Spear of Destiny by James Baldwin (little bear else holmelund minarik .TXT) 📕

“Huh. I figured the Aesari built them.” I frowned, thinking. “They LOOK like Aesari magitech. They used a lot of aurum in their old cities.”

“More accurately, Aesari magitech looks like the Warsingers,” Rin replied. “Everything they built, they learned—or stole—from the Meewfolk and the dragons. We need to look up more histories to know for sure, but I’m eighty percent sure Meewhome is our best chance for finding schematics or information on the construction and magic we need. If we can pull it off, there will be a second technological revolution in Vlachia. More importantly, we’ll prevent Ororgael from enacting that revolution himself.”

Suri and I looked at each other.

“The fact he’s developed sangheti’tak himself is really worrying.” Rin worried her lip with her teeth, pacing. “He must have the help of a player crafter we don’t know about. A-A Weaponeer, or some kind of automaton specialist.”

“Nicolas,” Suri said heavily. “He’s an Artificer who specializes in machines and weaponry. And an Architect.”

“Maybe, maybe not. There’s two thousand Starborn here, and you can bet at least a hundred picked crafting Paths. It could be anyone.” I shook my head. “Look, if we can get to Meewhome within a week, I’m game. Visiting the Rose Vault opened up a huge amount of information for us. Each Chorus Vault and Dragon Gate probably contains pieces of the puzzle we need to solve—how to defend Archemi against the Drachan.”

“Yeah.” Suri still sounded uncertain. “It just feels like such a long shot.”

“It is. But it’s what we’ve got,” Rin said. “Let me go speak to Ebisa about passage to Meewhome. And then meet me in the Royal Library?”

“I’ll pass. I’ve got a side-quest to take care of,” Suri replied. “I know some people in Taltos who can teach me how to speak cat.”

Rin’s smile faded slightly. She flashed me a look of appeal.

“Sure. I’ll come. Can always stand to practice my reading.” I planted my hands on my hips and stretched my back. “I have to go check in with Karalti first, but I can meet you there.”

“Great!” Rin beamed, then abruptly turned and scuttled back off down the corridor toward the War Room.

“She’s an odd one.” Suri heaved a tired sigh. “You really think this is a good idea?”

“If an engineer spots a way to nail three problems with one solution, I believe them,” I said. “And Ignas is right. Even if we never end up using the Warsingers to stage giant kaiju fights, we need to keep them out of Ororgael’s clammy little hands. Or Lucien’s. Fuck… Imagine if Lucien fucking Hart figured out how to build Warsingers before we did?”

“Yeah. I honestly wonder why Ororgael didn’t take Withering Rose with him. Maybe it was just too big.” Suri frowned. “Like I said before, though. Something’s going on in Camp Ororgael. Something we’re not seeing. I just can’t put my finger on what.”

“Same. And it worries me.” I nodded. “We have to play defense until we spot the gap in Ororgael’s plans. But we also have to be ready to strike—and for that, we need power. Experience, weapons, resources.”

Suri was about to reply, but paused as we both got a ping in our HUDs at the same time: the KMS, sending us an alert.

[Your Steward has deposited 871,809 gold olbia into the Myszno Treasury!]

I blinked a couple of times. “Navigail, please read that number again to make sure I heard you right.”

[Sure! Your Steward has deposited 871,809 gold olbia into the Myszno Treasury. Your Kingdom has 891,941 olbia. Use the Kingdom Management System to assign money toward investments, projects, and staff.]

“So uh... guess Vash’s expedition is doing alright,” Suri croaked. “How about you and I go do some shopping later on? Get yourself some new armor.”

“Hell yeah.” I found myself grinning from ear to ear. “I’m pretty sure we can spare the change. I have to check in with Karalti first, and then I’ll meet Rin for some nerd time.”

“And after that?”

I bowed and flourished to her. “After that, I’m all yours.”

“You’re not all mine. But that’s okay.” Suri’s lips quirked, and after a moment’s hesitation, she leaned in to kiss me on the cheek before turning and sauntering off, putting a little more twitch in her step than normal. I watched her until she turned the corner, adjusted the seat of my armor, and headed for the balcony.

Outside, I leaned against the railing, closed my eyes, and felt out along the Bond until I found Karalti. When my mind brushed hers, she flinched—like I’d touched a psychic bruise.

“Hey. I know you’re not doing great, but we’re trying to work something out. We’re going to minimize casualties and find a way to deal with Solonkratsu without killing them.” I breathed deeply of the frigid mountain air. It was fresher up here, despite the hovering parade of airships. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s… it’s okay.” She replied after nearly a full minute of silence. “Really. I think that if Lahati heard that conversation, she would have agreed with you and Ignas. Besides, as long as I exist—free, alive, healthy—then my mother’s line will never be extinguished. That’s the truth.”

I nodded, mostly to myself.

“I know she’s not dead,” Karalti insisted. “Usta, I mean. I can feel her calling to me in her sleep. She wants me to find her, Hector. To save as many of them as I can. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I have to try.”

“It’s possible,” I said. “We might have to go to Meewhome to do it, but it’s possible. I’m willing to learn another language for it, too. It’s gonna hurt like a bitch. Learning Dakhari sure did.”

“Don’t do that yet. I have an idea,” Karalti replied. “You get your memories back when you touch me, right? If I learn the language, then maybe you’ll be able to