The Maven Knight (The Maven Knight Trilogy Book 1)

by Matthew Romeo

  I sit up on the rocky ground, rubbing my head to ensure my focus is true.

  While nearly pitch black, the cavern we stumbled upon is lit very dimly by bioluminescent crystals that cast an etheric emerald glow. Fascinating! Glowing crystals have never been catalogued in mining operations. All the gems are barely the size of a finger. Some protrude from the rocks like spines while some are imbedded within, providing various intensities of light. While numerous, the crystals only illuminate so much, leaving the darkness to reign supreme.

  From what I can see, the cavern is the size of a small cathedral and produces small ponds as streams of water fall from the arched ceiling. The air smells of sea salt and water vapor, and there’s a heaviness as I breathe. The sound of fluttering wings tells me that cavebats dwell within and are disturbed by our sudden entrance.

  Upon seeing the metallic ore embedded in the rock, I immediately figure out what we have fallen into.

  This is an excavation site and we’ve just fallen through an access tunnel. What’s odd though, is that this doesn’t seem to be the work of House Z’hart: the noble family of ore refinements. For several Cycles, Z’hart made its fortune by mining the rich amounts of versatile ore the nation resides upon. Spanning thousands of kilometers, the nation holds access to all caves, tunnels, and mountains producing the ore. It’s very valuable, because the other nations have weak and brittle minerals.

  As a native to Z’hart, I know this cave is not within their jurisdiction. More, it seems like whomever was mining it abandoned it a long time ago. Most of the machines and constructions within the grotto seem to have been left behind for some time. It’s eerie. This was a prime location, so why abandon it?

  What’s more mysterious are the crystals. These emerald gems have never been catalogued, or Z’hart would make even more of a fortune. This must have been a secret operation.

  A few meters ahead of us are Aida, Remus, Devin, and Vyck; the latter two are fervently extracting some of the gems that obtrude from the walls. While honestly I shouldn’t be surprised by their behavior, I’m nonetheless stunned at their current priorities.

  “Really?” I call out to them, nursing my bruised arms. “This isn’t a treasure hunt, you two. I know you’re out for profit and all, but don’t you have bigger priorities than nicking some crystals?”

  “For your information,” Devin retorts, hardly glancing at me. “We’re collecting these things to help light the way out of here. You’re welcome.”

  I’m flushed with mortification.

  “Seriously, Sarina,” Vyck adds, “don’t assume shit.”

  As my cheeks burn with embarrassment, I remain silent as I rise to my feet. It’s an odd thing to feel guilty for assumptions, but they aren’t the types to disprove stereotypes. I’ve seen their like a hundred times before. My job as a brewer is normally merry work, but I often see the backside of society while living in the poorer districts of Z’hart. Shady individuals at the bar are more inclined to cause trouble, and that perception has stuck with me.

  Vivían, Tálir, Aida, and Remus seem to be decent people, yet I feel like keeping them at a distance is a safe move. Trust has the potential to build, but I don’t want to place them in harm’s way. If I’ve made enemies in Z’hart, I don’t want anyone else to be a casualty—so I need to remain alone.

  Is it wrong of me? Perhaps. But after seemingly being drugged, assaulted, then sold like a slave, I believe it wise.

  Pivoting slightly, I see that Vivían and Tálir have also recovered from the drop and are on their feet.

  “That was exciting,” Vivían comments with a half-laugh. “Shall we go again?”

  Regarding them, I ask, “Are you two ok?” I ask only as a courtesy, trying not to convey true emotional concern. I hate myself for doing it.

  Tálir regards me quizzically. I think he might sense my conflict. “Remind me never to slide down rocks again,” Tálir groans, rotating his shoulders in discomfort. “It’s not good for my armor.”

  “Because that’s what’s important, Tálir,” Vivían comments sarcastically, stretching her back. “I’ll be sure to save your armor instead of you next time you’re in danger.”

  Tálir gives Vivían a pained smile as he adjusts pieces of his suit with several resounding clicks. She winks at him, and I feel a tinge of jealousy at her comfortability. I can’t be mad at her though, she’s true to herself. Vivían starts to look around the cave and says, “This doesn’t look like a natural formation. Is it just me, or do the walls look unnaturally smooth?”

  “It’s an excavation chamber for a mining operation,” I reply. “House Z’hart usually would be first to stake a claim, but their sigil is nowhere to be found. Odd. Must be an independent site.”

  The two regard me with dubious looks, their expressions hint of curiosity in addition to their concern.

  “You know that from first glance? Are you a miner?” Tálir inquires, folding his arms across his chest. “I pegged you for more of an aristocrat.” He gestures to my outfit.

  I pause before saying, “I’m a native of Z’hart. Even the lower districts possess some flair for aristocracy. I’m no miner, but I know a bit about the trade.”

  Tálir drops his suspicious demeanor and considers what I’ve said. Vivían follows suite, but not nearly as visible as Tálir. Vivían moves around me to examine a protruding crystal.

  “Have you ever seen something like this before?” she asks, glancing back at me.

  Shaking my head, I say, “No. In all my life, I’ve never seen these types of gems. More, they seem to be an unnatural type of growth.”

  Confirming my suspicions, I easily yank a thumb-sized gem from the wall with a small pop. It feels warm and static seems to come from it. “It’s like we’re inside some kind of mound that’s producing the gems on a regular basis. This is something more than a simple mine.”

  Another sense of eerie dread creeps through my body, like a serpent slithering through the grass. I get the feeling that we’re not alone in this cave. Something else is down here. Something echoes in the air.

  We pause as the echo hums through the cave. Chills run up my spine, and I feel cold. Something is definitely in here watching us. Cautiously, we step through the darkness towards the others. Remus is currently squatting, cradling his head as if he’s suffered another concussion. Perhaps he did, considering how fast we slid down the tunnel. Aida is frantically searching through one of their satchels before pulling out her wineskin. Uncorking it, she presents it to Remus and he drinks for a moment. After he finishes however, I note that the pungent smell emanating from the skin isn’t wine, ale, or water. In fact, the smell is more resembling the stench of motor oil or molten metal.

  As Remus hands the wineskin back to Aida, I adopt a look of concern before saying, “That didn’t seem like water. Is he ok?”

  Aida regards me with a hard look. “He’s suffered some—damage in the last few days,” she says gravely before gesturing to the skin. “The medication can help him relax somewhat.”

  We watch them with enigmatic looks. “What happened to him?” Vivían asks with a quizzical look.

  Aida scowls. “Now’s not the time,” she mutters. “Let’s focus on getting out of here first.” Without another word, she helps Remus get to his feet and starts walking deeper into the cavern towards Devin.

  As we approach, I begin to speculate more about what Remus is currently going through. With his evident connection with Septem and the realization of bodily ailments, I can’t help but consider if he’d been exposed to experimentation, torture, or something else. I construe that his involvement with Septem had theoretically led to his condition, but beyond that I’m still unsure

  From the brief exchange I just saw, I know that Remus’ condition doesn’t seem natural. Aida essentially confirmed it, and I continue to wonder what happened to him.

  ◆◆◆

  We walk several meters through the cavern towards one of the other tunnels that’s obscured by darkness. N
ear the mouth of the tunnel are Vyck and Devin, both of whom are holding two glass bottles filled with several coin-sized crystals. The emerald jewels cast a substantial amount of light when grouped together, and they almost pulsate with raw energy.

  We stop short of the tunnel’s entrance. Devin and Vyck toss me and Tálir a gem-filled bottle. “No need to thank us,” Devin says smugly. “They should provide you all with enough light to make it out of here.”

  There’s a pause before Vivían asks, “I take it you plan on going somewhere else?”

  Vyck regards her with an exasperated look. “We’ve been over this, Viv. Devin and I are going our separate way, but before we do, we’re going to collect some more of the gems in this grotto. They could be worth a fortune topside.”

  “I’m surprised you all aren’t doing the same,” Devin adds, brandishing his bottle with swagger.

  “There might be larger crystals deeper in the cave that might fetch for a couple thousand oreings,” Tálir points out, trying to remain nonchalant.

  “What are you saying?” Devin and Vyck say, almost in unison. “What’s your game?”

  What is his game? Is he trying to rally them? If so, he might actually succeed. He’s playing on their desire for reward. Smart. If I were him, I’d adamantly stay away from those two though..

  “I’m just saying,” he replies, his voice starting to reflect notes of subtle charisma. “Despite my earlier opinions, it seems like we’re all stuck together for the time being. It’s inevitable. So why don’t we make it work for all our benefit. There could be a profit in this for all of us.” He words it almost perfectly. Well played Tálir.

  Vivían grins at him. “A treasure hunt of sorts. We all are heading in the same direction anyways, so what’s there to lose?”

  “Again with the adventure stuff, Viv,” Vyck groans. “Give it a rest.”

  Devin rolls his eyes and heaves a sigh. “If it’ll shut you up, Tálir,” Devin huffs. “We’ll tag along. But only until we get to the surface.”

  “I’m not sure if this is a good idea,” I say, my demeanor reflecting notes of unease and distrust. I can’t shake my feelings of misgiving, no matter his magnetism.

  “Aw c’mon, Sarina,” Vivían says vigorously, trying to smooth things over. “Tálir and I helped save you from the Roil; you can at least trust us. Don’t you want to see how this all plays out?”

  Vivían is right about one thing. After saving my life from the Roil, I now find it a bit easier to trust her and Tálir. It was a simple act, but I realize that they were willing to risk their lives even for a stranger. So perhaps I can stick with them, for now. Caution is still present in my heart though.

  I sigh reluctantly. “I suppose I can tag along until we reach the surface. After that, I think it’s best for me to go on my own.”

  “For once, we agree on something, m’lady,” Devin grunts. “We go catch our big break, reach the surface, and then part ways.”

  Vyck grunts something about boning in accordance while the others reluctantly nod in agreement.

  ​It’s an odd sensation, accepting the help of a group of strangers. We all hailed from very different backgrounds, but we reluctantly unite for the sake of survival. For the sake of escaping this Hellish cavern. Tálir surprised me the most. He seemed so quiet and reluctant when we were on the transport. But here, he demonstrated surprising prowess in rallying us to stick together.

  ​Sure, he played on Devin and Vyck’s greed. But it was strategic. The rest of us are tired and afraid. He’s providing comforting unity, so it hooks the rest of us. Is he just naturally like this? Tálir’s far from perfect, but he has shown captivating initiative in times of crisis.

  ​Lightness returns to me. Perhaps I could let him into this untrusting crypt that is myself. Given time. But who knows what’ll happen once we reach the surface.

  Chapter 9: Tálir

  Underworld

  THE AIR IS HEAVY.

  We are nearly a kilometer beneath the surface; it almost feels like the world is crushing the air around us. It’s thick, humid, and smells like vaporized salt water. The nature of the air makes it seem like I can cut through it with a knife.

  The channels narrow and grow cylindrical as we traverse with the bottles of luminescent gems clenched in our hands. Occasional pools of sweltering water pepper the ground along with thin layers of spotted fungi and mosses. Our shoes make an echoing smack against the rock, making it seem like we travel within an ethereal realm.

  We trek further into the mine tunnels for a few hours, and everyone is on edge. I walk at the head of the group, holding the glowing bottle high to illuminate the tunnels. I never considered myself to be a successful leader. I’ve never commanded troops, run businesses, or ruled nations. But I realize that unity is something everyone seeks when survival is on the line. Erron’s Ville was the epitome of this sentiment. The village banded together under the guidance of our leader because we wanted to survive and prosper.

  I am terrified to lead a group of strangers. Especially when experienced hunters and killers follow me. There’s no telling what they might try. Still, there is a fragile truce between the seven of us. And someone needed to voice reason and guidance.

  Am I qualified? Hells no, but that won’t stop me from trying.

  Sarina and Vivían follow close behind me, Remus and Aida have the middle, and Devin and Vyck guard our rear. Conversation is faint between the pairs behind me, and I’m able to gleam some insight into the individuals who travel with me. Aida worries about Remus’ ailment and gives him another dose of what seems to be sedatives. Color returns to his face somewhat, but Aida still expresses discomfort over it. Devin and Vyck are discussing how they were nabbed by Imperials for defending themselves from attack.

  It might help solidify trust if I can understand a bit more about them. Although, I’m not sure I want to befriend the mercenaries. They are arrogant, misogynistic, and dangerous. It’’’ take a lot to have conviction in them.

  I take a look back at Sarina. She seems just as mistrusting and anxious as I am. A bit of myself is in her, in some sense. But something else is occurring within her mind that she’s not letting on. Her eyes reflect hints of sadness, anger, and even betrayal. Her hand is constantly glossing over her bowpistol, as if she’s expecting an attack at any moment. A strange sense of protectiveness flickers within me like a spark. I need to be brave. Not just for my sake, but for hers and the others as well.

  Perhaps it’s some weird sense of solidarity I feel, seeing how afraid she looks. But her eyes flash towards mine, and I see a faint glimmer of fire within. She’s definitely not all she seems. And my interest peaks with caution.

  ◆◆◆

  Another hour passes as we wind through more caverns and tunnels. It seems endless. I can sense the weariness is taking hold of the others, so I decide to take a break within one of the small grottos that occasionally interrupts the tunnels.

  Everyone discards their bags and satchels in a pile and sit, starting to munch on rations. Unlike the previous cave, the small gems protrude from the arched ceiling like stalactites about a dozen meters above us. Like miniature florescent lights, the gems bathe the setting an ambient emerald light along with the crystals we possess.

  Devin and Vyck sit a little further away than the rest of us. But Sarina sits relatively close to me. I take a quick swig of water and bite off a bit of jerky from my rations. Conversations are faint between some, but I remain silent for a few moments. I inspect my armor for any damage after taking a tumble through the mine shaft. Scraped and chipped in a few places, it hasn’t suffered serious damage. But I’m still shocked that the suit actually began to charge in response to the Roil. A defense mechanism?

  Though he told me little of it, my father’s one warning about the suit was that it could detect incoming Roils. Whenever it charges with no source, the Roil shall come, he said. Today, he was right. But in all my life, I’d never been able to find the right source of energy for the s
uit. But maybe I was looking in the wrong places.

  I notice Sarina taking quick glances at me before returning her gaze to the ground. Like she wants to speak, but can’t think of the words. Normally I’d have been flattered by her attention. But her gaze is still troubled, and I feel more concerned about why she feels so. Cursing my feelings of empathy, I attempt to lighten the mood.

  “I guess I can be the first to ask,” I say. “Are you alright, Sarina?”

  Her gaze shifts to me briefly and we make eye contact, but she quickly turns away and remains silent.

  “Just trying to make this little trip a bit more pleasant,” I shrug, leaning back against the wall.

  There is a long pause before Sarina begrudgingly breaks her silence. “So are you going to tell us how you managed to predict the Roil was incoming? Or are we just going to drop that?”

  I eye her with a perplexed look and arch an eyebrow. “Even I’m not fully sure about how it works. On a side note, thank you for acknowledging me, Sarina. I feel a bit less embarrassed.”

  She sniffs in exacerbation. Her thin lips purse in doubt. “Stop dodging,” she says, her eyes narrowing. But it’s not out of antagonism. “You looked at your gauntlet and knew that the Roil was incoming. That seems rather lucky.”

  I clear my throat to tell what information I have. Some of the others also turn their attention to me. I flip open the panel and reveal the console in the gauntlet. “This suit was used by the Domain millennia ago. I grew up without anyone to tell me how it properly works. So it is tough to figure out the inner workings.” I explain, my voice calm but firm. “And since it’s in an inoperable state, it’s much more difficult. But my father told me that faint fields of energy might be able to temporarily power the armor.”

  I speak to everyone and gesture to the bracer computer. “The system in this suit would need to run on a constant stream of energy, and without such a source…” I tap the inert holoscreens. “It’s useless. So if an energy source trickled into the suit, the system would start charging as it did earlier. Legends say that some type of energy field builds up within a certain area point before a Roil comes in. Domain shields kept the Roils away from Erron’s Ville all my life, so I was never privy to seeing this happen. Until today.”