"While the Queen deserves all your praises, I hope the seriousness of what occurred is not lost upon you all," Beltayne continued to drone on. The snow elf had incessantly pestered the party since they escaped the dungeons of Stonecrest... two days ago. "We may call on her intercession throughout our sojourn, but no more than three times." Magnus let out a groan as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"The defeat of the Wraith Golem was a proud victory and a noble use of her immense power. However, I must request that never again shall it be asked of me to turn a river of orc feces into ice. It was both vile and an insult to the grace and beauty of my Queen."
Magnar stopped the party and turned to face the complaining Beltayne. The dwarf put the head of his maul on the earth and stared at the elf. "You've got yourself a damn deal. Orc feces is off limits, though I can't be making any promises that we don't ask you to turn some horse dung into snowballs," Magnar said.
"I can see the gravity of this situation has unfortunately been lost on you friend. Allow me to explain the five tenets of," Beltayne began before Magnar held up a hand. "It was a jest. We understand what you be meaning, now please, we beg you to give us some peace."
Magnus walked up to Beltayne and bowed his head slightly. "We are grateful to your Queen and to you. We may not have all escaped back out that tunnel if not for your sacrifice and your Queen's willingness to aid. We will not ask you to do so again. Your final supplication allowed during your sojourn is yours and yours alone." The dwarf raised his head and extended his hand towards Beltayne. The elf removed his gauntlet and gripped Magnus' outstretched hand. The elf's hand felt like gripping an icicle in a blizzard. The wizard pulled his hand away as Beltayne's frigid skin had startled him. Magnus quickly placed his palm on the back of his neck to cool himself as Beltayne smiled.
"Are you always that cold, Bel?" Magnus asked a moment later.
The snow elf cocked his head to the side and said, "I did not intend to be standoffish, I only wanted to impress upon you all the sacrifice I endured to insure our survival."
Magnus let out a deep sigh. 'That's not what I...oh forget it."
"It's settled then. Now can everyone shut up and keep walking?" Telerek hissed. They had been walking for several days towards what Will and the other slaves called "Solespire Mine." That was apparently the final destination of the slaves here in Mhistana Detritus. Will and the others had decided to take their chances and depart from Magnus and his party, traversing the road north and out of the region. Magnus, Magnar and the rest followed the worn path south and west into the heart of Mhistana. However, Telerek was insistent that they stay off the path and follow from a distance. While this had kept the party safe from passing patrols, it also made the journey over rock and hill extended and excruciating.
They now found themselves climbing a particularly large hill. Jagged tan boulders protruded in all directions, making for convenient, though treacherous, grips. The dwarf stared longingly at the path far to his right, cutting straight through the hill and dreamed of the gentle rocking of the Chainwake. After what seemed an hour, the wizard crested the hill and found Telerek and Magnar at the top, crouching behind the corpses of a several fallen trees. His eyes were immediately drawn to the valley beneath them. Dominating the valley was a single mountain, scaffolding ringing it from the base to the peak. A wooden wall had been constructed around the entire perimeter and hundreds of men, slaves by Magnus' guess, appeared to be working.
Magnus was pulled behind the thicket of dead branches by his brother, shocking him out of his astonishment. "Fool, get down before they see you."
Through the lattice of dead wood, Magnus peered down onto the scene before him. He could now see dozens of orcs patrolling the top of the wall. Magnus continued to survey the fortress. Teams of armed orcs shouted and struck at sun baked men and women as they hauled carts into and out of the mountain. Patrols roamed along both the interior and the exterior of the compound, and a single large gate, with a path leading south out of it, was the only entrance the wizard could see.
A small team of slaves pushed a cart from an opening in the mountains base, the contents of which caused Magnus' breath to catch.
"Arkanglass" the wizard whispered.
Telerek turned immediately at the words. "Come again?" the elf asked.
He could feel the rest of the party huddling closer to him, but he was unable to take his eyes from the purple stones occupying the slave's cart. Telerek pulled a strand of the wizard's beard, causing him to flinch and turn. The faces of his companions, crowded together as they all hid beneath the shadows, stared curiously.
"The ore they are pulling from that mine, it's Arkanglass."
The party stared blankly back at him. Val broke the long silence saying, "Well that sounds fun!" The elf smiled while looking at the rest.
Magnus let out a long breath, attempting to calm himself. "The exact origin of the stone is unknown, or I should say it is debated. Some argue that The Ashen Emperors brought the material with them from the Arcane realm. Others believe that the dragons were able to create it themselves. Regardless of how it was made or where it came from, the consensus has long held that all of it had either been found or used across Eridan. A small sliver is worth thousands of gold. The amount sitting in that cart," Magnus said gesturing towards the mountain mine, "is a fortune large enough to buy an entire kingdom."
Confusion replaced the looks of curiosity on his companions' faces.
It was Telerek who spoke first, "I have never even heard of this, Arkanglass. Other than its rarity, what makes it so valuable?"
"It is naturally imbued with the Arcane. As an example, a master wizard could couple with a blacksmith, and together they could forge, say, a sword that grants a protection ward over its wielder. Or a shield that casts a wall of fire at enemies." Magnus had always held a strong interest in the rare ore, mainly due to Thefolocious being one of the few wizards still considered a master in Arkanglass enchantments. "What you are looking at here, can change the world," Magnus concluded.
"Well, that's good to know sparky. When are we leaving?" Magnar asked.
"Leave, why ever would we leave now?" Magnus responded to his brother.
"Why wouldn't we? I can see a small army down there. If those rocks are as precious as you been saying, then I can promise there's more of em that we can't see. Besides, this is the end of the road. The slaves come here, we solved the great mystery. I have grown tired of this heat and this journey altogether."
Magnus knew his brother was right, but he could not leave without getting at least a sample of the Arkanglass. The scholar and the wizard in him wouldn't allow it. Just as he was about to plead with the party Kel'dhos interjected.,
"Surely Blacktide will want a few more answers than just what we saw from the side of a hill." Kel'dhos gave Magnus a small smile as the party pondered over what the half-elf had said. Magnus could've kissed the cleric.
"Will he?" Magnar asked, "Ya know, I've been doing a bit of thinking while walking through this scorched hellscape these last few days. I admit I have taken a few hits to the old brain cage over the years, but I cannot for the life of me remember Blacktide ever actually telling us to do any of this." The party sat in silence, all of them clearly replaying the events of the last few weeks over in their heads individually. After a long while Magnar spoke, "I see none of you can recall him giving us this little quest either. So, I say we slide back down that hill, turn our arses around and go back to Ridgeton. Unless anyone has any objections to that?" Magnar stared directly at Telerek as he said this last part.
Telerek smirked and turned to face the rest. "Well, I suppose I should come clean, no need for Magnar to unmask me. My uncle Varloc has entrusted the completion of this job to me. After we freed my dear uncle from Rythella he asked me to find the source of all this chaos that has befallen his beloved Ridgeton."
"Why did you not tell us this?' Kel'dhos said with a small amount of pain in his voice.
"Oh I can answer that one easily, Kel," Magnar said, a smile spreading across his face. "Money. If we weren't aware we were actually doing all this on orders from Varloc and not Blacktide, then he wouldn't have to cough up any coin."
"Ha, apparently Master Varloc is not as opposed to slavery as he postures." Beltayne said.
Telerek held up his hand to keep the party from entering a state of mutiny. "Yes, my uncle is a shrewd businessman no doubt, if there is an opportunity to save himself coin, well, he takes it. I can promise he is also a generous benefactor."
"I seem to recall your uncle placing a large degree of importance upon having contracts," Beltayne said, a slight sneer in his voice. Magnus remembered Varloc's refusal to pay the snow elf after their quest into the Tiuv forest. He was becoming increasingly torn about the situation. Part of the wizard yearned to obtain some of the Arkanglass. However, another part felt betrayed by this new revelation and the knowledge that they were most likely not going to receive any sort of monetary reward for all they had endured.
"Ha! Right you are Beltayne. We are just supposed to trust in the elf's phantom generosity. I bled for gold for far too long to not see a swindling before my eyes."
Kel'dhos, Magnar and Beltayne began to turn around, and Magnus wanted to shout at them to stop. A world changing discovery was within his grasp. If he brought back even a single piece of ore to the Guild.
The idea struck him. "Wait!" he said as loud as he dared to the departing half of his fracturing party. "We've already come all this way. There is no guarantee that Blacktide, Varloc or anyone else will be gifting us anything for this journey. However, if we are able to take even a small bag full of that ore, then it would make every single one of us richer than you could dream."
Magnar halted and turned to look at him. "Say we get some of this ore and are able to make it out of this cursed hellscape, who would even buy it? Who would grant us these riches in exchange for an extinct rock?"
"The Academy Arcana, The Mages Guild, any number of wealthy noblemen across all of Eridan. Our list of potential buyers would outnumber the stars brother."
After what felt an eternity to the wizard, his brother walked up to him. "I don't care about the ore. But, I can't let you go and get killed by yourself trying to get some." Magnus hugged his brother, who returned it with a long, deep embrace. After a short while, the brothers separated and Magnus let out a long sigh of relief.
"Now how do you think we'd be getting inside Sparky? There must be a thousand orcs down there."
"Actually," Telerek said, "I believe I have a very simple solution to that." The party turned and looked at the smirking elf. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a rolled-up bit of parchment, sealed with an unbroken stamp of the Trident Guard. "I seemed to have discovered Blacktide's seal inside my belongings. I would have thought his private quarters to have been better guarded during his duel with Beltayne."
Kel'dhos looked at the forged document and asked, "Why would a Trident Guard symbol get us into the mine?"
Telerek smiled at the cleric, "I know this will be hard to do given recent revelations, but trust me."
As the party slowly approached the single gate a dozen orcs, armed mostly with double sided axes and long polearms, marched out to meet them. At the head of the orcs rode a clean-shaven, sun-tanned man on a mule. The man had on a green robe which he wore with the front open. The sun reflected off the beads of sweat cascading down his bald head. Magnus could see the hilt of a small dagger protruding from the front of the man's waist. As the man neared Magnus and his companions, he waved his hand and the orcs spread out in a formation, halfway encircling them.
"And just who might you be?" the man asked, sneering at Magnus and the rest.
Telerek stretched out his hands to show they were empty and took a step forward. "We have been sent by Highwarden Blacktide. I have a sealed letter here that will explain it all." Telerek slowly pulled the forgery from his cloak and extended it towards the man. He stared intently at Telerek before whispering something to the orc at his right. The orc nodded, walked up to the elf, gripped the parchment and with a single motion pushed Telerek to the ground.
The man inspected the seal, and his shoulders seemed to relax slightly. Magnus began to whisper a warding spell, keeping it on the verge of casting in case this plan of Telerek's deteriorated. The man broke the seal and began silently reading the contents to himself. Magnus held his breath, ready to complete his incantation and surround his friends in magical protection at the first hint of a quarrel.
After several wordless minutes, the man let out an exasperated sigh and said, "I swear it is always something with these people." He threw the letter to the ground before continuing, "It's not enough that we have finally won this war for him. Now they are even sending dwarven mining inspectors. Fine. Fine. Welcome to Solespire Mine." The man then turned to the same orc that had taken the document from Telerek and said, "escort our guests to the foreman."
The orc guided the party as they passed the gate and walked through the courtyard. The yard was filled with mostly human slaves as they hauled and organized the Arkanglass. Small stone huts with thatched roofs lined the perimeter of the walls and a large stable, that seemed to be occupied mostly by mules, dominated one side. The guide led the party to the scaffolding that circled the entirety of the mountain and began an arduous walk. The air was so thick Magnus felt as if he was trying to breathe while drowning in a bowl of mashed potatoes. The climb was exhausting, but the higher they climbed the stronger the breeze became. As they neared the top, Magnus' sweat had dried, and he could feel the coarse salt remnants on his forehead. They passed several openings in the side of the mountain, however, their guide continued dutifully upwards.
At last, the scaffolding came to an end at the mountains peak and a door stood closed at the path's terminus. The orc walked up and knocked three times in quick succession and the door swung inward a few moments later. The orc stood to the side and motioned for Magnus and his party to enter. Telerek bowed slightly to their guide and proceeded through the door. Magnus and the rest followed shortly after.
They entered a small semi-circle room that was dominated mostly by a large wooden desk. Several unlit sconces lined the walls, and the back of the room peered out into the innards of the mountain. The purple glow of Arkanglass burst from inside the mine and illuminated the interior of the room. A thin blonde-haired man stood, peering out into the mine. He turned and Magnus' eyes went wide.
"Ah gentleman, and lady elf of course, it is my honor to welcome you to Solespire Mine and so great to see you again."
Bram Holloway, the man they rescued from the Praldosta Mine, was standing before them in a fine blue vest of silk. Without a word of warning, Telerek leapt over the desk, gripped Bram by the shirt and pinned him to the wall. Even in the low light of the office Magnus could see the elf pushing a dagger into the man's stomach. "Talk."
Beltayne and Magnar searched Bram and tied him to his chair, Telerek kept a dagger pressed against the man until he was fully restrained. The elf then sat on the top of Bram's desk and laid the dagger across his lap. Kel'dhos had secured the door from the inside, and Magnus had placed a spell on the latch to obstruct any potential interruptions. Val sat on the edge of the room, feet daggling into the abyss and stared at the Arkanglass. The entire party waited for Telerek to speak. Whatever they currently thought of the elf and his deceptions, they had all come to the unspoken agreement that whatever was going to happen next, would fall under his expertise.
After several minutes Telerek cleared his throat and said, "I thought I told you to talk."
"Ah, yes of course, how silly of me. What is it that you would like for me to talk about?" Bram said, a smile still plastered across his face, though Magnus could see him tightly gripping the arms of the chair.
Telerek smirked before standing up, and silently moving behind the bound man. He gripped Bram's right ear with one hand and placed the dagger against it. "I have found that, strangely, people tend to hear what I mean better with one ear, than with two." With one swift motion, the elf sliced Bram's ear clean off. Before the man could protest Telerek forced his hand into Bram's mouth. Magnus could make out faint screams, muffled by Telerek's leather gauntleted fingers. The wizard could see the man biting Telerek's hand with force, but the elf's face showed nothing. "Val, if you would please?"
Val stood up, walked over to her cousin and cupped her hands around Bram's wounded ear. The she-elf spoke into her cupped hands, and Magnus saw green light radiate between her fingers. When she pulled her hands away, the wizard saw several small flowers between Val's palms that faded like dirt being swept from a rug. Bram's bleeding had stopped and the wound appeared to be healed, though his ear was still missing. The man's muffled cries had ceased and Telerek removed his hand from his mouth. Telerek wiped the blood from his dagger on Bram's silken vest and sat back on the desk.
Bram's smile had completely faded and he eyed every member of the party before letting out a sigh.
"Well, I suppose you all did save me from a terrible fate and have traveled all this way. You're entitled to a small explanation. You see, nothing I told you before was untrue. I am in the employ and a loyal subject to Lord Alaric Fairwinds and I was imprisoned in the Praldosta Mine while attempting to ascertain knowledge of the slaving operations taking place there. What I failed to mention was that Lord Fairwinds is not actually the controlling nobleman of Praldosta or the mine. That honor belongs to Lord Mathias Hawthorne, who is also a vassal of the great Duke Dyre. I was tasked with discovering Lord Hawthorne's base of illicit operations in the Tameless Shore and so I did, though in a far more personal manner than I would have preferred."
"Lucky for you and Lord Fairwinds," said Telerek. "We arrived to not only save your life, but also shut down Hawthorne. Surely the evidence we uncovered was brought before Duke Dyre and Lord Hawthorne now finds himself in chains?" Sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Ah, not exactly,".Bram continued. "You see, I should educate you all with a small history lesson. Alaric and Mathias were once inseparable friends. Two young nobles set to inherit their family lands and titles who had grown up in the court together. Before ascending to their places of power, however, the two adolescents decided they wished to see some of the far corners of Eridan. A boat was chartered, sailors and men at arms were gathered and the two set out, determined to fight monsters and explore the world. That voyage brought them, well here, to Solespire. The young nobles discovered this mine and the riches within. They raced back to the Tameless Shore determined to put the knowledge they had gained to use for the good of the realm. It was unfortunate, though, that every other man that accompanied them met an untimely fate and never actually arrived home from the journey."
"History bores me Bram, I am much more intrigued by current events," Telerek said, fingering the dagger sitting in his lap.
"Of course, of course. No need to get bogged down by ancient details. To sum up the next decade or so, I will just say that, through no small amount of backstabbing and treachery, Alaric and Mathias' once unbreakable bond was shattered and the future of Solepsire Mine in question. Both men have longed to have complete control of the mine, however, they both desperately needed to keep its existence a secret. It would have been near impossible to keep this place unknown from men such as Duke Dyre if Alaric and Mathias had started shipping workers and soldiers to Mhsitana. Alaric, for his part, determined his best course of action was to send undesirables from the Tameless Shore to Solespire so that the mine would always have a steady flow of strong backs. It appears Mathias came to similar conclusions."
Telerek scoffed. "Nothing more noble that enslaving your own people to gain secret wealth."
"Ah, and you said history bores you. Well, as I am sure you are all aware Mishtana is not a place one can exist without... protection. It became evident that this land is mostly ruled by several large orc clans. Once we learned the fairly uncomplicated politics and rivalries between the clans, it became a simple matter of arming and paying the orcs most agreeable to us. Amazing what can be done with the promise of riches and the ability to crush those you hate. So now our two honorable nobleman each had an army fighting a secret war in this far off land. The prize of course being possession of the Arkanglass."
"And Highwarden Blacktide is complicit in all this I take it?" Telerek asked without looking up. "Which is why he wanted our little quest to Praldosta to be so under the table."
"Precisely!" said Bram. "Yes, before he became a righteous defender of the people, Highwarden Blacktide was not unknown amongst the more unsavory characters on Eridan. Alaric brought a proposal to him and well, old habits and all that. The Trident Guard are tasked with maintaining the peace on the Tameless Shore and are doing a marvelous job of late. This just also presents them with a near inexhaustible supply of potential mine workers."
"Slaves," muttered Telerek.
"Slaves. You six, though completely inadvertently it appears, have been invaluable to Lord Fairwind's effort. Not only did you disrupt Hawthorne's operations in Praldosta, I hear you also managed to overtake his main slaving vessel, took out both a kraken and sorcerous storm, and managed to uncover and clear that old temple he was using as a port. Word has it that you even caved in that bitch Rythella's head." Bram gave Magnar a nod at that last bit.
"Wait," Kel'dhos said, rubbing his temples. "So, we have been aiding Lord Fairwinds this entire time?"
Bram began to speak but Telerek held up his hand. "Yes, we destroyed Praldosta and uprooted Rythella, who was working with Lord Hawthorne. She fled to Ridgeton where she returned the favor by killing everyone in that cave where she took my uncle. We then were following her orders and her path to this mine."
"That would appear to be the case, my good friends," said Bram. "I can assure you that if given the details of your exploits Lord Fairwinds will reward each of you handsomely."
"Ha! There's been a lot of talk of future generosity for covert deeds today." Magnar said. "I expect the only gift we can expect from your boss would be a knife across our throats."
With that Magnus saw Bram let out a sigh and hang his head. "You are not wrong my well-muscled dwarf. Alaric has a habit of repaying loyalty with nothing but empty promises." Bram's head snapped up. No smile adorned his face and the man's eyes had gone cold. "Look at me. I suffer through weeks of starvation, torture and enslavement to further his goals, and what do I receive? Being shipped off to this corner of hell. Allow me to come with you. Allow me to present evidence to Duke Dyre of both Lord Fairwinds' and Lord Hawthorne's treachery. All I ask is for my own safety, an escort out of this damned land and perhaps, if it's not too much to ask, a small amount of that Arkanglass. I would like to set myself up at least a small amount before the market becomes flooded. I think I have earned that."
Telerek let out a deep breath, grabbed his dagger and stood up. He walked over to the restrained man and slashed upwards once. The bindings that held Bram fell away and his smile returned. He attempted to stand, but Telerek placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his one remaining ear. Magnus could not make out what was said, but Bram went deathly white and said, "of course, of course."
"We shall leave immediately, just allow me to gather a few things." Bram said. He opened the drawers of his desk, emptying documents and small amounts of Arkanglass into a bag. When he was done, Telerek took the bag and threw it at Magnus, who nearly dropped it as it hit his chest. "My wizard friend over there will hold onto your things. Also, get him some of those rocks, he's earned it."
The party walked down the scaffolding and Bram quickly arranged for a team of mules to be prepared for his departure. He spoke to the bald man that they had encountered at the mine's gate and Bram explained that Lord Fairwinds was calling for him to return to Ridgeton to give a report in person. Magnus was initially worried that this excuse wouldn't convince the man, however, he laughed and remarked that Alaric was an "insatiable, annoying bastard." Bram walked over to a large pile of Arkanglass and filled several bags full. Seven Mules with provisions were brought to the party an hour later and they left through the gate, heading north along the path that just a short time earlier Telerek was forcing them to avoid.
After several long days the party arrived at the northern border of Mhistana Detritus. The air, while still thick and hot, was noticeably cooler and a line of green leafed trees was within Magnus' sight. Bram had initially advised that they could take a boat from Fairwinds' port at the southern tip of Mhistana. Telerek and Magnar immediately snuffed out the idea, sensing a potential betrayal from Bram. It was decided then they would travel by Mule until they reached Raisson, where they could easily charter a boat to Ridgeton. The journey would take weeks and the party feared Bram's absence would soon cause several questions to be raised in Lord Fairwinds' court. Val was tasked with going ahead to inform Varloc of the plot. She was able to travel quicker and longer in her falcon form. The mule initially assigned to her was instead weighed down by the party's fortune of Arkanglass.
As the party approached the trees, and the end of Mhistana, the entire forest began to shake. Telerek readied an arrow as the rest of the party dismounted. The earth beneath them began to tremble and Magnus even saw a tree fall to the forest floor. The wizard gripped the orb in his right hand, though it seemed to barely respond to his touch, and produced a large, purple arcane flame in his left hand. The ground beneath him quaked with such force that Magnus had to widen his stance to keep his balance. A deep rumbling, accompanied by dozens of shrieks echoed all around them. He could see the thicket on the edge of the forest part and he took aim.
Suddenly hundreds of animals burst through. Foxes, deer, wolves, rabbits, squirrels and all kinds of forest creatures stampeded towards the party. Magnus could see what looked like ropes loosely connecting the animals. Out of the thicket a large chariot appeared, which was being pulled by the team of beasts. A white-haired elf, wearing a crown of deer antlers and a robe that appeared to be made of thousands of multi-colored autumn leaves, was the sole occupant. He pulled the entire team to a stop and waved at Magnus and his companions. The wizard marveled at the incalculable number of creatures pulling the single rider.
"Greetings! My name is Driscol. My friend Valeriek passed through here some time ago and told me you all would be in need of some swift transportation to Ridgeton."
Telerek lowered his bow and smiled at the man. "I do not believe there room enough on your wagon."
Driscol returned the smile and closed his eyes. A large gust of wind seemed to erupt from the elf and soon several white translucent animals emerged from the forest. Magnus peered in wonder as the ethereal forms of a moose, a lion, several horses and two rams began marching towards the party.
"Unload yourselves and whatever burdens you carry onto my friends here." Driscol said. One of the rams stopped in front of Magnus and he could feel, ever so lightly, as the spirit beast nudged his hand. Magnus quickly placed all the bags of Arkanglass onto the ram and climbed onto his back. The rest of his party sat atop their different mounts and once they were all situated Driscol called out, "To Ridgeton!" The ethereal ram on which Magnus rode began sprinting towards the forest at a speed he could only describe as impossible.
Magnar pulled up beside him and said, "At this rate we should make it to Ridgeton in only a few days."