Artwork by N. R. Eccles-Smith
Their Mind and Matter – Chapter 3
I am leaving, father. You cannot stop me from being with him.’ Merely a few months before arriving upon the beaches of Hophreda’an, Valeska made her final stand at what she once believed was her greatest evil. The room about her spanned far in each direction; floor laid with lovely precious metals that shone with dancing lights from the gaslit chandelier above. Large wardrobes and lavish leather seating dressed the room, with two figures dressed in butler uniforms lurking at the fringes.
At an enormous central desk sat a burly man with short red hair. His grey eyes waxed dull as he heard the words of Valeska, and he simply sighed.
‘I love him, and he’s… he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me!’ Valeska cried.
The man, her father, rolled his eyes.
‘See? This is what I mean! You treat me as if I don’t get a choice in life. So here I am, choosing my own future!’ Valeska turned on her heel, facing the brass doors that led out of her father’s office. ‘Goodbye.’ Her voice trembled, but that didn’t matter. She knew she was making the best decision for herself.
‘Valeska,’ said the warm and husky voice of her father.
She paused, but didn’t turn.
‘Tri’sque is a harsh landscape. Where will you go?’ The concern in his tone was genuine, and that was the part she hated most.
‘We’re taking a ship.’ She cautiously turned enough to catch his ten-gallon hat at the edge of his desk. ‘You will not find us in this country.’
‘Then whe–’
‘You don’t deserve to know!’ Valeska took that anger and used it to push herself out the doors and toward the way out of her family’s mansion.
That was it–her last time spent with family.
•••
Yellow grass populated the landscape with greying patches like spots of death. Strange beasts with a deer’s front half and a zebra’s back grazed these wildlands, occasionally watching a bright group of travellers with the barest interest. These travellers were in fact Valeska, Casimir and their new travelling companions who called themselves Daolin’s Court.
As had been the tradition for much of the journey, Valeska trailed at the back of the group, content with watching Casimir flit amongst the new faces with question after question about Hophreda’an and their peacekeeping organisation. She didn’t need such answers yet, she just needed to rest. However, she’d been the reason they stopped nearly every time up until now, and that added up to a lot of instances when one had been walking for over a week.
As was also tradition, Hamai fell back when Rameya became too loud or when Raiken started pushing the group to walk further than the day before. Today, there seemed to be a different reason.
‘You trail, but do not seem tired in your body,’ Hamai said, those big round eyes following Valeska. Valeska drew in the portion of her rags that had torn too far down her side, and kept her eyes trained on the passing grasses.
‘It has been… a difficult time. I’m beginning to think some things other people wanted for me were the right things.’ Valeska knew she was slowing more, but maybe the bigger gap between herself and Casimir was for the best. He shouldn’t have to hear this. ‘I just think I’ve put myself in a terrible future.’ She felt as if she were planting knives in her own back, and decided she’d earned the pain.
‘Maybe that is true.’ Hamai brushed her claws through the tall grasses.
‘What?’ Valeska tilted her nose up in shock. Hamai never said what Valeska wanted to hear, but that was quite brutal.
‘I mean, everyone speaks from experience. You’ve told me you didn’t have the best relationship with your father, but your understanding of him doesn’t define his entire life.’
Valeska berated her past self in her head for telling Hamai so much. The owlfolk woman was far too sharp to hide words from.
‘However.’ Hamai plucked the flowering head of a large weed, twirling the furry grey flower between her claws. ‘You’re not in a terrible place. Just another hour or so and I’ll prove it to you.’ She pinched the flower in her hand and stared ahead, some drips of thought seeping through the cracks in her beautiful guise. Did she have something else she wanted to ask?
The following hour passed quickly, and the group arrived at a piece of land protruding through the grasslands that looked as if it were once a plateau and had half sunk into the ground. Raiken stopped the group beneath its miniature cliff face, then gestured to Valeska and Casimir, currently looped arm in arm.
‘This is the border between The Dry Pastures, and the Billowing Platelands. Before we go further, are you willing to commit to becoming one of us? This is your last chance.’
‘Of course!’ Casimir shouted.
Valeska’s grip on her partner loosened a little. She wasn’t so confident this was a good idea. She smiled slightly at Raiken and hoped that was enough to confirm for him.
It was. Raiken turned to the mini cliff face and placed a hand on its dirt. ‘Then welcome to our home.’
The earth rumbled with a groan like a waking beast. The raised land sunk downward until it dropped beneath the rest of the landscape. Raiken led the group onto its surface, and it lowered until it revealed a metal door hidden beneath the crust.
Valeska awaited some special knock, or a voice from the other side–a password, at least. Instead… Raiken grabbed the door by the handle and tore it open.
‘We’re back!’ he bellowed.
Rameya zipped through the small gap between her leader and the door, then into the dark cowl beyond. The rest followed with less enthusiasm guiding their steps. Valeska clung tightly to Casimir. His face practically shone with wonder and marvel.
The group came to a thin underground land bridge, with a gaping abyss on either side–or so Valeska thought. As her eyes adjusted, she took in layers upon layers of small cliffs and suspended platforms, all decorated with metal railings and plates. The place beyond was a wonderful amalgamation of technology and naturally eroded surfaces. Metal ropes dangled from the ceiling and hung at varying levels. On the end of each rope was a bar of solid light, some mystical technological advancement. The light was dim in places, but otherwise a comfortable warm light filled the necessary places. Each and every platform was like a little home and yard for someone, with several much bigger than the others that were clearly meeting places. The homes were each unique, some metal, others wooden and some dug directly into the rock walls. The one similarity between them was the red banner that hung at the front of each. Those banners each had a pretty golden symbol on them–a language Valeska didn’t recognise.
‘Every member gets a hearth.’ Raiken gestured to one of the homes as a small goblin man waved. He was busying himself by chiselling into some stone to create a form of hammerheaded shark. ‘We each get to use our space as we please, so long as we do our jobs in the meantime.’
Valeska realised her mouth was hanging open, but had lost all care for how she appeared at that point. She was busy watching Rameya leap from the land bridge and onto one of those hanging lights. How was such a thin person so strong and athletic?
‘It’s beautiful,’ Valeska heard herself say.
‘There is so much more.’ Hamai placed a hand on her shoulder, then took to the air. She flew before Raiken. ‘I will go report our return so you may show them around, master Daolin.’
‘Thank you, Hamai.’ Raiken exchanged a bow with the owlfolk woman before she dove over the side.
Valeska was rather sad to see Hamai go, and suddenly felt more vulnerable than before. She made certain to stay linked to Casimir at all times. They moved on to some bending steps, passing a wooden hearth with a kindly older half giant couple seated on the porch. The sound of wood clattering softly emanated from some hand carved chimes near their doorstep.
Next, they descended several flights of stairs that bent around and around until they came to a stone landing in the wall. A tunnel bowed ahead, with another hearth perched just above it. A young gnomish woman sat on the edge with a short blade in hand. The blade itself was decorated with golden intricate floral patterns, and long red tassels on the hilt. The woman grunted and nodded with a slight smirk.
Did she double take on Casimir? Valeska shook the thought loose and entered the tunnel. It bowed a slow and wide left, the walls studded with beautiful glowing gems–the same bright material as the bars that hung from the ceilings in the main area. Speaking of that place, the tunnel opened up once more, bringing them back to the enormous central cavern. Another land bridge lay out before them, with metal plates bracing some places that may have fallen away in the past. Many more hearths lined the wall to the group’s left, each filled with their own lively family.
‘So, will we be getting one?’ Casimir finally asked.
Raiken gave him a look as if to say, is it not obvious? ‘I’m going to introduce you to a few people before we go too much further. If you need help with certain aspects of our inner workings, these are better people to ask than even myself or our leader.’ He gestured to a large metal hearth where a lovely wooden table and chairs rested, all defined by strong elvish tastes. Two dark elves sat at the table discussing something rather heated as Raiken attempted to get their attention.
‘I’m just saying,’ began one. ‘Folding book pages is an efficient way to mark your place.’ She had long and defined ears, studded with five piercings in each. She waved a book titled, The Latest Novelties of Economics, a Comprehensive Study by Master Keeper Xila Filo.
The second dark elf woman looked near ready to tear the other apart. She had small and pretty facial features, with a pair of oversized glasses perched too high on her pierced nose. Somehow, she managed to push them up higher.
‘Never ever treat a book so terribly.’ She clawed a teacup and sipped with ferocity like nobody in Igharias had done before.
Raiken cleared his throat. The two women finally noticed that they had an audience, and that argument vanished into the ether completely. Raiken gestured to the first woman, who still clutched her book carelessly. ‘This is U’ledan Blouthen, head of logistics and general upkeep. Speak to her whenever you have a question about how our organisation is run.’ His hand swept to the second woman, and she smiled cheerily as her introduction was made. ‘Di’inva Blouthen, our historian. She’s been keeping our records and making sure we stay up to date with historical landmarks for almost half a century, now.’
‘So, you’re sisters?’ Casimir blurted. Valeska jabbed him in the side and clicked her tongue.
‘Actually.’ Di’inva pushed her glasses up even further. Surely her eyelashes were wiping the lenses for her, by now. ‘We’re cousins, but we might as well be.’
‘Both only children, you see.’ U’ledan slapped her book onto the little table between them. ‘But yes, a pleasure to meet you, newcomers.’ She drew a pair of gold coins from her dress and tossed them to Raiken. ‘For new clothes,’ she explained with a huff.
Raiken dropped a coin each into Valeska and Casimir’s hands. ‘Thank you, we’ll head for the storage depot a little later, then.’
They left the cousins behind and swept down the rest of this little road. Raiken took a sudden turn, leading them down a staircase suspended by wires. Every step shook it and pushed it from side to side, but they managed to make it to another platform.
This large metal plate seemed simple enough, until Raiken descended a set of spiralling stairs burrowing directly into its center. This brought them into a small room with many open windows that looked back out to the rest of the underground base. A single long metal desk bound the rounded side of this cylindrical room, covered in papers and strange glowing stones on stands.
‘Well ‘allo,’ came a husky voice. Seated in a large wooden chair was a tall and lean man. His brown hair was scruffy and ended in thick mutton chops on each side. His face was round and broad, but came to a small button nose in the center–the telling sign of ursden heritage. Valeska quickly realised that he wasn’t greeting them at all, but instead spoke to one of those stones. ‘How goes it from Oceansky?’ he asked the object.
‘Well,’ replied a soft voice. ‘I’m watching something incredible unfold. There’s a team of mages on this island creating some great tree from magic.’
‘Surely not, mate.’ The tall man leaned in close with wonder streaking across his face. ‘That sounds too much like that magic project announced by that Depliagus bloke.’
‘I think it is.’ Silence and crackling came across the apparent communication device. ‘I think they’re actually making it happen–the World Tree!’
Raiken finally made the move to get the man’s attention. He placed a hand on his shoulder, and the fellow nearly jumped out of his own skin.
‘Aye, aye!’ He shook his head at Raiken with a crooked smile. ‘I’ll get back to ya soon, mate. Got company,’ he told the crystal before waving a hand that caused its glow to die down.
‘Apologies, Gavel. Please meet Valeska and Casimir.’
Gavel leaned forward and held both his hands out to them at the same time to shake. ‘Pleasure to meet’chas! I’m Gavel Mite, I do intel ‘n’ all that.’
Valeska cautiously shook his hand, but shortly noticed Casimir wasn’t touching the man’s other hand. Before anyone had the chance to ask why, Casimir twisted his right hand out to shake Gavel’s offered left hand. Valeska felt silly for forgetting that Casimir couldn’t have responded normally in that situation.
‘Rightio.’ Gavel’s eyebrows nearly hit the ceiling. ‘Come chat if you wanna know what’s the latest around the world. I got ears all over.’
With a quick farewell, and an agreement between Raiken and Gavel made to get drinks together soon, they returned outside and followed another new suspended path. They crossed a log sawn in half that acted as a pathway of its own. Did people ever fall in this place? The danger seemed all too apparent to Valeska.
‘I’d introduce you to our mail runner,’ Raiken said, scratching his neck. ‘But they’re likely to be out, you know, doing their job. So I’ll take you two to one more person before we go meet the leader.’
As they wound through pathway after pathway, and level after level, what was once simply white noise showed itself to be running water. In the darkest and deepest part of this burrowing tunnel, beyond the light of the last hearth, the faint reflection of fast-moving water flickered what reflection it could. At such speed, where could that water be from? At that, where was it headed?
Finally, they came to a broad and safe earthy landing jutting out of the wall. Upon it sat a collection of dining tables, chairs and a large bar stretching from end to end of the landing. A door linked to the wall behind the bar swung open and a massive barrel rolled out. A long boot followed shortly behind, planting the heel on top of it and stopping it from rolling out of control. There was, in fact, someone wearing that boot–a human, her arm full of ale mugs. Blonde hair ran down to her knees, like a wild cloak wrapping about her. Light blue eyes searched about her, cutting the air with a presence that didn’t quite make sense. Was she wise? Maybe just charismatic? Either way, she drew the heavy barrel onto its base with one hand, and that was outright intimidating. She slid the collection of mugs onto the bar and adjusted the leather vest hanging off her shoulders. She nodded at Valeska and Casimir with a smile that contrasted everything that made her seem so intimidating.
‘Newbies,’ she said, her accent soothing, but with something very obscure about it. ‘Are you both drinking age?’
Valska wasn’t sure if she should respond at all.
‘Yes–uh… yes.’ Casimir slowly approached the bar. It seemed Valeska wasn’t the only one unnerved by this unusual being.
‘Name’s Lilith. I do the drinks and make sure the cooks do their jobs.’ She nodded with an even grin. She leapt onto the bench, throwing her legs over the side and barely hitting Casimir with the toe of one boot. ‘Watch out,’ she warned with a giggle.
Valeska frowned. Was that on purpose? Did she just flirt with him? This time, she kept the thought close and regarded this woman with suspicion.
‘Raiken, glad you’re back. Any later and I’d have made Gavel take over.’ She folded her arms and crossed her legs, suddenly looking like she owned the place.
‘But I’m here.’ He raised his hands and grinned. ‘Give me until tonight and then you’re good to go.’
Lilith smiled at Casimir. ‘I’m heading off for a bit, you see, and Raiken offered to take over the bar. My friend back home is celebrating a big achievement in a few days, and I wouldn’t miss it for anything.’ She leapt off the counter and returned to moving the barrel, heaving it with shoves and turns. ‘Raiken, be here soon ‘kay?’
‘You got it.’ Raiken waved a hand at her, then beckoned for Valeska and Casimir to follow. ‘Alright, one more person before we get you some better things and your own place to stay. Let’s go see our leader.’
Finally, they walked down one large and solid earthen slope that took them away from the bar, and into a divot pushed into the wall. There sat something that looked more like an altar than somewhere a leader of such an elaborate base might reside. Spires of stone poured flames upwards, released from several small funnels in each structure’s top. The back wall itself was layered with jade, shiny and smooth looking. The green tinge on every surface gave an eerie feeling, as if some djinn would pop out of a bottle, or maybe the flames themselves would start talking. If she had to choose, Valeska would rather a magical bottle person over chatty embers.
Nevertheless, seated upon a thin metal table was a woman like few Valeska had seen before. Her bedraggled black hair fell over a bronzed and scarred face, still marked by stitches that clung to her face like claws. Jade green eyes shot the group a terrifying look, then returned to staring at the table. This woman seemed young, too young to be the leader of such a large place.
‘Raiken,’ she said with a voice rougher than sand. ‘I have been informed of the news already.’ She traced a long finger across the table. The surface of the table appeared to be a map of the area back on the surface, painted by hand in black ink. ‘I pray this magic key comes in handy, but also.’ She reached to a belt at her side that girded her long black skirt and green gi, interwoven with various patterns that looked like grain fields. She clutched a small pole and raised her eyes once more, somehow threatening even as she sat with her legs folded. From her lower back rose something else, a pair of wings, one smaller than the other. Both spread in the same direction, as if she were meant to have two more on the other side, but they were missing. Valeska guessed that missing was indeed the correct term for them.
‘What are you doing?’ Raiken put a hand out to block Valeska and Casimir from this threatening figure.
‘I sense something.’ The woman finally stood. She swung the small pole and it stretched out in multiple metal segments, each connected to the last by green crystal. She pointed the pole out to Valeska. ‘You two have something unique that I have not seen in others for some time.’
In a sudden rush, Casimir lashed out, grasping the weapon with his good hand. He pushed, forcing the woman back a step. ‘Do not point your weapon at her.’ He directed the end of the pole to his own chest.
Valeska wanted to stand up for herself, to tell Casimir that it was okay, but at the same time, his grit and anger sent a rush through her. She decided it best to wait just a little longer before having her say.
‘You speak with authority, my friend, yet you do not know who I am.’ The woman smiled. Excitement?
‘You do not know us either, and you point a weapon at us.’ Casimir’s pupils burned with a dull purple glow. He lifted a hand, and it seemed to ripple with a haze on his skin, like the air above a flame. ‘Speak carefully.’
For the first time since Valeska had met him, Raiken looked deeply worried. He hesitated a few times to intervene, but with a small gaze exchanged with Valeska, they both allowed Casimir to speak as he pleased.
‘As you wish.’ The woman swung her staff a few times and rested it over her shoulder, pupils altering in colour until they became a sky blue. ‘My name is Jamelsie, leader of Daolin’s Court and often called The Jade Pillar. But you may now call me your opponent.’
It had been quite some time since Casimir had to think things through. Typically, he just did the first thing that came to mind and went along with it, after all, Valeska would always caution him if he was acting too much based on his own emotions. Strangely, however, she didn’t say a word today. Was this situation okay? Was he making the right decision? This Jamelsie person looked rough and well versed in a fight, whereas Casimir knew how to fight merely from beating up and being beaten up by street thugs at home. He knew deep down that Jamelsie was far more skilled than any street thugs. Then there was that crystalline weapon–it was rather cool.
‘Prove you’re not fodder, my friend.’ Jamelsie flicked her weapon, and it cracked along every crystal section, flexing like rigid joints. She leapt from the table, and brought the weapon down, a shattering crack filling the chamber. Casimir only had to lift a hand, and the rod landed neatly in his palm. It stung, but felt far more satisfying than painful.
‘Sure thing, Your Opponent,’ he said with a snigger.
‘You little–’
Casimir didn’t give her another second, and swivelled his steps into the reach of her weapon, drawing it close to him. He loosed his grip on the weapon then reached out to her with a hazy red hand, destructive energy flowing from the very creases in his palm. Jamelsie leapt back, her wings giving her thrust to escape with only Casimir’s fingertips scraping her cheek.
‘Got you.’ Casimir drew away, snapping his fingers. If there was anything he had done in the long journey here, it was practice. Valeska knew how to fight well with formal training, but he knew next to nothing of actual technique. So with a new power in hand, and one arm out of action, he needed to know how to harness his newfound strength. And here it was, destruction itself.
Jamelsie dropped to her knees, seeming rather surprised by the sudden weakness. She struggled back to her feet, but Casimir had snatched her weapon and flicked it so that it straightened stiff again. He pressed it to her chin and let a chuckle slide loose.
‘It’s as I thought,’ Jamelsie said. She lifted her hand, turning her head away from the weapon’s reach and back against her largest spread wing. ‘But you don’t even understand the basics.’
Basics? Casimir turned his gaze back to Valeska, hoping she would give insight, but she shrugged. He turned back to Jamelsie, only to find that she was gone.
‘Speed and defence are your greatest assets with this power,’ Jamelsie whispered in his ear. She stood over him with a long dagger-like blade poised at the back of his neck. Her entire body was releasing a steam that glittered brightly as pure sunlight. Kind of like Valeska’s in the ruins.
‘I fold.’ Casimir raised his arm in surrender. The pressure of the blade left his neck, and he relaxed. Although, he couldn’t help but take one last jab. ‘You win, Your Opponent.’
–
The sound of Casimir’s head being slapped made Valeska’s skin spike, but at the same time, he’d earned it. She observed this woman who’d made Casimir look so silly. There was age and wisdom in her eyes that didn’t suit her body. The demeanour was hard to gauge, like Lilith’s, but this felt more like the kind of attitude that came from harsh experiences.
‘Thank you,’ Valeska, once again, heard herself say.
‘Whatever for?’ Jamelsie snatched up her weapon, shook it, and it folded in upon itself once more.
‘Being gracious.’
‘Oh, please.’ Jamelsie took her seat back upon the table. ‘I held a tanto to his neck. Few could call that a gracious act.’ She folded her arms and legs until she looked like the very djinn Valeska had wondered would appear before. ‘You two are very interesting, however. It has been some time since I’ve met other particle weavers.’
‘Do you know what this power is?’ Casimir lit up like a spark. ‘What is it, exactly?’
Jamelsie raised a brow at him and scoffed. ‘I’d rather be talking to the wise girl, but I guess it’s a question worth answering.’
Casimir pouted, taking his place at Valeska’s side once more.
‘I cannot fully answer it, but I will do my best. The first particle weavers appeared just shy of one hundred years ago, during the peak of ingenuity in the world. I can only assume that this power comes from the presence of a being, or we simply are mimicking the abilities of whatever this being is. Either way, it first appears spontaneously, then grows into a power that no magic can stop. Simply put, it’s a mysterious power we can’t understand.’
Casimir rolled his eyes.
‘I would like to teach you both what I know, in due time.’ Jamelsie placed a finger on the map as she had done before. Inspecting its surface, she briefly lifted her eyes once again. ‘For now, get settled. Raiken will help you choose some weapons of your own, and some clothes without unintentional peepholes would suit you better.’ She grinned at Valeska, who quickly drew that side tear together again. ‘Welcome to Daolin’s Court.’ Jamelsie dismissed them with a wave and returned to her study of that map.
Once enough distance was made from the leader, Valeska asked Raiken, ‘why is she so fixated on that map?’
Raiken shrugged. ‘She goes through stages, like a cycle, as she leads us. Right now, she’s planning. Who knows what it is, but I’m sure it will be interesting. Come, let’s have you pick out some weapons and clothing.
Choosing clothes had never taken Valeska so long. The little hearth full of fabrics was full of eye-catching wear, but eventually she settled on a long black top that split on each side, with copper sleeves that wrapped separately to the rest of her clothing. Some long black pants and boots with their own copper streaks running down them completed the outfit. Casimir chose simple black trousers and boots, but he requested the top to be altered. It was a long orange coat with an added extra-long left sleeve. Interwoven blue patterns ran around the sleeve, a design Casimir insisted showed the strange feeling that arm gave him whenever he focused on it. Lastly, he selected a simple leather shoulder brace to protect that arm in future fights.
Next, Raiken brought them to a stone hearth, full of the smell of smoke and the sound of clanging iron. A tall pale elf was busy working away at a longsword and allowed them to look around as he worked.
‘What on Igharias are you doing to that poor sword, Iluuna,’ Raiken asked the man.
‘I’m not entirely sure, yet.’ Iluuna picked up the warped blade and shook it about a few times. ‘Somehow, I’m expected to infuse it with a firearm.’
‘What?’
‘I know. Special customer request. Smart kid, though, so I thought he deserved me taking a shot.’
‘Strange.’ Raiken turned back to Casimir and Valeska. ‘Find anything?’
‘Not yet,’ Casimir answered for both of them.
‘Keep in mind that Iluuna won’t always be here. He works mostly out of the base as–’
‘Don’t tell them,’ Iluuna said with the hot blade lighting up his white face. ‘You’ll take all the fun out of the secrecy.’
Upon that terrifying note, Valeska chose a pair of small daggers that she strapped to each boot. Casimir decided that nothing seemed to be his style. He explained he preferred to be considered more of a wizard than martial artist.
Finally, Casimir and Valeska were led to a simple wooden hearth. The interior had merely two large rooms, one on the first level and the second above it. The hearth was already set up with simple wooden furniture, but no other supplies of any kind.
‘Come to the bar for dinner, and make yourselves at home,’ Raiken stated. ‘We won’t make you do anything for a couple of days, so you can rest. When you’re ready, we’ll decide what kinds of jobs you’ll do here, alright?’ He spread his arms in a grandiose gesture. ‘Welcome to our family.’ With that, he closed the front door and left.
Family, huh? Valeska fell onto Casimir with a sigh. ‘I’m tired,’ she moaned into his shoulder. It promptly occurred to her that this was the first time they had been alone together since leaving their home. Finally, they could find a little of the bliss they first set out to find.
‘Let’s just rest, then.’ Casimir lifted her into his arms, and made for the stairs. ‘We’ll enjoy this. I know it’s going to be fun.’ At that time, he meant to twist the words for something else at that precise moment, but he didn’t realise just how fun the coming day would be.
After all, the very next morning, he was going to be mailed across the country.