“A direct violation of the Karolos Accords is not something that I can afford to take lightly. I’m sure you know that,” Gertrud explained, staring down at an irritated Alice. “A less level-headed ruler would have you executed, and the rest of your friends would either join you or be put to work for not reporting your existence the moment they lay eyes on you.”
Ingrid could feel her heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst. She hadn’t a clue why the King hadn’t done exactly that. Why had she not brought them here in chains? Why send Colette to pick them up? Why give respectful introductions without even mentioning that two of them didn’t so much as bow? The cognitive dissonance between what she knew about the woman and what she was seeing gave her enough whiplash to make her head spin.
“And what would a ruler like yourself wanna do with me?” Alice sighed. Even with her snark, it was the most respectful Ingrid had ever heard her be towards any sort of authority figure. At least she wasn’t trying to flirt.
“That,” she let the word stand on its own for a moment, motioning for Alice to rise from her kneeling position, “Depends on you, doesn’t it?”
Alice visibly tensed. “Not sure I follow.”
“Well for starters, you claimed to be simple travelers, yes? Despite your…” she looked over the motley group, her eyes lingering on Malori and Natalia for an extra moment each, “Less than simple companions. Why did you decide to enter one of the most populated cities imaginable, if you truly wanted to keep your existence under wraps? There are plenty of valleys and mountains where you truly could have remained away from any prying eyes. So, what is your real goal?”
The entire room felt tense. Ingrid hated relying on lies to navigate situations like this. She was never good at telling them, and Gertrud was already beyond skeptical of them.
“Not my place to say. Believe it or not, I’m the one followin’. Hey, Ingrid, wanna explain this?” Alice offered. There was an apologetic look in her eye as she called attention to Ingrid, but it wasn’t an unwise decision. They were here on her little quest after all.
She took a deep breath, rising as the King beckoned her to. “Your Highness, my name is Ingrid,” she said politely, bowing as she did. “We mean no harm to anyone, and our aim is fairly simple. My brother, he’s been missing for some time now, and we’re searching for him. Recently, we’ve been given reason to believe that he is in Reach, or was there recently.”
Gertrud narrowed her eyes. “If what you say is true, why were you so far south?”
“We came across that information after we had already been running around like chickens with our heads cut off,” Natalia grunted, “Kydanthus was the closest city, and we needed supplies to go there. We could have just hunted and foraged, but it would significantly slow our pace. We’re on a bit of a timer and we haven’t the slightest clue when it’s even up, if it isn’t already.”
The King looked at Natalia for an uncomfortably long time, but nodded, earning a sigh of relief from Ingrid. Natalia really did seem to choose the strangest times to be a great help. She tried to gauge the reactions of Colette and the others present, but the only one who seemed to have a change in their demeanor was Ivar. Beforehand, he seemed to only be present out of obligation, wearing a polite expression that belied no emotion behind it. Ever since the mention of Reach, however, he seemed much more pensive. It was like the mention had significantly piqued his interest.
“And to gain supplies, you turned to petty crime?” Gertrud asked, looking unamused.
“I mean, if you have skills you gotta use ‘em, right?” Alice shrugged awkwardly, earning a glare. “Money doesn’t exactly grow on trees.”
Gertrud looked over all of them once more, her face remaining completely neutral as she thought over their story. She crossed her arms. “Regardless of the truth behind that purpose, the reason you were brought here remains the same. A punishment must be designated for your dark elf companion,” she proclaimed. “So, should you be put to work? Simply killed? If all you’re good for is pickpocketing, then perhaps the latter would be more fitting. You certainly don’t seem to have the discipline for a Shadow. I doubt you’ll be particularly willing to listen to any commands either–”
“Mother, if I may,” Ivar stepped forward, a calculating smile on his face. His voice was rich and smooth. Ingrid had only heard four words from him and could already tell that he was a politician.
While Ingrid expected anger at being interrupted, Gertrud didn’t seem bothered by it in the slightest. “You’ve been quiet so far, Ivar. What scheme have you come up with this time?” she sighed.
A wide grin spread across his face as he surveyed the room. “Well, I think I know a way we could both stand to gain from each other. Of course, we’d be gaining more, but considering you all are the ones violating a treaty, this is a fairly lenient punishment,” he started, chuckling a bit to himself. Ingrid could already tell from her expression that Alice didn’t like him. “You all wish to go to Reach. It’s a wonderful coincidence really. You see, I’ve had a bit of a conundrum up there that I’ve been trying to deal with. Unfortunately, any soldiers that I send, I lose contact with after a few days.”
Gertrud raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
“I suggest that we put them all to labor. It’s one of the standard punishments for breaking the Accords, and we don’t have to spare any more teams of soldiers by heading up there. If they’re travelers, then surely they can handle themselves in the wilds.”
“B-But if you send us to a northern region, couldn’t we simply run?” Malori asked quietly, followed by a yelp as Alice wacked her in the arm.
“Have you ever heard of a god damned gift horse, Shortie? That was our out!” she growled. Ingrid noticed Colette furrowing her brow, but no one made a move to stop the dark elf.
Ivar let out a hearty laugh. “Under normal circumstances, yes! After all, I can’t say I really expect you to end up like anything other than our soldiers, whatever may have happened to them. That’s where your esper friend comes in.”
“M-Me?” Malori squeaked, pointing at herself in surprise.
“Of course! You see, communication is the most important part of this. Sending messenger birds back and forth is quick, but not instantaneous. If two espers were to amplify their abilities together though…” he spread his hands like he was waiting for someone else to finish the sentence.
“I really don’t wanna give you the satisfaction of finishing that but you could have us killed at any moment,” Alice sighed, “You’re suggestin that they set up a link with us and work to maintain it at long distances so we can have instant communication regardless of where we are, yeah?”
He snapped his fingers and pointed at Alice. “Correct! Gold star. So, what do you say?”
“...You don’t actually care whether or not we agree to this do you?” Natalia deadpanned.
“Oh of course not. I do need Mother’s permission, however, as this is ultimately a choice for the King to make. If she decides you’re all to be put to death, then there isn’t much I can do!”
Ingrid winced. She really didn’t like how frequently the prospect of their deaths were being thrown around like it didn’t carry any weight. Regardless of who it was, shouldn’t a life mean something?
Gertrud held her chin as she mulled over the idea. “Hm, it would certainly kill two monsters with one swing. You, illian,” she pointed at Natalia, who simply raised an eyebrow at being addressed. “Your conduct in Kydanthus made it clear that you’re willing to go to great lengths to protect your companions, correct?”
Natalia narrowed her eyes. “What do you want me to say to that?”
“Nothing in particular, just making sure,” she mused, “Well, Ivar. I believe that even if we do set them loose, we can count on at least a few of them sticking to their objective provided we keep the esper here. The only one I would be concerned about following is the dark elf, but she won’t be a problem.”
“Alright, the hell is that supposed to mean?” Alice sounded almost offended.
Gertrud huffed, a confident smile on her face. “Don’t think I haven’t seen the look in your eye, little one,” she mused, before gesturing at Ingrid with her chin, “You go where she goes, no?”
Alice gritted her teeth, averting her gaze. Her lack of a response seemed to be the only answer Gertrud needed.
“It’s settled then. The esper stays, and the other four will investigate the Dark Zones. I have business to attend to. Take them to your map room and fill them in on any information they may need,” she declared, turning to march towards a door to the left of the room, “Erytus, Castor, this concerns you, so follow me.”
The brothers exchanged a look, then shrugged and stood up to follow. Ivar watched them go, a satisfied smile on his face. “Colette, would you mind coming with us? I’ll need your help after all to set up a mental link.”
“Of course, your Highness, it would be my pleasure,” she said with a polite bow.
A chill ran down Ingrid’s spine. She didn’t want to ask questions that were likely going to be answered, especially around people who evidently thought her life was something to be weighed and considered with the same importance as what they’re planning to have for dinner. The name Dark Zones carried a certain weight to it that already had her fighting off the urge to catastrophize about it. Alice taking her hand helped ease that ever so slightly.
Ivar led them down a connecting corridor lined with what were probably more statues of monsters. Ingrid wasn’t sure, she was too busy staring at the ground and trying not to overthink the prospect of Mattias being alone in a region that was apparently causing entire squads of trained soldiers to go missing. He could avoid trouble by teleporting away, but could he find food? Shelter? What if there weren’t enough shadows to shift himself away and he was trapped? All the different scenarios made her head spin.
They were brought to a large spiral staircase, lit by a series of torches that shimmered periodically with a white sheen. Everlit torches. She’d read about them, and how once they were lit they never actually burned out. In Cordelia they had been largely retired and replaced by the more gentle and safer glowlamps, but given how intimidating every bit of architecture she had seen in the castle, these seemed par for the course. At least the castle was mostly stone, so there wasn’t a risk of a fire. A part of her wanted to be annoyed at herself for letting her mind wander so much, but she was a bit thankful that it at least helped her stop thinking of less savory things.
She looked out the thin windows, hoping to at least get a glimpse at the rest of the capital, but the haze of the snow didn’t lend itself to seeing even the outer wall of the castle. She’d read plenty of stories and tales about winter wonderlands and snowy mountains with low visibility. Those had always seemed magical, safe, like areas where she could snuggle up to Alice and have hot chocolate while they both gradually fell asleep together under a blanket. Fearing for the lives of all of her friends was never a part of that little fantasy. Hopefully this could be the first and last time.
Eventually, they were brought into an expansive, warmly lit room with far higher ceilings than Ingrid would have expected. She stared up in awe at the crystal chandelier that hung above, illuminating the entire room, as well as a set of balconies that lined the walls above them. The walls were covered with a plethora of bookshelves, carved out of rich, burgundy maple wood and polished well enough to nearly reflect the light. If the light weren’t so gentle, it may have, but she didn’t want to ask Natalia to test that out. A metal spiral staircase on the opposite end of the room led up to the second level, with simple carvings of waves along the railing. In the center of the room however, lay an enormous, diamond shaped table stacked with books, scrolls, and maps. The head of the table had a section carved out of it that appeared to be for the purpose of getting closer to the middle, and in front of it was an intricate carving of the crest that had laid on Gertrud’s armor.
“Everyone, welcome to my study,” Ivar said proudly.
Ingrid blinked. It was the first thing she had heard him say with any sort of emotion behind it that felt genuine. As she looked further, she noticed the complete lack of dust or disrepair, and even the scrolls on the table looked to be in perfect condition. He truly seemed to care for this place. She looked over at Malori, who stared slack jawed at the treasure trove of books around her. The girl looked like she had just been shown a glimpse of Celestia.
“I’m sure you’re all wondering what those ‘Dark Zones’ mentioned earlier were–”
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“If I said I wasn’t would it piss you off?” Alice asked, raising a hand.
“Unfortunately not.”
“Dammit.”
He gave a small chuckle at the comment as he walked over to the divot in the wooden table. “Reach is a large region. Believe it or not, we don’t keep as much of a presence there as we’d like, but it is technically still a colony, not that people like you would know or care.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Natalia narrowed her eyes.
Ivar turned to Kallen. “Did you know that we kept a small presence there before I just told you?”
“Nope!” she said, a little too quickly and a little too cheerfully.
“Did you care?”
“Also no!”
He looked back at Natalia.
There was a beat of silence before she let out a groan of annoyance. “Continue.”
“Gladly. Also, if there is a third interruption, I will not be as amicable. I’m trying to be polite, so I believe it’s fair to ask the same in return, yes?” he sighed, “I did effectively save your lives, after all.”
Ingrid made sure to step forward before Natalia or Alice could ruin things further. “Yes, your Highness. You have my sincerest apologies, and I apologize for the rudeness of my friends as well,” she said quickly, glaring at the other two.
“Well, I appreciate it. Thank you. Now, the Dark Zones aren’t called that for any real nefarious reasons, surprisingly enough,” he explained. As he did, he placed a small gem in the center of the table, on top of the crest. Ingrid recognized it as a selenite stone. She’d interacted with plenty of focusing stones before, but they were generally a material used by mages, or in the crafting of magical items such as her bag. Selenite in particular was extremely potent as a catalyst for illusion magic. As it was placed, it began to glow a dull green as a large, three dimensional image formed above it. The image was on an extremely large scale, as evidenced by the abundance of small mountains scattered across it.
“This is Reach. Most of it, at least. I’m sure I don’t have to explain to you what’s wrong here?” he mused.
As she scanned over the illusory map, Ingrid quickly found what he was talking about. The entire image looked like a perfect topographical map, with different colorations and even trees visible if she squinted. It was a complete image aside from four black orbs carved out of the illusion. She furrowed her brow.
“Um, I apologize, but I feel like I’m missing a little bit of context. What exactly is this?” she asked, looking to her companions in hopes that they’d know. Even Alice looked off put by it though.
“It’s a map, one that was crafted almost a hundred years ago by an Archmage that specialized in both illusion and divination magic,” he said fondly, before casting a knowing glance at Colette. “Technically, under no circumstances should I be showing you something like this, but rules are more just guidelines anyway. Regardless, these maps were created as her sort of magnum opus. Visualized maps of various surrounding and internal regions of the country. They update themselves too with the divination magic infused in them. Which is why these four are a concern. We call them Dark Zones because they’re literally just dark on the map. We can’t see there.”
Ingrid wracked her brain trying to think of why something like this would occur, but came up empty. The schools of magic that mages used were generally unfamiliar to her, aside from illusion, but that her knowledge of that only came from what bits of it Mattias had picked up to mimic with his shadows.
“A few months ago, these four appeared,” Ivar continued, “Naturally, we sent people to go check them out, but we’re yet to actually have anyone we’ve sent return. Once they get within a certain distance of them, we stop hearing back from them as well. No idea what actually happens to them out there, but I’m going to err on the side of caution and say that it’s probably not great.”
“Sounds like a safe assumption to me,” Alice murmured. Ingrid furrowed her brow. Her lover always seemed annoyed in these kinds of situations, but at the moment, she seemed especially pissed off. She wondered if Ivar had said anything that struck a nerve with her. Either that, or she knew exactly what was behind this and didn’t like it at all.
“That said, things are going to be fairly simple on the surface for you all. You’ll be lent some wyverns to carry supplies as well as travel. Natalia, would you be able to keep up with a wyvern? In terms of speed and endurance. I assure you this isn’t a critique, but if we can afford to send you with one less wyvern, it would be helpful.”
Natalia crossed her arms, surprisingly not seeming offended. “If they’re carrying supplies and the other three? I’d say so. Ingrid and Alice can probably both fit on one, which would mean you’d only have to send two with us.”
Ivar seemed surprised by the statement, but quite pleased as well. “Excellent. I’ll send for supplies to be prepared immediately. I want to get as many things in order as I can after all,” he smiled, “Is there anything in particular you need? Within reason, of course. You’re still criminals, but I suppose I should at least shill out a little bit for a group I may be sending to their deaths.”
Ingrid winced. Again, he said that far too casually.
“...We good to ask for any magical supplies? Or mundane only,” Alice asked after a short pause.
“Mundane,” he said, quickly and sharply, “I don’t particularly care how plentiful magical supplies are. Any dimensional bags could be given to my couriers. Healing potions to injured soldiers. Enchanted items used for cooking or shelter or food could go to the soldiers or less fortunate of my country.”
The room was silent for a moment. Ingrid was surprised both by the strange mix of brutality and care in the statement as well as seeing Ivar seem legitimately passionate about something. She mentally kicked herself. She had known him for maybe an hour and here she was making assumptions about the kind of person he was. Scanning the faces of her companions, she saw mostly what she expected. Malori cowering away like always, it was a coin flip whether or not Kallen even paid attention, and Alice was rolling her eyes. Natalia had an expression on her face that she hadn’t seen before though. It looked sad, almost wistful. It was hard to read, but there was certainly an underlying sadness to it that Ingrid hadn’t seen before.
“Regardless, I think Colette should be the one to explain this next part,” he said, his playful demeanor returning in the blink of an eye as he gestured the Archmage forward.
She gave a respectful nod, then turned to address the group. “This will mainly concern you, Malori. I’m sure you know that espers can establish a link of telepathic communication with people, correct?”
“W-We’ve used it a few times, but it’s been limited…” Malori said sheepishly, “I’m not the most e-experienced with my own abilities. I can’t stray too far from them once it’s established. I’m sorry if that makes things more difficult…”
Colette’s gaze softened at Malori. “It’s nothing you need to apologize for. It’s something that’s hard to get the hang of,” she said gently. Her head cocked to the side, a curious look on her face. “If it’s alright for me to ask, have you met other espers before?”
Malori looked at the ground, then slowly shook her head.
“I see,” the Archmage murmured, “Then it makes even more sense. You see, espers can, if they work together, amplify each other’s abilities. This could be anything from moving around heavier objects telekinetically, or linking more than a single person each telepathically.”
“Th-Then… We could potentially link everyone together? Like we were a-all in the same room to talk?” she asked, her melancholy seemingly pushed aside by her fascination with magic.
A wide smile spread across Colette’s face. “Yes! That’s the first step. The second can be discussed momentarily. Would you like to test this out first? That way you can ease into it rather than simply diving into deeper waters.”
Malori seemed a little surprised by the offer. She looked around at Ingrid and the rest, clearly unsure of what to say.
“No offense, but you’re really gonna put that kinda pressure on the walking ball of anxiety?” Alice huffed, “Hinging your plan on communication that you don’t even know will work doesn’t exactly scream ‘efficiency’ to me.”
Ivar smiled at Alice. “If it doesn’t work, I suppose you’ll just have to hope you can survive out on your own, now doesn’t it?” he said threateningly, “Reading people is something I’ve always been good at. Your elven friend isn’t going to leave Malori behind, which means that you won’t leave her behind. Would you say that’s an accurate assessment? Or would you abandon both of them?”
A tense silence took over the room that Ingrid didn’t dare be the one to break. The way Alice and Ivar stared each other down was so sharp she was worried it would cut one of them. Finally, Alice scowled and stalked over to one of the bookshelves, reading the spines of all of them like she was looking for something when it was clear she was just angry she couldn’t leave. Ivar chuckled.
“So, that out of the way, Malori, would you like to give it a try?” he asked politely. “Like Colette said, ease into it. We don’t have to go any faster than you’re comfortable with.”
Again, Malori seemed surprised by the demeanor of the two of them. She looked like she was waiting for more to be said, but it never came. Slowly, she seemed to relax, then nodded. “H-How do we do it?” she asked quietly.
Colette beamed as she stepped forward, beckoning Malori closer. “It’s a little hard to explain, but I found it was easier for me to learn when I was holding the other person’s hand. I think the physical contact helped me connect to them better, but obviously that’s not something you have to do,” she explained happily, “But, I tend to envision it like you’re reaching for something. Normally, when you’re alone, it’s like reaching with a hook, right?”
Malori nodded slowly, closing her eyes. “Th-That’s usually how I see it too. M-More like I’m reaching for a book, then once I have it, I can open it up,” a small blush formed on her face, “Sorry, I-I tend to normally think of abstract things with, um, books.”
“‘When learning, you must first build off of what you know,’” she said proudly, “It’s something my mother used to say. If books work for you, think about it in terms of books. I usually think about it with fishing, quite honestly.”
“I’ve never, um, g-gone fishing, but I’ve read a lot about it!” she said quickly.
Colette laughed, holding out a hand for Malori to take. “Well, I’m sure you have a good understanding of it then. So, are you ready?”
The smaller girl looked at the hand apprehensively, but slowly reached out and took it, giving a small nod. The two looked at each other intently, then closed their eyes. The room remained silent for a bit, and neither made a move.
“What are they doing?” Kallen asked, her hands casually on her hips.
“Right now? They’re probably talking,” Ivar said simply, “Getting a feel for each other, if that makes sense. Just give them a moment.”
Before long, Ingrid felt what was almost a poking sensation in the back of her mind. She clicked her tongue, unsure of how to proceed. Maybe it was similar to how she interacted with plants? With that thought in mind, she closed her eyes, trying to open her mind to the world around her.
Now, try talking.
H-Hello? Can you all hear me?
Okay yeah this is weird, not sure how I like people in my head that aren’t me.
Get used to it. It’s either this or King Vilulf will have our heads. I’m not sure about you, but I prefer mine on my shoulders.
This is so cool! So Malori, you can just do this whenever you want?
Ingrid gasped in surprise at the sudden plethora of voices in her head. She had had Malori there before, but more than one was far more overwhelming than she expected it to be. Given Natalia and Alice’s comments, it seemed she wasn’t the only one.
Well, we know that it works. That’s good! She sent out into the link, This isn’t difficult to maintain, is it?
Malori, you’re the new one to this. You set the pace. I was trained for this, but I will say you’re already doing incredibly for your first time! Colette’s mental voice sounded like she was smiling.
Oh! Th-Thank you! Um, it’s not very difficult. I think I can do this for quite a while. It’s not n-nearly as hard as walking through the mountains.
So that’s what, like, twenty minutes? Alice teased.
It’s l-longer than that… Malori sounded deflated at the comment.
Alice, shut up please, Natalia deadpanned, So, Malori, your Grace, what are the next steps. Should we maintain this for endurance?
W-Well, what comes after this? Colette, you mentioned there being a way to extend the range as well?
There is… My grandmother, the Archmage that made those maps, she created another devi–
That was your fuckin grandma? Alice exclaimed.
Alice! Don’t interrupt! And please watch your language with an Archmage! Ingrid said frantically, I am so sorry about that, Colette, she’s a little bit excited at times. I didn’t know your grandmother was also an Archmage though, that’s incredible!
Ingrid clicked her tongue again. There was another strange sensation in her head, but it felt like it was coming from another direction. It was like a seething anger that radiated outwards before being slowly and forcefully reigned in. Was that from Alice?
It’s fine, thank you, Colette responded. She once again seemed to be offended by Alice’s statement, but kept her composure. It’s a simple creation. It amplifies esper abilities further in theory, but as of now we’ve only used it to extend the range of telepathy. It’s another reason your presence helps so much, she explained, In her experiments, our family was never able to activate it with a single esper, at least two were needed. Here, open your eyes.
Colette and Malori opened their eyes as the Archmage reached into the pouch on her side. She sifted through it for a moment, before taking out what looked like a magnetic compass. It was lined with purple loops, and where the glass would be on a compass, it looked as though Ingrid was staring at a piece of the night sky that had been cut out and placed in a small metal container. It was amazing how gorgeous something so simple looked.
“Here,” she said, holding it out to Malori, “Try linking to this the way you’d link to me or another person.”
Malori nodded, then closed her eyes, placing a hand on it. As she did, Colette closed her own and took a deep breath.
“If we turn it on, then we should be in business. If not, then we’ll be forced to use manual correspondence. This may not be the best metaphor, but while linking is more like a pull, consider this a push. Apply force away from you, in a sense, rather than towards you.”
The esper nodded, furrowing her brow as she focused. The purple loops that traced over the silver casing sparkled ever so slightly. Looking around, Ingrid’s eyes went wide. The books near Malori were slowly beginning to levitate off the ground. Even Ivar looked surprised at it. The hair of both espers began to float up along with them as the rims of the device began to glow. Finally, the device itself rose up, a white sheen taking over the fragment of night on its surface. With a flash, the sheen dimmed and shaped itself, stars and bits of darkness poking through until it became a recognizable form. It looked like an eye, with the darkness forming the sclera, and a thin white line marking where the iris started. In the center, almost like one of Natalia’s eyes, was a glowing white dot much larger than the stars around it. If the other specs of light were distant stars, this was the sun. Close and luminous as it shone out into the room.
Colette and Malori slowly opened their eyes once more, a shocked look on Malori’s face, like she hadn’t expected it to work. The books and their hair lowered down to rest, but the eye remained open. The enormous smile on Colette’s face was almost as bright as the sun in the middle of the eye.
Ivar was the one who broke the silence. “Like you said, Colette,” he mused, leaning on the table, “We’re in business.”