A/N: Exile/Avernum remains the property of Jeff Vogel and Spiderweb Software. I'm having great fun with the world here, and I promise to return unharmed to the game the following persons: and the city of Olgai and the Tower of Magi.
Still feeling quite exuberant about their success with the tests, and sure that this Council would see them, Jenneke led his patrol along the road to Olgai. As they neared the city, there were a large number of vahnatai guards keeping watch. Upon spotting Jenneke's platoon, they began moving toward the group.
"Hold up here," said Jenneke. "These guys outnumber us, we better not make them nervous."
The approaching vahnatai guards drew their weapons.
"Retreat," said Jenneke, and he started to move back.
One of the guards screamed, "Drop your weapons, or perish!"
"Let's do as they ask," said Jenneke, setting down the sword he'd acquired on the journey.
One of the vahnatai guards came nearer, still with weapon ready. "Who are you?" he asked.
"I am Sergeant Jenneke of the Avernum Army," said Jenneke, "and my platoon here, Thissa, Nigel, Feodoric, and Michael. We come in peace."
"Where've you come from?" said the guard, still very suspicious.
"We're from Avernum," said Jenneke, "and came from Formello down a long river to Avit, where we went through a Ritual of Welcoming."
Other vahnatai guards drew near, and they gathered in a close knot, whispering excitedly amongst themselves.
"You are our guests," said one of the vahnatai guards, looking as though he'd just eaten a razordisk. "You may pick up your weapons and enter our city."
"Thank you," said Jenneke, with a slight bow of respect.
They continued into the city, and there was no mistaking where they were to go: to the south was the largest intact vahnatai building they had yet seen, a beautiful tall dome formed of delicate blue-veined stone. Carved above the large open gate were the words "Council Hall" and a large number of vahnatai guards stood ready outside this gate.
Starting to lead the way into this council hall, Jenneke's progress was halted by two guards who crossed their blades across his path.
"We are here to present our case to the council, as honorary members of this tribe," said Jenneke.
A third guard ran into the building. Animated arguing could be heard for many long moments, crescendoing to full-fledged shouting. Then, the sound died down abruptly, and the third guard re-emerged at the gate.
Sounding as though he did not believe his own voice was speaking the words, he said, "The Council will see them now."
They entered the Council Chamber of the vahnatai people. In the center of the room, there was a huge stone table, at which three vahnatai lords, old and wrinkled, sat. They were two males and one female, if Jenneke was any judge of these people.
The woman said, "Welcome, humans. Despite my two friends' objections, I and our honor have demanded you be allowed to enter. I am Prossis-Bok. Welcome." She gestured to the younger of the two men, "This is Glantris-Bok."
The indicated man scowled, giving a curt nod to Jenneke and the platoon.
"And this is ..." said Prossis-Bok.
"I can speak as well as you, Prossis. I am Elohi-Bok, aliens. Prossis wants you here to determine if all aliens are pallid, worthless, honorless thieves and vermin or not," he said. "Bon-Ihrno brought you here for that reason. And here you are."
Glantris-Bok said, "Yes, we have brought you here to scry you. We will look inside your paltry spirits to try and understand you and estimate your worthiness. It is not harmful, but will let us know some measure of your spirit."
Prossis nodded, and said, "Time is short, violence is everywhere, and the need to know is great. Will you permit us to look inside you?" She gave a hopeful look to the group.
Jenneke looked at the others in his platoon, and took a deep breath. "We agree," he said. "We have naught to hide, and you may inspect us to see it is so."
The words had barely left his mouth, when the Council members closed their eyes, and suddenly wracking pain lanced through his mind. In a haze, Jenneke dropped to his knees from the pain. He started remembering his life—the time above, his arrival in Avernum, struggles to survive, training, triumphs, failures, and most vividly, the fights against the Empire. Through the haze of pain, Jenneke reflected that he had not actually thought he had remembered as much as flashed before his eyes now.
I'm going to die, he thought. You see your life like this before you die. That's what they all say.
How long the dredging up of life stories continued, Jenneke would never be able to tell. Fortunately, when he thought on it afterwards, the Council had some idea of what he considered private, touching only the high, public points of his life. Then the pain became too much, and all was black.
When Jenneke awoke, he was on his back, pillows under his head, vahnatai kneeling beside him with bowls of water. "Let me drink?" he croaked, and one handed the bowl to him, and Jenneke drained it, not caring that half the water spilled over his chest.
Shakily, he managed to get to his feet, seeing the rest of his platoon in similar state of recovery. He looked at the Council. The face of Prossis was lit up in triumph and relief. The two men looked profoundly worried and disturbed.
"It is clear that you humans are more complicated than we estimated, and that we must begin efforts to find the actual perpetrators of the crime against us. This ... this Empire seems a hostile force we should look at carefully," said Prossis. "For now, it has been decided that the barriers in your caverns will be dissolved. We know better what is happening now. Their purpose has been served."
Jenneke sighed with relief at these words.
"Now, you may return to your lands," said Prossis, pointing to a door on the east wall. "We created a portal between our lands and yours, in expectation of war. Perhaps it may be used for other purposes. One can only hope."
Elohi-Bok said, "The portal is permanent. You will be able to return through it. This is important, for we have an offer to make you. We ask you to recover our Crystal Souls, and return them to the shrine to the southwest, their home."
Glantris-Bok added, "If you can recover all three of them, and if you of Avernum were not the thieves, we will lend our support to you in your war against the Empire. Our numbers are small, but our power is great."
Elohi-Bok said, "We were very disturbed by the book you found in the vahnatai's possession, a book of clearly human origin. It is possible that a band of vahnatai are dealing secretly with the humans. That would truly be horrible. If you find evidence of this, bring it to us immediately."
Glantris-Bok said, "We still do not trust you, but it is clear more is happening than we understand. We do not know why vahnatai attacked you at the River Fort Ruins. We know nothing of their actions. They were not of us, and their presence was very disturbing. Be careful. The vahnatai people may be no more united of purpose than the humans."
Elohi-Bok chimed in, "And should you find evidence of the location of one of our Crystal Souls, bring it to us with all speed. We may be able to give you aid in recovering it."
Finally, Prossis spoke, "Remember, we will stop at nothing to rescue the spirits of our ancestors, and if you help us, our rewards will be great. Thank you for the risks you took in coming here. But," she sat down, her tone sad as she finished, "the worst is ahead for all of us. I am sure of it."
Glantris-Bok and Elohi-Bok nodded their agreement at those words, and then none spoke.
"If I might ask," said Jenneke, "do you have any advice on where we can start?"
"We have been watching you ... Avernites, you call yourselves?" said Glantris-Bok. "And we hear speak often of a female of the human species, a powerful one named Erika. If she is skilled in magic, she may be able to help you track the Souls down."
"What do you think of humanity?" asked Feodoric.
"When all three of the Crystal Souls have been returned, it would be best for you to ask that question," said Glantris-Bok. "Until then, I will be unable to regard the aliens with anything but honest loathing."
"May I ask what you are thinking about?" asked Michael.
"I am contemplating the reasons why some of you humans have decided to dishonor us," replied Glantris-Bok.
"We would never dishonor the vahnatai," said Jenneke.
"Perhaps. I can't say this of all of you, but some of the humans are lowly creatures indeed," replied Glantris-Bok. "You have to understand the importance of the Crystal Souls to us. They are the living history, wisdom, and conscience of their people. They are living beings, the most valued of us all."
"And what do you think the reasons might be?" asked Feodoric.
"My theory is this. Many of the Boks have had magical powers, and these powers were retained in their crystal forms. The thieves may have felt our ancestors to be little more than precious magical items," said Glantris-Bok, his face showing sheer revulsion. "You humans greatly value you magical items. I shudder to think the spirits of my predecessors could be considered mere stones! Trinkets!"
"What sorts of magical powers do the Crystal Souls have?" asked Michael, wondering why the Souls themselves had not defended themselves from the theft.
"They could use all the spells they could cast in life, and many more," replied Glantris-Bok. "The thieves must have been powerful, to avoid being slain by the Crystal Souls outright."
"What are you working on?" said Feodoric, turning to Elohi-Bok.
He held up a thick sheaf of papers, covered with calculations, notes, and thick blocks of cramped handwriting, and replied, "It has fallen to me, I am afraid, to ponder the future."
"What do you predict will happen in the future?" asked Feodoric.
"Beyond the wars? The caves are now very different from what they were when we began our last Resting. There are humans now, and nephilim and nepharim, and the slithzerikai, and the other races you told us of. And only we can hibernate," replied Elohi-Bok. "One day, I fear we will fall to squabbling."
"How often do the vahnatai hibernate?" asked Feodoric.
"Every few centuries, to give the caves a chance to regenerate. Life down here is hard, as you no doubt have found," said Elohi-Bok. "The resources we require to live are limited."
"Sssquabblings over the cavesss?" said Thissa.
"Yes. We are only one of many tribes, and there is only so much space in our caves. The future may be ugly," replied Elohi-Bok. "The question is whether you all may one day be happier on your surface."
Jenneke said fervently, "I know that I would be happier on the surface."
"That is where you belong. I suspect we will need to fight the Empire one day. When we do, the battle may continue to the surface. Perhaps you will then be able to return there," he replied looking down at his notes, and back to the humans. "I cannot be sure, but in the long run, this may be the only way for us all to have peace."
"So, you didn't really want us to be brought to vahnatai lands?" said Jenneke.
"I feel that it was a foolish act, which revealed us to the humans and brought us no gain in return," replied Elohi-Bok. "Were you to recover a Crystal Soul, I might change my opinion, but I have little faith in you."
"So, where do you think we should look for the Crystal Souls?" said Jenneke.
"There are two forces of humans: Avernum and the Empire. Suppose the Empire is responsible for the theft?" said Elohi-Bok. "Then you should search well any Empire fortresses you can find, especially if they have signs of stolen vahnatai artifacts."
"If I might ask," said Jenneke, turning that thought over in his mind, "what do you do for the vahnatai?"
"I contemplate the direction our people will take in this time of turmoil. I look for the direction we may travel to find peace. Then I make my recommendations to the Council," replied Prossis-Bok. "Often, we disagree."
"Why did you attack us so quickly, without even trying to contact us?" said Jenneke.
"That was unfortunate. Glantris and Elohi fear and dislike humans, although they can still be rational when faced with facts," replied Prossis. "Rentar-Ihrno is much the same way, and is much more powerful."
"Exactly how powerful is Rentar-Ihrno?" said Feodoric.
"She is the greatest of our mages. She created the barriers in your lands, and she constantly looks for ways to defend our people and assault our enemies," replied Prossis-Bok. "She is difficult to control at times, but she is truly our greatest strength."
"Why are you seeking peace?" said Jenneke. "What ideas have you come up with?"
"Living in these caves is a hard, hard thing. War makes it nearly impossible," replied Prossis-Bok. "And so, I contemplate our direction to take in the future: who to attack, how and when, and whether the group we are attacking is the right one. Alas, as you now know, our targets aren't always the correct ones."
"It seems like everyone we've met here knew everything about our journey to your lands," said Jenneke.
"That is because we did know everything," said Prossis-Bok with a slight smile. "We watched every step of your journey, using our magic viewing crystals. We judged you by the courage you showed during the perilous trip."
"Could we use the viewing crystal?" asked Jenneke.
"At this point, it would not be for the best," replied Prossis-Bok.
"Do you have any ideas where the lost Crystal Souls might be hidden?" asked Jenneke.
"There is a village called Mancuso, east of here. To the north of it, you will find a fortress filled with rogue vahnatai. I suspect that they might have had something to do with the theft of the Crystal Souls. It is worth investigation," replied Prossis-Bok. "Before going, though, you should prepare yourselves in your own lands. The vahnatai in that fortress are very strong."
"I see," said Jenneke. "Then we probably should go back now. Besides, I'm sure our people would want to know about what has happened with the barriers."
"Then you should be on your way," said Elohi-Bok with a rather pointed look down the corridor.
Taking their leave of the Council, Jenneke led his platoon down the hall, and into one room with an unlocked door. Within, he immediately recognized the sight: a magical portal, small but very intense.
"I guess this is the way back home," said Jenneke. "Hope it doesn't drop us behind Empire lines."
Stepping into the portal left Jenneke remembering what it had been like to be thrown into Avernum in the first place. The pain without damage was almost as bad as that of the scrying. And suddenly, they were in a human building, with human furniture, facing several very startled humans.
Some looked like wizards, the rest like guards. Jenneke, as leader of the platoon, found himself with spears to the throat.
"Peace!" said Jenneke. "I'm an Avernite, just like you. We've been on a long trip."
"Weapons down," said one guard. "All of them."
Feeling a sense of deja vu, Jenneke complied with the order, and said, "You heard the man, boys."
The others in the platoon followed suit, and at spear-point, they were led off to another room.
"Who are you?" said one soldier, his insignia indicating that he outranked Jenneke, but he did not bother to introduce himself.
"I'm Sergeant Jenneke, Special Operations, Avernum Army," he replied. "The rest of my platoon here is Thissa, Nigel, Feodoric, and Michael."
"I'm sure you are," replied the soldier, as a junior soldier scribbled down the names, handing the page to a mute mage apprentice who scurried from the room. "We'll check that out. Where'd you come from?"
"You mean most recently, sir?" said Jenneke.
"No, I want to know where you were born," snapped the soldier. "Of course most recently, you stupid fuckwit."
"Yes sir," said Jenneke. "We were in the lands of the vahnatai, and they made a portal to bring us home."
"Why did you come here?" said the soldier.
"We didn't know where we were going to end up, sir," said Jenneke. "Not exactly, anyhow. I thought we might end up in Formello, where we started out at."
"Formello? What were you doing in Formello?" said the soldier.
A wizard entered the room, and cast a spell on the platoon members. Jenneke didn't feel different than he had before, and wondered just what the spell was for, but thought it better not to ask.
Hours of questioning followed, the soldiers finally begrudgingly believing the tale the Jenneke told of getting posted for a short mission to Fort Ganrick just before the barriers had gone up, arriving there to get stuck in that section of Avernum and after the Ganrick mission was over, being at liberty until they came to Formello again, and Mayor Amtar had asked them to follow the path revealed by the vahnatai apparition, about the journey down river, and the vahnatai.
Soldiers led them to another room, a small bunk room with an adjoining room with table and chairs.
"Do not leave until told," said one of the soldiers.
Jenneke sank down onto one of the chairs, and said, "I don't believe it."
"Would you believe the story if it had not happened to us?" said Feodoric.
A mute mage apprentice entered the room, and for a moment, the door was opened, and they could see that they were under guard. The apprentice, however, was carrying a tray with food and drink, of better quality than would normally be given to prisoners, and with a silent bow, departed the room.
The next day, there was another apprentice bringing them breakfast, and shortly after that, they were escorted to yet another room.
The young official there said, "Good morning, gentlemen. My name is Anaximander, and I've been asked to speak to you regarding these recent events."
"Sure," said Jenneke. "What do you want to know?"
Then followed a long series of questions about the vahnatai, their homes and weapons, and about the Crystal Souls.
"You are in the Tower of Magi," said Anaximander. "We will have you taken back to your room. Please, stay out of the way while we figure out what is to be done about the vahnatai."
Back in the room, Jenneke said, "Well, at least we're home."
"Why do I feel like we're in even more danger than before?" said Nigel.
"Because we are in more danger than ever before," said Jenneke. "If we don't get them Crystal Souls back, and if that one guy was right, that we're going to have to go waltzing into the Empire strongholds ... We're probably half-dead right now, anyway."
They rested again, and on the next morning, when the apprentice brought their breakfast, Jenneke noted that there were no longer guards watching them at the door.
Once breakfast was over, Jenneke started picking up his things, and said, "Let's go. Someone's got to have new orders for us."
As he started out with the rest of his platoon, he saw a note pinned to the door. He took it off, and read aloud, "Please come and see me in my chambers as soon as possible. They are on the second tier."
Peering over, Feodoric looked at the signature, his eyes bugging out as he said, "Mahdavi?"
"Yeah," said Jenneke, folding the note. "Seems we're going to be dealing with the high mucky-mucks from now on. Let's go."