Lecra’Moro swam across the seafloor of the Great Ruby Lakes, doing his best to penetrate the thick red-tinted water; he navigated primarily off the Empress’s Nexus, using it as a compass to know which direction he should be heading, and his two companions were a good anchoring point to better orient himself below the shifting waters.
It was really something odd, not breathing while wholly submerged over 500-feet below the waves.
He’d learned many things from Edmon while aiding his unit to get the fortress somewhat operational again. The human was quite proficient in mathematics, and it was during their trial and error runs in testing the power grid infrastructure, they discovered the Empress’s language abilities not only worked with written and spoken vocabulary but also measurements.
The Empress was certainly worth following; from the little he’d interacted with her, he could see the budding fruits of greatness that every Quen’Talrat in his generation wished they’d been able to witness with the rise of Ke’Thra’Ma.
Unlike many others of their race, Ke’Thra’Ma brought a golden age for the Quen’Talrat that his new overlord was making excellent use of. The advancements made in every field were phenomenal, and he was witnessing the glorious dawn of a new era.
His education at the great fortress of the Ke had been specialized, as most of his race was with their culture, and stealth combat was his particular focus; yet, when in enemy territory as an Elite Hunter, they were given far superior tasks to memorize and accomplish than the regular hunters.
Swimming through the coral, sand, and rocky formations was a plethora of life. Fish and animals of every size swam around him, senses confused by what they witnessed.
Lecra’Moro could cancel out all sound of anything that came into contact with his body, including his own interactions with the water and air around him.
His sight was only slightly sharper than when he was alive, which was odd, considering his physical prowess had significantly diminished. He was still able to see the vague outlines of ships that had long since been taken by the unforgiving lakes, sealife claiming them as their own.
Ke’Thra’Ma was particular about accuracy with his new metrics and about avid documentation, which was why he knew that the deepest parts of the Great Ruby Lakes were 1,343 feet at their lowest, yet near the shores, it only fell to 600.
On land, and slowly making their way toward Shanguiska, was Camellia and Imiunarus, the Elite Warrior feeding him passive updates on their movements as they went. Lecra’Moro was on track to leave the city’s bay area, closing in on the western face of the peninsula, where the castle was located.
Catching his first glimpse of the rocky cliff that rose over 250 meters from the seafloor to the structure walls above, Lecra’Moro paused, keeping his current position inside the lake—this wasn’t right.
Ahead of him were enormous, spiked rods of stone, sticking out over 35 meters off the sandy ground like spears—except, there was a notable path that had been cut out in the pin-like field, leading to a large, blue metal door.
It was at least 3x larger than any of the Nalvean structures he’d seen, and it began to pull his eyes to various other oddities in the cliff structure. Much of it appeared smoothed out, and runic symbols of a distinctly similar kind were etched across its face, shimmering with a faint yellow glow, as if breathing.
Lecra’Moro approached with caution, knowing things could get dangerous after this point; the four Cimestar Anglers were in sight, feasting on the wildlife in the area, yet he didn’t fear the eight-foot-long predators of the Great Ruby Lakes—it was them that fled from him out of instinct.
Swimming up to get a better angle on the door, his eyes narrowed; these were far more complex than anything his own weapons used of the ancient technology the Ke had returned. He had no doubt the White God would have been able to decipher the secrets before him in a glance, but they were not within his understanding.
This area had been modified to a great extent, and for it to be this deep, there had to be many secrets hidden in the castle above. Demon illuminated the Ke, and so too did he have influence here.
Jumi’kerune was a threat Lecra’Moro had to take seriously; the Ke constructed and demonstrated awe-inspiring and terrifying weapons of war with Demon's technology. The power gems would be inside, safe from outside interference.
Certain symbols were definitely activation points that he knew by heart, yet the additional glyphs beside them made him think it was behind some kind of security matrix, like the section of the city’s armories were protected by each Blood’s personal code. Traps could be set to attack those that didn’t input the proper combination, as well.
Reporting his findings to Imiunarus and Camellia, they told him that they were preparing to enter the castle through the front gate; he didn’t like this plan of attack, but it wasn’t his to command.
If they were going to make noise in the front, he could go through the back, and an exploitable opening just came into view—a cave near the seafloor, 50-meters to the right of the metal doors.
With technology the Ke employed, perhaps Imiunarus was right. They wouldn’t get the jump on their target; however, entering at an unexpected point could give them valuable time to respond.
Knowing he would trip a sensor, Lecra’Moro swam to the massive opening, squeezing through; it was a bit harder to fit than he first thought.
Water soundlessly slipped through the cracks in Lecra’Moro’s suit; the silk was waterproof, yet not sealed. Hands gripping the edge of the pool, he pulled himself out, taking in the cave interior, his two heads turned opposite directions.
The room he entered was at a comfortable height for him, and a small river of red liquid ran into the sea from further within the long corridor extending beyond his sight. His night vision could only penetrate the darkness up to fifty feet at its current level. Running water was the only sound inside the echoing chambers around him.
His caution deepened upon seeing the ring of runes around the pool; they were currently releasing the same dull yellow glow as the symbols outside.
Exiting the sea, Lecra’Moro’s eyes widened as his connection to Camellia, Klaus, and Elinor was cut; his gaze fell to the floor; the runes were now orange. A change in its programming had occurred.
I’ve been cut off from the others—but to even block the Empress’s Nexus … I will fulfill my mission.
Shifting his large frame around, Lecra’Moro tried to put his left hand in the water to be met by an invisible force, blocking his progress.
Closing his fist, Lecra’Moro’s weapon morphed into a gauntlet, and he smashed it beside the runes, causing an explosion of stone fragments to soundlessly explode across the area, but again, his movement was blocked once dropping an inch below the surface—he could expect there was an invisible shell surrounding the entire facility.
We walked right into the trap … Is Jumi’kerune even here?
The thought was bitter, but he had to move forward as if it were the case.
His posture shifted as he heard something further within the cave making noise, echoing from wall to wall; snarling and snapping jaws resonated through the cavern, the creatures releasing low growls from time to time.
Considering his options, Lecra’Moro jumped behind a nearby corridor that led to a dead-end. He took a deep breath as the beasts continued to draw closer to his location, keeping himself calm and collected; it was time to make his assault. At the very least, this cave should lead further into the estate.
Through a small opening in the wall, he saw the advancing figures of two oddly shaped Ragnlar that were the size of an adult Torlim. The beasts had scales like the Nalveans, unlike their jungle fur-covered counterparts.
When the two strange Ragnlar passed his hiding place, Lecra’Moro crept behind them; far larger and more powerful than the small cat-like creatures, his blade soundlessly cut through the air as the beast to the left turned the opposite way.
His knife cleaved through its fellow’s creased nose to its neck, causing black blood to spray out across the gray stone, and before the other knew what was happening, Lecra’Moro’s free left hand closed around its head and shoulders, forcing it down.
Not a noise was made from the beast’s strained muscles and extended claws as his ability canceled out all sound from the objects he was in contact with for at least five seconds after leaving touch.
The creature’s mouth released hissing roars that never reached the walls, and Lecra’Moro placed the blade under his throat, practically beheading it.
Both beasts were thrashing helplessly, the last bits of life they possessed leaving their soundless forms as the ape removed his hand, turning to continue down the passageway. However, a blur from his right sent Lecra’Moro pivoting left, and claws slid by his thin eyes as he gained distance.
What magic…
Using one hand, he flipped upright, glaring at the two mutants as they began to jerk back to their feet.
One’s neck was ripped out while the other’s brain leaked onto the gray stone with its black blood from the cut he’d given it. Unnatural gurgles bubbled up through the throat of the one without a brain, white root-like threads weaving from around his skull to mend the openings.
Lecra’Moro’s four eyes narrowed, left head watching the entrance of the cave as a feminine voice echoed from all directions; instinctually, he knew she wasn’t close, and the two unusual beasts began prowling toward him.
“He-he-he-he-he … I was told we would have an intruder, but to think it would be a Quen’Talrat Elite Hunter—one of the fabled Assassins … disgusting.”
He was not afraid of the things advancing toward him; they were all but useless in his eyes, and just because they could regenerate to a degree didn’t make them a threat. Whoever this was, on the other hand, he couldn’t be sure, and to identify him without being present—they had some kind of ability or technology to see him.
Upon further inspection, he discovered several rune-like patterns positioned in yellow mineral segments of the wall, masking them.
When he didn’t respond, the scaly Ranglar pounced, but he effortlessly shot forward, snatching both around their neck as his two tails weaved to constrict the two. Lecra’Moro pulled in opposite directions, separating their head, spine, and tail from their bodies and throwing the bottom half into the pool, yet they hit the invisible barrier and continued until smashing into the wall.
Only their short gurgles were left in the dying echos, from before he’d made contact with them again, and Lecra’Moro observed a pulsating white organ-like plant writhe against the bottom half of the Ranglar’s black blood-infused spine.
So … the creatures were being controlled by these…
He’d heard a rumor at one point that the land to the west had these types of parasites in their forest but had never encountered them himself. Throwing them against the wall, the things exploded from the blow, sending white goo dripping down the wall while keeping the spine glued to its surface.
“Heh,” the woman’s voice returned. “You’re the first I’ve seen to react in time—most fall prey to Dreka's feign death tactics. Of course, you aren’t most creatures—I used to admire the Elite Hunters … the pride of seeing the Blood Host marching through the streets I helped to build was … It was breathtaking during the first several years of the Ke’s reign…”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
The source was from the runes themselves; it was pointless to stay here. Lecra’Moro advanced forward, scanning the darkness for more surprises that might come his way.
“Are you afraid to speak?” The woman asked. “Ah, no, just too disciplined to give away your position, perhaps? Elite Hunters aren’t afraid of anything. Isn’t that right?”
Lecra’Moro chuckled, breaking the silence as he moved through the maze of passageways in front of him, each with their own running stream of red water that fed into the river, ending at the hole he’d entered through.
“You must be a Quen’Talrat—a deserter.”
Her tone flipped from lilting to hatred. “I—I did everything; it was Kosic’Romira’s problem! My measurements were flawless!”
“Kosic’Romira…” Lecra’Moro mused, a smile lifting his two mouths underneath his mask. “I know of her, one of the task managers within the Rune Scribing units. So—you were unskilled and sent to the mines.”
“I did everything right!” She snapped. “The Ke … he was brilliant, yet now—now I serve his master, and I have crafted much in this fortress! Look at my genius!”
“Humph, these sentry runes are as common as the locks,” he laughed. “Is the genius you speak of in trying to camouflage them? You do know there were runes developed to accomplish that on any surface?”
“No … No, that’s impossible,” the woman mumbled. “I saw nothing of the sort when building the Black Fortress!”
Lecra’Moro kept talking to keep her focused on him and give him time to find the right path up, using what evidence he could find at each junction to discover the most traveled hallways; enemies he could deal with, a maze wasted his time.
From what little he saw of the rooms he passed, dozens of storage areas were within this district, housing metals, woods, stones, and every material he could name, some he couldn’t. At some points, he heard beasts of various kinds and moans down others, likely prisoners used for experimentation, but rescue wasn’t his mission.
He drew upon the woman’s ego, having a decent amount of information she wasn’t privy to since she’d been sent to the caves early after wasting several precious Rune Scriber materials in her experiments to find new trigger processes.
Each time he made her annoyed, she’d send more hybrid creatures after him to be slaughtered without a hope of success. When he complimented some part of her work, she’d expand the process in utter delight, obviously deprived of any kind of supportive figure in her life.
Eventually, he went from the stone caverns to nicely polished walls that were chiseled with expert care. The castle extended far below ground and was designed to accommodate creatures even slightly larger than Quen’Talrat—now it was getting interesting.
Through his goading, he’d discovered that Jumi’kerune was indeed the master of this facility of experimentation, and better, he was present. Kuska’Mugimi, the Quen’Talrat that had been communicating with him, was jaded since he’d been far too busy over the past thirty years to give her much schooling or stroke her fragile ego, and he was soon to completion on something important.
Kuska’Mugimi sighed as he set foot on the well-designed carpet of the carved cave hallways he entered. “I … really wanted to enjoy this more … To know another … It’s just been so long since I’ve talked to another…”
In the regret in her voice, Lecra’Moro knew he’d entered a part of the castle he should have, and his presence was detected by the runic trackers, drawing the attention of something else—in short, he was making progress.
A smile brightened his lips as a foreign creature with bright blue, metallic-like skin appeared around the corner, black fog billowing from its cloak with every step. Its lips, sunken eyes, and fingernails were illuminated with an inner crimson brilliance, overshadowed by darkness.
Rune engraved short swords were in its hands; the three-meter tall creature brought an abyss with it, seeming to shift within it like the mist it brought.
“Well … won’t this be interesting,” Lecra’Moro mumbled, his weapon turning into a three-hooked claw.
* * *
Imiunarus watched the gate open with a deep sense of dread; perhaps this hadn’t been the best plan. They had Camellia to help scale the walls if they needed, and he hadn’t taken into account that the girls might be a part of the plan.
Jumi’kerune had sent in a notice with the city guards, and the two that were with them had been just his type of young Nalvean women—it was too perfect, and yet what option did he have now … The girls already made it clear they would be going in with him.
Camellia, be mindful of the girls; they may be compelled by our target—this does not look promising.
“Oh?” Camellia hummed while following their slow entry into the gatehouse; the place was designed as a kill box. “I sense Nalveans above us, but they do not have killing intent.”
Before he could respond, the 2nd pair of doors slid open to reveal a sprawling estate, groomed to perfection as Nalveans moved between gardens to maintain them.
Fini and Giliri’s mouths opened in wonder.
“Wow … Gets me every time,” Fini mumbled.
Giliri nodded, giving Imiunarus a forced smile. “I guess you’ve seen these kinds of things all the time back in the Capital.”
“No—Well, the Palace Gardens have splendor, but not with so many types of trees, bushes, and unique pieces of art…”
Camellia leaned closer to smell the two Nalvean girls. “Does that mean if they are our enemies, I get to eat them?”
… If you could just knock them out, then that would be wonderful—let me know if anyone has killing intent against us.
“Aww, okay … if they have killing intent against us, then I can eat them?”
Only if it’s not the girls…
“Someone’s getting attached,” Camellia mumbled with a low hum. “It’s like Azalea with her own prey…”
Imiunarus breathed a small sigh, doing his best to ignore the predatory creature, but just as the doors closed, he paused with Camellia, stomach swirling—they’d just been cut off from the Empress’s Nexus.
“Something wrong?” Giliri asked.
“I cannot feel the Empress—My sisters!” Camellia shivered in disbelief. “How … did he do that?”
I don’t know … We must remain calm, though. Be on your guard for anything that is out of the ordinary.
“No, nothing at all,” he chuckled, shifting his gaze to a grove of trees with green, pink, and blue bark with leaves the color of the tree next to it. “We should get going.”
Fini and Giliri gladly led them to the front doors of the massive castle.
Every Nalvean they passed didn’t so much as give them the time of day, continuing about their work without breaking a step.
A doorkeeper pressed the runes beside the elegantly designed white stone entryway in a specific pattern; Imiunarus memorized it in case it was useful later on.
Walking through, they were greeted by a host of fifteen private Nalvean soldiers, standing in a formation inside the colossal three-story hall they’d entered, allowing them to pass between them.
“Was there supposed to be a welcoming committee?” Giliri giggled.
“Indeed, my young girl,” said the same voice they’d heard at the gate, and on the 3rd level, staring down at them from over 50-meters up, was an elderly Nalvean. Imiunarus had never seen the man, but he assumed this was their target, and beside him was a middle-aged woman and a man in his youth. “Welcome to my glorious repository of splendor!”
“Lovely,” Imiunarus laughed. “So, now that I am here, these girls can head back to their day off; I’m sure it will be well spent! You have so much to show me.”
“Mmh,” the woman to the right of Jumi’kerune snickered; he didn’t like her voice. “I wouldn’t be so sure, my Undead little assassin—the Master has prepared quite a surprise for you and your friends.”
Camellia…
“I can’t,” she hissed, shifting around the room with a low growl cycling through their small private network they could still access, but it was even weak at this distance. “There is an invisible barrier that is blocking access to the upper levels; those runes across the walls, I’ve seen them on the Quen’Talrat fortress.”
Can you break through them?
Predictably, the fifteen soldiers split their formation to surround them in a half-circle.
“W-What’s going on?” Fini asked, backing up a little, and Giliri followed her.
“I … I don’t know…”
Above them, the young man shifted nervously, glancing between the party below, and Imiunarus could tell he was uncomfortable with what was about to come.
“Ahem,” Jumi’kerune clapped his hands, Camellia studying the barrier for weaknesses to exploit. “I have taken time out of my … extensive schedule to greet the three of you, but it seems you’ve decided to split up—which is excellent! I will be in my lab … Hisuki, if you could conduct the proceedings and gather the appropriate data, then that would be optimal.”
The elderly Nalvean promptly left with a self-satisfied nod, motioning for the younger man to join him. “Come, Jumi’calro, tonight is such a wondrous time to be alive! We test the culmination of my life’s work!”
“He’s just leaving!” Camellia growled, spear-like leg digging into a particular pattern of glowing orange runes, causing a flashing red light to swiftly spread across the whole design around the room. “I’ve destroyed the first one, but there’s one above us and another in front of them … How annoying these prey are—the Quen’Talrat never used such stupid tactics.”
Hisuki lifted an eyebrow once the runes shifted colors. “I see—one is here with you, cloaked from perception—good.” Her fingers slid across the stone railing in front of her. “We will see how the sentry units handle coordinating things against such an opponent…”
Imiunarus was calculating what their next move should be; the guards were covered head to foot in armor but weren’t so much as twitching as they stood in a defensive position, blocking the doorway. Camellia was on the walls, searching for the next barrier’s weakness.
Obviously, the man had no fears for his life, seeing their entrance as a means to test all of his projects. This could work to their advantage since he was giving the reins over to another. They had a chance, even if slim, and he’d be preoccupied.
Camellia, she’s above us because she believes she is safe, even if you manage to get past the next barrier; this won’t get us closer, but perhaps going to the 2nd level and finding another way with your sense of smell can provide us an edge they wouldn't expect.
“Umm … c-can we go?” Fini mumbled, rubbing her arm and shifting her silk.
Hisuki glanced down at them with a mild smile. “Ah … Who were you again? Bah, it doesn’t matter … Activate Code Ender.”
The fifteen armor Nalveans tensed, and Camellia was instantly a blur, off the walls, legs cutting through heads without an issue, sending their brains and guts flying across the room.
In a matter of seconds, the carpets were painted red, and not a single one was left; however, Imiunarus attention was on the two Seaweavers behind him. The girls were by the door, except Giliri’s hands had a needle-like shard of red water held tightly in her fingers, passing through her best friend’s heart.
Camellia … Why didn’t you stop her?
“Hmm?” Camellia’s eight legs turned her to look at the pair. “They weren’t trying to kill us—Why would I stop our enemies from killing each other?”
Imiunarus’ jaws tightened, knowing it wasn’t Camellia’s fault; he hadn’t been specific enough.
Fini had a look of disbelief on her face as she slowly dropped to the ground, Giliri catching her as she fell. “Better night, better day,” she chimed. “We meet in the master’s hand!”
Her demeanor changed dramatically, and he was sure that she was being controlled like the princess. He breathed a low sigh, knowing what was next and there wasn’t a better option at the moment, but there was a means to correct it.
Giliri turned her blade on herself, giving her a bright smile. “We are one in the Master!” Her own sharpened water plunged into her heart, and she fell over.
“Huh…” Camellia dismissed the pair, returning to the second floor to search for a path to follow as he’d suggested.
Imiunarus released a low growl, looking up at the woman, silently observing the scene with an impressed expression, finger tapping the rail guard in front of her. Camellia, when we complete our mission, we will be bringing the girls with us for the Empress—I will ask the Empress to bring them back … They deserve to live.
“Alright,” Camellia mumbled, not giving his statement much thought. “I’ve found a path he frequents nearby—do we go?”
Can you break through the ceiling?
“Nope, runes everywhere—it’s designed above us, which is much harder to break without seeing the flow of energy in front of me.”
Fine.
Imiunarus gave Hisuki a small smile. “You have no idea what your actions have brought upon your head.”
Hisuki giggled. “You do not impress me—your companion, on the other hand … I am looking forward to discovering more about them. I do hope you exceed my expectations, though—else I will grow bored, and I dispose of those I have no more use for.”
I really don’t like her voice… Imiunarus stated, easily picking up the two girls’ bleeding corpses and casually jumping to the second story to drop them off in what appeared to be a study; they were out of the woman’s sight, and she was more focused on Camellia than him.
The castle was the image of the arts and fashion that one could forget the owner of this estate was a simple designer; yes, he was the greatest in their history, and for a good reason, but still, few had the funds to build such a monument of their status while remaining relatively out of public focus.
He passed into the hall, catching sight of the paintings that ran along its walls; much of what he saw came from various other cultures, including furnishings. This man was a traveler, a collector, and dabbled in forbidden experimentation.
Popping his neck to loosen up, Imiunarus followed Camellia to a secret room that she broke into, deciphering the code by the flow of runic energy alone; she certainly was among the most gifted creatures he’d met.