If it was Overseer Hayne, Antony didn't want to be present when he entered the lab. An assistant went missing not long ago, and as far as Antony was aware, the Overseer hadn't even particularly disliked the man. If Antony ran into his superior this late, completely alone, with no witnesses, he may go missing too.
But the scuffling sound occurred again, and it sounded like two sets of feet. Maybe even three, but certainly more than one. Overseer Hayne never let anyone into his secret lab. His frown melting slightly, Antony went to check which of his fellow assistants had decided a late night party in the lab's courtyard was a good idea.
He opened the door, but the courtyard was empty. He'd expected two or three assistants, maybe a smuggled cask of Omati wine, but the courtyard was as dark and silent as the lab itself.
"What -" he managed to say, and the door slammed back into him, knocking him to the floor. Before he could get his bearings, a dark creature was on top of him, hitting and grabbing. He tried to stop it, tried to grab its hands, but he was caught at an awkward angle between it and the ground. It smashed his ribs, his shoulder blade, and then the back of his head.
Blackness exploded through his vision, points of twisting white light glaring at random until he faded with them into nothing.
Mara
It took a while to explain to Pera that women weren't allowed to leave the house without a man escorting them. She didn't understand why women were underneath men. Mara tried explaining that it was God's will, that things had always been this way, that it was taught in the church, but still she didn't understand.
Eventually she dropped the subject, agreeing to sneak out after dark as Mara had done on the night Pera appeared. Mara was terrified, but Pera wanted to go as soon as possible. They agreed on the night after next, to give them some time to prepare and make sure they had as much of a plan as possible.
Their plan consisted of wearing dark clothing, sneaking out the way Mara had before, and taking the shortest possible path to Riffolk's lab. Darkpoint was only one district over, right next to Ironhaven, so the journey wouldn't take more than a couple of hours. Mara had never been there before, so their plan ended there. Once they arrived, they would have to find a way in without being spotted.
The weather was on their side. It was awful, cold and foggy, but that was what they wanted. They snuck through the darkened streets, huddled together in thick black coats. Two weeks had passed since the monster had brought Pera to the surface, but they already trusted each other beyond doubt. It felt good to Mara. Even through the terror of trying to sneak into Riffolk's lab, and walking through the dark city at night, having a friend to trust felt good.
When they reached it, Riffolk's laboratory loomed over them through the fog, as though it knew they were coming and had been waiting. Lights glared through several of the windows like monstrous glowing eyes. The thought that she didn't really know Riffolk only occurred to her in that moment. Before now, he was her husband first, and a reclusive genius second. But there was so much she didn't know about him, and it suddenly terrified her.
They stood together, Pera and her, staring at the laboratory. What actually happened in there? Mara had always pictured bubbling vials of chemicals, complex machinery with countless moving parts, and sparking electricity shooting in every direction. But what if it was worse? What if Riffolk really was doing something awful within those walls?
Pera cleared her throat and glanced at Mara.
"What now?" she whispered.
Mara looked from her to the lab and back again. She shrugged; their plan ended here. They knew as much about this building as each other. Suddenly their situation caught up with her, and she started giggling. Pera looked at her as though she'd thrown her clothes off and screamed at the top of her lungs. Then she started giggling too.
"Should we at least look at the front door?"
"Yes, let's go."
They wandered closer. The front door of the laboratory looked like a hunched monster built from steel, its heavy door barring the way like massive, terrible fangs. A small box jutted from the wall next to the door with numbered buttons; they would need to know some kind of code to enter this way.
The back of the laboratory was almost unreachable. They circled around it as much as they could, but it backed onto a group of factories and other buildings on three sides. By the time they'd squeezed through a dirty narrow alley, scrambled over a tall fence and climbed up a high brick wall, they were filthy and exhausted. From the brick wall they perched on, they could see a back entrance which opened onto a small courtyard. The door was much smaller, and Mara couldn't see any code box next to it.
"This is it," Pera said, "we can get in this way."
Mara nodded, her eyes scanning the courtyard for a safe way down; nothing. It would be just as difficult getting into the courtyard as it was getting to where they were now. They rested for a while, sitting in silence in the fog. Pera occasionally broke the silence with a long, heavy breath. The fog seemed to effect her lungs somehow, and she sounded as though she could barely breathe at all. Still, she had kept up with Mara and never complained. When Mara felt her energy returning, she touched Pera's arm and pointed at the courtyard. Pera nodded. The fog was starting to recede, the back door into the lab becoming clearer with each passing minute. It was time to move.
Pera lowered her as far as she could reach down the wall. Her feet were still dangling more than a metre above the ground. She counted down in short, sharp breaths, and Pera dropped her. Hard pavement slammed into her feet, and she crumpled to the ground. Her left ankle had rolled slightly, but overall the fall was harmless. Pera was carefully lowering herself over the edge of the wall, hanging by her hands. She was higher than Mara had been, but when she let go, she kicked against the wall, landing and rolling with some forward momentum. She sprang back up to her feet, ready to continue. Mara had never seen anything like it, let alone from a woman.
"Where did you learn that?"
"Tyra is full of secret places to climb. I was a very curious child... I guess I'm still too curious for my own good." She smirked and gestured to the lab's back door.
"Shall we?"
They made their way to the door, Mara limping slightly. As they approached, the doorknob rattled. From inside the courtyard, there was nowhere they could go. Pera grabbed her wrist and yanked her towards the door. Her ankle pulsed, hot and sudden, as she was forced to run, and the pain forced a low hiss from her lips.
The door opened, and Pera dragged her behind its swing before they caught a glimpse of whoever entered the courtyard. Pera shoved her against the wall hard, holding her hand over Mara's mouth and her face close enough their noses almost touched. A sudden image of Riffolk entered her mind, and despite the dangerous situation and the fear scattering her thoughts, that same disturbing exhilaration welled up deep within her.
Pera was strong; incredibly strong. Mara couldn't move, pinned against the rough stone wall by this mysterious woman. She suddenly felt more excited than any time she'd been with Riffolk. He was a monster, using her when he wanted and discarding her. But Pera wasn't using her strength to take anything from Mara; she was protecting her. She looked into Pera's eyes, seeing the deep well of strength there. Courage and sadness pooled within her eyes too, and something much darker; a pure, unfettered rage lurked behind her pale eyes.
But it wasn't directed at Mara, and knowing that stoked the fire of her excitement. She felt safe. For the first time in her life, she felt as though someone was on her side. It didn't even matter who came through the lab door, Pera would protect her.
One of her hands was free. Without thinking, she placed it on Pera's hip. The Tyran woman recoiled a little, a look of confusion bordering on disgust slashed across her face. Mara's sense kicked back in, and her stomach roiled. Oh God, she thought as Pera stepped away from her, what was I thinking?
The door was almost fully open, close to touching the two women, and Pera stepped into it as she backed away from Mara.
"What -" a voice said.
Pera shoved the door as hard as she could and bolted around it. Thuds and grunts followed, but Mara remained against the wall, scared and ashamed. When silence settled into the courtyard again, Mara took a tentative step around the door. Pera was kneeling over the unconscious man, looking through his pockets.
"I don't know what that was," Pera said without raising her eyes, "but it won't happen again."
Mara gave a ragged sigh that sounded even to herself like a sob. Pera finally glanced up at her, eyebrows raised.
"I'm sorry," Mara said.
She didn't know what else she could say. It seemed to be enough. Pera took whatever it was she needed from the man, and they entered the laboratory together.
Elana
Ermoor was massive. It was crowded, both with buildings and people. The streets were organised and perpetually clean. All the people dressed richly; extravagant fabrics, bright colours and lavish metal buttons, clasps and jewellery. It was utterly different to anything Elana had ever seen before. She had been to Tarsium of course, but where the Tarsi countryside and even the districts featured grass and trees, Ermoor was a stark, lifeless landscape. Beautiful, but without any natural life other than the people themselves. She was horrified. The Duulshen held a dim enough view of Tarsium, with its buildings that squatted on the ground and its lack of giant trees. They'd given her no indication of what to expect, and now she realised why; they looked at Tarsium with idle disdain, but they hated Ermoor. If they had told her what they really thought of this lifeless place, even she might have questioned their choice in sending her here.
But it is necessary, she thought, regardless of how I or the Duulshen feel about it. Tensions were high between the two countries, and the most recent attempted invasions were becoming even more brutal for both sides. Elana had to find out more about the Ermoori; how their technology worked, whether they had weaknesses, any critical information she could gather to bring an end to the fighting. The Duulshen hated Ermoor, but the Shenza were a peaceful, life-loving people at heart, and they abhorred battle and killing.
Elana slept in a small bedroll on the roof of a tall building in the middle of the city. Standing on its wide ledge, she could see everything. It wasn't quite as tall as the trees in Shanaken, but considering the fact that it had been built by people, it was breathtaking. Still, despite its impressive scope, Ermoor had a dead weight about it, a feeling that pushed down on Elana's spirits. It was the exact opposite feeling she had when walking through the forests. There, she could feel the presence of Amalus, the God of life, flowing through everything. Here, there was no flow at all, no sense of life or magic or soul. After a week, she was certain without needing to investigate: there was no God in Ermoor. The realisation left her more upset than she would have believed.
Riffolk
Riffolk stared back at Symond with barely repressed rage. Moments like this tested his self control. Symond had the gall, after all Riffolk's work, to shut down the project.
"It's just too dangerous, Overseer Hayne. I took another look at the blueprints. There are too many inconsistencies, too much left to chance."
Riffolk took a long, steadying breath. He was too close to losing control. Symond had no idea how much danger he was in, and far too much faith in his own safety.
"I leave nothing to chance, Lord Commander."
"It seems to me, Overseer Hayne, that you've placed the safety of the entire city in the hands of an unknown creature, without proper study, and without a full understanding of what it can do."
Symond's hands were clenching, his eyes jittery. He took shuffled half steps in place. Riffolk had seen the lower class citizens act the same way; the ones who were addicted to chemical stimulants. Symond wasn't stupid enough to get himself addicted to drugs, but there was clearly something happening to his mind that didn't bode well. He looked Riffolk straight in the eyes, and his voice took on an oddly personal tone.
"Please, Riffolk. Surely you understand how insane this is. What is that thing? Do you even know?"
"I know more than you could possibly imagine."
"I need to shut this down, Riffolk! I'm sorry, but I just don't have a choice."
That struck a chord with Riffolk. Symond had a lot of power over military matters, almost total authority. Additionally, he'd always been supportive of the project; at least vocally. This sudden change was obviously triggered by something. Someone had influenced the Lord Commander. It was no mystery who had the skill and motive. The Shenza woman. Letting her go had been a mistake, but at the time he didn't have a choice.
He didn't have any way to hunt her down and destroy her without causing irreparable damage to the city and, more importantly, to his reputation. Still, even though Symond allowing himself to be used as a pawn was pathetic, and certainly not ideal, it wasn't enough to slow Riffolk's work down. As always, he had several plans in place to mitigate setbacks such as this. Arguing would be pointless; whatever the Shenza woman had done to convince Symond was obviously quite effective.
"I see," he said, "I'm sorry too. I live to serve the Twelve Crowns, of course. If my project is no longer in their best interests, I will step down."
As predicted, Symond faltered at Riffolk's meek acceptance. He'd be suspicious, no doubt, but his suspicion wouldn't last after the project was shut down. The only concern now was how much more the Shenza woman would try to meddle in his affairs. Her mission clearly wasn't over, and it was clear she could be quite a threat. He needed to catch her again, find out more about the magic she used, and get his hands on that black sword of hers.
In the meantime, he would focus on the project. After the shut-down, he would have no assistants and none of the city's resources. It was annoying, but amounted to nothing more than a minor inconvenience; he was the wealthiest man in Ermoor, and if he needed to spend his own money to keep the project going, he gladly would. And with the project officially shut down, the Shenza woman may not actively pursue him any longer, if he kept his activities quiet.
"You'll step down? Just like that?"
"Yes, of course, Lord Commander. I disagree, strongly, with your assessment of the situation. But I am a servant of Ermoor, and if the project must be shut down in the best interests of our country, I will obey and shut it down."
Symond simply looked at him, utterly baffled. Riffolk was done with his stupidity; there was nothing to be gained by dragging the conversation out any longer.
"If that is all, Lord Commander, I would ask your leave to attend to my own matters. Shutting down a fully functioning laboratory is quite a task."
"Oh, yes of course. Very well." Symond paused, frowning, and managed a few seconds of eye contact. "Thank you, Riffolk," he said in that same strangely personal tone.
Riffolk left without another word, barely containing a smile as he reached the door. Symond was barely even a pawn any more; the Lord Commander of Ermoor's military had been overtaken by a Shenza savage. His good humour carried him all the way to his lab, and affecting a sour expression as he broke the news to his assistants was more of a struggle than he anticipated.
The lab took a while to clean out – almost two weeks. Riffolk spent most of it yelling at his assistants, keeping up the appearance of the slighted scientist. They bought it, of course. When he wasn't completely silent, yelling at them was common; they made many mistakes. When the cleaning and packing started nearing completion, he retired to his underground lab. The assistants suspected its existence, but had no proof and wouldn't dare report it to the Lord Commander, even if they could somehow get the message to him.
On the last day, he ordered the Fleming boy to stay after the other assistants left to finish off the last of the cleaning, for no other reason than it was fun to watch him fume. That done, he returned to his own lab, and its still fully functioning equipment. After the Shenza woman's meddling, he was siphoning far less energy from the creature than he should have been able to. Obtaining more of the energy cables wou
ld be incredibly difficult, so he'd had to make do with a makeshift repair that was nowhere near as effective. He was just glad the Shenza either hadn't known or hadn't thought about sabotaging the ingoing wires; if she'd cut off the system that kept the creature sedated, he'd be dealing with a very different disaster.
He was able to run the lab from the power he was siphoning, but he had to ration the energy to only the most important instruments. Remaining off the main lab's power grid was absolutely essential, even if it meant compromising on the speed of his work. The one real obstacle was mass production of weapons and armour; with the project shut down, he would be unable to use the factories that were previously at his disposal.
Perhaps he could replace the Lord Commander somehow, with someone more compliant. It wouldn't be a stretch to prove Symond's mental state was compromised; he was clearly insane, after all.
Mid-thought, the proximity alarm for the back courtyard lit up, pulsing red and lancing through his concentration. Dismissing it as Fleming mucking around, he went back to his work. He was close to calibrating a much more portable energy battery for his new weapons, and meant to have the prototype completed within the next few days. Whenever he came this close to finishing a design, everything else became background noise.
The problem was energy displacement. He could transfer and store more than enough power, but the excess tended to either leak or overload the energy housing matrix and corrupt the battery. He'd discovered a new lightweight material that could absorb and retain energy, but that just introduced a new problem; once the energy was absorbed, drawing it out again was almost impossible in a portable system.
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