THE WRITING ON THE WALL

Commander Butts stood on the parapet extending northwards from the highest tower. Like a lone figure refusing to yield to nature, he defied the blizzard bombarding him as it roared past the embattlements.

His fur cape flapped in the wind, exposing the ice-coated metal breastplate. Furrowing his brow, he raised a hand over his eyes while peering northwards.

A few miles away, the gigantic mountain range that broke the clouds on either side of the fort, had been cleaved in two as if by a massive sword. The entity that accomplished the feat, ended up leaving steep, mirrored faces on the nearly indestructible rocks. This creation led to the only gap in the mountain chain, opening a passage to the south.

The width of this gap extended to roughly ten miles. Before him, the tips and summits of boulders jutted out from the white ocean-like dark red icebergs. Underneath this seasonal sea lay broken rocks and scree painted in a similar shade.

An artificial color, stained and bathed from yearly sacrifices.

The Nord Pass!

One of the three most dangerous places known to mankind.

"This has the making of a terrible winter. I recall when I first came to the pass, we experienced a terrible storm. The Chief Commander then spoke of a rumor. The ancient scrolls recorded that a harsh winter roils the slumbering demons."

"And did it?"

"No, but I can tell you this winter, makes the one from the past seem like a drizzle."

Butts replied to the man who joined him. Once considered a genius from a noble clan, Butts had been sent to the Military for grooming. Unlike most noble-born children who thirsted for their day of returning to power, Butts chose to remain.

His drive for adventure led him to become a Sersen, and eventually placing him in command of the most dangerous garrison know to man. Here he along with other commanders, controlled men from not only the Empire but also from the Kingdoms to the south. A unified front against a common threat.

"The Imperial General has sent word that a convoy of new weapons will soon arrive. He hopes you train the men well with it when spring arrives. The new weapons should boost our long-range attacks significantly."

Vice Commander Evan reported. Unlike Butts, he came from a peasant home and worked his way up the chain of command. The two, however, interacted well together, along with the other Commanders stationed at the front. Out here, everyone shared a common interest.

"Nothing less from my mentor. These weapons must pack quite a punch, for General Kettle to personally rate them. Alright, let's head down since I am practically freezing out here."

"Whose fault is that? Didn't you say you wanted to do this every day to boost the morale of the troops?"

The vice commander scoffed while watching the burly man crack the ice on the iron breastplate. Wrapping their cloaks tightly, the two then exited the battlements. They entered the warmth and safety of the fort, while unaware that far to the north, a lithe and graceful figure fought a horde of demon beast, alone in the snow.

***

"I know what this does."

"What's a movie, Chu?"

"Why do you always keep grasping onto the strange words. Don't think I haven't been paying attention. When we return, I'm gonna have a long chat with Mrs. Thomas."

Chu sidetracked the girl, wiping the dust from the controls. This raven-haired girl possessed a sharp mind and an equally quick tongue. He focused on the machinery before him.

The copper-colored linkages and rods slowly creaked loose after centuries of rest. A bronze disk reflected the light from the torch.

Fumbling with the controls, stones near the roof of the tower grated open. Beams of light pierced the darkness, finding reflectors bolted on the walls. The light concentrated on the large reflector above him and then focused on the fountain below. He shielded his eyes on the burst of sudden sunlight.

Surrounded by chattering praises from faces filled with awe, Chu inspected the so-called fountain. He soon realized that this thing in the center acted as a focal point, to channel the light down to the floors below. Inspecting the slightly smoking contraption, Chu heard a series of crackles.

Utilizing the natural light, he then found the source of the noise-- the flat vertical plates that surrounded the metal construct. A burning smell, halted his fingers, as he also detected a source of heat.

"Miki, turn it off!"

He shouted from below while stepping over the two-foot stone circle, which surrounded the contraption. A moment later the hall submerged into darkness, as the excited chatter gave way to disappointing groans.

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"It's a source of light and heat. The thin plates act as a radiator, emitting heat to warm the surroundings. Careful, because its hot. Have the goblins clear the fountains below us otherwise, we might end up setting this tower ablaze."

Chu warned Ming. As if to prove his words, a goblin stumbled out from the stairs, his tongue lolling from his mouth.

"The sun, the sun fell. Angry, angry at goblins and then smoking in rage. Returned to sky."

Chu nodded on receiving the translated message and then turned to Ming.

"Have the goblins clean the fixtures below, and also call the Elders. Since they plan to remain here, we can trade this knowledge for extra benefits."

A few hours later, Chu had the Elders gawking as he brought down the sun. Upon the platform, Miki instructed Pug and some other Elders on how to work the device. With the goblins seeking to establish an outpost here, Chu planned to return so as to conduct an in-depth exploration.

Currently, he lacked two things before he could unlock any treasures hidden here.

"We have overstayed on our adventure. It's time to return home. It's also high time for us to visit a city."

"Yay, I always wanted to visit a city. Mrs. Thomas told us so many stories about living there."

Miki jumped while hugging him in her excitement.

"Finally. I'm tired of Singh rubbing in his tales of adventuring in a city, while giving me that smug grin."

Ming said as he cracked his knuckles. Chu really didn't know what to say about this guy.

He chuckled, as they descended the stairs. Stepping into the library, Chu glimpsed Scholar Rang stuffing scrolls within his wide sleeves. The old man hovered around the light-bearing apparatus like a moth. On spotting them, Scholar Rang patted his cloak and approached them with a sheepish smile.

"Ah, you're here. I walked in the dark but found nothing of importance. The library is full of old relics, probably worth a few coins at best."

The old man sorrowfully said. Scholar Rang would never admit this light contraption surpassed common knowledge. He planned to return and study it in detail, before revealing it to the world.

"I see. No matter then, let's head down for now."

Chu smiled.

With Pug and Ming chatting away in the lead, while making full use of the free translator, they entered into the lighted workshop. The group had crossed the open path near the center towards the opposite staircase when Lucy tugged at Chu's sleeve.

On his first glance, Chu figured it appeared like a collection of drawings carved on the semicircular unobstructed wall. The sharp and concise art reminded him of an Egyptian wall painting. Closer inspection rendered him speechless.

"Chu, it's the same, I should know, I stare at it nearly every day."

Lucy said.

"U-huh."

Chu subconsciously replied as he gravitated to the wall. The drawing of a large outline of a human body encompassed around half the height of the hall. Paragraphs of strange words scribbled on the wall pointing to symbols and what looked like foreign formulas.

His eyes, however, fixated onto the two large rectangles the size of a child, stamped inside the chest of the drawing. Both contained the familiar lines and curves that piqued Lucy's interest.

The pattern and inscriptions on the large cards clutched his eyes. He recognized them from his interactions with Tye. Chu knew them well.

Ancient Talismans.

Miki helped Lucy push away the sleeves of her cloak as they compared the two. Chu studied the talismans, his eyes roaming between them. Maybe because of the large drawing, he easily spotted the anomaly.

"Ming, bring me a torch."

Chu said while he peered close to the small pictograph sketches under the large drawing. Although he had the light from the 'sky', Chu wanted to ensure he missed nothing. If not for activating the lighting mechanism, they would have bypassed this for sure.

The carved hieroglyphs painted a story. Tapping his lip, he found it easier to understand since he understood the key. Maybe if he had no inkling of a talisman, the meaning would be lost. These doodles and gibberish, however, seemed to make sense.

Different symbols, different numbers led to pictures of a fallen person, or one standing, holding his arms bent above his shoulders in a muscular pose.

The main drawing on the wall looked like the final outcome of deadly research. It consisted of two talismans imprinted on the chest of a human figure. Chu retreated from the wall, his face betraying his excitement. Even a child would understand the gist of the message.

"By the Nord Pass!"

Scholar Rang covered his mouth, stifling the rest of his words. As a person who frequented the Mage Tower in Limerock, he knew more than the common man. Glancing towards the children, his eyes happened to fall on the girl's arm.

Chu turned around, in time to find the old man's eyes bulging out of their sockets. The man trembled from excitement, as Chu recognized the face and eyes of greed. The boy shook his head, knowing this old man could never be roped into his team. From their meeting in the Trading Post, Scholar Rang proved he was too far gone.

Unlike Doug and his group, this old crow seems set in his ways.

"You figured it out, didn't you?"

Chu continued talking while advancing like a bosom friend towards the man.

"The difference between the talismans, the one that might possibly allow a Sersen to possess two talismans."

With a fluid motion, his hidden hand slipped out from behind the cloak. The dagger entered the stomach of Scholar Rang, buried up to its hilt. Warm blood flowed down Chu's hand, as he slowly helped the frail man to the ground.

Scholar Rang stared with glazed, unblinking eyes at the calm face.

"Why now?"

"You held the only key behind a locked door and now also outlived your usefulness."

The soul departed on the words, accepting the logic. He lost his life at the hands of a greedy bastard. Chu stared into the lifeless eyes of the human as he retrieved the dagger with a steady hand. Cleaning the blade on the man's robe, he stood up.

From the very start, Chu never planned to let this man live. He had banked that Scholar Rang possessed the knowledge to read and translate the ancient texts. Unfortunately, the old man proved useless.

Chu had matured from a hesitant boy, afraid to dirty his hands.

"Come. It's time to travel."

END OF THIRD ARC