Sorry this took so long. My attentions are currently all over the place as I work on pieces of chapters 25 through 35 all at once. This particular chapter is a metric crap-ton of exposition, followed by a rollercoaster of an encounter at the end. Storyline importance: Maximum.
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Tatiana 'Tanya' Vittori
Approaching the Cinder Vale
27
th
of Sun's Rest, 1282
D.f.
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The party had spent nearly three days on horseback before they finally arrived at the mountain pass leading to the Cinder Vale. The sharp orange-and-red peaks of the Cinder Mountains now stood proudly before Tanya, Alanna and Emmanuel as they awaited an unknown fate. Talos himself had ridden ahead to speak with the guards of the Vale on his lonesome.
Large white pillars of stone with blue runes carved upon them were interspersed throughout the range, and Tanya soon figured that they were elvish Warding Obelisks protecting the valley within. To her, Alanna, and anyone else magically-inclined, the obelisks appeared to produce a blue shield of electrical energy between them, like a cloudless lightning storm that went on without end.
So much for porting away if anything were to happen
, Tanya thought.
The Cinder Vale may have been the most defensible location Tanya had ever witnessed. The mountains were simply unscalable to anyone without a death wish, and the only entrance to the valley within was a thin, natural causeway tucked behind one mountain and flanked by another. This entrance would be well-hidden to anyone that wasn't looking for it, and could likely be sealed by magic at a moment's notice if the need arose. At that point, the sea would be an opposing force's only avenue of attack; but the ocean by the straightened shore wasn't reliable enough to sail upon, what with it's doldrums where no wind blew, and the interspersed areas where great gales came suddenly, threatening to submerge any vessel daring enough to explore it.
A perfect location for Casiama's elves of the Mossy Tree to ensconce, then. The Warding Obelisks only added to its defensibility, ensuring no opposing force could simply teleport inside without removing them first. Plus, there were likely redundant arrays situated further within if such an endeavor was successful.
Today had been an exhausting day for Tanya, but it wasn't the time in the saddle that tired her. Instead, last night she and Alanna had performed the
Compassio
hex together, merging their minds and their wills as one by manipulating Alanna's third eye; a gift the enchantress had had from a young age that allowed her to read the thoughts of others.
And with that, the flood of a world Tanya had never known seeped into her consciousness. Alanna's thoughts bounced around Tanya's skull like they were her own, and the ideas of others were readily available whenever Tanya wanted to peruse them. The problem was, she had little in the way of shutting out that which she did not want to hear; a skill that comes with time and experience according to Talos, who was now free of the enchantress's hex.
Talos returned to the party about two minutes later atop his stallion, Spirit, and rode up to the family of elves the party had picked up along the way to the Vale.
"Volantir, you and your family can go on ahead," he said. "They're only allowing in skilled tradespeople, so I told them you were a mason."
"My gratitude, Talos; but I am an architect," the solemn elf replied.
"Even better," Talos smirked. "It was good traveling with you, Volantir. Sorry again for your loss."
Volantir nodded without reply, and he and his family continued on towards the natural entryway to the Vale without another word said. Talos sighed, rubbing his eyes.
"And what of us?" Emmanuel impatiently asked in the interim, tapping his foot.
"We're to wait. Cass is supposedly sending an underling of hers to guide us through the pass."
So, they waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
And almost an hour had gone by before an elven maid, striding with graceful step, walked out from beyond the pass to greet them. Girding the elf's chest was a white-and-gold cuirass with a golden tree emblazoned in the corner, beneath which she wore a flowing white dress that fell almost all the way to the ground.
In more than one way, she reminded Tanya of an elf she once knew. This one wasn't Casiama, though she shared many of her qualities; comeliness, elegance, and an undeniable air of lethality, the last trait made apparent when Tanya noticed the twin blades fastened to her back. The elf strode towards Talos specifically, and hailed him with a soft confidence paired with a reverent bow.
"Greetings, Talos of Evora, and welcome to the Cinder Vale. My name is Vindare, a handmaiden of Kian'ra. It is an utmost honor to meet you, my lord. My Queen has anticipated your arrival with much excitement."
"Hail, Vindare," Talos nodded. He outstretched a hand towards Tanya. "My companions, Tatiana Vittori, Alanna from Evora, and the bard Emmanuel." The elf nodded and smiled, though her almond-shaped elven eyes flicked right back to Talos.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintances," she politely replied. "My Queen has requested that I escort you personally to the town of Cindervale, about a half-hour's stroll away. If you would follow me, my lord. Please do not hesitate in asking me any questions you may have."
"Cindervale? Not very imaginative, that," Alanna whispered to her mind-mate as they set off once again. Tanya replied to her jest seriously.
"It's temporary. Elves typically name newly-founded towns after nearby natural landmarks. Once it's recognized as a full-fledged Kingdom by a High King, however, it then assumes the name of the founder's first wife; Tor Valliya, Delara, Remilla, and so on."
"Oh," Alanna smiled.
Perhaps this one will be Tor Alanna, someday?
"Tor Casiama, most likely," Tanya giggled in reply. "Though, I'm not sure of the cultural rules when the founder is female."
Tanya cast her gaze back towards Talos, who was now walking beside their elven escort several yards ahead of them. She laced her fingers with Alanna's when the enchantress offered them to her, and the two girls walked hand-in-hand through the mountain pass behind Talos and the elf.
"Alright, first question," Talos said. "You look awfully well-armored for being a mere handmaiden."
"I am sorry?" Vindare perplexedly replied.
"What is a 'handmaiden' doing in battle armor, per say?" Talos gruffly redressed.
"Now I understand. You are confused of my title. Here in the Cinder Vale, handmaidens are those girls specifically picked by the goddess to serve her in all manner of purpose. We are her avatars when counseling disputes between members of the tribe, we protect her at all hours of the day, and we are her closest companions. There are nine handmaidens as of now, and all of us reside within the palace with our Queen. Each of us are trained in the arts of the blade and the bow, and seek to emulate the graceful beauty of our lady in every moment of our lives. We are blessed in that, over a typical household guard, we have an undeniable authority over all else in the Vale. Besides her, of course."
"Sounds like quite the honorable position," Talos replied as they rounded a bend between the mountains. "What were you before?"
"Me?" Vindare smiled. "I was nothing. I could never have dreamt that my Queen would empower me with such purpose. I was not of noble birth, nor was I known for anything. I owe her my life, as it currently stands."
"Are the rest from similar backgrounds?" Talos inquired.
"If you are implying that the Queen chooses us based on our pasts, you would be mistaken, my lord. Compatibility, beauty, and faith in the gods; that is what she seeks."
"Ah."
"This is so exciting!" Tanya eagerly whispered to Alanna. "I've never visited an elven settlement before!"
"Nor I," Alanna murmured with a squeeze of her hand. "Truth be told, I'm a bit nervous Tanya. I'm glad you're here with me."
Talos, twenty feet in front of them, cleared his throat. "So, how fares the settlement?" he asked the handmaiden. "I can't imagine it's grown much; it's not even been two months."
Vindare smiled, sweeping a hand out before them as she rounded the next bend. "See for yourself, my lord."
Talos stopped in place as soon as he rounded the bend. Tanya's jaw dropped when she did. Together, all four of the humans remained silent for a while as they looked out over the Vale and the town of Cindervale itself.
It was magnificent. Trees from all manner of genera dominated the landscape beneath them, from one end of the valley to the other. Their foliage shone with rich greens, wondrous yellows and even mystical pinks, in spite of the winter season. The kaleidoscope of colors provided by the forest made for a gorgeous dichotomy when compared to the sharp red-and-orange peaks of the Cinder mountains far off on the horizon. And beyond those trees nearest to them was a small bay, formed by the mouth of a large river flowing from further inside the valley, which itself was fed by many gleaming-blue tributaries streaming down from the mountains.
And just beside that bay, Tanya made out the humble beginnings of the town of Cindervale. Dirt roads spun this way and that between a plethora of houses constructed with all manner of wood, from whites, to charcoals, to pinks, to more mundane browns, as well as a few stone buildings shining a radiant white standing proudly at the tip of the bay. And to top it all off, a majestic rainbow spanned over the bay's entrance from one side of the Vale to the other.
Illusion magics,
she instinctively knew. It was still an impressive rainbow.
"How in the hells..." Talos muttered incredulously.
"Faith, my lord. Faith, and a sprinkling of generosity from elves the region over. You see, our Queen Casiama takes in those from nearby elven cities who have the skills and the desire to better her community. Besides the elves of the Mossy Tree, all newcomers to the Vale are gifted; masons, carpenters, gardeners, healers, warriors, oh, and a few dozen sorceresses of course. They all seek to live with the Goddess-Queen, and the Goddess-Queen gifts them with an unbreakable will and a faithful courage in turn. This is the dawn of a new age, my lord. The gods walk among us once more," Vindare proudly smiled, nodding towards the path ahead. "Come, we will venture through that glade to get to Cindervale." She then led the party down a winding mountain road, which led to the valley floor and to where the colorful forest began.
And what a forest it was. To Tanya, every inch of it appeared maintained. Mushrooms grew here, berry bushes there, medicinal herbs that she recognized over yonder, and there were small, gentle paths strewn between all of them. The winter sun twinkled through the leaves of green, yellow, and pink above them, littering the forest floor with small rays of light no matter where they looked. Fruit trees were interspersed between the taller trees providing the colorful canopy, likely to ensure they had enough sunlight.
"Alanna... this is no forest. It's a... it's intentional. It's an orchard, a nursery, a forager's paradise, all combined into one!"
Talos tilted his head over his shoulder, overhearing her excitement. "Mm. And there's no bugs," he added with a smirk.
He was right; there
were
no bugs! The only insects Tanya could find were fat bumblebees hopping from one flower to the other, or butterflies fluttering this way and that. Hummingbirds occasionally buzzed over their heads as well, but they did not bother them. Tanya knew they were all pollination vectors, and that
