Ok, simple enough.
Val sprinkled the dirt onto the small shelf. Again nothing happened.
Perhaps when all 4 are on at the same time?
Val pulled out her waterskin and poured water onto the corresponding shelf.
She then took her flash vial and set it on the third.
{Wind?} she asked.
Lilith was silent.
Figures. She likely would just call me a fool… wind… wind…
Val leaned down to the shelf, looked at the shatter vial and blew across the wind pedestal as she smashed the flash vial.
A grinding sound made her jump and a large stone door slid open on hidden tracks. Valkyrie peeked into the dark hall and cursed.
“Sure, just walk into the creepy dark hall on the mysterious island all alone… what could possibly go wrong?”
As Val stepped into the dark, she shifted her vision to thermal. What she saw took her breath away. Lining the walls were tiny poin
The cave grew still and quiet for a moment before the spectre began chanting again.“Free us! Free the ancestors. Free us, silverblood!”“Why should I free you?” Val asked, not sure why she was engaging with the delusions she was hearing.There was quiet once more, as if the voice deliberated.“The silver speaks. Answers the call! Of the line of Azrael she is… Hope! Not of the tainted and twisted!”As they spoke, the broken dialect became more clear. It was almost sing song as the voices drifted on a fantom breeze in the cave where no wind should be.“The Princes. They come. If united they stand, all will fall. Gates be opened, powers unleashed. Only the silver-eyed one stands opposed.”“Princes?” Valkyrie racked her mind to remember what she knew of the scath hierarchy. Both Desmond and Lilith had mentioned them. It was from them that the other scath spawn. Lilith had
“You bear the mark of our oath upon your voice. The lessers will obey. They are slow of mind and not able to strategize. You must guide them with your will. As for us, should you need the power of the ancestors, you have but to call. Know it will take time to summon us, so only call in time of greatest need and call the one who will serve best. In our stead, the lessers be at your command.”“Any scath?” Val asked, her eyes wide. Did this mean she would never hunt scath again?“Nay, the lurkers are but beasts of want and glutten. The Thrashers a mix of chaos and destruction. These are of no progeny of ours.”“Lessers of ours will be near to you. Lessers of their’s, wild they will be. The princes have many, and they will not answer your call or ours.”“Well, at least some will answer.” Val asked thinking of the scath on the ship, “ So I guess I should try to command before trying
Black tendrils shot up the silver chain and wrapped around Val’s arm. Val felt dark, evil thoughts press into her mind as a malevolent presence assaulted her consciousness, fighting for control.[RESIST!!!] came Lilith’s internal scream. [ WE are stronger. We are many!]Val felt Lilith throwing up mental wards, the spark coming to life as it had never before.Val’s body writhed in pain as the tendrils of obsidian darkness burned her skin. She was vaguely aware of the water Scath thrashing in the pool as it tried to escape and men running towards her, but her mind was consumed with the internal battle.Suddenly she found her consciousness thrust into the meadow of her subconscious as blackness began to blot out the stars above.Lilith stood beside her, sword in hand.“You are about to face the darkest fight you have yet endured. Prepare to unleash every crystal you have, girl.” Lilith said.“What is
The staff Sargent sighed heavily, ”In the event a challenger does not have a ship or crew, volunteers may be gathered.”The admiral grinned, “You can use the barquentine we captured from the Vintas fleet. The Soul Cairn.”Captain Talwater groaned.“What?”“The sea banshee holds 450 crew. That thing is a pure sailor, with only 150 crew max. Course, I guess you will be lucky to find that many volunteers to crew it for you.”“The Banshee marines will serve the lady Reaper,” said Major Gunner from the doorway.Val spun to look at the man. She had not realized he was in the room but was heartened to hear his support.“The marines are needed on Sea Banshee,” Talwater protested.The staff sergeant cleared his throat again, “Under the terms only captains are prohibited from volunteering.”Talwater grunted and glared at his officer, “Y
Val stood very still, looking hard at the man, “Rank and job, sailor?”“Names Tim, ma’am. I be the gunner master of the Marauders Corsair. Being short has its advantages. Me and mine can cram three more guns where others wouldn’t dream of fitt’n.”“Master Tim, What would it take to convince you of my victory?”Gunnery master Tim looked back at her seriously for a moment before busting out in laughter, “You had me going there, Lass. Short of commanding the sea herself, I doubt there is much you could do. It’s the Black Fleet, Lass. Nothing going to get through to that fort.”Val considered her options. Here, now, she had to win the minds of at least some of these men. She signaled the barkeep and a drink was set before her shortly. when she went to grab for it, a small puddle on the counter caught her attention.{Think the lesser can put on a show?}[Only know if you ask]
Valkyrie managed to get some sleep that night, the feeling of hope buoying her spirits. She had a plan and now it was a matter of seeing it done. The next morning, she woke knowing that today would be a deciding factor in her success or failure. She found breakfast at a small bakery near the Admiral’s mansion near the center of the Luna Marra’s main platform. Afterward, it took some time to find Gunner and Tim, but they were both near her new ship talking in hushed tones. Val walked up behind them and asked, “Gentlemen. Anything to report?” Both men jumped but inclined their heads in greeting, “Lady Reaper. We were just discussing the state of this… ah… ship.” “And?” “Well miss, to be honest… it is going to take everything the shipwrights have to make her sea worthy. You really have screen doors for a haul. Water will pour in the second she is lowered into the water.” “I though it was sea worthy!” Val said in a panic. “Worth of the sea floor maybe… sure those are some nice new s
The next morning began with a flurry of activity. Before the sun had even risen, crew members were rushing around setting final preparations into motion. Val make it to the pier just as the sun began to peak over the horizon. Tarra had opted to remain with captain Talwater’s crew. It seemed the safest place for her being the luna Marra was filled with men intent on Valkyrie’s life.Tarra would easily become a point of leverage. With Talwater atleast she was a known factor. Val also got the sense that Gunner at set several of his marines to guard the girl. She wondered at that for a while but decided to let it go for now.The Luna Marra dipped low, dropping slowly from the sky until it hovered only fifty feet from the ocean. Gale force winds blew towards the ship and upward, maintaining its elevation. When the Luna marra was close enough to the water below, two huge crane arms were pushed out over the open expanse and her new ship, the Soul Cairn was l
“Fine, Make for the northern shore of the first island. The mortar crews would have seen the flair and should be ready.”“Aye, Lady Reaper. We will see it done.”“And be ready to drop the target buoys as well.”Gunner grinned. “Aye, Miss. The buoys will be ready.”The crew quickly pulled in the anchor and began moving toward the island, moving almost perpendicular to the oncoming enemy ship. Val knew there was a good chance it might catch them so she once again stepped to the back rail, looking down at the foaming sea below. As before, when she sent her mental call to the sea scath, they responded in small numbers. About seven showed this time, leaping in the water as the ship cut through the waves.Val marveled at the clear blue aura around these scath and wondered what kind of torture and evil it must take to taint them as black as the Lurkers, thrashers and other dark fury spectre she had dealt wit