Astronomically Cold

The Duke looked down at the Royal parchment and started reading.

Royal Proclamation from the Enduring Throne of the Kirghiz Kingdom.

In the Seventh year of the reign of Queen Irene.

Let it be known to all clans, banners, and peoples loyal to the Kirghiz Crown:

By the blood of the storm and the breath of the wind,
By the pact sealed in frost and flame,
I, Queen Irene of the Waiouru Line, Sovereign of the Kirghiz Kingdom,
do rise before you to speak of war—
not for glory, not for conquest—
but for our lifeblood, buried in the bones of the world.

In the far reaches of the Arctic Crown,
beneath auroras that dance like spirits,
our miners have unearthed what was once only myth:

Densium, a gravity mineral from the stars.

An earth changer and foundation provided by the stars themselves.

This discovery is ours and ours alone.

And now—outsiders come to steal it.

But hear me, Kirghiz:
Our mountains do not bow. Our ice does not break.
We will defend what is ours.
Not just land, not just stone—
but the very breath of our people,
the sacred inheritance of every clan, every child, every ancestor.

From this day forth, let all know:

None may lay claim to Densium but the Kirghiz.
None may mine our veins save under royal decree and with sworn guardians at their side.

Let the Great Mining Guilds ready their drills,
and the Military Guard stand watch at every Arctic post.
Let every able soul—from mountain rider to forge-born child—

answer the call.

We shall fortify every shaft.
We shall sanctify every tunnel.
We shall strike the earth not in greed—but in reverence.
And we shall answer blade with blade to protect it.

While our honoured navy takes to the frozen waters,

while our Stormfleet sails to carry the war to foreign shores,

to shield the Densium from the hungering hands of false kings and frostborn thieves,

you—my people—shall hold the line.

Remember this:No kingdom survives on offense alone.
A flame must be shielded to burn eternal.
You are the shield.

So let the mountains echo your resolve.Let the rivers remember your oath.Let the very wind carry your name to the stars.

By my word, under seal and sky,
any breach upon our lands shall be met with fire and storm.
Let none test the will of the Kirghiz.

Thus speaks your Queen. Thus endures the Kingdom.

The Duke rolled up the parchments and stepped back to sit on his throne before speaking again.

I watched Kiri work her way next to me. "Irene's new Herald has a flair for the dramatic," she muttered.

The Duke said, "Three months ago, the Northern Storm Fleet sailed from Obalno to an undisclosed destination in the Arctic. The 2nd Kirghiz fleet is patrolling our northern waters. The Resource that was discovered by our miners is called Densium. It is a mineral that can be enchanted to alter the weight of objects and has been declared a national resource. I understand there have been skirmishes with the Nystad Empire fleet, resulting in the loss of three ships and driving them off, while sinking four imperial ships and severely damaging several others."

"The naval reserves have been recalled to service, but that is all at this stage. We do not expect a land attack, but I am raising our alert level to yellow. All nobles will supply guards to patrol our mines and borders in accordance with the Yellow alert under the command of General Thomas. This will continue until further notice.

"Similarly, all merchants and caravans will be searched for Densium. At this stage, we only have a description to go by, but a sample is being supplied. All unknown Spiritual metals will be quarantined until the sample arrives."

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The Duke looked around the room. "It should be obvious that the value of a metal that can alter weight is enormous. Every Merchant will want to get hold of it. Once the Kingdom has secured the supply and the enchanters have perfected the techniques, I am sure it will be available for sale, but until then, it is only permitted to be in military hands. Anyone found with it in their possession will be handed over to the military and dealt with under military law.

"The Jern War Council will meet in a week's time. We will not be caught undefended.

"That is all I have to say for now. Questions can be passed through my office. I will inform you of any changes. Guard information will go through General Thomas, and patrols start now." The Duke stood, and the room bowed as he left.

Then the discussions started.

I was sure that if they wanted examples of Densium, I had six samples in sheaths on my chest. The proclamation called Densium a gravity mineral. They may be calling it that to deliberately mislead everyone into assuming it is a metal rather than a bone.

What got my attention was the word "gravity." They called it a gravity mineral. I focused my weak Gravity Senses on the knives. It was weak, but there was a difference. Gravity Senses levelled, and it became slightly clearer.

They only said gravity. Is that because that is all they have discovered? It is not a gravity mineral; it is an astral bone. If they haven't worked it out, they will over time. Shit, I haven't worked everything out, and I have the affinity.

Well, this is a pile of Troll shit, and it has come a lot sooner than Yoboc and Goldie predicted. The Kirghiz military can obviously not keep a secret.

My attention was brought back to those around me. Kiri has been caught in a conversation not far away. I knew she would be out of here as soon as she could. She didn't like these people.

My Hearing Aid was picking up various opinions, most of which were that the Jern was so far inland, so why should we be concerned?

It was obvious that the Duke was taking this seriously, but many of the nobles were downplaying things. Several nobles with Mining interests discussed how they could get a piece of the mine and whether the mineral could be found elsewhere.

A brightly dressed couple approached me, which was unusual. The bodyguards were usually ignored. My Mask Status flared and levelled again, and my Frigid Void around my mind was tested. Did they get anything? Status attacks usually reveal your highest classes first, and Hunter Scavenger was my highest Class.

"So you're the beast that the bastard of Hrothgar is whoring herself out to," the woman said.

That was so over the top, obviously to provoke me to react. The mental and Status attack had given me a warning. Kiri had also warned me, but this was calculated. I smiled, with lots of sharp teeth. I am a Beast, and the Pit has drawn that out of me. "Yes, that is me. It is an honour to be recognised, but unfortunately, I don't know who you are and I never forget prey." I laced the last words with a touch of Dread.

"Are you threatening us, boy?" the man said. "Do you know who you are threatening?"

"I am not threatening anyone, and I have already stated that I don't know who you are," I said plainly. I really wanted him to feel like an idiot, but I doubted he would ever realise it. "I was merely committing you to memory." I took an obvious, lengthy sniff, like I was committing their scent to memory. In reality, the stink of their perfume masked their scent, and I wondered if that was on purpose. "May I have the honour of your names?"

"I don't like your attitude, boy," the male said.

"Yes, sir, you did make that obvious," I said, trying to show that I didn't care what he thought. "Feel free to complain to my employer and lover. Her representative is right here."

Right on cue, Pānihi stood up and let out a low growl. The two stepped back.

"This isn't over, boy," the man said.

"Of course not," I replied, "Thank you for making yourself known to me."

I am sure the woman shivered as they slipped into the crowd. I found that interaction strange and could not understand their purpose in approaching me that way. They must have wanted me to make a scene or something.

I can certainly see why Kiri hates mixing with nobles. I have a simmering anger rising as well. If she is not ready to leave soon, I might make a scene.

Kiri was making her way over. Maybe Pānihi communicated something. I reached out through my bond to Felix. He and Yoboc were out in the town doing something. I think Yoboc is actively looking for a dog to bond with.

Kiri seemed quite rude to people as we made an exit. Apparently, there was food coming soon, and the Duke would join them for a while. All the nobles gathering was rare, and deals were being made, etc. Kiri couldn't be bothered, "That is Leif's problem," she said, even though Leif hadn't been around for weeks.

It was a short walk to the Hrothgar mansion. I told Kiri about the interaction with unknown nobles.

"Ah, that was Baron Clive and his third wife, Lady Karin. They are not the smartest and were probably directed at you by someone else. I wouldn't worry about it; we won't be here long. I heard your Chelonians have arrived."

"Oh, good, we can move on," I said.

"I heard something else, and I don't believe in coincidences," Kiri said. "Densium?"

"That bone pendant that you borrowed from me and never returned," I said and pulled out a knife from my belt. "It is made of bone, not metal."

Kiri pulled the pendant from under her shirt. "Really?" I nodded. "Then there is something else that is not a coincidence. The assassin Dagger Dan is in town, and nobody knows why."

"What!" I said, snapping my head around to look at her. "They are both here for the same thing," I said, "that safe."

"It is in the Kirghiz Treasury," Kiri said, "Who has access?"

"Me, Makara, Yoboc and Goldie," I replied, "I need to warn them."

"No. I mean, yes, we need to warn them, but first, we need to move the safe," Kiri said, getting her bow. "Tell Felix to get Yoboc and Goldie to a safe place. We will collect them after the safe."

"Why the safe first?"

"Because if Dagger Dan is after it, he only needs one of you to access the treasury; if it is elsewhere, we can negotiate with him if need be. Come on, you get the safe; Pānihi and I will guard it, and you get to the others. We want to talk to Dagger Dan; he probably worked with my Aunt."

We left at a run, and I sent Felix danger warnings. Our communication was getting better, but it wasn't like speaking. I sent a feeling of great danger and getting to a safe place with Yoboc and Goldie.

I was happy enough to leave the safe with Kiri. It was a means to an end for me. For the others, it was a payday. It was no good stolen out from under us, and the weakest link in my mind was Makara.

We got to the Treasury just before it closed, but getting through Security seemed to take forever. Eventually, I came out with it, and Kiri covered it with coats she must have bought from a shop next door. There was a hand cart Kiri had procured off the street, and we placed it inside next to the unsold fruit from the day's trading. The previous owner had a suspiciously heavy bag of coins with him.

"We have got this," Kiri said, "Go.

I went as fast as I could. Once Felix and the dwarves are safe, we will see about Makara and finding this Dagger Dan to see what he has to say.