Eventide Scriptures I - The Shattering of an Era

Chapter 23 - The Storm's Approach

Seriah ascended the spiral staircase of a guard tower. It was now but ruins. Moonlight pierced through its narrow windows and a roof that left only crisscrossing wooden beams. The fortress once protected by this tower was in no better condition.

For years, the wind had half-buried the fortress ruins, bringing its sand to the top of the tower. The sound of waves reminded the old woman that the sea was but a stone's throw away. Her right hand brushed the uneven stone blocks of the wall. Her left hand, missing its pinky and ring finger, carried a large lantern.

Seriah paused to adjust her scarf. She sighed at the sight of the remaining steps. The wind tonight was fierce, and her frail body were not suited for tasks like this. Yet, there was no one else to do it, as Kirya and Leloir had to secure the perimeter. Taking another breath, she stepped onto the next stair.

At the tower's peak, she placed the large lantern on its edge, letting its light glared out over the dark sea. She waited until dawn was near. Then, the awaited response appeared – a flickering lantern light bobbing on the sea waves.

She descended the spiral staircase, a punishing task for her old knees.

A large ship furled its plain sails and dropped anchor. The ship could not have come this far inland if not for the high tide.

A sturdy man leaped down from the ship. Sea water soaked his long, sleeveless coat. He was in his mid-twenties, with black hair and a long braid running down his back.

Seriah saluted in the Kargad style. Her three remaining fingers on her right hand, representing the three main values of Kargadin, touched her left chest. "Vraka Barga, a gracious welcome to Denois."

"I have brought provisions and weaponry. Has the presence of my sworn brother on this island been confirmed?"

"We have spent months gathering information and preparing. There is no mistake, Vraka Keragan is on this island, in Grest prison."

"Good tidings. But did you figure out how to free him? Grest has never given in to an attack. Even the Nits acquired it through an exchange with Arvane."

Before Seriah could reply, a pair of riders arrived. One rode a swift Kargad mare, while the other a regular steed.

The Kargad mare rider was youthful, just out of adolescence. She had a small, athletic build, short hair, and scimitars on both her left and right hips. The other rider was a woman in her twenties, with large round eyes that gave her a childlike appearance.

"Kirya," Barga called.

"It is a pleasure to meet you here, Vraka." The Kargad mare rider bowed, pressing three fingers to her chest.

"Advisor, who is this woman?" Barga then asked.

"I am Leloir," she said, bowing her head.

"She is a friend," Seriah said. "She pointed out Grest's weaknesses. She is also our liaison with the insular tribe whose skills we need."

"Good. Once Keragan is released, we'll ride to reclaim the Ancestral Plains and make the Nits and Neuvane pay for the blood of our firelit kin!"

"Vraka, did you only bring a single vessel?" Kirya asked. "One vessel will not be enough for us all to return to Kargadin after rescuing Vraka Keragan."

"There are three other ships, but we were separated during the storm. Don't worry, they will rejoin us in due time."

"In that case, we await your command, Vraka," Seriah said.

Barga paused before saying, "Release Vraka Keragan and charge through all who stand in our way!"

Seriah and Kirya bowed with three fingers on their chests.

***

Neuvane had captured the last Arvane fortress on this island without a significant reduction in his combat capability. This was preferable, as it provided a base of operations for his fleet while gathering Lorith for the Empyreum, his apogee project.

This small island to the north of mainland Denois was a major producer of Lorith, which Gardioz mined to power his Artifica, even though he showed no indications of using them. The Emperor's reluctance was a paradox, even to him.

However, he had no intention of probing into it. Completing the Empyreum surpassed all other concerns. It was crucial to finish it before Gardioz reacted to his anomalous exploit. In fact, Gardioz might already know of his undertaking but had yet to make a move. The Emperor was enigmatic, but his non-conventional way of thinking did not equate to a lack of intelligence.

Neuvane continued to inspect his loyal soldiers as they cared for and repaired their weapons in the fortress courtyard. They wrapped swords to prevent jamming due to sand particles, repaired cracking composite bow adhesive due to desert heat, and oiled the mechanisms of crossbow's cranequin.

All this weaponry would be decisive later. In an ideal scenario, he would have preferred to use Artifica weaponry, but the number he had displaced from the Terzionite armory fell below the projected figures. This was not entirely a deficit, as it meant Gardioz did not consider him a variable in immediate need of truncation.

He reached the stable where his farriers were tending to horse hooves and horseshoes. However, the yellow flag atop the keep signaled an important message, prompting him to change his next stop.

When leaving Terzion, he had secured the cooperation of some Wraiths. Now, one awaited him outside his study at the top of the keep, bowing and handing over two sealed scrolls.

Closing the door, he sat at an ametrine stone desk in what was the castellan's study. The pennon on the wall still bore the Arvane coat of arms. He selected a scroll without specific deliberation and broke its seal.

The scroll contained a summary from Incognito about all events since their last encounter in Fhon. After reading it, his facial musculature responded by almost forming a smile. It was amusing that Incognito was abducted by Margivaz precisely because of his disguise, but that also led him to discover the existence of the Sky Core.

However, one part disturbed him. Incognito wrote that before performing non-traumatic, involuntary amputation on Lorn, Margivaz revealed he had gray-blue hair and eyes. The black color of his hair and eyes evaporated, replaced by gray-blue.

A man in his mid-thirties? Gray-blue? Taran Ilvamar? It should have been beyond the realm of possibility. Taran was deceased; the King of Arvane had declared his demise, and indeed Arvane had lost their crown prince.

He pulled a pen from an inkwell and wrote his response.

Facilitating the son's pursuit of retribution was appropriate considering the situation. Seek information about the Core as far as it proves beneficial. Seize the Core once you determine that uncovering its secrets is unprofitable. Investigate Margivaz. Explore the connection between Margivaz and Gardioz.

He folded the paper and sealed it with his personal signet ring, then broke the seal of the second scroll, which contained various updates.

The first report detailed the deteriorating health of the King of Arvane and the failure of peace talks between Arvane and Isofea.

Next were reports from field agents who had been unable to locate the Gigas necessary to complete the Empyreum project. While a subpar result, he had predicted this failure from the beginning. That is why he needed the Core, to be bartered with the Inquisitor who possessed knowledge of the its location.

Finally, there was news about Eiran's capture and a request for further instructions on how to proceed in dealing with him. For now, he would allow Eiran to collect his thoughts.

After composing responses for the second scroll, he tapped the table twice. A Wraith entered, received both letters with a bowed head, and left.

He retrieved an Arvanian absinthe from the cabinet, not for celebration or to escape problems, but because he was soon to attend an important feast with a Terzionite overseer in Arvane. There, he anticipated consuming a substantial amount but could not afford to become intoxicated. He needed to acclimate himself a bit.