Chapter 27; Into the smoking lands;

Characters of the chapter

Tiraen Tasvius Venatori Agent, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium, ambassador to Meereen, commander of the 5th expeditionary legion of Tevinter, formerly apprentice to Magister Cato Argos.

Flavius Commander in the 5th expeditionary legion of Tevinter.

Tiraen woke in her cabin. Looking out of the cabin window she noted that it was still dark outside. Nonetheless she got dressed and went to the upper deck. After greeting the captain she went to the bow of the ship, looking into the darkness. She ate a simple breakfast of water, bread and dried fruit there as well, never once removing her eyes from the horizon. Finally the darkness paled away as dawn arrived, and in that light she could finally see their destination, the Valyrian coast, a thin strip of coast in the distance, shrouded in what looked like a thick mist. If she looked closely, she could just make out the outlines of large buildings. She was still standing there looking at it when her commander, a man named Flavius appeared at her side, one of the dozen she had picked to go with her on this mission.

"My Lady, are you alright? You've been here for hours." The he said to her.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to be here. This is a sight I might never again lay my eyes on, so I should make the best of it." She replied, still not moving her eyes from the horizon.

Flavius nodded and turned his own eyes to look at the approaching coast. "All that fog… makes for quite the ominous sight does it not?"

"I suppose. But it is rather appropriate is it not? The sight before us is the echoes of a cataclysm that doomed an entire civilization. A sight like that should be ominous." She said.

"There are sailors that say the Doom you speak of still rules these lands. They say that any who lay eyes on Valyria will be forever cursed." He said, slight worry in his voice.

"Sailors say a great many things. Most of them are false." She said dismissively. "For instance I once spoke to a Meerenese sailor who insisted he had seen a Kraken the size of a mountain that could destroy whole fleets all on its own. Yet even the largest specimen noted in any books did not exceed thirty meters. Not to mock an important profession but I think the reason they tell such tales is because life at sea is dull, and what would offer more amusement than fooling clueless landlubbers?"

"I take that to mean that you don't put much stock is such stories, my Lady?" He said.

"I have no fear of them if that is what you ask. I am a mage. As one such I know how real curses would work. Beyond that I have no interest or patience in superstitions. I do respect the power that can do what was done here, and so I know to be cautious with it. But I have no fear. I intend to take that power for myself and make it serve me, because I know that I can use it for good, for the Imperium." She said.

"Perhaps you're right. Perhaps they are just stories. And yet… no one who has come here has ever returned." The commander contemplated.

"I never said there was no danger." She said. "The Veil in the peninsula has been destroyed. That alone creates plentiful hazards for us, not the least of which will be legions of wild spirits. I think there are enough real threats for us to deal with without us throwing fictional curses into the mix."

"But we have come prepared, and on that note I'd like you to assemble our team on the deck now. It's time to give them their final briefing before we make landfall." She then told the commander.

When her team was assembled she took a good look of all of them. All of them were armed with bows as well as swords and shields, the better to respond to changing circumstances they were certain to face on their journey. Each of them were good men she knew, ones she could trust her life to, members of the Venatori just like she was. People loyal to the Imperium, loyal to the Elder One, loyal to her. Every one of them had been handpicked by her for this, chosen for their skill and loyalty, the very finest her legion had to offer.

"The amulets I've given you. Show them to me." She told them, producing into her hand a bronze disk with runes carved into its surface and a smooth green stone at the center, dangling from a chain. One by one her soldiers showed her similar disks.

"Put them on." She ordered, slipping her own amulet over her head. She suppressed a wince as she felt the presence of the fade recede and vanish in her mind. She disliked being cut off from her magic this way. She sensed it as a void in her chest, so intense it made her nauseous. And it wasn't just the physical discomfort that bothered her. Her magic had always been a source of great pride to her, the completion to her being. It was the marker that entitled her to all she had and all she might yet hold. Not having it left her… reduced, handicapped, like a critical part of her was missing, leaving her a lesser creature.

Pushing her uncomfortable sensations aside, she turned her attention back to her team. "Now, listen well and understand. These amulets keep you safe. You may not sense it, but they pull the Veil around you, hiding you from the sight of any spirit. If you were to remove them even briefly while in Valyria any spirits in proximity will sense you and will attack you. If that does happen then most likely you will die, or be made into an abomination. Because of that from this point forward these amulets must be worn at all times, by all of us, even me. I cannot stress this point enough. You are to wear these when you sleep, when you fight, when you eat, when you're cleaning yourselves, when you're taking a shit… at all times." She told them with a grave voice.

"Do you understand?" She asked, to which her men responded with a chorus of acknowledgement. Yet she decided that she was not fully satisfied with how they had delivered their assurances.

"I want each of you to look me in the eye and say the words. Say that you will wear the amulets no matter what. Say it so that I believe it." She ordered.

Flavius spoke up first. "I promise it. The amulet I wear shall stay on at all times." Each of her men gave similar assurances in turn. When they were done she nodded, pleased.

"Good. Now, we will be arriving shortly. Once the ship drops anchor we will use boats to bring us ashore. Our ship will remain as close as they dare and wait for our return." She said.

"How long will they wait on us?" One of her soldiers asked.

"The provisions they carry will allow them to hold a position for around a month. If they run out they are to gather fresh supplies and return here at the first opportunity. By my orders they are to continue to do that until we return or until a full year has passed without word from us." She said.

"Now then, once we make landfall we must be careful in the extreme. The Veil has been destroyed here. As a result the Fade and the waking world are one within the peninsula. The rules of the two dimensions will have mixed, and I cannot accurately predict how those two systems will interact." She continued.

"So what does that mean in practice? Flying sharks?" One soldier asked, dead serious.

Tiraen laughed. "Not necessarily. But in the Fade thoughts can take on a life of their own. So if it works the same way here seeing as you just voiced the concept, who knows.

"It might be best to guard your thoughts here." She said then in a serious tone.

"Any idea what kind of threats we face in there?" Flavius asked.

"Spirits for certain, but the amulets should keep us safe from those. And as for other things? I think possessed creatures are extremely likely. There is also the possibility of running into stone men, since various local nations have a tendency to dump them there. If there are other threats… I guess we will find out when we face them." She said.

"Stone men? You mean people infected with grayscale? I don't know about this. I've seen what that disease does to people, and I don't want to catch that." One soldier piped up, afraid, while a number of others looked worried as well.

"I know that is a cause for concern. We will avoid contact with the infected, naturally. And if they do attack you are to use your bows to fight them at range. That should limit the risk. Beyond that we will take every precaution that none among us catch the disease. And should you contract it… then I promise that I will personally do everything in my power to see you cured. You have my word on that. I do not forsake my own." She said.

Her soldiers nodded, but many still looked uncertain.

"There is danger and difficulties on this mission, that is beyond question. But I called you here because I know in my heart that you will face those challenges and triumph over them. You are the finest soldiers the Imperium has to offer, the best I could hope for. With you by my side I know with absolute certainty that we will overcome any obstacle." She said, her praise making many of her men puff their chests with pride.

"And by your side I will be, for I will share every danger and hardship with you. I may not be able to use my magic on this mission, but nevertheless I will fight with alongside you with every means at my disposal. I will die for you if need be."

They nodded their approval, her own resolve bolstering their confidence. If she was willing to take the risk, could they do any less?

"I will do this, because I know what we fight for. We are the Venatori, the Hunters, and the foes of the Elder One are our prey! We will accomplish our mission for the good of the Imperium and the Glory of the God of Empires. For our people." She finished.

"Then for the Imperium we are with you my Lady. To the end." Flavius said. "Get the boats on water and move out men! Let's make history!" He ordered.

Sometime later she was sitting on one of two boats being rowed ashore, the bank of mist drawing ever closer, the buildings at the shoreline clearly visible. It was at the moment they entered that fog she could smell it.

"Oh. It's not fog at all…" Flavius said next to her.

"It's smoke." She finished for him, the both of them in awe. The all-encompassing pervasiveness of the smoke told her that it had likely been created as a result of the Doom. She could think of no other likely cause, especially since there were no fires anywhere to be seen. For smoke to still be around so long after the responsible event… what had happened here? What kind of power could cause a thing like this?

They had travelled perhaps a hundred meters into the mist of smoke when Tiraen suddenly gave a gasp of delight.

"My Lady? Are you all right?" Flavius asked, confused.

"I can feel it. The Fade. More clearly than I ever have." She said, her eyes closed, a wide smile on her lips. "It's a feeling almost beyond description, commander. Imagine that you had been deaf all your life, and suddenly you can hear the most beautiful song in the world. It feels so good. It feels… like I'm home. Like I'm where I'm meant to be."

Then her smile died a fraction, and she frowned. She felt the fade more strongly than she ever had, and yet somehow she knew that sensation could be yet stronger, purer. There was still something hampering her sense of the fade, preventing her from experiencing the full glory of it. Of course! The amulet. It drew the Veil with it, draping it around her, dampening her link with the Fade. Perhaps if she removed it…

Her hand closed around the amulet. She was about to pull it off when Flavius grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"No, My Lady, stop! You said that none of us were to remove the amulets here, and you are more at risk than any of us here." He said firmly.

Briefly she stared at him, her face twisted in anger, indignant that he had dared to interrupt her. Then her expression slowly calmed as the rationality of his words won over.

"Yes. Yes. Thank you commander. It seems I must be extra careful here. Temptation will prey on me, and I must guard myself against it." She said, releasing her hold on the amulet.

Not long after that particular episode they made landfall, leaving their footprints on the volcanic soil. "One wonders how long it has been since someone has done this last? A hundred years? Two hundred? More?" She thought.

"So… here we are. What now?" Flavius asked, staring into the jungle that grew just off the shore as the rest of the soldiers were busy taking supplies off the boats. "Are we to just wander here aimlessly? We don't even know what we are looking for."

"We do." Tiraen replied, staring into the distance, her voice suddenly having acquired a distant note.

"What?" Flavius said, frowning.

"There is… something here. Now that we have our feet on the ground I can feel it. Powerful, immensely powerful. To my senses it appears like a second sun, shining with indescribable brightness. I suppose you can't sense it like I do." She explained.

"No. Though this place feels… very strange." Flavius said, looking around himself like he was expecting something scary to jump at him any second. "This power… can you feel where it comes from?" He asked.

"Yes." She said, her eyes closed, her face one of intense concentration. "If I focus I can just see… a mountain… its flank ripped open. And… there's a door that leads inside. The source of power resides deep within. I can't see what the source is though, it's too bright to look upon. I'll have to see it with my physical eyes to determine its nature. But that is what we seek, I'm sure of it. And I know which way we must go."

She turned to the rest of her team, seeing that they were now ready. They pulled their boats just inside the jungle, using ropes to secure them to trees.

"Follow." She said to them when they were done. With that they left the beach and disappeared into the jungle. Only after a few hours of walking one of their predictions came true as they were set upon by Stone Men. Those of the afflicted that still had some semblance of their minds kept their distance, but the rest were filled with a bestial rage that made them attack mindlessly. Fortunately despite their name their skins proved no harder than usual and gave way to arrows easily enough. Her soldiers dropped the creatures with pinpoint fire and after some two dozen casualties the Stone Men lost interest in fighting and retreated. Not one of the infected had managed to reach their position. Her soldiers had wanted to retrieve the arrows they had fired, but she had forbidden them from doing so. For all that she knew the arrows might carry the disease now, and even if that were not the case removing them might involve touching the Stone Men, which was obviously out of the question. She had promised her people that precautions would be taken against this infection, and she had meant it. They simply had to hope that the arrows they had left would be sufficient for their journey, or that they would stumble upon a Valyrian weapons cache that would allow them to replenish their supplies.

After the Stone Men, no further enemies assailed them that day.

After a few more hours of walking from their battle site, the vegetation began to die out. Half hour later it had disappeared altogether. They found themselves trudging through an ash ridden wasteland, passing by forests of leafless trees with grey trunks, taking breaks amongst stone ruins so massive they made every one of them feel very small indeed, including her. The shroud of smoke hanged in the air everywhere, stinging their eyes and filling their nostrils with its smell. The smoke covered the face of the sun, leaving this grey, lifeless world in a permanent dusk. The world around them was eerily silent, making every noise they made unnaturally loud in their ears.

Now and then they came across telltale signs that the veil had been disrupted: Glowing green crystals, rocks floating in the air, furniture and even skeletons somehow fused into the walls. And of course she could sense the absence of the Veil, the presence of the Fade one of her only sources of joy in this forsaken place. The desire to experience it fully without interference continued to nag at edges of her thoughts, but she kept the impulse at bay. From time to time they spotted what Tiraen thought to be spirits, but they gave them a wide berth, so she could not be certain. She was still confident that the amulets could protect them from detection, but she thought it best not to tempt fate. Even if they were not attacked by the spirits, their presence was a stark reminder that the danger here was very real.

"Such desolation… is this the consequence of the Doom? Is this the result of the things that happened on that dreadful day?" She wondered.

"It's a good thing we brought food of our own." She thought, glancing back where their supplies were being pulled on sledges. "Its unlikely that there is much here that can sustain us, and with the veil disrupted anything local won't be safe for us to eat."

The one good thing about the missing vegetation was that there was very little blocking their sight. As such the mountain that was their objective was clearly visible, dominating the view in the distance. Even this far away it had become obvious that their target was not merely a mountain, but a volcano, one of the fourteen fires that lay at the heart of Valyria, shattered by something of enormous power. In some ways this did make some sense to her, for the various tales told of the Valyrians always credited their discovery of dragons and their magical talents to the fourteen flames. If there was truth to these tales then it seemed entirely plausible that the Valyrian mages had had something to do with the downfall of their people. Even so many questions still remained. What had these ancient mages done to cause the devastation that they now witnessed, and why? What was this power that she sensed, the legacy that lingered in the wake of the Doom? And most importantly: Could this power be tamed and made to serve her and her cause?

They were passing through a ruin that was little more than a few crumbling low walls, with a large number of skeletons strewn about the floor. Then a most unexpected thing happened. The world briefly turned blinding white, and when their vision returned the ruin had changed, everything assuming a blurry, unearthly appearance. The room where they stood was whole once more, the missing blocks of stone replaced by ethereal counterparts, the large wooden door at the end of the hall similarly restored. In the air a deep rumble in the distance could be heard, and through the windows the landscape could be seen, wreathed in baleful green fire. The doors swung open and a throng of ghostly figures ran inside, scaring every Tevinter in the room with their sudden appearance.

Tiraen was the first to regain her composure. From the corner of her eye she saw that one of her soldiers had drawn his bow, taking aim at the ghostly figures.

"Stand down soldier, they cannot harm us." She told him, pushing his bow arm down as she did.

The soldier obeyed, although his composure remained uneasy. "What… what are they?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"Memories. Echoes of what happened here." She said, her voice one of awe.

"Move it! Keep moving! Take shelter here! Soldiers, keep the civilians safe! Shouted one ghost clad in armor, motioning at other ghosts as they continued to stream through the door. Some of the ghosts were armored, carrying spears, swords and heavy shields, clearly soldiers, but most were civilians in various clothing, consisting of both men and women of all ages. The bulk of the soldiers formed into a semi-circle around the door, spears pointed to attack anything that came through, while the rest attended to the civilians, aiding the wounded and elderly in getting through. The civilians meanwhile huddled on the floor with terrified faces. Once the last person had entered the door was closed and barred with a heavy wooden beam.

"Hold on, why can we understand them? How come they're speaking Tevene? Why not their own language?" Flavius asked.

"The memories in this place have been here for centuries, unremembered by anyone living. They wish to be known, to touch a mind and live." Tiraen explained.

"They want? Are they alive?" Flavius asked, disturbed by the notion.

"Not exactly. But in the fade even things that are not truly alive can have agency. I can't explain it any better than that." She said, then directed her attention back to the ghostly figures.

"Mommy, what's going on? What's happening?" A young girl in the arms of her mother asked, confused and frightened.

"Mother doesn't know sweetheart. She truly doesn't. But we must stay here now. There are soldiers here, they will keep us safe. We have to trust them." The mother said, hushing her daughter, although she sounded less than confident in her own words.

With the door now closed and barred the soldiers began to relax somewhat, moving to converse with each other and the civilians in low tones. Tiraen saw one soldier approach the one she assumed was in charge, so she moved closer to overhear their words, walking past and through other ghosts.

"Captain, I believe the area is secure and the civilians are safe for now." the soldier said to his commander.

"What few there are. Three lost for every one we managed to save." The Valyrian Captain said, bowing his head.

"Dragons were falling from the sky. I saw." Another soldier said before resuming his duties.

"Dragons as well? Lord of Light have mercy!" The first soldier exclaimed. "Captain… what is this? What are we dealing with? What have the mages done?" He asked, giving voice to the question doubtless lingering on the minds of every soul in the room, past or present.

"How should I know? Do I look like a mage to you?" The Captain said. "All I know is what all of us saw. There was an immense explosion at the Mountain of Sorcerers, followed by fire and chaos, with monsters appearing everywhere, killing a whole lot of people, the rest of us fleeing here. That's all I've got. I'm as confused as anyone here."

The Captain leaned against the wall, looking absolutely exhausted. "This was supposed to be another boring day guarding our home town from pickpockets and muggers. Instead…" He sighed.

The first soldier looked sad and defeated for a moment. Then he puffed his chest, mustering what courage he had left. "Well, our duty to the Empire remains. We must…"

"There is no Empire. Not after today." The Captain interrupted. "The capital was far closer to the mountain, and will have been caught in the explosion. Nothing will remain of it. The capital was the heart of our realm. With it our leadership is gone, along with the dragons and our people's greatest works."

"I need all of you to listen to me very carefully." He said, eyeing his soldiers intently. "Our only duty now is to the people in this room, and whoever else might still be alive out there. We are refugees now, all of us. We have no way of knowing how far this destruction has spread. Until we know otherwise we must prepare ourselves for the possibility that we are the last of our people, perhaps even the last people in the world. In the face of this devastation even that seems a possibility. And so we must look out for each other and keep each other safe, soldier and civilian alike. We are all that we have, so we are all that matters now."

The other soldiers in the room began to nod their agreement until the one closest to the door suddenly tensed, retreating a few steps from the door, tightening his hold on his spear. "Captain. Ser. I think something is happening outside." He said.

Every soldier took weapons into their hands and moved to the door while everyone else retreated to the corners of the room. Tense moments of waiting followed. Tiraen began to hear running steps and shouts coming from the other side of the door.

"Those are people out there. There are more survivors it would seem! We should…" One Valyrian soldier began to say, delighted.

"Hold on…" The Captain said, having gone pale, struggling to keep his voice even. Outside the door the shouts had become terrified, gradually becoming screams of pain, accompanied by sounds of something sharp piercing flesh. Then became a long, bloodcurdling scream that belonged to nothing human. The sound of it made Valyrians and Tevinters in the room recoil with fear, overcome by an unreasonable sense of horror. A terror demon, Tiraen knew, recognizing the sound from past encounters.

"What? What?" One Valyrian soldier mumbled, shaking from head to toes, looking ready to wet himself and flee at the slightest provocation.

"Steady." The Captain said, placing a hand on the soldier's shoulder from behind. Despite his stern voice Tiraen noted how tense he looked.

Something heavy struck the door, making the Valyrian soldiers retreat a few steps . This was followed shortly by a second impact that created a long crack in the door. Long, glowing talons slowly slid through the crack and wrenched the door asunder, the wooden beam barring the way shattering like a twig. A large, gangly creature stepped through, straightening itself to its full height as it passed the doorway. It had greenish-grey skin, a long whiplike tail, many eyes akin to a spider's and a drooping maw far larger that creature of that size had any right to have. With a lazy motion it tossed a bloodied corpse at the feet of the Valyrian soldiers, then screamed at them again, the sound making the civilians in the room scramble for the windows in a desperate attempt to get away from the creature.

"Merciful fires! What is that thing!?" A Valyrian soldier exclaimed.

"Kill it!" Shouted another.

One soldier stepped forward and plunged his spear into the creature's flank. Upon being injured the terror demon went berserk, snapping the soldier's spear in half with a swipe of its arm before burying it's talons in his chest. The Valyrian captain moved to attack only for the demon to move in a blur and slice his throat open.

"Fuck this. Run! RUUN!" The frightened soldier from earlier shouted, trying to run past the demon only to be sliced apart like the others.

What followed was a scene of absolute carnage. The Valyrian soldiers tried to fight the demon but were swiftly overcome. As soon as the last soldier died the demon moved on without pause, falling upon the civilians, butchering them with merciless abandon. As each ghostly person was slain they fell where a skeleton lay on the floor, lingering there until fading away. Finally only the mother and her child from earlier remained, the demon looming dangerously over them. The mother hid her daughter behind her back and stared at the demon with courage only a mother protecting her child could muster:

"No! You will not have her! Take me if you must, but leave her be you monster! Do you hear me!?"

In response the demon grabbed her by her head and sent her spinning through the air, violently hitting the far wall before sliding to the ground.

"MOMMYYYY!" The daughter screamed, running to where the woman lay, unmoving. The child was still sobbing over her mother's body when the demon walked over. The creature raised a claw, screeching as it did. The vision faded before anything else had time to happen but the small skeleton laying atop a larger one told Tiraen all she needed to know.

"Holy sodding…" Flavius breathed, his eyes moving around the room and the skeletons within.

"A lingering ember of a dying people, snuffed out in this very room. A tragic sight if there ever was one. And now we know how their story ended." Tiraen said sounding genuinely affected.

"So this is what happened during the Doom. And yet… how was it accomplished? And why? What happened?" She contemplated as something on the ground caught her interest. She reached down and picked up a spear that lay on the ground, grasping it just where metal met wood. The wooden shaft was ancient and crumbled to dust at her touch, but the metal tip remained in her hand, as pristine as the day it was made.

"Ah. A good find." She said, deep in thought as she studied the light glinting off the metal.

"These weapons. Collect as many of them as you can. They're Valyrian steel. They will serve us well." She commanded her soldiers. They moved to gather as many spearheads and swords as they could, stuffing them into sacks, while a few of her soldiers put some of the swords immediately to use. After they were finished they left promptly, not wanting to remain with these corpses a moment longer than they needed to, eager to leave behind the visions they had witnessed. Tiraen on her part was pleased of their discovery of intact Valyrian weapons. It meant that her mission to Valyria had achieved at least some success. Whatever happened she would not be returning empty handed. Even so she had no intention of going home just yet. On the Mountain of Sorcerers the true prize beckoned to her, and there was no force on this earth that would deter her from her intent to claim it.

The Tevinters moved on, leaving the ruined room behind. The bodies of the dead were left where they lay, ready to tell their story to whomever would stumble on their resting place next.