Beyond the Void

Chapter 73, A glorious burden to carry

of Stagnation 3 - The twin blades of the pureblooded emperors, Akresh & Balaar, are lost.

An excerpt from the diary of Pia...

VAERA

Five moons since the Mark of the Other One blossomed.

Vaera felt cold. However, the sun was high in sky. Her escort insisted the spring rains had lasted far too long this year. Perhaps that was it. By the moon of Verdant Fields, everything should have been pleasantly warm. All the trees were covered in leaves, the flowers were blossoming; all living things were thriving.

All the people passing by her wore light clothing, some workers had obvious sweat on their forehead. Was it this city? For Vaera, everything felt oppressive. It was not a sense of gloom but a merciless, icy grip.

Vaera's nervous mood had cost her and her escort half the morning, being stuck in a checkpoint just outside the city limits. They had been forced to leave the escort's boat and continue on foot if they wanted to pass into the city faster.

There really should have been no problems getting in to the city. Despite the escort's documents the guards were insisting it was too suspicious to carry around a bank credit worth six hundred silver. Those goofs had annoyed Vaera to no end. Ultimately, it was her own fault it had delayed them for that long as she had argued with the guards.

Her escort had left her, and Vaera was slowly strolling towards the city gates. She was confident nothing would not stop her any more. She was inside the city limits. All she had to do was to keep a low profile and not do anything that would draw attention.

"Dogs of the Crux are not welcome here." Someone growled behind her back and a heavy hand fell on her shoulder.

"Garret. Nice to see you too. How did you know I was coming?" Vaera stammered, after recognising the grizzly growl.

"You should have taken the hint when I told you all those years ago." The large man kept Vaera walking forward, but she could hear other footsteps behind them. "But it was all too comfortable for you. It looked like work and the illusion of it was enough for you, wasn't it?"

Vaera looked up at the grisly face hovering near her shoulder. "I see you haven't lost your charm."

"And I see you're still the same old shrimp you were." The man growled in response.

"Small is good. I can fit through places you possibly cannot go." She wanted to grin, but the grim look on Garret's face was frightening.

"Your height must have affected your brain. Too little to understand what was going on. Not enough air in that tiny thing?"

Vaera wrestled free from Garret's grip. "You didn't answer my question, Garr." She stopped and turned about to face Garret.

"I always know when dogs of the Crux are in my territory. Caught a score of them yesterday. The idiots thought they could help the cult crazies create another riot. This is no joke, not today, Vaera. Dogs of the Crux and blood crazed cultists are not welcome in Ironcourt! Which are you? That arm-glove is not too subtle. Were you given a promotion? Acolyte? Or Hand? I remember you. I remember your little gift. You might be an old friend, but."

"But, what?" Vaera interrupted Garret. "A dog bit the hand of its masters. Someone like you should have heard the news long ago."

"Oh Vaera." Garret sighed. "There are more lies and deceit in this city by the moment. Our future emperor does not understand what is happening around him and none of the commons caught up in this mess have a way to defend themselves. My own people have been turned into traitors without them knowing and the few people I still trust have to sacrifice all of their time to keep this mess together. What makes you think I can trust anything that reaches us from beyond this city?"