Valkyrie Black

Chapter 13: Exploration

“Depending on your mastery and needs, most offer five levels of training. The order has an established rate while the Counsel of elders affords full time soldiers a training stipend. 500 Dret for the first level training is the going rate for Silverbloods not contracted with the army. Some students need to repeat that several times to pass.”

Desmond eyed her knowingly, “Everything costs. But we will address your needs soon. Now, each successive level of training costs an additional 500 dret. So level two is 1000 dret, level three is 1500 and so on. All told, in order to master all of the trades, one must have substantial funds. Most of the soldiery only get one level paid for by the council, and more based on their rank. On that note, come with me.”

Desmond led her to a long hallway and around a corner where the walls began to shift to metal panels. As she walked, Val notices strange blue veins in the metal that glowed, illuminating the hall.

“The ancients left these bases. The technology is far beyond us, but the silverbloods have been able to get some of it working and it has allowed us to make huge strides in science, technology, and so much more. Ah here we are,” Desmond said, pointing to a thin man with sandy blonde hair, very pale complexion as if he had not seen the light of day in years.

The man wore a pair of thick spectacles on his angular nose. Val was curious because she had never seen such things before.

“What are you wearing?” she asked.

The man looked up from his notes and scoffed at Val before noticing Desmond. “Ah, you have returned. Any goods for me?” the man’s tone was very excited once he noticed Desmond.

Desmond chuckled. “Perhaps a few things. But I also brought back a new scavenger for you!” he pushed Val forward before saying, “This is Valkyrie. She is a Spark Vessel so treat her accordingly.”

The man’s face lit up, “Ah, I see. Now tell me young one, you come from the streets right? Rare a silverblood is found outside Suria these days.”

“Well, I was living there for a while…”

“Good, good. My name is Lorenzo. May I ask? Have you encountered the Shadows?” he asked rubbing his hands together.

“Many.”

“Do you know what this is?” the man held up a quartz crystal.

“A storage crystal!” Val said excitedly. The crystal was only two inches long but it would be a great addition to her stash.

“Perfect! Now I am guessing you know what they do then. If I provide you with crystals for a reasonable price, think you can collect Scaths for me? They power so much of this place.”

“Scath?”

Lorenzo glanced at Desmond who shrugged and replied, “She calls them Shadows. She is young, roll with it.”

Val’s eyes lit up as she realized what they were talking about. “How much for a filled crystal?”

The merchant chuckled, “Smart one.” He glanced at Desmond, “She knows the right questions to ask! Val, was it? These things are more potent than most know. Only the silverbloods with a spark and a runed blade can capture them in this usable form.”

“I ask all the Hunters to being me back as much as they can. I will pay 50 drets for each hatchling or wrath Scath. As for your cost, we mine these quartz regularly enough so an empty one is only going to cost you ten dret. Fill them, and we will both be rich!”

Val beamed and was about to dig out coins when Desmond spoke up, “We can come back later. There are no Shadows here in the mountains, so no need to rush. Lorenzo, treat this girl fair you hear? I will be back later to do some trading, and Val will be staying with us for a while. I am sure she will find her way back.”

Desmond pulled her away and down another long hall. “Lorenzo is a good one but don’t be afraid to haggle with him.”

“Will he really give me 50 dret for a filled crystal? I have six more with me!” Val said excitedly, doing the math. She could likely train with ten masters for that price.

Desmond chuckled. There are very few hunter sparks who can get him filled crystals. I bet if you haggle with him, you can get double that or more. When you master your skills, you can ask him about diamond crystals or any specialty stones he has. They will cost more but also might hold some of the more powerful Shadow’s. they will be worth more.”

“The order only has a handful of sparks out here. Most live within the mainland of Suria, protected by the mountains. Most of the rest of the people here are assassins, mercenaries, master merchants, and other skills that honor the ancients with their unique talents. They are loyal to a fault to the ancients and the Sparks they left behind.”

“Understand that all Surians naturally have some level of silverblood, but some of the lower classes have diluted over time. Those with Sparks are considered the upper class, but even that varies depending on the power of the Spark. Some are very basic and are limited to a single skillset such as the craftsmen.” Desmond explained.

Desmond stopped by a door and pointed. “This is you. It was your mother’s room when she first arrived. So long as you are here, this can be yours. If you leave on trips or missions, no one will disturb your things here. Once you ascend to the next level of the training rooms, you have the right to claim a room on those floors if you like. Each floor adds a bit of security.”

“Is there a key?” Val didn’t see a keyhole or even a door handle.

“Press here” Desmond indicated a blue orb inset in the wall to the right of the door.

As Val’s hand connected, she heard in her mind, “Welcome home, Dark Angel.” As the door slid open, Val walked into a small room that was sparsely decorated. There was a large window that looked out over the forest and grassy glen in the secluded valley.

“I will give you some time. I need to go visit with the Prior. When you are done, meet me in the training hall. I still have a few more things to show you.”

“Am I allowed to wander?” Val asked hesitantly.

“Cautiously. This is the Order of Spark’s outpost, not the mainlands of Suria, and most do not know your status. Should you reveal it, some will not accept based on your size and age unless you can command your sigil to come forth. That is not something we do lightly in common society. Some weaker spark bearers have been killed, and their spark harvested for the black market,” Desmond turned then, leaving Val to explore her mother’s room.

A chill ran up her spine as she thought of someone digging in her neck.

As she walked around the tiny room, she wondered how long her mother had lived here. There seemed to be very little of her mother in the room except for a small book on the nightstand. She cracked it open and began to read.

After a few pages about how she first came to the Order and how she was eventually honored as the guardian of a sleeping Spark artifact, she described hours of training with various masters. Val was amazed at what her mother had accomplished. Near the back of the diary, Celeana had a series of entries listing missions she had completed, payouts, and also a number of projects she had invested in through the Order. The dates ended twelve years ago. Just two years before Val was born. Val marveled at all her mother had invested and wondered what had become of her mother’s legacy.

It seemed her mother had led a very basic life, investing everything back in the order and future projects. That was when she noted a small message in the back of the book.

“I finally made it to the third level. The order has deemed that I am worthy of training to be a spark bearer as I am one of the few unclassed members here to achieve this third level without having a spark of my own. Most are happy on the first level! The rooms up there are definitely worthy of consideration. Perhaps I will keep both rooms so I don’t always have to complete such an insane path just to find my bed.”