A Tainted Story

12: Discovery

This is what he had signed up for, Basil reminded himself over and over again- almost chanting it like a mantra. Becoming a strider pilot meant he'd be able to move faster than the wind, working in tandem with his trusty iron steed... it truly was his dream, burning brightly in his very soul.

But Basil's dream had stiff competition: the stress of the job might do him in before even his apprenticeship ended. He wondered what would happen to them on this trip- disaster scenarios sprouting in his mind. He pictured himself returning to Valle, a gibbering mess, traumatized by what they would encounter.

Oblivious to his agony, Silva rattled off one command after another. After leaving the city limits, Silva had instructed Basil to cut away from the main boulevard that led away from the town, and head north instead. It meant that they were traveling through an unkempt trail in the woods, rather than the established route. Not knowing where their final destination was, or how to get there, Basil was forced to follow her orders without question, despite the sketchiness of the path. It reminded him a little too much of his trip the morning before, and he felt a pang of apprehension.

Behind him, Silva was lounging, her feet propped up on an empty chair, studying a map. Next to her, Hannah looked out over the strider, watching the trees rush by. The trail wound its way through the valley, and despite the occasional pothole and fallen log, which Basil would carefully maneuver over, the first leg of the journey was surprisingly peaceful.

Silva nudged Hannah, who had been dozing off. She pointed to the map, where the Valle ranges stood along the southern end of the continent. She traced her finger away from the marked path through the mountains, her finger moving up instead.

Cities and towns were arteries that were splattered across the middle of the image; roads became the spindly veins connecting them. Hannah noted how less and less detail appeared the further south you went. In fact, the only landmarks in the mountains were Valle itself, the largest road leading away from it, and a smaller settlement that was simply labeled as the 'Valle Estate.'

"Where are we heading?" Hannah asked. She knew about Lord Valle, and his estate high in the mountains- the perfect vantage to survey his land. She also spotted the city of Luminus, the capital huge on the map, its design incorporating an intricate compass rose. Despite Hannah's constant yearning for travel, she had a pretty terrible grasp of geography, not for lack of trying. The past twenty-four hours had presented her with two different maps, artificers that would have taken her months to get her hands on, otherwise.

"We're actually heading to a different Lord's territory," Silva responded, gesturing to a small point on the southwest coast of the country. "It's been years since either of you have visited Valle's Estate, if I remember correctly. I'd recommend that you don't use it as a point of reference for where we're going- it's not going to help. Lord Shin is an... interesting member of the Sovereign's circle. Besides Valle, he's the only other noble I've ever met."

Hannah looked up at her.

"You've met Valle?" The question was accusatory, as if she'd been hiding this fact all along from them.

When they'd visited the estate once, for a springtime festival, Silva had kept her rambunctious daughters away from the man- their contact with him was nonexistent.

"A long time ago." She answered. "I lobbied for funds to build the Lodenstone when I first moved to Valle. Luckily, he agreed. We've been in correspondence ever since." Silva paused, then quickly added, "for services and fees, of course. That sort of thing."

In another scenario, Hannah would have jumped to the bait, her mind racing with secret affairs involving her mother and the noble. Instead, she just nodded, curiosity keeping her civil. She knew about their high-class customers, but despite being the governing figure of the Valle territories, the Lord was a particularly mysterious one. It was rumored he hadn't left his mountainside manor in decades.

Gossip thrived. Some claimed he was actually a spirit, one who could use clairvoyance to see for miles in any direction. Other theories proposed that he was dead, and that his vengeful spirit had possessed and continued to lead the territory in his stead. She'd never been one to take stock of the rumors, but with news of the missing messenger Viktor had sent there, she pictured horrible, gruesome reveals.

There was a certain amount of glee behind them.

Whatever the truth may be, Valle ran smoothly without his constant presence, thanks to the founding of the Senate. So, the city's denizens simply chalked it up as yet another weird quirk when choosing to live on the edge of civilization.

Hannah thought about this other Retainer, Shin. Would he be pompous, or kind? And why did Silva run away from his estate in the first place? On top of that, the map implied it would be her first chance to see the ocean. The thought sent her excitement simmering to an overflow. This trip, the chance to meet new people, and see new places, it was a hope she'd been holding onto for a very long time. Awash with questions and curiosities, she couldn't wait to leave the mountains behind.

Despite Hannah's impatience, the strider made slow progress. It was the rough, unused trail that was holding them back. Luckily, Silva's navigating had led them to trails that grew wider, easier to traverse- but it was clear that they were the first ones to use the network in a while.

Because of their slow speed, however, Basil was able to take his eyes off the road every once in a while and gaze at the shifting scene around him. Even his curiosity couldn't be completely tampered, and the sight of the dark mountain pines giving way to unfamiliar trees filled him with static anticipation.

He studied the lighter, more delicate specimens, noting how the light seemed to filter through the canopy in stronger, whiter blasts.

It was Basil then, thanks to his attentiveness, who had chosen to stop the strider of his own accord.

Amidst various protests and exclamations, Basil pointed with a shaking finger towards a copse of trees, at the splintered wood that littered the ground.

Silva followed his gaze, then glanced at the map. They were hours away from Valle now, close to the entrance of the mountain pass that would allow them passage into the world beyond.

Silva gestured to the others, indicating her intention to investigate. She stood, moving to disembark, but Basil stopped her. Turning, she saw an unspoken question on his face, eyes wide, skin drained of color. She paused, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to assuage his fears for the worst.