ALL NOVEL Archives: Back to Basics II.
7th of September, 497th of NDE. Headquarters of the Umbral Archons, Arghyria.
Compared to the balmy climate of Southern Eoran, the small, airy space of the briefing room felt more relieving to Valindra. The faint draught of chilling breezed her cheeks, brushed her neck and bosom as soon as she buttoned down her red dress shirt. Manufactured by Penates Corporation – responsible also for the garments and armor of the Arghyrian Legions – from aquerna linen, an arcane material created from aquatic oils of extracted from fishes native to Arghyria and Franchoin, giving her dress shirt its distinguished iridescent luster; carefully flayed pieces of ogre hide imbued with runes of power contributing to its durability against medium grade spells and mana bullets and powdered phoenix feathers and runes of restoration resulting in its hasty regeneration.
She sat calmly in the chair, staring at the empty piece of thick, opaque glass hanging in the air with its gilded and ruby ornated frame like a piece of canvas, and remained stoically still even as a bright light from the corridor lit up the whole room as the door opened and her fellow agents walked in one by one with cold, listless expressions as they all shared the bizarre notion of briefing being the necessary evil of their job.
Minutes passed at what felt like to them as hours, and they all slowly entered into a meditative state when the ducts opened and a mild saccharine odor invaded the small space deep underground near the ruined, former capital. Then as the meditative state slowly began to dip into the territory of dreams, their eyes popped wide open, glowing as if their innermost light lit up at the snap of a finger, and upon the insertion of an unseen etheric thread.
“Good morning my dear Archons!” A disembodied, feminine and sonorous voice tenderly echoed through their minds as a silhouette of fluid; translucent shadows taking a slender shape lacking in any noticeable features appeared before the glass panel. In unison, they lightly nodded their heads toward the shadowy figure.
“Now, let’s not waste anytime as we have little. Your next task shall comprise of this place, its infiltration, and the cleansing it of the rot that invaded it.” The figure walked to the left, then their palm touched the opaque wall of framed glass and at once, Valindra’s listless façade broke for a short moment, a second or two. On the wide panel, the blueprint of the Black Roses’ largest academy on the highest peak of the Eptirrion Mountain range manifested. Old memories flown back and she felt a bit of unease at returning where her road to the present began. But she remained still, listless and listened. Mostly because since her academy days centuries before, the current location differed from the one that hung above the deepest chasm between the north-eastern ridges.
Whilst that structure essentially mimicked the silhouette of a colosseum, this one mimicked the Great Dragon-Father’s depiction on top of the mountain. To be more specific, it mimicked its tail wrapping around the jagged sides and slithering down, whilst the inside still somewhat resembled what she remembered from her late sixties spent in the academy.
Moreover it was now true to its title while in the past it was kind of a joke amongst students that singular academy of the Black Rose Order was the greatest amongst the many other non-existent. Now it had 50 enormous floors and at least a thousand attendees from across the world not counting the guards and teachers. Finding the rogue element of the shadowy Cabal seemed daunting even for Valindra who was chosen as the infiltrator for this task.
**
“Excuse me!” Tepin jostled across the winding corridors of the 30th Floor where most of the students flocked between the classes. Her moderately long hair white as the billowing clouds just a few hundred meters above them flapped as she searched for Karina, her follow Volvh-Class mate and friend. The small avian eyes of hers in an almond frame darted from face to face, quickly moving on from the ones with a different colored high collar between their elven styled blazer coats’ own high and open collars.
“Damn it, she should join the Daorm-Class instead!” She murmured while loosening her necktie then headed towards her dorm room just a few turns away at the western wing of the floor. At her room she instinctively reached for the door handle but stopped her clawed sky blue hands protruding from the zipped cuffs of the coat, revealing the crimson colored folded out cuffs of her dress shirt. “Right, knock first then wait five seconds.” She recounted the words of Yasuko – confusing the minute part with seconds.
Whilst she waited in that short time, she took one more glance around, hoping to spot Karina first, but as she expected, the blonde friend of hers did not show up amongst the crowd of students and the few guards waiting for the classes to begin to continue their rounds. “Well, if she isn’t here, I’ll just wait for her.” She murmured opening the door and stepped into the dorm room.
A quite expansive one thanks to the spatial enchantments the Black Rose prefer to use for their accommodations, interiors of war machines. Beneath the dragonid leather soles of her boots reaching her knees, the floor gave out a soft, ear-pleasing moan whilst the golden light of autumnal noon shone in through the window, shining right onto the polished black marble walls ornated with juhar wooden trims and corners painted in a snow silver and graven with mixture of draconic and rosy patterns dyed a vibrant violet.
At the northern wall, the large and wide table with polished angles hewn from a painted black oak rested below the window furnished with stacks of tomes, books and grimoires part of their class focusing on spells utilized on the battlefield, a large canvas matt on the center of the dark oaken table, a depiction of the Goddess of Magic and Magnificence with her arms held out welcoming the barely noticeable figures below. Beside it towards almost to the door, stacks of shelves rose filled with baubles, books and even wrapped breakfast consisting of the soft, easily torn Chalach bread that has a mild saccharine taste and goes nicely with various jams and butter – which themselves were sitting beside it.
Behind this congregation of furniture rested the long twin bed neatly sheeted in thick woolen brimming with enchantments similar to their sleek and contrasting uniforms with a similarly raven black wooden frame melding neatly with the walls. Over it a few more paintings of the Goddess and even Freianna, though the latter’s enchanting visage veiled by shadows for a reason that always evaded Tepin. Why depict the Goddess properly, but not her divine child, her prophet?
Once more she instinctively chose the bed as her seating to wait for Karina, but stopped as the skirt veiled bottom of hers faltered midair recalling the strong slap to the back of her head just a few months ago before they headed out to complete the first neonate trials. Tepin quivered and instead headed for the window and looked out at the myriad vistas that stretched seemingly endless on this clear September. A somewhat cold September as the wind entering brushed her face and crimson collar.
**
Though it mattered not for her mission, Valindra instinctively began to memorize the outline of the vast maze system of hallways, offices, dining areas that were practically restaurants of the Roses’ commerce branch and the “throne room” of Lythienne starting from the 42nd and reaching to the 50th on the top of the Dome built atop the peak. And for a while she questioned why they had to act and not leave it to her, but as the question popped into her mind, the answer came with it from the disembodied voice. “She is away on the annual meeting between the leaders of the Alliance.” She smothered the sigh that almost escaped from her lips.
Accepting this fact, and that it may score a few good points halting the prospect of another Great War between them, Valindra’s gaze moved down onto the Middle Stratums – so to speak – ranging from the 41st Floor down to the 21st housing the students at the outer recesses up to the thirty first while the last remaining housed some offices for the teachers, and of course the class rooms with expanded spaces or even faux ones where they recreate certain battlefields for practice. For a moment she wondered if any student faced her phantom image in the battle of Druolsstadt where she spent a few good months changing disguises almost weekly while eliminating high ranking Grauburgian and Nairenthian officers in the trenches.
“From what the we learned from the interrogations and from our assets within their guild, their target is the Nexus Engine powering the enchantments within the whole academy!” Then her attention fully returned to the glass now reflecting the vast bottom levels of even more winding corridors, checkpoints and even a fully functioning underground tram system for quicker transportation besides the connected teleportation system. Alongside the sewage system fully carved down to the Deep Lands below the jagged, snow blanketed ridges and peaks.
**
Tepins patience waned as she awaited Karina in her dorm room, circling around in its center, carefully evading the edges of the furnishments. Then she heard a faint bump, rustling coming forth the wardrobe’s wall, a bump which sent shockwaves through the bed as its banister pushed against the polished surface bearing a few clammy marks with faint iridescent glimmers. She froze in place, a knot forming in her abdomen, and her heart increasing its pace as she was contemplating whether to peek inside or not.
“Just a quick peek!” Tepin murmured to herself as she fixed her swept bangs brushed her wide forehead as she suddenly jolted towards the door when a subsequent bump followed the few minutes ruled by utter silence.
With small steps she approached the wide white oaken door and reached towards its handle. But then she stopped once more, fighting against her urges knowing Karina is not fond of people prying into her stuff. Even if those are just clothes, stylish clothes like their uniforms, though lacking in its perfectly asymmetrical angularity that sums up the elven style. Or some creature she somehow smuggled into the academy, even though they were not allowed within the premises.
In the end she stopped even as another sound came, though it quickly faded and seemed imaginary to her when she pushed her mildly sharp and moderately long ears peeking through the dense snowfall of her hair. “Probably just my imagination. Or maybe the wind.” She murmured to herself as she quite often heard her adjacent neighbors nightly activities while staying up late studying.
A gasp came from the sudden croaking of the door behind her.
**
“And who is the target?” Came the question from behind as the briefing on the blueprints and the aim of the enemy neared its end.
The Silhouette turned towards the tall, dashing man with a dark, slicked back mane of oily sheen and silken texture, and a dark neatly trimmed beard occupying most of his handsome face. Though instead of the disembodied voice echoing in their minds, a picture manifested in the place of the blueprint, reflecting a fair naurdian born girl reaching the end of her twenties. Long and voluminous snow blonde hair reaching into the wide space of the elven styled blazer’s high collars, shrouding the crimson aetherna satin collar except for the tips brushing the chiseled chin.
A naurdian with striking elvish mutations like the slightly elven contoured ears poking through her dense and bright hair; the face still possessing a bit of its roundness, crystal blue eyes of a gentle frame with an upper tilt at the outer corners giving her a cat-like, playful appearance; pouty lips with a natural elvish gloss; and a dainty nose with a delicate bridge.
“We possess no concrete information on the true identity of the target, all we managed to pry out from him is that she impersonated this student – Karina Yakovna – a few months ago during the annual summer program of the students to collect field experience. Currently another group of ours work in tandem trying to track her down for the worst-case scenario.”
**
“Finally, where were you?” Tepin asked staring into the striking, crystal blue eyes of Karina who looked a bit surprised but seemed to calm down noticing her friend turning at her. Yet Karina’s eyes still followed her hands returning to her sides.
“Had to talk with Esteemed-Sister Felria “She said forcing a smile upon her face as she closed the door slowly. “But why are you looking, or well waiting for me?” Then she asked as she walked past Tepin, and then tilted her head with inquisitive expression. “Wanted to make sure you were still up for the joint training tomorrow.” Tepin answered relapsing suddenly into silence. “Wasn’t sure you heard me in class. You looked quite detached so… yeah just wanted to make sure you still want to pair up.”
“Oh sorry, just haven’t slept much thanks to Liovara’s looming test.” Karina answered immediately as she dropped her bag onto the bed and stretched her arms. “But sure, you know you can always count on me!” Then came the sudden smile which sent a mild chilling tremor across Tepin’s whole body as if she stood in the shadow of a great predator whom cornered her. Though as abruptly it came, it passed and she felt awkward and confused.
“Thanks!” Was all she could mutter out faintly. “Well, then later.” As she reached for the door handle, the visceral dread returned, feeling the piercing cold gaze upon her neck walled off by her gleaming collars. Though as she looked back, she chalked it up to her own anxiety towards the looming test as she was greeted only by the genial gaze of her friend.
“Oh, by the way have you seen Yasuko?” Once more, she stopped as she also remembered their missing classmate. Karina looked pensive with her index finger pressed against her chin as she looked up, then right back at her with a shake of her head answering the question. Tepin too simply gestured her answer, then left hurriedly.
When the door closed, Karina heaved a sigh then walked, retracting the long ivory dagger drenched in her own vile, rupturing her smooth, fair skin. Her hand reached for the knob on the door and swung it open. “Did she saw you?” Her soft, resonant voice echoed through the long and wide space with coats, shirts and various other garments hanging at the sides. Between them tied tightly to the chair sat the eastern beauty, Yasuko.
Her unblemished fair skin glistened from the sweat cascading down her cheeks sealed behind the silver tape wounded across it; her long voluminous hair of a raven black shade with a hint of purple tousled as it flowed down her uniformed form bound to the chair with meticulously knotted red siphoning ropes pushing into the milk-smooth, still crease and wrinkle free surface of the coat whilst her legs were free from the tyranny of her long dragonid leather skirt and knee-high heels, instead enjoying the benevolent grip of the ropes pushing them against the wooden chair while three vibrating pearls were forcefully inserted between the folds of her vulva, sealed by another wide and long strip.
The usual calm gaze of her small, almond framed dark violet eyes faded, replaced by the warm pleasure generated by the three pearls and the hatred she felt towards her captor looking at her with a lustful, but still inquisitive gaze as she waited for the muffled answer. “Gr hr hhm rhmhh hnhch!” Agent 026 laughed coldly, then licked her lips as she stood over her enchanting captive and lifted her head up. “I’ll take that as a no for now.” Then her lips pressed onto the bulging formation at the center of the glistening tape.
Author's Note:
And here is the second one, earlier but not as early as I wanted. But anyhow, the second chapter introducing a new faction.
Originally I still planning to leave Valindra as a member of the covert branch of the Radiant Daughters, but instead for her character I decided to come up with this organization. The Umbral Archons. Though for now I leave them a bit of ambiguity, and I plan to just allude to their origins and nature through future stories. In short I want a fully proper intelligence agency.
Regarding the Academy, the change was definite from the start as I envisioned it to be more a towering structure even when this iteration began. Though the old academy still exists, but it has a different purpose, acting more as a headquarters for the Voidfarers than a training center for the Order.
Though the measurements will probably sound weird, as I have the very same weakness as GRRM as I come to realize it in the past few months.
On a last, minor note Yasuko's appearance I based on Komi, though a bit more aged up as the academy students are in their late twenties, at least the humans. Feyfolks, orcs I haven't settled on yet fully but at the moment age and lifespan wise, they are between humans and elves/stygians. Elven students are all practically boomers.
And that is all folks! Thank you for reading this and the next one comes tomorrow evening. Earlier than yesterdays hopefully. Till then take care and have a fine day!
Twitter || Pixiv || Deviantart || Patreon