Chapter 9: Chosen, Chapter 10: Departure

Aidan

The Realms

Unknown date (day 2)

Afternoon

Mistvale Highlands, en route to Ceallach Macht

Aidan followed Brighid in silence for a good fifteen or twenty minutes before building up the courage -- or maybe it was growing bored enough -- to start asking her questions. "So, Miss Brighid, do you mind if I ask you some questions? As you know, I am far from home and don't know anything about this area; I would like to learn if you would not object to my curiosity."

Brighid didn't answer immediately, but after a few seconds, she said, "Ask your questions. I do not promise to answer if the topic is sensitive or concerns the safety of the tribe, but I, of all people, cannot begrudge someone for being curious."

"Thank you," Aidan said sincerely. "I guess my first question is, where am I? I know I am in Starchaser territory, but where is that, and where does that put me in relation to other tribes or nations?"

Again, it took Brighid several breaths to answer. "Our lands are located in a region called the Mistvale Highlands." Aidan had known that, of course, but he couldn't think of a way to reveal that he knew without drawing uncomfortable questions. "Specifically, we are towards the southern end of the Highlands, relatively close to the human nations of Gilhardt and Feralon. Both of them treat non-humans as little better than animals or, at best, slaves, so relations with humans in this region are unfriendly at best. You suffered for that, I am afraid." Aidan had also heard of Gilhardt and Feralon from the description of the Droan Fortress starting location. Mostly he was surprised that the two starting areas were so close together.

Aidan waved away Brighid's semi-apology and said, "Completely understandable. Back in my own homeland, there are a lot of humans who treat anyone even slightly different as the enemy. While I would obviously have preferred a warmer greeting upon my arrival, I can understand why a strange human appearing in the heart of your lands would be a cause for serious concern. I don't blame you or your people at all; the blame, if it belongs to anyone, lies at the feet of the one who brought me here. They must have known what would be lying in wait for me."

Brighid flashed him a brief smile that gave him an unexpected fluttery feeling in his belly at his response but didn't continue that thread of conversation. Instead, she resumed her lecture. "The Mistvale Highlands are part of a greater region called the Wildlands because there are no great nations which claim them. To the west of the Highlands are the Cloudwall Mountains, and to the east is the Roottangle Forest. North of the Highlands is an icy waste which no one, to my knowledge, lives in or claims for their own.

"Within the Mistvale Highlands, there are dozens of tribes of non-humans, mostly beastfolk but not exclusively. I cannot tell you much of farther lands, but I can at least tell you about those who border us. Just to our southeast are the Mist Stalkers, a tribe of Mist Leopard Catfolk; we fought a war against them when I was still a child.

"To our west, along the great river, live the Snow-Water Riders. They are a clan of Cu-Uisce and act as traders, mercenaries, and adventurers for the most part. They are friendly folk, and many of their people have permission to pass through our lands. To our north, past Ceallach Macht, is the territory of the Ebon Bone-kin." Brighid shudders a little, making her armor rattle. "I do not like them, although I cannot say why really. They are Wolven necromancers and dark mages.

"East and southeast of us are the Sapphire Sky Horde -- do not ask me why they call themselves that, it is a strange name even for the Wildlands. They are Gargoyles, and there really are not enough of them to be called a Horde, but I am certainly not going to argue with a creature made of living stone, and I strongly suggest the same should you ever meet one. To the northeast is the Ash Shroud Sisterhood, who are Harpies. I do not know much about them, other than that they are very welcoming to men and not at all to women."

Aidan digested that information for a moment, then asked, "I can at least make some guesses as to the others, but what is a Cu-Uisce? That isn't something I've ever heard of before."

Brighid made a humming sound briefly as she thought, then replied, "They are sort of like Wolven, I guess, but river-beasts instead of wolves. They are about human-sized, humanoid, with a rounded head and a thick round tail. Short fur all over, very sleek-looking, even the fat ones. They live in and on the river and do not like to travel far from water for long. Like Wolven, they can shift their form into a more human-like shape, although they keep their webbed hands and feet."

"Ohhh," Aidan realized, "they're otter-folk. Alright, that makes sense, then. Would you mind giving me a breakdown like that for the other nearby races? Like I said, I can make guesses about them, but I never saw a non-human before I came here; I would prefer to work from actual knowledge rather than guesswork where I can."

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"You are a curious one!" Brighid laughed softly. "Very well, it will help pass the time, I suppose. The Mist Stalkers are Mist Leopard Catfolk like I said; a little smaller than humans, with light grey fur dappled with clusters of darker grey spots. They blend in with the mists around here incredibly well, which is why they were able to fight us so effectively despite the difference in size and speed. I hear that all their women are slaves, but I cannot say so for sure; as you can imagine, our people are not on friendly terms and do not mix together very much.

"The Ebon Bone-kin, like I said, unsettle me, but they are not evil. They do not raise armies of the undead and, from what Gerwyn has said, actually hunt down that sort of necromancer. Instead, they commune with their ancestor spirits and other spirits of the honorable dead. Our tribes are neutral to each other; they leave us alone, and we reciprocate. With Ceallach Macht between us, we do not have much choice in that matter anyway. They are Wolven, wolf-like beastfolk just as Catfolk are cat-like, except that Wolven can assume a less bestial form. They keep their eye color and sharp teeth in human shape, though, so they are not that hard to pick out if you know what to look for."

Brighid paused and took a sip from her waterskin before continuing. "The Sapphire Sky Horde are enigmatic. I think there used to be more of them, but now they only number around a hundred or so, if the rumors are to be believed. They are Gargoyles, living statues, and the next best thing to indestructible. You do not want to get into a fight with a Gargoyle; they are as fast as any other humanoid but vastly stronger and tougher. If they have a weakness, they certainly do not advertise it, and I do not know what it would be. Some of them have wings and can fly, but not all of them. Thankfully, they keep to themselves and mostly ignore the outside world; you could probably walk straight through their lands without even knowing they were there.

"And, of course, the Ash Shroud Sisterhood... they are Harpies, which means they are exclusively female. Human-like body, about your size, except that they have four enormous wings and feathers for hair. Like I said, they welcome males with open arms and legs; since there are no male Harpies, they seduce, bribe, and sometimes outright kidnap males of other species to breed with them. They do not hurt the men, though, that I have ever heard of. Women are driven out of their territory; not much for competition, I guess. They are supposed to be exceptional warriors, but I have never faced one, so I cannot say."

Brighid gave Aidan another small smile and teasingly asked, "What else can I answer for you, O Seeker of Knowledge?"

Aidan returned her smile and teased right back at her, "Thank you, O Beauteous Teacher. Might I learn more about our destination? I gather there is some history behind this place, Ceallach Macht, and the Starchasers?"

Brighid looked flustered for a moment, a blush creeping onto her cheeks, but she quickly regained her balance. "Ceallach Macht..." she said with a sigh. "Long, long ago, in Ages past, it was a great city where all of the tribes and peoples of the Highlands and beyond could gather in peace. Even wars stopped at Ceallach Macht's boundary. It was a place of culture, art, poetry, and beauty." Brighid's eyes lost focus as she described the city as if she was gazing into the past. "For a thousand years, Ceallach Macht stood, and the Highlands prospered. No outsiders dared to challenge us, for, within the City of Dreams, we had a place to gather and work together towards a common goal."

Her eyes focused on the real world again, and she continued with a grave undertone to her voice. "Then, one night, everyone in the city vanished without a trace. No one knows how or why. Several attempts were made to reclaim the City of Dreams, but all failed for one reason or another. It lay dormant for hundreds of years, until just recently. As it lies within our territory, the Starchasers have sent patrols into and through the city periodically. Ten years ago, our patrol encountered something new. We do not know what, exactly, but the soldiers returned as undead infested with desiccated vines and attacked the village. There were only five of them, so aside from the surprise factor, they were not hard for us to handle, but the area around Ceallach Macht became more and more dangerous."

Brighid shook her head sadly. "Eventually, the Council decided to seal the city. Whatever was inside was too dangerous to confront directly, so they hoped to starve it on the vine. All of the tribe's warriors and mages gathered together and cleared out the area around the city, at immense cost, and then the mages collectively drew and powered a ward across the entire city. That ward still stands today, and it prevents any creature, living or dead, from crossing it in either direction."

That was not good news, by Aidan's estimation. "Pardon me for being blunt, but if this place was so dangerous that it took the entire tribe just to seal it off, why did the Council send me, a level 1 -- well, level 2 now -- Commoner alone to cleanse it?"

Brighid glanced at him, her eyes solemn. "I do not know, and I am disquieted by it. They clearly believe that whatever evil settled inside has died off over the years, but I have neither seen nor heard any evidence to support that. More damning, I have petitioned the Council multiple times for permission to lead an expedition into the ruins, most recently just last year. Every time I was told it was too dangerous."

She stopped and turned to him. "The way this has unfolded does not sit well with me, Aidan. I do not know you very well, but you do not seem as hateful as the humans from the lands near us, and I do not believe this quest you are on to be justice. For sure, something needed to be done about you, according to our laws, but for the Council to send you into the ruined city alone is naught but a death sentence. And for them to give you this quest even as they were telling you they were not sending you away as a way to kill you and keep their consciences clean? I will have words for the Council -- in public -- should we survive." Her face hardened, but for once, her displeasure was not directed at Aidan, a fact he was grateful for.

She turned back to the north and started walking again, musing, "And what Roark said also bothers me. He is right, I have never been able to outmaneuver my mother when it comes to things like this. She engineered that so-called confrontation in the Council Hall. It was the Council, and probably mother, who sent me to fetch you, and I am increasingly sure that she shaped everything so that I would be enraged and challenge the Council. She has become more subtle and manipulative over the last decade, and I cannot say I like it."

Aidan reached out and up, and tentatively patted Brighid on her shoulder. She looked at him sharply for a moment, then smiled a little sheepishly and relaxed when she realized he was only offering comfort. He asked, "Ailis is your mother, then, I take it?" Brighid nodded. "I could see, after the Council meeting, that she loves you. I do not think she would throw your life away; she must have a good reason for this. I confess that I can't see it from here, but at the very least, I am confident she expects you to survive."

"That is kind of you to say," Brighid said, her voice a little thick with emotion. "I love her too, but with the way things have gone recently..." She sighed.

"Maybe this was her way of getting you into Ceallach Macht to cleanse it like you've wanted?" Aidan suggested.

"Perhaps." Was all Brighid would say, and she fell into a melancholy silence for a while. Aidan wanted to help her feel better but wasn't sure what to say, so he kept his peace.

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