relax either.”

 

“Oh? Do tell.”

 

“You’ve heard of the Solar Knights right? One of their members is going to meet me here shortly.” She coiled a strand of her red hair around her finger and twirled it around. “They have another job for me.”

 

Shae pursed her lips together. “I don’t know if I like those guys. I was at their demonstration the other day.”

 

Leone scratched her ear. “What’s not to like about them? They want to put power back into the hands of the people and out of the hands of the corrupt royalty and their goons.”

 

Shae’s expression darkened. “I don’t know if you remember the last rebellion, you must have been pretty young when it happened. It was over twenty five years ago, after all. The streets burned and many people died to sate the egos of a few men. Those men were put to the sword, just like the rest of the rebels. In all that chaos, it was Jair who stabilized our city and built it back up again.”

 

“I’m afraid I don’t remember.” She said, taking a sip of water. “But don’t you think there are some things you have to fight for?” She set the glass of water down and looked into her eyes. “Crystalia could be so much better than it is right now. The police are a single coin flip away from the criminals in this city, and their oppression of the common folk is ignored almost everywhere. Why should a business owner ever need to hire mercenaries to protect their property?”

 

“I understand what you’re saying, and I know they aren’t perfect, but give it time. Jair has done so much, and he has always acted with the interest of the people in heart. Give him the time and he’ll fix the corruption in the guard.”

 

“I don’t disagree about that. There wouldn’t have been opportunities for me to do much of anything if not for his progressive stances on what women are allowed to do. However those changes are temporary, his successor could easily change the policy to something, Furnace knows how many men disagree with women being able to own property and businesses.” Her hands were shaking in Shae’s. “Jair is dying.” She said quietly, so that no one would overhear her. It wasn’t busy in there, but she could never be too sure.

 

“What do you mean, dear? I’m not going deaf am I?” She leaned in closer, grasping the side of the table.

 

“I don’t mean like right now or anything.” Leone backpedaled. “But the rumours hold truth in them, and the man is sick with something. He is nearing old age at fifty, so it was always possible. So who will his successor be? He certainly has no children old enough to accept the responsibility. At least not anymore, so it’s likely there will be an appointed regent among the nobles. When that happens, everything that Jair has fought for will crumble.” Shae gave her a shocked look, seeming to be unable to believe it.

 

She seemed to gather her composure quickly, and stood up. “I don’t know how you can say that, Leone. He still has a young daughter. I can remember the joy in his eyes when he announced her birth. She’ll be a fine Queen, I’m certain.”

 

“I’m not.” Leone said pragmatically. “There are too many things that can go wrong, and there are too many things left to fix. Our future can’t be left to kings and queens. Not anymore.”

 

“Very well.” Shae left, but not before leaving some parting words, “I can tell this is important to you, but what you’re doing is dangerous. Those guards have been trained to see threats in every shadow, and nothing casts a greater shadow than the sun. So please be careful.”

 

“I always am, Shae.” Leone grimaced. She always had to be careful. There were no safe places in Crystalia. “We’ll talk again later, okay?”

 

“Of course, dear.” She smiled and sauntered off to another booth, greeting her customers. Leone was still waiting for her contact to show up.

 

“He’s late.” She mumbled, tapping her fingers on the table. She glanced back to the front of the store, where a man in a red cloak walked in. He set his hat and cloak on the dusty coat rack and turned to face her. He wore a bright red shirt with gray breeches. The yellow sun was emblazoned on his chest, marking him as her contact. He looked up at his face and noticed his dark blue eyes and mischievous grin. He had his hair dyed a bright red to further evoke his dangerous image. Leone thought he looked more like a tampon than a man. He strode without purpose, floating over to the table where she sat.

 

“You must be Leone Aubert.” He said confidently. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Colin Brightside, diplomat, envoy and minister of the Solar Knights. I must say I wasn’t expecting someone so beautiful.” He extended his hand to her.

 

“Easy on the flattery, Colin.” She chortled. “You’re late, by the way.”

 

He took his hand back and sighed. “Well, I wanted to avoid trouble, and there seems to be a few guards roaming around here. Thought I’d play it safe, take the long way around. I hope you can forgive my lateness.” His eyes were analyzing her studiously, and he liked what he saw. She resisted the urge to shudder.

 

Leone smirked as if she liked the attention. “I’d rather just get down to business, Colin.”

 

“Of course.” He said without any argument, waving the waitress over. After making his drink order, he turned back to Leone and looked deeply into her eyes. She stared back, hoping her glare would cause him to break eye contact. He didn’t. His lips twitched in intrigue.

 

“Vincent has a mission for you.” His breath smelled of tobacco. “It’s pretty high-risk, so I can understand your refusal.”

 

Leone shrugged, “Will Vincent understand my refusal?” His laughter pretty much answered that question. “I figured as much.” She clenched her fist under the table. “Normally you lead with ‘Oh but the price is a handsome sum.’ or something like that. Make the sale seem like a bargain.”

 

“If you know him as well as I do, you should already know the pay will be well worth it." The waitress placed his glass on the table and methodically moved to another table. "Vincent appreciates quality, and I must say, he has a good eye.” Colin smirked, casually taking a sip of vodka.

 

“Get on with it.”

 

“He’s offering twenty gold pieces for the job.” Colin spoke softly. He seemed like the kind of man who would scoff at that obscene amount of money as if it was a mere trifle.

 

“That’s certainly better pay than his last high-risk mission.” Leone said. “Alright you’ve piqued my interest. What does he want?” He pulled out a leather case and opened it up on the table. The sparkle of the coin inside was blinding.

 

“First, the upfront pay. He was insistent you get this before you heard details.” The case held several small rolls of silver coins, one hundred in total, and each roll holding five pieces. “Five hundred silver,one fortieth of your pay. This should cover any extra equipment or labour you’ll need. If this goes sour, we want no traces leading to the Solar Knights or to Mr. Cooper, I’m sure you understand why?”

 

“Yes, I understand that man’s need for security. You can count on my discretion.” She looked over the silver for any discrepancies, but the money was clean. She closed the case and set it on the bench beside her. “This process of his is nothing unusual for me, other than the sheer amount I’m getting this time. What is this proposal?”

 

Colin looked around the booth, being incredibly cautious. “You can relax a little, guards don’t come in here. They have no reason to. This is about the furthest place from any outpost they have in the city.” Leone said, trying to calm the man. “Not to mention I have two of my own watching the door here.” She glanced over to the door looking at the two men sitting there. They looked like employees from the waist up, but the batons nestled by their hips said something different.

 

“Alright. I’m going to need you to stay calm when I say this.” He leaned in closer, speaking so quietly you could hear a pin drop. “Your mission is to abduct Princess Rysette.”

 

“Uh…” Leone was lost for words. Staying calm outwardly wasn’t a problem, being confused was. “You’re going to have to explain a bit more than that to me. Scratch that, you’re gonna have to explain a lot.”

 

He took satisfaction at taking her off her guard and continued with a smug look on his face. “The boss doesn’t care how you do it, but you have a fair time limit to do. Four hundred days.”

 

“One year.” She mimed. “And if I refuse now and walk off with the money in hand?”

 

“Keep it. You know what the boss does with loose ends. And if you don’t, you’ll find out.” He said without a trace of emotion, the thought made Leone shudder involuntarily. “Perhaps you know someone who could really use the funding.”

 

She glared through him. “I see. Do you have more information for me, or are you just delivering a threat? I can’t imagine pulling this off without some plan.”

 

“You’re interested?” He said, sweat drops rolling down his cheeks. “I must say, I’m surprised. Didn’t think a girl like you would…”

 

She stepped on his foot, just enough to get the point across. “Easy there, Colin. Watch your language.” She smiled innocently.

 

“Damn, you crazy bitch.” He didn’t quite finish his sentence as another stomp came. Harder this time.

 

Leone’s smile was strained to the point of aggravation. “Do you have more information for me or not? I’ll ask you not to try my patience again.”

 

Colin backed off, relaxing his tone. “Alright, I get it.” He mumbled something under his breath but Leone let it go. “I received no other orders from the boss other than that. He asked me to tell you to see him once you’ve made a decision though. I imagine he’ll brief you further there.”

 

“Very well.” She said as she rose from her seat, looking down at the man. “If our business is done here, I’d like you to leave.” Her tone of voice indicated that it was not a request.

 

“Heh, heh. I like em a little feisty.” He said under his breath with a vulpine grin. “I’m sure we’ll meet again Leone.” He left the table to grab his hat and cloak. Walking out the door, he tipped his hat to her. She glared back, reminding herself to keep an eye out for that man. She would have words with Vincent in the future about his messenger. In the meantime, her thoughts turned to her mission. A significant step up in escalation from the Solar Knights usual M.O. Were they ready to make a major move, or was this a response to an earlier provocation?

 

The waitress interrupted her train of thought, bringing her meal out. Thanking her, she dug in and continued ruminating as she ate the mole cutlets in front of her. Letting the savory taste bleed in her mouth, she considered what she would do.

Edited May 9, 2015 by RazorStar

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Hmmm...

[RazorStar 4,025]

[RazorStar 4,025]

Chapter 11: Surveillance

The castle was strung up in bright lights and the sounds of a raucous party could be heard throughout the palace. Nobles from all over the city gathered, along with wealthy businessmen and well known individuals. The elite of society, or at least that’s how it appeared. Calcia stood unflinching, standing right behind the popular princess, but out of sight all the same. Her mask granted her the power to become imperceptible. It wasn’t just becoming invisible. All traces of her presence were erased. This holy relic had the ability to make a gifted assassin, or in reflection to her role, a silent guardian. There was a way to reveal herself to others, either by taking off the mask, initiating in conversation, or by embracing her most powerful emotions. Rage, love, fear, any strong emotion would alert the whole castle to her presence. Her face was as calm as her stone mask, silent and unyielding.

 

She strode around the room as she kept her eyes on Rysette. She did not hate the girl, but she wasn’t particularly fond of her either. In a different setting, perhaps she would have called her friend. She was tall for her age and held a remarkable beauty even though she was still growing, and had a quick wit provided her little brother was nowhere to be seen. She doted on the prophet far too much for her own good.

The princess was engaged in a conversation with a noblewoman and her husband, they owned a lot of the viable farmland in the eastern reach as she recalled. After evaluating them as low threats, she began scanning the rest of the room.

 

She noted the man who owned the upper tier. He was dressed in fine silks, but looked worn and decrepit as he was aged well into his seventies, uncommonly old. Gunter Albion, if she remembered his name correctly. He was one of the few who survived Jair’s ascension to the throne. No succession could be entirely bloodless when you jump twenty or so claimants. Gunter would not be far from the throne himself, but the people, and likely the nobility would never stand for him taking over. He gave no impression of strength other than perhaps his sheer refusal to die of old age. He stood with his family, a group of wastrels and layabouts, not a shred of ambition could be found in any of his four children. They were wastes of space and might just be dumb enough to rise above their station. Until they prove braver than smart or vice versa, she would not remember them.

 

Another prominent man came into view. A tall burly man, he held control of the docks, the lowest tier of Crystalia. He was very much a man of the people, and under his watch the people of the docks have enjoyed more riches than they normally would have dreamed of. Although Jair appointed him himself, they always seemed to be at odds about the presence of guards in the docks. Crime was low, but Jair kept eyes on the docks all the same, just ones not as overt and as… typical. He fancied himself a captain but he held no military rank. People would call him that all the same, Captain Barrum, or Barrum Dally to those less enthused by his antics. He smiled widely and waved to the princess. She curtsied and waved back. She had always thought of the man like a kind uncle. Calcia had not seen enough of him to agree with that assessment.

 

A loud trumpeting silenced the abundantly cheerful milieu. Jair loved his damn grand entrances. Flanked by his captain of the guard and his chancellor he strode through the grand hall with unbridled confidence. Appearances were everything, and a dying man had to work that much harder at maintaining those appearances. None of the nobles had any idea the man was sick, nothing concrete anyway, but rumours were easily dispelled when a truth was displayed in the bright light. The King would display the truth that best suited him. She strode right past him, to where the King’s spymaster was, leaning beside the entrance, watching all who entered. She was a fellow Stoneguard and the senior member of the organization. Petra stood silent as ever, considering the world behind that stone mask. Or perhaps she was just sleeping, her casual demeanor suggested either was possible. Calcia flashed a few hand signals, and she flashed a few back as casually as possible. Petra was the sort of woman who could blend into a crowd even without a stone mask, silent at all times and nothing was truly remarkable about her, other than her gray hair seemed out of place. She was in remarkable shape for someone at sixty years, and her mind was sharper than a smith’s best sword.

 

You still have work to do, young one. Petra signed. Keep scouting out this rabble. I’ll hear your thoughts later. She rose up and flitted through the crowd. As one noble left to use the bathroom, she slid out the front door, another Stoneguard coming and quickly replacing her.

 

She must be busy. Calcia thought, as she spun around the room again. Jair had taken his seat upon the Diamond Throne, looking as imperial and majestic as ever. He was content to wait, letting the crowd’s attention slowly die down and focus on him. She continued scanning the rest of the room, looking for the major land owners of the middle tiers. A woman in a ridiculous hat and goggles immediately grabbed her attention. That was the current leader of the Mason’s Guild, Ella Stone. She had a flair for working with stone, and an increased influx in power due to Jair assigning her as a noblewoman. She looked after the fourth tier, a place which held its fair share of homes and due to overcrowding she had to get creative when it came to creating land bridges for the people to live on. She did her best, but that was no challenge any one woman could solve. Calcia didn’t know her too well, but she seemed harmless enough, as long as you kept the conversation away from stonework. She felt like that might be difficult as she subconsciously tapped on her mask.

 

Ella was having a conversation with a pudgy gentleman. His every motion seemed exaggerated and overt. Calcia quickly recognized him as Vincent Cooper, the layabout brother of the owner of largest vodka producer in Crystalia. The Cooper family was well known around the city, the elder son Jason for continuing the family legacy with astounding success, and the younger Vincent for being a lovable oaf. Rumour had it that Jason relied on his brother for help with negotiations and the like, and that the pair of them were more like partners, instead of enemies like the public opinion would have you believe. Judging by the sheer fury his older brother was emanating, Calcia was inclined to agree with the public.

 

She kept her eyes open for the nobles in charge of the second and third tiers. Though the third tier was technically under direct control of the king, he had it delegated to his police force. For all intents and purposes, Police Chief Brian Damper was the man who looked after the third tier. Though she did not see him here, she remembered him as a hard man with a shaved head and a hard gaze. The man held no tolerance for crime, and never believed a criminal could be rehabilitated. Reported crime was at an all-time low, and perhaps a large reason for that were the Chief’s draconian methods in dealing with criminals. The King held no objections to the man’s zeal and let him do as he pleased.

 

The leader of the second tier was also absent. Calcia didn’t know much about the woman, other than her aversion to large crowds. She wasn’t privy to private meetings between the King and his group of head nobles, but she recalled that the woman was often cited as a peacekeeper, containing the egos of the other four and Jair to help come up with rational solutions to difficult problems. Considering how often Chief Damper and Captain Barrum got into arguments, she must have been a valued member of Jair’s group. It took her a while to remember her name, but she had finally remembered it. Flora Finesse. She had chosen her own last name, which meant she was probably an orphan. No rich history to her name, and no real accomplishments either. Perhaps she was just one of Jair’s old flings? She shrugged; it wasn’t of any consequence now. She wasn’t in the crowd. She listened carefully to the silence. It seems Jair had everyone’s full and undivided attention now. Even hers, she had to admit. Rysette had moved to stand beside her father. Her face was a practiced calm in his presence. Calcia felt pity for her as she had to endure this spectacle.

 

He stood up and even that action had power behind it. The man exhibited control down to his very pores. Few people knew of the sickness eating away at his lungs, but he gave no impression of weakness. He couldn’t allow it. His voice boomed with a low tenor, “Good evening, Nobles of Crystalia, and other esteemed guests. You have my thanks for coming today. I’m sure some of you are wondering why I’ve asked you here today. I’m sure others are just enjoying the party.” He gave a wink to a noble who was deep into his drink. Getting a laugh from the crowd he gave a playful smile.

 

“Regardless of why you’ve came, I’ll answer that question. I’d like to officially announce my heir. Regarding my late uncle’s succession, and the bloody incidents that followed, I cannot allow Crystalia to suffer another grievous wound for the sake of this throne. After my sons died protecting this great nation, I have been wrapped in grief for their loss, but also pride for their noble sacrifice. However their loss has left a gap to be filled. Our beautiful city cannot afford doubt, not at such a crucial moment of change.”

He paused for dramatic effect, his poise and posture so deliberately calculated and precise that it almost felt off the mark. If not for the overwhelming charisma he carried, he would have appeared stiff and robotic. “Many of you have already met my daughter Rysette. I know that is rare for a woman to take the throne, but I see that future coming soon. I know many of you had your doubts when I let my son out of wedlock take my name. While he could not be here today to be a part of this ceremony, he has offered nothing but overwhelming support for his sister. I am blessed to have such wonderful children ready to take my mantle when that time comes. Let me assure you that Lucas will next in line after Rysette until she births a child. I hope that will be a while yet, she is still a child herself.” He gave a small laugh, and the rest of the nobles laughed as if that was the funniest thing they had heard all day. She resisted the urge to groan out loud.

“Nonetheless, I want to make it clear. Anyone who feels this is a bad idea, please speak your mind.” Jair smiled a cruel smile, lips curled tightly.

 

“A woman on the throne? That is a joke.” Barrum said crossing his arms. “We need a strong leader on the throne, not some little girl. Let her play house, not politics.” Calcia turned to Rysette, who kept her face hard. She was certain the girl was on the edge of her rope, ready to chew the man out for being a chauvinist pig. Furnace knows she wanted to do the same to the muscle head. Still she kept her cool, and Calcia wanted to applaud her for it.

 

“I assure you, underestimating my daughter is certain to end badly for you.” Jair said coolly. “Or would you say only men can be strong leaders?”

 

Barrum shook his head, and backed down a fraction. “I mean no disrespect, your Majesty; it’s only that I wonder how she will command the expedition force and the rest of the military? Of course they handle the day to day operations, but important decisions go through the crown. Can she really be counted on to lead soldiers into battle?”

 

Jair contemplated the man’s words and replied quickly. “No sovereign is without weakness, this is true. It is also true that the King or Queen may appoint someone as General of their Army. Whether she is up to the task is up to her, but she will make the right decision for the nation. If she feels that there is another who could lead our armies better, I’m certain she’d make the decision to put them in charge. Are there any more issues, Captain?”

 

Barrum quietly stood back, and nodded his head in silence. “No, Your Majesty.” A small din flickered as he stood back, but a look from the King silenced it immediately.

 

Jair’s expression softened. “Now that business is out of the way, we can finally enjoy this party.” He gave a laugh that almost seemed authentic. Calcia looked around the room again, to see Petra walk back in the room again, moving through the crowd like a fish through the hands of a child. In moments she had sidled up to the Chancellor and whispered something in his ear. Leaving the tower of a man to deliver her news to the King, she came up beside Calcia. Signaling her to meet her outside, another two stoneguards entered the great hall from the rear entrance.

 

She followed Petra out and downstairs, all the way to the very bottom of the hollowed out diamond. They came to a standard nondescript door, locked up tight. Checking for would be listeners, she and Petra examined the basement for any followers. Finding none, Petra pulled a heavy brass key out of her breast pocket, and opened the way through. Calcia quickly followed her through the threshold, shutting the door behind her. Clicking the lock back into place, she knew she had silence and privacy. She removed her stone mask, and Petra did the same.

 

“Report, apprentice.” She said. Never one to elaborate, Petra was a hard no nonsense woman. Her body rippled with muscle, but her face betrayed her age. Perhaps that was why she felt most comfortable when wearing her mask. Personally, Calcia found hers stifling.

 

“When it comes to the major nobles, I didn’t detect anything resembling threats from them. Of course, two of the five had not shown up. I assume Chief Damper was too busy to come on short notice, but that doesn’t explain why Mistress Finesse did not show up.”

 

“Would you care to expand on your thoughts? How about Barrum Dally, did you see anything suspicious from him?”

 

“He’s too straightforward. Any ploy he has would easily be ferreted out well before hand. He doesn’t have a hand in anything Jair suspects.” Calcia placed her hands together, kneading her knuckles. “When it comes to the other two, Albion strikes me as likely for coming up with some twisted scheme. Jair didn’t remove him when he built his new seat of power, and I imagine he holds some kind of resentment for the removal of the old boys in charge.”

 

“An interesting thought Calcia, but off the mark. Whoever is making moves here seems to resent people like Albion, who hold power but have no reason to hold it. He and those Solar Knights could potentially have the same short-term goals in mind, but they very clearly stand on opposite sides in the long term. Were you able to find anything else out, apprentice?”

 

“My apologies, Master. I have nothing urgent to report.”

 

She nodded, as if she hadn’t expected anything more from her. “You’ve done well today, thank you for your hard work.” She said honestly. “Please get some rest. May the roots guide you home, apprentice.”

 

“May the moss light your way, master.” She bowed to her, and handed Petra the stone mask. Petra bowed back, and turned away, granting her apprentice a fragment of privacy. Calcia was quick to act, glad to be rid of the rigid outfit.

 

Taking off the Stoneguard uniform of pale white and mossy green, she revealed the tight dress hidden underneath. It hugged her curves tightly, accentuating her long legs and made her chest seem fuller. She strode effortlessly back towards the great hall, shaking out her long black hair, letting it falls in waves along her back. Her face became the mask she had become accustomed to. Her real surveillance started now.

[Vin+ 3,121]

The game is afoot.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Well it was asked for so here it is. The unedited backlog is coming to light. Fear, for the dankness knows no bounds.

 

Chapter 12: Decay

It had been three days since the group began their hike. The moss in the tunnel was still scarce, but they could make out the faint glow of changing light as they progressed. Despite seeming fraught with danger at first, the tunnel seemed to only hold air and the absence of life. Lucas kept his light focused on the ground ahead, looking for any sudden drops in elevation. They had been slowly climbing this entire time, in a gradual path slowing looping from northwest to east. If he had any estimation of how high they had climbed, he would have guessed a few hundred meters higher than the ceiling of Crystalia.

 

Another freezing gust of wind ripped through the cavern, this time bombarding them on all sides. Lucas turned his flashlight swiftly to both sides. The path had split off six separate ways, including the way they came. Concurrent tunnels crossing in ninety degree angles segmented the way forward. The wailing cold air swirled around the crossroads like a tornado of ice.

 

“Shit, are we surrounded?” Zack said, cautiously falling back. The rest of the group had instinctually begun falling back westward. Lucas bit his lip. There couldn’t be more of those giant maggots, could there? Sure enough, slinking from the southeast and northeast were two of those maggots. They weren’t so pervasive that they filled the entire tunnel with their presence, but they were large enough to be threatening.

“Looks like two of them.” Lucas said. “We can split them going eastward, fall back, or try our luck north or southwest.” His mind was racing as he considered options. “They aren’t advancing past this juncture.” He voiced his thoughts.

 

“We can use that.” Cooper and Zack said in unison, surprising each other. “Divide and conquer?”

 

“Too risky.” Rampage said. “Although, if you two can hold off one by yourselves, I can cover our flank.” His heavy armour jangled as he slammed his fist to his chest.

 

“Seems like we have an agreement.” Zack said with his hands poised on his sheaths. “Do not pursue if they retreat. It could be a trap.” He barked out his orders, and was ready to step forward. A sudden noise stopped him. The clinking of armour, the sound echoed out from the northwest. “Wait.” He held his arms back. “Fall back, let’s observe with happens.”

 

A loud bang resounded, as a lone warrior rushed in. Decked out in armour from head to toe, he moved like a gray flash, lingering in the torch light for only a second before rushing down the southeast tunnel. The wail of the maggot roared out as a concurrent stream of explosions resounded. The soldier yelled out a guttural scream as he fell back. Standing right in the light he unleashed a flurry of projectiles from his weapon. Judging by the sounds of impact, they tore through the flesh of the maggot rather easily. The second one charged soon after, hoping to score a kill. He broke back to his original position, luring the maggot in further.

 

“Change in plans.” Zack shouted out. “Flank it! We’re taking this thing down.” He and Cooper rushed in once the maggot had crawled partway into the western tunnel. The larva had no eyes, no distinguishing marks, just an unblemished white shell. Cooper and Zack easily tore into it, ripping it apart like cloth.

 

“Not so bad when you aren’t facing the thing directly.” Cooper muttered, kicking the maggot to release his spear from its crunchy exterior. “Hey, Lucas! Do you have another one of those sparkers? We could get rid of this thing right now.”

 

“No need.” Lucas said, noticing the maggot quivering from the frontal assault. Every time the weapon fired, the maggot recoiled and convulsed. A few more clips and the beast collapsed into a heap. The gasses holding its body structure together vented out from its brand new orifices. Following the same procedure as earlier, the group backed up and out of the way of the body. The lone soldier had no such inclinations, stomping through the maggot’s remains, advancing on the group. It held its foreign weapon forward, pointing it at Rampage’s feet. “Friend or foe?” It said, but the words sounded distorted and garbled.

 

“What did he say?” Zack asked, confused. “Did he ask us a question?”

 

“I dunno, I’ve never heard anything like that. It was speaking, but it certainly wasn’t common.” Cooper replied.

 

They can’t understand him. Lucas thought. So why can I? He felt the familiar rush of the Great Furnace’s presence wash through him.

 

“Interesting.” The Great Furnace remarked. “It seems like this beast is speaking a dead language. What’s more, it’s not quite human but it’s sentient. I’ll translate for you.”

 

“How do you mean? Are you sure it isn’t human?” Lucas asked.

 

“I don’t know. Whatever it is, you’ll have to speak to it. I’ll do my best to translate what it is saying to you.”

 

Lucas nodded and understood the Great Furnace’s intentions. “We are not your enemy. Can we speak without weapons drawn?” He spoke the words, but they came out sounding entirely different.

 

The warrior looked confused. “One of you hominids can speak our language? Curious, I will not have to scare you away like the others. Adolescent, tell your friends to lower their weapons, and I will lower mine.”

 

It took a second for Lucas to process the man’s speech, but he did as asked. “Zack, Cooper, Rampage, lower your weapons, he wants to speak.”

 

“And leave you at risk? That seems like a bad idea.” Rampage said.

 

“Please trust me. I might be the only person able to speak to him. Think of the things we could learn. How could someone survive this far away from the roots of the great tree? We can answer more questions without violence.”

 

Curiously enough, Zack was the first to comply sheathing his swords. “I’ll keep an eye on him. I can draw these blades fast enough to catch him off guard if need be.” He dropped the belt holding his sheaths in place at the hips.

 

Cooper looked at Zack and did the same, setting his spear on the ground. “I don’t have the same level of implicit trust that Zack does in you.” He said, biting his lip. “I have too many questions for you, and I’d like to live to have you answer them.” His stare bored holes into the lone warrior’s helmet. He made it clear that this was merely a cease fire.

Rampage sighed as well, letting the hammer drop to the ground. “Fine. I can’t dissuade you from this course. Just know that we are no longer in a position to help you.” He spat at the ground, letting the scratching of his stubbly beard mark his distrust.

 

“Now you.” Lucas said. “Lower that… thing. We don’t want to fight.” He struggled for the right words. He had no idea what it was. It fired metal shells at a ridiculous rate, some sort of long range propulsion device using explosions? He couldn’t put a finger on the word to describe it. The presence of the Great Furnace meant that they had shared thoughts, but he was much less of an open book than Lucas was, so getting answers there was impossible. The warrior lowered the weapon, cautiously setting it on the ground.

 

“You are satisfied?” He asked.

 

“Yes.” Lucas responded in the man’s tongue. “Why are you so far away from home?”

 

“I do not understand.” He spoke back. “My home is here. Who are you people, and why do you keep coming here?”

 

Lucas stepped forward. “We’re looking for Valdor. Any information you…”

 

“I do not know this Valdor.” He interrupted.

 

“Perhaps you know it as the Origin? Or the place of beginnings?” Lucas cited the other names he knew it as.

 

His posture tightened. “There is nothing for you here. Leave.” He seemed to be leaning to pick up his weapon, but Zack had stepped forward, ready to draw his blades.

 

“Easy.” Lucas said in a low calm voice. “We’ll leave, but we have conditions.”

 

“What are they? I have no time for your games.”

 

“Just answer our questions, and we’ll head back the way we came. No need for violence.”

 

“You hominids are excellent liars, how can I trust you?” He shifted warily.

 

“The truth is you can’t.” Lucas said, feeling strain from the Great Furnace as he did. “However you lose nothing if you answer our questions. If we do ignore your warning, you’ll feel it necessary to kill us with that weapon of yours. You could have ambushed us and kill us, yet you chose to try and speak with us instead. That tells me you want to give us a chance, and you don’t want to kill us unless we either threaten you or find out something you don’t want us knowing.” Lucas crossed his arms, thinking about how to approach next, as his words translated back into that soldier’s forgotten language. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about the origin. I want to know about something you said earlier. You said there were others here?”

 

The warrior relaxed a bit, standing at attention. “Fine, I will answer your questions. If I don’t want to, I’ll ask you to leave again. If I need to ask a third time, you might not make it out of here.” He placed his foot on the butt of his weapon. “Yes. Seven of them, most were badly wounded. When they saw me they thought I was an enemy when I spoke to them. They attempted to attack me and ran when I fought back. However, they ran further ahead, instead of back where they came.”

 

“Did you encounter them again?” Lucas’ face tensed up.

 

“No.” he replied curtly. “I found a trail of blood leading back westward, but that was the only trace that someone had come back through here. I don’t patrol this crossroads at all hours of the day after all.”

 

“Thank you. I just have a few more questions for you. Why do you wear that bulky armour? I cannot see your face at all.”

 

“There’s a good reason for that hominid. If I have not made it clear yet, we are different species. My face was enough to scare those people you were looking for. I would not want to scare the one hominid who speaks my language. As poor as your grammar is, I appreciate the attempt at communication.” He tilted his head calmly. “I have a question for you as well.”

 

Not that Lucas had expected anything less. His lips dried and crackled. “Ask away.”

 

The lone soldier glanced at Lucas’ companions, weighing their gazes as if they were just small pebbles. “Why are you not affected by the gas in here?”

 

“What gas?” Lucas tried not to panic, but the second he muttered that question, Rampage and Cooper twitched.

 

“Gas? In here?” Cooper exclaimed, quickly covering his mouth.

 

“What’s going on?” Rampage said, eyes glowering at the armored man.

 

Zack stood patient and unflinching. “I think he’s bluffing. We would have noticed gas. If it was odorless, we’ve have noticed symptoms or something, right?”

 

Lucas repeated Zack’s argument to the soldier. He only shook his head in response. His posture was rigid and tight as he stood silent for a while.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine.” He replied quickly. “I suppose it’s possible for you all to have some passive immunity, though it would take exposure to build it up.”

 

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. We haven’t noticed any gas pockets in these caverns. Could you explain the symptoms to us, so we can be prepared for treating them?” Lucas scratched at his scalp furiously.

 

“Impossible. How have you not noticed? Can you not smell how foul the air is?” He almost growled in response. “Are those noses on your face merely decorations?”

 

“Compared to other species, our noses are not anything worth mentioning. Living outside of our natural environment has only made it worse.” Lucas explained, trying to keep his cool. “We rely on our ingenuity to survive, not our noses, ears or eyes.”

 

“That sort of thinking will ensure your death in this primal environment. You should hone all of your senses, or else you might find yourself clawing at your throat, claiming you see the ghosts of all those you’ve killed coming back for revenge.”

 

“That was oddly specific.” Lucas looked at him quizzically.

 

“I’m answering your question. Those others ahead of you were under the effects of the gas. Sharp and short breaths, quivering uncontrollably, paranoia, and biting out one's tongue are all common reactions. They don’t all happen to everyone, but something happens to everyone, the paranoia usually. Normally you have to just let the gas escape your system and you’ll build immunity to it. Most will die or kill themselves before that can happen if they are not attended to immediately. Your people were assuredly under those effects, and they killed each other, probably.” He crossed his arms as if to emphasize the point. “Yet the four of you come here nearly unaffected, and you’ve been in close proximity to the maggots. That gas is how they hunt, and they’ve been exuding it for hours.”

 

Lucas shuddered involuntarily. “There is so much I don’t know.”

 

“And much you could learn. If this were any other time, I’d invite you to stay with me.” He replied. “It’s not often I see a hominid completely of his senses and able to communicate with us. However… no, it’s not important. All I ask of you is for you to leave now. There is nothing but death ahead and I’ve grown to… tolerate you. It would be a shame to find your remains.”

 

“We’ll take your words to heart.” Lucas said. He turned to the rest of the group, who seemed to be on edge in their own ways. “I don’t think it’s wise to go any further. Considering the information we’ve gathered, we can call this mission a partial success.”

 

The armoured soldier nodded, and went back down the tunnel he came from, leaving the group some privacy at the crossroads. The silence remained for a while, as the group felt left in the dark and clueless, after only hearing one side of the conversation.

 

“What just happened?” Zack asked. “What the hell was that person doing all the way out here? His weapon, his attitude, what the hell was his deal?” He pointed his finger at Lucas, “and why the hell were you able to talk to him?”

 

“When I heard him speaking, it sounded just like common to me. And when I was speaking back to him, I was speaking common as well. The great furnace was translating what I was saying into his language as I said it.” He scratched his chin ruefully. “Perhaps I can learn this language myself.”

 

“So what did he say? We couldn’t glean much from that conversation, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

 

Lucas explained what the man had said about the gas in the caverns. It wasn’t something they had heard of either. “Also,” He added, “it seems like he is not the only one of his kind. There must be some sort of society beyond that tunnel.”

 

“Ok that’s one explanation.” Cooper said, idly scratching his chin. “Here’s another. That gas that makes people go insane has affected him. There is no society and he’s speaking in tongues because he has no grip on his sanity. It’s also possible that you’re being affected by it too. After all, you seemed to be having a conversation with that nut.”

 

“Settle down, Cooper.” Rampage put a hand on his shoulder, only to have it slapped away.

 

“No man, you settle down. This whole mission has been shady from the start, and now you just want to end it here when we’re so close?” His hands were trembling, “I’m tired of being left in the dark here. What was the King’s real objective with this mission? There are things you’re not telling us, Lucas, and I’m sick of being left in the dark.”

 

“I…” Lucas stuttered, “What am I not telling you?” He felt Cooper’s hands tighten on his shoulders. Gasping he dropped his staff as the man shook him furiously. His eyes were rings of red, with spiraling black irises.

 

“How about what are you, really? It doesn’t make sense, your identity that is.”

 

“Let him go Cooper!” Rampage shouted, but could barely hear himself over the sounds of Cooper yelling.

 

“Not until I get my answers!”

 

Lucas kept his voice steady and cold, “What exactly is your question?” He was shaking in the man’s tight grasp.

 

“You look nothing like Jair, or any previous Green I’ve seen. They’ve all had without exception blond curly hair. You may not have much hair yourself, but those are clearly tufts of red. I don’t think you are who you say you are.”

 

“I… I don’t know. I wasn’t originally raised by the King, but he claims he’s my father.”

 

“And what about the people who raised you? Are you saying you can’t possibly believe they are your parents? What about your mother? “

 

Lucas was on the verge of tears. “I don’t remember my mother. She died when I was a baby. The man I thought was my father raised me for seven years.”

 

“AHA! I knew you’ve been lying to us all along. C’mon spill the beans. Who was that man?”

 

“T-The burns… I don’t remember much before then. Faces are gone, it’s just shadows… please… please stop.” Lucas shuddered. As Cooper was about to press further, he saw steel fingers clench around the man’s collar as he jerked backwards. Cooper was thrown back in an instant, hitting the ground in a pile.

 

“Stop it, Stephen!” He roared, standing over him. “Can’t you see you’re freaking him out right now? If you are gonna get any more violent I’ll stop you by force.”

 

“If I have to freak him out, I will. Especially if he’s an impostor!” He went to get up, but felt a boot pressing down on his chest. Zack was standing above him, putting just enough weight to make it awkward to sit up. “Nice of you to have my back, Zack.”

 

“We need to leave now.” Zack said plainly. “There may not have been symptoms before, but thinking of it now, we’re not in our right minds. At least I know Cooper isn’t and I’m not feeling too well myself.”

 

“I’d have to agree.” Rampage said. “Lucas, we need to move and fast. Get ready.” He gave a slight nod, brushing himself off. “Cooper, I trust you can save your petty desires for another time?”

 

“There’s nothing petty about it.” He continued exclaiming. “I can see your point though, there’s a better time for this.”

 

“Good.” Zack said, releasing Cooper’s sternum. “Lucas, do you have any masks in there, by chance? Maybe it’ll inhibit some of the symptoms.”

 

Lucas rifled through his pack, but sighed in resignation. “Sorry, I didn’t have the room for them. The best thing I’ve got is a face shield for venomer attacks. I didn’t think the quality of air would be a major problem here.”

 

“It’ll have to do.” Rampage tossed it over to Cooper. “Put it on, you need it the most.” Cooper strapped it on, mumbling under his breath. “Whatever is going on right now, it’s getting in our heads. Take shallow breaths, move briskly and stay calm.” Rampage cracked his fingers loudly. “Let’s get a move on.”

 

Rampage took the lead with Cooper following close behind. Zack was keeping an eye on him and staying with Lucas at the rear. “I wonder why the gas doesn’t seem to be affecting Rampage.” Zack asked Lucas, who seemed to be lost in thought.

 

“It’s possible that it’s slower to act simply because he’s larger.” Lucas said. “It might be like alcohol consumption, where it affects a smaller person faster. He’s probably being affected by it, but I notice you seem to be fine.”

 

“Seem to be and being are two different things.” Zack said. “When Cooper put his hands on you… I would have stopped him immediately, but I hesitated. Whether it was my own personal misgivings or not, I should have done something right then and there.”

 

“I had no idea, but what do you mean misgivings? Do you think I'm hiding things as well.”

 

“I know there are things you aren’t telling us. I also know that you aren’t doing it maliciously, you’re just a bit aloof, and I understand the need for people to keep secrets. Still, you can’t fault me for being curious right?”

 

Lucas shook his head. “It’s fine. I don’t remember much after I was burned. I hope you can tell I’m not lying about that. The pain of it all wiped out everything. Whenever I try to remember, all I get is a headache. So I’m sorry.”

 

“You don’t have to apologize, and you don’t have to tell me anything.” Zack said. “However, if you want to, I’ll listen. More importantly, let’s worry about getting out of here safely.”

 

“Got it.” Lucas said, straightening out his clothes.

 

Zack turned to Cooper, who was gazing wearily at him. “How are you holding up? Still feeling crazy?”

 

“I’m not crazy damn it!” He shouted, throwing his arms in the air.

 

“Prove it then. We’re heading back and we aren’t leaving you behind to do it. We can take you back dragged over Rampage’s shoulder if you’d like, it’s up to you.”

 

"Fuck that." Rampage shouted. "I'm not dragging his sorry ass back."

 

Cooper sighed, and shook his head. “Whatever. You don’t need to knock me out, I’ll play along.”

 

“We’re settled then.”

 

They walked in silence for a time, watching each other warily. Slowly but surely, the air in the cavern had returned to its usual warmth. The four of them were deep in thought, not wanting to say anything that would bring anyone over the edge. Cooper felt that he had to play along. Surely they had to know he wasn’t going crazy. Why had they taken the words of some strange man to heart immediately? Cooper’s desire to know was only stifled by the fact that he was outnumbered in this place. If everyone was affected by the gas, then he had no choice but to follow along with the group’s pace. Deviance could mean death with these people in an unstable state of mind.

 

Zack eyed Cooper warily. The man was his best friend, but he was sowing the seeds of chaos in what was a unified group. Worst of all, he had this terrible fear growing in the pit of his stomach. I wanted to hurt my friend. The second he lashed out at Lucas, I wanted to swing my sword and cut him down, but I stopped. Am I really good enough to protect the King’s son? Can I call myself a guard when I can’t protect the most important person in the world? Zack’s thoughts were spiraling downward, into an unfathomable reach.

 

Rampage kept a brave face, but he knew the dangers of too much stress. He had men snap under pressure before, but never from a toxic gas. The horrors of war were often enough for some. He wouldn’t chastise Zack or Cooper for being weak-willed, mental trauma is dangerous no matter how strong one may be. He had to do his part and act as the bastion of strength for those two young men. He looked to Lucas, who seemed serene despite all that was going on. Was the Great Furnace’s power protecting him? Or had he already been immunized to the effects of the toxin? Another thought arose in his head. Maybe his serenity is a sign of madness. No normal person would be calm in this situation, not with the tension in this place so thick and palpable. He focused his eyes straight ahead and starting praying. The repetition, the cadence, the familiarity, he needed it to keep his cool. Maybe today the Great Furnace would answer his prayers. He wasn't even aware of how loudly he was gnashing his teeth.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

TOO MANY QUESTIONS. :panic:

 

More, please.

[GA_Eagle 595]

What the hell did they meet? Can't wait for the next. Also this should be published.

[RazorStar 4,025]

It's a short one, only 2500 words or so.

 

Chapter 13: Chemical Imbecile

A tepid thunder, a whining clatter of footsteps was the only company one would find in these tunnels. The secrets in these forgotten lands were more dangerous than could have possibly been imagined. With large creatures, all you had to do was stick a sword in them. When your own friends turned on you, the solution was not so simple. Zack kept his focus as best he could, but his eyes trailed back to his friend, who had been prone to sudden outbursts as of late. Was he a threat? Was he too far gone? Zack shook his head furiously. How could I think that of my best friend?

 

It’s because I had cause. There is nothing scarier than an enemy made of a friend, and the way Cooper was acting, Zack was frightened. His mind was already plotting battle scenarios, an old past time he’d do for fun, now became a dangerous game. He just had to keep his cool until they got out of the tunnel. Why was this so hard?

 

The ground shifted as he walked. Was he hallucinating too? No… his mind snapped back to reality. A sudden tremor knocked him hard to the floor. “An earthquake? Now of all times?” Quickly remembering training, he rolled back against the wall, reducing his surface area. Covering his head was all he could do if this part of the tunnel wound up collapsing. With an earthquake, there was always a chance you’d be buried alive. The rumble continued, as the ground shook above their heads.

 

“Roll!” Rampage shouted. Zack replied instinctively, rolling down the tunnel and narrowly dodging falling debris. The ceiling cracked over them, barring the way back with rubble. Zack was looking for Lucas, who was just far enough away from the fallen rubble. The tremors stopped just as suddenly as they began.

 

“Report.” Rampage was already ready to move. The quirks of experience were showing through right now. Lucas rose to feet steadily, signaling that he was just fine.

 

“All good here Chief.” Cooper said, tapping at the rubble behind him. “The rubble is loose here, so if we needed to open it up again we could. It'd take a couple of cycles, but we could.”

 

“And why would we do that?” Rampage said. “I think this little expedition has made it clear that this place should be sealed off.”

 

“I don’t disagree. However, it’s no longer just our choice. There are other intelligent beings on the other side of this barrier. Who is to say they won’t open it up for their needs? What do you think, Zack?”

 

“I… I think we should keep moving. We don’t know when the next aftershock could hit, or where. It’d be best to keep our distance, so we don’t get boxed in here.”

 

“I meant about that weird guy in the armour, but you raise a good point.” Cooper said, his voice no longer tinged with trauma. “I don’t want to be trapped between a rock and a rampage.”

 

“Good. We’re all on the same page here.” Rampage cracked his neck and shrugged his shoulders. Zack started moving again, taking point this time. He took a deep breath, trying to relax once again.

 

“I guess that sudden shock helped, huh?” Lucas asked, tapping Zack on the shoulder.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Your eyes aren’t shifting around as much, and your posture has loosened back up. To be honest, I thought you and Cooper were gonna come to blows.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad that you’re back to normal.”

 

Zack looked down at his hands and suddenly felt the blood flowing through them again. Had he been that tense? “I hadn’t even noticed.” He admitted. “This whole situation has been strange, don’t you think?”

 

“Absurdly so. This whole thing has been rubbing me the wrong way.” Lucas said, kicking a few pebbles down the tunnel. “There is a lot we don’t know, and I have a feeling my lord father knows more than he’s letting on.”

 

Zack scratched his head. “I can’t exactly question orders, but yes I felt it strange that he would send us down such an obscure route, and send you personally. If you weren’t here, that weird soldier might have killed us with that weapon of his. I’ve never seen anything of it’s like. Perhaps more importantly I didn’t expect to see someone living that far outside of Crystalia. There’s no possible way someone can survive out this far.”

 

Lucas shook his head. “Regardless of whether it’s possible or not doesn’t matter. There is a whole group of people living outside Crystalia. What does that mean for us Crystalians? If my hunch was right, I was right to seal off the passage way. At least for now.”

 

“Wait. Is making earthquakes part of the Great Furnace’s power?”

 

“No, but exciting a black bomb diamond is. I happened to bring one just in case we needed it. Normally I’d have needed to set a sparker off to blow it up, but it seems I can excite inorganic items as well. I’ll have to run some more tests on what this power can do.” He started rambling, and Zack remembered the last time he interrupted the kid on one of his spiels.

 

Zack let him ramble for a bit, as he ran his thumb over the pommel of his sword. He lost himself in thought. His mind kept coming back to that soldier, as he thought of ways to fight him and that weapon he carried. Would it even be possible to defeat him? Maybe he was grateful for not having a way back to that tunnel. He turned his eyes forward, watching his companions again. Cooper seemed less tense but a scowl was affixed to his face. Rampage’s broad back was a tensed knot of muscle and bone. Zack couldn’t wait to get out of this place.

 

Rampage spoke up suddenly, responding to one of Lucas’ rhetorical questions. “If you’re wondering why he sent you here, it’s simple. You’re the only person who would have made it out of this situation alive. I’ve been thinking on it and Jair must have known more about what was going on here than he was letting on.”

 

“Care to explain?” Cooper piped up, responding in a worn out tone.

 

“Bear with me here, I’ve never been good at manipulating others, so I can only guess at Jair’s intentions.” He rubbed the sweat off of his forehead. “Zack take point for a second.” Nodding, Zack moved to the front of the group, while Cooper and Rampage hung back with Lucas.

 

“Alright, so the first thing he did before he left was give you that relic from the other Prophets. That staff seems to be giving you impossible powers. Fueling energy into a bomb, healing terminal injuries, impossible or at the least highly improbable abilities that human beings are not capable of doing. Nothing that you’ve used that power for should have been relevant these past few days and could not have been anticipated. However, when we encountered that person, you were able to speak to him, using the Great Furnace’s ability.”

 

“I see what you’re saying.” Cooper said. “He knew that a prophet would be necessary to talk to the people living out here in the middle of nowhere. Following that logic, he knew that there were people living out here in the middle of nowhere.”

 

“Which means that this hunt for relics of Valdor was just a lie?” Lucas asked, his hands trembling. “I can’t believe that he’d lie to me.”

 

“He had his reasons.” Cooper said. “People lie to each other because sometimes the truth just gets in the way. Honesty is nice, but when getting people to do something difficult lies are just easier. Go on, Rampage. There is more, right?”

 

“You stole my roll.” He said, dejected. “Well I’m not so sure the King was lying either. If what you told us about this guy is true, he reacted poorly when you mentioned Valdor. For whatever reason he had, he doesn’t want anyone going there. With all of that in mind, maybe Jair thought you’d be able to talk your way through this secret society and get to Valdor?”

 

Lucas slumped into a pile. “So I failed entirely then.”

 

“Hardly.” Rampage said. “Keep in mind I’m just offering ‘what ifs’ not ‘what ares’. If you weren’t here I’m certain we would have fought that guy, and there would be less of us standing here. In any case, I don’t think the King knew for certain that you would gain powers from carrying that staff around, but he did know that you would be able to speak in different languages.”

 

“There is historical precedence for that.” Lucas said. “When the original people were exiled, they were of different tribes, with different appearances, nationalities and languages. It was Alys who was able to bridge the difficult language barrier between people, and how the common language we know today was formed.”

 

Rampage gave a small smirk, “and if you know that, the King knows that too.”

 

Lucas’ eyes flashed as the pieces started falling into place. “The Great Furnace told me that the man in there was speaking a long dead language, which means that the society that soldier belonged to must have been exiled at a different time than the original humans were. Either that or they were separated from Alys’ group during the time before discovering Crystalia. That only raises more questions, like how and why they separated.” Lucas shook his head from side to side, groaning all the while.

 

“Not to ruin your fun,” Zack said. “But you aren’t gonna get anything accomplished by just thinking about it. When we get back, let’s just ask the king what he knows. It’s the least he can do for us after getting you home safely.”

 

“We aren’t safe yet. I admire your quick thinking Lucas, but that cave in you caused could seriously affect our path forward. We have no idea how stable the bedrock is outside of the great tree’s protection.” Rampage knocked gently on the wall, as the earth gave a quiet mumble in response. Sweat poured down Rampage’s neck. “That’s not good.”

 

“Quiet.” Lucas said, putting a finger to his lips. “I hadn’t considered that the ceiling would be weaker here. Step lightly, move quietly and breathe slowly. Don’t touch the walls and ceiling if you can avoid it.” His face creased as he gave the orders.

 

“One thing after another.” Cooper moaned quietly. “Really wish I had something to drink right about now.” For his sake he was relatively quiet after that. They carried on like that for a few hours, taking shorter breaks, not wanting to linger for too long.

Zack carried on, stepping cautiously through the slick tunnels. His torch was growing warm in his hand, a telltale sign that it was about to run out of juice. He gave a short signal to Rampage to pull out his torch, and waited for the second beam of light to take over. It didn’t come. Zack quickly jerked his head back to Rampage, to see the man fallen over on the ground. Zack’s torch went out, as darkness and silence engulfed the cavern.

 

---

 

Steven knew he had to move fast, he would only have the cover of darkness for a few brief moments. A fervent emotion had gripped him and he felt the compulsive need to obey. He had to escape these tunnels, and he had to do it now. He couldn’t handle this skulking. Another one of those foolish plans from the brat had left them all in peril. It wasn’t fair, he had to be stopped. He had to escape to Crystalia and warn them about what was in this place. Zack and Rampage were compromised, they trusted that kid too much, and he was gonna get them all killed. He had to get back first.

 

Rampage reached into his pack to grab a new torch. As he lowered his head, Steven struck home with the butt of his spear. Not waiting for him to fall, he quickly ran over to cover Lucas’ mouth as he tried to scream out. He slammed the boy’s head against the cave wall and watched as he slumped over, unconscious. A thin trickle of blood flowed from the back of his head. Zack snapped his head back and his torch blew out. Shutting his eyes and crouching down low, Steven ran hard, tackling Zack and bringing him down onto the ground. Taking advantage of the scenario, he started wailing down blows at Zack, who was barely blocking them.

 

Zack’s counterattack was completely silent, as he started to perceive exactly where the blows were coming from. He landed a hard blow into Steven’s gut, but it was met with the same response. Steven couldn’t help but chuckle. He barely felt the hit as he launched his own flurry of blows. A left cross to the solar plexus, a jab to the forehead, he could not relent. Finally Zack spoke. “Cooper? What the hell are you doing?”

Steven panicked, and stopped attacking for a brief moment. A brief moment was all Zack needed to turn the tide. He grabbed him at the shoulders and twisted hard, putting Steven under him. Using his newfound strength, he kicked Zack over his shoulders and started bolting away. He wasn’t going to win a prolonged fight, and he didn’t want to kill him if he didn’t have to. He would regret leaving Lucas alive, but he had no choice. He had to escape this hell. Suddenly a thought occurred to him, he didn’t have to kill the boy personally. He yelled at the top of his lungs and bashed his spear on the cavern walls. He would let the tunnel finish the job for him. The earth mumbled in agreement, and Cooper couldn’t help but smile as he left them behind. The shaking intensified and the sound grew louder, buzzing in his head as the ground above him started to give way. The ceiling behind him opened up as rubble collapsed the passage.

 

The prophet would die a slow death, either from suffocation or starvation. If he was lucky, one of those boulders fell on him. It was a shame Zack and Rampage had to die too, but it was too late for them. He was finally safe. There were enough provisions in his pack to last a few more days, and by then he’d be able to reach Westgate. He’d have to come up with a story of why he was the only one who made it out, but he could manage that easy enough. With no witnesses, he could just say it was an unfortunate accident. Slowly he realized exactly what he was doing.

 

He fell to his knees, crying out for forgiveness. Tears streamed down his face in rapid torrents. “Oh Furnace… what have I done?” He curled into a ball and wept like a baby. Fatigue and sorrow washed over him in equal measures, eroding his soul.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Jeebus. wtf, Coop.

 

I really want to know more about the other civilization, dammit.

Edited July 1, 2015 by Zack_of_Steel

[RazorStar 4,025]

Well you can't now. Everyone is dead.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Negged for lying about a new chapter.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Chapter 14: Dominion

The veil of consciousness fell from his eyes, and in mere moments he had transcended his own humanity. In a brief moment all that would ever be was at his fingertips, waiting for a lucid hand to grab it. He hit the ground like a sack of stones as the air escaped from his lungs in a horrid gasp. The god inside him took control, the embodiment of wrath and fear. Lucas drifted away, back into a familiar dream.

 

---

 

Zack stumbled back to his feet, counting his luck that the cave in didn’t get anyone trapped under a pile of rubble. He tried to catch his breath, but found the air shallow and stagnant. Everyone in this tunnel was dying. It would not be immediate, but the lack of oxygen would do it soon enough. Everyone in this tunnel was already dead. He was dead, breathing on a wicked loan. He wouldn’t die on these terms, he wouldn’t allow it. He had to live, he had to get back home, he had to…

 

A loud shout snapped him out of the downward spiral. Rampage had gotten up, rubbing the back of his skull. “Lucas!” He roared, rushing to the kid. Zack didn’t notice before, but there was a small pool of blood forming where he was slumped against the wall. Rushing to join him, Zack immediately grabbed the bandages stuffed into Lucas’ backpack. Light but it was hard to breathe in here. He placed the gauze on the back of the boy’s head and applied pressure, letting the cloth soak in blood. Discarding and replacing the red rag with a fresh one, he wrapped the bandages tightly around his skull. Lucas’ eyes snapped open, burning gold.

 

“That won’t be necessary.” He said in a cold voice. Zack could feel the chill creep down his spine as he rose from the ground. His hands balled in fists, his eyes hard as diamonds. His hood fell off, he was tranquil in the midst of a storm.

 

Silence accompanied them, as he strode toward the rubble boxing them in. Slowly, but powerfully he changed his stance, and drew his arm back. Zack stared intently, as in that brief moment, his arm flashed with power. Throwing it forward his arms seemed to move so fast that they blinked out of existence. The rubble in front of them cracked with each blow. For those brief moments in time, Lucas had become the lone constant in a world of variables. He was the antithesis of weakness, not merely strength but somehow something more tangible. Solitary and impervious, the mountain crashed into the debris and rubble.

 

The path forward exploded in front of them, shards of rubble exploding in all directions. With another flurry of blows the shards flying towards him were deflected harmlessly to the ground. Blood coalesced in the prophet’s knuckles, splitting the scarred skin, but he gave no indication of pain or struggle. A frigid smile cracked his lips.

 

Zack was lost for words, as all at once a brand new fear had taken hold of him. He struggled to keep his jaw shut as the cloaked boy settled into a relaxed posture, crossing his arms over his chest. It was then Zack noticed the large bracelets of rock and stone fused to his forearms and ankles. The weight looked unbearably heavy, but he seemed nonplussed by the boulders he was dragging along. “Burn me, what the flaming inferno was that?!” he said, paying no mind to his tongue.

 

Lucas gave a dejected look at him, an expression so unfamiliar that Zack took a step backward. “This was something most unfortunate.” He said in a wistful tone. “I had hoped not to manifest like this again. It will take some time before he can come back. This is most unpleasant…”

 

Rampage spoke up this time, managing to utter out a coherent sentence. “What are you, Lucas? I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. Smashing rubble into fine powder with nothing but your bare hands is impossible!”

 

Lucas shifted on the balls of his feet. “Nothing is impossible, just absurdly difficult. Though breaking a few rocks is nothing difficult for me. Not when you can hear their voices and know them as intimately as you would a lover. These stones have been my companions for nearly six hundred years, after all.”

 

“Now really isn’t the time to be cryptic, Great Furnace.” Zack said. “I assume you’ve taken temporary possession of Lucas.” He gathered his wits about him, thinking rationally as time seemed to return to its normal cadence. “Are all prophets programmed with these fail safes, or are we just lucky?”

 

“You two certainly are. Lucas however…” His lips snarled like barbed wire. “Well I suppose it all depends on him. In any case, this manifestation is more permanent than I would have liked, and this body is nowhere near used to the strain I can put on it.” He gripped the burnt hand tightly and mumbled under his breath. “Looks like you’ll have a few more scars. I’m sorry, Lucas.”

 

“Ok so I’m still incredibly lost here.” Rampage said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re telling me that God is controlling Lucas right now?” He slammed his hand against the cavern wall, but the bedrock didn’t flinch, didn’t shuffle, it stood as calm and serene as the Great Furnace looked. “That doesn’t make any sense. This doesn’t make any sense! All this shit makes no fucking sense!”

 

The Great Furnace looked at him quizzically, as if waiting for a child to finish their tantrum. As Rampage’s ineffectual retorts died down, he finally responded. “When it comes to the impossible, they say what you sense is the truth, whether anyone else senses it or not. When it comes to the possible, there is only known and unknown. As you have not seen so much in your life as I have, whatever is unknown to you must be impossible.”

 

“I get that you like the sound of your own voice GF, but this discussion can wait. We have to find Cooper.”

 

Rampage looked around, scanning the area. “Oh no! Did he get buried under the rubble? Cooper! Answer if you can hear me!” He got on his knees and start digging through the scattered piles.”

 

“Stop.” Zack said, resting his hand on Rampage’s shoulder. “He was the one who caused that rockslide and attacked us.” His voice was quivering, “I thought the effects of the gas would have cleared after the first quake!”

 

“If it were that simple we wouldn’t have needed to head down here in the first place.” The Great Furnace said, striding forward with a broad swagger. “He’s not far, and he’s not hostile.” He pointed forward into the pitch black cavern.

 

“I’d ask how the hell you know that, but I already know you’re gonna say something like ‘I’m a God, I can do anything, yadda yadda.’” Zack said. “I’ll take your word that he’s down there, but I don’t trust that he’s not a threat. Not after what just happened.”

 

The Great Furnace shrugged. “That’s your prerogative I suppose.” The three of them moved carefully following the God down the narrow corridor. “Do you see him now?” He asked as he came upon the shell of a man curled up on the floor.

 

“Yeah. You really do have a good eye for this.” Zack said. His hands nestled on the hilt of his sword. As he pulled the sword from his sheath, his hand froze. Rampage gripped it tightly and waited for him to put his sword back.

 

The Great Furnace looked at the both of them, and then back at the crying man. “Bind his hands. He will be judged, but not by me.” He glared at Cooper, using his sheer presence to break the man out of his pity party.

 

“Oh, now your ghosts have come to haunt me.” He said in half of a chuckle. “I’m already damned in the afterlife; I may as well have some company in this one. You didn’t happen to bring a drink with you? I’m parched.” He sat up straight, laughing and crying together in cacophony. “Well I suppose ghosts don’t need to drink.”

 

“Stephen Cooper.” He said in a hauntingly quiet voice. “This is no dream, no illusion or trick of the mind. Your attempted murder has failed and will not be forgotten by anyone here.”

 

“Murder?!” He spat incredulously on Lucas’ shoes. “FUCK YOU. You were going to get us all killed with your stupid plans. Bringing down the tunnel on us was your fucking idea.” He jolted forward, but was immediate shoved face first into the dirt. Zack tied his hands together, ignoring Cooper’s protests.

 

“Zack.” The Great Furnace turned to him. “What do you want to do with him?”

Zack finished tying him up, and gave him a hard shove back onto the ground. “What are you getting at?”

 

“Does he live, or die?” The words echoed through the cavern like the creaking of old bones. Zack stood rigid in place, his mind blank for what felt like eternity. A single second passed. His hand reached for the sword on his hip.

 

Cooper’s face paled. “I don’t get a say in this?” He said struggling against the ground. Zack stepped harder on his back, stifling his spasms. “C’mon guys. Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

Rampage spoke up, grinding his foot into the ground. “He will have a trial. We’ll let the law decide his punishment, killing him here makes us no better than him. Only a coward would consider the choice you gave us.”

 

Lucas’ eyebrow curled. “Very well. Zack, would you mind moving your foot for a second?” Zack cautiously stepped off. He kept his hand at his sheath regardless. The Great Furnace approached him and knelt down, staring right through his eyes. “You’ve been given an opportunity few men get. You chose wise friends, and you threw them away. Consider that when you beg for your life, consider what you’ve just lost today.”

 

“What the hell are you doing, Rampage?” Cooper spat out. “You should kill me. It’d only be fair. I mean, you’ve sentenced me to death anyway, why bother waiting? What makes you think you can be so high and goddamn mighty now?”

 

Rampage scoffed. “Fairness doesn’t factor in. Not to mention, I still want to believe you aren’t that fucking stupid and that it was a side effect of that poisonous gas. Plead for mercy before the king, and you might keep your head.”

 

Cooper laughed. “Just like you did when Gareth and Graham died?” His eyes narrowed, the tunnel embracing an unspoken silence. “Unlike you, I actually tried to kill his son. However, I failed where you didn’t. Funny how that works.” He struggled along the ground, turning his head just enough to stare down Rampage. “You fucking coward.”

 

“Enough.” The Great Furnace said. “Gag him and cover his ears. I’ve heard more than enough.”

 

Cooper fidgeted as a dirty shirt was shoved into his mouth, and taped into place. He didn’t resist as the tape covered his ears as well, muffling any sound out there. However, he did resist as he felt Lucas sit on his back. “No need to let him read my lips.” He said calmly.

 

“What do you want to say?” Rampage said, leaning cautiously along the tunnel wall. “I hate the thought of lingering here any longer.”

 

A small smirk crept up on Lucas’s face. Zack noticed how odd the expression looked on him when his eyes were still cast down, burning holes into the ground.

 

“I’ve asked you all to take part in something exceedingly dangerous. You have done wonderfully so far, and for that, I thank you. However this situation is well past anything I could have suspected, and these last few hours have confirmed exactly what we’re dealing with.” He sighed, his voice trailing off in the distance. “I guess I really have two things to tell you. It’s difficult to put into words, but I’ve had more than enough time to dwell on them.”

 

“What happened to your ‘you don’t need to know’ attitude?” Zack blurted out.

 

“The situation has changed drastically since we last spoke, Zack.” He said without a hint of apology. “In any case, there are some things you do need to know, and in order to properly explain, I’ll need some time. Now, will you let me finish?”

 

Zack stepped back, not realizing how close he was standing. “Yeah sure, say what you need to.”

 

“Excellent. I should probably start at the beginning. I’ll try my best to keep it brief, but I’ll admit I have a tendency to ramble on. So for starters, I’m not a god. I may be far flung past the limits of humanity, but without omnipotence I’m no closer to godhood than the rest of you. Not that godhood is all that admirable a goal, but that’s not really relevant. What is important is what I am exactly. Barring exceptional circumstances, I am immortal. My consciousness can transfer to compatible bodies while my main body is sleeping, and with enough force I can overwrite someone’s memories and substitute them with my own. Believe me when I say I haven’t done it to Lucas, the nature of my own power is disturbing even to me.”

 

“You’re going to have to slow this down a bit.” Zack said. “A lot of what you’re saying makes no sense. If you can’t die, why do you look so concerned?”

 

“I may not be able to die, but Lucas could. This body would not have been strong enough to endure the torture I’ve gone through, despite its frightening compatibility to my conscious. If Cooper had succeeded in killing Lucas, that would be that. My consciousness would return to the great tree above you, and we not have a new prophet for quite some time.” He bared his teeth, almost growling in frustration. “Or worse, I will fully manifest in Lucas’ body. If these burns ever regenerate, you’ll know that I’ve taken him over completely. That is the last thing I want to do, but I may not have a choice in the matter.” A hint of melancholy stumbled out.

 

“Can you take the body of just anybody?” Rampage asked. “Or is there some sort of restriction? I imagine if you had a choice, you would not have chosen a frail eleven year old boy.”

 

“I would have preferred not to take anyone’s body at all, but yes there are restrictions. Some I do understand, and some I don’t. I came to Lucas when he was on the brink of death the first time. The second time has been much the same. Whenever someone is near death, there is an opportunity for them to be saved by me, but that chance may just kill them anyway. If a million people take that chance, all but one would likely die anyway. It is not common to cheat death, and only by constantly defying its hold do you even stand a chance at living. Once I take over a body, it’s gifted with temporary immortality until the host reawakens. Whether they accept me or not, I share a place inside their head until they die. However I cannot take control of them unless they want me to or they are on the brink of death themselves. I should say that’s the typical outcome, but my connection to Lucas has been anything but. Without trying I have borrowed him on countless occasions, even while he has been conscious.”

 

“You know that might be the most fucked up thing I’ve ever heard.” Rampage said, spitting on the ground. “I can’t believe people worship you. I can’t believe I used to.”

 

“I don’t disagree, but I’m an unnatural phenomenon. By all natural laws, I should not exist. However, I decided to damn those natural laws six hundred years ago when I first cheated death. I was not the only one who made this decision, however. When I first changed into the immortal I am now, there were fifteen of us. Now there are nine… no, ten now. One I thought I killed has somehow come back to haunt me.”

 

“If you all are immortal, how can there be less of you than before?” Zack asked. “Or can I assume that only immortals can kill immortals?”

 

“You are sharp. That is correct. Immortals are not only long lived, but they also gain incredible power. The one who taught me called this power Dominion. Fire, Metal, Wind, Water, Faith, Darkness, Chaos, Life and many others… these are attributes that govern the world around us. People with Dominion have inherent control over a number of these attributes. Never all of them, but at least one, sometimes two or more, but those are rarities on top of rarities. Someone with Dominion over an element can kill anything. When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, the force will win.”

 

Zack placed his hand to his chin. “If what you’re saying is even remotely on the mark then you think there’s another immortal running around here? It has to do with that gas, correct? Is that a form of this Dominion you’re talking about?”

 

The Great Furnace nodded. “I am impressed. You would be correct. This ‘gas’ is the Dominion of Decay. A very minor application of the effect, but wholly dangerous to the uninitiated. It spreads without warning, and is activated by the power of suggestion from whomever the Immortal deems worthy. If I know the person doing this, this sort of chaos seems right up his alley.”

 

“So that soldier is an immortal?” Rampage asked. “And he’s trying to kill anyone who enters his territory? That seems rather convoluted when he carries a weapon that could just do the job in the first place.”

 

The Great Furnace gave a slight chuckle. “I forget that you don’t know this immortal like I do. He would never reveal himself in that fashion. He would simply has his guards act as his detonators. They ignite the spark in people, and cause exactly what Cooper did to us just a few minutes ago. I’ll bet you that soldier doesn’t even know he’s the one causing everybody to act out like that.”

 

Zack scratched his head. “Why would it do that? And is there any chance of removing that Dominion from Cooper?”

 

“He could have plenty of reasons for doing it, but I’ll guess that he wants to keep people away from him. I could not elaborate on his reasons, but it would be easier to scare people from entering, rather than just killing them on sight. If it’s done in that way, his soldiers remain blissfully unaware of what they’re doing, and he can maintain his secrecy for whatever it is he’s planning, without being questioned by his underlings.”

 

Zack scratched his head. “You’re leaping to too many conclusions here, GF. First of all, we didn’t know about the gas until Lucas told us about it, second, what makes you so certain he’s leading this bunch from the shadows.”

 

“Ugh, don’t call me GF, that’s just awkward. Julius is fine or Jay if you prefer. I’ve never liked the Great Furnace moniker much, and I don’t see the need to stand on ceremony anymore. It isn’t the time for those petty things.” He said with a deep look of concern on his face.

 

“Sure, Julius, whatever you want to be called. The fact remains that you’re making some big leaps.”

 

Julius furrowed his brow. “Yes, you might be right. To your first point, it’s possible that the activation effect occurs whether you understand the suggestion or not. Another alternative is that he has made me an activation factor. I have not seen him in a long time, but it stands to reason that he could have made me one at any point we’ve known each other. All he needs is physical contact with a person to make them an activation factor for his Dominion. I suppose his Dominion can transcend space if it affects me through another consciousness. As for the second point,” he said rubbing his temples, “I suppose I just know him too well to expect anything different. He is charismatic, exceedingly confident as has the demeanor of someone who could never accept being second place. He’s almost certainly taking an active leadership role in the society he’s created. As for his goals, I have no idea. He has always been… enigmatic in that regard.”

 

“Alright, I’m giving you a wide berth here because you just saved our lives, but if you’re an activation factor for his Dominion, how can we be sure you won’t spread it to Crystalia? How do we know you aren’t working with this other immortal for some end we cannot comprehend?” Zack asked, unconsciously resting his hands on the pommels of his swords.

 

“I spent five hundred years keeping the people living here alive. Why would I want to kill them? Let’s not kid around here, the only reason I’m telling you this is to give you an idea of how dangerous this situation is. Someone as powerful as I am is down here, and he does not have your best interests at heart. I may not know what he’s doing, but it’s not good. Worse yet, he is probably suspicious that two groups of humans have come close to his territory in the past couple of weeks. When he gets the report from his soldier, I have no idea how he will act, but I do know we need to be prepared.”

 

“Prepared for what, exactly?” Rampage interrupted. “You really haven’t given us much on this guy, other than some of the things he can do.”

 

Julius sighed. “Invasion would be first guess, but he probably doesn’t know I’m here. If I were him, I’d send an envoy. Not immediately of course, but maybe in a few weeks. Let him get a feel for the society he wants to disrupt.”

 

“And that envoy would have an activation factor for that Dominion?” Zack asked, biting his lip.

 

“No. Well he could be, but it’d be irrelevant unless Cyrus came himself, and he doesn’t like exposing himself, unless he knows exactly what he’s facing. However I am just snowballing here. He could decide to just charge in with his soldiers, and I can’t imagine that going well for us. The point is, neither side knows much about each other and let’s just say Cyrus and I are not on the best terms. If he finds out I am here if only in spirit, he will do whatever he can to kill me.”

 

“What the hell did you do to piss him off so much? Couldn’t you just say you were sorry so we don’t have to get caught in your holy war?”

 

Julius’ face was stock still, his voice cold as ice. “I pinned him to the bottom of the ocean, and left him to drown. Over and over again, he died, resuscitated and drowning in an endless cycle. I do not have enough lives to beg forgiveness for that. If I told you I was justified in doing that, would you believe me?”

 

“I really want to.” Zack said, “Because the alternate option is too terrifying to consider.”

 

He nodded slightly, slowly getting off of Cooper’s back. “I’ll leave it at then. We are in danger. It is not immediate, but it is certain. As sure as the moss changes from red to blue, it is certain.”

 

Rampage walked to give Cooper a hand up. “What about him? Is he still a risk for that Decay shit?”

 

Julius looked at him and nodded. “No. He’s gotten it out of his system. I’d keep him restrained, but you can remove the gag and the tape over his ears. I think the only thing we need to worry about is him hurting himself. The effect of Cyrus’ Dominion is that is only works once for a limited amount of time and it only works at a certain distance away from him. All of these conditions have been cleared. He’ll be fine, at least until his trial.”

 

Rampage quickly ripped the gag out of his mouth, letting him choke out a few invectives. Ripping the tape off of his ears didn’t help matters either. With one last loud uttering of an insult that would make the surliest soldier blush, he coughed out an apology to Zack and Rampage. He turned to Julius and stared him down. Walking up to him, he whispered into his ear. “I heard everything, you know.”

 

“That was intentional.” A smug grin crept up on his face. “I needed to make them comfortable, even if that made you uncomfortable. After all, there were parts you needed to hear.”

 

“Why? What possible reason could you have for telling me all that?” Cooper looked confused, as Julius tightly gripped his shoulder.

 

“His Dominion affects people in different ways. Zack underwent crippling fear; Sulai became even quicker to anger, but you… you embraced the desire to kill. Your friends have saved your life… but you should know I do not make idle threats. If you do anything to harm Lucas ever again, I will find a fate for you far worse than death.” Cooper swallowed, as the immortal loosened his grip. “Now, let’s go home, shall we?” He gave the brightest smile he could muster, which only panicked Cooper more.

 

“Amen to that!” Rampage gave a small laugh, but he couldn’t find this situation funny at all. There was nothing he wanted more than to be out of this hellhole. His mind wandered to the memory of his wife’s cooking, the only calming thought he had in these past few hours. The only thought keeping him from screaming his lungs out in terror or throttling Zack for convincing him to come along. He didn’t sign up for this shit; he didn’t want to be caught in a war between gods with magic powers. Giant spiders were more than enough trouble for him.

 

Zack was still wary, as he let Julius take the point of the formation. Seeing as he was some sort of killing machine now, it made no sense to protect him. With the way his mind was, he doubted he’d be of much use anyway. Without thinking he walked beside Cooper. He had to know the truth. “Cooper. Why, man. Why would you try and kill us like that?”

 

“Zack.” He didn’t have the words for him. Truth is he didn’t really know why he was affected so strongly, and the truth wasn’t good enough. He looked Zack in the eye. “I’m sorry.”

 

“I know.” He said, clenching his fists. “I know you regret it now. I know that you’ve severed our trust so completely that I can never let you have my back again. I just want to know why you did it.”

 

Cooper couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. Not a hearty laugh, but the kind of laugh that said everything he wanted to say. He fucked up, and felt like he couldn’t do anything about it. Even his diaphragm betrayed him. “Maybe you should have never trusted me in the first place.”

 

Zack looked on blankly. “Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t have. But you earned that trust once you saved my back in boot camp. When you decided to stand up for me during training, I knew I could count on you. When we fought mag-spiders in these tunnels just a few months ago, you had my back. Maybe I’m foolish, but I want to believe that you trusted me too.” The usual passion in his voice was stripped bare.

 

Of course I trusted you. Cooper thought. You’re so damn straightforward I couldn’t help but trust you. He would never say it however. There was too much doubt in his heart for that. Who could forgive someone who couldn’t forgive himself?

 

“Nothing to say, huh?” Zack turned back. “I know it wasn’t your fault. The Great Furnace just explained that it wasn’t your fault, but I can’t accept it! Let me believe that ridiculous story, let me believe in you again Cooper.” He choked back a few tears. “Stephen, please. If you say something like I didn’t have control of myself, or anything. I’ll believe you.”

 

Cooper spat on the ground. “Damn it. Even if that was true, I still did it with my own hands. I’m still guilty of trying to kill you whether I knew what I was doing or not. You should just stop trying to believe in me, I never trusted you anyway.”

 

Zack stopped walking suddenly. “Alright then, if that’s what you want. The Great Furnace may want to see you dead for what you did, but I don’t. Just… Just remember that.” He continued on again, silence accompanying him in the dark cavern.

 

---

 

He looked at the boy named Lucas, who strode so confidently it was apparent he was a different person entirely. The weight of his glare was far too heavy for a child to possess. Cooper turned back and saw Zack trailing behind. He was attentive, watching for their previous signs they left behind, making mental notes and outright ignoring him. That was for the best. Lastly he turned to Rampage. His muscles were corded into knots, as every part of him seemed to be tightening like he was using himself as a stress ball. He was certain that was all the self-control that man could muster.

He listened to the sound of the cavern’s breathing, as water dripped from stalactites on high. The sounds of a rapidly beating heart echoed in his chest, too afraid to slow down. The sounds of his throat were desperately swallowing, as if he wanted to drink his fear and self-loathing. He listened to the sounds of marching feet, as he marched to face his punishment. Stephen Cooper absorbed the sounds of deafening silence.

 

---

CHAPTER END

---

Edited July 9, 2015 by RodgerStarr

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Dayum, this is some Lost shit. Answer two mysteries, create five more.

 

Your writing is as immersing as the story and world you're crafting. I said before that if I saw this on the shelf I'd buy it, but now I'm insisting that you let me buy a copy when it's finished (publishing a forgone conclusion at this point).

[theMileHighGuy 656]

Not a big reader but I had some time to kill so I thought I'd read your first chapter.

 

I'm through chapter 4 now.

 

Really good stuff man, definitely going to read the rest eventually.

[RazorStar 4,025]

<_ may as well post my backlog. depression and life has completely halted progress i don think touched this in the past month which really sucks. not too fond of these chapters but get them out. update later today.>

[RazorStar 4,025]

Chapter 15: Crystal Days

The diamond palace of Crystalia shone brilliantly as ever, as the days passed after Rysette’s formal introduction to the court as the queen in waiting. The maids and butlers seemed more vibrant, the guards more disciplined, and even the king himself seemed to be in better spirits. The sounds of children kicking stones into the lakes splashed softly into the cold break of day. The moss shone in brilliant hues of red and the fireflies added bright blue to the sonnet of colour. The city hummed with an eager fervor, stalls in the marketplace closed to make way for musicians clad in rainbow hues. Today was a day of celebration. Today signaled the birth of a new year, as the lakes below bubbled softly.

 

Children gathered around a wizened priest, gray of beard and hunched of back. He told them of their history, and how every four hundred cycles the people celebrate the changing of the year. The river holds the memory of all who have drank from her. The mist that dances along the flowing path takes the shape of forgotten memories. It is a ritual of remembrance, and a reminder to always look to the path ahead. Though celebrations have been forgotten due to wars and strife, the memories of the dead have always resurfaced on this day.

 

“They say Alys saw the face of her first love on the day our people came to Crystalia. When she gazed upon his face, her smile brought warmth to these caverns. Her tears made the water drinkable and safe from disease. She had been lead to this place by the Great Furnace who had gently guided her and the rest of humanity to this sacred place. After many years of exploring, wandering, and desperately trying to live, humanity found a home, thanks to Alys.”

 

The priest gave a wide smile, as a small child tugged on his robe. “Why was she crying? Shouldn’t see have been happy?”

 

“Of course she was happy. Her tears weren’t for herself or those that followed her all this way; they were for everyone who didn’t make it. We celebrate this day to remember the dangerous journey our people faced. To remember those we lost, and those we loved. Alys cried because her heart held nothing but love. She cried, and those tears nourished the earth. The roots above pierced through the rocky dome, and the Crystalia was carried down to her as a gift.” The priest turned to look at the small crowd that had gathered before him. “Do any of you know what the Great Furnace told her when he gave her the diamond?”

 

The children shook their heads, and most of the parents did the same. A young woman offered an answer, slowly raising her hand. “I think I know.”

 

The priest gave a warm smile and gestured for her to come closer. “Would you like to tell us?”

 

She shook her head softly. “Those words were for her ears only. It was after all, a profession of love. We may glorify it, but I’m sure Alys would have liked to keep those words to herself, even if all he had said was ‘I love you.’”

 

A few children wretched at that, while others sighed in admiration. The priest gave a knowing smile. “Well, that’s a beautiful interpretation. I think that’s better than the end I had planned to tell, because while it may not be, it brings to light the most important part of today’s celebration. Today is a day about love for your fellow man and woman. Cherish those around you, treat people with respect, and show how much you care for others. Above all things hold these tenets true, and you will walk the path God intended.” With a small gesture the kids dispersed, laughing and playing along the docks, splashing water and chasing fireflies with unbridled joy.

 

The woman stayed with the priest, her friend staying close to her shoulder. “That was a wonderful story, father. Do you tell it every year?”

 

“Well, I try to. It’s not every year do we have such avid listeners. Nor do we have ones who read scripture. I always like to guess what The Great Furnace had said to her.”

“But the truth is we don’t know. Sometimes the mystery of faith is more important than the truth.” She gave a quiet smile. “How would you have told it?”

 

“I cannot give you the sun, but I can give you this diamond. I cannot give you the sky, but I can give you these hands to shape your city. I cannot give you the world, but I can give you a home. I would offer you more if I could, but this is all I can give, for my heart is already yours.”

 

“I’d like to think he said something like that.” The priest said softly. “Although he has had many prophets, they’ve all said to remember Alys fondly, as she was the first. She might have been the most important as well, but that is not my place to judge. We know that the Great Furnace loves us all and that is why we celebrate life with exuberance today.”

 

The woman gave a small smile. “Thank you.”

 

The priest gave a mirthful chuckle. “No, it is I who should be thanking you. Being able to talk matters of the faith with one so young always warms my heart. You’ve given me a small favour today.”

 

She shook her head politely. “I’ve only done a small part.” She reached into her purse to pull out a small sack of coins. “Please take this.”

 

The priest politely refused. “It is kind of you to offer, but I cannot take your money. If you wish to do me a favour, pay in service to your fellow man. A beggar who needs food could use that money more than I ever could.” He looked deeply into her bright green eyes, and she relented, putting the money away.

 

“Of course, that was something Tobias the Third Eye once said.” She recalled his words. “‘Nurture the weak, inspire the meek, shelter the poor, and make peace, not war.’”

 

“His lessons were never meant to rhyme, but if that made it easier for children to understand, I welcome the change.” The priest said. “His ideologies had a lot more depth, but I don’t want to keep you with sermons and tales. You seem like a busy woman, and there are more people who need to hear the words of our God.”

“May the earth give you shelter, father.” She bowed deeply.

 

“May the moss light your way home, child.” He bowed just as deeply, before waving her away.

 

She left the priest to tell more stories, and before long another smattering of people gathered around him. Her friend kept close to her, saying little and walking softly. As she made her way past the loud crowd of people, her friend finally spoke up, breaking the silence between them.

 

“We should return to the castle soon. I have no doubt you’ll want to be prepared for the various ceremonies you’ll be doing today.”

 

“I’ve spent all week preparing, Calcia. I finally get some time to myself, and I’m gonna use every second of it.”

 

“Rysette…” She spoke softly. “I understand how you feel, but I need to keep you safe. This isn’t exactly the best place to hang around in order for me to do that.”

 

Rysette laughed, her black wig sticking tightly to her scalp. “You need to have some more confidence in yourself, Calcia. You’re a Stoneguard right? You could take on anyone just fine.”

 

“Yes. That’s assuming only one person comes over here. What happens if we’re attacked by ten people? Twenty? A hundred?”

 

“See now you’re being paranoid.” She stuck her tongue out. “We aren’t gonna be mobbed on a day of celebration.”

 

Calcia sighed. “I’ll chalk that one up to the fact that you don’t get out much. People get mobbed at celebrations all the time, and you don’t have a thousand pounds of steel between you and everyone else this time.”

 

“Most people don’t, and they get along fine.” She chuckled. “Besides, I think a stoneguard has to be worth a thousand pounds of steel.”

 

“You give me too much credit.” Her eyes flickered around the paved streets, watching the shadows move across buildings. “Do you even know where you’re going?”

 

“I’m letting the roots guide me. I want to see Alys’ Tear before it gets too busy.” She said, skipping along the limestone walkway. She moved like a rock caught in the rapid river, flowing through a small crowd with speed and grace. Calcia followed just as swiftly, quietly marking her down the path. Her eyes lit up when the princess nearly collided with a woman holding a ceramic jar on her head, but she breathed relief as the girl spun out of her way. She gasped again as the girl spun into a large barrel chested man.

 

“Ugh.” She grunted, as she fell onto her butt. “Watch where you’re going, you brute.” She looked up at his scowling face. “Well, are you going to help me up?”

 

“I think you look better on the ground.” He said, spitting off to the side. “However…” A wicked grin crept up on his face, dark enough to give Rysette shivers down her spine. “If you apologize nicely, I might just forget that this ever happened.”

 

She stared through him, her teeth bared. “That doesn’t look like an apology to me.” He laughed heartily. “Well I suppose that means I’ll just have to teach you a lesson. I’ll show you what happens when you pick a fight with the Anchor Dogs. Boys, come out and play.” He shouted out, as other men crept out of the corners of the street, separating from the darkness like a foul slime. Rysette counted ten, Calcia thirty as she kept to the shadows. Her hands kept busy, delivering hard chops to the backs of their heads. The blows were non-lethal. There was no need to make a bigger scene.

Rysette rose to her feet, and dusted herself off. “You guys are really pathetic, you know that? You need an entire gang to take care of little old me? That’s cute. Why don’t you and your little boy toys run home to mommy, its obvious none of you are men here.” She said, while wondering how so many miscreants could be gathered in one place.

 

“Why you little bitch!” He shouted. “Get her, we’re gonna have some fun tonight, boys!” Three of them rushed toward her, so she did the very first thing Rampage ever taught her to do if she got into a fight. Scream. Her high pitched wail caught two of the men off guard, allowing her to get low and strike both of her fists hard into one man’s solar plexus. As he crumbled to the ground, she brought her knee up and slammed it into his jaw. She quickly moved forward, attempting to break the thug’s encirclement. Her eyes led one man to the right, while she moved into his blind spot on the left. Seizing the advantage, she kicked at the back of his leg, sending him toppling over into another pursuer. She persisted, charging ahead with a furious sprint. Another dived to tackle her, but she jumped over his half-hearted attempt.

 

Unfortunately, there were too many of them. One caught her in the air and grabbed her by the arm, and before she could retaliate, another had her other arm locked. She struggled in midair, but she could get no power in her kicks. She never should have jumped. They forced her to the ground, as their leader slowly strode towards her. She lifted her chin off the ground and stared defiantly at him. “You’ve got some fight in you. I’m going to enjoy taking-” She spit in his face and smiled.

 

“What are you smiling about, you bitch?” He raised his hand to smack her but felt cold metal bared across his neck. She laughed even harder, as the man raised his hands in defeat. Rysette noticed several goons unconscious on the ground around her. Just how many men did these Anchor Dogs have? At the very least the Guard was doing their job, although Calcia was doing most of the work in the shadows.

 

“Picking on a young woman, how the mighty have fallen. I can remember when the Anchor Dogs struck fear in the docks, now look at you.” The man was straight laced and uptight, and had a piercing gaze. “There are two ways this goes, Halim. The first option is leaving you at the mercy of the Guards. We know they aren’t taking your bribes anymore.

 

“You’ve got no salt in you.” He said. “Normally you threaten to kill someone when you put a sword to their throat.”

 

“I didn’t think I needed to say that.” He pressed the edge just a little bit closer to the skin of his neck, drawing a faint line of blood. “Try anything stupid, and you’ll meet the business end of this blade.” He said coldly.

 

“Let’s get out of here boys.” He said defeated. He looked around slowly, then frantically. “Boys?” He looked towards his hostage who was rising steadily to her feet thanks to the help of a pair of Solar Knights. His boys had all been knocked out in a matter of minutes.

 

“Looks like the citizens have allied with justice.” The Solar Knight said without a hint of irony. “Every single one of your thugs has been knocked out. I don’t know what you were planning, but it ends now. We’ll be taking you in.” He whistled sharply, and two Solar Knights strode forward to detain Halim. Another group of two set themselves to handcuffing each of the unconscious Anchor Dogs, checking their pulses afterwards.

“There are at least thirty guys here, Eddie.” One of them said scratching his head. “We won’t be able to take them all in at once.”

 

“That won’t be an issue.” He replied. “That’s the job of the guard to handle. I’ll stick around and explain the situation to the guards, you guys should stick to your patrols once you’re done detaining the rest of them. Leone wouldn’t like it if we didn’t do this the right way.”

 

“You really think the guards will do anything about this?”

 

“They pretty much have to, can’t go looking bad today of all days.” Eddie said, flashing a smile. “They need to keep up appearances too, after all. I’m sure anyone who witnessed what happened will surely comment and shed light on this atrocity.”

 

“You sure have a way with words.” Rysette said. “This was hardly an atrocity. It was just feral mutts acting out against their betters.”

 

“Why should they be acting out?” Eddie replied. “The reason for why they do is an atrocity.”

 

“Are you gonna tell me you have sympathy for these jerks?” Rysette scoffed.

 

“Absolutely not. They made the wrong choices and will suffer the consequences for the choices. But the righteous path is not an easy one to walk, and it is far too easy to stray when no opportunity or reward comes from it.” He extended his hand to her. "Let me help you up."

 

"Thank you." She took his hand and let herself get righted. “It is good to see some of you have morals.”

 

“It’s good to see you are unharmed, in any case.” He replied. “Would you mind sticking around to explain the situation to the guards? I’m not sure if they’ll believe that thirty-seven men attacked a young woman and that all of them were taken out in such a prompt manner.”

 

“There were that many of them?” She said, shocked and confused. Calcia really did a number on them, she thought. So where was she hiding now? She took a deep breath and paused. “Your vigilante squad seems incredibly well trained, but carrying a weapon like that is against public safety laws.”

 

“I have the proper permits as a mercenary.” He replied. “Besides, the law doesn’t always hold up so well here in the docks as you’ve seen today. Sometimes you need to make your own public safety, and the Solar Knights are doing everything in their power to make that a reality.”

 

“I see.” She said. “Thank you for the assistance. I’m not sure I’d have gotten through that unscathed without your help. However, you should consider joining the guards if you want to change them. You’d be well suited to the task, and I imagine it’d be more rewarding than merely being a vigilante.”

 

“I do more good here. Besides, I’m more than just a vigilante here. The Solar Knights stand for much more than that.” His eyes gleamed with excitement.

 

“Oh.” Rysette said, quickly tiring of this conversation. “Well I’m sure they do, but I’m a busy woman and I don’t have time to be waiting around. Thank you for your assistance, Sir Eddie.” She brushed herself off and started walking away.

 

‘But miss, the guards will want a statement from you.”

 

“I don’t want to give one. Is that an issue for you?” She said curtly, putting her hands on her hips.

 

“Well it’d be important for the guards to have a statement from the victim in this incident. It’d help them have their evidence against-”

 

“Not. My. Problem.”

 

“But-”

 

“Will you hold me here against my will?” She stared him dead in the eyes.

 

“No.” He replied, backing down. “if that is what you want, I have no right to refuse you. I hope nothing bad comes of this.”

 

“Thank you.” She turned and walked away, without saying another word. Edward was left speechless himself.

 

“Sir. We’ve detained all of the Anchor Dogs.” He turned to where Rysette was and scratched his head. “Where did she go?”

 

“Dunno.” Eddie said. “It seems weird that the person attacked by these cretins wouldn’t want justice done to them. It seemed like this was nothing but a minor inconvenience to her.”

 

“Don’t waste your time understanding nobles, kid.” He said. “They don’t live in the same world we do, nothing makes sense about them.”

 

“You’re telling me.” He sighed wistfully.

 

“Oh no.” His companion grunted. “Don’t tell me you fell in love at first sight?”

 

“What? No!” he said flustered. “She just reminded me a bit about Leone is all. Her confidence-”

 

“Arrogance.” He corrected.

 

“Her passion-”

 

“Ignorance.”

 

“And her eyes-” They both said at the same time. His partner laughed. “Face it kid, you’re a sucker for emeralds. And you’re also a fool for thinking about it. Nobles are a different species, and that girl is no exception.”

 

“Yeah…” Eddie said. “Besides, no one compares to the captain, anyway.”

 

“That’s the spirit.” He clapped Eddie on the shoulder. “Now let’s get these jerks arrested so we can actually enjoy this celebration.”

 

Eddie had a comforting smile cross his cheeks as he watched the young woman walk away. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a second woman with her, but when he looked closer, she was all by herself. He merely scratched his head and shrugged.

 

---

 

Calcia moved back by Rysette's side with a calculated and measured grace. In what felt like no time at all, she was by her side, as if she had never left in the first place. Her steps were patient beside her, but she couldn't help but feeling the nagging pains in her arms. Blows to the back of the head are not the easiest method of disabling an opponent, but they are the most efficient. The pain she felt was only proof that she needed to strive harder to protect the princess.

 

"Calcia." She said naturally, adjusting her posture. "Are you alright?"

 

"I find it curious that you need to ask me that." she tapped on her forehead lightly. "You were the one that got attacked, not me. I should be asking you that."

 

"Yes, you should. But I am alright, and I appreciate your concern. There was no way I was getting out of that situation alone." Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "Do you think they knew?"

 

Calcia thought carefully, and shook her head. "I think you're just unlucky. Those men certainly had ulterior motives, but there's a high chance that they didn't involve you until you bumped into their leader."

 

"I see." She said quietly.

 

"It's not like you to be so concerned, Rysette. What are you thinking about?"

 

"What they were after, mostly."

 

"The anchor dogs? I think that's what they were called."

 

"Oh no." Rysette said, kicking pebbles down the road as she walked. "I'm talking about the Solar Knights. What do you think their goal is?"

 

"You find them suspicious?"

 

"They overstep their bounds. Protecting the citizens is the responsibility of the guard."

 

Calcia sighed. "People need to protect each other, I hope you're not saying they were wrong in saving you?"

 

"That's not what I meant at all." She said in a huff. "What I mean is, what do they think are doing by playing at protecting the people? They don't have the authority to carry out what the guards can in arresting others. They cannot pass judgment on crimes because they do not have the authority invested in them. So why should they make the effort."

 

Calcia groaned louder this time. "My lady, their actions are required for the people of the docks. To say the guards are lax here would be an understatement." She said quietly. "Sure, they're doing their work today, because the people who make sure they're fed are about the docks today, but when the nobles go back to their tiers, the people here will be forgotten about."

 

"And the Solar Knights fill that void?"

 

"That would seem to be their aim, yes." Calcia brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes.

 

"Well that cannot stand." Rysette said. "If the guard doesn't show the integrity required of their posts, it looks badly on my father, and it will look badly on me. I will talk to father about this and see if we can set this right. Although... I don't want to put this on his plate right now, not today."

 

Calcia listened carefully as Rysette suddenly stopped.

 

"I'm sorry. I'm thinking about pointless things. Can you tell me a little more about the Solar Knights, Calcia?"

 

"I'm afraid I don't know much about them. However they have been making demonstrations about the merits of democracy and how the people need to choose their own leader and not have it decided by power or the will of the Great Furnace."

 

"That's nonsense." Rysette said. "The noble houses were chosen by the Great Furnace precisely because of their inherent nobility. The houses of White, Green, Saphir, Ruby, Albion, and their various offshoots were all led by people with pure hearts. They were people who helped lead the Valdorians to Crystalia. It is only natural that someone from those houses leads society to a better future."

 

"And not twenty years after her death, the era of warlords began." Calcia continued. "The leaders of these houses may have been noble, but their children certainly weren't."

 

"The era of warlords?" Rysette asked. "I'm afraid Professor Mudmouth didn't cover much about that."

 

"Most of that history was lost when the destruction of the First World's Library occurred. Stories of Alys are passed from generation to generation precisely because that is the story that should continue from age to age. People do not speak of the atrocities committed by people in the past, but it carries a heavy scar from generation to generation."

 

"How do you know all of this, Calcia?"

 

"The Stoneguards have many roles in society. Protect the current ruler from danger, protect the citizens from themselves, and remember the history so that it can never be forgotten. Our world has so many stories that have been forgotten in memory, but the spirit of these memories lives on."

 

"The Warlords recruited many citizens into their service, and many people died serving their cause. The second prophet, Adair was brutally killed by one warlord who framed another for his death. When the truth of this action was revealed, the people had decided that they had enough of warlords, and rallied together under the banner of a single ruler. Each and every despot was cruelly deposed, from White, Green, Saphir, Ruby and Diamond. Rules were established by the people’s ruler, who then immediately named a child from the Ruby family to lead the citizenry. His name was forgotten, but his deed wasn’t. So while those houses still remained noble, they were united under the banner of one.”

 

“And that was the first monarch of Crystalia.” Calcia concluded. “Someone chosen by the representative of the people. And through the efforts of that representative and the Prophet Tobias, the Stoneguard was formed. Due to the efforts of the Stoneguard and the Third Prophet’s unwavering dedication to keeping peace and harmony, the monarchy has stayed a fixture of Crystalia for hundreds of years.”

 

“So there is historical precedence for democratic rule?” Rysette asked, deep in thought.

 

“I have heard that before humans lived underground, democratic rule was the norm in most of the old nations. It was called the era of enlightenment by old world scholars.”

“Do people think that the monarchy does not serve them?”

 

Calcia shrugged. “That’s a complicated issue. The issue of having all classes decided by birth rubs many people the wrong way. Whether or not they are suited for the job is irrelevant, if there is no choice in the manner. A farmer may become a merchant, but he will never become a noble. Only rarely will someone exceed their current station, and that’s disheartening for many.”

 

“But what makes them think they know who has the capacity to run a country? They haven’t had years of lessons drilled into them on the nature of ruling, or firsthand experience witnessing the passing of laws. I cannot imagine any decision they would make would be an informed one. They would likely choose the most charismatic or popular person, and not their ability to guide the people on the correct path. Not like my father has done. Not like what I plan to do.”

 

Calcia gave a complex smile. “It’s that sort of conviction that will help carry you through these tough times, Rysette.” You must be a beacon for the people, especially now. Her eyes carefully judged the skybox above her, the typical threads of intersecting bridges were far gone now, as the natural features of the cavern took over. The bottom of the cavern was a fair bit wider due to centuries upon centuries of weathering. They had dozens of their own secret passages, and it seemed Rysette was heading for one all on her own.

 

“Are you sure this is the right way to Alys’ Tear?” She noted how soft the ground felt as her quiet footsteps gripped the earth.

 

“Yes.” She said quietly. “If you Stoneguards know about the lost history, surely you know the real location of Alys’ Tear. Father showed me this place five years ago, after… my brothers died. He wanted them buried here, somewhere only the royal family knew.” She came to a stop as the path ended, the ceiling of the cavern plunging downward. Running her hands along the smooth stone, she felt around for a stone that felt out of place. Bumping her fingers against it, she quickly grasped it and gave a tight turn. Below her feet the ground rumbled slightly, as a hatch came open under her.

 

“There used to be a natural passage down to her Tear, but that place has long since been the runoff flow of wastewater by blacksmiths and miners, and the underground magma chamber has heated it far past a level for anyone to safely swim through. This is the only way down here now that the tear exists below the waterline.” She carefully checked the sturdiness of the ladder, hearing a loud clank as she kicked the top rung.

“I will go in first, my lady.” Calcia said, quickly descending the ladder.

 

“Watch your step.” She warned back. Calcia descended the ladder with grace, although it took her a good minute to finally reach the bottom. Just how deep did this place go? Rysette climbed down with a lithe grace, as if she was used to descending down this particular ladder. After jumping from the last four rungs, she took a bow and smiled. Calcia did not applaud.

 

"Aww, I thought that would impress you." She said, pouting.

 

"You don't need to try to impress me, my lady." Calcia said. "I'm really more surprised you know about a place like this then I am concerned that you would risk injury over a stupid stunt." The artificial lights flickered on and off, giving the crosshatched walkways a pale green glow. Each step gave a loud clank, as the pair moved on ahead. The railings creaked as Calcia kept a tight grip on them. She looked down below and watched the still water glisten.

 

"This place is hollow and dead." Rysette remarked, mumbling to herself. "However, I can just imagine what this area could have been five hundred years ago." She looked up to see a snarl of roots, expanding forward in one thick chunk. "It's not often you can see the end of one of the Great Tree's roots."

 

"So this is where the great tree gets its nutrients." Calcia said, and then quickly corrected herself. "One of the many places." She strode forward, letting the rhythmic clanging sound keep her company in the silent passage.

 

"It's not much farther now, if you want to take a look."

 

Each step drew the pair closer and closer to a natural stone cavern, the snarl of roots had exploded in myriad directions, left, right, forward, diagonally, and the thickest of all crashed straight into the ground, right next to a pool of swishing water. Flowers had sprouted on the root, a pink outbreak of open buds, slightly swaying in the pale light. A sprinkle of fireflies flitted about the sub-subterranean cavern, basking the flowers in a pale glow of orange.

 

Calcia's mouth stood agape. "It's beautiful."

 

Rysette held a proud smile. "I knew I'd impress you, Calcia. Welcome to Alys' Tear."

 

"It's amazing that no one knows of such a place." Calcia said. "Well perhaps Master Petra knows, but this is not something the other members of the Stoneguard have ever mentioned." She gently picked a pink flower from the root, and took in a deep breath of its fragrance. "I have never seen this type of flower, but at the very least it does not smell of poison." She gently set it into the water, before pulling her hand out suddenly. "How warm is that water?!" She yelled, shaking the droplets off.

 

Rysette chuckled. "You remind me of when I first came here. I asked the same thing when I first saw this place. It's a few degrees below boiling, hot enough to burn your skin under prolonged exposure."

 

"You should be careful then."

 

"I wasn't the one who got burned." She remarked blankly. "Still, I came here for a reason. I appreciate the escort but if you wouldn't mind, I'd like a bit of privacy right now."

 

Calcia looked into her eyes and solemnly nodded. Rysette took her leave and walked to the edge of the cavern. A small cairn laid there, with a headstone at the very top. Two names were inscribed, her elder brother's, Gareth and Graham. She slowly descended onto her knees and made a quiet prayer, her hands squeezing the other as tightly as she could. Calcia made a strong effort not to overhear her words. Prayers were private matters, and never worth prying into.

 

---

[GA_Eagle 595]

Where do the docks go? Is there shipping? Seems like they are alone as far as they know. Seems like the docks would be a weird thing to have without the possibility of shipping things elsewhere. Maybe that was addressed earlier and I missed it.

[RazorStar 4,025]

It's called the docks mainly because it is the lower tier of the city, where all the water pools up and slowly flows southward. There is a large waterfall at the northern part of the city, which then flows southward. Because there is a continual water source, there is life inside the water that flows from place to place. Fishing is actually an important industry for the Crystalian as it provides a major source of food. I haven't really discussed it because it's not relevant to the story as a whole, but plumbing and wastewater go through a series of pipes to a wastewater plant down at the southern end of the city. People in Crystalia have been unable to figure out the origin of their water source, because creating tunnels nearby may do irreparable harm to the drinking water source of all people. There is also a treatment plant at the base of the waterfall, which treats the water coming in.

 

As for shipping and delivery, most of that is handled by private companies who pay a small fee to the crown for each item delivered. While a lot of those companies could be based in the docks due to the larger amount of people, they mostly deal with luxury goods and those are typically limited to those on the upper tiers. There is no foreign trade, you're right. And the only piers and harbors are for small fishing vessels, there aren't any gigantic freight vessels or anything.

[GA_Eagle 595]

Thanks for the logistics,RZ. Sometimes weird little things creep into my head and I can't quit dwelling on them. Sorry to make you explain extra stuff.