Chapter 24

Elara downed a potion of alertness, removing the fatigue from her mind, even if her body remembered it. Her eyes itchy from the dust filled roads.

A shiver ran down her spine thinking of what lay behind them. The desolation of Cinderstein. In just a few seconds the entire volcano had disappeared. The Cinderborn, who had ruled the region while others came and went around them, were nothing more than wandering bands of fighters and civilians, mostly from their lower castes.

She rolled with the gait of her mount, Lyra, Torin and herself were just back from the first riders, their own guard.

Riven was watching them, while Gavrik and Caius were in other cities and locations. Ready for whatever might come.

Incase we die they can keep things going .

She half glanced back at the volcano. Fighting Ilus seemed like a dumber idea everytime she thought of it.

Her gaze turned back on their target, the large compound was, well, something that she would accept at a holy site or on the palace grounds of one of the abyss’ tyrants. They’d met more than a few of those.

She looked beyond it to Ilus. She’d looked at it with long range spells. Filled with people and life, the buildings were tall. People said they shifted when they arrived, though she’d thought it was just fantasy.

Teleported here from the material plane and the crazy part is them moving the buildings.

She threw those thoughts to the side. Ilus had always been capable. Though this was one of their most overt displays of it. Other than the smoking ruin of Cinderstein.

Her eyes were drawn to the perfectly flat and cleared roads leading from the compound to the city. The amount of dust their mounts kicked up reduced sharply. It was nearly razor straight with bridges. “All of this in just a day.”

“Its one thing seeing all the destruction one can bring, another to see what they can build,” Lyra said.

“Boats,” Torin said as they reached the last few hundred meters.

Elara followed his eyes to the molten sea small craft flying on dragon fall’s eddies, they cut across the plains and turned, bleeding speed before coming to a rest over the stables to the side.

The boats landed and closed their wings, allowing the crew aboard off.

“Looks like the Infernal Marauders will definitely be a part of these talks,” Torin said.

“Commander Torin Blacksteel, company commanders Elara Dawnstrike and Lyra Shadowend,” A man bowed in greeting as they entered the front of the compound.

“There are stables to the left, at the rear there are bathrooms to clean up from your travels. The main hall holds the other contingents. It is a hope that talks begin within an hour.”

Torin grunted and continued riding, heading for the stables.

Elara followed, the wind was limited in the compound, their beasts padded feet scraping on the smooth surface of the ground, leveled throughout.

Her eyes traced the designs and art carved into the pillars, the roof, the doors of the main building. It was even worked into the stable.

“Well, looks like talks have already started,” Elara said.

“How so?” Lyra asked.

“The skill and speed with which they created everything here. It shows their ability already. They’re organized and capable. Else why would they take the time to turn all of these buildings into pieces of art.” Torin said. “Why would they want to build something that could be torn down. It shows they don’t want to destroy everything, but build instead.”

They reached the stables, people waiting at the side to take their mounts.

Their guards dismissed them, to take over their own care. They didn’t make a fuss and moved down to the other end of the stables to help with the creatures there. Different mounts of all kind lay in those stables.

She slipped from her mount, it would be a cold day before she needed someone to help her down. She drew her mount forward into a stall, it was all made of stone, the gates moved smoothly even with how much they must’ve weighed.

Dammit She shook her head. It was easy to forget just what the people of Ilus could do. They teleported a whole damn city after all. She looped her reins over a post and drew out a feed bag from her storage, hanging it from another post, close enough for her beast to eat from.

She ran a spell over the water trough nearby, fresh water.

A piece of angled stone ran upwards, she touched it.

“Cold, and wet.” She drew back her hand, water coating it. Rivulets of water condensing upon the stone ran into the trough, she looked down the stalls, they were connected by thin passages, the condensed water filling them and evening out their capacity.

The beasts put their faces into the water and drank greedily. It was rare to have such an abundant source of water.

“Thoughts?” Torin asked, finishing his own tasks with his mount.

“This,” Elara gestured at the building. “Its damn impressive. I heard the reports from Lyra, seeing this. I kind of wonder if she was underplaying what they were able to do.

She reached out and touched the stone walls of the stall it was as smooth as the polished blade of a veteran. Her fingers caught on a striation of material, she rubbed it pressing her fingers together and smelled it, the tang of metal hitting the top of her nose before tasting it. “They extruded metal right out of the damn ground with the stone.” She shook her head.

“You’re right, its already begun, they didn’t just build this for their comfort, it’s a statement.”

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“To what end do you think?” Torin asked.

She thought of the still silence, then the yells. It had pulled her from her work and turned her towards her balcony, looking for what they were.

Then she’d seen it, before the blast slammed into her windows, shattering them. Thankfully few people had crystal or glass windows so the injuries were minimal.

There was that hollowness in her stomach, seeing Cinderstein disappear. Her mind trying to adapt to the changed situation, the suddenness of it all.

“I do not think that they sent such message after Cinderstein for it to be without meaning .” Torin filled the silence and drew her from her thoughts.

“No. If there were people operating within our ranks, then we can assume that there were people within Cinderstein. While our forces are split up over a large area, they’re all in the same place.” Elara said.

Lyra leaned against the entrance to their stall, her eyes on the nearest Ilus stablehands. “There was also posters littered throughout the mountain, telling of secrets and warning people to leave the place. Those that did survived. It was targeted at the Embers.” Her eyes flicked to them. “We had our own posters and we know how Ilus doesn’t desire for bloodshed.”

Lyra turned her head, looking out of the stables. “There’s high captain Sarnai Hellfire.”

Elara moved out of the stable, peering through the doors at the high captain, several of her advisors and guards. They were greeted at the entrance by one of the guards and guided in.

Sarnai laughed at something the guard said.

“They’re allied. Would explain the ships, and well that,” Elara tilted her chin towards the doors, Torin and Lyra beside her.

“Well we’d best get this thing started,” Torin made a half-step forward, Elara holding his jacket.

“First, lets clean up, we’ve been awake for most of the night and hard riding. Taking the time to ready ourselves and clear our minds. Or we go in there with dirty clothes?”

A little time to decompress could do all of them good.

“I think they already have a decision ready for us to make. I’d rather make it now than wait. Also having them think of us as uncultured brutes has worked for us in the past,” Torin grinned.

“I was looking forward to seeing what they could do with bathing facilities if they have this much water. Might get an actual tub of water.” Elara grumbled. She’d be lying if she wasn’t eager to see what Ilus wanted.

“Lets go then,” Lyra said.

Torin stepped forward, their guards moving to surround them, a contingent tending to their mounts already.

They walked across the courtyard to the domed building. The guards outside opened the doors for them, fully three times as tall as them upon hinges that didn’t make a noise.

A raised table sat in the middle of the room with eleven seats around the table. Five on the far side and two groups of three. Sarnai and her people were intermingled with the Ilus delegation. They ate and drank from tables to the side holding a variety of food.

Not just hard rations and bread for them. Elara held herself back from gritting her teeth. Their own stores were woefully low, here they had meat, grain based foods, even delicacies such as fish, fruit and vegetables.

The room inside was warm, not the blistering hot of the world beyond. Elara’s eyes flicked between runes carved into the walls, and the vibrant murals along the walls. Speaking of different achievements.

Never knew you could make learning something epic. A part of her cheered on the artists. After all, who thought of the supply and logistics managers as heroes?

Lyra half stiffened as they walked in, something that only one who knew her would notice.

“The masked woman and the man in the armor behind the Ilus group, they were the ones in the city. They’re stronger .”

Elara and Torin grimaced. At their level of cultivation, to get stronger they’d need to defeat some powerful opponents. They hadn’t heard of any grand battles. Pretty much confirms they were behind Cinderstein .

“I haven’t sensed anyone below the orange grade of core here,” Elara muttered.

“We always knew they were stronger than most.” Torin said, looking at Egrin and the council members. A smile plastered on his face.

The group moved around the table to meet them.

Torin waving the guards with them back along the walls.

Four people stood with the armored man and woman, one the guard that had made Sarnai laugh, wearing a captain’s garb of her own with a pistol on her hip and a sword at her side. The other a man talking to the woman wearing the mask.

There were four more Ilus guards in the room, the Infernal Marauder’s guards were half eating, half watching. Their eyes focused on Elara and her party.

Confident in their position. Each of the council were strong, some rumors put them at the Blue Core level and above.

Could also have fighters waiting in all kinds of hidden places.

Egrin and Sarnai reached Torin. She knew Egrin only by his reputation. He looked the part of vagabond adventurer. His brown hair streaked with grey that made him look otherworldly. He was built sturdy, looking like someone that spent more time doing labor than working with his head. His mustache was trimmed, greys and blacks giving him a grounded appearance.

His smile dulled as he looked over the group and held out his hand. “Commander Torin Blacksteel.”

“Headmaster Egrin.” Torin reached out and she saw his hand flex.

Egrin’s modest smile faded and the world seemed to squeeze in on them. His eyes blazed with power, the very world around him his to command. They were just standing within his domain. Mana stopped flowing to them, Elara couldn’t even feel it.

There was a sudden and definitive snap as Torin grimaced.

“I think that the time for games is over.” Egrin extricated his hand without issue. His eyes dimmed and the oppressive weight upon them dissipated.

Definitely stronger . The sacrifice of a few broken bones in his hand was well worth it. Torin would be good in a few hours.

“Still using your head for breaking rocks, or at least making it appear you do I see,” Sarnai reached out and grabbed Torin’s broken hand, he let out a grunt as she pulled him close and spoke into his ear.

Elara couldn’t hear anything as Sarnai released Torin, her clenched jaw releasing.

“My, apologies.” Torin gave a slow half-bow.

“Today is not to dwell on pasts, it is to create a future. Let us see what we can do,” Egrin said. His tone that of a teacher guiding a student, eager to see them attempt the question as they were for the answer they found along the way.

“Shall we?” He indicated to the seats at the table and moved around it. The others waiting moved to take their positions.