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Undying Empire: B3 — 29. Journey To Mirelitel
🕑 Added 2022-03-26 08:39:43 +0000 UTCPoV:
1. Virgil (Leader of the Argent Dawn; Human religious follower of Elinor)
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Virgil slowed to a stop; the jungle's clicks, chirps, and roars had gone silent, and a short grunt came from his horse; they’d left Nethermore a few hours ago and never heard the sounds of the dense undergrowth become so still.
The Argent Dawn was deploying on a mission for their Empress for the first time, and being a part of her religious branch, they had a duty to spread her glory in name and deed.
Ectria, former Xaria of the Delthax, and their escort to the Nalvean lands followed his gaze as the rest of their party halted behind him. “Mmh… Koma.”
The little three-year-old Ri’bot girl flipped out of their line to hop off a nearby branch and jump to the front. “Yes, Xaria Ectria!”
“Scout out the canopy—keep sharp—the jungle goes this quiet for a reason.”
Koma pounded her chest in a proud salute and vanished into the undergrowth.
“What do you think it is?” Virgil asked, glancing back; their fifteen-man party disappeared in a long line behind the large leaves and vines.
Ectria’s lips pulled in. “I can’t say, but there is something strange in the air…”
They paused as Elluinara, the Nalvean Seaweaver of their party, easily cut a path through the thickets with her water, pulling their gaze. “... There’s a sharp change in the atmosphere… I’ve never felt something this drastic—even at sea—a storm is coming.”
Virgil’s eyebrows pulled together upon looking up at Roberto, riding atop his horse since his stamina wasn’t the greatest, having been one of the few in their group to have not received physical enhancements. “How close are we to shelter?”
“Mmh…” Ectria sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “We’ve only just cleared the shelf Nethermore rests on into the Lethix’s territory, and if we travel along the shore, we should be able to make it to their settlement in the next several hours. I don’t have extensive knowledge of their land, though.”
Turning to the Seaweaver, Virgil stroked his steed’s neck as he shook his head in agitation, possibly sensing what the other animals were. “How big of a storm, and how soon?”
“Swiftly—I don’t know this type of sharp atmospheric decline, though… All I know is that it will be cold.”
“Snow?” the eighteen-year-old atop Virgil’s horse shivered. “In the jungle?”
Gloria followed Elluinara’s path to get to them, not entirely with the same grace and almost tripping to plant her face in the mud. “Snow—ekk, ahem…”
“You good?”
“Fine—fine… Uh, can the Ri’bot survive a snowstorm? Woah!”
She flinched as Sosimo emerged from the jungle like a specter, a crossbow slung over his shoulder, having unlocked his Hunter Class an hour earlier. “All the big game—heh, c’mon, Gloria—can’t be spooked by everything.”
“You—mmgm…”
Virgil held up a hand to bring the focus back. “If it is a storm, there’s not much more we can do but double our pace.”
Sosimo sucked in a deep breath. “Haaa… No more exploring, huh? Got it, Boss.”
Ectria took his statement as a signal to keep going, renewing their path through the undergrowth and leading the way to the shores that would make swift travel much more manageable; not three minutes later, Koma returned to report.
Ominous dark clouds hung around the colossal mountains to the north, expanding rapidly; questions passed through the company whether they should return, and as the leader, all eyes went to Virgil.
It didn’t sit right with him, yet they had a mission to fulfill, and if the Empire really was seeing some sort of attack on that scale, and it wasn’t some kind of natural weather phenomena of this unusual world, there wasn’t much they could do—that was something for the Royal Court to handle.
Just to be sure, he had them stop for a minute, Virgil bowing his head with the others in prayer for guidance. Clearing his mind for answers, he waited…
A warmth filled his breast, and rather than a voice, a musical note of peace and clarity guiding his thoughts to an answer; a smile lifting his lips, he turned to his party. “All who feel we should keep going to fulfill our orders?”
Every hand went up, assurance in their hearts that whatever moved against the Empire, the Empress would prevail—they went on.
Thirty minutes passed before they reached the river they needed to cross, wide and white with rapids, yet the thing that caught their gaze was the darkening heavens now that they had a view of it; small flakes fell on the fine sand, a chilling breeze sweeping along the rapine.
Stepping onto the soft soil leading to the shore, silence took the party, Ectria leading them south.
Not long after, a wooden bridge came into view, fortifications placed to keep intruders out from their side of the river.
The open space provided extra room to spread out and gather into small groups to talk, they approached the structure; it wasn’t currently staffed, and the gates were wide open, telling Virgil the state of the valley had changed since the Empress took control.
He saw the young Ri’bot eye the colossal wooden structure in wonder—each from different Clans—as the flakes drifted with the nippy, gentle winds pushing southwest.
Minao, from the Flex, had the other two enthralled as she recounted her grandfather’s tale about its construction forty years earlier; Sosimo translated for Triana and Tadeo.
On the other hand, Gomal and Utila—being Flex themselves—knew the story and hung back to talk to each other about what powers they might get, and Elluinara and Gloria had been hitting it off since she obtained the Empress’ translation gift.
Virgil remained near the front, listening past the rushing waters to the young adult Ri’bot talk to one another, and could see some of the others listening in, including Ina’ko, their only Yaltha’ma in the company.
Forty-two years ago, Chief Dren—currently acting as an advisor to his son and current leader, Chief Utren—commissioned the project since valuable metal resources could be found in the northern part of their lands, and they didn’t have a great way of hauling it over the river with the threat of the Delthax and Wixum so close.
Treno, the Clanless, jumped in for a second to explain it from his perspective, having lived to the east of the Lethix for much of his young life.
To them, it was a chilling prospect, and they lived in fear that the powerful Lethix would suddenly expand their claimed territory beyond its current borders since it was the smallest of the Great Clans of the valley. He’d grown up with terrifying stories about the all-powerful Lethix warriors that could raid their small village at any time and steal their women and girls.
At that, Minao, Gomal, and Utila burst into laughter, explaining they were right that both the Flex and Lethix did have a significant decline in female Ri’bot over the last few generations, but they’d never heard about the warriors doing something like that even once.
It made Virgil smile, recalling the bedtime stories told in Columbia to make children behave, and Treno doubled down, claiming other Clanless totally confirmed it had happened. Once again, showing how fear and rumor could spread among frightened people while holding a fraction of the truth buried within.
The laughter and discussion died down as they stepped onto the large structure, a quiver running through the Ri’bot as the breeze turning into a sharp gale; the flakes were thickening and beginning to gather on the bridge.
Virgil wasn’t too concerned; he had faith that whatever this was, it would be resolved swiftly and tried to keep his attention on learning the landmarks of his new home. Still, that conviction didn’t stop the flurry that soon veiled them, slowing their journey.
He was a little surprised when almost the entire group was quivering from the snow and wind cutting along the shore. Only Virgil, Gloria, Sosimo, Ectria, Elluinara, and Triana resisted the element to support the others, having been the only ones thus far to have unlocked their connection to the Empress.
Faith building, it was only natural that more advancements would follow, which was why Triana entered their ranks shortly after the blizzard began; the giant 205 cm tall Barbarian woman marched through the powder with a grin on her face while basically wearing a leather bikini.
No one was surprised the previously thin and frail 150 cm girl had become a reflection of her desire to be the Berserker after the Old Norse legends she loved to play in her D&D groups.
Skin like iron with a will to weather the elements and enormous strength, she easily picked up the embarrassed Ri’bot to set them on her shoulders like children.
Koma refused, the little three-year-old forcing herself to trudge through the unfamiliar terrain, and Ina’ko was a mere 65 cm tall as a Yaltha’ma, requiring to ride behind Roberto on Virgil’s warhorse, who was taking it like a champ.
Virgil wasn’t particularly bothered; every trial only helped to strengthen their conviction to the Empress and build his power to fulfill her wishes. Her gifts were not just some figment of their imagination; she’d literally turned him into the man he always wanted to be and had given Gloria everything she desired, as well—they owed all they were to their new Goddess.
No matter how strong the blizzard blew, they pressed on, welcoming the arctic winds that were beginning to freeze the edges of the river, and after another two hours and many prayers, all of them shone with a protective radiance that chased away frigidity.
They were the Empress’ faithful—the Argent Dawn—and nothing would block their passage; a solemnity took them as the crucible persisted, hour after hour, yet by the time they reached the Lethix’s base camp, the sun beamed through the overshadowed heavens.
Immediately stopping, Virgil turned to the golden rays with a smile, the warmth their Goddess sent remained as a hot current cutting through the biting gale to bring heat to the jungle.
He laughed, fist over his burning heart with the others mirroring his example in the Ri’bot salute. “The Empress is victorious again! Let’s show her trust in us is not wasted.”
Prayers of thanks ensued, and they met the freezing members of the Lethix, huddled in their huts under what silk they could gather, furnaces burning bright as they huddled around blaze.
Gloria took time with each, shedding her comforting holy light to heal those suffering from hypothermia as the Argent Dawn aided their fellow countrymen in their time of need.
To Virgil’s delight, Utilat—Gomal’s betrothed and member of the Flex—unlocked the Songweaver Class, spreading her empowering song that touched all of them, bolstering their energy and courage.
The rest of their party supported in manual labor, creating large fires outside and gathering wood for them to use until the warming valley returned to normal, and forty-five minutes after arriving, dozens of fatal hypothermia cases were prevented, supplies collected, and rafts secured to reach their next destination.
Virgil and Triana took the task of steering their given boats that would need to be abandoned or taken to Shi’Shuka later.
Now making great time, the night soon took them, and they pushed on, envigorated by the strength of their belief. Gloria provided light with her shield, projecting a wide beam to watch for obstacles, yet Virgil’s eyes strengthened by the hour, and before long, he saw signs of the Flex Clan’s shore villages. Most had abandoned their homes for Nethermore.
It would only be several more hours until they exited the Empire’s borders.
Adventure fueled their spirits, carrying them through the night as they practiced their newfound powers and took in the still atmosphere of the vast river, so wide Virgil couldn’t see the other side at times.
Their raft wasn’t built for travel in the Wandering River, yet with a bit of faith and muscle, they made it to the sheer cliff walls that marked the end of the Empire’s boundaries, causing a stillness to enter their hearts.
Beyond this point was territory unknown to Virgil. High Lord Edmon had shown him maps, but that couldn’t compare to the actual sight of the enormous mountains and rises of the Empire, nor its scale, considering they’d bypassed much of it by river.
Lips tightening, he scanned the rocky face that met them on either side while taking it in; their first venture into this unknown world and its dangers that threatened their little kingdom’s security.
The waters they entered were owned by various Ri’bot Clans, and until they landed on the shore of Imiraka City-State, they had to remain vigilant; the toad people were excellent swimmers, and aquatic combat could quickly bring them to ruin—they kept a prayer in their hearts.
A gleaming red sun inched above the colossal peaks behind them to illuminate their way as the morning passed, and keeping to the right side of the shore to not be taken into the much harsher waters in the broadening riverway, they soon saw signs of life.
As a Hunter, Sosimo had the best vision, followed by Ectria and Virgil; they scoured the rising and falling waters, noticing a gradual increase of speed; they drew attention from what were likely warriors or scouts of the other clans, yet none engaged them with their own vessels or swam out to meet them.
It appeared they were content to keep to themselves so long as they remained an acceptable distance away from their shores, which Virgil respected.
However, their next hurdle was approaching when noon arrived, giving him a grasp of how far they’d come; spikes and pillar-like stones pierced the surface, showing they’d entered the final stretch before reaching Menifil, the like that marked the beginning of Nalvean lands.
Balancing across the rocking raft to support Triana, they spread out appropriately to try and keep it from tipping—Elluinara making sure their vines were secured in case they were tossed inside—they entered Spike Way.
Maneuvering around the oncoming stone spears and pillars, he and Triana tried to keep it stable, using the practice they’d learned throughout the night and praying for the Empress’ protecting hand.
Three close calls rubbing the side of their wooden vessel against smooth rock, forty-eight minutes of high-tension navigation and balancing later, and they whispered their thanks to their Goddess as they made it to calm waters, entering Lake Menifil; they’d almost been crushed against a spike had not Gloria used a shell of light to allow them to skate along its edge and Utila’s song keeping their nerves steady.
It was here they felt the fatigue of their over 36-hour journey, and three more on the much smoother waters, they landed on the white sands of Imiraka City-State.
Light still in the heavens, they made camp on the shore, eating and sleeping for six hours. Ironically, given the thirty-hour days, light was still in the sky, now dipping low in the heavens.
Packing up what they could on his horse, Elluinara took over as guide since they’d entered Nalvean territory; a bit strange, Virgil didn’t notice any settlement on the lake, showing the area wasn’t all that active for being a critical point leading to Shi’Shuka, and the Seaweaver assured him there was a fortress further to the east, beyond sight.
Entering the lightly forested area of Imiraka City-State, Elluinara took them southwest, curving around hills and taking them through small outposts that quickly let them by upon seeing the embroidered silk and Seaweaver mark on her jar of red water; she now could use any body of water for her powers, yet it also doubled as a marker of position in the Empire.
It soon became clear how renowned Elluinara was because once they entered a larger stone settlement, a Lieutenant in the area personally came out to meet her, going so far as to walk with them a distance past its gates to get a grasp on their destination.
Considering a ranking officer in the City-State didn’t demand they meet him and personally dropped everything to meet her, said a lot about her position as a young member of the Seaweaver Council.
Although her current status was on the rocks, considering her allegiances aligned with the Empress rather than Yesenia—not that word had spread that fast to the City-States.
In addition, the officer made the journey in the dead of night, being quite impressed by the light Gloria provided to brighten their path; in the ensuing discussions, Lieutenant Maliva’si received a general explanation from Virgil about their mission.
Once learning they were on a supportive endeavor to the Mirelitel City-State from a new kingdom to the north, and Elluinara—a member of the Seaweaver Council—was personally providing guidance through their lands, the stunned officer rushed back to the small city to gather an escort and hasty supplies.
A blessing, and causing a smile to lift all of their cheeks upon seeing his return, bringing carts to hasten their journey and a showy contingent of thirty cavalrymen; naturally, it was more or less a means to garner some points for the City-State, as he’d been warned by Edmon there was an underground power struggle currently happening in the Empire.
Still, it was a welcomed reprieve that would get them past the winding forest City-State to the more hilly planes of Mirelitel; it also provided an opportunity to proclaim the Empress’ greatness as the curious Lieutenant questioned him about their budding influence.
Compliments were thrown generously when demonstrating their mastery of their language, which apparently went a long way with the Nalveans, showing the race’s great national pride.
The topic of goods, exports, and imports came up, which was not his strong point, and sadly, Elluinara could only tell him that there was currently negotiations happening in Shi’Shuka; a more formal setting would follow, or so she expected, since Nethermore was situated in prime territory for trade.
The vague response had the man’s eyes bright with opportunity, taking detailed notes on their journey, and given that his small area to govern was nearest to the Empire, it would undoubtedly bring more wealth through it, which he could gain a piece of by getting the information to the current Lord over Imiraka’s northern territory.
Their quickest path would bypass the major city the Lord currently resided in, which saddened Maliva’si. Still, he understood their desire for haste, and with the strange toad-crocodiles they used as mules accelerating their journey, it only took another twenty hours to navigate the dirt roads to Mirelitel City-State—the weakest of the Empire—Lieutenant Maliva’si made a point to casually mention more than once on their many topics.
Of course, seeing as the Empress had ties to Stateswoman Lukuroha, that was bound to change in the evolving political field of the Nalvean Empire, and Maliva’si certainly wanted a part in that rising influence, which was why he accompanied them beyond the small stone wall indicating the entry into Mirelitel City-State and its protesting border patrol.
Overall, the journey had been pleasant up to that point, yet it was at the border where they got a true picture of the web they’d unwittingly entered.
Maliva’si’s insistence on continuing with them, and judging by their Seaweaver’s responses, their hands here tied; all they could do was show their minor annoyance and agree to have a much smaller escort of four Mirelitel border patrol hang around the back.
Virgil didn’t want to stir the pot, and seeing as the Empress currently needed to secure a route through Imiraka City-State to reach Mirelitel—unless conquering more Ri’bot territory—it was best to keep the man that oversaw its highway security complacent.
Studying the change between City-States, Virgil came to the conclusion that much of it appeared to be separated by a shift in terrain; the woodlands of Imiraka were its pride, and he learned through Maliva’si’s bragging that Mirelitel had relatively poor soil, infested by western rodents from the Drék'uléph Republic.
It seemed Stateswoman Lukuroha had it rough, and considering the territory was given the charge by previous High Rulers to build up its cavalry as its primary contributor to the Empire’s defenses, a lot of their low-yield exports were taken by the military requirements placed on them.
The villages they passed didn’t hold a candle to some of the towns and small cities they’d gone through over the last day in the previous woodland City-State; these people had only found a single type of niche pepper that the four-armed, 25 cm tall rodent refused to eat, and their rivers weren’t particularly bountiful since it passed through full length of the Drék'uléph Republic that stripped away many types of popular fish.
So far as Virgil could tell, the City-State was in a terrible spot, had little support, and was positioned beside regions that neglected their own military funding since they had Mirelitel to buffer them, allowing investments into other areas over the centuries that made them prosper.
To make matters worse, the other City-States and neighboring Drék'uléph State had a reputation of slowly pushing their borders little by little, shrinking the already small territory further—enemies without and within—until Mirelitel erected a wall around the entire area to stamp their foot in the mud.
It made Virgil sad just listening to the history proudly proclaimed by the Lieutenant and filled in by Elluinara; they’d been sent to uplift and bring help to the City-State while providing support to Castella—their direct superior and Heroic-Grade Nalvean Elite Warrior—in a secret mission that they’d be informed of on arrival.
Some of their members tried to rest on the path, taking advantage of the carts, and as they crested a hill, approaching noon on the third day out of Nethermore, Virgil caught sight of their destination.
If he was comparing it to the place Maliva’si commanded, it was a decently sized stone city situated by a large river that should have given them a considerable advantage.
Virgil wanted to sigh in mild frustration; this was supposed to be the capital of a City-State, and for him to compare it to a small northern garrison city of Imiraka was telling.
Lukuroha’s capital was well-maintained, and the population appeared to take pride in what they’d managed to build; it certainly was a military hub with cavalry doing drills all across the field and facilities showing a host of workers that housed their Torlim steeds.
Having become accustomed to Elluinara’s expressions over their journey, Virgil noticed scowls on the busy Nalvean workers. Their silk quality was far below the vibrant and smooth grade of Maliva’si’s, much less their Seaweaver’s; Imiraka soldiers were obviously not seen with favorable eyes in Mirelitel.
Getting closer to the laughable city gates compared to Nethermore—of course anything on Earth would be scoffed at compared to the Quen’Talrat’s monolith of a city-fortress—Virgil prepared himself for what was to come.
I should have seen it before… Maliva’si escorting us with Mirelitel’s border patrol at our tail… Great. We look like we’re disrespecting their City-State already, and first impressions are so important.
Caught off-guard, Virgil vowed to not let it happen again, leveling an unreadable stare at the bright and cheerful Lieutenant across from him.
These Nalvean soldiers would prance about with them as if they owned the city, making it look like the Empire was buddy-buddy with Imiraka before taking off to report to his superiors. It was clever, and he had to admit, a political class-act he wasn’t accustomed to dealing with; he understood why Elluinara had grown so reluctant before, yet couldn’t find an excuse to deny their hospitality in their lands.
It would be a challenging climb, but they’d need to show their dedication by going among the people to labor beside them. Spread the word, and work hard, yet also work smart; he’d need the Statewoman’s advice on how to get to the hearts of her people.
Preparing himself to get chewed out by Captain Castella, Virgil puffed out a long breath while watching the very agitated and displeased city guard meet them at the gate.
Time to pay for my mistakes… forgive me for my ignorance, Empress, and please grant me wisdom and strength… I’m going to need it.
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