Steel Melody

Chapter 15

Every thought, ambition and lust was visible to Dreamers in such a way they could read people like a page. It was said by mortal men who barely understood a dreamer's inner workings that Dreamers could enter one's mind and thread their emotions and motives into dreams to influence them, but that was likely false.

He wondered if she could feel everything he felt, even the past that was taken from him. Maybe she could make a narrative using the emotions from his past so that he might be able to feel them once again. He almost felt embarrassed that she could see his admiration for her, and his feelings. If they ever met again she would be reading hatred instead of happiness at her sight.

They could entwine themselves in the minds of lesser beings, controlling their feelings and manipulating them into states of rage and anger, transmitting emotions from nearby men into the minds of animals causing such rage beasts would trample men in blood furies. They could do all of this. The Dreamers had seen the future, as the writing spoke, they had seen one vision the moment they were born. They saw a glimpse of the end times, but it was only that, a glimpse. They were a part of the narrative they were born into, knowing every step themselves, and so they had no reason to care. Motivation and ambition died in them when they were born when they first felt every indifferent emotion and narrative around them in the surgery room. It just meant Ilysies cared for nothing, because she had already seen the unstoppable result of everything. It meant she cared nothing for him, or anything. It was uncertain whether it made him feel better or worse, knowing she had a reason to betray him.

There were a thousand questions Heartrik wished to ask, but knew for fact he would not get answers for. Who were they? They didn't have time or care for him to answer that. Where did they come from, who do they belong to? Answering that one would be a death sentence on their part. They had already answered why they wanted him. The mention of Ilysies made him entirely forget he had just been alerted that his tracker had been deactivated. Now he was truly alone with them.

As Lertz finally finished removing his gear he reached for a set of tools. A hammer cracked against fresh dents, whilst a soaked cloth in water steaming in the air rubbed away the rust and grime spawned from the humidity of the South. An hour later, he took up his hat on his brow and slowly trudged away up the stairs and into oblivion out of sight. Bren's interest had already been removed from Heartrik, as she held a screen in her hand, shining clear, a thick block which emitted text. She read it eagerly, chuckling slightly.

Xz'iek Trade demands passage into the Northlands following the robbery of a mining convoy.

The title read...

Recently a mining convoy under ownership of Xz'iek Trade has been robbed by what Southern officials claim to be 'Northern brigands'. As of now the Northern Chamber has not responded to the President of Xz'iek Trade Izak Royce-Ax demands to be given custody over the stolen wealth if reclaimed and to be allowed to breach the border and search for the stolen goods.

It is predicted that Southron Emperor Shal Til'zaeb may get directly involved in the issue, due to Xz'iek Trade's monopoly over the region, increasing tensions...

Northland regions near the Redgate border have already been warned of potential mercenary raids to come...

A woman's voice could be imagined reading out that article, one fruity and kind but clear and to the point. In a snap Bren shut the screen and held up the blocky device in her hand before shoving it down her pocket. She had a bored but pleased look on her face, the kind when you are tired after days of work but joyed that it will soon be over. The North and the South had always had a feud or ideals and principles. They were two completely separate cultures divided by the crux of a mountain range. They had shared a few disputes, a few wars, and Heartrik couldn't understand why Bren was satisfied by rising tensions between them. In fact as far as Hartrik could remember, the North and South were always at war. Even if ceasefires stated otherwise, the opposing ideals, politics and economics of the two nations ensured that proxy wars were orchestrated through contractor mercenaries which could never be traced back to corporations or governments. All but the most ignorant of people knew that another war would occur, whether it be one or one thousand years. The last war had limped on for over two and a half hundred years. Throughout those years many peace treaties were signed, only to be broken again in the name of some dispute. The North and South were always at war, they had always been at war, they were just waiting to make it louder, and maybe they now had an excuse.