NOVEL NEXT Heroes – Chapter 112
Emalia hated this place. Tucked in the northern end of the mountain range known as Hazek's Hills was the Ruin of Kremya. When Sovina and she had passed it before, they skirted it in a wide arc and were still attacked. Emalia shivered, the cut on her stomach feeling cold and sickly with the memories so fresh. She wanted to be far from here, but it seemed Maecia had different plans, for they were heading toward the Ruin.
It was not lifeless and empty like the hills around the Grand Observatory. Trees still grew, bushes and brambles lined streams, and occasional meadows of grassland sprouted in the lower sections of the mountain range. But there was no greenery, even in the pines that should hold some color well through the winter. Everything was barely alive, brown and grey and dry as well-kept parchment. Even the soil underfoot crumbled like sand. Sorcery had an odd way of twisting the land beyond expectations, encouraging growth like in Drazivaska, killing everything like out east, or this still dryness on the edge of death here. Few knew what Kremya once was. She tried to get answers from the men guarding them, but they didn't answer her. Recently, they were being watched more closely. Indeed, at night, they were bound and always watched by two men, not that Maecia really had the bodies to spare, currently.
She wondered why Maecia didn't just execute them, even if Daecinus demanded they live. But Sovina explained it well, for if anything happened to them, then Daecinus would stop holding back, forcing Maecia to have to kill him to save herself and her people. Still, she didn't know if he was fully committed to fighting his sister. After the talk a few days ago, he just said he'd do what was necessary and left it at that, content with opaqueness. Emalia didn't press him, for it was a sensitive topic and she felt for the man. But now, time was steadily running out.
Progress in the mountains was slow with a large group and horse-pulled carts. Almost three days to reach Kremya gave a rough timeline estimate for five to Novakrayu, given that more Dead would not speed things up at all.
As they drew closer to the Ruin, she held Sovina's hand for comfort, needing the strength. The attack and her near-death experience were hard-to-shake experiences. Still, how Maecia took away the Corruption… She had tried to explain it to Daecinus so he could replicate it, but she wasn't sure if that was a thing you could adequately teach through mere observation, much less communicated observation. Besides, he seemed lost in himself these days. That conversation with Maecia had taken much out of him. Even Ignatia was worried, and that woman was frighteningly professional.
"Hey," Sovina murmered, "you good?"
"Not really." Emalia looked around at the dead trees, grey as skeletons.
"Just stay behind me, okay?"
"I'm not worried about the Dead. Well, not consciously. I'm worried about what she's going to do." Maecia was leading the small column of people, Greyskins all around her, keeping a tighter formation than before. Likely for the dangerous area. "Daecinus said she might have Dead stowed here… So, I would guess it will be like in Drazivaska with him. She's going to raise an army."
"Nothing we can do about that now, though."
"Not until he wants to fight her…"
"Outside Novakrayu would be best, I think. We'll have reinforcements from the city and New Petha."
"You're right," Emalia said with a sigh. "It's just cutting it close. Besides, how will she intend to use the people there as sacrificial fuel if the Grand Observatory is so far away? It doesn't make sense."
"You're asking the wrong person. But we won't let her sacrifice anyone, so it doesn't matter."
"We're missing something important."
Sovina tugged on her arm, so Emalia glanced over and saw the concern and seriousness in her expression. "We're going to stop her. You convinced Daecinus to stop his attack, didn't you?"
"In a fashion."
"Well, eventually, right? Think about how. You gave him a better alternative." She shook her head. "I don't think we'll convince her, but all I'm saying is that we'll find a way."
Down below the dead trees, as their small, switch-back path turned to gravel and bare rock, was a structure of worn stone emerging from the side of the mountain. Like a tunnel to a mine or something of the sort. All around it were poles upon which ancient corpses and skeletons were placed, some having fallen to the ground, others with only pieces still strung up. There were perhaps a dozen in a ring before the entrance—like some kind of warning.
How do you sway someone who believes with their whole heart that what they are doing is necessary and good, evil as it seems? How do you persuade them when they can see no alternative to their current path? And when it seems almost logical yourself? Sovina was on to something. A frontal assault of good arguments and appeals to reason would do little in cases when the other party had steeled themselves against counterarguments.
They needed a better path. Maecia needed a better path. An alternative solution.
Emalia went forward to find Daecinus, who leaned against a tree, watching Maecia descend the slope toward the entrance now guarded by her Greyskin creatures.
Daecinus looked her way as she neared with a raised brow. Usually, it would be accompanied by a slight smile in the eyes or cocked head and a sense of curious anticipation, but not now. It hurt to see him so self-blaming and depressed, particularly as he refused to talk about it beyond conveying brief, informative details.
"What if we make trust a non-issue?" she asked without preamble. "What if I hand myself over as a hostage of sorts. Maybe others, too? After you secure New Petha against Vasia, then you two can work toward researching this issue, and she won't fear your betrayal as I will be in hand."
Daecinus's eyes narrowed at her. "I'm not using you as leverage."
"If it's a matter of saving all of Novakrayu, then I don't care about your scruples. We need to find a solution."
"There is no solution beyond death."
Emalia bit her lip. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to see her alternative become a reality, but the gods were silent, and she needed a solution. "Well," she said, tentatively, almost fearful, "what if she uses an army instead?"
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"What army…" He stared at her, standing up straight. "The Vasians."
"Yeah. Would that work?"
"I don't know." He looked down at Maecia, who was nearing the tunnel. "But she seemed set on Novakrayu. Maybe it's something there about the city…" He grimaced. "It's the chamber underground, isn't it? Of course. I should have known those priests wouldn't have built something so elaborate on their own. So that's her plan? Sacrifice them and use the chamber to activate the Grand Observatory from a distance, akin to how the priests aimed to detonate the Artifact."
"In that case, it has to be people nearby, most obviously the denezins of the city." Emalia's shoulders slumped. Maneuvering a Vasian army so far east was plainly ridiculous in comparison to the ease of using the citizens of Novakrayu. It was worth the effort to search for an alternative.
As Maecia initiated her Spell, even so far away, Emalia began to feel cold creeping up her skin. She looked around and found Sovina getting close, where suddenly, the sensation of prickling chill dropped, abated.
Daecinus frowned over, almost alarmed. "Sovina, are you focusing on countering her right now?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Sorcery. You're resisting it. It's creating a bubble of non-influence around you. I've never seen anything like it outside of Sorcerers dueling."
"It happens sometimes." She exchanged a glance with Emalia. "Like back in the Crown of the Column with the priest. Sometimes, it just doesn't affect me. Like I can resist the change."
Daecinus leaned in, studying her closely. "What have you previously resisted?"
"She is not risking herself before Maecia," Emalia said before Sovina could answer.
"It could work," the other woman replied.
Emalia pursed her lips, remaining calm. "It's too dangerous."
"Someone has to face her, eventually."
The barb was clearly meant for Daecinus, and he looked away, back down to Maecia, who was summoning Greyskins from the mouth of the tunnel. They walked forward sluggishly. "At Novakrayu," he muttered. "We will fight her then."
Emalia pulled Sovina aside as Ignatia approached, asking something about the Spell's radius through subterranean tunnels and rocky soil. Her Vasian was improving drastically. They stood close together by a cluster of trees under guard. "I was serious earlier," Emalia whispered, chewing at her lip.
"I know. But I won't stay away from this fight."
"Last time we fought a Sorcerer that powerful—"
"I know," Sovina replied. "But it won't be like last time."
"We should have died. We should have been Corrupted beyond all saving."
"We won." Sovina gripped her sword, a small act of comfort for her. "And we will again. Just like how you couldn't stay away from the mystery of what Maecia was up to, I can't stand down from a fight where I'm needed."
"I understand, but sometimes we need to do what's smart."
Sovina scoffed, smirking at her. "And do you let that stop you?"
"Well, I… Fair enough."
"Listen, Em. I'll be as safe as I can, but I know my purpose, as do you. I can't sway minds, spot plots, or uncover mysteries… That's not me. There's only one thing I'm truly good at—and if I'm going to help, then that's how I'll help, okay?"
Emalia wanted to argue with her and point out how she was being foolish, for there were many things Sovina was good at that she refused to acknowledge. She knew people, she had a strong intuition for motivations and intentions, and much more, but Emalia nodded. "Fine, very well. But I will have you know you are terrific at quite a lot. So don't lie to yourself or me for argument's sake. And furthermore, you will help, but I refuse to let you sacrifice yourself for us. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Priestess," Sovina replied with a slight grin.
"Do consider it an order if that helps."
"Bossy is a good look on you."
"As long as you listen, that's what matters." She grabbed Sovina's hands and squeezed them tight. "You will listen, won't you?"
"Of course." She leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips, then pulled back. "You still owe me a quiet home far from all this."
"Oh, please, you thrive on the stress."
"Not as much as you." Sovina touched her cheek. "But that's part of why I love you. You're such a hero." She squinted down to Maecia and the Spell being worked there. "We'll all need to be heroes in the coming fight."
…
I watched Maecia emerge with an army of new Reavers. And they'd just been waiting for her down there in the depths of the tunnel, some of them locked up by the broken shackles and chains. Such an army was straining to control, so it made sense to keep various sources around for fetching as needed. All to pursue the extreme end of choking Sorcery from this world into nothing. How could someone so intelligent be so rash? When did she become this?
She invited the Vasians in, my mind muttered as I watched her. She wanted to betray you, to betray Demetria. She's always been this way. The thoughts angered me. They were reductive and simplistic, yet I could not deny their hold over my emotions as my jaw grew tight and arms stiffened at my sides.
"How many do you estimate?" I asked quietly. More were emerging every second, though now it was slowing.
My minders hovered about with Reavers as secondary guards. They didn't want me to escape, yet feared me too much to stand close.
Ignatia hummed and replied in Pethan, "Two hundred and ten."
At the slowing rate, I figured about the same. "Two hundred and thirty."
"You are incorrect, High Magistros. And so am I." She pointed further north to where the mountain sloped down. There were smaller tunnel openings where more Dead emerged. "I would increase our estimation."
I sighed, feeling worn out. "Yes, perhaps so." There had to be another fifty there. "She will have almost three hundred. Though weaker and less intelligent than my Soulborne, it will amount to a far stronger force, assuming she can manage them all."
"She will, I fear."
"Yes, likely so." Maecia was now the single greatest threat to New Petha I'd encountered. I am blinded by my own sentimentality. Must I discard it entirely? Must I truly become a kinslayer to be the leader my people expect me to be? Could I only rule by strength? Be it in my vengeance against the Vasians centuries ago, coup in the isle of New Petha, war against the world, or in this moment? Even my acts of union for my people were tinged with threats and displays of power. I've never been the leader. Maecia always was.
I had to change. I had to grow. But was this truly the only way? Or could I not learn from Emalia's example and try harder to seek resolution through conversation?
"There's a solution here somewhere," I muttered to myself, peering at the hundreds of Dead congregating. "One that does not involve more death."
Ignatia walked in front, blocking my view. "I alerted the strates and sorceii for you. I coordinated with Magistros Eudoxia, risking civil war to see your ascention, High Magistros. You were to be our savior, to usher us into a new age of dominion. Of supremacy, as your title claims. Please forgive me, but was it a mistake? Can you lead us?"
"What? I…" I stopped myself and considered her words. Here I was, trying to find excuses and alternatives to doing what I had to. Philosophizing and reflecting when I should be strategizing. New Petha needed a leader who was present, determined, and unshakable, not the absentee, distracted Maecia or their factitious council of magistrosi—both of which would see them fall to Vasia's domineering imperialism.
"I've known her for a hundred years, Ignatia. She is my blood. What you ask of me is not a small thing," I said, almost choking on the words. I remembered when she was a child, enthusiastic and sweetly charming. Inspiring, almost. "Over a hundred years…"
"And yet, I ask anyway. All of New Petha does." Her red-tinged, brackish eyes narrowed as she raised her head proudly, peering into me intently. Searching. "I risked everything for you. New Petha risked everything for you. Now we are asking you to do the difficult thing, the impossible thing, and lead."
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. "I bore the diadem and donned your robes, knowing I would have to face the impossible. I will not break my promise to your people, Ignatia."
"We've had over a century of peace. We don't need peace anymore –that's not what will save my home. We need the general, the commander, the war leader."
"Your demands are heard, and I will fulfill them." I looked to the dark sky through the ashen-grey branches, reaching like fingerbones, and sighed out that deep breath. "Yes, I will be the Magistros of Supremacy. I promise you, Ignatia, I will see that Maecia does not survive Novakrayu."