Steel and Mana

Chapter 107 – Greyback

Greyback. The name was fitting beyond reason. Wherever Elena looked, she could only see the grey mountains towering over the region, their tops disappearing amongst the clouds. The city? Same thing. Most of the buildings were made out of stone that was mined from the mountains and used to create blocks, sometimes four or five stories high, looking bland, blocky, and depressing. It lacked any creativity, flair, or beauty. They were built for a purpose: to house the miners, and that was it. Everything was about functionality, stripping it of uniqueness and personality. Her new castle was no exception, with big, thick walls and towers, small windows, and dark corridors. It was more like a prison than a home; at least, that was what Elena felt, touring it for the first time.

"This is worse than I thought..." she sighed loudly, standing on her small balcony. Looking at the city and its inhabitants, who may number around 10,000, if not less, gone was the bustling atmosphere of the Capital. Everything turned bland, as if the world was stripped of its color.

As the mines' output dwindled throughout the decades, so did the population, turning half of the city into a ghost town, empty rows of houses, closed shops, and taverns, buildings that were almost falling apart. It was the hotbed of crime, gangs, and vagrants, something that she had to deal with first and foremost. The people in the city were poor and mostly illiterate, and their only option for a job was the still open mines. With the old noble family gone, the city's security has fallen really far, and Elena's first directive was to restore basic order at any cost. Just on her first day, thirty people were beheaded by her soldiers, and the amount of bandits being brought forward didn't seem to slow down.

"After the city is a bit safer, I will have to examine the mines and write up how much CC is being mined per day." She mumbled to herself, feeling depressed by watching the cityscape. "I thought I would be able to handle it, but this is bad. I don't think I want to leave the castle at all! Ugh... Get yourself together, Elena!" She grumbled, slapping her cheeks. "A few years. Yes. A few years, and I can leave... Oh... and Father's letter!" She remembered, totally forgetting it because of the shock that the city had caused her.

Settling into the big, faded but still comfortable leather armchair in her office, she opened the top drawer of the heavy worktable and picked it out. With a fleeting glance, she had the urge to read the other one, too, but she managed to gulp it back down. No matter what, she trusted her father and decided to follow his plan, whatever it may be. If his letter was unsatisfying, she could still go against his wishes after the fact.

"When you are reading this, you must have already arrived at Greyback. Read it thoroughly, and after memorizing everything, burn the letter, my dear Elena. You must know that the situation within the Empire is precarious. The Empress is mad and massacred multiple families, our own almost disappearing if not for the help of Avalon."

"Avalon? It's the second time he brings them up..." Elena thought, shaking her head, reading on instead of trying to guess things.

"My life was saved by them; without their Sovereign's effort, I would have been dead, just like the others. The war on the borders is going badly. I can't go into details because they are irrelevant to you, and they would weigh on your mind without any chance of doing something about it."

"Then why mention it?! Ugh... DAAAAD!"

"Even worse, there is a plot brewing behind the curtains, something I am trying to discover before it happens. That is why I had Milan apply to the Academy first and foremost. I could learn more through him, but that is a topic for another time. I sent you away because there, you will be able to make contact with Avalon and be the linchpin that we need to survive the coming storm. Only there will you be safe." 

"No way...!" 

This time, she couldn't help but exclaim and look around, feeling her hands shake like leaves in a typhoon. Elena understood the seriousness of those sentences and couldn't doubt what her father was telling her. She knew him well; if he had said so, it was as good as confirmed.

"You are the sharper between you and your brother. I am entrusting our diplomatic connection to Avalon to you because of this. Act as you see fit, my daughter, and never question your instincts and ideas. Father will trust your decisions. Always. I will send disguised caravans towards you regularly, bringing reports and letters from the Capital, which you must forward to Avalon without anyone noticing."

"This is high treason! This isn't a joke...!" She gasped, feeling panic creeping up her back. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, and before noticing, she was already soaking wet from perspiration.

"When the time comes, I plan to escape the Capital with your mother and brother, but I need you to establish a correct relationship with Avalon first. They saved me, and I want to repay them. It is my obligation. But that doesn't mean they would save me a second time. Elena... the Empire is doomed. Sooner or later, it will fall apart as the pressure mounts from the inside and meets the one being applied from the outside. I know that Avalon will be the catalyst for it all when it finally erupts. If anybody can make it so that we have a place there after everything collapses, it is you. I... We count on you, my dearest daughter."

After finishing the letter, she felt sick. Standing up was a chore; her legs quivered, barely wanting to do anything to support her weight. Without thinking twice, she held the letter above one of her candles and burned it. Only when it was gone and turned into ash did she feel better, but then her eyes looked at the closed drawer. No wonder her father told her not to part from it. If this gets out, they will be done for.

"I need a drink... I want to get drunk... REALLY drunk..." She groaned, feeling her head throb, and for the rest of the day, Elena only did one thing: lock herself into her chambers, drink, and get knocked out.

...

....

.....

Heading through the territory of Greyback, Pion couldn't help but feel weird. The roads were terrible, and being alone, he was already attacked twice by bandits, slowing down his travels. 

"Damned idiots..." He murmured, frustrated, because killing them and then burying the dead made his journey even longer, which he didn't want to happen. He wanted to do it perfectly and finish it before his Sovereign expected. He was his soldier, and as such, they were expected to perform above expectations! At least, that was what he believed.

Finally nearing the city, its grey walls would have been impressive a few years ago, but now? He couldn't help but scoff at them. Looking at them, he could see the cracks running along their sides, their integral weaknesses, and was already devising plans for where they should aim their Dragonfire weapons to blow it apart. 

Nobody was coming to the city, so he stood out like a sore thumb on the road, not that it bothered him in the slightest. Nearing the front gates, he wore a wandering mercenary outfit made of leather, accompanied by a traveling backpack and a brown, hooded coat. He carried a two-handed sword on his giant back, which would require an ordinary soldier to hold with all his might, but it acted like a simple longsword for him. Easily one-handling it while fighting, cutting through the bandits as if they were made of paper. He ditched his horse at the border of the Duchy of Wheat and these 'Shattered Regions' to avoid raising suspicion and unnecessary questions. These parts were small, consisting of multiple mining cities and their immediate vicinities, under the rule of different nobles in the Capital, turning their borders into a hot mess that was not worthy of memorizing. That was his briefing, conducted by his Sovereign himself, and he never questioned it. If the Sovereign said so, he would believe it. A lone mercenary with a horse? That would be suspicious, and who knows if they think he stole it, causing her delays after delays. So, following Leon's orders, he was walking since crossing over the border. No. It was not a walk; it was a straightforward march that only stopped at the gates of Greyback.

"S-stop!" Shouted the guard at the gates. His voice wasn't as forceful as he had thought, and uneasy trembles reverberated from it. No wonder because Pion was over two meters tall, towering above him with two whole heads. What was even worse, Pion's body was brimming with energy, and if he wanted, he could grab the guard's head with one arm and crush it like a watermelon. "Who are you, and what is your b-business in Grayback?"

"My name is Noip, a wandering mercenary, and I am traveling and looking for work. I came here to stop and rest a little, maybe even offer my services to the local lord."

By then, two other guards, holding old pikes, appeared from the side doors under the gate. They had come forth after seeing the giant that was Pion and expected trouble, but hearing what he was saying in his booming voice made them look at each other questioningly. The new lord had just arrived, and his soldiers were sweeping through the city... Three of their bosses were already dead, deemed guilty of corruption, and they immediately thought that the man before them was nothing but a test. He was way too powerful looking to be a simple mercenary.

"We will have to record your arrival and name, and, lastly, take the 2 silver admission into the city if you want to enter. If you truly wish to offer your services, try visiting the Warriors' Hall. They have been undermanned since half of their members were hanged yesterday. Or find one of the soldiers wearing steel armor with a crow on it. They are the new lord's private army. We can't help you more there, Mr Mercenary."

"Good enough." Pion nodded placidly, answering all their following questions, watching them scribble his answers with horrible handwriting that almost made him scoff. While they trained back in Avalon, it was mandated that they could read and write and do it perfectly in even harsh circumstances. On one occasion, they were made to stay awake for three days and take a test afterward. Even then, most of their handwriting was still immaculate. This scribble that he received was nothing but a caricature of an identification card. It even had spelling mistakes on it! If he hadn't known in advance, he would have thought they were trying to mock Avalon with this paper that, at best, would be something he could use to wipe his bottom with.

"Welcome to Grayback, Sir Noip. Follow the laws of the Empire, and you will be safe!" The guard who greeted him first nodded, stepping away from his way, receiving a slap on his shoulders that almost made him buckle under its strength.

"Thank you, good soldier! To your health!" Pion laughed, giving him four silvers, which made his face turn white, and hurriedly gave back two.

"Two are the entry tax, my friend, two! We can't accept bribes, gifts, or anything more! Please understand!"

"I see. You are good soldiers. Keep it up!" With a grin, he pocketed the rest, leaving them behind, missing the fact that the guards looked at each other, letting out deep breaths.

"He was for sure from the lord's army, testing us... good job, Jakku!"

"Y-yeah..." He added, gulping, "We need to be vigilant; I don't want to end up headless... Let's get back to work, damn it! Tell the night shift to be on alert, because I bet more tests will happen. Ugh..."