Vanapha halted, her bliss already ruined. She looked down at her own chest; a bright white light coming from inside her, illuminating through her skin and clothes. It was blinding, and an eerie weightlessness made her feel as though her feet were leaving the floor, as though she was floating. The display quickly turned every head in the hallway, brows furrowed and mouths agape. For a few seconds Vanapha herself was ignorant, but then realized what was going to happen. She opened her mouth and shouted, trying to warn and halt approaching faces of concern, her words having no sound. Inevitably her old handmaiden, Sinta, was there first, rushing forward to help the child, her face the most concerned of all. Sinta barely reached up for the girl floating so ominously…
A fierce energy surged from within Vanapha, something emptying itself from her chest. First the flash, and then the rippling tides. Sinta toppled instantly, gone forever. Vanapha could see the fire, appreciating herself as the epicentre, the flames as white as snow intermeshed and outlined by an oily blackness, furling across the entire room, sweeping and engulfing.
In the few instances of chaos and destruction her eyes darted toward her father. She saw many things, but she distinctly remembered seeing a guard shoving her father behind a marble pillar, shielding him as the blaze hit the brave soldier right from his feet.
There was a unison of outcries before utter silence. The white flame disappeared in an instant and Vanapha alone was left standing, no longer floating, the giant hall still rumbling with shock and wind.
Only the inanimate were moving, ornaments slipping tentatively still from their places on the wall and paintings writhing as remnant flames ate away at the canvasses. The hallway was dressed in soot, the marble pillars frightfully stained with black. The floor was strewn with remains. The flame burnt everyone. Everyone was blackened and charred beyond recognition. Everyone was dead.
Vanapha’s shocked mind seemed to have turned off her hearing and it returned to her only then. She heard the agony cries of a single man, coming from ahead. She ran forward, hoping to see her father. Behind the pillar her father was on his knees at the screaming soldier’s side, he himself yelling for aid.
The soldier’s wounds were terrible, the pungent smell of his burned flesh still with Vanapha. With wide eyes her father looked at her, his gaze asking a hundred questions, his confusion and fear bringing tears to her eyes. The memory ebbed away after that, simply fading to the soldier’s terrible screams of pain.
Everything changed after that day. She was sent away, to Rade’Remar. That life was left dead. She could never understand what had happened, nor did it happen ever again, anyone who could explain removed from her life.
I became Valkyrie thereafter.
Alex got a kick full in the face, the impact rocking him from his slumber. He cursed softly, already planning on how he was going to get revenge on Brunick despite him being a Stoneskin. This night they were sleeping in the canyon path, their chosen spot a small clearing among the rocks. Sitting upright and dazed, Alex realized that it was Vanapha lying in front him, her feet having been near his head.
I can’t remember falling asleep this close to her.
She was dreaming though, flailing and kicking, moaning as she sought to escape her nightmare. He sat closer, prepared to wake her; Vanapha’s hand reached out desperately and he caught it, holding it tight and still.
She did not wake and suddenly, he did not want her to. He gentled his touch, caressing her hand with his fingers. It was easier looking at her now, her Sights and her proud bearing put aside. He knew it wasn’t appropriate, but right now, no matter how powerful a warrior she appeared to be, she was just a little girl.
Alex could guess the nature of her distress, Cid having discussed his conversation with Vanapha with him and Brunick. She was haunted by a past memory and it was surfacing in her dreams, that much was obvious. She was however secretive about it and when Alex had asked her on it she simply shut him out.
Looking at her now Alex could not think it was the same woman. With her hair loose and her slender figure curled on a cloak she did not look like the warrior Alex saw day by day. She continued to relax at Alex’s touch, he assuming the worst of the dream was over as well.
He should then have let go of her hand, but he didn’t. She could wake up at any moment and then he would be at a loss to explain why he was touching her. Still he caressed, smiling as his fingers left the softness of her hands and feeling the harder film of calluses on her fingertips, a consequence he knew was the inevitable result of having fired thousands of arrows.
Reluctantly he let go, setting her hand down slowly. Her dream had left her sweaty and the canyon wind was chilling her into a shiver. Alex removed the upper half of his sack and covered her with it. He watched her a moment more, only relenting as he saw her slow down into a soft breathing rhythm.
He laid down, ready to continue where he had been interrupted. At least Alex was a soldier, and soldiers welcomed sleep at any time they could. Sleep would come fast…
By tomorrow Vanapha would be hard up again, appearing as a warrior elite in every aspect, ignorant that Alex had seen her like this.
He closed his eyes and strained to identify her softening breathing among the night sounds, allowing it to lull him to slumber.
Chapter 37
Into the Mines
Fafriv was a place of roads for those who could find it, a little bit of daring allowing one to tread its highs and lows, the winding ways not always going somewhere, herding its denizens into dead ends if not careful.
Vanapha took point.
The trail was skinny and high up against the canyon wall. They risked being spotted, but were only a bit more visible than traveling down below. In exchange it would take a compact and sure-footed enemy to pursue them, so there was some confidence in their path, even if Brunick didn’t much like it.
‘Better than treetops,’ he kept mumbling as his running boots occasionally kicked some loose rocks from the edge, making him nervous.
It took a while but even as careful as Cid was he came to trust the Valkyrie’s almost precognitive instincts on where to go. Now in particular they followed her blindly, yet did so with merit and Cid could only wonder how useful she would have been in Alparack’s veil.
I wouldn’t have lost all those men to start with…
It was as if her eyes could bend around corners or rise up above her to peek at what laid ahead. It was limited though, as Cid himself had proven when he had successfully ambushed the Valkyrie. He did however concede that had Alex not fired at her she would most likely have realized Cid was stalking her from behind that day.
During their talks Vanapha once proceeded to explain that Farsight and Insight were at the mercy of the same human flaw that concerned normal sensory functions; oversight.
‘Though someone like my sister, Claire, can see better than me; both in depth and clarity,’ Vanapha boasted.
Their pace remained steady, guiding them lower again through the canyon branch by midday. Changing landscape settled all along the eastern cliff face, taking form of unnaturally carved indentations, as though someone had cut giant slabs from out the canyon body.
‘Quarries?’ asked Alex.
‘It would seem so, but there are some abandoned mines around here,’ said Vanapha, ‘most of the entrances are collapsed and those cleared areas you see were once the pack yards.’
Cid was thoughtful. These mines were notorious, even though they rarely came to thought when considering Fafriv. They were never much visited upon by any Kingdom men, even the greedier ones. After many years still, these mines were out in the nowhere, far from everything, unpractical and unsanctioned, and at the moment, abandoned. Gold Cid knew could lure men to strange places, but for now he was thinking along different lines and he became intent on investigating.
‘Vanapha, could you find us a tunnel entrance that is still intact?’ asked Cid.
‘Sure, there are a couple of them in the vicinity, are you looking f
or something specific?’
‘Yeah, try to look for one that goes down deep.’
His party looked at him with surprise and he hoped his hunch would prove right so that the situation would explain itself in time.
Lidayel lit the way, several globes of fire floating around the party and casting fickle shadows against the tunnel wall. The main tunnel was spacious enough so they could march down without stooping, and the remnant walkways of lumber ensured for safe footing,
Cid in the meanwhile could no longer stave off the others’ questions so he explained:
‘I received a letter just before the march. I wasn’t its first recipient as it was intended for the army’s provisionary officer. It was rather old, stating that some new weapons would ready for the Lanston march.’
‘Yeah, the entire core infantry got new broad swords, all the way from Morshiph,’ said Alex.
‘That’s right. I think someone though, possibly a fellow soldier, was trying to warn me without raising suspicion. The matter had little to do with me in the first place, so I paid it no heed in the beginning, but then, well, you all know what we’ve been through and it points to some conspiracy or another. If Stelinger’s motive is treacherous, then it may well be those very weapons that form part of his plan. If we can just confirm what I suspect is down here, we might have an inkling on where the threads meet.’
It wasn’t long before Lidayel’s fiery globes faltered.
‘Hmm, air’s getting a little thin,’ said Lidayel as he strained to keep the suffocating fires alive.
‘We’ll risk going just a little further,’ said Cid.
The wooden walkways ceased and the tunnels became ragged holes as though they weren’t dug out by humans any more. The tunnel split forth many times.
‘Vanapha?’
‘It’s very distorting down here, I am not sure… Without light I can’t really see…’ she said.
‘Follow your nose!’ said Brunick, taking the lead confidently.
‘What do mean?’ asked Cid, as they reluctantly set off deeper after the big man.
‘Caverns with valuables are usually dug out with multiple intersecting tunnels from all around, it’s just for more practical mining that way. That means they have better air, even more than some of the isolated tunnels above them.’
Cid chuckled. ‘And I thought you were the team scout,’ he said to Alex.
Alex shrugged defeated in the faint light.
Brunick proved right as their path soon gave them a draft of air, leading them on. The chosen tunnel inevitably led them to a mining cavern; a large spacious cavity shaped like a dome, still littered with forgotten and broken mining equipment. They walked to its far side wall, where the last excavation had clearly taken place.
Lidayel focused his light on the wall. The rock was rather smooth as though the miners had taken great care mining here. Instantly noticeable were streaks and smears of a metallic grey on the rock face.
‘Unless I’m mistaken…’ suggested Cid.
Vanapha approached to confirm. She touched the wall with her hand, nodding only moments later.
‘It’s definitely not any normal metal.’
Cid held out his spear. She touched it and within a second she knew.
‘Yes, these are, or were, Hethellean mines,’ said Vanapha.
Alex whistled, the high pitch creating great resonance through the tunnels.
‘That’s a lot of metal,’ said Alex.
‘Don’t be fooled,’ said Vanapha, ‘those veins you see are mostly discoloured rock. Hethellean isn’t a very condense substance in its natural form. I’ve sensed the amount when I touched it, and I don’t think there is even enough to craft a single sword.’
‘Alright then, allow me to explain,’ said Cid, making sure he had everyone's attention, ‘the letter I got spoke of a binding process on the weapons made for Lanston. Now that we know these mines are indeed Hethellean mines we can conclude-’
‘Wait a minute, how can you be sure-?’ said Brunick.
‘Because Stelinger is acutely familiar with this land,’ said Cid. ‘Remember some years ago he made his name by running incursions into Alparack against the Fallen? I’m sure he discovered these mines, and that’s why he’s carrying that Hethellean sword now.’
‘So what? You have one as well,’ offered Brunick.
‘Yes, but Mindevhier is an heirloom that's been in my family for a hundred years or more, from an age in the Kingdom when resources were used up for weapons without a second thought. Think on it. Stelinger has had that sword for what, three years or so?’
‘But his sword is not newly forged?’ asked Brunick.
‘No. His blade, Giardia, is from the same era as Mindevhier. It was likely though that he obtained the sword from the Shadow Priests, and hence he was corrupted in a way outside the scope of Fallen magic.’
‘And now Stelinger is after more Hethellean for his Masters,’ said Vanapha.
‘I’m not following. Is Stelinger teaming up with the Fallen to mine this land to forge weapons?’ said Alex.
‘That might’ve been their first intentions, but like Vanapha pointed out there isn’t much left here. The greatest stockpile of Hethellean would have undoubtedly rested in Kingdom storage.’
‘I think I know where you’re going with this. Stelinger used the Destinian Blacksmithies to forge the weapons with the Kingdom’s Hethellean stockpiles,’ said Lidayel.
‘Are you saying the entire infantry core has these weapons now?’ asked Alex.
‘No, there isn’t enough of it in the world to supply two-thousand soldiers. They only bound the normal steel swords with Hethellean extracts,’ said Cid.
‘Okay get to the point here because I’m not understanding how any of this fits into anything,’ said Brunick exasperatedly.
‘The two-thousand swords were made to be broken down again, to get the Hethellean that is. What I’m saying is, Stelinger rigged the weapons so that the Fallen can capture them and make use of the Hethellean.’
Brunick ran his hand through his hair nervously as Alex said, ‘gods, he’s going to murder the entire Lanston army so that the Fallen can loot the weapons!’
‘Yes, he’s leading Lanston straight into what must be a massive Fallen ambush. Ultimately he controls the scouts, intelligence and authority, and he’s using the Lanston army’s manpower to carry the weapons safely into Fallen hands.
‘It’s quite a ploy, using the army itself to ignorantly transport the weapons,’ said Lidayel.
Brunick shook his head in quiet anger and disbelieve. ‘Why the mass? I mean, a lot of effort went into obtaining the resources, crafting the weapons, and getting it to Lanston, and that’s not even counting the gold and paperwork involved. Weren’t they better off going a bit more covert?’
‘I would surmise that their effort was a necessity. Nothing passes beyond the border except the Lanston army, not a single trade route is authorized to the north. What’s more should the Destinian Blacksmithies have forged only a few weapons with a dense concentrate of Hethellean our Sekhaimogists would surely have noticed their powers waning around those arms, raising suspicion. No, I’m fairly certain this plan was well conceived and made in no way to benefit Lanston.’
‘So what of Bennam?’ asked Brunick then, his jaw set tight as he uttered the question.
Cid knew well what he was implying; even if Stelinger was at the head of the treachery, it would still have taken Bennam’s authority to approve those weapons. ‘I don’t think either way we’re leaving here with all our questions answered Brunick. That Bennam had a hand in something is going to be difficult to deny, and I’m just hoping the truth reveals him to be the man we all knew.’
‘What I don’t get though is what the Fallen are planning to do with just a few dozen Hethellean weapons? It’s like you said right, they're going to break down the Lanston arms, but the metal just isn’t enough to craft that many pure weapons?’ asked Alex.
‘That is what I can�
��t understand either. A few extra specialized weapons aren’t going to help them defeat the Kingdom. They must have something else on mind. Though to me it matters not, it is clear what we must to do. Somehow we must intercede, we have to save the Lanston army and thus prevent the Fallen from ever getting those weapons!’ said Cid.
‘That should be easy,’ said Brunick sarcastically.
‘There is little choice in the matter,’ said Vanapha.
Cid nodded. ‘Agreed, let’s go topside, I’m not overly fond of these tunnels.’
They made camp.
Brunick and Alex had somehow gotten into one of their favourite arguments over how the Lanston Lynxes would fare in the upcoming Bagural tournament. The summary of the situation was simple; Lanston was a struggling team and while both Alex and Brunick rooted for them, their outlook was fundamentally different, Alex being a skeptic, Brunick a diehard fan.
Vanapha, realizing they were arguing over the team prospects, silently shook her head and indicated to Cid that she was going hunting before light’s end.
Cid nodded her off as he gathered a scrap of twigs for a fire, knowing he would have to wander a bit to find proper wood. Lidayel lit the pile of kindling Cid had collected.
Sitting down Cid listened as Brunick and Alex raved on, making a few wagers. At any rate he was glad the two men were preoccupied with the prospect of getting back home. It meant they were hopeful, yet he knew at any time they were focused enough on the task at hand.
Once again Alex proved he knew just how to irritate Brunick as the big man disengaged and announced he was going to find some proper firewood, which was at least a valid and timely excuse. Alex chuckled satisfactorily as he sat down at the smouldering twigs with Cid and Lidayel.
‘Where’s Vanapha?’ he asked.
‘She decided to go hunt while you two were bickering,’ said Cid.
Remnant Pages Spearhead Page 28
