ARC 6 - CRISIS
Chapter 45: The New Regime
Perspective: Voidblade
The desert was barren. Miles of sand, with rare shrubs serving as the only progress markers. Only two things merited any attention at all. The first was a carriage bearing a sun-bleached imprint of the Tower insignia, flipped on its side like a wounded animal. The second was a conspicuous patch of fertile land about ten paces in diameter. A small, gravel road wound across it - probably the source of the carriage. Neither object yielded anything more than faint interest.
The overlapping of "Dimensional Sandwich Layers" fascinated Voidblade, personally. The world outside the End looked strange enough on its own, it became almost beautifully surreal when ripped about and stitched back together like this. But he wasn't there for pretty landscapes. He teleported around until he found the edges of the desert to the North, South, East and West, and he swept around with a telescope when he reached each boundary. There was nothing. No sign of a Tower installation.
He pulled the list of locations out from beneath a string on his wrist, and, after writing a brief description of his discoveries, put an 'X' next to the final entry. No luck in three weeks. Even the outposts were being abandoned in favour of reconsolidation in the heart of Nexus. Any portals were left thoroughly irrecoverable. He and his scouts were no closer to discovering the facility.
As Voidblade teleported back to the Shelter, he was almost tempted to grumble, but dismissed the impulse as a sign of human influence.
He arrived outside a small, stone pillbox, disguised beneath trees and shrubs. Its inhabitants attempted to verify his identity.
"Name?"
"Voidblade."
"Rank?"
"Scout Captain."
"Purpose of excursion."
Voidblade closed his eyes and thought carefully on the words Lucy had asked him to memorise before setting out. He didn't have a paper because, if the enemy found it, they would know the passphrase for this operation. Still, it was difficult to always remember the wording.
"To see the dunes, and the wooden carcass upon them," he strained.
It was easy to tell which phrases Kay had personally designed. Always formal and flowery.
The hatch on top of the pillbox opened, and Voidblade descended in. The soldiers still eyed him warily, and he kept his claws ready as he stooped down through the tight passage back to the Shelter proper. Since the Massacre at the Hill the entire population of the Shelter was jumpy, particularly around anyone who even slightly resembled a creature of the End. Officially, everyone knew Commander Fire had been possessed. His successor had made a big speech explaining "everything" at length. However, those who had seen Claw, even from a distance, knew he wasn't a mindless drone. So, rumours of treachery persisted.
After another round of questions, he was admitted through a second hatch and into the main complex of tunnels. The original entrances and exits had been reshuffled or boobytrapped, so now the main means of entrance and exit were through these outer, guerilla tunnels - easily collapsed and with many chokepoints. Importantly, they allowed access to the pillboxes, and substantial effort had been made to reforest and boobytrap the area. The plan was to create a mire. If the enemy came, they would suffer for every inch of land.
Voidblade straightened up and squinted around, his eyes adjusting to the redstone light. He saw a desk at which one of Lucy's secretaries scribbled away until his hands bled. Even more fortunately, Lucy herself was there. Voidblade didn't bother with the secretary and spoke directly to her.
"Investigations unsuccessful. No sign of a portal facility. Outposts abandoned. Desert sighting a hoax. Were my scouts luckier?"
Lucy looked up. "Sadly no, it's the same everywhere they checked. But even if the main objective didn't succeed, intel is intel. Thank you Voidblade."
Voidblade nodded and hoped to slip off to take his leave for the day. Unfortunately, three of his scouts approached him to report information he already knew. One Enderman, a human and a testificate.
The Enderman arrived first and simply stated: "Reports submitted to the secretary. Nothing found. I may take my leave?"
Voidblade nodded and savoured the efficiency of the exchange as the scout disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. He knew the other two would have much more to say. He marched forward and indicated for them to follow.
The human babbled a description of his sites, confirming as redundant a description as Voidblade had come to expect. Outposts abandoned. Documents burned or removed. Sighted a convoy already known to exist. Voidblade dismissed him as soon as possible.
The testificate, Sergeant Raphoe, remained. Voidblade did not know what to make of him. He was in the infantry before the Massacre, and transferred very abruptly into the scouting corps. More worryingly, he volunteered rather than being reassigned, and was immediately made an officer. Voidblade couldn't help but suspect he was spying for Kay, though he didn't know exactly what that might mean.
This impression was only strengthened when the testificate had absolutely nothing to say about his reports, and instead informed Voidblade:
"Astro stopped by looking for you. Kay wants to speak with you in his chambers."
Voidblade nodded and dismissed the potential informant with a grunt.
He started towards what was once the entrance hall, and on the way, he saw a weary-looking Jennifer and Steve debating over blueprints in a room to the side. As per usual, they were spotless and there were no dark rings beneath their eyes, but their movements were sluggish, and their statements punctuated by stifled yawns. Still, their fingers were interlocked, and they gave off an aura of resigned calm.
In the entrance hall, he caught a brief glimpse of Urist carrying some iron either towards or away from the forge – the dwarf was busy switching between two conversations, one immediately ahead of and the other immediately behind him.
Another figure of interest was a mage in a black robe arguing with Astro. Astro was clearly the angrier of the two, flaring his nostrils and digging his fingers into his palms. The mage wore a confrontational smirk on her face, leaning back where Astro leaned forward as though holding something tantalisingly out of reach. Additionally, where he spoke in a long, emphatic, upsettingly human sentences, the mage offered brief, clipped responses - often because he interrupted her.
Voidblade averted his eyes and tried not to pay attention. He wanted no part in the growing tensions between Shadow's mages and Kay's leadership. The mages had all taken to wearing identical black robes at some point during their trek back to the base. Voidblade had at first wondered where they got the material from, but then remembered they were magic and gave it no further thought.
And, as their loyalty to Shadow became more evident, Kay made sure to snub her. He made a great many public appearances within the Shelter, but he carefully controlled who he appeared alongside. Where Tyron, Rose, Destiny and Astro were fixtures in his entourage, he only met Shadow in person behind closed doors - in the Command Room. Otherwise, he sent messengers like Astro to formally, often publicly issue instructions to her. Lucy, Urist and Jennifer received similar treatment. It wasn't as insulting with Jennifer, as he just asked Steve to convey messages in an informal capacity - though it still indicated distrust.
Voidblade was not in the entourage, but he also hadn't been snubbed. He was happy with this middle route.
"Iridia," Astro hissed, "I know you lot delight in making my job difficult, but this is really not a political matter. Did Shadow have a lesson with the boy today?"
"The child spoke to his mentor. Is that a lesson?"
"As we've established, no, not necessarily."
"Then, why are you so concerned about who our master speaks to?"
Astro placed a hand on her shoulder and stared wearily into the acolyte's eyes.
"...Answer the bloody question, Iridia."
Voidblade tuned the spat out and teleported into a blank spot. He did not want to risk Astro flagging him down to see if Sergeant Raphoe had delivered his message and accidentally entangling him in the standoff. The further he could stay from human squabbles, the happier Voidblade would be.
He then passed the training room, which had been enlarged even further as topside exercises were now banned. He caught a glimpse of Tyron and Warnado sparring. The child had become obsessed with improving his hand-to-hand combat abilities. When they fought, he used no combat spells, only magic which helped him evade the attacks of Tyron, whose fists were covered in large quantities of soft but heavy cloth.
As Voidblade looked in, the Dragoknight caught Warnado in the head and sent him sprawling, before apologising profusely. The child didn't even hesitate before rising and declaring, "No, don't worry, I'll do it right this time."
He turned away from the route to the Command Room and crossed the threshold into the officers' quarters. He heard a clatter of tools to his right.
"So, what's the plan here?" Amanda grunted as she set the box down. "What does this stuff do?"
The box contained an assortment of things, including a jar filled with yellowish grains as well as the shattered remains of a blade made from a shiny, dark-grey steel.
"Just a couple of things I need for my ritual, if I want to do my job as a bodyguard properly, I need to be stronger, the ritual will help me accomplish that," responded Rose.
Voidblade passed several doors onward. He looked at the large door at the end of the corridor - Fire's room, now abandoned. Maybe it was the fact that the officers' quarters were out of public view, but the new regime had left it undisturbed - a monument to the old Commander, no matter how irrecoverable he may be. Voidblade turned right and knocked on Kay's door.
"Come in," came the response.
Voidblade entered.
"Feel free to have a drink, if you wish. I know it doesn't affect your people much, but, as I said, it's there if you wish."
The redstone lights were off. Kay sat in an armchair next to a spruce table, gesturing to a bottle of brandy, several stacked glasses and another available chair. Everything had an orange hue thanks to a fireplace he'd asked Steve to install shortly after he got back. Kay's brace lay open in the corner, but the cane was propped against his leg. Voidblade had been skeptical at first, but it appeared Claw had done quite serious damage to his knee.
"We do not need to drink," Voidblade responded in what he felt was a polite tone of refusal. He elevated the pitch of his voice slightly in an attempt to emulate human friendliness. "Water hurts our tissue, we have no liquid in the End, safe the juice of the Chorus Fruit."
"Then I shall see if we can obtain some Chorus for the next feast, assuming we ever have something to celebrate again," he snorted knowingly. "And a choir, perhaps. A chorus to sing and a Chorus to drink."
The new Commander was smiling, but while many human nuances were lost on Voidblade, he could tell when they were tense. He decided to ingratiate himself with the boss as best he could.
"Alcohol is also acceptable in high concentrations," Voidblade adopted a grimace not unlike a grin. He felt unclean.
Kay's smile in turn became slightly less strained. He poured Voidblade a drink.
"You know, Voidblade," he murmured. "I hope I don't come across as closed-off from you. Endlings have done terrible things to humans in my world, as your humans have done terrible things to your kind. However, one thing that remains constant across all species of Endling I've encountered since I arrived here is that lack of liquid. Even the Chorus Fruit is scarce. Your scales can almost universally withstand the Void. You're a hardy people, whatever shape you take."
Voidblade shifted his feet as the Commander offered him a large measure. He took the glass and began to sip at it. The taste was sharp, bitter and faintly sweet in the aftertaste.
"Thank you," he said uncomfortably, trying not to acknowledge Kay's slightly tipsy commentary on the Enderborn.
"And yourself, of course, your service has been venerable throughout. You volunteered for Fire's expedition, you helped build this place, and you've done excellent work in combat. Our formations did not prove as effective as I'd hoped at… at The Hill, so having yourself and the other Endlings in our ranks to flank and run the counteroffensive saved many lives. We certainly couldn't have lost any more than we did without losing the army altogether."
Voidblade fought the urge to nod. Most of the remaining Jackals had deserted almost immediately after the battle. Even after the leadership clarified what had happened, some others still deserted. They had around 800 soldiers left on active duty, with various civilians now being given rudimentary training in preparation for any impending attack. If many more had died, they would have been lucky to avoid a full mutiny.
"And, naturally, your scouting work, which is the reason I've called you here and the reason we're drinking."
He stood up and hobbled over to a map desk, beckoning Voidblade over. A charter of the lands North of the Tower was laid out with a series of pins.
"I think I've cracked the location, based on your reports."
Voidblade's eyes widened involuntarily, and he leaned in in silent anticipation.
"Your reports have been noting the gradual abandoning of outposts, and the destruction of portals. However, up until now we haven't been able to figure out a clear pattern. The thing is, we weren't thinking about what goes through the portals and where they might come out.
"Now, most convoys coming in towards the Tower itself are carrying weaponry and armour, most of those going out are the same. But then, you noted a substantive convoy entering a portal here a few days ago. Weaponry and armour were there, yes, but importantly it was mostly food and water. That portal was confirmed still standing just today."
He tapped a pin emphatically and grinned like a showman.
"The next day, one of your scouts observes a convoy of similar size exit from a portal here." Another emphatic tap. "What was it carrying? Almost exclusively food and water, even fewer weapons. This is stocking somewhere up. He couldn't follow it and had to leave because a patrol got too close for comfort, but he was able to note the portal's location. We confirmed it today. That portal was destroyed. They're hiding something out here."
Voidblade furrowed his brows and looked at the map. That they were shipping large quantities of food and water suggested it was a desert, and there was a stretch of desert there, but it was a large desert. And it was just one portal destruction.
"And I know what you're thinking. That's still a massive area to search, and what if they just travelled to another portal. That's what I thought, but then we followed reports of another sustenance convoy going toward the same area from the far side. Again, the portal it exited from was destroyed afterwards. Our scout was also warned to look out for patrols, and able to follow it for a substantial length of time. Patrols were even more prevalent. And he got far enough to confirm that it was entering the desert. We also confirmed a third water convoy coming in from even further North - not guaranteed to go all the way down, but certainly shooting in the right direction. There's something in there Voidblade, don't you think?"
He was grinning madly and Voidblade felt a sudden pounding in his chest. He almost forgot that Kay had just admitted to giving his scouts instructions of which he had been unaware. This might actually be the site he had spent the last week looking for.
"I want you to investigate as soon as you are able. I appreciate that you're likely tired, as with the other scouts-"
"Give me two hours."
Kay laughed and clapped him on the arm.
"You absolute madman, there's the spirit we need to win this war!"
Voidblade nodded and resumed his grimace. It felt less unclean, but he still felt strangely uneasy. He began to walk away when Kay stopped him. He scribbled down a note and placed it in Voidblade's hand. It read:
Would you be able to swing by Shadow before you leave? Tell her I've been meaning to talk to her about the incident. Writing this to ensure she doesn't already know before you tell her. ;)
He winked in what was supposed to be an innocent manner, then returned to his map desk.
Voidblade gritted his teeth. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of. Then again, he was only the messenger, not necessarily a partisan. Shadow would understand, he hoped. Then again, she had been acting strange ever since she achieved this 'Void state'. Voidblade didn't feel as inherently disoriented around her as some of the humans did, but even he had to admit there was something wrong about her aura now. Nothing in the Overworld should be so immersed in the Void, not Enderborn, not human, not anything.
He bit the bullet and warped to Shadow's improvised seminary. Her mages had claimed a section of the barracks. They had begun tearing down some of the walls to create a bigger communal area that they used for training and general social interaction. The leadership had tried to object but in the light of the recent losses there really were few arguments against them using up more barrack space.
Voidblade landed in the corner of one of their expanded rooms and scanned it for Shadow, spotting her at a table with three others, who Voidblade assumed to be some of her more powerful mages, judging by their slightly more elaborate robes.
While Shadow looked mostly like her old self, there was something about her that had undeniably and permanently changed. It was more a feeling than something you could spot. Just like Voidblade had thought earlier, something about her felt wrong. Despite her now frequently bad mood, she seemed to have at least a decent time talking with her mages.
"Shadow," he said with a polite bow. "Kay wishes to see you."
He scrunched the paper in his hand. He silently prayed she wouldn't ask to see it.
She sighed. "Ah. That's what he was trying to be funny about. If the commander requests my presence, I guess I should oblige."
Voidblade bowed again, then left. He was unscathed, for the moment. For the first time, he wished his emotions had been easier to read, because then she might have understood how unwilling a part he was playing in their standoff.
