Chapter 13: Answers I

"Dragon Riders? Seriously?"

"Soldiers outfitted with Ahamkara remains," Ikharos answered instantly.

Xiān bobbed up and down in an approximation of a nod. "Fine. Dangerous, though."

"Likely the reason they fell. One, under the control of a Wish-Dragon, turned on his fellows and ended their reign. Which then resulted in this Imperial regime taking power during the power vacuum."

"How would they even kill each others' dragons in the first place?"

"I don't know. Perhaps they salvaged weaponry from the Exodus Prime. Or maybe they were already dead. Bones are powerful enough."

"Something had to kill them. If it wasn't the people, then what?"

"Warmind. Ahamkara can't affect them. They have no desire, only directives."

"And the human colonists would have been perfect prey... you might be onto something."

Ikharos agreed. Finally, something made some measure of sense. It was far from a full picture, but it was definite progress. He returned to camp with a spring in his step. Progress felt good.

They said their goodbyes to those they befriended amongst the Traders and carried onwards. Their heading was eastwards, circumventing the massive fjord resting between the northern tip of the Spine and inland, and towards the Ceunon region. It, like Kuasta, was isolated from the empire - though only by distance in its case. It was a perfect place to replicate the slaughter in the south.

The wilderness once more tested their fortitude and patience. Tellesa and Edmont silently took on the challenge, but Ikharos suspected it would be the last attempt. They were growing weary. They hadn't had much time to grieve, and for a while the thoughts of vengeance had distracted them ably enough, but even he was beginning to think their efforts were in vain. They had traveled for almost half a year without any sign of their quarry, and it weighed on them.

Then he found it. A trace of Darkness after a few days of traveling away from Carvahall. Like a bloodhound, Ikharos honed in on it with renewed determination and sharpened Light.

The Imperial convoy had a sizable force. No horde meant to raze entire cities to the ground, but enough troops to prove an irksome distraction. Ikharos could have destroyed them with a well-placed Nova Bomb, but he'd need all his power to take on the Shade.

From atop the valley, looking down on their quarry at last, the three whispered among themselves.

"Imperials!" Tellesa hissed. "They're with the Shade! That's why he ran into the heart of the Empire! Bastards!"

"Yellow-bellied cravens, sending that monster to kill us," Edmont said darkly. "When I get my hands on them..."

"It explains a lot. Like why the Shade even destroyed Kuasta in the first place." Ikharos inspected the convoy. The soldiers were better equipped than Urgals and even from a glance he could tell they were better led, with formations and officers in plenty. They were bringing some sort of cargo south. The Shade led the way atop a black horse draped in chainmail, clearly unafraid of anything and everything.

"He still has your sword," Xiān noted, floating beside him. The Imperials and their monstrous leader were still some miles away, far down in the forested valley, and following a wide road formed of beaten earth and the rare scattered cobblestone. "But I don't see it on him."

"Dammit. I wanted that back. Think he handed it up to someone else?"

"How do we get to him?" Tellesa demanded. "There's too many!"

Ikharos unslung his Zen Meteor and laid prone on the ground, directing the sights along the convoy and then to the cranium of the red-haired Shade. "I have a way around that."

"But... don't mages have wards?"

"Unless he has a Major-class shield generator, we won't have a problem."

"It's just that easy?"

"Yes," Ikharos paused. "Tell me when. I'll have a clear shot for a while yet."

"I... really, just like this?" Her anger hadn't disappeared entirely, but the lack of any challenge seemed to surprise her.

"Yes."

"Then... go ahead!"

Ikharos fired. The rifle utilized electroencephalography to draw energy from his mind and converted it into concussive ammunition. Every theory, every idea, every thought he mulled over powered the force contained within the bullet. It ripped out of the barrel with a fearsome roar. The Shade had incredible reflexes, noticing the sound mere milliseconds after the bullet left the barrel, and it began to turn his head just when the bullet impacted with his skull. The round then released its energy in a burst of Solar, exploding beautifully. The horse, now utterly terrified, bucked and threw off what remained of the Shade. The scorched and torn flesh, now missing a head and shoulders, melted away into a dark mist.

He didn't need to turn the sight on the soldiers to know what was happening. He could already imagine their panic.

"The Shade is dead," Ikharos reported.

His companions stared at him. Tellesa laughed hysterically, turned around, and began walking back to camp. The sailor followed her, uncharacteristically quiet.

Ikharos grimaced. The hunt had ended in an admittedly lackluster way. It was... underwhelming. He glanced back down the valley with a frown. If that was the best Kepler could offer, then cleaning the world up would prove a simple procedure.

He unequipped his sniper rifle and strolled off.

Tellesa paced. Edmont brooded. Ikharos skinned and sliced potatoes. He suspected like potato wedges would go well with the rabbit they caught earlier.

Tellesa stopped. "That's it?" She cried out. "Just... that?!"

Ikharos shrugged. "Most of my time is spent trying to draw a target out in the open to make the shot. It's much easier here, when no one expects it"

"All it took was to shoot one weapon?! That's a Shade!"

"Not anymore. Now it's dead."

"I don't... I can't..."

"Sit down and breathe." There was his third potato. Traveler above, he missed oven chips.

"I..." Tellesa collapsed. Her voice faded to a sad whisper. "It's over."

"Our purpose is fulfilled." Ikharos didn't look up. "Vengeance is met."

"Oh, Kuirst..." Tears streamed from her eyes. Tellesa hugged her legs. "I lost... no." She looked up. "No! It's not over! The Imperials, they were friends with that fucking monster!"

"Yes, they are and I- OWW, PSEKISK KAR RI!" Ikharos snarled. His blade had slipped had sunk right to the bone. Xiān was there in an instant, throwing a wave of light over the profusely bleeding thumb joint. It was mended within moments. Ikharos grabbed a flask of water and washed the blood away. "Kar tu mir!"

"Oh no!" Xiān called out with tired amusment. "He's speaking the demon language!"

Ikharos glared at her. No one picked at his choice of words after that After some time, when the food was cooking over the fire, he sat back and turned his attention to his quiet companions. Tellesa met his gaze.

"What now?" She asked, her voice subdued.

Ikharos tilted his head. "Was the storyteller in Carvahall truthful? Vroenguard was the home of those... Dragon Riders, yes?"

"Aye," Edmont nodded. "'Tis. Why?"

"Then that's where I'm going."

Both rebels looked to him in surprise.

"But..." Tellesa fumbled for the words. "What about the empire?!"

Ikharos raised an eyebrow. "What about it? It lost its Shade. The rest of it can wait some time yet."

"But... everything we fought for! You'll just toss it aside?!"

"No. The empire requires dismantling, I agree, but it isn't my immediate concern. Ahamkara - alive or dead - pose a bigger threat. I don't know how those old stories began, but dragons are vile creatures. I need to ensure they can't do anyone any harm. And, if I'm lucky, Vroenguard might have the archives I'm looking for. If the Riders were so powerful, they must have accumulated quite a collection of books."

Neither of the rebels responded with anything other than shock. Edmont looked so crestfallen it broke his heart. Tellesa stormed off, expression dark with fury.

Ikharos grumbled under his breath. He could have phrased that better. But his mission still stood, and that was most important of all. He knew the realities of what threatened both their world and his own.

"I'm leaving." He told them. "I'm going to find a way to Vroenguard and resume my purpose here."

"You'll just let the empire murder and enslave?" Tellesa asked him in a dangerously quiet tone.

Ikharos hardened his gaze. "I'm trying to protect your entire world, but I can't without understanding the past. " He sighed. "But I don't want to leave either of you to the empire's hands. Come with me."

"We fight the empire," Edmont told him. "That is all we have left. The Varden is our fate."

"Then..." Ikharos trailed off. "I see. You'll want to see Jeod in that case, correct?"

The sailor nodded slowly.

Ikharos looked away. "Then we can continue onwards, up to the coast. I... I am sorry, you know. I understand your struggle. I sympathize with it, I really do, but my duties take me elsewhere."

Neither replied. It was as if a rift had been put between them. He couldn't imagine it would remove itself anytime soon.

They were unhurried in their trek towards the western coast. They passed through the Palancar Valley and Therinsford once more, but with the Traders having moved on, there wasn't anything to stop for. They hiked through the massive pass that split the Spine in the north and continued onwards. At one point Ikharos recognized their surroundings and the landmarks. He knew Doramb was nearby. He hoped Rirmand and his people were faring well.

"What will you do?" Tellesa asked one day, in the midst of a hike

Ikharos glanced at her nervously. She hadn't spoken to him directly in some time, and he didn't want to ruin this. "What do you mean?"

She waved towards the glittering sea that now loomed in the distance. "Vroenguard is an island. There's a stretch of ocean between."

"I'll hire a ship at Narda."

She shook her head. "No one sails to Vroenguard. It's too dangerous."

"Then I'll sail the ship myself."

"Do you hear yourself?"

"Yes," he told her. "I do. I can't afford to be gentle or law-abiding, not with the Hive breathing down our necks."

"Your enemies are not here. Ours are," Tellesa argued.

"The moment the Hive arrive, it's over. I can't fight them all off."

"What would the home of the Riders even have to offer?"

"Knowledge. And that is power."

Narda hadn't changed in the slightest. The only difference was that the markets were notably less busy. There was less produce to sell in the dead of winter, Ikharos supposed. Little had changed in his band either. Edmont and Tellesa still opposed his plan. They wanted to find a way to rejoin the Varden, but they wanted him to fight too - and that was an impossibility.

Ikharos dropped two bags of golden coins and a box of ammunition on a table in the tavern they were staying in. "This should help you along to Teirm and farther, if you wish."

Other patrons in the tavern glanced at them occasionally. The large sum hadn't gone unnoticed.

Tellesa scowled. "That's it? After everything we've done, you're just going to send us away?"

"You're sending yourself away," Ikharos snapped, his patience having run out. "I have my plan and you have yours. That is all it is." He stepped away. "Goodbye."

Ships were costly, but Ikharos was willing to give up every last crown he had. He almost did, for a well-crafted byrding. The owner, a richly dressed merchant, blinked and accepted the small fortune with some surprise. The ship was newly built and in good condition. It was small enough that he could feasibly sail it on his own. The only problem with that was he never sailed before. All he had to go on was memory of watching the sailors at work when he was on a ship sailing to Teirm and when Edmont seized an Imperial vessel. If worst came to worst and he messed up, Xiān would know what to do.

But before he set off from the coast, his former companions paid him a final visit. Ikharos prepared for another argument. He was wholly unprepared for the bone-crushing embrace.

"I'm sorry," Tellesa whispered. "I know you have your own war... But please, when you are finished, help us."

"I'll try?"

As soon as Tellesa stepped back, Edmont dragged the Risen into a bearhug. "Ye fecker."

Ikharos raised an eyebrow. "Noted."

"We'll miss ye."

"And I you. Be safe, both of you."

Edmont held him at arm's length and looked past to the Warlock's sea-faring vessel. "Use oars to get out, then sails when ye're in the open. Yer magic will do wonders in the open."

"I gathered as much. Thank you."

"Avoid storms if ye can. Hit dangerous waves head on. Yer ship will cut right through it."

Ikharos smiled. "I will do all of that. As for you, don't pick fights or draw unwanted attention. Lay low. Tellesa, that Tigerspite is yours to do with as you please. I know you'll use it responsibly, but don't flaunt it before the Imperials."

"Alright..." She bowed her head. "Thank you."

"And you." He retreated back to the byrding, untied the ropes mooring it, and pushed off. He waved to Tellesa and Edmont and, oar in hand, directed the ship out of the small bay.

Sailing was difficult work, but he found it enjoyable all the same. Even now, with the waves rocking his small ship and the wind pulling at the sails, he couldn't help but feel alive.

He had disobeyed one of Edmont's warnings and headed straight into a storm. There wasn't any room to avoid it. It was massive, too powerful for him to do anything other than preserve his craft from the worst punishments. Rain pelted him as he worked to save the sails, he almost lost his balance on numerous occasions, and he feared lightning striking the mast every second of the way. He worked diligently, despite the harsh treatment, and kept the ship in one piece.

Ikharos didn't know if he was making any progress. Xiān told him he was on the right track, at least. He didn't have time to look at her holographic map to check for himself. For all he knew, he could have been floating down to Teirm. Every minute was spent bucketing out water, moving the rudder to face the next incoming wave, or keeping up a weak Arc-influenced shield around the vessel to ward away the worst of the elements.

He was in the eye of the storm and it was angry. He swore it must have been a typhoon. It was only his Light that allowed him to survive it. If he had been mortal he would have been dragged to the depths long ago.

A week after and he finally had an opportunity to rest. His joints ached and his muscles burned with exhaustion. The storm had passed on, at last. The ocean's surface was left calm and still, the sunlight shimmering on the surface, making it seem like paradise in comparison.

"We're close," his Ghost told him. "The winds were in our favour."

Are they?

"We should reach land in about four more..." Xiān paused. "Uh, Ikharos?"

"What?"

"Uh... something's moving out there."

Ikharos groaned and forced himself upright. "Where?"

His Ghost nodded towards their portside. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just a few ripples that didn't seem entirely natural. He stared at it suspiciously and cautiously reached for a weapon.

"Shark?" Xiān asked quietly.

"Sharks don't make air bubbles," the Warlock reminded her, his own voice equally hushed.

"Oh. Whale?"

"Maybe."

"I hope so. Remember that big blue near the Canaries? That was cool. Funny how something so big can be so quiet. Scared the shit out of Eris. I've never seen her so panicked."

He did remember. "That was the day you conveniently forgot to inform us of decompression sickness."

The Ghost winced. It had been unpleasant for all involved. "Yeah, sorry about-"

The ship lurched. Ikharos was nearly thrown off by the force of it, though he managed to grab hold of a rowing bench. His eyes darted around for the threat, but he didn't see anything. He held his Lumina close. "Xiān? Out of sight."

She disappeared. Ikharos crawled over to the edge and looked down.

Something sizable launched itself from the water and lunged for him. Ikharos backpedaled and scarcely escaped the fangs filling the massive maw. The ivories instead sunk into the wood of the byrding and tore a hole in the hull. The planks were sheared away with ease. The beast had a long angular head with powerful jaws reminiscent of a crocodile, with bony crests sprouting large whisper-like tendrils above its brow. It looked large enough to bite him in half.

Ikharos lifted his Lumina and was about to fire when his whole world turned upside down. The creature was pulled away with a high-pitched squeal by something much, much larger. The bigger sea monster had struck with such force it capsized the ship, turning it on its side and tossing Ikharos overboard. The water he fell into was beyond cold, and as he surfaced, Ikharos gasped for breath. The icy shock of it had struck the breath from his lungs.

He looked up in time to see the bigger creature slam back into the water and disappear below. He swam as fast as he could to the upturned boat and clambered onto the wooden hull. He still, miraculously, had his cannon in hand. This time he watched for anything, even bubbles, but all was well for a few minutes.

The sea monster surfaced once more, much farther out, leaping from the water and turning in the air as a whale would. Another creature, only marginally smaller than it, copied the dance. Then, after gravity pulled them back down, they craned their long necks above the water and tore the first beast apart between them. With a shock Ikharos realized they were all the same species, even the one they were eating. Their bodies were ridiculously long, half of it all paddle-like tails ending in flukes, and from the torso sprouted four powerful oar-like limbs. He thought for a moment that they might be Ahamkara, but assuming the exact same form as one another and the lack of any paracausal presence pulled him away from that assumption.

Even so, it was obvious they weren't Earth-based animals.

The largest of the two still living had flushed its tendrils a deep red and splayed them out. The other swam around it, appearing to inspect it, then dove below. The larger bellowed in irritation and hit the surface of the water with its limbs. Ikharos deducted that it was likely a mating ritual. The male had attempted to impress the female and even made an offering - one that was coincidentally of a younger member of their species. Obviously, their own kind weren't off the menu. And the female was still not quite taken with him. He needed something else.

When the beast's head turned towards the boat and its beady eyes settled on Ikharos, he figured he knew what form the next tribute would take.

"Shit," he swore. The sea monster was came right for him, closing the sizable distance within seconds. He opened fire with his cannon, hitting its armoured back and flanks, and did little more than antagonize the beast. It dived briefly and struck up from beneath, its massive jaw closing down on the byrding with a snap. He was helpless to stop it. Ikharos Blinked out of the way and found himself tumbling down the beast's back. He reached out and by luck managed to grab one of the brow-tendrils. When the beast fell into the ocean, he hung on. He reckoned it couldn't bite him where he was, though it knew it too and decided on a different tactic.

It dove down, twenty or possibly thirty metres, then surged upwards, leaping once more. It angled itself so that the water slammed into Ikharos and hit him like concrete. He winced as his body was bashed horribly, taking out his personal shield, and his grip on the tendril slipped. The sea monster darted away, turned around, and swam right for him. Once again he Blinked out of the way. It tried that approach more, and he repeatedly evaded it. Anywhere else he would have kept his calm and dealt with the problem in brutal efficiency, but in the water he was too far out of his element. The ocean was the domain of the predator before him.

Frustrated with its inability to catch the Risen, the mind of the beast slammed into the Warlock, catching him by surprise. The maw nearly caught him as he fended off the mental attack. The intelligence of the beast was startling, but filled with rage, hunger, and instinct. It was determined to kill him. Its pride demanded it.

Ikharos's lungs burned. He Blinked up, over the next strike of its fearsome jaws, and broke the surface. He gathered the Void with him and turned his rise into a prolonged glide. His hands came together and began to carefully weave an inescapable reality, an orb of potent antimatter. When the beast jumped from the ocean after him, he tossed the Nova Bomb straight at it. It hit the sea monster directly, eliciting a wailing scream. He didn't have enough time to glide out of the way and the dying beast hit him with all the force of a Fallen Skiff.

When he gathered the effort to open his eyes, he realized he wasn't alone. Living things swam before him, shifting images on a blurry field. He couldn't see much through the daze he was left in after his tussle with the sea beast. His side burned with agony and he was spluttering sea water from lungs that screamed for air. He was left defenseless, completely. If he had the energy to talk, he'd order his Ghost to put him out of his misery and revive him. But he couldn't, which left him to the mercy of whatever sea-going fauna surrounded him now. His head dipped below the surface briefly, long enough to hear the clicking and chirping. That threw his addled mind for a spin.

Something gently brushed past him, under his arm, and started moving again. Whatever it was, it was different to the sea monster of before, with smooth skin and an upright dorsal fin. Another moved by his other side and touched his injured side. Ikharos grunted, overcome by pain, and blacked out once more.

When he woke up, his head was pounding and the sunlight glared right down into his eyes. He felt stiff and his armour was worse for wear. The waves gently lapped his feet with a gentle lull that put him at ease for just a few moments. As his eyes adjusted, Ikharos forced himself into a sitting position and looked around. The pale sandy beach spread out forever on either side of him. Behind him were rolling sand dunes topped with fields of marram grass and in front was the crystal clear water of the open ocean.

Xiān floated down beside him. "You're finally alive."

"Did you-"

"No." She flew in close. "They, uh, saved your life and brought you here."

His eyes narrowed. "They?"

His Ghost didn't crack a joke or slide in a sarcastic jib. That alone was enough to warn him something was off. "Dolphins."

Ikharos' head snapped straight in the direction of the ocean. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Did they... speak?"

"I wasn't able to slow them down. They were dead set on bringing you here."

"Dolphins..." Ikharos tried the fantastical, mythical word. The wonder it invoked in him was staggering.

Headache forgotten, Ikharos leapt to his feet and waded out into the water. Nothing disturbed the surface. They were very much gone, but his longing for their company remained. "Dolphins..."

"I know." His Ghost perched on his shoulder. "I can't believe it either. Edmont was telling the truth."

"Have you got a geiger counter?"

"No?" Ikharos paused his march across the beach.

"Well, I have one. Kinda. And it's not saying good things. We might had a bit of an issue."

"Psekisk," Ikharos cursed. "Armour, quick."

"We don't have much Glimmer left."

"This is worth it."

Xiān moved her fins in a shrug. "Suit yourself."

His Ghost flew before the damaged part of armour - the side where the sea monster had ripped through the protective fabric - and started filling it in with programmable matter which she rapidly converted into plasteel and hadronic fiber, replacing both damaged and absent parts. "How bad is it?"

"I don't know."

"Damn. It might have something to do with the Exodus Prime."

"Maybe?"

Ikharos started walking. The nearby mountain ranges looked like hell to cross. They had landed on the island's south-eastern headland. If he followed the coast north, he reckoned he find an easier route to follow into the centre of the landmass.

He'd walked all night and only on the second day did he find any sign of sentient life. Brightly coloured crabs skittered across the sand, all of them headed in one direction. There had to be a few dozen of them. A single seabird shrieked from somewhere above, going the same way as the crustraceans. Ikharos followed them on a whim.

Climbing over a sand dune, he soon discovered the reason for their migration. The sea monster from before lay on the beach, dead. His Nova Bomb had burned a crater into its corded neck and shoulder, leaving a grievously fatal wound. Washed up on the shore as it was, he was able to see just how truly gigantic it really was. It was twice as long as a Cabal Thresher, and as wide as a Harvester. Its chest cavity had been opened up in a rough display of amateurish surgery. A few organs had been removed and thrown aside for the crabs to feast upon. Those who he suspected had done the cutting stood by the opened ribcage. The sunlight reflected off the silver armour of one; the other wore a lighter garb of black leather and cloth. Neither had anything to insulate them against the radiation. Curious, Ikharos approached, stepping over the ravenous crabs. They saw him earlier than he thought they would, twirling around with weapons drawn.

Ikharos had just held up his hands to indicate his peaceful intentions when one of them surged forward, faster than any human should have been capable of with a sword in hand. At the exact moment the strange not-human moved a psychic attack assailed his mind. Ikharos's good mood vanished instantly. He brought up his mental blocks and sidestepped the swordsman.

His attacker wasn't of the baseline humans that populated the foreign world, but neither was he a lumbering Urgal. He was tall, with a slim body, pointed ears, and angled facial features, and from the way he moved he seemed very light weight-wise. His speed was on par with that of the Shade - and Guardians - and that caught Ikharos off-guard. The sword too was unusua; the blade a sleek scarlet resembling a crystallized flame. Ikharos grasped the offending arm when it flicked out. The neohuman gasped with surprise, just a soft intake of air, but it was enough of a momentary distraction for Ikharos to take advantage of. He quickly snapped the arm at the elbow and tried to shatter the neohuman's knee with a kick. His victim grunted but moved just enough that the Warlock's boot glanced off the leg, bruising but not breaking.

The neohuman twisted his body to get out of Ikharos' grip, his still-functioning arm catching his longsword. Ikharos stayed close and adapted to every movement, keeping his foe from any chance of escape. He punched, hard, into the neohuman's side and felt something give way, be it armour or bone. Then the stranger muttered something Ikharos couldn't quite catch. An unnatural force slammed into him and tossed him aside. Ikharos tumbled across the sandy beach and rolled back to his feet. He drew his Lumina and fired. The neohuman shifted, reacting faster than any basline human would have. The bullet grazed his neck.

The second neohuman jumped into the fray and flanked Ikharos, while the wounded one pressed him for all his worth. Even one handed, the creature was an incredible duelist, and both of them closed the distance too quickly for Ikharos to fire another shot. He instead drew his knife, parried the scarlet blade and dodged back from the second attacker's weapon. That sword, too, was similar to the first in that it was forged of an equally odd material. The saber's blade was the colour of oak, but there was no denying the makeup was metal as it whistled through the air. Ikharos was under no illusion that both blades could likely pierce his personal shields and armour with ease, just like the weapon of the Shade.

"You fool!" The second neohuman snarled. For some reason, the Warlock was under the impression that she was scolding her compatriot rather than him. "Always so quick to kill!"

"Shut it!" The male snarled and pressed the attack, his weapon moving faster than the human eye could follow. Ikharos's short knife let him down in that respect, making each and every parry or deflect a struggle. He tried shooting his cannon again, but the second neohuman was always there to keep him occupied. With a scowl, Ikharos summoned his Void to end the fight with brutal efficiency, feeling it coursing through his limbs, surrounding his body. His mind walked the nullscape and-

He almost yelped as one of his attackers managed a direct hit, cutting off his concentration. The scarlet blade pierced his abdomen with ease, shattering his shield. Not to be outdone, Ikharos slammed a gauntleted fist into the face of his would-be killer, breaking his nose. He would have done worse if the second creature hadn't decapitated him.

"Psekisk!" Ikharos cursed, shaking the death from his limbs. His found his cannon was gone. There was no sign of his killers either. At the very least he had his... "My knife too?!"

"Yup." Xiān looked about. Ikharos seethed. The cannon was one thing, but the knife made things personal.

The neohumans had left faint tracks in the sand. With barely a glance for the gigantic sea beast - now being torn apart by a horde of hungry crabs - Ikharos set off after the strangers. He was pissed.