Sunday 11/09/61, Location: 27.24473, 112.71977, Time 07:00
The team awoke, and took care of the basics – washing, morning prayers, checking equipment, summoning spirits… and soon met for breakfast down in the café on the ground floor. The woman working the counter didn't seem at all surprised to see such a mix of people, and must have been used to tourists from all over the world coming to the mountain to climb the steps.
"So, are you visiting the temple today?" She wiped down the counter, removing a little spilled soy-caf from the last order. "I guess so, as you're up so early." Her English was a little laboured, but understandable, clearly her second language, but she'd taken in their appearance and had clearly decided that Chinese wasn't going to get her far – despite the fact that two of the team at least would be quite able to follow a high-tech discussion in her language.
"That's right." Kai responded. "I guess you get a lot of tourists climbing the mountain. Any tips or advice?"
"Well, I guess you're heading into town first then, like normal?"
"Um… why would we do that?"
"Oh, to start the climb from the Grand Temple. That's what most people do. If you go in towards the centre of town, you can see the temple for ages. But, from there, the road leads you straight to the steps. Most people start there, to get the proper experience."
"Oh, well if that's what most people do, we shall do that." Kai smiled at her, then looked over at Hunter, who was already checking on his deck to see what he could find. A moment later he nodded, then flashed out an updated map to all of their pocket secretaries or tablets.
They left the café and headed into town, following the directions, and soon found the 'Grand Temple of Mount Heng', a huge and imposing structure that dominated the town's skyline. Clearly very old, huge sweeping plazas and roadways led to large squares, slanted rooves rising in terraces far above the street, and a sense of antiquity and calm pervaded the area. The modern world hadn't been forgotten though, as scattered around the grand archway that led to a wide pedestrianised road leading up towards the mountain were a veritable sea of vendors, selling all manner of goods. As the team closed in on them they could see every kind of tourist merchandise they could think of, all manufactured in cheap materials and sold at what appeared to be fairly outrageous prices.
Aswon moved in and found a guide book that at least looked like it might have some relevant information, along with a few items of low value – just to try and sell the idea that they were regular tourists from a long way away. Turning, he could see the road stretching out from town, arrow straight for the first five hundred metres, though rising on a small angle. At the first turn, the road bent to the left, and continued on for another hundred metres, before reaching the first set of steps, that wound their way up the mountain. He looked up, gauging the angle to the peak and trying to estimate the distance they had to cover.
"Probably about seven kilometres, as the crow flies. Guessing maybe ten, once you take all the zig zags into account. But it's only about fifteen hundred metres high, at a guess. That's not nothing, sure – but I figured it might be higher… but that means the climb isn't that bad." He peered ahead, focussing his eye muscles to better zoom in on the details ahead. "There's sections of steps, and then slopes, back and forth it seems. Looks like the same kind of thing all the way up."
"Well, let's go, then." Kai said. One foot in front of the other, he set off at a steady pace, with the rest of the team, Spook and Li joining in. They moved as a loose mob, just a bunch of people walking along, occasionally moving back and forth in the group, or swapping who they were next to as they chatted back and forth. Aswon was next to Spook, and quietly asked a question that had been bothering him.
"So… what do we tell the lad when we get up there. When he needs to be examined, I mean."
"Let's play it by ear."
"You still haven't told him?"
"I don't want to worry him!" There was an edge to her voice, and she shot him a look. Aswon fell silent for a moment, staring ahead of him, telling himself that he wasn't a father, and it wasn't his son. He didn't think she was doing the right thing, but it was just his opinion, and not necessarily one that counted, and he certainly didn't have the right to impose it upon Spook or her son. But he couldn't leave it entirely alone…
"He's your boy. And it's your choice. But if this goes as we think it will, then he's going to end up in front of a dragon, being examined. You need to think about that, and decide what you're going to say then…"
"I know." Spook sounded like she was struggling with the thought, so Aswon gave her a supportive squeeze on the shoulder, then dropped the subject, walking on for a minute in silence, before changing the subject to something completely different.
They transitioned from the long straight road to the first stairs, a wide stone staircase of well-dressed slabs, rising with a uniform nature. The road or path was nearly five metres wide here, clean and dry, and their fresh legs took them up the steps easily and quickly. Even Li was happy to bound up the steps, his head still looking around at the landscape that surrounded them, still interesting and new.
As they climbed they could see other groups of people – lots of groups of two-to-three, and the occasional larger group, along with a bunch of people climbing alone. Some of them they were catching up, or leaving behind in their wake, others were pressing ahead and overtaking them. A lot of the people were older, setting a steady pace even here in the lower sections, giving the impression that they were pacing themselves for the climb ahead. There were also a significant number of people that were clearly foreigners, different skin tones and features, and an array of clothing styles. The temple was clearly a popular spot for those seeking enlightenment or pilgrimage, and though they were a large group, the team didn't draw anywhere near as much attention as they'd feared they would.
"Tads?" The others turned to look over at Shimazu, as he called out. "Tads!" They focussed now on their Shaman, who seemed to be staring ahead blankly at the climb ahead, but veering off to the side of the path. "Hey! Tads!" Still she didn't respond, and now she was only a step or two away from the edge. The low parapet running alongside the steps only came up to mid-shin height, enough to guide people if it was foggy or dark, and to stop things like prams or buggies from easily sliding over the edge – but just the right height for an adult to trip over and tumble down the sixty-degree slope. They weren't high – yet – but the steep slope covered with thick vegetation would no doubt not be a comfortable thing to fall down. He reached over and grabbed her, giving her a shake, and she suddenly snapped around to look at him, her eyes blinking rapidly, as if she'd just woken from a dream.
"Get your hand off me!" He voice was angry and curt, and she glared at Shimazu as he pulled his arm back, hands raised to show he meant no harm. Glaring at him with open hostility for a moment, she turned back to face the climb, then continued to walk up the hill – though now her gaze was focussed, not absent. Shimazu frowned and turned to look at the rest of the group, but they only shrugged and returned his look, unsure of what had gotten into her.
They plodded on, climbing flights of steps and then walking along the short 'rest' sections that were slightly angled between each one, climbing higher and higher up the mountain. The path soon narrowed considerably, and the quality deteriorated as they went higher, making them wonder how many tourists turned back once they realised the significant effort actually required.
What looked like a husband and wife, Chinese nationals by appearance, had caught up with them. The husband looked over at them, particularly at Aswon, and gave a smile and a wave.
"Hello! Good luck on your climb!" His English was pretty good, though strongly accented. Hunter coughed discretely and then angled slightly as they walked, heading closer. When he spoke, it was in perfect Chinese, thanking the man and wishing him the same in return. "Oh! You speak our language very well!" The man looked impressed, and placed both his palms together and get a tiny bow as he continued to walk. "I guessed you were not from around here, and were on a pilgrimage. Make the most of the quiet!"
"This is quiet?" Aswon responded, also in Chinese. His accent and diction weren't as good as Hunter's but it was still more than passable, and the man's eyebrow raised again at the discovery.
"Oh yes, this is very quiet. We come here several times a year with offerings and to pray. This is much quieter than normal. The news has lots of people worried, and many people are staying at home. There is much trouble, many people not wanting to travel. Very sad. So many strange things happening."
"Ahh, I see. You say you have offerings?"
"Of course. We bring some money, to donate to the temple. It is wise to bring something, when you wish to visit the temple."
"Ahh, we're here to see someone, specifically. Not just the temple." Aswon said, wondering what kind of response he would get.
"Oh, who would that be?"
"Well, I believe they are known locally as 'Yat Gwan'?" Aswon's gaze narrowed as the man guffawed, and his female companion smiled.
"Oh really! I do hope you've bought some rubies with you then!"
"We're here to seek aid. We do have an offering – but not rubies?"
Well, I wish you well on the climb! May your offerings bring you good fortune!"
The couple pressed on, very slowly opening the distance between themselves and the team, keeping up a good pace despite their age. They had the hardy and wiry look of people used to labour though, with the weathered skin and calloused hands of someone who worked in the fields for hour after hour each day.
When they had opened up sufficient distance, Aswon looked around.
"Anyone know what the significance of the ruby thing is?" Nobody did, and they shook their heads one by one, until he shrugged. "Oh well. Something to think about if we ever come back."
They continued walking, slowing down a little as Li started to tire and become grouchy – until Hunter swept him up in one hand causing a squeal of surprise – until he plonked the small lad firmly on his shoulders, boosting him up over two metres high. The ork didn't miss a step, and gave no sign of issue carrying the slender child, and they picked up the pace once more.
As another group passed them, this time of much younger people setting a very brisk pace, Aswon called out to them.
"Hello. Can you tell me at all – what exactly will we find at the top? It's our first time here." The group slowed a little, and one of the group looked over, then started to describe the temple at the top of the hill, detailing the buildings they would find. Apparently there were four main buildings, each with their own priests and sanctuary, and a large common area between them. The description was a little vague in places, and sounded like some of the detail was made up by someone that wanted to sound more knowledgeable than they actually were – but not outrageously so. "Thank you," he replied.
"Just don't be on the mountain at night time!" they warned him.
"Oh – why not?"
"Well, it gets dark…" the man answered, as if speaking to a child. He gestured to the path, pointing out that it wasn't lit in any way, and then gestured at the steep slopes to the sides.
"Oh, of course." Aswon nodded, as if thanking the man… and reminded himself that they might look odd to outsiders, but people probably didn't realise that things like 'darkness' wasn't the concern to them that it was to others…
They waited for the group to pull ahead again, and this time it was Shimazu that broke the silence.
"We will probably find the multiple temples at the top represent different faiths, or aspects of worship. I believe that multiple religions have the mountain as an important part of their structure, but they are also religions that tend towards introspection, personal faith and acceptance – and thus will coexist. That means that we're likely to find them quite tolerant up there, and used to gawking tourists. Unless we go out of our way to cause a problem, we should be fine."
"Well, that's good, then." Kai glanced up… and up… and up… then sighed and carried on walking. "How much longer, do you think?"
"Based on the horizontal distance and the climb, and estimating our pace, I'd say another seventy-five minutes. Easy going." Aswon grinned at him, then made a show of taking the next flight of steps two at a time, his long legs easily managing that while Kai trudged along by the side, refusing to make eye contact.
They made it to the top at about 09:40, reaching the small plateau that straddled the top of the ridge. There were a number of temples or structures spread out over the area, with a large plaza linking them together, and a number of vendors selling drinks and refreshments – though how they got their stock up was an interesting question.
"Finally. Maybe now we can get on with this." Tads snapped out, hands on her hips as she surveyed the plaza, her legs planted shoulder-width apart and an angry look on her face. "What?" She saw the team looking at her with concern, but when nobody spoke, she tutted under her breath and then strode off towards the closest building. "Come on, we've wasted enough time already."
The buildings were odd, and Hunter in particular was looking at them with a critical eye as they approached.
"This ain't right. Those walls are plumb, and made of modern concrete blocks, with a sand-based mortar. The stone blocks are machine cut, and those steps are all cast from concrete, not cut from stone. And look at the benches, those litter bins and that display board. All made of steel, and mounted into the walls or dividing furniture. They're all cast as well, not stone carved. This stuff is from the last two decades… not hundreds or thousands of years ago!"
"So it's a fake?"
"No, not exactly. The walls are new, and the floor – but those doors… they're old. Look at that wood – it's petrified. Now that does look hundreds of years old, if not older. And the signs… windows too. It's like the structure of the temple has been completely rebuilt, but they've used the old fixtures and fittings? Weird."
"There's magical power up here though." Kai looked around, his sight surveying the bright landscape of the astral. He could see raw streamers of mana leaking out of the temples, climbing into the sky and meeting over the plaza, forming an intricate gossamer web lattice over the area as the energy dissipated out into the air. "Not hostile… but it's probably going to make things hard if Tads needs to cast. Maybe slow us down a bit if it gets stronger too…"
"That water looks potable by the way, if anyone needs to drink." Aswon examined a long, low water trough full of clear water. He gave it a quick assense too, squinting against the glare. "Yeah, looks natural, and pure."
"Heads up." Kai murmured, as a priestess appeared through a doorway, wearing traditional-looking robes, and headed directly over to them.
"You have arrived, as was foreseen." Aswon gave a little cough, sharing a knowing look with them. "You will please follow me." She led them towards the temple entrance, and they followed along in single file, trailing in her wake. They entered the portal, close enough now to see the ancient timbers close up and appreciate their antiquity, before entering the darker and subdued environment inside. The walls were still modern, but now the ancient features were more easily seen and far more abundant. Stone columns carved with intricate friezes, ancient slabs of marble and granite with embossed depictions of events and stories, wooden stools polished to a high sheen with the use of millennia, and silken hangings covered in texts and more depictions of deeds. The atmosphere was quiet and solemn, time pressing down on them heavily and their voices naturally grew quiet as the aura of tranquillity washed over them – all apart from Tads it seemed, who was still muttering angrily to herself.
They moved through several rooms, following what appeared to be the tourist path, until their host moved a small rope divider and approached an unassuming plain door set into the wall. She pulled out a large key, a simple iron device hammered into shape by a blacksmith with a shaft as thick as her finger. Shimazu peered around her to examine it, noting that it seemed to have only one tooth on the end of the shaft, watching as she unlocked the door and pulled it open. The lock must have been very simple, and he was sure he could pick it easily if they needed to get out, or back in later – though he'd have to use something considerably bigger than his lock pick set, as they'd be lost in the enormous and primitive lock.
One the other side of the door, there was an abrupt transition into a much more modern world. The concrete block construction remained the same, but the lighting overhead was more industrial, befitting a modern tower's basement or service corridors, and the floor looked to be reinforced concrete rather than stone slabs. Just like the outer construction though, walls were square and perfectly level, and it was clear that this part had been made recently. They were led down the corridor to a steep flight of stairs leading downwards, dropping them several 'floors' underneath the temple, it seemed, before entering another corridor and heading past several innocuous doors, until they reached a larger, wider, though equally plain door. The priestess stopped for a moment, and took a deep breath – seemingly as much to steady herself as for any effect upon the team, before pushing open the door, stepping inside and then gesturing for them to follow.
Inside was a large chamber, perhaps twenty metres long, ten wide and about six metres high, easily big enough to hold a sports court or to act as a ballroom in some stately home. Once again the walls were covered in older material, ancient silk tapestries, wooden panelling and stone columns that looked to have been carved with intricate details into the surface. Another door leading out of the room was in the far right corner, but otherwise the walls appeared to be solid. Even light came from hidden lamps in the ceiling, bathing the entire room in a cool white. Only a metre from the far end of the room was a large throne or enormous chair, upon which sat a woman.
The priestess waited for them to all file in, and then carefully closed the door behind her, before stepping next to Kai, and then very slowly and ceremonially stepping forwards. She raised a leg and took a single step, coming to an almost complete halt before moving forwards again, slowly advancing upon the waiting throne. Shimazu gave Kai a gentle shove in the small of the back, propelling him the first step, then Kai followed her lead in terms of speed, though without affecting her peculiar gait, and when she paused about two thirds of the way down the room, he did too.
"My lady, your visitors." The priestess announced, somewhat unnecessarily the team thought.
The lady in the throne looked plump, being perhaps only one metre sixty high, but having a very rotund figure. Dressed in plate blue silk robes that were embroidered with flowers of different types as well as golden dragons portrayed in a traditional or historical style, only her face was visible – each hand being tucked into the sleeve opposite. Her facial features were also rounded, cheeks red and her mouth seemingly tiny and pronounced. A huge mass of black hair was twisted up and around the top of her head, whether natural or a headpiece was unable to determine – but it was liberally covered with gems and semi-precious stones set into a golden filigree, including a few settings that displayed alarmingly realistic looking eyes. Long cords of woven or braided wire hung from the extremities of the head-dress, hanging down to almost brush her shoulders, swaying slightly as she turned her head to look over the team – and as she faced them, they saw that her eyes were a deep glowing red. Kai took one tiny step forwards, then bowed deeply, his hands sweeping out to his side.
"Good morning, My Lady. We have travelled far, and seek an audience."
"Ahh, you are here. Very good. It is, as was foretold." She adjusted her arms in front of her, her hands moving around inside the opposite sleeves, as if she was adjusting something, or operating a device. "You may present your tributes and gifts." Her voice was deep, and powerful – loud without shouting, she sounded like a singer used to projecting her voice to fill a concert hall.
"We have here some vampire silk, gathered from the dangerous creatures located on an island far to the south, and spun into some of the finest silk possible, creating a beautiful and soft cloth, perhaps even stunning enough to be worthy to grace your own attire…" As he spoke, Aswon unlimbered the bolt of cloth and started to approach, stopping quickly as the priestess intercepted him, holding out her arms to take the tribute. "We also have some materials, magical in nature, bathed in the powers of flames and embers, used for summoning of elementals, sylphs and salamanders, creatures of fire and brimstone…" The elemental summoning supplies were carefully loaded onto the top of the cloth.
"And I have a gem, of good quality and purity, found after searching the land, suitable for enchantment or use in the manufacture of a spell." Aswon added, before carefully placing the telesma he'd found near Dragon Ridge onto the pile. The lady nodded at him, watching as he took a step back to leave Kai once more standing in front of the team.
"Your tributes are accepted. I will now hear your plea."
"Ahh, my Lady. There is perhaps one more offering, something best handled in a more private forum, if you would indulge me?"
"You may speak, here." She didn't sound angry or mad, or even particularly decisive, but the tone of her voice seemed to carry an imperative to it, and Kai nodded quickly.
"Very well. We have offered physical gifts, that we hope are to your pleasing. But the matter on which we seek an audience is very important to us." He swept a hand towards Li, standing next to Spook clutching her hand and fidgeting slightly. "A child's safety is at risk and we are sworn to help. So, I would like to offer a part of myself, my experiences and knowledge, determination and drive, a willing offer of power, a part of my soul, to you, in the hope that you will aid us."
Her eyes narrowed and focussed on Kai with laser-like focus, and she rose from her chair in a smooth and flowing motion, then started to walk towards them. The robe dropped to the floor, covering her feet, and she seemed to glide across the surface of the stone slabs as she closed in on their position. Shimazu examined her face and saw a touch of hunger there, amidst the jovial and pleasant expression, and a small spike of fear rose within him. He kept his body still though, not moving even a millimetre towards the hilt of his sword, giving no excuse for accidents or misunderstandings. Hunter and Aswon's attention, though, was focussed on the headdress she wore, catching sight of a quick flash of movement – and as they watched the saw another quick change, as one of the eye settings unmistakeably blinked…
She pulled her arms away from each other, exposing short and dumpy hands, her fingers fat and each adorned with rings, most set with some kind of stone. One hand raised towards Kai as she floated towards him, gliding across the intervening distance. Shimazu stopped breathing, poised on the verge of attack as she gently touched a finger to Kai's forehead, touching him lightly just above his nose.
"Your tribute is accepted. So - tell me your plea?"
Kai took a step backwards, gesturing to Aswon.
"Aswon, I think you would be best placed to tell the details."
"Oh, right. Very well." He took a half step forward, being careful not to advance closer to the lady, and then gave a respectful bow of his head to her. "Well, this is my friend Sing Wan, and her son Li. We have… much history together, but that is not really germane. However, while visiting her recently in Hong Kong, she and her son were kidnapped, and taken to a place. And in that place, when we caught up with them, was a creature of evil. A thing not of this world, from a realm elsewhere to us. This creature held many people under its sway, and we were forced to fight it, to overcome their mage and their guards, and to threaten the creature itself…" He described the crazy ascent up the tower in Kowloon Walled City, fighting the hordes of seemingly normal people hell-bent on attacking them, of the Triad guards who stood little better chance, and of their eventual emergence into the penthouse and the situation they had found there.
He was careful not to expand upon their reasons for being in Hong Kong or add anything that didn't directly affect the description of their fight – but he lavishly described the way that the hostages seemed to willingly offer themselves up as bullet-shields to save what appeared, at first, to be the master of the situation – and how one of them had then jumped straight through the window, plummeting to the enormous piles of rubbish in the central light well.
"We don't know exactly what the creature was. But we have fought… things like it before. And we know enough that we need help. Help to loosen the mark of the creature from one so young and innocent." He tried to be careful with his words, avoiding saying outright what he was trying to hint at.
"I see. Hold the child." She looked at Spook, and her voice spoke with calm command. Spook took him gently by the shoulders, watching with concern as the lady glided over a few steps to be closer to them. One of her hands raised, and a finger pointed at Li. "Sleep now." Spook grabbed at her son quickly as he became a dead-weight in her arms, all sense of consciousness driven from him. A few paces away, Tads blinked at the sudden blast of power that had flown from the plump woman to the young boy. She recognised the spell, mostly – a similar kind of magic to the one she had used several times to take down bunches of guards, driving them into a magical slumber. But this one was far more powerful – enough so that she wasn't sure how much her magical protection over the group would really help them. As she tried to get a hold of the signature of the spell, she realised that it wasn't static, wasn't fixed like her own, instead it was if multiple snakes or writhing forms of magic were intermingled, shifting and turning around themselves in a complex pattern.
"Show me the mark." Again the command was said calmly and without force, but it seemed unthinkable to argue. Hunter moved over and lifted Li up, holding him on his forearms and supporting the upper body, leaving Spook to pull down his trousers slightly, exposing the marked flesh on his lower back. The lady leant in and made a soft humming sound as she carefully examined the flesh.
"The foe that you describe sounds like an ancient evil, one that has struck the land before. Unlike others, it does not strike directly, does not engage in force of arms. Instead, it strikes through the weakness of men, using their greed and avarice to corrupt them, to perform evil on its behalf. It is known as "Druistadt". If this is the creature you face, and this mark appears to confirm that, we have a difficult challenge ahead of us." She gestured to pull up the clothing and hide the mark, then turned away and glided back towards her seat, making herself comfortable upon the wide chair, her hands clasped lightly together on her lap. Again, one of the eyes on her headdress blinked at them.
"How old are we talking about? We've met some things that are pretty old." Kai asked. She lifted her right hand and aimed it at Aswon's spear.
"Older than that weapon. A truly ancient evil."
"Why pick a child, though? Why not someone more powerful, more able to carry out the creature's aims and objectives?"
"The youth have an innocence about them, that is special. There is more to lose. More to corrupt. The longer the creature has to corrupt and twist the fabric of his being, the more complete will his fall be, and the more sustenance can be gained from his malevolence."
"That's what we feared. But… can it be fixed? Can we remove this mark and save the child?"
"Ahh. Difficult. The healing of the soul is far more strenuous than the healing of the flesh. He has been hooked, barbs of evil sunken into his flesh. Marked for death, but not before he causes great harm." Considering look. "There are three paths before you. One is simple, but bloody, and will cause grief and loss. I suspect you do not wish to walk this path. The second is apathy and helplessness, acceptance of evil, and by extension becoming evil. And the third requires effort, considerable effort - but does not guarantee success." She pulled out three small cords of soft red silken rope from some hiding place inside her left sleeve.
One was very short, perhaps as long as her hand was wide. The second was longer, but ended in a burnt mass of tangled fibres, while the third was fashioned in a loop, with the two ends sealed together loosely with soft wax or some other malleable material.
"I think I know what each of those represents. And we choose the difficult path." Aswon said calmly. One hand lifted up and was gently placed on Spook's shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
"Very well. We can begin preparations. There are a number of reagents required for this ritual. They will be hard to obtain, and require much effort on your part. Without them we are doomed to failure, but with them we can resist the enemy, and strike a blow against them. These are the items I require."
"Firstly, a paragon ruby, mined from the earth by hand, suitable for channelling mana through, to act as a focus for the power that we bring to bear. The colour must be pure, the facets perfectly aligned and the purity without question." Hunter hit the record button on his commlink, and Marius listened carefully, trying to remember all of the details of not only what she said, but how she said it. Something told him that her choice of words was very precise and particular, and that it was important to get the details of these reagents she was describing exactly right.
"Secondly, a billet of hand-forged steel the length of an arm, worked by a master from raw materials in the traditional manner, folded and refolded, a sword without form, waiting to be forged into a weapon - to attack, or to defend, as fate decrees."
"Thirdly, the healing dust of the earth, compressed and crushed into solid form, the bones of the earth from deep within, able to absorb the acid of our foes, extruded from the very roots and formed under great pressure."
"Fourthly, we must have that which grows and brings life, revitalising and nourishing. It must grow quickly, so quickly it can be seen by mortal eyes, yet strong and resilient. The fires must fly when combat is threatened, able to give life giving sparks even when struck with an axe."
"And lastly, to oppose the sloth and greed of Druistadt, we must have self-determination, the results of effort, intensity. Sweat and tears, from prolonged exercise, those dedicated to improving themselves, focussed and guided to a sharpened point. A jug of liquid will be required, though it can be from many individuals - in fact it would be better that way."
"What does this ritual do?" Aswon asked.
"If successful, it will separate the boy from the mark. The mark cannot be destroyed outright, nor reversed. But we can separate it from the intended target, and cast it elsewhere, onto a thing that does no harm."
"Right – ok, I've got some ideas on several of those things. I think we've got some good contacts that can help us out." Kai mused. Glancing around he saw some nods from the others, who clearly also had some thoughts about the specific things needed.
"Yes indeed. There are several things that come to mind." Aswon nodded. He was about to continue when a deep chiming noise could be heard, a bell ringing out with crystal clarity from somewhere outside the room. The lady frowned, and her lips pursed in annoyance.
"You will assist me." She stared at Marius, who looked at her in surprise, before point a finger at his own chest. "Yes. Come." Again the voice seemed to just pronounce what was to be. As far as Kai could determine, there was no magical compulsion present – it wasn't like the mind tricks he could use on the weak. Instead it just seemed to be an announcement of what she wanted to happen in her reality, and it seemed as though she was unused to people arguing with her.
They exited out of the door at the far end of the chamber, into another tunnel similar to the one they had entered via – but this one was twice the size. The odd marking on the floor showed signs of tyre treads, but there were no vehicles, or other people visible.
"Lost GPS lock," Hunter sent out as his cyberware reported in. "Think we've gone into the mountain itself now…"
Their host headed down the corridor swiftly, gliding along the smooth surface until they reached a door with a maglock and a high tech reader buried into the door surround. She leant forward, the red reflection of her eyes bathing the optical scanner with a dull ruby light, but the scan was apparently passed, and she entered the complex string of characters in the keypad to the satisfaction of the security system – allowing the door to slide open with a whoosh as the pressure equalised. The door appeared to be gas sealed, and the environment on the other side of the portal separate to the tunnel system. Inside though, the room was decorated with a massive array of displays, status terminals, controls and computer systems – with more high-tech equipment in an arc in the centre, next to two large couches equipped with rigger jacks – both currently empty.
"Your assistance is needed there." She pointed to one of the couches, and Marius wandered over – his head scanning around the room to take in as much of the information as he could. His eyes widened as he translated the various symbols and displays, and got a clearer picture of what exactly the room was.
"It is a power station. One that is currently unstable, if I read these displays correctly. The temperatures are high… over one thousand six hundred Celsius. There is some kind of contaminant or issue with the main…" his voice trailed off as he studied more of the displays, then sat himself down on the couch with a thump, quickly grabbing the rigger jack and slapping it into the receptacle on his neck. There was a pause for a few seconds, then his voice echoed out of the wall-mounted speakers.
"Some of the core systems have been over-ridden. Temperature is climbing, but the reactor is not being contained as it should be. A deliberate contaminant has been introduced, which is preventing thermal feedback. Adjusting the mix."
"I think I know what this is ,too…" Hunter was looking at the displays, and unlike Marius had a much better idea of the translations for the labels, rather than looking at the values and reported stats. "I read about stuff like this in the A… material we got from our friends. It's a very high temperature Fourth Gen nuke plant. Pebble bed reactor, using graphite fuel pods. And if what Marius says is right, we've got a big problem."
"Problems with nuclear reactors don't sound good. Not after the warning Marius gave us a while back." Kai looked around the room at the number of displays that now had flashing red borders, or displays showing climbing values that rose into clearly marked 'danger' zones.
"This design should be safe. Inherently. If the reactor gets too hot, the heat actually moves the fuel and gas mixture in a way that prevents further reactions. It's an automatic failsafe, doesn't need moving parts. It's considered one of the safest systems possible – which means if it's not working, it's not an accident. Someone has deliberately engineered this, and polluted the reactor vessel with some form of contaminant to prevent it. Sounds like you have a problem here." Hunter glared at their host, who ignored his outburst, instead focussing entirely on Marius.
The room fell silent, as they waited for Marius to do things – plugged into the rigger network, he was operating controls at the speed of thought, feeling the response of the reactor and the controls, totally in tune with the machinery. Seconds crawled by, with more and more systems lighting up in red or displaying dangerous values, and the team shifted uncomfortably – but then a few of the displays started to crawl downwards again, returning to safer readings. One by one, systems seemed to reach an equilibrium, then start to descend back to their previous values, as Marius danced through the systems, managing the mix of chemicals and safety systems like a man spinning a dozen plates at once, darting back and forth and making minute adjustments to balance out the different needs and requirements of the system, while he purged the contaminated reactor pressure vessel and replaced the contents with fresh molten lithium beryllium quadra-flouride.
"Well, it's a good job Marius was here to fix your little problem, wasn't it." Sarcasm dripped from Tads' voice, and Kai winced, wondering what their host would make of it – and wondering just what was up with her? The lady seemed to ignore it though, still focussing on the relaxed body of the pilot, watching him intently.
The last of the controls dropped back into the green safe zones, and all the status displays seemed to be showing normal values. Marius twitched, and then opened his eyes, still jacked into the system but now controlling it in 'captain's chair' mode, rather than fully dived into the machinery.
"Nuclear meltdown averted," he said in a calm voice. Despite the announcement that they were 'safe', the words still sent a chill down their spines, especially the magically active members of the team. Nuclear contamination was an unfortunately somewhat common thing to find in various parts of the world, and the results it had on both the manasphere as well as the biosphere was well documented.
"Output is steady at just over one gigawatt, it looks like," Hunter announced. "Just what in the hell is running in this mountain that uses a gig?"
"The power is not for here. We are connected directly to the regional grids. We supply the power to a significant portion of the Canton Confederation. Well, from here, and from a network of other stations."
"Does this happen often?" Kai asked her.
"No. Not unless it is made to happen. As your man said, these reactors are designed to be safe in operation. It requires considerable effort to break them. Considerable effort. This… will be a distraction. Or an opportunity."
"Distraction from WHAT?" Tads demanded.
"I need to prepare the ritual to separate the mark from this child. It will require time and concentration. Those are things I will not have, if I am chasing down the people responsible for this incursion and attempt to sabotage my empire. Fortunately, you are here. You can investigate this issue, and leave me to concentrate on the ritual."
"And how long will that take?" Kai asked. "Are we talking days, weeks… months? We have people with families of their own, and other work that we have already agreed to do. Big jobs that were promised some time ago, that are very important."
"It should be resolved in a matter of a few days. And this is important work."
"I'm sure it is but…"
"This is important work, because this is not the only reactor I control. My company controls and operates twenty-four other reactors scattered across various Chinese regions, all providing power to their local communities. And not all of them are as safe a design as this one. So ensuring they do not get struck by enemy agents and turn the Middle Kingdom into a toxic wasteland that stretches for thousands of kilometres is a very important goal."
The announcement that this woman had over two dozen nuclear power stations under her control stopped the conversation for a moment.
"I need you to investigate this situation, and determine who is hiring these mercenaries to distract me. Go to Macau, and investigate. Most of the business will originate there, and it is a melting pot for those that work in this sphere of work."
"There's a bunch of merc outfits that HQ there, that much is certain." Aswon confirmed. "Yeah… if someone is hiring teams or muscle to do an op like this, it's probably a good place to start looking."
"What about them?" Tads gestured to Spook and the still sleeping Li. "Are we supposed to take them, and bring them back later? Just cart them around?" Her tone was confrontational, and more than a little rude. Their host however didn't seem to take offence, and just gave her a small, tight-lipped smile.
"Let us return to the audience chamber." She led the way, not looking back to see if they were following, but assuming they would be. The team trailed after her, Marius being the last one out as he gave the instruments a final check over, ensuring everything was now running smoothly. Once they were back in the room, she gestured to the far wall, closest to the door they entered by. "You may want to be against that wall." The team exchanged glances, but then backed up, until they were pressed against the wall.
Their host stood, and then… grew. Morphing, she shed her metahuman form, growing before their eyes into a large eastern dragon. Her body was about fifteen metres long, with a tail to match, though her form here was also 'rotund' compared to other pictures of dragons they had seen. The scales were a deep ruby red, fading to a lighter pink along the tail, and she had very prominent whiskers that seemed to extend from her snout, almost as long as the brilliant flame red horns that rose from the back of her skull. Her four legs were sheathed in a multitude of fine red scales, cladding the dextrous looking claws that seemed small compared to her body.
The thirty-centimetre-long talons clattered across the stonework as the dragon approached them – not that she needed to move far now that she took up half the room. The large head swung down to be level with Kai and stared at him for a moment, the red eyes seeming to burn and writhe as she stared at him, before the head swung over towards Spook. One leg lifted, and then with remarkable delicacy, the claw extended and a talon rested very lightly on Li's face.
[They will stay here, as our honoured guests. We will look after them. We will keep them safe. They will come to no harm, upon my word. This oath, Yat Gwan swears.] The voice echoed in their heads, reminding them of the direct telepathy that Aden had used on them. It appeared that there would be no excuse for miscommunication here. The talon lifted off the child's head, leaving a very faint pressure outline that lasted for just a second before the skin smoothed over.
"We accept your oath." Marius said sharply, throwing a look to the others. "And with that, I think we should go. Immediately." Kai looked at him and Marius returned his stare, twitching his head towards the door.
"Yes, we should go then. But umm.. when we come back. Do we come the same way? Or is there any chance we can have permission to land at the top?"
[You may use the back door next time.] The echoes of a deep belly-laugh echoed through their minds, but they didn't get a chance to say anything further before the door opened, and the priestess that had guided them here earlier appeared in the doorway. She bowed deeply in the face of the dragon, and the responded verbally, presumably to a message that only she had heard.
"Please, come this way. I will guide you out. And give you a chip with the location of the alternate entrance. This way please…" She led them off, and the team filed out, leaving Spook and Li behind, with Aswon giving her a searching look as he headed for the door. She smiled though, and gave him a thumbs up, before turning back towards Yat Gwan and nodding, apparently listening intently.
"What was that about, Marius?"
"Dragons do not make oaths lightly. At least not that I have ever heard. They take their bonds very seriously. Very, very seriously. If she has guaranteed their safety, we should respect that – or risk calling her out and impinging on her honour and reputation. That is not a career-boosting thing to do."
"Ahh right… Gotcha. Don't question them when they make a promise."
"Indeed."
The team headed along the corridors and back out into the temple, then out into the plaza and headed towards the top of the stairs, getting ready for the long walk back down the mountain towards the Broadsword, wondering what they were going to find in Macau…