A Soldier's Life - 346 - History Lesson

Chapter 346: History Lesson

We stood far below the icy slopes, and the warm, humid air felt welcoming. What were we going to tell Navek? Were we going to reveal the entrance to him? If the golden figs could serve as a base for aether potions, this dungeon could make his people extremely wealthy. But then again, all the goliaths I had met were like Maveith and did not place much value on gold.

“We show him the entrance and explain that it’s been a few days, yet we haven’t found the dungeon core or a way to destroy it,” Konstantin said. I looked at the others for agreement, and everyone nodded. “Then we also tell the Eternis Council and let them decide what to do about it. Take the decision out of his hands.”

“Maybe the dungeon will no longer release the manticores,” Maveith said hopefully.

“Are hydras any more desirable?” Konstantin retorted, amused.

Maveith was thinking on the question, so I added my thoughts. “I don’t think a hydra could reach the surface, not by the path we took. I am not sure the last room will spawn the hydra again, either. I think the dungeon was sending us a message.”

“What message was that?” Raelia asked, smirking.

“Don’t talk to the prisoners,” I said seriously. We had had enough discussions that everyone understood what I meant. “Are we ready for Navek?” When no one objected, the goliath hunter appeared.

Navek crouched and blinked in the sun's bright light, his spear held defensively. “We are out of the dungeon,” Konstantin said in a deep, calm voice.

Navek spun, taking in us and his surroundings. “Out? Is the dungeon dead?”

I spoke. “We never found the core. It has been a few days since you volunteered to reduce our number. We explored the four rooms repeatedly and didn’t find anything.” I produced a pouch of essences. “Your share from the delve.” It was not an equal share. Just three major coordination essences, one major power essence, and three minor endurance essences. Still a fortune for not contributing anything.

“Volunteered? Is that what I did?” he said a little darkly. He took the bag a little forcibly. I think his anger was due to the fact that we had not succeeded in destroying or finding the dungeon core.

I indicated the cave entrance behind us. “We excavated to the surface. The dungeon entrance is just fifty feet that way. Do you know where we are?” Navek calmed, turned, and studied the entrance intently. He was not stupid enough to go in by himself.

Navek’s eyes turned back to us. He paused on Maveith’s new helm, gauntlets, and shield. Maveith also had a massive bundle tied to his back, but Navek didn’t ask any questions. He pointed, “That small bay is most likely Sapphire Reef. There is a small fishing village there. We are on the southern face of Nashota Mountain.” From that, I could orient myself. Eternis should be about ten miles to our left, through the jungle. Navek turned and started to walk into the dungeon. Okay, maybe he was that stupid.

Maveith called out to him, “Navek. We should all return to Eternis and rest.”

“My work is not finished,” he said without turning around. Maveith looked to me pleadingly, and I shook my head. We could do nothing for him with his vision blinded by vengeance. We waited twenty minutes in case he changed his mind before we descended the slope. On entering the jungle, Baldo joined our number at Raelia’s insistence. She didn’t want him flying with manticores in the area, but he could walk with us. I think she just missed him as she spoiled him with pieces of meat.

When the walls of Eternis came into sight, Konstantin muttered, “I will make sure Gilda hasn’t gotten herself killed or imprisoned.” The poisoner would not be happy that we had not harvested any manticore poison sacks again.

“Maveith and Raelia, you two can go report to the Council about the dungeon,” I ordered. Maveith looked uncomfortable because he didn’t like being the focus of people’s attention. “Show them your black armor and tell them about the other rewards in the dungeon. Let them decide what to do.” I handed him a bundle of golden figs and a bag of tea leaves from my dimensional space to help.

“Where are you going?” Raelia asked matter-of-factly. “The baths?” She said accusingly. Baldo had the same indignant posture, mimicking her.

“No. I am going to collect my reward from the Seer,” I replied. I didn’t wait for them as I headed toward the coast. I knew Raelia wouldn’t follow because Maveith needed her. I had lots of questions for the seer and artifacts I wanted read by her. I was soon walking on the sandy beach, dodging around some massive turtles laying eggs. I found the two-mile path to the fishing village, and it didn't take long to reach it.

It was late evening, and the fishing boats had all returned with today’s catch. It seemed like the entire village was processing the fish, shellfish, and seaweed together in a practiced concert of actions. I was reasonably sure I could never live in a fishing village because of the smell.

The large, familiar muscled goliath approached me. I greeted him by name, “Mokin, I have returned to collect from the Seer.” He arched his brow in amusement like he knew something I did not.

“She is where you met her last, traveler.” He turned his back on me to continue instructing a young goliath on how to cut the fish for salting.

I walked up the hill into the village and knocked on the seer’s hut. Namao was just sitting at the table, two cups of steaming tea in front of her. “I have been expecting you. Sit.”

After such a long time not using furniture, sitting in the welcoming bamboo chair felt slightly odd. I reached for what I assumed was my tea. I sipped it before remembering I disliked the taste and putting it down. “I have come to collect.”

“Have you now? The dungeon is destroyed then?” She had an annoying smile on her face.

“I know the agreement was for the dungeon to be destroyed, but we have located it…” I stopped talking and studied the beaming seer. I tried to remain calm as I sensed she had deceived me. “Did you know we wouldn’t destroy the dungeon?”

Namao chuckled, her shoulders bouncing. “It was a strong possibility. Your failure to do so has resulted in Navek’s death.”

I kept calm. As long as she read my artifacts, I could control myself. “Navek is dead?”

“Probably. I cannot see inside a dungeon, but as far as I can tell, he never comes out. His loss is your failure—and mine.” She sipped her tea, her smugness gone with a note of regret.

“How is it my fault? You knew where the dungeon entrance was. You could have told me,” I said accusingly.

“Careful, other worlder,” she said flatly but clearly as a warning. “This is one of the more desirable outcomes for my people. I will still examine your artifacts, and you got what you needed from the dungeon.”

“Why?” Was all I could manage to ask.

The old seer exhaled, “When I use my gift, the past is like stone, immovable, permanent. The present is fluid like water, but it is predictable in which way it will flow. The future is like smoke in air, constantly being altered by even the smallest disturbance.”

“So, what is your goal with the dungeon then?” I asked after digesting her analogy.

Namao paused to drink her tea, but her eyes told me she would be giving me answers. Maybe I didn’t want the answers as it could be another way she would manipulate me. Maybe she was testing what she needed to tell me in order for me to do her bidding. “I did not know where the dungeon entrance was. Yes, if I tried and searched hard enough, I could have located its precise location, but I knew nothing good would have come of its discovery—until now—until you were the one searching for it.”

I clenched my jaw. She continued, “I see you don't believe me. Perhaps if I share the history of this dungeon, it will clarify my motives. You’re familiar with the Titans and the World Gates…”

I stopped her, “Tell me as if I do not know anything.”

She pursed her lips, “Very well, but I will keep it short. The Titans once ruled all of Desia, but it was not enough for them. They wanted more—they wanted to rule every world among the stars. They dug down to the ley lines and built powerful aether engines over hundreds of years to harness aether from the ley lines to power their bridges to other worlds.”

“Are the dungeons self-aware?” I interjected.

She had a slight annoyed look at being interrupted. “Yes. From what I have seen in the past, the aether engines were built by the Titans but required intelligence to manage their complex workings. Ancient titans, close to death, submitted themselves to become the dungeons, a chance a immortality—or so they thought.” Were the dungeons controlled by the spirit of a titan? I had more questions but continued to listen.

“The Titans succeeded and began to conquer world after world in the cosmos. Aphora, Luatera, Earth, Ionus, Traxephus, Evithea, to name a few. Then they encountered the demons. The first race who had a stronger mastery of magic than themselves. The hubris of the Titans, though, didn’t allow them to see their folly before it was too late. Millions of the titans fell in the struggle for supremacy, as well as countless demons. Then the demons started to appear on Desia, a world much richer in aether than their own. If they established a foothold here, it would be the end of the titans.”

“Finally, Khrusos decided to close the World Gates permanently. The World Gates were destroyed, but the dungeon aether engines were left intact. A civil war broke out among the Titans as many of their number wanted the aether engines destroyed as well.” She took time to pour herself some more tea. I absent-mindedly sipped my own, ignoring the taste.

“Now the aether engines didn’t want to be destroyed, but they had no way to defend themselves. They hatched a plan together—don’t ask me how they communicated. They would equip and make stronger all the people the Titans had enslaved from all the worlds they conquered. That was how the dungeons started, a pact between the lesser races and the aether engines, to fight the civil-warring titans. Do you follow?”

“Yes. But you have not explained yourself,” I said.

She sighed. “Ah, yes—patience is not a virtue you possess. The dungeon you discovered has always been here—one of the first. It also signed the pact with the lesser races to fight the Titans five thousand years ago, but my people refused to participate. Instead, they collapsed the entrance and erased its existence from our history,” she revealed.

I was confused. “If it is that old, why is it not as big as the Simmering Labyrinth?”

“I don’t have all the answers, and I can’t see into the dungeons or guess their motivations,” Namao spat curtly. “You should be impressed that I was able to piece together everything I have.”

I took the rebuke and gave her a nod of appreciation for the knowledge. “So, you want your people to use the dungeon and become stronger?”

Namao nodded. “It is my hope. We cannot remain so blissfully ignorant and isolated forever…” She trailed off, growing tired, like she knew something—or a possibility of something in the future. I waited for her to elaborate, but she never did. She finished her discourse, “I have planted the seeds, and I just hope those who make the decisions make the correct ones.”

“Now, present the artifacts you want me to examine for you. I will go until I have exhausted myself.” I hesitated, a number of questions on my mind, but I started to lay out the collection of artifacts I wanted insight into their workings.

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