The Charlatan

07. Pushing Up Daisies

There were kind people on this earth, people who wanted, above everything else, to simply be a friend to Clara. Even if they are nosy and overly talkative Genesese troubadours, Clara thought as she folded her blanket and returned it to the leader of their rescue team. Her companion did the same, and Clara let her shoulders loosen just a little bit. She sighed inwardly and rubbed at her temples, earning her a raised eyebrow from her aforementioned companion. The King was still after her head, illegally, but she alone could not go against the monarch of her home country in a court battle in his jurisdiction. Dispatch and the courier network would not help her. They had no power in this domain; neutrality was indeed inconvenient at times. Perhaps that is an understatement.

And the 'Charlatan,' whomever they really were, was still at large. Clara hadn't had the time to think properly on everything that had happened, but with her body rested and her mind calm for now, there were some things she was beginning to realize. Someone out there was mad enough to ignite a war. A nation in perpetual debt to its gold-hungry neighbours suddenly going bankrupt was indeed an ideal catalyst. And yet, Clara hadn't heard a word about the Charlatan since escaping the Citadel. Weren't the surrounding countries supposed to know about them already? Why hadn't they done anything about it? She had been sure war would erupt all across the continent – all countries surrounding Velt versus Velt itself, the center of everything. Perhaps I overestimated the greed of humanity, Clara thought optimistically.

As the rescue team moved further into the caves, the extent of the damage done by the collapse became clearer. Clara had to push through shattered supports, mine carts, and loose dirt in order to progress. No one was answering the rescue team's calls, which were growing increasingly more distressed. All through this time, Clara reflected quietly. Who would want for a world war against Velt? Who wouldn't? a voice in her head answered. Clara remembered something Air had said when they had first met back at the Citadel: "When is Velt ever not at war?"

He had a point. Velt and its citizens were obsessed with riches, and with riches came power, which created a cyclical and inter-reliant relationship between those things. The monarchs before King Arc Jin upheld a strict militaristic monarchy. Clara remembered stories her parents had told her about the country's instability, the infighting amongst the members of the royal family, and mandatory conscription laws that had existed well before her time. Civil unrest was not uncommon in Velt, and the most recent uprising had only been thirty years ago. But that revolution put King Arc Jin on the throne, transformed the hereditary monarchy to one elected by its subjects, and established Velt as a reliable center of wealth and opportunity. A war-obsessed country no longer. Clara had never faced any issues with it. Not until the King exerted his power to frame her, at least.

The search party stopped and set up their ropes to begin their descent down a steep tunnel. They had reached the area of the mines directly affected by the collapse. Light was seeping in from the surface, casting faint golden rays onto the group's equipment. Mangled metal lay scattered about, some leaning over the tunnel. It was a mess. The crew called down into the tunnel, but no one answered. One of the volunteers sighed sadly.

"I don't think we'll find anyone down there," he said. One of the leaders patted his shoulder.

"We have to try. Even bodies of the passed deserve recovery and respect."

"I think they're right, I don't believe there's anyone alive left in these mines," Air stated after Clara filled him in on the conversation. "We have heard no one in our time down here and it'll be dangerous if we ourselves linger too long. That giant hunk of metal hanging over us isn't very comforting."

Clara agreed but followed the group down anyway. She made conversation with Air as they stuck their supports into the ground and slowly made their way into the wide tunnel.