Beyond the Void

Chapter 84, Ancient lies

of Stagnation 419 part III - Although Human blood had thinned hundreds of years in the past, some argue it is even more volatile and susceptible to the curse of shadow. In an effort to further calm the turmoil on the continent, the Empire also adopts some of the Crux's regulations on the flow. We know this as the second reform of the Empire, although not as extensive and in most cases superficial.

An excerpt from the diary of Pia...

AERIN

Five moons, three tens and some since the Mark of the Other One blossomed.

She had made a mistake, an absolute rookie error. Aerin wanted to think this small lapse in judgement was unlike her but that was not entirely true, considering her recent history. She should not have mentioned she found the remains of the outlander's hiding place. His first hiding place. So far, she had not found the second. However, the damage was done.

"Well done, Aerin!" Bassor grunted and his moustache purred. "A reward is fitting here." Aerin wanted the reward, but she did not want the work that came after.

Sonera was at her side, looking too eager. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Garret sighing non stop somewhere on the sidelines.

"I have one question. Why did it take an entire ten for this to reach my ears?" The gatekeeper shouted. "We could have been out there, on the rooftops and in the abandoned buildings, keeping watch, looking. Why did you idiots pass it from one lackey to another, for nine whole days until one idiot had the brains to come to me?"

"Better late than never, Bassor." Garret barked.

"Last night you were insistent it would be better if it was never." Bassor was angry and so was Garret as they both stared daggers at each other.

"Just saying." Garret growled.

"There are issues we need to solve here. Issues more significant than we have ever had to deal with." Bassor huffed. "No one has stolen from us. We need to know what they have taken."

"Plenty of idiots have tried. And some swindle a silver or two every day." Garret wouldn't let up.

"Coin is worthless compared to this breach!" Bassor shouted.

Aerin looked around the dim entrance hall of the Warrens. Everyone capable and even the young upstarts had gathered. They had sent the call out to everyone yet lots more had not answered. Only three of the eight keepers and their underlings were here.

Those who came were torn and confused. There were many, who would have loved to get back at the man in dark. Others saw this as an opportunity to rise in the ranks. Many more knew better now. Who were thankful that they were not Edd or Darden or worse.

"Come off it Bassor! You still want to go after this calamity?" Dresden's voice echoed in the hall. "After what happened. Lots of people got hurt really badly. This is not just some bloodied mage we are after."

"Our organisation has never been stronger. We lost no one who was irreplaceable."

"And a lot of people got hurt really bad, Bassor." Garret exclaimed while Dresden gestured and nodded in agreement.

"Our organisation has never been stronger than today. We need to make sure it stays that way. If word gets out that we did not deliver punishment to those who would steal from our vaults then others will come, to try their luck. I will not tolerate giving up. We will be laughed at." Bassor raged. However, his agitation was met with an unruly mumble throughout the hall. Some stood up and left.

"We gave you power, Bassor." Shir, one of the eight keepers said. She pursed her bright red lips and pulled her red shawl tighter around her shoulders. Keeper Shir may have dressed like a performer but Aerin knew first-hand how terrifying the woman was.

"What is that supposed to mean?" The gatekeeper growled.

"It means exactly what it means, Bassor." Garret stood up and marched up to the grandkeeper. "The only place rumours count for anything is Whitefall. Who cares what the others are saying. What matters is it what we are saying." Garret looked at the other keepers. "Stop this nonsense before you do any more damage."

"We need to know what was taken!" Bassor barked.

"Old, crumbling scrolls and dusty soul gems! Get your head out of your arse Bassor!" Keeper Sohm pushed off from the wall. It was a wonder that man had kept quiet all this time. He was known for his short temper. Despite his thin build, he could throw a punch.

"Let me do the talking, Sohm." Shir interrupted the hulking man.

"There is nothing to talk about!" Bassor barked. "Get out there, keep a lookout for that man and report back. Those crumbling scrolls are worth more than the entire treasury of this Empire!"

"Old relics and ancient lies." Sohm spat. The other keepers nodded.

Here and there some younger members were unhappy. There was a hushed argument somewhere in the back. You weren't face to face with that thing, Aerin heard someone say.

"What Sohm means to say is this, Bassor. You are clinging to worthless history. Worthless titles. I don't even know what I am a keeper of. A district? I really doubt it. Once, perhaps, once a long, long time ago this organisation may have been something more, guarding the truth, protecting who knows what. Give it up Bassor. We have long changed into something else."

"You lot may have given me power, but the gatekeeper still has the power to punish those who plan a mutiny. So watch what you are saying, Shir." Bassor marched towards woman, wagging his finger.

Without warning Garret was next to Bassor, and the keeper landed a clean punch on the gatekeeper's face. He stumbled away from Garret, but did not fall. "Enough! No one can read those relics of a bygone age any more. No one knows about them. We could throw them into any garbage pile around this city and no one would be the wiser."

"Someone knew!" Bassor growled.

"Then the truths hidden below are for them, not for us." Shir said softly.

Aerin watched with her mouth open. What was unfolding in front of everyone here looked like a neatly trained play.

"We were entrusted with this something more. It is our job to honour the traditions. We cannot fail those who came before us. We need to know what was taken." Bassor barked.

"You sound like our dear Emperor!" Aerin felt her mouth move, yet the voice could not have been hers. She could not have said it.

She stood her ground. She watched Bassor march towards her wearing a face of utmost shock. She felt Sonera's gaze on her. Behind the gatekeeper Garret and the other keepers exchanged looks. The hall had gotten rowdy again.

"Leave it, you oaf!" Shir marched after Bassor. "Her words are true. You are obsessed. You always have been obsessed with this legacy of ours. Why else are you this angry at the covenant? Say it after me, Bassor. You want to know what they took. We do not care. You want to know what gate you kept safe and what for."

"Is that a sin? Is curiosity a sin?" The man was still staring at Aerin with a face of shock and anger.

"No. To be fair, I am curious too. There are a lot of us in this room who would like to know where we came from." Shir paced around. "But this past is not us. We are thieves. Power is gathering around Ironcourt. I didn't want to believe the mark blossomed over this city of all places. But our problems suddenly echo those of this city. More than half of our keepers fled, many among us joined the covenant. The mark blossomed, and a man wreathed in darkness tore through us."

"I want to know what we have been guarding. I don't even know if anything's been taken at all." Bassor shrugged. It was odd to see the man so tired suddenly.

"This one's not worth it." Garret growled.

Aerin's former keeper had barely finished speaking when another voice drowned the entire hall. "If I can tell you what's in your Warrens, will you let me look at the relics you have been hoarding?"