A Dream of Empire Ch. 024

Sorry this took so long. My attentions are currently all over the place as I work on pieces of chapters 25 through 35 all at once. This particular chapter is a metric crap-ton of exposition, followed by a rollercoaster of an encounter at the end. Storyline importance: Maximum.

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Tatiana 'Tanya' Vittori

Approaching the Cinder Vale

27^th of Sun's Rest, 1282 D.f.

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The party had spent nearly three days on horseback before they finally arrived at the mountain pass leading to the Cinder Vale. The sharp orange-and-red peaks of the Cinder Mountains now stood proudly before Tanya, Alanna and Emmanuel as they awaited an unknown fate. Talos himself had ridden ahead to speak with the guards of the Vale on his lonesome.

Large white pillars of stone with blue runes carved upon them were interspersed throughout the range, and Tanya soon figured that they were elvish Warding Obelisks protecting the valley within. To her, Alanna, and anyone else magically-inclined, the obelisks appeared to produce a blue shield of electrical energy between them, like a cloudless lightning storm that went on without end. So much for porting away if anything were to happen, Tanya thought.

The Cinder Vale may have been the most defensible location Tanya had ever witnessed. The mountains were simply unscalable to anyone without a death wish, and the only entrance to the valley within was a thin, natural causeway tucked behind one mountain and flanked by another. This entrance would be well-hidden to anyone that wasn't looking for it, and could likely be sealed by magic at a moment's notice if the need arose. At that point, the sea would be an opposing force's only avenue of attack; but the ocean by the straightened shore wasn't reliable enough to sail upon, what with it's doldrums where no wind blew, and the interspersed areas where great gales came suddenly, threatening to submerge any vessel daring enough to explore it.

A perfect location for Casiama's elves of the Mossy Tree to ensconce, then. The Warding Obelisks only added to its defensibility, ensuring no opposing force could simply teleport inside without removing them first. Plus, there were likely redundant arrays situated further within if such an endeavor was successful.

Today had been an exhausting day for Tanya, but it wasn't the time in the saddle that tired her. Instead, last night she and Alanna had performed the Compassio hex together, merging their minds and their wills as one by manipulating Alanna's third eye; a gift the enchantress had had from a young age that allowed her to read the thoughts of others.

And with that, the flood of a world Tanya had never known seeped into her consciousness. Alanna's thoughts bounced around Tanya's skull like they were her own, and the ideas of others were readily available whenever Tanya wanted to peruse them. The problem was, she had little in the way of shutting out that which she did not want to hear; a skill that comes with time and experience according to Talos, who was now free of the enchantress's hex.

Talos returned to the party about two minutes later atop his stallion, Spirit, and rode up to the family of elves the party had picked up along the way to the Vale.

"Volantir, you and your family can go on ahead," he said. "They're only allowing in skilled tradespeople, so I told them you were a mason."

"My gratitude, Talos; but I am an architect," the solemn elf replied.

"Even better," Talos smirked. "It was good traveling with you, Volantir. Sorry again for your loss."

Volantir nodded without reply, and he and his family continued on towards the natural entryway to the Vale without another word said. Talos sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"And what of us?" Emmanuel impatiently asked in the interim, tapping his foot.

"We're to wait. Cass is supposedly sending an underling of hers to guide us through the pass."

So, they waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

And almost an hour had gone by before an elven maid, striding with graceful step, walked out from beyond the pass to greet them. Girding the elf's chest was a white-and-gold cuirass with a golden tree emblazoned in the corner, beneath which she wore a flowing white dress that fell almost all the way to the ground.

In more than one way, she reminded Tanya of an elf she once knew. This one wasn't Casiama, though she shared many of her qualities; comeliness, elegance, and an undeniable air of lethality, the last trait made apparent when Tanya noticed the twin blades fastened to her back. The elf strode towards Talos specifically, and hailed him with a soft confidence paired with a reverent bow.

"Greetings, Talos of Evora, and welcome to the Cinder Vale. My name is Vindare, a handmaiden of Kian'ra. It is an utmost honor to meet you, my lord. My Queen has anticipated your arrival with much excitement."

"Hail, Vindare," Talos nodded. He outstretched a hand towards Tanya. "My companions, Tatiana Vittori, Alanna from Evora, and the bard Emmanuel." The elf nodded and smiled, though her almond-shaped elven eyes flicked right back to Talos.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintances," she politely replied. "My Queen has requested that I escort you personally to the town of Cindervale, about a half-hour's stroll away. If you would follow me, my lord. Please do not hesitate in asking me any questions you may have."

"Cindervale? Not very imaginative, that," Alanna whispered to her mind-mate as they set off once again. Tanya replied to her jest seriously.

"It's temporary. Elves typically name newly-founded towns after nearby natural landmarks. Once it's recognized as a full-fledged Kingdom by a High King, however, it then assumes the name of the founder's first wife; Tor Valliya, Delara, Remilla, and so on."

"Oh," Alanna smiled. Perhaps this one will be Tor Alanna, someday?

"Tor Casiama, most likely," Tanya giggled in reply. "Though, I'm not sure of the cultural rules when the founder is female."

Tanya cast her gaze back towards Talos, who was now walking beside their elven escort several yards ahead of them. She laced her fingers with Alanna's when the enchantress offered them to her, and the two girls walked hand-in-hand through the mountain pass behind Talos and the elf.

"Alright, first question," Talos said. "You look awfully well-armored for being a mere handmaiden."

"I am sorry?" Vindare perplexedly replied.

"What is a 'handmaiden' doing in battle armor, per say?" Talos gruffly redressed.

"Now I understand. You are confused of my title. Here in the Cinder Vale, handmaidens are those girls specifically picked by the goddess to serve her in all manner of purpose. We are her avatars when counseling disputes between members of the tribe, we protect her at all hours of the day, and we are her closest companions. There are nine handmaidens as of now, and all of us reside within the palace with our Queen. Each of us are trained in the arts of the blade and the bow, and seek to emulate the graceful beauty of our lady in every moment of our lives. We are blessed in that, over a typical household guard, we have an undeniable authority over all else in the Vale. Besides her, of course."

"Sounds like quite the honorable position," Talos replied as they rounded a bend between the mountains. "What were you before?"

"Me?" Vindare smiled. "I was nothing. I could never have dreamt that my Queen would empower me with such purpose. I was not of noble birth, nor was I known for anything. I owe her my life, as it currently stands."

"Are the rest from similar backgrounds?" Talos inquired.

"If you are implying that the Queen chooses us based on our pasts, you would be mistaken, my lord. Compatibility, beauty, and faith in the gods; that is what she seeks."

"Ah."

"This is so exciting!" Tanya eagerly whispered to Alanna. "I've never visited an elven settlement before!"

"Nor I," Alanna murmured with a squeeze of her hand. "Truth be told, I'm a bit nervous Tanya. I'm glad you're here with me."

Talos, twenty feet in front of them, cleared his throat. "So, how fares the settlement?" he asked the handmaiden. "I can't imagine it's grown much; it's not even been two months."

Vindare smiled, sweeping a hand out before them as she rounded the next bend. "See for yourself, my lord."

Talos stopped in place as soon as he rounded the bend. Tanya's jaw dropped when she did. Together, all four of the humans remained silent for a while as they looked out over the Vale and the town of Cindervale itself.

It was magnificent. Trees from all manner of genera dominated the landscape beneath them, from one end of the valley to the other. Their foliage shone with rich greens, wondrous yellows and even mystical pinks, in spite of the winter season. The kaleidoscope of colors provided by the forest made for a gorgeous dichotomy when compared to the sharp red-and-orange peaks of the Cinder mountains far off on the horizon. And beyond those trees nearest to them was a small bay, formed by the mouth of a large river flowing from further inside the valley, which itself was fed by many gleaming-blue tributaries streaming down from the mountains.

And just beside that bay, Tanya made out the humble beginnings of the town of Cindervale. Dirt roads spun this way and that between a plethora of houses constructed with all manner of wood, from whites, to charcoals, to pinks, to more mundane browns, as well as a few stone buildings shining a radiant white standing proudly at the tip of the bay. And to top it all off, a majestic rainbow spanned over the bay's entrance from one side of the Vale to the other.

Illusion magics, she instinctively knew. It was still an impressive rainbow.

"How in the hells..." Talos muttered incredulously.

"Faith, my lord. Faith, and a sprinkling of generosity from elves the region over. You see, our Queen Casiama takes in those from nearby elven cities who have the skills and the desire to better her community. Besides the elves of the Mossy Tree, all newcomers to the Vale are gifted; masons, carpenters, gardeners, healers, warriors, oh, and a few dozen sorceresses of course. They all seek to live with the Goddess-Queen, and the Goddess-Queen gifts them with an unbreakable will and a faithful courage in turn. This is the dawn of a new age, my lord. The gods walk among us once more," Vindare proudly smiled, nodding towards the path ahead. "Come, we will venture through that glade to get to Cindervale." She then led the party down a winding mountain road, which led to the valley floor and to where the colorful forest began.

And what a forest it was. To Tanya, every inch of it appeared maintained. Mushrooms grew here, berry bushes there, medicinal herbs that she recognized over yonder, and there were small, gentle paths strewn between all of them. The winter sun twinkled through the leaves of green, yellow, and pink above them, littering the forest floor with small rays of light no matter where they looked. Fruit trees were interspersed between the taller trees providing the colorful canopy, likely to ensure they had enough sunlight.

"Alanna... this is no forest. It's a... it's intentional. It's an orchard, a nursery, a forager's paradise, all combined into one!"

Talos tilted his head over his shoulder, overhearing her excitement. "Mm. And there's no bugs," he added with a smirk.

He was right; there were no bugs! The only insects Tanya could find were fat bumblebees hopping from one flower to the other, or butterflies fluttering this way and that. Hummingbirds occasionally buzzed over their heads as well, but they did not bother them. Tanya knew they were all pollination vectors, and that this was the work of an extremely intricate banishment spell, likely catalyzed by the Warding Obelisks themselves!

"This is incredible!" she exclaimed as they strolled under the trees. "Everything's intentional! It's a gigantic garden! They must have dozens of transmuters living here!"

"Hm. Faranya knows nature magics. Maybe it was her?" Alanna adorably mused with a finger on her lip.

"Oh, sweetie," Tanya giggled. "This is far too intricate for a single sorceress to conjure. Dozens, I said."

"No need to be condescen-"

"Oh, miss Vindare?!" Tanya blurted out to the elf up ahead. "What's the Vale's policy on human settlement?! Sorceress towers?!"

The handmaiden cocked her head over her shoulder. "We do not allow humans within the Vale except for merchants, and, even then, they are limited to an overnight stay," she succinctly answered.

"But Casiama wants Talos to remain here, right?!" Tanya pouted. Vindare stopped in her tracks, turning about to meet the sorceress.

"Of course she does. But my Queen made no specific mention you, miss Tatiana-vittori," Vindare disdainfully replied. Talos then jumped in, in an attempt to save Tanya's embarrassment.

"We'll figure out the details when we see her, alright?"

"Y-Yes," Tanya nodded thrice in haste succession. Talos and the elf glanced at once another, then continued on their way. Idiot!

"Calm your heart, honey," Alanna warmly said to her. "Why, you're making me anxious. And what's this about a sorceress tower?"

"Why, just look at it Alanna," Tanya breathlessly replied as she gazed about the forest. "Your home should be a place that you desire to return to after a long journey. Not like Redstone... or Solais."

The girls walked past a lone elf on a wooden ladder, who was in the process of picking large orange fruits from one of the trees as if Sun's Rest was the perfect harvest season. He gave them a polite wave as they passed by, reciprocated by two excited sorceresses.

"Yeah, it's alright here," Alanna smiled. "It's quaint. Cute. Let's just pray Talos doesn't screw up his meeting like he did the last."

"He best enjoy life as a newt if he does," Tanya murmured. It would simply be a tragedy if she couldn't build a sky-scraping sorceress's tower in such a gorgeous environ.

The enchanted forest eventually fell behind them, and the extent of the town of Cindervale finally made itself known. There were many wooden houses of all colors here on this side of the waterfront and on the other bank, enough to house a couple thousand souls. Elves milled this way and that through the wide, curving paths between houses, conversing with one another, laughing, and generally just appearing happy. Judging from Talos' report of these same elves when he encountered them at Dancer's Hill, that was quite the improvement for this lot.

"Talos!" an unexpected feminine voice exclaimed from a street to their left. The party's attention turned that way.

Tanya recognized the princess Faranya easily, what with that ridiculously-tiny green dress she had on. Talos smirked and stepped towards the blonde princess of Remilla, who had been conversing with a brunette wariorress in white-and-gold.

"Faranya? Praise the gods you're here," he grinned, extending a hand in greeting. Instead of taking it, Faranya lurched forward to pull Talos into a tight, boob-squishing embrace.

"And you!" she happily exclaimed.

Harlot! two sorceresses thought as one.

Alanna - and Tanya by association - recognized Faranya's sudden lack of coordination when the hug was broken; she wobbled on her feet, brought a hand to her face to wipe stray strands of hair away, then finally found the agency to introduce Talos to her acquaintance.

"Talos, this is Maloria, one of Casiama's handmaidens - much like Vindare there, but of kinder heart," Faranya introduced, nodding towards their elven guide. "Maloria, this is Talos, Casiama's... man?"

The elf-in-white stared at Talos with wide, awe-struck eyes. "And he is Talo'nir, the Sunderer of Rancor! This is truly a blessed day!"

"Uh - alright. A pleasure, Maloria," Talos bowed, only for the elf-in-white to jump on him as well, pulling him into another unnecessary embrace.

Slut!

Talos grimaced and gently pushed her away. "Uh..."

Maloria frowned, bringing a shaking hand to her tummy where Talos had touched her. "I-I am sorry; is that not how you greet others?"

Talos shook his head, smirking. "No, uh, no it isn't. But it could be?"

The handmaiden, twitching with embarrassment, hastily stepped away from him. "Ah! Then I am truly sorry!"

"It's fine," Talos gruffly assured. But Maloria looked anything but fine, and the young elf quickly came up with an escape plan.

"W-well it was a pleasure, but I really must go review Casiama's latest construction projects! Farewell Talos! Faranya!" Maloria exclaimed while she skipped away with all haste. Talos returned his smirk and his raised brow to Faranya.

"Oh do not look so smug, Talos. Casiama speaks of you often, and oddly enough most everyone believes her tales. Why hello there, gloomy one. Alanna," Faranya smiled at the pair of human sorceresses. Alanna waved and smiled for the two of them before the princess returned her attention to Talos. "Are you off to see her?"

"Mm. Coming with? I'd love to catch up."

"Ah, um, perhaps in a while. I really must change if I am to visit the palace," Faranya deflected.

Talos gave her an obvious once-over, taking in a second or two of her bare legs. "Sure. How do I find you otherwise? We need to seriously chat later."

Faranya spun on her heel, pointing towards the southeast. "Why, I am just over... hm." She spun back around, this time wearing a devious smirk. "I would recommend asking Casiama. It is quite tricky to find my home."

"And I reckon I shouldn't do that," Talos playfully shot back. Vindare, who had so far been waiting patiently off to the side during the exchange, cleared her throat.

"I would agree with that assessment, my lord. Our beloved Queen and this mere... sprite do not share friendly relations of late," the handmaiden sneered, the statement's veracity made evident when Faranya squinted at her. "Come. We should not keep her waiting."

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Vindare led the party to the mouth of the bay, where the only stone structures in all of Cindervale were currently laid. The handmaiden explained to the group that all of these buildings were ultimately designed for Casiama herself; from the Grand Temple, currently under construction, to the Great Arboretum of the Golden Tree, currently under construction, to the Palace of the Queen where they now stood, which was, again, still under construction. The area around these white stone structures were separated from the town proper with many a tree and flower, and the Queen herself supposedly had her own private garden behind the palace as well. To Tanya, all of this was an expected development of a monarchy fueled by religion.

The palace was still impressive, however, despite its unfinished nature. Its facade contained many a stained-glass window which reminded her of the cathedrals of home, and was flanked by two stone spires rising proudly into the sky. One spire held a statue of a elven girl wearing a windswept dress, while the other held a portrayal of a lone swordsman clad in armor. Tanya didn't need much of an imagination to figure out who those depicted. The palace itself straddled the rushing river that flowed from inside the valley and towards the bay, and was surrounded by a large wall of rosebushes on all sides but its fore.

But it wasn't the statues, the glass, or the white stone that caught Tanya's eye. That was instead devoted to the two columns of soldiers lining the wide street to the palace, about one-hundred strong by her estimate. Each of them held spears, tower shields, and were clad in white-and-green armor with pointed helms. An extremely-smug Vindare led them straight between those two columns of elves towards the palace entrance.