Chapter One
Cry of the Decimated
“With overarching sovereignty, You chained our souls, and have jaded our eyes. We, the depleted, claim our right to seize Your being. In our wake, You have lost all dominion. Growth shall be the sole legacy of our people, and it shall tire You. We have asked, do we harbor greater enmity towards our deity, or our adversary? We have answered. You of in-consequence. You are not our master. Histories will not remember You. Our children will not love You. No more shall You lull us into Your intoxicating slumber.” - Of those who slept.
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Jaanava emerged from the stifling depths of the excavation site, her dark hair streaked with hints of red, clinging to her forehead from the exertion. The chill of the crisp mountain air invigorated her senses as she pulled her thick traveling cloak tighter around her slender frame. Glancing northward, she beheld the breathtaking sight of the black lake nestled at the foot of the mountain. It was a view she had not yet had the pleasure of witnessing, and its beauty captivated her. To the south, expansive farmlands stretched out before her, their lush greenery a vast opposite to the rugged terrain of the mountains. Beyond the fields, further south lay the walled city of Laphor, with open gates it was the centerpoint of Aymus. As Jaanava took in the panoramic vista, she couldn’t help but smile. Despite the challenges and hardships, this moment filled her with a sense of joy she hadn’t felt in years. The promise that things were going to get better finally aligned with what she felt to be true in her soul, casting aside the shadows of doubt and despair that had only recently been in control for so long. In this moment, surrounded by nature's splendor, she felt alive.
Jaanava extended her arms, savoring the freedom of movement after the claustrophobic confines below. How could anyone find solace in such damp and constricted spaces, she thought. Gazing back at the substantial chalken-pillars supporting the entrance to the mountain, Jaanava marveled at their strength and resilience. How did they withstand the weight of so much rock? The geological underground-masterpiece she had just witnessed was a testament to Ohr’s strength. Six years ago they would have never dreamed of being able to build such subterranean complex structures. In the intervening years, a seismic shift had occurred in construction and innovation. Architecture that once seemed unimaginable now had planted across the city. They could now transport massive loads of food, water, or even people over the city's distances. The most impressive creation in Jaanava’s eyes were the contraptions that they had built to traverse the Johar river; she was going to get in one today. The thought sent a shiver of excitement down her spine as she anticipated the short adventure that awaited her.
Taking a moment to savor the sensation of open sky above her, Jaanava tilted her head back, allowing her eyes to drift upwards. She had spent what felt like an eternity, what was really only about half a day, submerged in the depths of Aymus. She felt deprived of the natural light that now bathed her surroundings, their beauty seemed amplified upon these majestic peaks of the Sylvan Stretch. The sky extended out before her in a breathtaking display of hues, a tapestry woven with shades of black, purple, and green, in a multitude of varying halos that danced with their shadows among the clouds. Behind these celestial halos, a deep and infinite blackness loomed, hinting at a boundless expanse of everything that might be beyond.
Jaanava had been eager to witness firsthand the Ohr extraction process, a preparation for a task her masters bestowed upon her. They had identified two types of Ohr, named chalk and alizarin after their colors. She was surprised by the extent of the mines; they protracted much deeper than she had anticipated. The sights that greeted her down below were mesmerizing. The rock formations glowed with vibrant reds, their surfaces gleaming with a hardness that spoke of their durability, of their difficulty to be cut into. Delicate white veins ran like sheets through the rich mineral deposits, separating the reds into large groups. If Jaanava didn’t know any better she would almost think that these deposits were created. She found herself captivated by this experience, the subterranean world was wondrous, and a stark contrast to the rugged majesty of the mountains above.
However, amidst her awe, Jaanava couldn't shake the distaste she felt for inhumane treatment of those who worked below. The entire Ohr collection process was built upon the backs of the unfortunate. Moreover, the shimmering allure and enigmatic properties of Ohr seemed to whisper warnings in the back of her mind. She had heard tales of strange accidents and phenomena experienced by the slaves deep within the ground. As she had watched the extraction process unfold, a part of her wondered if there truly wasn’t a better way to do things. The thought lingered like a shadow, casting a faint unease over her otherwise exhilarating experience.
“Ready to go?” the freight coordinator called out.
Jaanava glanced over to see the men boarding the passenger carts. Had they already loaded everything? Each day, a shipment of chalk and alizarin was sent down the Johar river from the Alpine Outpost. Passing the lumber yards, they would end at the construction depots situated between The Timberlands and the Western Wall of Laphor. Today she would be joining them. The journey south by southwest would be much quicker than the arduous two-week trek up the Sylvan Stretch Road. Now that they could travel the sa’vis via freightcraft, the return trip would only take a few days. Although there were plans to build a rail system along the Sylvan Stretch, it was still in its early stages of development. Besides, few had the need or desire to venture into the cold mountains.
"Sorry about that! Yes, I'm coming. It's just so beautiful up here," Jaanava said as she settled into the front cart alongside the freight coordinator and shipmaster.
As the men continued their previous conversation, discussing engineering feats and accomplishments, or something like that—Jaanava wasn’t entirely listening, she found herself drifting back into her own thoughts. Soon after entering the cart, they began to move. The rail would carry them and their cargo eastward until they reached the Johar river. There, the men would disconnect the carts and transfer those carrying the Ohr onto the freightcraft using a chalken-crane.
Jaanava’s eyes remained fixed on the trees as they flew past her in the opposite direction. After what felt like no time at all they had arrived at the docking station.
Jaanava marveled at the sights before her— the freightcraft was a massive and intricate construction that seemed to defy the laws of nature by hovering just above the sa’viz that flowed in the Johar river. The sheer weight of the craft, combined with the heavy Ohr it carried, should have sunk it into the thick and scalding liquid. Sa’viz was exceedingly perilous, its dense and tar-like consistency making it nearly impossible to bridge, even where the river thinned in the south. In the past building anything over it had been a formidable challenge, traversal however was impossible. The mere thought of traveling over such a dangerous substance was both terrifying and overwhelming.
Though she wasn’t an expert, Jaanava had been told that something about the properties of chalk enabled this feat. The rail systems apparently operated in a similar fashion. Though, how exactly? She couldn’t quite grasp it. Yet, she accepted it as one of those mysteries of the world that didn’t require full understanding. And for now, that was perfectly fine with her.
While watching the chalklen-crane load carts onto the freightcraft, Jaanava finally had to ask. “How does that contraption not just fall into the sa’viz?” she asked.
The older freightmaster, who had just been engrossed in conversation with one of his men, turned around. “Pardon, what was that?” he said.
"How does the craft stay afloat with all that weight?" she asked again.
"Well," the old man pondered, scratching his long gray beard, "It's not too complicated. I'm not the best person for technical details, but..."
She accidentally cut him off, “What is, sorry, what is the simple explanation?”
He continued, “You know chalk? Well obviously you would, they sent you all the way up here I have to assume you know what chalk is—anyway, imagine a force, a weight. Now imagine that same weight being pushed against the initial weight, they would just stand still. Like this.” The tall man lifted both arms, hands in front of his face and clapped, leaving his hands where they remained in the air, against each other. “Like this!” he said again, his light blue eyes glimmering, looking much too proud of himself for his explanation, “Does that make sense?”
"Um, I think I get it. Sort of... Not really," she admitted.
Jaanava smiled, her green eyes reflecting the light of the midday sun as she addressed the freightmaster. Her tanned skin, a result of years of working outdoors, contrasted with the pale complexion of the man in front of her, who spent most of his time in the captain's cabin scribbling notes. As the men around the shipmaster began to laugh, one patted him on the back. “Well, it makes sense to me!" he said with a smile.
This man loved what he did; she could feel it in her soul, even if he wasn’t of the most sound mind.
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“Now,” he continued, “if there aren’t any more questions, I think we are ready to begin our journey. Or rather, it’s not so much a journey as it is a trip.” He trailed off awkwardly.
With that, the freightmaster joined his crew on the freightcraft, and Jaanava hurried after him. She noticed the load coordinator, a middle-aged balding man, scribbling something off on a piece of parchment. After finishing, he handed it to the freightmaster before joining his own men on what remained of the steam carriage. The freightmaster, noticing her gaze fixed on the paper in his hands, explained, “Signatures,” he said, “proof of receipt, authorization to attain and transport such material. Which supplier transported what to where. Guild legalities, they can be quite tedious.” He trailed off as he strode onto the gangplank leading up onto the craft. Taking a deep breath, Jaanava followed onto the sturdy deck of the freightcraft, her senses tingling with a mixture of anticipation and a subtle, unfamiliar unease. For generations, her people had lived inland, their lives shaped by the rugged terrain and towering mountains that surrounded them. The concept of sa’viz travel had been so foreign to them. The legacy of ancient tales passed down through the ages had always seemed a myth. Stories of vast, unknown sa’viz oceans and the mysteries that lay within the searing pitch had instilled a subtle unease that lingered in her memory. Suppressing a shiver, Jaanava forced herself to focus on the reassuring presence of the crew nearby.
The world was breathtaking, the Johar river and scorched-line trees teeming with life, a haven untouched by disturbance. As Jaanava peered closer, she saw monkeys darting from one tree to the next, yellowish-green bananas in hand. She was journeying along a path that no man or woman had ever dared to tread, gliding across the sa’viz like a bird above the skies. The Johar river was vast, easily spanning hundreds of feet in width, yet their craft would cross from one shore to the other in mere minutes. The vessel moved with a surprising grace, the ride smoother than she had anticipated. Jaanava had expected jostling and bumps, but the passage was serene enough to allow her to stand with ease. Had she been below deck, she might not have realized they were moving at all. She gazed into the opaque sa’viz, lost in thought. Suddenly, a large, black shape emerged from the water about twenty feet away. Jaanava jumped back as sa’viz sprayed in the air. The creature's head, roughly half a foot wide, and several feet of its body briefly surfaced before it slid back beneath the pitch, vanishing like a shadow slipping away. The creature's sheer size and the way it moved were unlike anything she had ever encountered, leaving her terrified.
“What was that!” she screamed, “Are there creatures under the sa’viz?”
A man approached, his initial concern giving way to a relaxed smile. “Oh, we call those fish.”
“Fish,” Jaanava repeated, awe-struck. “They live in the sa’viz? How? How do they not burn?”
The freightman shrugged. “Beats me. We've tried catching them, but they're too slippery.”
Jaanava had never heard of creatures living in the sa’viz before; visibility from the shoreline was extremely limited. What did they eat to survive, how did they breathe? A flash of red caught her eye, darting so swiftly she barely registered it. Was that another fish? There were red ones too? Her love for growth and nature ignited with curiosity about these fish, fear slipping away as she wondered how she might catch one to study.
Jaanava was a specialist, a master botanist with an uncanny ability to understand why things grew and thrived. Her expertise bordered on the miraculous, earning her the title of “The Mother of Ecosystems”. This was why she had been sent to the Alpine Outpost, and why she was now returning to the Timberlands. They had discovered something out there, though what exactly remained a mystery. They wouldn’t disclose it yet, but it must be significant given her importance. She had always loved to watch things grow, although her focus was on plant life, that didn’t mean she couldn’t be interested in the way other types of things grew. That list most definitely now included fish, she wanted one.
As the days passed, the temperature gradually increased as they departed from the chilly mountainous terrain, the landscape leveling out. According to the map she consulted, they would soon be traversing past the western farmlands of Laphor, her home. Jaanava had resided with her husband near the southern edge of these farmlands. They had relocated there years ago when she was hired by Jorvan’s Guild, tasked to aid in cultivating crops with significantly higher yields than the standard varieties used in the North. With an impressive resume, Jaanava and her husband Ba’mies had assisted multiple Guilds throughout the Laphoran province. They were quite skilled at enhancing agricultural output. Everything had been fine until, until... Jaanava stepped away from the side of the craft. She forcibly suppressed those memories. Her husband wasn’t returning, and dwelling on the past served no purpose. Such reminiscence only exacerbated her pain, and she had made considerable strides to move forward. Jaanava cleared her mind and endeavored to focus on the majesty surrounding her, stifling any thoughts of home. After all, their arrival would be later this day, and she would soon be occupied with her tasks.
The Johar river now exhibited shallower depths compared to its mountainous origins, the flow of sa’viz slowing. The freightcraft occupied only about one third of the Johar river's total width now, necessitating cautious navigation. They were nearing the lumber yards situated on the periphery of the Timberlands, west of the river. Here, she would disembark to meet her awaiting guard, who would finally provide her with further instructions about her actual task.
As their journey continued, Jaanava's gaze remained fixed on the river's surface, searching for any more signs of hidden life. She had seen thirteen fish so far, not that she was counting. Later that evening, their destination came into view, and with a gentle slowing of the vessel's pace, they arrived. Jaanava stepped off the freightcraft, the sole disembarker at this stop, while the vessel swiftly resumed its course. Its direction would continue southward, bound for the construction yards and engineering depots where their resources would be transformed into marvels. Two towering Mishtaal awaited her.
“Jaanava, is it?” one of them inquired.
“Yes, that’s me,” she confirmed. A few moments passed before she realized the Mishtall were carrying bags. “Are we departing immediately?”
“Afraid so.” The elder Mishtaal replied. “But we’ve brought provisions for your hike.”
He handed her a pack, radiating warmth. Unwrapping it, she found hiking rations and a hot meal wrapped in cloth. "Thank you," she expressed warmly. The Mishtaal were enigmatic beings, their demeanor unpredictable—sometimes kind, sometimes brusque, but always distinct from one another. They did not conform to the emotional patterns of humans; they were truly unique, she mused.
"Could you enlighten me about our mission? I've brought my instruments; They’re not too heavy, but an extended walk with them will be difficult for me. I'd like to leave behind what I won't need," she requested.
"Apologies, ma'am, but we cannot divulge until we approach the heart of the Timberlands. However, we can carry your equipment for you," the Mishtaal responded.
“Careful, please!” she implored as he grabbed her satchel containing her priceless tools.“ These cost me a fortune to create. In fact they had, they cost her Ba’mies. Her collection included a myriad of instruments: measuring devices, calculation tools, extractors—and everything necessary for researching biological matter. She was quite curious as to the purpose of their expedition; was it related to a unique species of tree?
“We’ll ensure their safety, ma’am. Let's be on our way,” the Mishtaal assured her. Jaanava felt a spike of excitement, a joy that nestled deep within her heart at the prospect of discovery or creation. However, alongside this anticipation, there lingered a trace of apprehension. Sometimes, she reminded herself, discovery could also be fraught with danger. The Timberlands were full of things that could kill you, especially if you weren’t watching for them. Pushing aside the thought she adjusted the hem of her simple yet sturdy linen tunic, brushing off the layer of dust it had accumulated. Pulling her long, dark braid over her shoulder, she tied it back with a leather cord, keeping it out of her way as she prepared for the journey. Jaanava followed as the Mishtaal led her westward, towards the towering wall of trees that kissed the sky.
Oh, to behold the marvel of these towering arboreal giants, standing in silent communion. Their verdant, deep brown branches entwined like the tender embrace of newfound affection. She loved to ponder the mysteries of these titan, how had they sustained themselves while in such close proximity to one another. She would figure out this timberland secret, just not today. The massive roots entwined in a delicate dance above the surfaces of the terrain, creating a labyrinth. Jaanava was attempting to traverse the land, even in a braid her long hair snagged on outstretched branches. It would be so easy to become ensnared by the sheer abundance of foliage, even though she was rather small compared to the average woman. Her eyes darted around as she tried to scan the shadowy undergrowth. The dark and holy halos of the sky offered no light here, eclipsed by the canopy. Though the darkness seemed to swallow her whole, every shadow a potential threat, Jaanava knew that she would be alright, even in this endless forest. Like nocturnal predators endowed with uncanny vision, her Mishtaal could pierce the veil of night, rendering their path visible.
As Jaanava trailed a few steps behind her guard, the darkness of the Timberlands covering her, she found herself straying off course. The lack of light made it difficult for her to navigate, and she hoped to find a clearer path through the brush. It was then that a peculiar sound caught her attention, her eyes snapped to the source of it as she took one last step. Suddenly, she stumbled and fell upon a figure laying on the ground, hiding in the shadows. This previously undetected presence emitted an ominous moan, sending fear coursing through her veins. Her chest tightened, and her pulse quickened as her mind raced with imagined horrors lurking in the corners of the Timberlands. She collapsed to the soil, her hands grasping the dirt and mud smearing her face, Jaanava's panic peaked as she struggled to comprehend the reality of the situation: this presence was alive.
“Oh no”, Jaanava thought to herself as her heart sank, the only creatures that lived this deep in the Timberlands would most likely want to kill her.
After what felt like an eternity, waiting for the inevitable, Jaanava pushed her hand forward to touch the thing that groaned. Though this figure remained shrouded in darkness, Jaanava felt a shock as she discerned the unmistakable essence of humanity emanating from the skin. It wasn’t any sort of creature, anything out here would have fur, and it couldn’t have been a Mishtaal. Mishtaal—they felt different to the touch. Try as she might, Jaanava had struggled to articulate as to why that was. It was as if the very fabric of a Mishtaal lacked the familiar resonance of a human soul, a sensation she had dearly missed.
Before Jaanava’s mind could start to react, the Mishtaal had quickly doubled back, the younger of the two pulling her up. Panic shocked her again as the figure on the ground, obscured, had reached out to her, murmuring indistinguishable words. Jaanava recoiled instinctively, her eyes widening with trepidation. Before she could gather her thoughts, the older Mishtaal intervened, his spear poised menacingly at the motionless form. But the figure fell ominously still, its silence echoing through the once tranquil forest, now fraught with tension.
Jaanava's heart hammered against her chest as she waited for something to happen, each beat echoing in the oppressive silence of the Timberlands. Her breaths came in shallow gasps, the air thick with uncertainty. Despite her mounting fear, she knew she couldn't retreat from this enigmatic encounter. As the moments stretched on, the Mishtaal’s command sliced through the silence, demanding the figure to rise. But motionless, it remained.