《Tirania》


 Begginings

    WHERE IT ALL BEGINS


    The old kingdom of Lusol, hailing for a long history of peace and prosperity faced the terrible onslaught of the Netherworld armies guided by the loathed Scarlet King, warriors unbridled in their cruelty, backed by the darkest of magic, a deluge of steel and death, roaming and rampaging, their strength in arms second to no one¡­ until the Heroes came, drafted from across the corners of the world¡­


    Their power and wisdom unmatched in the battlefield, their voices called forth to the powers of the land and even beyond, to aid in their journey, to unite toward an enemy so great and so foul that no one alive could bear it to be, shall their lands and people fall prey to his ravishing and madness, for wherever the Nether set foot, no life was spared.


    Kal Jorlsson, from the great plains, whose arm his said to be more powerful than a hundred oxen, brave beyond measure, Riel Maguco, the hunter of secrets and truth, cunning and ruthless, wreathed in arcane devices and mysterious ways, Dione Marvila, heir of the Ancients, a typhoon of destruction in any battle, for hers is the might of the gods whose arms and armours she carries, the Storm King, half god and half man, vowed to walk the land, bringing evil down with gale and sleet, lightning and drought, last but no least the Jade Eyes, last of his kin, the invincible sorcerer seeking revenge in the Nether army for his peoples demise


    Many battles were fought.


    Some were victories.


    Some were not.


    Many, many lives were lost.


    Those were the last days of an era, those were the battles that shaped the history; The Last War Of the Titans was called and for many years, no single soul know better.


    SOME TWENTY YEARS AGO


    Lusoll have never been the kinder of the neighbours, and that was a fact that the country of Diaz have crystal clear, whit near constant treats of bandits and smugglers, and a constant influx of whoever the current Lusolite government deemed ¡°undesirables¡± Diaz struggled, not helping matters the border (the long and strong river P¨²re) have been a matter of dispute and conflict for years, yet both nations have never came to blows by dint of being surrounded by far worse and greedier enemies, Sturmstein in the east pushing for conquest in name of their faith, Kaleside in the south, scheming and plotting, the Domain, a little far to the west ready to fight at the drop of a hat in revenge for one or another past defeat (the raid of Danopolis was a century ago and they still are out for blood) and the Jade confederation ready to pick up winners and losers in the crossfire¡­ amidst that, the two largest of the nations sit, and with no other option but to keep check into each other and everyone else, they bicker back and fort.


    But¡­ For how long?


    Halv 8, 836 a. T.


    five years ago


    A holiday, one of the more beautiful days on the year, the only thing that every nation agreed in, the 200 anniversary of the final victory against the Nether.


    That was the day when Lusoll marched into Diaz.


    The end of peace.


    The end of the world.


    Grys, 839 a. T.


    The Torching


    three years of war.


    Lusol lies on ruins.


    Every nation jumped on the fray. A free for all, no quarter given war, the allies of old tearing at each other with the fury of a madman.


    Until they came.


    The Blighted.


    Were they came, nobody cares.


    Why are they fighting, nobody asks.


    How do you kill them.


    Nobody knows


    Gren 4, 841 a. T.


    today


    The old and proud city of Anchoa straddled the P¨²re river in the northern parts of Diaz, boasting not only more bridges than any other city in the continent, but also some of the oldest bridges still standing (somewhat) , some as old as the reign of King Saba III, the last of the titanical rulers; with great mansions and historical buildings as a reminder of an era of trade and splendour, that same city laid bare and silent as a corpse in the dead of the winter, the ravages of war visible, with streets blown to the abyss and back, only charred ruins remain of some of his more visible landmarks: the town hall the more recent of them, the grand opera house, a crater for the past three years or so, the ancient college of wizardry, a year before, one of the most respected and well established hat makers, vaporized first year of the conflict.


    The city is silent, and cold, almost dead.


    Almost


    The Lusolite army came and went, unable to break the city, unwilling to destroy what can be a great prize, all too sure of an easy victory, then the multiple mercenary bands in service of the Confederates threatened to plunder and raid, but they too were turned back, lest they be putted down, even some of those thrice damned Kaledites managed to came here, only to be buffeted away like flies, to fall in the fire that Lusoll has been turned into. All that and more the old and proud Anchoa has survived, paying in fire and blood, paying in steel and havoc.


    Then the Blighted came.


    Having been deployed beyond the frontiers, in a push for the city of Acircecia and control over the plains, Diaz military fought, the esteemed third corps of the high cavalry: the Haze Knights, backed by some units of the infantry pushed all the way to the bulwark of the city, there it found an unusual sight, as the local troops were already in a desperate battle against the legions of their outward ally, the Dominion, whatever the meaning of this attack soon it became a moot point for in the twilight of the third day, the hills near the city caved in on their own, disgorging the soon to be known as the Blighted, what appeared as a ploy for entrapping one side by another soon turned out in a franctic battle for survival as the newcomers attacked all three sides regardless of strategy or numbers, a single minded onslaught were the might of the armies proved lacking: the lusolite war machines were tore apart, the Diaz knights meet their demise in the battlefield, even the legionaries whose might was acknowledged as the greater were slaughtered to a man; all to no avail for not one single of the Blighted fell, not even the more fragile looking ones, less so the mighty machine like monstrosities in their midst.


    The army lucked out, for the Blighted were engrossed chewing whatever pitiful few of the lusolite soldiers and the dominion legions still stood in their way, and so without turning back flew for the border, then and there, the II phalanx of the infantry corps took their stand, 9000 soldiers and mages, the greatest fighting retreat in recorded history. A lost battle without doubt.


    For the last fourteen months, that same battle as raged, that same phalanx (cut down to nearly 5000 able bodies) and whatever help could be squeezed of the militias, has been fighting a delaying action.


    Gren 4,


    Rinsan forest,


    north-west quarter of Anchoa


    2 kliks from the battlefront


    In the near dusk of the forest, two figures stumble their way to the city -Lance, lance! Please we¡¯re almost there!- raged breaths puff clouds in their wake, the winter is setting and the chance off survival outdoors with no gear is zero or less, even ignoring the army of murdering monstrosities that the slim one divines behind every bush so she press on; the tall one grogs and mutter, his head slumped, his walk crooked, wet stains grow in his shoulder and arm, all while the slim of the duo pushes and heaves while failing to operate two bodies in fumes. - Damn it all Lance! Don¡¯t die on me! - the duo run across a root, losing the last semblance of balance, plummeting in the forest.


    -Where I am?- cold breeze, a little blissful respite then all coming down- ogodogodogod ¨C the sortie, the ambush, the terrible noises of the battle, the deafening sound when a demolition cube misfired throwing askew or downright mincing half of the unit, a mad dash in the forest, the winter chill ¨C Lancelance where?- - nti-ia..- a grunt, barely audible rises from the bush nearby, Lance lies here.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Nidia moves, and grunts, her vision blurred, her limbs wooden, the fall was worse than expected, a creek about a meter deep, roots and rocks breaking their fall, short of a miracle that they¡¯re alive, she reaches to Lance, being the taller and heavier, he gotten the bigger share of face-to-the-floor damage, and now looks like barely hanging there, Nidia herself is hurt, her lips broken, her wrist a throbbing pain every step.


    - la-Lance- god now what!?- Lance, please get up...-is he¡­ no, still breathes...so what¡­ face it Dia we¡¯re doomed...he¡¯s out cold and bleeding, you can barely stand and my hand is bust, there is barely light left¡­ -getupgetupgetup- a whisper, a plea, Nidia lays kneel down along the young man, not even knowing what why or where, only the silent tears falling in is wrist shook her somewhat- no dammit no! We survived the blastings, the hunger, and those fucking monsters! We aren¡¯t dying here damn!-


    Clenching her fist, Nidia yells in her head, a handful of ideas come and go, but nothing gives her a fighting chance, her body is growing cold, her mind running circles, she cant remember the last time she sleep or ate, the pain the only thing tethering her to the here and now¡­


    ANOTHER BEGINNING


    SOME 250 YEARS AGO


    A Yell


    that is what I am.


    An unending yell


    for aeons and eras¡­


    then I am here


    then I AM


    my mind is clear, for I am only mind, another era or two passes by, time is but an illusion for me from nothing to eternity, I can cross all in a single leap, every question I can answer, that I know, yet I don¡¯t do it.


    For I am waiting.


    Then came the light, then came the pull, then came...BEING my body is whole, for I am only energy, I am light, pure and fast, unerring, impassible, indestructible, incorruptible, nothing exist that can stop me or harm me, I can burn the whole cosmos that I know.


    Yet I don¡¯t do it.


    For I am waiting.


    Then came the words, then came the breaking, then came¡­ KNOWING


    my memory is bast, unending, all that has been, all that will be, and everything that never was nor will be, all that and more all here, for me to use for good or ill, that much I know.


    Yet I don¡¯t do it.


    Another era crosses my mind, yet I wait.


    Then finally, it came, the Voice, the voice than for so many eras, across galaxies, trough light and dark I have been waiting.


    And I know what I have to say:


    -awaiting orders-


    Rinsan forest


    The cold encroaching, the sun falling, Nidia thugs at whatever scraps of strength she has for keeping awake, for trying something ¨C Think dammit, think! -i can¡¯t carry him, I can¡¯t make a fire, even if try for the city I''ll be dead meat long before the sunrise, so what else? - I can...- yeah..i can sing¡­ - a grimace falls over her face, all the while stealing a glance to the fallen man, he will certainly will not approve that, he probably will yell at her for simply coming up with that, and more likely will send her away in her own to the city so at least one of them could survive, just like he was trying when the attack went down earlier, he was always like that, thinking that she have to survive if nothing else for theirs parent¡¯s sake, when the truth was that without him- the very last of her family- she will be as good as dead¡­


    So, what if it¡¯s dangerous, Nidia has nothing much to loose now.


    240 years ago


    I am here, and now I have a purpose. My orders are clear. The Voice has left, another infinite amount of time passes, all the while, I serve my purpose.


    -You will monitor this structures


    That I do.


    -You will monitor this subjects.


    That I do.


    - You will preserve all of this, so it is capable of immediate action


    That I do.


    - You will harness whatever power or resources you deem necessary so as to keep fulfilling these orders.


    That I do.


    - You are to keep yourself able to fulfil these orders.


    That I do.


    - You are to make sure that no intruder, destroy or damage any of your charges, by any means necessary.


    That I do.


    ¡­


    - One more thing¡­


    235 years ago


    another era as passed, I fulfil my mission


    234 years ago


    many changes, an earthquake almost destroyed one of my charges, I have assessed that the damage will not extend, but that section is compromised, I have requested assistance.


    In order to better fulfil my mission I have entered the variable of ¡°time¡± in my mind


    two and a half revolutions have passed, the relief is here, my assessment has proven true, repairing works are underway.


    In order to better fulfil my mission I have layered the extent of my reach, a simple alfa-numeric notation will help me keep track of what and where anything occurs.


    Thirty-two revolutions have passed, security breach, assessment: non-sentient creature has burrowed trough bulwark 32sigma, creature evaluated as high risk for structure, requesting aid.


    Thirty three revolutions have passed, relief is here, creature has been neutralized repairing works are underway


    forty revolutions have passed, security breach, assessment: non-sentient creature has burrowed trough bulwark 34gamma, requesting aid.


    Forty Two and half revolutions have passed, relief is here, creature has proven too resilient for neutralization relief has been neutralized. Creature has been evaluated high risk for structure and personnel requesting aid.


    Forty four revolutions have passed, creature abandoned structure in his own, minor damages on bulwark 34 gamma 35 gamma, section 6 gamma.


    Forty five revolutions have passed, relief is here repairing work are underway.


    Sixty-five revolutions have passed waterways in sector alpha took damage from unknown source. Assessment shows low risk of damage, I have requested counsel.


    Sixty six revolutions have passed, waterways in sector beta took damage from unknown source, assessment shows low risk of damage, I have requested counsel


    seventy-two revolutions have passed, security breach, assessment: non-sentient creatures have broken in access beta, assessment inconclusive, creatures have entered in deep slumber, requesting council.


    Eighty revolutions have passed, relief is here repairing works are underway.


    In order to better fulfil my mission I have studied the methods and tools used in the maintenance.


    I have deemed them useful, but inefficient.


    I have deemed within the boundaries of my mission to copy and improve upon them.


    I have deemed within the boundaries of my mission to activate the installation sigma 1, renamed ¡°Hatchery¡±.


    Ninety one revolutions have passed, the final product of two hundred thirty three iterations of design and testing has been deemed viable and secure, I am now capable of mending anything but the more critical of damage.


    Ninety nine revolutions have passed, security breach, sentient creatures have broken in access beta, currently trying to ingress sector beta requesting aid, top priority.


    Ninety nine revolutions, relief is here, creatures neutralized, relief partially neutralized.


    Rinsan forest


    Nidia shifts her weight, forcing her breathing to a somewhat stable pace, the air is cold, the night closer every heartbeat, she focus, steeling her mind against the pain and fear, searching for a place in her mind, for the feeling¡­


    And there it is¡­ a slight tremor in her closed eyes is the only thing that betrays her struggle, her breath swallow; all the while, her mind reaches and brushes upon her innate reserves of ether, the one and only thing that every living being shares, she prods it, a little bit harder every time, rousing it, channelling it so has to fill her whole being, she hear it, a little louder every beat, and then she feels, with a chilling touch, the ether of the life surrounding her, the world surrounding her, from the mighty trees to the last grit of sand, the ether calling back, with a voice without sound, a music that was ancient even before time, a sound that beacons her to drift with the whole, to be part of the world instead of a mere spec of flesh and mind.


    A music that calls her to lie and sleep forever.


    The sound is powerful, many a greenhorn has been seduced by it, wasted in the infinite chorus of the ether, yet Nidia holds her ground, grinding her teeth, she inhales and open her eyes.


    Her mind rides in the tide of power, the pain and hunger a vague memory, the fright, the sorrow all but a dream, holding into what little last of her consciousness remains, she wills the ether into a form, an action, a Song.


    She reaches with a hand that barely remembers as her own, humming a little under her breath willing the ether into Lance, feeling for his own ether, careful, almost crawling, for a failure here, without wards or safeguards will probably kill them both, or worse¡­ the air is calm, and for a while Nidia fears that there is no hope, that she can do to little, too late¡­ then she finds it, diminished but not gone, the little spark within his brother, she can feel it taking the ether, growing brighter, but not enough to rouse his vessel, then with a little yank in her mind she guides the borrowed ether trough her brother¡¯s body, there she finds the sorry state of things: bruised tissues, bleeding gashes, a body battered thoroughly; she wills the worst of the damage to mend, she is no healer, the ether complies, but there is just so much she can do with raw intention, many of these wounds will scar her brother for life, but he hopefully will live, counting the heartbeats, she startles; the song is powerful, but no one can tap into the ether forever, her own breath as become ragged again, sweat dripping her back, her head hung low, weighing her options, she wills what little power remains into replenishing her brother blood; in hopes that it can reinvigorate him she tries to pull a little more into his body, just a little¡­


    And that was the last straw.


    Light and noise.


    That¡¯s the last thing she remembers.


    A sound¡­ metal against stone, a rhythmic sound, the cold air, no wind, something hard against her back, sound again.


    In the darks of the unconsciousness, Nidia falls and falls¡­


    A faint odour, stale air; sounds and a blur of white and grey receive Nidia back into the living.- th-ath ¨C her voice cracks ¨C that was horrible- the nightmare has ended¡­ then it dawns on her, she is alive, barely and by the rising pain in her head with a etheric burn, she closes her eyes and try her limbs, they are stiff but alive, all the little pains getting to her, a good sign then, her vision is there, blurry again with the little charm that keeps her eyesight on check blown away, hearing is fine, so all in all looks like her little brush with the rampaging ether¡­rampaging...


    A startled second latter all came back, first and foremost her brother, second to that- what is this place? - all around her white and grey, a roof of sorts hung well beyond her reach, something giving a dim light to all the place- a...building? How, where?¡­ weren¡¯t we in the middle of nowhere?-


    -You Are Finally Awake...-

 First Steps

    -oh god now what¡­- cranking her neck Nidia follows the voice, it has a weird thing to it, the inflection off, like so many of the foreigners she heard as a child in her grandfather office, a life ago, but not quite, her blurry vision just found the light source, some kind of lamp, big and round its light giving a radiance that cast the whole place- a room? Something bigger? - in a stark shadowless place, whoever talked was behind that light, but her vision was off for the worse what with the ether burn, the hunger and her short sight, so the light was everything that she could see.- Yes, sir- it pays to be polite- where are we, if I can ask?- she was awake and unhurt, so that ruled out bandits and deserters, but shall this turn out some kind of lusolite outpost she will have to make due and find any means necessary to bury the bastards, even if that mean going down with them¡­


    The voice came again, after a little while - That Is Irrelevant ¨C again a stilted silence ¨C You Were The One That Perturbed The Ambient Ether. Correct?- the heavy tones lacked inflection, it was not an accusation nor exactly a question, more like somebody confirming a guess ¨C Yes sir, that was me- Nidia said ¨C my brother and I were hurt, so I tried to¡­ -Enough- cut the voice- You Are Been Deemed Necessary For The Mission, Henceforth You Are To Stay Within This Room And Follow Your Instructions. Acknowledge.- now that was a load of bull, no military or civilian office standing have that kind of authority, even with the martial law in place¡­ and she never did anything illegal, to begin with anyone with some training can attempt a Song, the fact that it was a very likely way to end crippled or dead was its own punishment, holding her like a prisoner was out of the question, and what mission for the abyss fire? She was already in the middle of a botched mission!- humm, what again?- Nidia staled, she was barely in top shape, everything ached (so everything still sticked to her hurrah) a dull pang rang trough her head with every booming word of her¡­ captor seems to be¡­ and she can literally murder for some food and a good night sleep, yet she racked her brain for a way out, a leverage, so she stale -I don¡¯t follow¡­ -


    Risen forest


    underground


    an hour earlier


    An old and battered ruin, buried within the hills of the forest and beyond, blissfully forgotten by the world, sprawls and near endless maze of passages and chambers, littered with debris and strange artefacts, cold and dead¡­ suddenly take life...


    I awoke.


    I am¡­ functional


    barely.


    There is no telling how much time I have been dormant, nearly all of my functions are disabled, I have lost contact with nearly all of my charges, my ability to asses the exterior is severely hampered, I have lost contact with my charges, my reserves are remarkably low, I have lost contact with my charges, this structure is barely sound, I have lost contact with my charges, ihavelostcontact¡­


    now¡­ I must regain my functions¡­ my charges¡­


    There have to be some viable asset in this place, if I can divert a small portion of my energy, I ought to find out, or black out again, but this opportunity is too vital to pass¡­ - within the confines of the chamber, energy ebbs and flows, trickling just the bare minimum to his objective -


    in a small corner of the underground maze, something stirs...


    - It works, my hands¡­ they are functional¡­ there is no telling what was that awoke me but now I can track something, my hands let me asses the outer world, it is rudimentary, barely more than a sketch of the world, but it will suffice, there are still traces of the energy discharge, my hands move to follow them, they are¡­ clumsy, all that time dormant has made them brittle, one even collapsed in nothing more than charred remains, and I can see where other simply melted in the floor probably due to the energy flow, I can not tell when, and I do not have the luxury of enough time to analyse it, my best estimate is than in less than three...hours... my power will be depleted, it seems that¡­ whatever it was¡­ that used to give me energy has been rendered inoperative or destroyed, the early pulse must have be truly enormous, I do not know if I can harness its origin of even if I can work an alternative with the few hours that I have¡­


    I¡­ can not access much of my memory¡­ I know that it is there, but without energy I can barely keep thinking¡­


    my hands have reached an obstacle, some kind of biological entity has entrenched itself deep in the earth, cutting trough the passage¡­ I need to supply more energy, it is daunting how little power I have, I know that I used to wield power beyond the accountable, and yet now I can barely spare enough to take down some irresponsive biological thing, the exterior and the source lies just behind this thing so I have no other choice¡­


    I have used some¡­ fractions of an hour¡­ to explore¡­


    I¡­ can not remember what the exterior looked like when I was still whole, or what I am to expect of this biological mayhem that now surrounds me, there are¡­ no, counting each of the unique instances of biological entities will take me two thousand fourth hundred fifty two hours in my current state, it will have to wait, the trace is fading already¡­


    But¡­ the traces¡­ they where¡­ they are gone, but I have samples, and I can see a pattern¡­


    I do dot have power to spare, if I fail here not only I will fall dormant again, whit a breach in my makeshift defences it is only a matter of time before something destroys what I still have¡­ worse yet I will fail my mission¡­


    That I Wont Do.


    I do not have all that I am at my disposal, but if I divert enough energy I can use enough functions to achieve my current goal¡­ one hour of my current reserve ought to do¡­


    ¡­ another surge of power and activity later...


    The pattern of the energy has been analysed, I found a trace amount of the same energy stored within all the biological samples surrounding me, I have deem them too small and isolated to be of any use or interest, they have been filtered out of my analysis, the traces of the phenomenon points to a burst, the sphere expanded at a semi-linear rate with an stable acceleration, henceforth, I can design a simple model to point at the origin of the sphere, it is near, least tan fifty meters, my hands will have to strain but I can reach it.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    I ran a secondary analysis, the old lightning system was capable of absorbing part of the pulse, and transform it in actual power, it was a emergency feature in the first place, so it seems that the system was destroyed with the initial pulse, nonetheless the feedback in my main system was enough energy, at least for the moment, that is promising, if I can reverse engineer the original light system and replicate the burst, I can probably get an stable energy source, all that is left is¡­ there is, the origin, my hands reached it¡­ they are¡­ oh I see, they have their own absorption capacity, limited but useful, they feel much more strong now, the source is probably still emanating power.


    What is this?


    There are two biological entities, animals for their particular layout, they are irresponsive, if they are sensitive to the energy flow maybe the surge that wake me knocked them¡­ no matter, I can tell that one of them is still radiating energy, I can use that, I instruct my hands to retrieve them to further analysis¡­


    After a brief pause to navigate back I have a clear look at my samples, I was right, one of them is giving a constant if faint emission of energy, now that they are back inside my reach I can run better analysis and figure¡­


    This is bad, now that I can asses them in greater detail I can tell that the emitting one is breaking down, their biological functions and parameters are decaying by the¡­ the¡­ I remember¡­ no¡­ little time unit¡­ no matter, it will cease biological functions within the hour, what is worse, the emission is decaying as well, so I have concluded that there must be some unseen correlation between both phenomena, henceforth I have to completely syphon the energy before this sample cease functions, I will try to keep the other one in case it proves useful in regaining energy.


    The old system was not robust nor efficient, but it proved being useful, and easy to analyse, problem is I do not have the physical means to duplicate it, my hands are capable but this is beyond that, they are issues with materials¡­ I will have to improvise, worse yet it seems that my initial estimation was off, I have barely an hour of remaining power, not to mention that my next plan will hinger in using almost everything that I have left in the off chance of gaining enough energy from my sample¡­


    I can not take this risk, but I can not not take it¡­


    -In the dry and dark air of the underground chamber, a humming sound starts¡­ grave and unrelenting, as if the earth itself were a playing instrument, within the chamber the echoes stray and die in forgotten corners and deserted corridors, the power ebbing yet again, an new sound, a screech of stone in stone, the hiss of sand running over metal, of the air itself burning hot as fire and cold as iron, a hint of thunder as power arcs his way over the bare walls, all of it in harmony, all of it with a purpose,


    all of it guided by a sole will, an unrelenting mind bent into his mission.


    The changes in the atmosphere wash over two figures, laid in the sides in the chamber, blissfully unconscious, the gale tearing at their hair and clothes, the power itself prodding at their cores, before doubling down in the flow of the storm that the chamber has turned into, cracking arcs of light in the corners punctuated by the din of stone against metal all of it coalescing into the south wall, here, the surface has turned almost liquid, shifting and changing, subject to unseen forces the pieces of it move away while others fall into place, sand turning to crystal, ores turning into alloys, the lightning fusing all, while the stone carves groves unto itself in an oddly geometrical fashion giving way to yet more cooling metal and glistening crystals, until the sounds die a little a time with the soothing sound of a tide of off white clay engulfing the surface, gently, almost protective.


    Exactly three minutes and thirty three seconds have passed, and the air in the chamber stills again, the only proof visible of change a big square of darkened glass, almost a meter in side, fused in the middle of the wall, its shine almost otherworldly, and right in the middle, a pair of concentric circles, glowing faintly-


    -You will monitor this structures


    That I do.


    -You will monitor this subjects.


    That I do.


    - You will preserve all of this, so it¡­


    I am awake¡­ the... the reserves are gone, but somehow¡­


    ...it somehow worked, my array is siphoning the energy of the chamber, and turning it into power, it is working¡­ better that what I expected, the ratio of conversion is nearly 50%, I must have to device an storage quickly, the current one will be insufficient within four hours, I also have to work a way to extract power out of the other biological energy reserves, once this samples run out or cease to be, and I need to¡­


    I ¡­ I do not have power enough for now, I am¡­ weak¡­


    I overestimated the energy intake¡­ must pace myself or I will run dry my reserves even before I can build them¡­


    what I can do now is¡­ very little, I can keep my analysis on my samples, which I deem useful for future reference and planning.


    Odd, the sample A has not worsened, it is more likely to recover, the energy flow has dropped, but it is now a constant influx, its functions are weak, but stable, sample B is still irresponsive, it gave a little energy a while back, but so far its the only response I have gotten of it, its functions are stable.


    Further analysis has found more details, with my main memory inaccessible I can only make a guess¡­ unless¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Finally¡­ a secondary memory has been found, it must been some kind of safeguard system like the lights, is badly damaged and seems to only have observations and work data, but it will do for now, I need all and any asset that I can get if I am to get back into the mission, first I use it to asses my samples, and I will work from there.


    Samples: now I can tell that they are no mere animals, they are clad in protective gear, and carry tools of various kinds, Sample A is female, Sample B is male, based on the look of their gear they form part of the same cultural group, or at least were equipped by the same cultural group, there is not much data in my possession, but judging by their poor health, haggard countenance and misfit gear I can conclude that they form part of a scavenger or raider culture, more likely backward and superstitious, probably incapable of self sustaining¡­


    According to my memory that make them ¡°goblins¡±


    I have nothing much to work with, the data it is not only wrecked but also lacking, whatever was the intention behind this safeguard the work put into it is underwhelming, more likely it was nothing more than unsorted data, at least there are some schematics, if I can muster the power, my hands probably make use of some of it for now, it is just¡­ found some data about the goblin language, among a dozen others, good, if I can communicate with my samples I ought to find how they suffuse themselves in energy, hopefully I can replicate the process without them.


    Sample B is¡­ trying to communicate¡­ odd, it seems to be still irresponsive, yet still¡­ talks¡­


    I am comparing his words, they do not match with anything in my (albeit limited) goblin data,


    I assume this goblin have working knowledge of more than one language, or has sustained damage that leaves it incapable of such thing, I will run analysis on my data of the other languages.


    Match found: ¡°Breve¡±


    ¡°Breve¡±: Language common to a group of sentient cultures...found in¡­planici¡­enphasis in¡­


    anhkjhb¡­.


    Wrecked¡­ still, I have enough data on it to work around, if they can talk I will make them talk, this two samples seem particularly ill fitted and weak, I am sure that I can make them submit and obey, I just need some time to work on my message¡­if they are superstitious enough I can try to pass myself as some kind of otherworldly entity, if they are weak I can simply try to cower them, that will be easier...


    One of them seems to be rousing, it is time¡­


    I...hope¡­ this works¡­

 Missteps

    Now Again


    - I don¡¯t follow...- Nidia was trying to make herself an idea of what was going on and how can she and her brother get out, the details were sketchy, but she feel herself forming a plan; first step: get out¡­ well no, first step: get up¡­


    - You Do Not Need To Follow, You Need To Stay And Obey- another booming nonsense - -No, I mean, what does that mean? You can¡¯t make us do what you want, I can¡¯t stay here there is a war, my friends need me!- with half feigned distress and some all fake tears Nidia was getting her best ¡° I¡¯m a poor victim¡± impression, all the while trying to move, her body wasn¡¯t doing his part of the deal, for every corner of it seemed happy to let her hanging to dry, damn it¡­


    War¡­ that sounds¡­ familiar¡­ sample A seems distressed, its biological responses somewhat awry¡­ I can tell¡­ there is something¡­ some of my lectures seems to be suggesting that sample A is to be taking actions against me¡­ where that came from?...  no matter, I can asses its gear as no treat, but I still need it to be cooperative¡­ maybe that friends can be useful, I need to find out what that means, and how to use it.- Your Friends Need You For This War? How Many Goblins Are In This War? Do You Goblins Do War Often? Will This War Happen Near Here?- sample A seems to be confused besides distressed, this is going nowhere, but I have an idea¡­


    A faint haze in the air, and a spec of power was the only clue that something was happening in front of the stunned Nidia.


    Did he just say...- What did you¡­?- something.. cold and hot at the same time washed over her, the buzz of sleep and hunger suddenly forgotten, the fear, the doubts, all the machinations gone in some silent corner, only thing in her mind a sudden rage- you called me goblin you smug sunovabitch!?- there was a part of Dia trying to stay back, to keep her words in check, but trying as it was it all was for naught- come here, imma gonna wreck you, you¡­ you...- the rage was real, almost a physical weight in her shoulders, all red and hot, while Nidia hurled abuse and spittle at her captor, the it was gone, as quick as it came, Nidia was struck, she have managed to right herself and was yelling her head off, but for all that sudden rage and energy her body haven¡¯t gotten any better, it was as if all that was just a mirage, she can think clear, very much so, but the pain and hunger still cling to her body ¨C aarg¡­ What was that¡­ you¡­ you did something right? What did you do to me?-there was a creeping realization, for all effects and purposes, they were lost in combat, no one will try to look for them so far from the battlefield, and even then, who can tell what kind of place this was? She and her brother were very much at the mercy of someone with strange powers at its disposal, and a shaky grasp of reality - Correct- a deadpan voice startled her- It Was Only A Limited Mana Pulse- that even tone, that was only making all creepier ¨C It Was Intended As A Relief For Your Mental State, The Secondary Effects Were Unaccounted For- another pause, while Nidia let that sink in ¨C Are You Ready To Answer My Questions?-


    - Wait, you said mana?- oh shiiit¡­ that makes so much sense oh shitshishit¡­.- you are a wizard aren¡¯t you?- Nidia could sense sweat forming in her back despite the almost cold air, while her mind puzzled and checked the pieces: odd place, check, suspicious behaviour, check, lack of common sense, double check; it all made so much sense now they were abducted by some cooked up wizard, and heavens only know what was him up to, the warnings of the old priest back in the city started to bang around, Nidia was of the M¡¯nalishi faith, same as half the continent, and she knows all to well that the yet powerful  church and their mages take a very dim and straightforward approach to wizards and their minions, burn first, ask later, even with the war in the streets she was sure that a wizard could not keep itself safe from the Hounds of the Fire, the armed branch of the church; and when they came down wreaking havoc in this place she can only hope that they check for prisoners and slaves before blasting the place, otherwise, she and her brother will be as dead as the other militiamen in their unit¡­


    Speaking of her brother, he was there, in all the confusion she almost overlooked the resting figure an arm width from her, laid in some kind of raised dais just like herself, his face pale, a soft but stable breath, he almost looked like he was sleeping, she didn¡¯t see bindings, nor was she in chains, but that was something of a moot point, being as hurt and weak as they were the chance of an escape was slim, a little prodding revealed that her stuff was more or less in place: a Gaeffing in her hip, a smaller knife in her boot, her all too big trousers and the leather tabard, the smallest one she could find in the warrant officer lot, Lance was decked in somewhat similar pieces, a better fit than hers ought of height, but still lose here and there, a proof of the months of bad food and sleep, the sling bag limp at his side, he wasn¡¯t carrying his blade, more likely lost during their initial clash, and unless she was wrong the demolition cube that they have been carrying have fared the same; if not that will probably be useful, crazy as it may be, their captor surely will be loath to turn into mincemeat shall them dare to use the damned thing with no way to run.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    But there was no time for her musings, her captor was here, he was powerful, and probably mad as a hen, rescue was unlikely, so an escape was the only chance they have, in their current state it was nothing but a pipe dream, but if she can play along a little¡­ only then Nidia noticed that the voice has gone utterly silent ¨C humm¡­ Sir?-


    My hands have been working, one of them is back in the exterior, it is a step price, but I will have it bury itself near the makeshift entrance, so as to give me an early warning in case more of this goblins came by, another one was assessing the chance of sealing for good the passage, as I predicted the operation will be all to much costly, the best I can do now is to pile rubble in there, it is better than nothing, odd, the idea of having such an obvious security breach is appalling and alluring at the same time, I can not explain it, it is almost as if a part of me¡­ wished¡­ to be found, to be exposed to the exterior and its dangers, to be¡­ challenged¡­


    It matters not, the mission is my top priority, and that is were the rest of my hands are spending their meagre power, searching for the rest of my charges, for the rest of me. I have had my suspicions and now I can tell I was right: this chamber was at the east most end of my former reach, I can tell it was a kind of security checkpoint, the passage to the exterior was originally linked to a storage, I can only assume that that section was destroyed in whatever event rendered me dormant, there is an access to another passage, but otherwise this section is all but cut out from my original layout, I can not fathom the extent of the damage, nor the reason behind this location in particular, I must regain contact and hope that my other structures fared better than this tiny place, that somehow my charges remain intact, that somehow I can resume my mission¡­ I need more power, more energy, and this samples are currently my only lead as to how¡­


    Sample A seems more lively, I do even register a small increment in the energy flow, but nonetheless the mechanism by which is happening eludes me, my analysis is limited, the array that I improvised has not enough  finesse, and right now I can not alter it, this is vexing.


    Now sample A seems to believe that I am a wizard, and that makes it distressed by some reason, dealing with this is turning onto a distraction...- Wrong, I Am Not A Wizard ¨C maybe if I change my approach¡­ - I Am Not A Threat, And As Long As You Answer My Questions I Will Not Harm You- that must be enough to secure some cooperation.


    - Yes, thank you- not a threat? Pull the other one mr. Not-A-Wizard¡­ I¡¯m gonna show you not to mess with me, all that mana of yours ought to run dry sooner or later...- in the recess of her mind Nidia turned over and over everything that she know about wizardry, not a whole lot for the practice has been banned for over a century, yet some old nick-nacks and rumours drifted in her mind¡¯s eye, rituals, sacrifices and thing with goats mostly, some of which made her skin crawl again, but it was a start, now all she have to do was to keep herself low and ready to strike. - The war has been going on for years¡­ many many years¡­ and all the¡­ goblins... in the continent are fighting, my friends count with me to fight, so they surely will come looking for us and they are many, so you better release us...-


    -Understood ¨C again that flat and eerie voice, Nidia wondered for the first time how much time has this particular loon has been isolated, and better yet how much of a fool it was, ignoring the war was a feat on it itself, but confusing a pair of half-alvs with goblins was beyond possible, the only possible explanation was that this particular wizard came all the way from Kaleside, riding at night, blindfolded¡­that or was so out of his gourd that not even the very clear lack of horns or the odd matching in eye and hair colours (a mate shade of honey) were enough to give them away¡­


    Something to work with at last¡­ this war affair seems to be pretty big ¨C What Is A War? Why Is Fighting Involved? - try as I may be, I do not have memories of war¡­ must be stored out of my reach, if every goblin is participating, then it ought to be important, but why? The little information at my disposal suggests that goblins do not form large groupings¡­ tribes are called?


    ¡­


    There is something odd with sample A, it has been silent and still, there is no sign of distress nor its biological responses have changed, its just as if its gone dormant, very much like I was¡­ I wonder if another power infusion will help or make things wor¡­ An alert!

 Encroachment

    Rinsan Forest


    The day was getting as bad as it came for the corporal Ostribide, after the botched attack in the late afternoon some enemy units started hunting the routing militias, in the mad scramble she and her troop found themselves cut off from the main force, then nearly half of their men have lost themselves somewhere it this blasted forest and to top it all after heavens know how many turns and twists she still has a the enemy hot in their heels, one of her men have fallen just in front of her, the long and ivory like spear that the Blighted used as projectiles pinned him to an ashen tree just like some critter in an apothecary shop, the city was near, all too near, but with the enemy so close she cannot risk pushing any further, it was time to face the music and hope that their pursuers turn back instead of running to the city, she shudders, tired and scared, she knows all too well that her next order will doom them but there is no option left¡­


    -...! You men, take positions! Here that creek, take shelter!- a depression in the ground offered some cover from the incoming fire, straining her voice to sound more confident that she actually was she arranged the men under her command all the while trying to spot their enemies, the night was young and cold, above them the canopy of the forest hide the dim stars casting deep shadows, too late to have any sun, too early for the moon to really shine, pressed as hard as she can against some ancient tree, the corporal hold her breath and checked her pouch for spare shoots, the heft off her light-spear the only reassuring thing in her world, somewhere to her right the muffled sounds off the rest of the troop, some in the ground, some in the woods, making a thin arc, all of them going through similar motions some silent, some praying and one of them scribbling something in a mad haste¡­ without light all that remains to find their enemy was the tell tale rustling as they large bodies make way in the undershrub and the smaller trees, closing the distance.


    Within the minute her troops were arranged in a crescent, with a good spacing between them so as to avoid a good target to incoming magical attacks, a pang of yearning washed Ostribide, as she recalled the words of her drill instructor years ago, doing this same manoeuvres leading the fresh recruits during the first year of the war when the world still made any sense, that same drill Sergeant who has fallen to the Lusolite spears, along so many other companions, their ghosts still haunting the spare times when they can sit down an mull over the war¡­ with a snap she yanked herself out off the memories, focusing all on this moment, dreading the moment in which the forces will clash her fingers running lightly over the engravings in her weapon, the sleek shaft crafted from a Durian tree was more sturdy than it let in show, reinforced with the magic radiating from the solid core of alchemical metal, form the studs at the bottom were the etheric crystal laid to the double edged blade firmly attached to the point, their meder and sixty cilchs length encompassed the very best of their military tech, the tingling sensation of the ether running under those fingers was but a figment of her mind, but she always find it reassuring, with a practised ease, she level the point of the light-spear, taking aim between the crescent gavials, and hold her breath; to her sides, some of her soldiers were already in similar stances, some others were readying their swords, a faint aura of magic in their armours, ready to broke into the melee, their faces grim, all of them knowing deep down that this was their last hour, their last stand¡­


    -Enemy!- the shout was brief, to her right, a brief glance let her see the dreaded monsters walking on the trail that they have been using, to crooked to be a proper road, the monsters treading with some unease, but unerringly and inexorably they made their way, two of what the military intelligence has pegged as cavalry faced the soldiers, tall as two grown men, broad like a wagon, six stumpy legs supported an almost round and elongated body, the front of the critter arching up to form what looked as a crude imitation of a torso, two big appendages jutted at the sides, bristling with wicked claws in one side, while the odd contraption that fired spears and sometimes fire run the length of the other, with the odd gait that so many legs provided, the enemies approached, their shovel sized hooves pounding, their odd shaped and armoured bodies betraying no emotion at all, no fear, no fury, no mercy.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    With a steady gaze Ostribide eyeballed the distance, two hundred meders, given or taken, too far for solid hits, - hold!- the deceivingly slow gait of the lumbering giants will close that breach in no time, and¡­ something moved in the shadows between the blighted ¡°knights¡±, the knot in her stomach turned yet again, when the gauntly shape of the enemy infantry make itself clear, a dozen or so of the lithe monsters taking cover behind the foremost monster, their long blade shaped appendages skittering fast, their walk eerie and bug like -steady- a rustle while their men took aim was the response to her commands, nothing else moved while the seconds crawl, no words nor questions, she feel proud and sad, for their men were facing doom to her side without flinching, and soon it will be upon all of them¡­ with a roughly hundred and half meders between them a muffled sound came then the knights loose their opening salvo, the spear came flying fast, the first one embedded itself in a tree nearby, almost skewering the soldier behind it, a short yell out of her vision told her that one of her soldiers was hit, probably killing him in the spot, a plume of vapour rose from the enemies, and another volley came, then another, all the while the monsters keep pace, with nary a sound besides the stomp of heavy feet, and the rustle of their odd armours among the leaves.


    - Fire!- she yelled, a hundred and twenty meders, the perfect range for their weapons, all as one the remaining spears of the troop loose a volley, ether flow within their weapons, shaping itself like the blades then flew like comets in the night, a strike of light in pure white, to crash firmly unto the monsters with an almost musical ring, this kind of barrage was what have broken their enemies so many times in the past, tearing through flesh and metal, flying death with a side dish of terror when the ether managed to burst an enchantment engulfing the poor sod in flames or lightning, the spears sing their deadly song, pounding and skewering¡­ and all the while, the enemies keep going, ringing like bells, taking hits that will kill horses with nary a flinch, answering some of them with dead of their own all the while closing the gap, after roughly a minute the reservoir of the spears was depleting, some soldiers already changing the dull crystals in their weapons with fresh ones from their pouches or swapping weapons with a partner, Ostribide herself was burning through her second crystal when a change in the battlefield came, without warning, all at once the enemy infantry jumped and run to them, shrugging the odd shot that managed to land on them, their limbs a blur they close the gap in mere moments, her own troops were no slackers and jumped to their feet and ran head on to the fray, swords and maces at the ready, even some of the spears joined the fight, either for lack of ether or a lapse in judgement, the remaining spears retreated a little, aiming the best that they could at the incoming enemies, but in was as vain as any other attempt to hurt the awful things, shouts and curses filled the air when the melee fighters clashed, in a mere moment all kind of order was lost, as the soldiers broke on small groups and tried to surround their opponents, in a motion akin to hunters fighting a beast, dodging and attacking in a mad and deadly dance, for a single blow of their enemy has proven time and time again enough to rend a horse and rider in the same motion, fuelled by sheer desperation a soldier jumped in the back of a critter, hammering at what for want of a better guess was the head, but his bravery costed him dearly, for a stray blow of the monster tore his leg, another pair were struggling with some rope tangled in the wake of another monster to no avail, here and there shots and blows glanced and crashed in the hideous monsters, and here and there another soldier fall to a blow quicker than expected, or a shot from the knights, yet their enemies keep going strong, the stomp of the heavier ones closer every heartbeat, Ostribide keep firing and yelling numb to the fear, her heart heavy for she knows that this was their end, an instant latter her world turned and tumbled has she landed face first in the woodland soil, the taste of blood filled her mouth, a sharp pain told her that her arm was broken or worse, and a odd pressure robbed her of air, shaken and hurt she rolled, or tried to, something was tangled on her back; with a cry of pain and rage she pushes back, hard, enough to get on her knees, the weight falls with a metallic sound, Ostribide turns around to see one of her soldiers, a glance is enough to see that this poor man will not march again, his chest open, a gruesome rictus in his face¡­ a sound, something not quite metallic and not really alive and waft of stinking air came from her left¡­ with a rising dread Ostribide turn again, one of the monstrosities strides with ease the last meders between them readying his strike, all her senses yelling to run Ostribide find herself rooted, the pain numbing her limbs, a body weary for the chase and the fight, her only option to stand, to stand and die standing like a soldier of Diaz.


    Saca Ostribide rose to her feet, and yelled fury and defiance to her monstrous killer.


    And the monster staggered and keeled over.


    Along the rest of its unit.

 Entrapment

    Rinsan Forest


    Underground


    five minutes ago


    An alert!¡­ the hand that I left in the exterior, it has been sending me messages, mostly about animals and the like, but this is different, this time is a group of¡­ sentient beings, they are too far to really know if they are like my current samples, but they are sentient beings so it is on my best interest to err in the side of caution, I am not all clear on all this war details, but it entails violence, shall these newcomers prove a risk to my samples I shall take action¡­


    That will be problematic, I have no means of exerting violence nor deter such a thing, my hands are but tools, useful and sturdy, but ill suited for violence or destruction, and the power that I have gathered is all too little and too precious for squander it on¡­


    -...Fire and thunder, explosions and blasts of force, deadly cold gases and melting flesh vapours, metal claws and jagged chunks of crystal, all the tools of fear and carnage; a feast of blood and violence, a beautiful symphony of death all at my beck and call...-


    ...what was that¡­


    Did I found another memory?¡­ no, it is not a memory, it is something else, I am quite sure that nothing of the sort is at my disposal, and I can see no point in having something like that stowed away, it will be counterproductive in my mission¡­


    So, the beings in the exterior are organized, my samples seem to be part of a larger tribe, and claim to be part of some organized effort to carry violent acts, all of it seem related to this war thing, but how?¡­ this is vexing, I am lacking to much information, if my main memory were at my disposal I am sure that I would find answers faster, but yet again then I will not need said answers if all were as it was supposed to be¡­


    Interesting¡­ one of the sentients has ceased to be¡­ it is not all that clear from where my hand lays but, I can tell that its biological functions have ceased, in a rater abrupt way to boot, this can prove useful, I hope they leave behind it so I can gain some information about their¡­


    Odd, the group has stopped¡­ I can see them clearly now but¡­ they are just a meder or two out of my hand optimal range¡­ how vexing¡­ if I could move it just enough I will have a good look at them and their gear, but then again risking one of my irreplaceable assets just for curiosity¡¯s sake¡­ well I can always wait until they move again¡­ but they are just two meders, three at most¡­


    Odd¡­ I am moving my hand as slow as possible but I know that they could potentially sense it, maybe their senses are dulled due to another factor, well, better if I take advantage of this¡­ ten meders, that is all that I am willing to risk, the terrain ahead is all to bare or hard to conceal my approach, but this is plenty enough, the details are clear, this group get up is similar to my samples, I am counting twenty-nine individuals including the inactive one, I can sense the faint emanation of energy, not only in their bodies, also their gear, good¡­ they seems to have access to the technology required to harness energy at will, that could prove a greater asset that the data I was hoping to glean from the inactive body, as soon as they leave I will secure it, along with its gear, I wonder why my samples do not carry that gear¡­


    - Why Is Your Gear Not The Same As The Other Goblins?- so the booming continues...wait, others?- well, you see not all the goblins are rich, me and my brother got what we can...- easy there, if this guy think that we are rich he will try to ransom us, if he think we are destitute he will treat us as expendable¡­ - still, is very good stuff, for that price...- buy it you god damned...- What Is Price? What It Means Rich?- oh dear god this guy¡­ was he raised by wolves or something?- erm¡­ how do I put it -


    Sample A is acting odd again, I fear that it is not all that intelligent, or maybe all those gaps in my memory are playing havoc with this whole affair, it does not help that she keep spouting words whose concept I can not grasp, my data on its language is bare bones at best, and I do not have the luxury of time to piece together all from scratch, nor the means to learn it at a fast pace, how vex¡­


    There is activity outside again, the group has stopped altogether, they are facing away, more or less in the same direction from where I can estimate they came, they are spreading in a line, and are doing things with some of their gear, my hand can not tell me what, it is not enough advanced for that nonetheless I can tell that there is a spike in the energy flow, interesting, the individuals seems to be sheltering themselves, maybe they need to lay dormant, for what I can gather of my memory all animals have a cycle of active/dormant states, if so, maybe I can sneak up to them while they are inactive and procure me some more samples, it is risky but¡­ wait what was that? I am registering impacts, something heavy well beyond my hand senses, it is approaching, the slight tremors are barely measurable, but¡­ I am positive, they are moving, whatever it is is massive and is coming this way, more or less in course to the group formation¡­


    I have an inkling of what is happening¡­ violence, this group endeavour is to commit violence, and so to have violence happen upon them, henceforth the individual that has been ceased to be was so because whoever this group was fighting has retaliated, and now the violence will continue, until this group or the person or persons that want to be violent with them can not carry more actions¡­


    and all that in my range of perception¡­ well I suppose it will be better if I record all what I can, I not know when a chance like this will arouse again, I just hope that some of this is worthwhile, I wish my hand have better capacities, right now the information is very plain¡­ I wonder if their gear will be usable after whatever happens, what kind of gear is in the other side¡­ so many questions¡­


    They are starting apparently, one of the individuals has dropped significantly low on biological responses¡­ now another, that was fast, I shall get some samples of the other side as well, it can prove useful, now this group is doing something, I see a large spike in the energy flow and some kind of output of raw energy, well this is turning interesting¡­ they managed to harness the energy in a focused way, that is somewhat useful, but I do not see the point of letting it go raw, surely they will realize that crystallising it in a power matrix or even a simple lattice will make it much more efficient¡­ now that I think about it Sample A acted odd after I used a lattice myself, I will question about that later...


    What now? Sample A is acting up again, just when this is getting interesting¡­


    ...Not much further away, distorted echoes of yells and shots bounce in the hills, and underneath the hills, muffled and indistinct the sounds of battle reach¡­


    I knew it! That is the sound of the light-spears discharge! There is a fight nearby! Nidia¡¯s heart pounded in her chest, her mouth dried, a tug of war in her mind: a fight means enemies, but also means allies, the militias or the army even was out there fighting, being so far into Diaz ground, that could only mean bandits or a splinter group of federate mercenaries marauding the country, the Blighted for whatever reason have been loitering around Alcaparra (what used to be Alcaparra at least) for the last two months, and while nobody could make heads or tails of their strategy of if they have an strategy at all the fact remains that they were leaving Anchoa alone for the time being, with that in mind Nidia was banking her hopes in a brief fight, with any luck she could convince their captor to sell them, or maybe dupe him into giving away his position...- hum mister Wizard, Sir- easy there girl...- I can heard my friends outside can you?¡­ - -Yes- one of these eerie pauses ¨C They Seem To Be Fighting-  well, are you familiar with that sound, or just guessing? - Yes, they are, and maybe they need my help so¡­ - - It Matters Not- the voice came calm, detached ¨C The Fighting Will Be Over Soon, Your Friends Are No Match For The Other Side, It Appears-Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Sample A was trying to join the activities outside, I can not allow it, not after I have witnessed the fully extent of what their kin are up against, just in the past minute half of them have been neutralized, when the other side deployed some kind of device, my hand simply cannot grasp what it is, the energy output has rendered the whole zone murky with echoes from the energy dispersion, I am only capable of grasp at what is happening due to some foresight, I tagged every individual of the initial group in my hand¡¯s vision, and I somewhat keep track of their movement within the foreground of energy responses, when one tag stop moving for more than thirty clicks of the inner works of my hand, I count it as downed for good, and in so far none of them has raised again, whoever are fighting against them is clearly superior...


    say what? That is nonsense, unless...-You seem all too sure¡­ how can you tell without seeing it I wonder?- you can¡¯t bluff me that easy mr. nutty wizard.


    I just hope you are bluffing


    - I Can See It Well, Your Friends Fight, The Other Side Fights Better. That Is All- -So you say, but I don¡¯t believe my friends can fall so easy, and what is with this ¡°other side¡± who are they?- A sunking feeling reached Nidia while she was baiting her captor, the sounds were really dying down, the sharp sound of the light-spears more isolated, some errant cry, and altogether the lack of sounds that follows a battle, the deep silence of the dead¡­


    The other side¡­ the dispersion is receding¡­ good, but odd, this volume of energy shall theoretically be enough to blanket the area for at least¡­ half an hour, if not more, something is happening out there, something else besides the fight, but the only way to know is risking even more¡­ no, I can not squander this opportunity, I must gather all the information possible, my hand will probably can use the confusion to find a closer spot¡­


    There it is, this depression in the terrain is where I found my samples, the group has vacated it, now I can use it to hide my hand,and even better, there is a body here, so at least I can retreat with some of it, and maybe the salvageable gear, now all that I need to do is wait until¡­What now?


    - Answer me!- Nidia was almost yelling again, the sounds of the battle clearly subdued, feeding her imagination with all kind of gruesome images. - You claim you can see them, who are they fighting!?- all caution of the window, fear fuelling her again, she had managed to step up and walk, a grimace of pain contorting her usually attractive features in a hard and terrible face, with every step her legs cramped, her broken wrist jostled, and yet she pressed forward, her good hand a dead grip in her blade handle, her gaze somewhat lost in the darkness beyond the damned wizard¡¯s lantern, searching for a body, a face to put along that loathsome voice. -Cease At Once- the voice, always cold, always clear, she could tell that it was coming from that impenetrable shadow, but that was all, for all that she knows she very well could be staring in her captor eyes, or a meder of in any side, she didn¡¯t care, she was again back in the forest, in the meadow were their attack had failed, back in the opera house the day it crumbled to dust, the day she has lost so much, so long ago¡­ fear and pain, that was all that her body have right now¡­ - You Can Not Help Them- the words almost punched her ¨C Your Gear Is Not A Threat To Me ¨C a pause, was he doubting?- And Clearly Not A Threat To Them...- in the corner of Nidia¡¯s vision, something stirred and moved¡­


    Sample A has become hostile and erratic, the notion of these ¡°friends¡± ceasing to be seems to be quite stressful, good to know, for I still have one other sample, Sample B is dormant, an as such unable to defend itself, if I can convince Sample A that I can damage it then I can force its cooperation¡­ back to the exterior, I deal with my current samples as soon as I am sure that nobody from the two groups can come and disrupt my mission¡­ no, Sample A is trying to reach something, also it look ready to use one of her tools against me; I remember it, hand held, forty point eighty five cilchs, basic steel alloy, worked into a cutting implement, primitive, useless ¨C Your Gear Is Not A Threat To Me- my hand is sending frantic messages, it is not in distress, then what? Trying to follow two streams of information is proving taxing, I need to relocate some energy fast, but what is it?¡­


    I see¡­ the data that I am gathering¡­ the other side¡­ now I can see them clearly, no wonder that I was blinded to their identity, now the only question is what are the Scarlet King army doing here, they were¡­ were¡­ -And Clearly Not A Threat To Them...-


    Nidia turned her head as fast as she could, in the corner of the room, something jostled and whirred, a shape dark and undefined in her eyes, started to move, a new skin crawling sensation rolled over Nidia, whatever this was it have been there the whole time, still as a stone, more likely waiting in ambush shall she take action against the critter master, horrible visions of things full of claws and fangs vying for her attention she feel the anger that have been keeping her moving falter, now they are two, and one of them was clearly not human, for the shape moved with a disjointed gait, all the while doing odd clicking sounds accompanied for a low hum¡­ she was about to let a war cry and take the plunge at the wizard, when the new terror wheeled almost in the spot, and darted to one of the room walls, just as it looked as if the creepy thing were ready to smash itself, in clambered a little, and without so much as a pause walked straight up the wall to banish in some kind of chimney that Nidia haven¡¯t even noticed.


    -Heavens be praised! What was that!?- -That- with a start Nidia found herself pressing with all her will against a wall, the light and the voice coming from some place a meder or so to her left, in her panic, she have moved all the way to the wall that she was initially facing, her blade at the ready, albeit in a very trembling hand...-Was One Of My ...Attendants?¡­It Is Needed Somewhere Else- -What? What for?- Nidia feel somewhat bold, the count was back to one on one¡­ or so she was desperately telling herself while her short sight struggled to make any more suspicious shadows and her usually keen hearing filled all the gaps with a veritable army of monsters¡­- To Close The Access To The Exterior- Nidia balked and paled, but her protest died untold- The Scarlet King Army Is Out, They Are The Ones That Fought With Your Friends, Once They Are Neutralized; The Army Will Seek And Destroy Any Other Sentient Being In The Vicinity, Then They Will Move On To Another Place, Repeat, Until They Are Neutralized Themselves- - What, the ¡­ nonsense! The Scarlet Army was destroyed more than two centuries ago! The Scarlet King himself was¡­ torn apart¡­ with horses!! his army could never came back after that! That¡¯s bullshit!-


    A little pause, as if the outburst has burned all the air in the room, Nidia could feel the floor trembling a little, or maybe it was just her heart¡­ - Fact: Outside Here Are Two Marauders, And Half Of A Rabbler Squad, Fact: They Are Destroying The Forces Of Your Friends, Fact: I Have Lost Track Of The Time So It Is Possible That You Are Right; Conclusion: The Scarlet King Has Managed To Come Back, And As Raised A Second Army, In Order To Fulfil My Mission, Your Survival And Compliance Are Necessary, So I Will Isolate This Area To The Best Of My Abilities; Acknowledge-


    The scarlet king was¡­ defeated¡­


    If only I remembered if that was important¡­ I have some data, correction, plenty of data in the scarlet king army , I wonder why, it matters not, but all this gaps and inconsistencies in my memory are making me doubt, and I do not need doubts, I need answers, and energy¡­ will this Sample agreed already? I can not make much more to keep it safe, it will be harsh in it, but is better then the alternative I think.


    So, all right, this wacko thinks that the scarlet king came back from the abyss with his damned army in tow, and now think that burying all of us alive is a good idea, well better think quick¡­ damn, I don¡¯t even know where is this access that is going down, think think¡­ the mission, this guy has been rambling about some mission since forever, and he wants me on board, so...- Hey mr. Wizard, I have a deal for you¡­ -ogodogod let it happen...- I can try and help you with your mission if you do your tricks and help my friends¡­ how about that?- now, if this guy works like the church¡¯s mages he will need to move until he can see this scarlet army or whatever, I just need to tag along, shank him and bring back reinforcements, assuming that there is someone alive¡­ what¡¯s happening out there?¡­


    -Deal?- Yes, a deal, a deal! Like, you need me for this mission of yours, and I need to help my friends, but you said that my weapon is not enough- there Nidia cringed a little, feeling somewhat safe out of the direct light, she can conceal her expressions, and all the other little signs of deception that her grandpa and her mother have pointed out many times while they lived, and now she was feeling more that a little peeved, first for getting along with a wacky heretic, second for the not so veiled way that her captor has brushed her as ¡°not a threat¡±


    Good¡­ yes good, now we are going somewhere¡­ well Sample A seems willing¡­ but what about the other part of this¡­ deal...she want me to help her ¡°friends¡± escape certain doom¡­ my hands are useless in this situation, I can not make the sides to vanish nor I can bolster the ¡°friends¡±¡­i do not have the energy nor the time to change the terrain in any way or shape, better I can do is a distraction¡­ and even then, I do not know if this will work¡­


    better option overall is to pressure Sample A with Sample B continuous existence¡­


    but it will work just once¡­


    Well this is quicker.


    -Deal-


    In the forest, in the middle of a little creek, a lithe form, a shine of metal or something akin in a glistening black frame, no more tall than a medium dog raised, and crawled a little to the side, as if searching something¡­.


    The scarlet army¡­ what I know¡­ these are a little group, so no gargoyles to shield them from a power lattice, I can not use nothing more powerful with this medium, so I need something that works at the first try¡­ the Rabbler have no track capabilities, so if I can knock the Marauders Sensors, they will be out, that will be enough for the group remnants to flee, so...yes a lattice, I will make it so it mimic the energy dispersion of one of the group, so they will think that they have more targets were there are none, and if I make the lattice loop unto itself I can make it appear as a stream of targets, now I just need to¡­ yes five hundreds loops per¡­ well the shortest amount of time possible will suffice¡­


    With a scrapping sound, the body of a dead soldier toppled over some roots and rocks, completing a small makeshift mound, the handiwork of the strange critter perched on top, the very same critter that was gathering a small nimbus of ether under its squat body, very much shielding it while the voice of his master resonate inside it, until, whit a screech of stone in stone and a odd change in the air over the battlefield thousands upon thousands of flickers of mana came to live almost like fireflies rolling out in a dense cloud, jumping and swelling in numbers, millions, billions¡­


    Did I set the time too short? the loops are... to much... syphoning my energy...Billions of billions¡­ must... cut... flow...


    An assault of little specks of light, that was the only thing that the harried and almost broke defenders could make off¡­ but the Blighted knights¡­ tossing and turning, one side, then another brandishing weapons uselessly, unto the air, all the while their long backs sprouted odd plumes of vapour¡­ a step, a drunken step to the side made them collide¡­ and in the ensuing silence¡­ a bellow, a war cry primal and fearsome tears the night.


    And for the first time in the war, somebody could claim a kill among the dreaded monsters, as all of them toppled and fell.

 Battlefields

    Rinsan Forest


    Underground


    That was not wise... Too much energy... Thinking... hard...noise...


    -What now Mr wizard sir?- a silence heavier than anything before blankets the chamber Nidia waits with abated breath, all sound of the battle ceased, sweat, cold and clamy runs her back, in the tense air her voice echoes... Now or never... - You agreed, so please, do something I want to know that my friends will have your help, yes? - time to pull the damsel trick, if this guy was so confident in her own lack of a threat then she maybe can dupe him in...


    A new sound... A grating sound of metal on metal came from the wall across the chamber, were a section dislodged itself, a nerve wracking eternity later the slide grinded to a halt, all the while she keep her blade straight and ready while her heart dances in her throath, then nothing, only utter darkness... With a start, Nidia realized that the only sound are her teeth chitting, one, two heartbeats go by and with a final nod, she stalks the lenght of the place, eyes uselessly darthing, hoping that wathever trick or trap ver captor has she can counter...


    The air shifts, and an unrush of smells assault her, fresh soil, old leaves, the smell of forest, and for the first time in this nightmare of a night she feels some hope, the darkness ahead menacing and enticing and the same time, a darkness sudenly punctured by a gosthly light, with yet another gasp Nidia finds herself face to knee with the odd chittering critter, waiting? It has to be, for when she found herself within a meder of it another whirring sound came and the thing scampered away in its own... A black blurr, punctuated by the weird lights atached to it''s sides, not enough to give meaningfull details of the surroundings, more like an effort to highlight the creepiness of the place... But it was moving, and for better or worse that was the only good clue of an exit...


    The hall or wathever it was proved to be actually short, roughly twenty meders at most, the ceiling and walls hidden in shadows, here and there chunks of stone and dirt littered the way, at one point Nidia could catch a lingering wafft of burned wood and something that reminded her of a blacksmith shop, but otherwise the air in this place was as still as a tomb... With her hackles never setting down and her weapon at the ready she walked all the way until she found a big mound of dirt, big enough to block almost all the hallway, almost being the operative word here, for in the space between dirt and the odd pale stone of the walls she found a crack, or maybe a roughly hewn tunnel, a bit shy of the meder and half high, wide enough to walk or crawl trough, just like her "guide" was doing, just when she was weighting her options all light desappear in a turn of the path...


    In the utter darkness Nidia crawls her way, as fast as her wounds and the common sense allows, but after a few meders that felt like kilomeders, all her fear banishes with the first draft of real air, the cold and musty brezze of the winter forest fills her lungs, and for the first time in her live Nidia blesses with all the stars that knife like sensation in her pale skin, a plume of vapour escapes her, a goffy grin overtakes her face, and her ears pick up not only the faint sounds of the sleeping forest, but the more than welcome earthy sounds of voices and clatering of metal...


    Rinsan Forest


    Battlefield


    Corporal Ostribide was having a really odd moment, first of all she was aching all over, a living breathing bruise if that was possible, more important, she was looking down on a downed monster, trying to make heads or tails of this whole mess, her mind not at all catching up with her body who in this very moment keeps laughing and grunting as her good arm batters the fallen enemy with a branch, she has been at it for good five minutes now, kneeled in the blood soaked mud, laughing and cursing at the body, but yet again the more astounding fact, the one that somehow keeps bouncing in her mind...This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I''m aliveeeee!


    -...poral! Corporal da ya heer me!- a jolt of pain as her shoulder gets griped marks the end of Ostribide maniatical laugther -Ahk! Watch it you numbskull, I heard you- With a mighty effort the Corporal raise, one of the soldiers at her side clutching at a wounded arm himself, a glancing blow otherwise the arm will be littering the forest but still enough to draw blood, a grin half smug half surprised plastered in his face -good ''was ''fraid ya a goner- with a nod the soldier rumagged in his belt producing a small flask half full in an amber liquid - ''miracle this made trough eh?- with a practiced ease the soldier removes the cork, eyeing his superior he offers a swig -Nah, we just escaped death once today, not gonna push my luck with that rotgutt of yours- the words are harsh, but there was no ill will, the very fact that the little bottle and her contents were a clear breach in the regimental law yet were shamelessly displayed was just one of the many little ways in wich the surviving officers and soldiers keep some kind of sanity, the break of moral was a far worse thing in the opini¨®n of the command.


    - Frayer ''ooking fer ya- said the soldier after a hefty swig- better go find ''im before ''e turns this blasted forest upside down-


    With an almost shrug both soldiers turned aside, limping their way to the place were the battered remains if their platoon mulled over, amongst them a towering figure gives orders in a cold and straight way, only pausing when what is probably the last surviving lantern bathes the two straglers in its light. Ostribide let a smirk creep in her face, with his almost two meders height and shoulders broad as they come, Franc did make for the classical image of a warrior or hero of yore, shame that the man itself has taken the famed scruffines of the gaeffin of old to an art form, a beard rough and tough, tatoos of his ancestors deeds in heach arm, and a criss cross of scars marring his face, the only hint of a upbringing better than a tug his almost erudite voice, thundering all the same while giving orders or reciting the Old sagas besides the campfire...


    -Ah, corporal- says the man with a somewhat respectfull nod aimed at the officer- make it in one piece I see-


    -indeed- a simple nod in return, while glancing at the man handywork- Good to see you keeping the men together Franc, last thing we need is losing ourselves in this dammed cold forest, altought at this point I was almost expecting that all of us will be shaking hands with our ancestors in the Great Beyond-


    - True- with a shrug and a somewhat miffed expresi¨®n the man looks around- and what a sight will that be, the thirty of us walking proud from the dusk into the hallways of champions, laying our lives for fellow and country, truth be told, I feel almost cheated, when will we found a better chance?-I will laugh you off, if I didn''t know that you mean it...


    -I don''t mind makin'' ma ancesters wait ''nother day if I hav'' a said-


    A little round of jeers and laughs break among the gathered men, as some voice their less than pious opinion about the soldier ancestors and the like, while some others call and brag about their personal share of glory in the last skirmish


    Great Ostribide eyes what remains of the platoon, battered and tiredin the brink, but not broken...yet... She keeps breathing swallow, the dull pain almost overwhelming, maybe the men will accept her fainting in the spot, but her pride will not allow it, and so, she grits her teeth steeling herself for what is next- So, break it for me who we lost this time?-


    -Ah yes- straightening up the soldier brush aside the brief moment of levity- Aaton, Bert, Bossie, Caedfal andFraenk-the odd enphasis in the last name, same as his and a very common name in the plains were both soldiers came - thats for the old platoon, we also lost two of the new recruits, Aston Ostrivy, and Bern Leadwrit, along those two guys we picked up from the militias, I loathe to admit that I never catched their names, and... well one of the twins...-


    Damn, ten men in less than five minutes... Wait?- Wich one, Salo or Maro?-


    - I cannot tell I''m afraid- with a short gesture the man points to a little group of laying figures- the other one has been wounded, and in his state I can but guess at wich is wich...-

 Contact

    In the cold silence of the night, the soldiers stood side by side, motionless and speechless, the gruesome sight of their allies some writhing in pain, some still as dead, a dreadful silence as their minds raced across their meagre options ¨C Can you patch them up? - her voice a whisper, Ostribide looked into the man¡¯s eyes, but not a spec of light came to them, cold and harsh his face a stone mask while he shake his head ¨C Truth be told, I have already made what I can- a grimace almost broke his features- we were not equipped to deal with this kind of thing, and the more competent of the healers is already among the dead- swallowing, his eyes focus in nothing, and the next sentence almost gets stuck in his throat ¨C With how far we are from camp or any help, and the kind of injuries they have, the only thing left for them is dying slowly, or dying...fast...- his pale almond eyes came into focus again, a frightening intensity to them- I will do it corporal, you take the men and start marching to the camp, let two others with me, we catch up as soon as¡­- his words cut short as she raised her good hand, a resolute look in her eyes- Nonsense- dry and parched, her throat almost betraying her- instead, take half the men, pick the ones who know this forest better, go to the city, and come back with help, I don¡¯t care if you have to drag that fat bastard of the mayor out of his bed, you bring help, I stay with the other half and try to make a camp, with any luck you could be here before sunrise- and before we freeze to death¡­ a bonfire will help, but even that is almost beyond us now not to mention that is incredibly dangerous, yesterday was cold and cloudless, that means today will snow¡­ or was the other way around? -But- Franc scowls even more- you will freeze, and the rest of the platoon, we barely made it as is, the men are exhausted, I doubt they will make it to the city, even if we manage to find our way in a dead dark forest, you are basically throwing away your lives- at this point Franc voice is barely a raging hiss, his eyes nailing Ostribide while she stares back, her black eyes as hard and unwavering as his¡­


    -Hello, somebody hear me?- a high pitched voice sounds in the middle of the silent night bringing a jarring end to their discussion, with a hurried rustle of metal and fabric the remaining soldiers arrange themselves in formation, the more keen standing well away of the lantern some dropping in a ready stance with their light-spears, Ostribide and Franc move deftly, taking cover behind some nearby trees, a grimace of pain crosses her face when the sudden motion rattle the wounded arm and nearly make her cry, with a glance Franc take stock of the officer plight, a silent nod is the only answer to his questioning glance ¨C Who¡¯s There!?- he bellows- show yourself!!-


    All around the little clearance soldiers ready themselves, even a pair of the wounded ones struggling to get a hold of their weapons. - Look- the voice goes on- I can barely see in this dark, and I¡¯m hurt, just, hum¡­ walk this way, I¡¯m from Diaz same as you!- the voice is almost pleading, but the soldiers keep leering at the night, no one moves nor speaks all too keen in possible ambushes, a pair of soldiers hush among them, with soft paces one walks trough the shadows among the bushes until the officer is an arm away, there he talks briefly while the other soldier props himself against a tree a good five meders of them before clearing his throat -So you say!- his voice rang clear in the night- prove it! Dance A jig!- in the night the silence hangs, least than a heartbeat later came a yell -You play the pipes and I will do a Morris!- the soldiers, look one another, some of them aghast, some just failing to understand the whole thing, with a humourless grin the yelling soldier step from the cover and walk to the officer ¨C It is ok. Corporal, whoever this is, is at least from Anchoa, we should be safe- Ostribide keeps her expression neutral, while Franc scowls even harder ¨C You thrust your live to some child¡¯s wordplay?- the tone is even, yet the words promise a hell of a punishment, in case they make it past the night that is -Well, ya- the soldier nods, and his partner chime in- it¡¯s an old joke, bet you people of the plains don¡¯t even know it exists, besides, she sounds like upper quarter, not many people can fake that¡­- Ostribide let that sink in, she was certain that the voice sounded like the local troops with that odd accent of theirs, but still, even a local can be a bait, or worse yet a traitor, the cornys have been sending small parties in terror raids since the very start of the war, and even now with the Blighted burning half of Lusoll and the Domain to the ground they persist in acting like selfish ass-holes, the Kales and even the nut jobs of Sturmstein have signed truce and sent aid, no doubt with several strings attached, but still¡­


    Pausing her musings, Ostribide nods and take a step out off cover ¨C You, you and you- she stabs the air, picking some men- with me, fan out, eyes open mouths shut, anything weird, we bolt back- another pace and the looming from of Franc at her side grunts- I shall go with you, it could be a trap- a cold smile crosses her face- Oh, I¡¯m betting is a trap, that¡¯s why you keep the other men and get ready to bail us out, hopefully, here- with a simple gesture she hands over her light-spear- I¡¯m out of shots, and I reckon half of the men are the same, see what you can do to retrieve some off off the fallen, along their weapons, lets hope that we can come back for their bodies before the scavengers, now, move- her words clear, not a trace of the fear that she feels as she walks into the dark forest If I don¡¯t make it back she was all but telling clear this place, and take care of the men ¨C Understood. It shall be done- a simple nod came back, without a word, the burly man handles the weapon and gestures to a man crouching near to go for the others -I must admit, I¡¯m a poor shot, never managed to catch with this new fangled weapons- his hand goes to the pommel of his sword, with a little shrug he continues- and I can¡¯t see you handling mine- the chunk of enchanted steel would probably be too heavy and unwieldy for her even using both hands- Go, we wait.-Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The next couple of minutes feel to Ostribide like the more long and jarringly short in her whole live, with the men in a loose line stalking the forest in pitch black night, literally inching their way least the treacherous terrain make them stumble or give away their position, all ready to pounce or duck or run, only the nerve wrecking call of the voice¡­


    Truth be told, when the group found the origin of the voice, Ostribide was so keyed up that her teeth rattled, her blade was naked and ready, and she was all but eager for a fight, just so this night was over I¡¯m shuddering...what was I thinking?¡­ damn shoulder is killing me¡­ keep it straight¡­ keep...it¡­ with a start, she found herself standing in front of some sort of hill, a pair of boulders jutting from the ground, each taller than her by a par of meders forming some kind of grotto, a handful of spindly trees growing about, and resting against one, a young wisp of a girl barely taller than her own weapon,the whole tableu almost like ripped out of fairy tales, almost being the fact that the young one looked like dead warmed over, with an all too big set of militia garb, more bruises than skin and a wicked looking blade in her right hand pointing straight to Ostribide... mid section, for the combined shake of hand legs and head made the girl drew circles...


    -Hum- a slight cough- help?-


    Nidia has been thinking, in the dark cold night her chances of finding the soldiers were close to none, calling for help was her only sound option and even that was a far shot, someone in the other side has made and old joke rekindling her hope, and with fear and joy in equal parts she waited for what felt a lifetime, until a ghost stumbled in her sight, there under the dim starlight she face it, tall and terrible, drapped in the almost garish ensemble of the Diaz phalanx a gleam of steel in her hand, the apparition stood stillheavens please, let this man be honorable -hum- her voice a raspy whisper after the strain of yelling and running and heavens know what else, she clears her throath - help?- she struggles, but that is it, sudenly she feels all the weariness of the night weighing down on her, but not only that, beyond the pain and exhaustion something even bigger lays, sapping her strengh, clouding her mind, a voice calls to her, but she is frozzen, only the ghost in her visi¨®n moving and making noise kicks some gear in her head dragging her back from the brink- sorry sir, im...im what?-


    - I asked your name and unit kid- the voice is even and somewhat cold, very firm, the voice of one accostumed to give ordersit''s a womanin the frightened receses of her mind Nidia ponders the knights have no women, the mages neither that I know, the infantry? I don''t know, I don''t care she is help thats what it is...- Nidia Purivie, from Anchoa... Im with the first militia corps... Unit... Fourth? Fifith?... We were riverside during the fight I... I...- grasping for words she let her blade drop slightly, everything else forgotten but the voice...- My brother, he''s hurt...I can''t carry him...I can''t see in this dark... please help...-with a gesture she turns and points to the grotto her face a mute plight...


    Ancestors help me... after the girl ended her strutering speech Ostribide could feel her stomach turn and knot, helping her will be already a miracle, and now they are two!...That brother of hers... He probably carried her all the way here after wathever the hell blinded her, only to drop dead...poor thing haven''t realized, she''s what sixteen?... And even if he''s alive, then what? We can barely manage with my wounded... Options, options... Turning back and let these two for the wolves and the scavengers... Or worse yet sparing them the suffering... In the bleak place that the world was turning to both options weight heavy on her mind... Then with a shiver and a sigh, she made up her mind: hopeless or not she owe these two the same that to every other soldier in her care, a fighting chance. Whatever happens now, they face it together, hell or high water, she owed them.


    And she owed it to herself.


    -Jules- out of a nearby shadow a soldier steps - make a torch or something, we follow the girl, you two- a pair of pale and haunted faces turn to her- watch this point, anything weird, make a beeline to Franc, tell him what happened- the men nod, if they harbor any doubt the don''t show...-Ma''m excuse me?- one of them, almost an old man by military standars calls- Yes?- -Even weirdest than thos'' blighted keelin'' over on their own?- -That''s...- Ostribide ponders, this night was already beyond her paygrade, and just starting.- Just keep your eyes open, we are wasting time Jules?- -Fixed somethingh Ma''m- -Good- with the blind girl as guide both soldiers crouch and enter the cave -Weirdest than that... How can that be...-


    A brief moment later she found the answer.

 Darkness

    The grotto stretched, little by little the trio reached a bend then the passage behind... In the silent place Ostribide gasped, her mouth open, at her side the soldier moved the torch here and there making shadow and light dance, the place was seemingly empty, with walls of some whithish smooth material and an even floor doted here and there with little debris, this was by no means a natural place, even the glimpses of the ceiling looking barren and even aside for a massive gap spooke of a great deal of skill in the builders, the soldier stared unto the darkness beyond their pitiful torchlight before turning to his officer, an almost terrified look in his eyes -Ma''m what''s this?- his voice a whisper only silence came back...-Ancestors help us... This is a Titan''s ruin, or even some of that...of that Ancients!- - Stop that- the tone in her voice hard as steel- she came in and out without eyes, so at least it is safe, let''s find the other one and see what to do after that...where did she go?-


    Nidia walked, she can hear some of the soldiers byplay, but it hardly registered in her mind, so full off the stiffling darkness it was, proding and chewing at her consiusness, focusing all her will in the next step was the only thing she could do, then another step, heavy , bone-rattling steps and with each one her strengh fading ...dying Im dying... a fear that feels like a physical weight crammed her chest, a cry for help struck in her throath, she limped to her brother''s side moving on instinct alone, wishing the pain away, hoping beyond hope that he at least could make it out of this abyssal nightmare... Steps, maybe yells at her back, she moved forward, the eerie glow in the next room her only beacon, and yet that same glow was growing dimmer with every second, as her own mind raced across all the things that she wanted to do, all the times she and her brother have promised to be there for the other, to pull trough every single hardship and tragedy... And there she was, dying... I... I think I''ll go first... Sorry Lance... Mother...Dad... Stephan... I... with a last step and a muffled groan Nidia set foot on the chamber were all began.


    And fall dead.


    A while Back


    The... lattice... I made a mistake...


    Too much... The energy... input is... Not enough... all is lost...only can think...


    ...sampl...sample A... she want... what...her kin...useless, useless...the Sca..Scarlet King...my mission...


    I am shuting down...


    The energy flow... All too weak... you...you made me fail...


    FAIL!...


    ...


    ... No... I failed...on my own...failed... Long ago...and now... You will cease...to be...no water... No food... Just like me...


    ...The reservoir is empty, if I can call back the energy in my hands reservoir... It is a pittance, not even enough to wield a small lattice, but...


    ...enough to open the path...


    ...ancient and forgotten mechanisms come to life once more, for a last spurt of movement... Then they stop, cold and dead...


    ...here...


    ...go...


    ...fulfill...your...missi ..


    ...deep within the chamber, the old mind recedes and falls, only the barest hint of sounds as the last mechanisms stop working... little pings of metal and ceramics cooling down, a muted buzz of power sizzling...


    I wish I have more time


    crystals with a otherworldly hue start to fade and dull...The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I wonder


    sizzling, and some sparks of wasted power


    If my m¨¢ster could forbid me...


    Only the faint glow that remains in the chamber betrays the outward look of a forgotten ruin...


    ...or if he forgot me...


    And then the chamber and his light went out, with only the hint of a whisper in the air...


    ...


    Nidia was falling... Deep... deeper than anything that she can fathom... Sound and light a vague memory, the touch of the sunlight in her shoulders a mirage in her frayed mind, voices... Voices calling her...to join...


    A meaty thud was the cue for the soldiers to break their little impasse, with reflexes drilled from countless repetitions one took a stance near the body lying in the odd polished stone, whit the back resting against what happens to be an archway of sorts, axe on the high looking at every way for hostiles, the other kneeling deftly and looking for signs, signs of life signs of attack, signs of some sense in the whole thing: one minute walking like a possesed, next thing she knows girls keel over, for what she knows the girl is already among... Wathever the northerns go for an afterlife, but she has to make sure, just like every other time she lose a man... a quick series of gestures and a handful of words bring her wristband to life, ether flowing from her to the finely carved paths in the leather, the inlaid of mystical tuned metal and reaching to the young one, searching for life, looking for illness and wounds...


    ...Then the light came...


    ...odd light, no light that she have ever seen was so bright yet so cold, moving, like oil in water, blinding at times, dull the next instant, in a weird hue that raised her hackles...


    And as fast as it came was gone...


    -Corporal Ma''m!- with a start Ostribide realized she was staring ¨¢gape in the void room- You with me?!- this time there was no doubt about the man panicked voice fear...fear is contagious... Calm down damn! Clenching her fist, she hold her breath, one two heartbeats, then with a final glance at the body in her grasp she spokes - Yes, yes I''m right beside you- she breaks the little cantrip, sure enough the sad little girl was beyond help now... Should they try and fetch the brother? Or his body more likely?... She was mulling over it...- Just that those lights throw me off, thats all.-


    -Lights?-


    -Yeah... lights... Didn''t you...?-


    A yell


    That is what I am


    Energy... I feel it within my grasp...it is barely there, like an ilusion, a mirage... But it is real... My array has reacted, luckyly it was meant to work in a differential process, should I have picked the influx type I will be doomed... Yes, the energy is flowing, I can asses the reservoir is back to a quarter, I can reestablish my...


    Odd, that is not Sample A... It is pulsing with a faint energy emission, it even looks like it is welding some kind of...interesting...the...array, for want of a better word behaves like a laticce AND a matrix of power, quite interesting... I wonder if I can emulate it...


    ...


    ...that is Sample A... It has ceased it''s functions... How? Why?... That array... Could it be some destructive effect?...I shall analyse it further...


    ...how vexing... I can not make head or tails of this thing...


    ...this...goes there...then...it interconects...like so... No this part does not make sense then...what does all this?...


    I have to reasses this as overly complicated for no reasonable outcome...


    ... Fine, I have at least an inkling of what this does, the laticce is fairly straight forward, a diagnosis routine, I never seen one so versatile tough, instead of searching for pre-established failures, finds deviations and backtrack them to any root cause...and this... Clever... Must look into the other functions...


    The other part... Now that is a mess... I can not fathom who ever thinked this could work...and why...this is just wastefull...


    However, this has been usefull, this lattice is somewhat unstable, but I managed to understand enough of it''s datam and unless I am sorely mistaken...


    ... This property can be fixed, a transmutation here, and here... And here, just to be safe... This one is good as is, I can not change those... I wish I can change this one... Good enough... Influx has been halted, so I have one shot at this matrix, hopefully it will work as intended with minimal deviation this time...


    ...I shall stop putting myself in this kind of situations tough...


    -didn''t you...?-


    A crawling sensation was the only warning that the soldiers got...


    Then the world imploded in light and eerie sounds


    With a jolt, Nidia fell trough the dark.


    And started breathing again.


    -aaww... abyss''s fire...I''m alive..-


    And fainted.