Kingdomturn

by Matthew Williams

  “Simple,” the Venerate replied as he regained composure. The end of his staff glowed bright green. “They no longer serve a purpose here, and neither do you.” Keltin was blinded by the green flash, then felt the cold water rush over him.

  5

  Sunlight flickered across Wyand’s eyelids, causing him to jump awake. He was in his room in the living quarters, but somehow that didn’t seem possible. Then memories of the Cavern of the Winds began flooding into his mind. Losian and the power source were gone, Edan was trapped, and the Lower Depths were surely encased in stone forever. His thoughts reeled; it was too much to take in at once. Wyand gingerly touched the back of his head, but felt no pain or sign of injury. The bell for First Calling sounded, and he numbly went through the motions of readying himself for the day of work ahead. The typical morning sights and sounds met him once he opened his door and began walking to the Hall.

  “Outstanding work, Carver Wyand!” someone shouted. Many cheers followed from other areas of the living quarters. Wyand nodded, as much from humility as to keep his gaze from betraying his profound confusion. Outstanding work? he thought. We lost everything down there!

  “Don’t look so concerned, my fellow legend,” Edan said from Wyand’s left shoulder.

  “Edan? Edan! Kingdom found! How…?” Wyand stammered as he fought to organize his thoughts.

  “Peace and honor, Wyand,” Edan laughed. “You look like you haven’t seen me in a turning or more.”

  Wyand noticed Edan’s arm looked perfectly normal. When Wyand had left him in the Cavern of the Winds, that same arm had been shattered in multiple places.

  “Edan….your arm…” Wyand whispered.

  “…is stronger than yours?” Edan said jokingly as he flexed. His smile faded into concern. “Honestly, Wyand, what’s the matter?”

  Wyand’s thoughts raced, searching for answers. He closed his eyes and rubbed his aching head. “Can you tell me what happened yesterday?” he asked finally as they neared the Hall entrance.

  “You mean other than us securing the Kingdomturn offering? Not too much,” Edan replied with a hesitant chuckle. “Wyand, you don’t remember?”

  “That’s just it Edan, I do remember. We failed—the power source is lost, and Losian…by the Call, I think he’s dead,” Wyand whispered as they entered the Calling Room.

  “Does that look lost to you?” Edan said, nodding towards the speaking platform. There, on a pedestal in front of the curtains, stood the enormous yellow-green crystal that Wyand had seen vanish with Losian into the darkness.

  “As for Losian,” Edan continued, “you’re correct that he’ll no longer be working in the mines. But Wyand, that’s because the Venerates summoned him to High Calling yesterday, just after we retrieved that crystal. He works in the upper levels of the Hall now.”

  “I…oh,” was the only thing Wyand could say. Was it all a dream? he wondered as he stared at the crystal. Normally, the images of the dream would fade and memories of reality would take their place. No memories were becoming clear, though, and Wyand could vividly recall the collapse of the cavern. And yet, there stood the power source they had been tasked to retrieve. Wyand was speechless from the confusion. Edan still looked at him with concern as the last three bells for First Calling sounded. Wyand didn’t notice the air shimmer as it usually would during the final chimes, but then again, he felt so dizzy that everything at the moment appeared to be shifting and shimmering constantly. He closed his eyes and struggled to focus on the Calling, but only snippets of the message made it through the fog of thoughts blanketing Wyand’s tired mind.

  “…can be certain this Kingdomturn will mark a great moment in the history of Aldhagen…” one of the Venerates was saying as he gestured to the crystal.

  “…incredible efforts of the Carvers working under Galbrun the Stonecaller…” another Venerate’s voice drifted into Wyand’s ears. Suddenly, Wyand felt Edan elbowing him sharply in the ribs. Wyand looked up at him with exhausted irritation. Wait…why is Edan standing during the Calling? he thought drowsily.

  “Wyand…slag and slurry, stand up!” Edan hissed as he attempted his best version of a smile. Only then did Wyand realize that all eyes in the Calling Room—including those of the Venerates—were staring at him. Wyand jumped up, fearful he had insulted the Venerates. Thankfully, they resumed speaking as soon as Wyand was standing.

  “Carvers, join us on the platform,” said one of the Venerates. In all of the Callings Wyand had witnessed, this was the first time any of the workers had been summoned to stand with the Venerates. Edan briefly glanced at Wyand with shock and excitement, then turned to descend the stairs to the speaking platform. Wyand followed, though it required an abnormal level of focus to keep his steps steady. He managed to project a healthy balance of pride and humility as he approached the Venerates, but internally he was a twisted blend of nausea and uncertainty. They reached the platform just as Wyand was beginning to fear he couldn’t take another step without vomiting. One of the Venerates leaned in close to Edan and Wyand.

  “Face your fellow workers,” the Venerate instructed quietly. Wyand turned with Edan, and immediately they were both struck by the sheer volume of people present in the Calling Room. It was hard to grasp the scope of Aldhagen’s population of workers when you were sitting among them, but from this vantage their numbers were overwhelming. Wyand forced himself to cage his eyes after realizing that he had been scanning the room in amazement. He was thankful to suddenly find that the nausea had subsided for now.

  “Men of Aldhagen, these are the heroes of this Kingdomturn,” one of the Venerates began. “Model your work after their example, and soon you too will find yourselves in our favor.”

  “Yesterday, we summoned Carver Losian to serve us in the Hall,” another Venerate continued. “He earned this honor by delivering the crystal you see before you. Though the efforts of Carvers Edan and Wyand were equally impressive, we feel their place remains among the workers as leaders.”

  “With this thought in mind,” a third Venerate said, “we have chosen a new task to bestow upon these Carvers.” He lowered his voice, “Both of you, kneel.” Wyand and Edan dropped without pause. From the corner of his eye, Wyand could see the shining robes of all the Venerates as they congregated around him and Edan. There was no time for Wyand to think through what was happening before he felt a surge of energy suddenly rush over his skin as two of the Venerates lowered their staves onto his shoulders.

  “Rise Edan and Wyand, first Depthcarvers of Aldhagen,” the Venerates concluded. Wyand stood, his confusion temporarily replaced with pure elation as the Calling Room erupted with applause and cheers. He looked to Edan, who was smiling broader than Wyand had ever thought possible. They both laughed in amazement and surveyed the hundreds of cheering faces looking back at them. As the applause subsided, one of the Venerates spoke.

  “This is but a glimpse of the wonders to come,” the Venerate said, gesturing to the crystal. “Kingdomturn is nearly here.”

  ---

  The remainder of First Calling passed in a blur for Wyand, who sat in stunned silence until the Venerates gave their benediction. After the meal was finished, Wyand and Edan began the trek to the mine amid countless congratulations. Wyand was certain his shoulders were bruised from all of the encouraging slaps on the back; the pain was insignificant, though, compared to his doubt that he had earned any of this admiration. Still, he wanted Edan to enjoy this moment, so Wyand stifled his concerns as best he could. Once they were well outside the ring of living quarters, he turned to Edan during a period of relative calm.

  “Depthcarver,” Edan nodded in greeting.

  “Depthcarver,” Wyand said in return with a chuckle, trying out the word. “So, what happens now?” he asked.

  “Now, we go see the Stonecaller,” Edan said. “Before we do, though, are you sure you’re back to normal? Galbrun probably wouldn’t appreciate hearing the details of your night terror—especially the part about Losian.” />
  “I’m fine,” Wyand said with a wave of his hand. In truth, he still couldn’t remember events the way Edan had described them, and the images he could remember were far too real for any night terror. Wyand subconsciously touched the back of his head again, expecting to find a bruised spot. When he realized there was nothing there, he pulled his hand away quickly before Edan could take notice.

  “All right then,” Edan replied quietly. “We need to figure out our new task as fast as we can. Even though the power source is secured, there’s still a lot of work to be done before the Kingdomturn offering is ready.”

  As soon as the mine entrance came into view, Wyand and Edan could hear shouts announcing their arrival. Dizziness suddenly flooded back into Wyand’s head, causing him to lurch forward and nearly fall over. Edan slowed down to wait for him. Without even glancing beside him, Wyand knew that Edan was looking at him skeptically.

  “I’m fine,” Wyand said again. “Let’s go.”

  “Peace and honor Depthcarvers!” several voices shouted from near the smelter.

  “Peace and honor,” Wyand and Edan replied with a wave. Wyand felt unusually hot, despite the cool weather that the storms brought with them a few days earlier. The wind was picking up; Wyand reveled in the soothing chill as it brushed across his forehead. After passing through the adit and entering the main portion of the mine, Wyand grabbed his pick as he would any other morning. Instead of immediately returning to breaking apart walls of stone, however, today he followed Edan to the Stonecaller’s Recess. Usually, visits to this office were reserved for correcting errant behavior or—on rare occasions—commending a miner for his efforts. Today’s visit was something far more important: this would mark the beginning of a new task in the mines, and Wyand had the honor of claiming that task. In spite of the significance of this moment, Wyand had to force himself to stop thinking about the events he had witnessed—or dreamed he had witnessed—in the Lower Depths the day before. Edan knocked on the Recess door before Wyand could fully clear his thoughts.

  “Enter,” Stonecaller Galbrun’s gruff voice boomed from behind the door. Wyand and Edan complied, and stood waiting at the edge of the Stonecaller’s desk. Galbrun had a large unfinished map of the Lower Depths spread out on his stone slab of a desk and was meticulously making additions with a sharpened coal shard. When the Stonecaller at last looked up from his work, his expression faded from mild irritation to excitement as he noticed who stood before him.

  “Well, peace and honor, Depthcarvers,” Galbrun said with pride as he stood. “You didn’t waste any time getting here. I knew you wouldn’t.”

  “Peace and honor, Stonecaller,” Wyand and Edan replied.

  “The Venerates briefly explained your new task to me after First Calling,” Stonecaller Galbrun said. “In short—you’ll be shaping the progress in the Lower Depths and reporting directly to me. This is a task that brings with it great honor, and you’ve earned it. I’m sure the Venerates will have more to tell you; they’re waiting for us down below. I’ll try to answer what questions I can on the way.”

  Galbrun rolled up the map of the Lower Depths, stuck it into his pack, and gestured for Edan and Wyand to follow him. As they walked, dozens of questions threatened to leap out of Wyand’s mouth; none of them were about his new task, however, so he kept silent for now. Edan was right: the Stonecaller would not receive Wyand’s story about Losian very well, whether it was a dream or otherwise.

  “Stonecaller, what did you mean when you said that Wyand and I will be ‘shaping the progress in the Lower Depths’?” Edan asked.

  “From what the Venerates told me, you’ll have a voice in every decision we make in the Lower Depths from here on,” Galbrun said. “We will need to meet each morning just after First Calling to determine the plan for the day.” Edan nodded and continued speaking with the Stonecaller, but the conversation barely made a stir in Wyand’s clouded mind.

  They arrived at the cage to the Lower Depths and stepped onto its wooden platform. Wyand and Edan began working the lowering cranks, as it was far beneath the Stonecaller to perform such a task when Carvers were present. To Wyand’s shock, however, Stonecaller Galbrun immediately manned one of the remaining cranks. This one action held in it the words of a hundred conversations—it meant that the Stonecaller now viewed Wyand and Edan on a nearly equal plane to himself. Wyand looked over to Edan, who continued to turn a crank while staring at Galbrun with open-mouthed astonishment. Edan finally glanced at Wyand, faintly shaking his head and looking as lost as a new Tailing on his first day in the mine. Wyand was sure his face looked exactly the same.

  They reached the base of the cage and waited for the Stonecaller to lead the way to the Venerates. Galbrun released the crank handle with a grunt of a laugh and stood examining his hands for an instant. “It’s been a while,” he muttered mostly to himself. The Stonecaller rubbed his palms together, then stepped off of the cage. “Follow me, Depthcarvers,” he said, and the three of them entered the first large chamber in the Lower Depths. The ever-present wind in the Depths was strangely still today, and Wyand’s heated brow suffered without it. He noticed suddenly that every pick stopped swinging as they passed.

  “Peace and honor,” many workers said, nodding respectfully.

  “For the Depthcarvers! For Kingdomturn!” someone shouted from the edge of the chamber, sending a ripple of resounding shouts and cheers throughout the Lower Depths. Wyand feigned a smile, though the recognition still felt unearned. The entire situation made him itch with uncertainty. Wyand wanted to enjoy being a “legend” and share Edan’s pride about saving Kingdomturn, but his memories echoed with failure, not pride. As they walked, Wyand saw that one of the corners of the main chamber was nothing more than a massive pile of rubble now. The collapse in the Cavern of the Winds had caused far-reaching damage, it seemed.

  “Were many other areas affected by the collapse yesterday, Stonecaller?” Wyand asked, pointing to the ruined corner.

  “Other areas?” the Stonecaller said with a perplexed frown. “No, the collapse was minor and only affected the area beyond the Cavern of the Winds. You three escaped just in time with that crystal.” He looked in the direction Wyand was pointing. “The workers just started on that corner of the chamber today. The stones may have shifted a little, but beyond that it looks the same as it did before the collapse.”

  Wyand fought the urge to say anything further even though he was certain that corner had been clear yesterday morning. In fact, Edan had been working in that section of the chamber before they were summoned to the Cavern of the Winds. Wyand looked to Edan for support, but found only confusion and worry in Edan’s eyes.

  “Understood, Stonecaller,” was all Wyand could think to say, even if it bordered the limits of the truth considerably. Everything was changing so rapidly that Wyand could barely keep up; he did his best to relax and accept that it was all part of the Venerates’ plan. The three miners continued in silence, save for the occasional reply to words of congratulation from workers as they passed. After making their way through two more chambers and several winding corridors, Wyand spotted a group of three Venerates standing in a small alcove at the mouth of a darkened tunnel. Galbrun dropped to a knee and bowed his head, with Edan and Wyand following his lead.

  “Peace and honor, Venerated Ones,” Galbrun greeted the group. Wyand struggled to ignore a bead of sweat as it rolled past his vision on the way to the tip of his nose. Even without the usual cooling breeze, it still wasn’t that hot in the Lower Depths, so why was he sweating like this?

  “Peace and honor, Stonecaller,” one of the Venerates responded. “And also to you, Depthcarvers. Rise, all of you.” Wyand took the opportunity as he rose to wipe the sweat quickly from his face.

  “When we decided that the Kingdomturn offering should come from the mines, we knew that our guidance would be needed to help the workers navigate these Lower Depths,” a second Venerate said. “With our help, you Depthcarvers secured the most precious pa
rt of the offering this turning. We have seen your skill and dedication firsthand, and so we are confident in your ability to lead future work in the Depths without our assistance. From here forward, Depthcarvers Edan and Wyand, you will determine the swing of each pick in the Lower Depths. Ensure that your actions maintain a reflection of your desire to shape a better future for all of Aldhagen.”

  The third Venerate continued. “Stonecaller Galbrun, you will continue to run the mine in its entirety, and can choose at any time to task the Depthcarvers as you see fit. But bear this in mind always—Edan and Wyand now know the Lower Depths more intimately than you; they are your experts. Use their knowledge wisely.”

  With that, the Venerates stared silently at Wyand, Edan, and Galbrun. “What questions do you have?” the first Venerate asked. Without thinking, Wyand posed a question that he immediately regretted asking.

  “Are we allowed to return to the Cavern of the Winds?” he asked. Three sets of Venerate eyes gazed at him piercingly.

  “You may return, Depthcarver,” a Venerate replied. “But you will find progress slowed by the volume of stone that has fallen there. With the crystal secured, we know there is very little of value left in that area. Why not focus your efforts somewhere more productive?”

  “Of course, Venerate,” Wyand replied hastily. I have to stop thinking about that place, he scolded himself, but Wyand’s yearning for answers only grew with each passing moment. With neither Edan nor the Stonecaller having any further questions, the Venerates dismissed the miners and turned their attention back to the darkened tunnel. Galbrun stopped in one of the corridors as he and the Depthcarvers made their way back to the main chamber.