Deadgold: Chapters 24-25

Probably audio release next weekend. Actually a little before, to properly work in the Audible schedule, but the weekend will be when I put in all my promotional efforts. Follow me there if you want it ASAP, or just wait for the announcement here.

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Chapter 24

By unspoken agreement, Nauda monitored a separate section of the tournament grounds from Fiyu. They didn't pretend that it was necessary for security, they simply needed some space from one another, and she could only hope that was for the best.

Trying to push aside those issues, Nauda stomped around the grounds looking for the Tatian delegation. Nanjuma had been joined by others, after his initial success in the preliminary games, so they had a whole group. Other than breaking up some conflicts of misunderstanding with the Fithans, she hadn't needed to intercede much.

Eventually she spotted Nanjuma, which was just as well: the Landguard named Bimanu was perfectly civil, but Nauda didn't know him in a meaningful sense. By contrast, Nanjuma immediately pulled her into a hug when she got close.

"Everything alright?" he asked softly.

"We're managing." Nauda pulled back and smiled at him. "I'd love to ask you about your results, but I need to check in on the Landguard."

"Some are a bit discomforted by Fithan attitudes, and I think they may be upset when the elimination matches start, but no serious problems. Thank you for being flexible."

"Just make sure they remember that we helped them, next time we have issues on Tatian. Though speaking of that... did any of them bring what we wanted?"

"Indeed." Nanjuma swept a hand from his robe and revealed a glittering Tatian sapphire. "It took some doing, but one of the Landguard was from a far southern land where sublime stones apparently grow on trees. This is for our mutual Arbaian friend, yes?"

"And this is one of the last materials he needs." Nauda took the sapphire and smiled as she tested it. "Yes, this should do fine."

"Excellent. I always enjoyed my conversations with Navim, so long ago in Myufuru, I only wish I could have spent more time with him."

"We might all be seeing more of each other after he ascends, but for now, I have to keep moving."

They embraced farewell and headed in opposite directions. A few Fithans were watching them, possibly just because they were from an unfamiliar world, or maybe thinking they were father and daughter. There had been a few misunderstandings along those lines and they still amused Nauda.

Acquiring a sapphire for Navim should have cheered her up, but her casual intimacy with Nanjuma only threw her thoughts back to Fiyu.

Disrupted as she was, Nauda decided that it was time to investigate another troubling matter: the outsider from Theo's home world. The man called Raythe had acquired more of a following than she would have liked, so it was difficult to get close to him. So far she had been talking to Fithan administrators to try to understand how he fitted into the local hierarchy, and what responsibilities he would actually have as a judge.

Today he seemed to be running some kind of preliminary competition, seated on a special platform high above the melee and looking bored. Nauda could easily have flown over the crowds directly to him, but after he had meddled in the Asplundat Movement, she was inclined to agree with Theo that there was a nebulous risk attached to him.

Since there was an event going on, Nauda was about to count the day off as a loss. Just before she turned away, however, she spotted a familiar set of armor from Norro Yorthin. She didn't see the city guard armor out here often, and when the owner shifted, she saw that it was Jothan, a commander of the city guard whom she hadn't seen in years. Once they'd exchanged nods as she flew over the city walls, but since she'd started traveling by weirkey, they rarely saw one another.

"Hey, Jothan." She half-called just to be heard over the crowds, wondering if he'd react. When he saw her, his eyes widened and he rushed away from the event to speak to her.

"Nauda!" He gave a lower bow than should have been necessary. "It's been so long... is there something I can do for you?"

"I wanted to talk, but we're not in that much of a rush. How have you been?"

"As Norro Yorthin expands and grows more important, a position in the city guard becomes a better and better deal all the time. I am, alas, still a Ruler. All of the new sublime materials are going to the war effort, not to local security."

"You look good, though. Staying in shape." Nauda clapped his shoulder in a friendly fashion, and to her surprise he snorted.

"That's absolutely nothing compared to you. Do you realize that when you and your friends arrived outside Norro Yorthin, you were Archcrafters at best?" Jothan took his head in wonder. "That was... five, six years ago? It feels like yesterday. And now you're Strongholds fighting over the fate of nations. It's hard to believe."

"I... didn't mean any offense. I honestly-"

"You think I'm offended? No, I'm just honored that I was part of it all. Do you remember how I gave you a guard commendation to help you gain access and citizenship? Well, my name on your identity slates stopped giving you honor a long time ago, and now it goes the other way."

"Still have it." Nauda pulled out her identity slate and grinned. "Alright, if you're feeling that friendly, let me be direct and say that I hope you can help us a little."

"Of course," Jothan said, growing serious. "What do you want from me?"

"Tell me about this Raythe person." Nauda inclined her head toward the platform and said nothing else, not wanting to influence his answer, since apparently he respected her so much.

"You mean the Darkblade? He's certainly the talk of the tournament, but I can't say I share everyone's enthusiasm. Other Dominions... you know how they are, they use their strength to make a difference. He makes promises to his followers, but he does less than a Stronghold."

"It seems like he's getting a big following, though. Because of his promises?"

"Maybe so, maybe just the natural attraction to power." Jothan's expression became grave and he shook his head. "He's been talking about founding his own 'sect', whatever he means by that. The problem is that he doesn't seem to want to work out the details of an organization. Almost as if he expects all of the work to be done for him."

That was bizarre, and the sort of thing that Theo would probably understand better, but he was still gone. Nauda considered it for a while, turning the issue over in her mind. So far there had been no emergency, yet the whole thing felt wrong to her...

"So what does he actually do?" she asked eventually.

"Nothing, as far as I can tell. It's hard to figure out how he became a Dominion at all, unless sublime materials were just dumped in his lap. A few wondered if he was sent by Tymetron, but most think he's a new ally."

"Let me be direct with you, Jothan: we don't think Raythe is directly working for the enemy, but he's too unpredictable to be trusted. You know how carefully balanced the politics of the tournament are... we're afraid he'll trample over that. We're trying to keep an eye on him."

"I can understand that." Jothan folded his arms. "Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have many friends, except a few soulcrafters who visit him sometimes. They're Strongholds, I should mention."

None of the reports had mentioned that so far, so Nauda interrogated Jothan for everything he knew about Raythe's allies. It didn't turn out to be much, and the older man seemed to feel ashamed over it. As she thought about their options going forward, Nauda realized that there were really only a few angles.

"One question," she asked as they finished, "does he show any signs of... unpleasant behavior? Is he using his new reputation to attract women, for example?"

"A few tried to get closer to him via that method and they failed." Jothan shrugged and raised his arms theatrically. "Apparently he said that romance was 'lame' and 'a waste of time' and then got angry about it. So you don't have to worry about that, at least."

"Better than it could be, thanks."

"Do you want me to try to infiltrate his organization? Well, I say 'infiltrate' like I would be going undercover, but there isn't much to it. I'd have to agree to compete in his name, and I can't promise that I'd learn anything. But I was already suspicious of him, so if by watching him I can do you a favor, I'd be happy to."

Nauda stared at Jothan, surprised both that he'd made the offer and that it hadn't occurred to her before. She and the others attracted far too much attention as Strongholds, but a local Ruler could slip in and acquire information they couldn't. Perhaps they could even have Jothan try to meet with Raythe directly and follow him within Fiyu's stealth technique.

That method was intuitively appealing, yet Nauda discarded it a second later. Trying to coordinate with Fiyu for something like that could be uncomfortable, and there wasn't a critical need. Besides, everything she'd seen of Raythe made him too unpleasant to spend any more time around. If they could have Jothan spy on him...

"I'll take you up on that," Nauda said, reaching out to clasp the Fithan's arm. "Thank you, Jothan, this helps us more than you know."

"I told you, I'm honored to help at all. What information do you need about him? Just if anything changes and it seems like he'll take action?"

So Nauda did her best to explain their concerns about Raythe without giving Jothan information that he didn't need to know, particularly anything that could be compromising. It proved to be easier than she expected, because Jothan still remembered the preaching of the Order of the Deepest Blue against outsiders. As far as she could tell, he viewed it as mostly xenophobia, but still carried a shadow of a belief that some outsiders could be dangerous, so it was easy for him to believe that Raythe was one of those.

After chatting with Jothan a while longer, so that he wouldn't feel that he was just being used, Nauda headed back out into the tournament grounds, lost in thought. Even though the entire justification for the tournament was a war, the people around her seemed cheerful and enthusiastic. Perhaps, as the threat of Tymetron grew more dire, soulcrafters needed an outlet more than ever before. That was the justification she'd been given for such an extended event, and for the first time she actually bought it.

There was a small part of her that wished that she could participate, despite all Theo's scoffing. Nauda enjoyed competitions, especially when they captured the intensity of rivalry without real hatred or threat of injury. Working at higher tiers organizing the tournament was a bit like being an adult feeling the weight of responsibilities compared to children playing. She could admire the freedom of her younger days while not actually wanting to return to it.

Yet thoughts of those responsibilities inevitably led back to Fiyu. Was she being irresponsible by avoiding the other woman, or was it giving her an Ichili amount of time to cool down? Normally they got along so easily, it made her worry that when they did have a true fight, it would break them forever.

Before Nauda could come to any conclusion, the matter was taken out of her hands: she felt two powerful life forces approaching. Since she couldn't see them, she guessed that it must be Fiyu under stealth, and as they drew closer she thought she could sense Theo as well. So he'd returned from his Deuxan trip... Nauda moved around a tent to a less-occupied space to meet them.

"Theo is back," Fiyu said as soon as the stealth technique passed over her. It didn't seem like she was agonizing over romantic questions, though she might have been avoiding the issue in her own way. "That means it is our turn to travel."

"Thanks for taking care of things here," Theo said, thankfully not using the 'infantwatch' word again. He was in too focused a mood to do more than nod at her, but Nauda didn't mind that. "I know you have things you want to do, so as soon as we exchange notes, let me handle the tournament."

"We have information to give you about our enemy Raythe Darkblade," Fiyu told him, bobbing her head. "We have been dutiful in analyzing him."

That made Nauda wonder exactly what Fiyu had been doing, and how much they'd duplicated effort. Or perhaps it would be better for them to bring opposite perspectives to the table. She was spiraling into her own thoughts when Theo brushed that aside.

"I have some sublime materials for you, but I also got something else." Theo revealed a gleaming sapphire and smiled. "This is for Navim, of course, and if I'm counting correctly, he's only missing one-"

"Zero." Nauda revealed her own sapphire and grinned. "Just got this from Nanjuma."

Fiyu looked quite pleased at this, and even though it was unrelated, her smile still made Nauda's stomach do a flip. Yet, for once, her thoughts didn't collapse into worries about the relationship. Whatever else they decided, they were united in finally being able to help their old friend.

-

Chapter 25

Strange to think that, after so long strapped to a rack, Homez had been rescued only to be bound to a different rack. He had a lot of time to think while he recovered and let his allies work on him.

At least his thoughts were clearer now. Navim had helped him pour some sublime concrete, which covered over the golden seal without producing a reaction, and since then Homez had shed subtle mental manipulations he hadn't realized up to that point. If only being able to think clearly about his situation actually solved the problem.

Everyone focused on repairing the damage to his soulhome, but it was the torture that left him lying awake in the middle of the night, exhausted and miserable. No one said that Tymetron had actually taken it easy on him, since they'd been preparing him for the seal - he said that to himself. But the loss of control, being tortured over and over again, with no idea whether or not it was worth anything, or whether he would eventually break and reveal the truth...

No amount of success or honors could erase those scars. Sometimes Homez felt as though he could get up and operate as normal, then other times he thought he should remain bound by roots forever.

Talking to Navim at least alleviated his misery a little, because the Arbaian man brought a cool intellectual approach to everything. In his stony mind, this was an abstract problem that could be solved, and sometimes Homez even believed it too.

"You have a visitor." Navim spoke up quietly and Homez briefly felt his spirits lift, then he saw it was more representatives from the Asplundat Movement.

"How are you, citizen?" they asked, and so he had no choice but to go through the usual ceremonies. At least they didn't try to reassure him about his sacrifice for the Movement, not anymore.

"I'm sorry, I'm in the middle of soulcrafting," Homez eventually lied. "Is there something I can do to help you?"

"We actually have a... proposal. We understand that your current plan is to drain out and replace the gold with a different sublime material, yes?"

"Right, the problem is doing it without my soulhome collapsing in the process."

"Well, we think we have a solution for you." One of the officials shuffled forward and spoke in a lower voice, as if there could be spies in the walls. "We have developed a high-tier quantity of bloodcrete, charged with cantae suited to you. It could replace the Tymetronese gold, and the added cantae would elevate your soulhome. With that done, you could well become a Stronghold, and of course the Movement would assist in the ascension."

Homez lay silent, not answering them. If he replaced such a significant portion of his soulhome with bloodcrete, he would certainly become more powerful, but at the cost of his health and longevity. It was trading damage now for damage later, turning him into a shock trooper for the Movement. He had hoped that the Movement had put that method behind them and known that they hadn't.

How long before they started to draw parallels between what he had already sacrificed and making this sacrifice? Beneath all the things he loved about his community, Homez could acknowledge a sinister coercion as well. He couldn't bear to face those words again, so he spoke up first: "When did we begin producing bloodcrete again?"

"Oh, there was no choice," came the answer. "This is a greater threat than the battle with the Ruling Cities, by far. We should be able to raise up multiple bloodcrete Strongholds, and you could be among them, a key part of the shield of Asplundat."

"I see." Homez lay back, likely looking as exhausted as he felt. "I will consider your words, but at the moment I am too weary for such a dangerous sublime material."

"Of course, of course. Only think on it and prepare yourself. We can have the bloodcrete shipped here with specialists within a few days, as soon as you're ready."

Then they left him, and Homez was even more alone than before. He didn't think that the difficulties in his soulhome were so overwhelming, but was that really what the Movement thought of him? After so long with the gold in his head, sometimes it was hard to tell which voices came from himself and which whispered from something else within, whether it was a foreign material or his childhood lessons.

So many things he should have done and failed to do. In taking on that clandestine mission, he had finally been everything that an Asplundat citizen should be, and it had only taken him this far. Was there another life where he had set it aside and retired with someone?

"I have studied this bloodcrete material," Navim said, abruptly reasserting his presence, "and I would not recommend that you use it in your soulhome."

"Is there an alternative?" Homez whispered.

"I believe that the same method we have been testing could replace the gold with many different materials, the only difficulty is sustaining your soulhome in the meantime. The concrete I used will act as something of a mold, allowing us to form a new wall, so long as you can maintain the spiritual component until the process is complete."

"I can't. Not now." Homez closed his eyes and fell into an uneven sleep.

For a moment he was back home, in his old classroom being taught about bloodcrete. The memory wasn't real, yet the news was. It wasn't the last time he'd received ominous information, either: House Blacksilver had proved trustworthy and thus mollified many of the truthwatchers, but in this age of war, they increasingly viewed the alliance as contamination. As much as he wanted to believe in a newer, more positive Movement, he knew there was a reactionary current under the surface.

It was difficult to tell where his dreams began and where the half-delirious wakefulness ended. The next time that Homez was confident that he was back in reality, it was because there were more visitors arriving. At first he thought they weren't for him, since they spoke only to Navim, but when he opened his eyes he heard a familiar voice.

"Oh, Homez!" Nauda's face appeared over him with a concerned smile. "Do they still keep you bound here?"

"They let me out for a time," he answered, "and I attempted to attack someone."

"It can't be good for you to stay like this all the time... Fiyu, can we give him a break?"

Despite his protests, they pulled away the roots that bound him to the stone slab. Without even thinking about it, Homez began to summon his stone armor, and once it was formed, he knew that he would attempt to attack. But before he could get started, bands of darkness shot through his cantae, tearing apart the technique.

"Let's get you up." Theo appeared beside the other two and gestured, using his strange technique to make Homez weightless. He had bands of darkness wrapping around his limbs and waist, linking back to Fiyu, but he felt surprisingly unbound. So long as he didn't think about fighting, and swallowed the gold throbbing within his soulhome, he could rest there.

"Thank you." Homez flexed some unused muscles and groaned, but it wasn't a bad sort of pain. He'd certainly felt far worse. "Are you here to...?"

"I fear we have no solution for you." Fiyu's face fell as if this was a great personal failing. "We wanted to visit you, but... we are actually here to assist Navim."

"Then don't let me keep you. Just stretching a little makes a big difference."

They could tell that something was wrong and didn't believe him, but when Homez only chatted with them on a superficial level, they understood. He watched as they shifted around Navim instead, telling him of their travels while also thrusting sapphires toward him. Floating on the periphery of this warmth was strangely comforting in a way he hadn't expected.

Soon it became obvious that they had come with expectations for Navim. They stayed for a day, and though Homez slept for some of it, he listened with interest as Navim made modifications to the central sphere that Homez couldn't help but think of as his face. It seemed to be a delicate process, actually changing his own being and adjusting his soulhome to match.

After listening to enough of their discussion, Homez put together their overall plan. Navim wanted to reform his central sphere prior to an ascension with an unusual design: instead of sapphires studded equidistant over a larger area, he had nine larger sapphires set in a pattern. If their words were to be believed, there was exactly one sapphire from each of the Nine Worlds, the Arbaian one in the center and the other eight placed in a formation around it.

When it came time for Navim to ascend, Theo offered to let Homez watch as well. He unfortunately felt a surge of anger and tried to attack, but Theo pinned him with one of his fields and Nauda tore off the armor before it could form. Afterwards they barely even commented on it, just linked him into their observation technique, and when Homez felt his mind shift into a spirit, it was easier to let his body relax.

Navim's ascension was different from anything Homez had seen before. In the beginning the Arbaian moved through his soulhome, not so different from any soulcrafter. But instead of a pyramid atop his soulhome, he had built two sturdy pillars with a platform in between them.

Instead of climbing, Navim stood on the platform and used his own cantae to make it slowly ascend between the pillars. Soon he began to press against the sky, and his spirit clearly strained against the barrier, but there was no physical ordeal. It seemed that Navim's will was more than strong enough, because he continued upward without difficulty. Only once he stopped as a stone gear along the side cracked, the Arbaian calmly repaired it even as more pressure flooded down over him.

When Navim reached the heavens, however... for a moment, his heavy stone body transformed. It floated skyward, as light as a bird, and the sapphires of his core blazed like nine suns. The rush of cantae filled the room and for a time even Homez felt at peace.

"Congratulations, Navim," Fiyu said happily.

"Yeah, good work," Nauda agreed.

"So that's how the elevator operates," Theo said, the only one who hadn't left soulhome observation to return to the physical world. "Looks like the pillars collapsed, but the materials... those aren't just construction materials, are they?"

"An outer shell of durable stone," Navim explained, "with a core of materials I hoped would ascend along with me. This method has limited use for soulhome materials, but as a stoneshaper, I always have need of more attuned substances."

"That's clever. I've always been so focused on the soulcrafting benefits, I hadn't realized ascensions could factor in for stoneshaping or armament crafting."

"Theo, hasn't there been enough soulcrafting talk?" Nauda swatted him affectionately as she spoke. "Navim is an Authority now, let him celebrate that!"

"I would like to join you at the State of Rest again," Navim said, "but I have very important work that I cannot neglect."

Homez felt a wave of shame as he realized that he was going to be the one to bring down their celebratory mood. Before that moment, he had been grinning along with them, caught up in Navim's triumph. Now, however, they all felt obligated to turn back to him, to talk to him for longer before eventually putting him back into his prison of roots.

It left him miserable... but only for a time. Strangely, as they left and the silence reigned again, Homez began to feel his mind shifting. Almost as if his own thoughts were a foreign thing inside himself like one of the stone gears, an object that he could observe as it turned.

He wasn't fighting simply for the Asplundat Movement, he needed to shield all of Norron from the enemy. Enduring imprisonment had never been a sacrifice he made for the sake of duty, it had been something he pushed for, as an aggressive maneuver that he thought would save those he cared about. And he had been right: it had led them to a great victory against their enemy. But Tymetron was only wounded, not beaten, and he had to fight for the sake of people like Navim and Theo as well.

"Navim..." Homez had to clear his throat, but the Arbaian shifted closer to listen. "Do you know about the Asplundat concrete that we use for soulhome walls?"

"In considerable detail," Navim said. "They gave me samples and formulae early in the process, in case it could be used to repair your soulhome. But the material is based on simple sublime materials, universal and inoffensive. I do not think that it could be formulated beyond Ruler tier."

"Only because it was made to be usable by anyone, no matter their skill level. Soulcrafting for everyone." Homez licked his parched lips as he found the courage. "But it could be reformulated. A more aggressive version, as intense as bloodcrete but without the explosive power."

"Do you think such a thing is possible? It would require experimentation."

"I'm sure it could be done, if only we had a brilliant stoneshaper. One who had achieved Authority, perhaps."

"You give me too much credit," Navim said, his sphere shifting. Now that the sapphires had a new pattern, they seemed so much more intense when they fixated on him. "But unlike other methods, a permanent concrete would not support your soulhome during the replacement process. It would require considerable spiritual fortitude until it set."

Homez took a deep breath and formed a fist, for the first time in days not because his body wanted to escape. He might not be healed, he might never be the same, but something within him had changed.

"Assume that I'll have it," Homez said. "I'll be ready by the time you finish the formula."