Chapter 588: Writing (1/2)

Chapter 588 Writing

“What?” Ben said.

Isalthar hissed, the sound barely audible. “Of course. Hidden in plain sight.”

“Their records never spoke of Karth,” Asay said. “Did they really… well of course they did,” he added and snickered to himself. “Oh those devious dwarfs. All to protect their capital.”

“I mean it’s not that obvious,” Ilea said. “We’re far… and when I say far, I mean fucking ridiculously far underground. I’ve not been this deep down, ever. Didn’t always have a way to tell but I’m pretty fucking sure.”

“It matters little. We would not have found Iz without a gate and your ability to point to its location. Can you help us pin point it?” Isalthar said, summoning a map and floating towards the desk.

Feyrair moved away his legs and cleared his throat. “So we can just dig down in Karth?”

“The inhabitants of the caverns above are dangerous even to the likes of us,” Ben said.

“And yet we now know where to search,” Neiphato said as he joined them at the table.

“Millennia of troop movements, all placed in such a way to lead us away from this location,” Asay said. “I salute their foresight.”

“It also means there’s something they want to protect here, right?” Feyrair said and stood up while Ilea tried to determine the depth and location of their current position. “Probably that bright ball of gold,” Fey added and pointed at the thing hovering over the central abyss.

“That’s what they’d want you to think,” Ben said. “It wouldn’t be that obvious.”

“Why not?” Feyrair said. “You should think with some pride. It’s like a call. Come and challenge us.”

“Keep your shit together for a moment,” Ilea said, not taking her eyes off the map.

Isalthar glanced at the dragonling. “I agree. We must be patient, lest our enemy learns more of us than we can learn of them.”

Elfie had sat down on a chair, a few stacks of books sitting on a small table nearby. “Those who can read Taleen should join me, instead of sitting around uselessly.”

Feyrair hissed and walked over, grabbing a book and starting to read.

He can read? Ilea thought and stared at the dragonling for a moment.

He glanced up and met her eyes. “What?” he hissed.

“Nothing, proud of you,” she answered with a wink and focused back on her marks.

Neiphato searched through the drawers of the desk, pilling up a few booklets and letters, moving it all over to the two sitting Elves before he dumped it on their table. “Start with that. It will have more relevance than the books sitting untouched in a shelf.”

“That’s as best as I can place it,” Ilea said with a shrug.

Isalthar and Asay looked at the map. “That will be enough to find it again. The question is simply how to get here,” the former said.

Asay smiled and joined the reading group, grabbing a book as well.

Seithir remained with Ilea as both Ben and Isalthar joined the others.

“You and Neiphato are the only ones who can’t read Taleen?” she asked.

Seithir smiled and gently touched her shoulder.

“Sympathy,” he whispered and sent a bit of soul magic into her.

“Seithir get over here and help,” Feyrair hissed.

Oh, so you too, Ilea thought, looking at the elf who had now turned his head away from her face. Even though your eyes are covered.

She jumped over the desk and sat down in the massive office chair, summoning a barrel of ale and one of Keyla’s meals.

Neiphato joined her a moment later and leaned onto the desk.

“Want some too?” she asked between bites, taking a sip of ale.

He smiled. “If you would be so kind.”

She summoned a mug and used her ash to fill it with ale, moving over a meal too. “You can’t read their script?”

“No. I have not been a Hunter for long, nor has there been an opportunity to learn such things. Taleen writing is supposedly quite rare,” he said, his blue eyes gentle as he moved his braided brown hair to his back, lest it fall into his bowl.

Ilea smiled. “Well apparently not. We just found upwards of a hundred books.”

He nodded lightly, glancing at the group of hissing Elves, each of them taking notes from time to time or talking to each other about something they had found.

“It’s strange, I agree,” he said. “Maybe Iz was treated differently. Or the books here simply didn’t decay. I’ve not visited many of their dungeons myself but this place really does look different.”

“It’s much more alive, that’s for sure. The other dungeons that once were cities looked more like ruins. Forgotten and withered away,” she answered.

“Maybe it has to do with that sphere. I can feel tremendous power from that direction… though my senses are muddled by the dense magic,” Neiphato said.

“Everything here is bright as fuck,” Ilea said, her magical perception picking up plenty of sources just in their vicinity. She turned in her chair to look out into the city. “But I do wonder what it is. Maybe that’s the One without Form. Would be weird though.”

Or we’ve just found the missing sun.

“Why?” the Elf asked, looking out to follow her gaze.

“I mean it’s a sphere. That’s a form, or am I wrong?” she asked, glancing back at him.

Neiphato stared at her for a moment before he smiled lightly, closing his eyes as he took a swig of ale.

Ilea relaxed, enjoying the busy sight of the Taleen city, apparently once their capital. It reminded her of a modern city back on Earth. Well there weren’t any sky scrapers but the largest structures certainly came close. To think it’s all abandoned, only machines left behind. What a waste.

“Do you really think there are no actual Taleen left in this whole place?” she asked.

Neiphato hissed thoughtfully. “I don’t know. But it’s said that no Hunter has met a living Taleen dwarf. But I doubt many have found this city either.”

“Some must have. Maybe they just failed to escape, or they found the challenge too much and left,” Ilea suggested. They had found a gate leading to Iz in a random Praetorian facility. And she had been teleported here before, maybe on accident, maybe on purpose. However if any place was well connected in a teleportation network of a species, it should be their capital.

Neiphato continued his meal. “Maybe.”

“Shall we scout the city?” Farthorn asked, closing his book before he looked at Asay. “I’m sick of reading Taleen recipes and furniture sales reports.”

“I am however quite fascinated with this find,” Asay said. “I shall remain here.”

Ilea glanced over. “I can join you, I can’t read after all.”

“Yes. An illiterate human who hasn’t heard of the word stealth yet, is exactly who I’d want to have by my side while I scout the capital of our enemy,” Farthorn said.

“Perfect,” Ilea said and joined him, patting his shoulder when he rolled his eyes. “Come on, I can heal and teleport you around. They know someone’s here already anyway. Not much we can fuck up here.”

“There is a lot we can, fuck up, as you call it,” Farthorn said. “But very well, follow and try to be as quiet as possible.”

Ilea put a finger to where her mouth would be behind her armor. “Neiphato?” she asked.

The elf shook his head. “I shall remain. My magic isn’t suited for this kind of work.”

“I see, well enjoy yourself,” Ilea said, pointing at the ale she left behind.

He raised his mug and smiled.

Farthorn vanished, Ilea following the ripples in space, appearing by his side a moment later. He looked at her, tensing up ever so slightly.

Surprised? Ilea thought and smirked to herself. I’m Lilith, she thought with a deep voice in her head.