Chapter 261: History (1/2)
“Should I read it to you or do you think your dull mind will be able to handle the letters. There are many.” He grinned and licked his lips, sharp teeth showing.
Ilea matched his expression, “Good job.” Grabbing the book out of his hands, she flipped it open, “I’ll have you know that my mind can withstand a Blue Reaper’s magic assault. I doubt some letters come close to that.” She grumbled, happy with the expression on Terok’s face when he heard the name drop.
“I have not heard of that creature.” The elf stated, looking to Terok when Ilea didn’t react.
“Blue Reapers? Above three hundred at least, strong mind magic and lightning. Wait Ilea did you really fight them? Are you crazy? Wait no I know you are. Why am I surprised.” He said and sat back before awkwardly standing up again and shaking his head, “I need to get back to work.” He said absentmindedly and collected his plans while grumbling about healing magic and thick skulls.
‘… Tremor is not the only place affected. Cities all over the kingdom report changes in their dungeons, more powerful monsters with unprecedented abilities and levels. If the spy reports are correct we aren’t the only ones dealing with this. The queen has ordered to treat the news delicately, a panic highly possible depending on the nature of beasts…’
Ilea read through the reports, most of them simply daily activities, reports from one kingdom or the other, places she had never heard of. Comparing the names with her notes from back in the Azarinth temple, she found no matches either. Different times? The order didn’t have the north charted so maybe they just didn’t reach so far?
‘… The king insists on elven perpetrators but I have my doubts. He listened to me at least, agreeing not to start another war on mere whims. I have to find evidence but the dungeons are impenetrable. My own power is not enough to break through, the Soul Rippers too many, too powerful. Even with the whole kingsguard I wonder if it would be possible. They don’t wander out of the dark but if we want answers, we have to seek them in the depths.’
They had been at war, with another human kingdom. Their cities more and more destabilized by the high level monsters suddenly appearing in the dungeons that had initially brought so much people, wealth and power to their kingdom. Adventurers drifted off to other places, safer and more prosperous, mercenaries fought for better paying employees and the army was thinning out more and more, protecting the citizens and walls.
‘… Tremor is all that is left. The flames of war have taken all but the capital. The king has lost his mind, the news of his son’s passing summoning a wrath I have never seen in him. His majesty has barricaded himself in his laboratory and the queen is nowhere to be found. I will bring an end to this. We will scourge the beasts that brought this terror upon our lands, human and monster. Should the chroniclers find and decipher this then they shall know the name of Rhyvor. In glory we fight.’
The pages were blank after that. Ilea sat back and tapped the closed book. It had been hours since she started the read, most of it not very exciting. Knowing that the events had actually happened in the place she now knew to be a ghost town definitely added to the mostly dry reports. “So the king is alive and a necromancer.” She exclaimed, putting the book aside.
“Don’t be ridiculous. He must have found a source to power everything. The taleen machines work and there is nobody controlling them.” The elf hissed from the side, looking over what Terok was working on.
The dwarf added another line on the paper before looking up, “I think they use some kind of ambient mana gathering technology. Otherwise it makes no sense how they’re still standing. Maybe this king found something similar.”
Interesting approach to renewable energy. If we had mana on Earth…, Terok’s assumption was only a theory of course. Ilea could see it though. The machines had to have some way of staying operational. Batteries only lasted so long. Undead could work without a source but the ones found here were connected in some way to the palace and the enchantments were still active as well.
“Enchantments can stay active for hundreds of years with a single charge.” The elf said but Terok snorted.
“Of the intricacy we’ve seen here? Even the most efficient ones would dry out without a source. Maybe a hundred years with enough mana crystals but after that. You said this place was thousands of years old.” The dwarf said.
Ilea rolled her eyes, “Doesn’t matter. It’s running still so just continue to try and crack it. Do you know of the Soul Rippers? They’re mentioned several times.”
The elf looked at her but shook his head, “The beast is unknown to me. The dwarf does not know either.”
“Just seems like something we should be on the lookout for. Supposedly stronger than whatever else was in the dungeons around the city before and enough to make the captain think the whole kingsguard can’t handle it…,” Ilea shook her head, “They’re above level five hundred, each of them.”
Terok shook his head, “Not necessarily. Well they are now but who’s to say the actual kingsguard was that high back when they weren’t part of the dungeon.”
“Perhaps they are not part of it still.” The elf suggested.
“Fair enough. We’ll find out at one point or the other.” Terok replied.
Ilea put away the book and stood up, “Terok I’m going to try and lure one of the undead knights out of the dark zone. Make sure not to be close by while I do that.”
The dwarf looked at her with eyebrows raised, his metal eye zooming in on her, “And what makes you think that’s a good idea. They demolished you. And don’t bring up my failure. I’m well aware they’re worlds beyond me.”
“You said they don’t have the connection to the palace. Maybe I can whittle them down more quickly. Plus I’ve killed the Blue Reapers reasonably fast. Since when do you care anyway?”
Terok was silent at that but grinned, “Well let’s just say that working with a crazy human and an outcast elf has brought back some life into these old bones. Be a shame if you died prematurely.”
Ilea snorted, “Why outcast?”