There was blood on the floors.
It wasn’t much- a drop every few feet, a soft stain on the door handles, a footprint or a handprint or something that had evaded Siqxhe’s notice completely, only for Laeo to find it later. There were signs of passage, faintly- scuffs and little things, dirt where there should have been no dirt. Occasionally they stumbled across a twig or a bit of dust.
Other than the blood, he would have ignored these… but he needed everything. He needed to know all the possibilities, all the potential routes that they’d taken to leave the palace if they were Ilyaochi in truth, or where they'd hidden if they were Sakaxhy.
The trail swept through floors, up and down stairs, across long hallways and dimly lit rooms, all sorts of places where there were little signs of inhabitation. Places where even Ididirchi’s prodigal light’s didn’t extend over.
Railoxhe followed behind, worried- it was clear from the way he held himself that what was going on was concerning to him. Siqxhe didn’t really get why- the man clearly wasn’t a proponent of Ididirchi’s rule, perhaps there was something more than that, though. He didn’t know-
They continued through the hallways and the sweeping lands of white stone and warmth, bright light and darkness within and beyond. The invisible sort of darkness- the darkness of man. Blood darkness- smeared onto every few walls, drop by drop they followed it. Forward, through the hallways as the stairs ran their course and the soldiers marched behind them. The winds of horrifying possibility. Who was responsible- they would pay for their crimes. He would make them, even if he didn’t want…
He was the arm of Ididirchi, his outstretched hand reaching toward the darkness beyond and the hopes of all people. Siqxhe felt for the first time how much of an asset he was. Not a person to Ididirchi, not even a good doctor. An asset, to be used where it was most suitable and then used more-
Hallways stretched long, twisting and beginning to curve as they reached the hallway they stayed in. The blood led past their door, a few flicked drops making the trail evidently obvious, and to another door- another set of guest rooms Siqxhe hadn’t noticed before. They were similar to theirs in almost every way, furnished much the same. There was that same window, that same darkness looking out onto the forest, the village-
The shadow of God- except, it was broken. Shattered glass reflected cold vistas poorly, glittering impossibilities warped beyond recognition. Eyes, like fire- the orange specks twisting and turning and dancing in the sky above, crystal clear through empty air. “Through here…”
“Then they were from outside Laytaihishu in truth. Or, at the least, they left the fortress to hide after they killed Soshyetay.” Even to Siqxhe that excuse sounded weak. It just didn't make sense in the slightest- it was too elaborate. Everything fit together too nicely to be denied by simple postulation.
The most likely answer, it seemed, was the one closest to the truth.
Laeo padded up to the window and stuck his head out of it, careful not to cut himself on the broken glass. Strong finger gripped the stone as he peered down the steeply sloped wall, a stronghold’s artificial cliff. “They’d be able to climb down this. Especially someone who has lots of practice clambering over slopes in the dark.” He gave Railoxhe a regretful look, tinged with a myriad of emotions that Siqxhe couldn’t read… “We need to chase them into the village while the trail is still hot.”
………
A full contingent of guards followed them out of the fortress this time, dressed in bright coats and holding pikes high. The core of a professionally trained force- Sakaxhy soldiers marched into the realm of the Ilyaochi. They surrounded Railoxhe, though Laeo and Siqxhe insisted on going ahead, following the trail left by the man.
It wasn’t really that hard- if they’d ever been careful in the palace at all, all that care had bled away as soon as they’d left the palace. A clear line of broken branches and muddy footsteps led its way back to the Ilyaochi village, through dark glades and across a turbid stream-
Above, all God looked impartially down. Dark orange eyes and that infinite blackness that existed in the space between…
The work halted as they swept into the village, people dropping what they were doing and scurrying for cover. With the imposing force of steel-pikemen, gleaming orange blades… he could see how that would intimidate them. It was only through Railoxhe’s careful ministrations that they were able to pull out anyone at all.
Most of the people knew nothing at all, but there were a select few that had noticed… something. One spoke of a dark figure avoiding the light, moving toward the mine entrance. Another spoke of blood- scraped on the walls, left to dry, provenance unknown.
Another spoke of a gleaming, angular piece of scrap, half hidden by shadows, descending into the mines, but by then the group understood where their murderer had gone. Encircling them and making sure they were safe from the Ilyaochi that began to angrily crowd around them, they pushed for the mines-
The dull whistle of something, and a thud as something heavy hit Laeo’s arm. The guards dropped into a fighting stance, and the crowd began to seeth-
“Stop!” A single, cutting voice that sliced through the clamor and demanded order. The crowd slowly calmed in confusion even as the guards returned their weapons to a wary ready position. “Go home. Someone's been murdered, and Ididirchi demands justice. I will not let him kill you without reason.”
Angry shouts, deep whispers carried over the wind toward them. The Ilyaochi were upset, with reason- Ididirchi had blamed them for every recent misfortune. They refused to accept the possibility that they actually were the cause of this misfortune…
Hopefully it wouldn’t come to blows, but… then Siqxhe remembered Laeo, and rushed over to his side. “Are you-”
“I’m fine. Bruised, but fine- that rock was going for your head, by the way.” Laeo winced, rubbing at where the stone had hit him even as they ascended the road toward the mines. “The Ilyaochi are upset, Siqxhe. They see a betrayal…” There was a subtle… excitement, an anticipation of the coming conflict that shocked him.
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“I find it terrifying. I hate the idea of war.”
“You would… still, the practices, the interaction of cultures and how they form both bonds and enmities. It's deeply interesting to me.” Laeo motioned to the guards- “take, for example, the Sakaxhy. At the beginning of time there were no Sakaxhy. There were variations of Ilyaochi, but they all followed their elder culture, the Nola followed the church, and the Orroyelans followed the sword. It was only when the Nola invaded and wrought the old Tasadir Empire that the Sakaxhy culture began to emerge. It’s a mixture, a blend- for all it hates the Ilyaochi, it is Ilyaochi.”
They entered into the darkness of the mines, following little hints. A lot of people had seen this dark figure- one had even tried to confront them, but they’d lost it deep in the warren-like tunnels of the Ilyaochi village.
There was stone above, now- white stone, the same type of stone that formed the bones and flesh of Laytaihishu, no doubt carved out of these very mines. Occasionally they passed Ilyaochi, but only Railoxhe was ever able to get them to talk- neither Siqxhe nor Laeo with their ministrations, or the guards with their imposing demands were able to prevent the Ilyaochi from doing anything except slipping quietly into small tunnels where they couldn’t follow, dark places where there was no hope of following.
They followed the main tunnel down until they came to an immense cavern. The path continued across a narrow isthmus of land, between two lakes, deep pools of crystalline clear water. In the depths Siqxhe could have sworn he saw something gleam… but then his attention was firmly stuck onto the cavern in front of him and the ramshackle tumble of buildings carved into the walls and constructed out of the stone. It was totally unique- unlike anything he’d ever seen before.
Here, after so long of dim half-light, the true village shone bright. Away from the eyes of God above, away from the cold, impartial stare of those orange eyes, a cheery community thrived. All sorts of people worked on various tasks, from washing clothes in the lake to carving out new buildings to just… living. Laughing. Having fun… he hadn’t imagined a place like this. The Ilyaochi homes above had evoked an image in his mind of people in abject poverty, but though these people might be poor, they weren’t… slaves. They were not slaves-
His initial assumption had been wrong…
The clamor of the village quieted to an almost deathly stillness as they approached, walking across the isthmus their soldiers and those blades that reflected the light back toward them, those gleaming metal harbingers of death. The Sakaxhy guards stared darkly at the village- wishing… something. Justice for Soshyetay, for the murdered one among them-
They called up a few people, questioning them on what they saw. The dark figure had come down here, but not across the isthmus- someone had seen it was a man, carrying a shard of scrap, bloody. They’d walked the other way, not wanting to get involved in whatever was happening. A few other people pointed out the way to them, a path that led between towering houses, shadows, dark places… Memories unbidden came nonetheless, of a long hallway filled with the dead and dying, and the few he’d been able to treat.
Then, at last, they came to a singular place, a home tucked in between two larger houses, crafted of the same white stone as Laytaihishu. The same whites stone of the mountains, the whole of the Ilyaochi highlands that were the bones of the world. It was a decrepit place as far as places went, cracks running through the mortar and darkness-
One of the guards stepped forward and knocked on the door, a powerful sound that carried over the sudden silence of the village and with it carried the echoes of Ididirchi’s will. The will of their lord so powerful as to reach to the seas beneath the world-
A moment of silence, and then the door creaked open. “Go… go away. I don’t want visitors right now.” The guard drew back as if to strike the man, but Siqxhe stayed his hand- he was obviously drunk, and starting a brawl deep within Ilyaochi territory wouldn’t do them any good.
“We just need to ask you a few questions and look around, and then we’ll be leaving.” The drunkard looked suspiciously at him, but didn’t move, so Railoxhe stepped forward.
It was obvious he recognised him- perhaps he didn’t think about the significance of the soldiers or Siqxhe’s presence, but his eyes grew wide as soon as he saw him- “Railoxhe? What are… what? I don’t. I don’t want traitors in my house.” He narrowed his eyes, then swung- it was a fast but sloppy movement, racing heartbeat, the thunderous roar of horror-
A soldier leapt forward, brutally slamming the man into the wall behind them despite his roars and the beating of his fists. Two more soldiers ran up and held his arms to the wall, and a third held his pike beneath his chin. “Don’t. Move.” He waved to Railoxhe, the distinction of Ilyaochi and Sakaxhy forgotten in the heat of us and them. When it came down to things, the soldiers recognized Railoxhe’s authority.
They stepped into the building, and immediately the environment changed. It was a lot warmer for one, and there was a scent of inhabitation. While the city outside stunk of offal and smoke, this room smelled of alcohol and sweat and ever so slightly, the scent of blood. A woman huddled in the corner, two children looking out from beneath her arms with beady, curious eyes. Dark eyes that looked so calmly, so fearfully as the soldiers spread out, careful not to touch anything as Laeo and Railoxhe investigated.
“Who are you?” One of the children slipped out of her mother’s arms, running up to Siqxhe with a questioning look on her face. “Are you a savior?”
“No… I’m the lord’s doctor.” He knelt down next to the child, trying his best not to be intimidating. “Can you tell me if you saw anything recently?”
The woman stepped forward, worry written clearly on her face. “She was asleep-”
It was too late though, as her daughter spoke. “It was dark- and father came home, all bundled up, and put something beneath the bed. Then he went out, and when he came back he was angry.”
“My husband was working for your lord. There was nothing he could have done to warrant this attention.” Still, fear was written clearly over her face. He understood- the idea that Ididirchi would just take, and take…
“It was where she said it was.” Laeo extricated himself from under the bed, pulling out a jagged piece of silvery scrap coated in blood. Soshyetay’s blood… A pile of buttons came with it, shining gold that caught the light and sent it scattering about the room. Irrefutable evidence. “We have our killer,” proclaimed Laeo, and the world burst into chaos.
………
Gasping for breath, Siqxhe pulled himself out of the mine, a battered Railoxhe and Laeo in tow behind. Weary guards spilled out of the exit, holding their weapons at the ready. They’d killed some of the Ilyaochi who’d pursued them out of the village, and he was certain they’d kill more if it meant the distance between getting them back to the fortress or leaving themselves in the mercy of the Ilyaochi.
Siqxhe and Railoxhe gave the mines one last horrified glimpse as they left on the long walk back to Laytaihushu, one last glimpse beneath the darkness of orange-black skies. Knowing- knowing that this was not the end of this.
Knowing that there would be blood.