Remnant Pages Spearhead

by J. B. Kleynhans

  Epilogue

  The petite woman finished the large room, the new broom in her hands already taking a beating by the scope of her work. Her efforts would not survive the end of the day, the many men who used the lounge careless and unruly. She never complained. She never questioned what the men here occupied themselves with. And there were many men here, coming and going, like a hideout of sorts, or a den of thieves, so many weapons and liquor doing rounds here. Prostitutes too sometimes.

  Given the types roaming the place, she was surprised to live here without fear, despite her not being allowed to leave the premises.

  They treated her very well, much better than anyone in her position she had ever heard off. This city was the Mecca of slave trade, most women sold here used for sex even when they were meant for menial labour like herself. The men here did bring prostitutes in every now and then, but she was left alone.

  The men here did not make such advances on her, except one, who had tried to pin her down one evening. She had screamed, and the master of the house had come storming in, gabbing the man from behind, and twisted his neck with a savage snap. After that, the people here seemed to give her even more space and courtesy than before. She didn't understand their treatment of her, but she was incredibly grateful for it. The only thing the master ever asked for was that she helped keep the place tidy. To her it was a small price to pay.

  Her boss, her master, despite his good treatment of his personnel, was a man everyone feared she had realized not long after they had come here. One thing the woman knew; he was not fully human, even when he appeared so to the casual observer. There was something bestial about him, even when he tried to hide it, often wearing cloaks and gloves.

  For some reason he did not talk with her other than a few words at a time, even though she had seen him be quite jovial when drinking with his men. He was so serious when he encountered her and so she suspected that he knew something about her that she didn't. She of course had not mustered up the courage to ask him. She didn't want to disturb the way things were. Not yet.

  She had discovered to herself to be in Durandal; how she had come here, or what her previous life was like, she did not know. She could not remember a thing. She had a name she was sure, but it escaped her, fragments of memories never coming together even when she could almost taste them.

  In her private moments, when she looked at herself in the mirror, she thought that hints of her past life came back to her, however very fleeting. Add to that, it made her feel as though she had lived a life that belonged to someone much older than she was. She didn't like that at all, wanting to feel as young as she looked, and hence didn't vest too much energy on remembering. It would come back to her or it wouldn't, and she had a feeling that something significant would have to come along to allow her to remember fully. She did however wonder if she had left behind family.

  Those were her darkest moments, when she thought about what family she might've lost, and yet she couldn't even remember them. She thought that something terrible must have happened when she was captured for her to forget everything the way she had, something traumatic maybe. She wanted to turn her anger on her captors, but something wasn't quite right - somehow she knew that they wouldn't be involved in any atrocity if there was one. They treated her too well for that.

  In the long run, this was not a city to stay in, being the crime capital of the world and all. She imagined that one day she would escape it, maybe, but she would not entertain any idea of rebellion as long as her current situation remained the same.

  She did not complain. She was safe. She could not ask for more than that. She was however, only after a weeks here, extremely bored. She sometimes had the strangest dreams, dreams where the most fantastic feats of nature happened all around her, and more often than not, it felt it was as if she were the one causing them. What to make of the dreams she did not know, but she was convinced that her boredom here was sending her mind into strange places during the nights.

  She liked spending her spare time in the building's courtyard or on the balcony, getting a little sun, the balcony in particular looking out at the more affluent areas of the city. Up here she saw the mansion of the ruling Dauflon just beyond the city borders, perched on a hill. Whenever she looked at the mansion she felt something very familiar, as though that feeling of great power that surfaced in her dreams seemed to resonate with whatever was held inside that great big building.

  One night, she had studied the mansion under the cover of nightfall. It was quite a sight. All the many windows of the building showed well-lit rooms, except this one room, but had the faintest sheen of purple, ebbing from deep within the room. Somehow, she felt it. She felt its power. It scared her, and she turned away, her heart racing frantically, for a moment grappling with a fear that felt as though it came a long way, a fear she did not have a name for, from a past as dark as it could be. She did not look at that window again. She sincerely hoped that whatever darkness waited in that mansion, never visited this already dark city.

  The trip back was harder than Stelinger remembered, longer too, with the shadow of defeat hanging heavily over him and his retinue. They had ridden almost non-stop, pushing the horses mercilessly and not taking proper rest. Two weeks after their war with Lanston they came home, a place yet to be recognized as the home of some of the most darkest souls on Angaria.

  Coming up to the mansion Stelinger considered running away for one last time. The idea had little merit - there was no escaping his Master.

  Past the gates and inside the giant halls, Stelinger’s knock was slight on the heavy door of the audience chamber, his anticipation great.

  ‘Enter,’ came the Master’s voice.

  Stelinger held his breath as he opened the door, revealing a dark room, a faint purple fire in the hearth. Stelinger’s first footfall was met with a creaking as though his body was laden heavy with his failure, yet it was the entirety of the room that cramped and shuddered, and did so in complete accordance with the Master’s displeasure, the magicks’ effervescent presence unbearable.

  Stelinger felt his sword respond to his state of mind, recognizing him, telling him what he was facing.

  It was terror.

  Glossary

  Angaria - The name of the earth, used but seldom.

  Alon - Bennam's family line.

  Asheva - The capital city of the eastern Kingdom. Also used as the collective name of the seven cities comprising the kingdom.

  Conclave - referring to the mysterious home and organization of the Summoners within Asheva. They are ruled and commander by both the King and Tabacher.

  Adalophrites- Related to Calophrites, these greater strands of magical energy appear only in certain groups of highly magical individuals. The souls of Summoners seemed to be made only of these strands. While Adalophrites cannot be used as diversely as Calophrites, they do give set abilities in the individuals wherein they surface.

  Alder Stone - a crystalline gem forged with incredible care. Its design makes it very powerful, drawing power through its density rather than its size. In the east these stones are used to store the powers and memories of Summoners.

  Alparack Valley - Refers to the greater valley surrounding the Fafriv canyon. It is a area typically claimed by no one, and has seen many wars. A no man's land.

  Arrhua- spiritual beings lurking in the very elements of Angaria. Thought of as having a primitive consciousness.

  Astalus - The titan star. A lifeless planet of enormous size, comprised mostly of metals. The planets bizarre core temperature fluctuations cause the planet to expand either to the point of fragmenting or shrink to an incredibly dense state. These two extremes create great discrepancies on it gravitational forces its exerts on heavenly bodies around it, sometimes become so weak that it loses its moons to the influence of Angaria, and then at other times taking some of these moons back when its pull is strong again.

  Autemisciour - a well-known and widely used plant for medicinal purposes.
Interacts well with magic.

  Bajural - a sport played with a leather ball. There are many variations of the sport around the world. The pronunciation of the word also differs from area to area. An official league exists and is played between the seven cities of Asheva.

  Basin - a natural stretch of flat land, low-laying with cliff walls surrounding it at the end of Fafriv canyon. Essentially a lake without water.

  Benevolence - Resident to Asheva, sleeping in the Great Vault for all eternity. Dreams perpetually, his powers working far and wide to sustain all of Angaria.

  Biridian - a mighty tree with branches and boles so thick and far reaching as to creating some of the most impressive canopies to be seen wherever they may grow.

  Black armours - a different name for the Fallen, but more specifically referring to their heavily armoured soldiers used in wars.

  Calophrites - Magical strands of energy, said to be the building block of the human soul. When the human soul and the undesignated Calophrites interact or communicate, magic becomes possible. Not all humans can use magic however.

  Castilleon - the sapphire moon. Its cycle is very long, often taking two years or more.

  Crystal- a substance prevalent in matters of magical natures

  Dauflon - A name given to the ruler of one of the seven cities. The title carries the same power as would a Duke.

  Diamond box - network of stars used as a frame of reference to interpret the movement of moons. At midnight, the Valkyrie take stock where the moons are located and predict future happenings based on their position within the Diamond box.

  Dey'illumra - the cult name of the Shadow Priests working under Arumcas.

  Durandal - a city loyal only to itself. Known as the crime capital of the world. Escapes the wrath of the Fallen by doing trade with them, and supplying them with crucial resources.

  Fafriv - the name for one of the most famous of canyons. This great scar through the earth divides the forest of Alparack, and is virtually the road between the Kingdom and the Fallen forces. Fafriv has also been known to be mined for minerals and metals in the past.

  Fainkin- A material created by a industry of the same name. Known for its strength and flexibility. Used by the Lanston military as ropes or coils for their siege engines.

  Fallen - The army of Arumcas; men corrupted by dark magic to be enslaved under his command. They are referred to as the Black armours, for wearing dark steel plating and skull helms.

  Farsight - The ability of the Valkyries to see things over vast distances, and also view things in a panoramic manner.

  Insight - The ability of the Valkyries to view things very closely, to such an extent that they can see the very building blocks of the matter of an object.

  Iramir - a species of falcons used as messengers.

  Greathir - The patron moon of the Masons.

  Ghost Pass - a road branching toward the forlorn city of Durandal, the only alternative road the far north other than Nimroth's gate.

  Golden Army - a proud name given to the soldiers of Lanston, referring to their gold-coloured armour. This term for them is famous right across the world, giving them an almost mythical status on the other side of the Starwall.

  Guild of Hands - An assassins guild often associated with mysterious deaths around the world. They are known be to linked with the wraith-kind, providing liberated souls for the death-mongering creatures of darkness. Blamed occasionally for the death of important kings in political plots. There insignia is an open hand with a black studded triangle on the palm. The only known organization to actually exist on both sides of the Starwall.

  Hashur - The only true mountain within the Alparack Valley. Stands high over the Basin, directly to its east.

  Kingslayer - The most feared formation of moon within the kingdom. Thought to predict the demise of the king of Asheva. This formation is represented by the moons Mallova, Shaki-Halima Loikana and Rodreon. Mallova the white and Loikana the black will line up, the smaller white moon against the backdrop of black.

  Lanston - One of the seven cities of the Kingdom. Renowned for its Golden Army, having thought the Fallen forces for more than a century, and keeping the peace for the rest of the Kingdom. Even before the rise of the Fallen, Lanston was known for combating both the forces of Pangia, and assisting the west when the Starwall was open.

  Lanston Lynxes - The city's official Bajural team.

  Magi/Magicians - Humans trained to use magic by schools within the Kingdom. The magicians within the kingdom are very strictly regulated and kept away from positions of power given the Kingdom's tumultuous history with magic users. While only certain individuals are gifted with magic, their innate abilities still needs to be released by a Summoner. While these magi can be quite powerful, they are usually nowhere near the potential of Summoners.

  Mallova- The white moon. The moon with the shortest cycle and also the patron moon of the Valkyrie. It is believed that the Valkyrie's powers come from Mallova, being the "white eye" of the sky.

  Masons - The most prolific order in the world as far as past deeds are concern. Their buildings and sublime architecture are widespread. They are often seen as having a hand in everything given that most of the great structures were built by them.

  Merrigil - A wealthy house of Lanston. Elmira's bloodline.

  Mindevhier - An heirloom within the family of Rogana. The spear called Mindevhier is said to be crafted from unique materials with exceptional properties.

  Morshiph - a City famous for its metal work.

  Nimroth's gate - a natural defensive position of the Fallen named after the great devourer himself. Beyond it lies some of the Fallen's most valuable strongholds.

  Oldeloft - a waystation of the Rangers in the Alparack Valley.

  Panoli - A flammable alchemical substance that can help shorten the combustion rate of whatever substance it's mixed with.

  Pathra - Home of the Masons.

  Phatavril - A red powder used to keep insects and wild animals at bay. Used for creating safe spaces around campsites.

  Priam - Stelinger's ancestry.

  Reavers - Canine-like beasts who have been mutated into humanoids by the magic of the Dey'illumra. Powerful, fast and fairly intelligent these brutes with their very sharp senses are some of the most dangerous of the fallen forces. Other than their claws and teeth they can also carry weapons, and are very proficient at using them. They are also known as the hounds of Lymphra.

  Releasing - The act of unleashing a person's or item's innate magical potential. This is act is done by Summoners. Being released can be seen as Blossoming, a term used in the west, but which also refers to the broader phenomena of anything moving or evolving into a higher state of being, which can happen without the assistance of a Summoner.

  Remnant Pages- The last remaining work and documentation of the travelling scholar called Jeot Agathir. Called remnant pages because his work always comes to the fore in fragments and scattered all over the world.

  Rogana - Cid's ancestry. A long line of warriors from Rogana has served with the Lanston military. Cid continues the tradition and carries the spear that is passed from father to son each generation.

  Rules of Realm - A very broad term used to describe both rules the physical and magical realms abide by.

  Rodreon - the red moon. The moon that demands blood. The harvest moon. Its cycle correspond more or less with the changing seasons.

  Sagril - A wealthy family from Lanston. Fredrere's bloodline. Sagril is of noble descent, and has distant familial ties with the King.

  Shadowlings - Fallen that are endowed with the most foul of magic, making them very fast and blending with the shadows at will. They cannot enter light and survive only for a few hours once created.

  Sovereign/ Sovereignty - Another name used sometimes for the Kingdom.

  Starwall - A gargantuan magical barrier that encircles Angaria, dividing west and east completely. The wall is magical in nature and has stood for several centuries.

/>   Stoneskin - a legacy of the Masons. A mystical ability enabled by Adalophrites.

  Rangers - An organization charged with protecting the Kingdom. They are assigned as the custodians and commanders of the Summoner agents working for the Kingdom. Entrusted with the most guarded secrets, they deal with the most critical missions surrounding the Kingdom's well-being. They are known for their trademark leather armours, maroon cloaks wrapped around their shoulders, and riding the Volje beasts.

  Ramonin - A slow acting poison with overt symptoms.

  Shaki-Halima - The emerald moon.

  Shamani - Magi of the Teritua Highlanders. They communicate with Arrhua spirits.

  Sirrilar - a type of grass that grow in arid areas that can be surprisingly prosperous thanks to hygroscopic spots on its blades, which attracts moisture out of the air.