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UE Rewrite: B4 — 29. Opening The Mines
🕑 Added 2025-04-18 22:45:48 +0000 UTCPoV:
1. Elinor (Our Lich Empress!)
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“Your brother is still alive?” Elinor asked, leaning forward in her chair as the yaltha’ma elder, El’Co’Ca, fidgeted with her small paws. She’d had the matriarchal figure of her splinter group sent to her to gain a more complete view of what they should expect inside.
The tiny, furry creature nodded, her whiskers twitching anxiously. “El’Ra’Ca rules El’Ra’Ca’s faithful within the Black Fortress walls, Empress. Though when I last received word from a defector, his health was failing.”
Her family sat around the remnants of their dinner, the first meal Elinor and Butter had shared since the blonde’s return. The candles had burned low, casting long shadows across the tent. Outside, the sounds of the camps below the cliffs settling for the night provided a gentle backdrop to their conversation.
“The Hidden Ones remained within Kel’mal’tha, even after the quen’talrat fell?” Tiffany questioned, swirling the last of her wine. “Fascinating. A continuous presence for over a century, generation after generation, being protected within its walls.”
“Yes, Witch Queen,” El’Co’Ca confirmed. “When the main branch turned against the Secret Ones, when the great, terrible beasts the main branch served started slaughtering each other, most yaltha’ma fled into the jungle. But the truly faithful of the savages—those who remembered the old ways—remained to tend the fortress, awaiting the return of rulers worthy of its halls.”
Butter’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Not you, of course. Your faction remained faithful to your queen, which would now be Camellia. Well, Priss in actuality, but my point stands,” she added with a dismissive wave. “But you believe they’d accept us as their rulers?”
“If the Empress comes with quen’talrat at her side,” El’Co’Ca gestured toward the tent flap. “Such as Quin, one of the terrible beasts. The prophecy speaks of the return…but El’Co’Ca thought such ideas silly. That the White God would return.”
Elinor exchanged glances with her father, who raised an eyebrow but remained silent. If I could find his corpse, then I could just resurrect him. Do you think he’s still inside the city?
“Doubtful,” Butter sighed internally. “We are talking about eight nations and an apparent civil war that erupted after their God King’s downfall. Someone would have picked it up as a trophy. I would have.”
You’re not wrong…
“Say it again!”
No.
“Oh, don’t be shy, big sister! I just love to hear you praise me.”
Elinor shot her a dull look. It wasn’t praise she’d given but a matter of fact. Still, Butter could interpret it anyway she wanted. Their father seemed to be eating up their dynamic by his small smile and there was chatter happening privately between Tiffany and him that she didn’t particularly want to peek in on now that things were developing again between the pair.
“What would be required to establish contact with your brother and these…faithful?” Elinor asked, bypassing her sister’s cry for attention.
El’Co’Ca’s ears flattened slightly. “The way is treacherous, Empress. The Empress already told El’Co’Ca that the way the Hidden Ones escaped persecution has been sealed—the h-hole in the furthest basement levels. And the outer defenses remain active. None may approach from the air or main entrances without triggering the ancient weapons.”
“Well, that’s inconvenient,” the blonde pouted. “I was so looking forward to a dramatic entrance with our new helicopter. But on the bright side, the defenses are operational! That will come in handy.”
If we can figure out how to operate them, Elinor internally muttered.
“The defenses are quite formidable,” El’Co’Ca insisted. “Even during the final battle of the Fire Wars, when eight armies besieged the fortress, they could not breach the main walls. Only through subterfuge and the, eh, the thélméthra’s, subtle support did they gain entry.”
Edmon cleared his throat. “That’s an interesting development into how they breached the walls. So the Golariex Holy Empire made use of a flaw Camellia’s mother exploited. Moving on, what about alternative approaches? Maintenance tunnels? Sewage systems? We saw barred grates within the moat.”
“Impossible, King Edmon!” the elderly creature immediately replied, head shaking left and right while her feathers under her arms fluffed up. “A special chemical is released within that may be as melty as the thélméthra’s acid.”
“Fascinating,” Tiffany breathed, eyes already sparkling with the urge to identify it. “I heard a few things through the grapevine that implies there were smaller areas that your kind were given access to.”
“Mmm. They…are still there,” the yaltha’ma hesitantly confirmed. “Secret paths known only to the Yaltha’ma, who served as maintenance workers…before the metal flying disks took that job from the Yaltha’ma—great grandmother told El’Co’Ca. But they cross dangerous territories now—the domains of creatures that have claimed the abandoned sections as their own. Strange creatures, like the ones the Hidden Ones battled in our cave.”
Elinor’s vision shifted to the left as she leaned against the side of her chair, resting her fist against her cheek. “You’re speaking about those odd crab-like mutants that we sealed off and were at war with other underground creatures of mutants? So, they’ve also found their way into parts of the fortress. That’s new…”
Camellia’s voice came through the Nexus as she wove through the camp, unseen by anyone, making her way up to them on the rise. Elinor could practically picture her hair flickering behind her like candlelight.
“I have completed my survey, Empress,” she announced. “The fortress remains sealed from conventional entry. Mother was able to exploit the defensive network, likely through breaking down its pattern and weaknesses, obtaining a detailed understanding of its operation…which I lack the skills to accomplish at this point. My middle sister may have been able to, but she appears to be inside the city.”
Butter tilted her head the opposite side to Elinor, left eye creasing. “No need to be hard on yourself, sweetie. We’ll find a way in. You have plenty of talent. Do they respond to you as a hostile below the surface?”
“No, but I know they would if I tried to tamper with them haphazardly. The automated defenses are dormant but functional. The activity seems to have started recently… My mother was perfect. I was the firstborn, which meant I had the most flaws.”
Elinor restrained a sigh. If she was perfect, Camellia, then she made you perfectly in the image she envisioned. Just because you haven’t identified the talent yet doesn’t mean she didn’t instill something unique into you.
“That…is a very fair assessment, Empress. Perhaps I am being too harsh on myself.”
“Exactly! You’re beautiful, Cammie,” Butter chirped. “When I return, we’ll do some tests and see what hidden abilities we can find.”
“Very heartwarming,” Tiffany interjected, leaned forward and staring at the fidgeting elder, waiting for instruction. “However, I’m invested in this ‘recent activity’ that you said started up. This is regarding the tunnels you mentioned before?”
“Yes, tunnels that were not present during our lifetime and branch into our own in areas,” Camellia elaborated. “Passages that appear to be…growing. Rebuilding themselves without workers or machinery. There are microscopic insects of some kind gradually performing the labor.”
“Self-repairing architecture,” Butter whispered, eyes wide and making the yaltha’ma quiver and shoot her a questioning look. The blonde spoke aloud then to the monkey-fox. “That’s incredible! What do you know about the fortress repairing itself?”
El’Co’Ca immediately latched onto the subject, nodding vigorously. “Yes! The black stone—it lives! The White God replaced the yaltha’ma with the floating disks, but there were whispers of something else they carried and spread. Little worker with purpose, with memory!”
“Nanite technology of some kind,” Elinor mused. “Valuable technology, if we can understand it.” She turned back to Camellia as the spider woman appeared to emerge out of the folds of the tent. “Did you detect any inhabitants? Any sign of these mutated creatures?”
“No, Empress. But I only was able to find areas of exploration within the southwestern underground. I can burrow new tunnels if you desire. There were areas where the tunnels had sealed themselves or changed direction from my last reconnaissance…potentially as if it knew I was investigating it.”
A commotion within the Nexus interrupted their discussion; Ash requested entry into the conversation after just coming within range. He was currently riding from the northeast to them. Elinor let Tiffany obtain more information about the potential of the nanites but it was of very limited scope at this point.
“Empress,” he greeted with a formal tone. “Forgive the intrusion, but there’s a development you should be aware of.”
Report, Elinor commanded, setting aside her empty wine glass.
“Valentina believes she has found a way into the fortress,” Ash stated, snagging the rest of her family’s attention. “While exploring the old mining complex to the east, she discovered what appears to be a graveyard of quen’talrat remains. It is…expansive.”
Silence fell over the tent as the implications registered. Elinor felt a surge of excitement that she carefully kept from her expression. Quen’talrat—even dead ones—represented an enormous potential resource.
How many?
“Thousands, according to her assessment,” Ash replied. “Perhaps more. The mine tunnels are extensive.”
Butter clapped her hands together, her enthusiasm impossible to contain, as usual for the bubbly blonde. “Oh, this is perfect! A whole army of giant gorilla people! Just what we need for our new capital! I can practically taste guards on every corner!”
“And the condition of these remains? That does matter,” Edmon asked pragmatically.
“Varied. Some appear relatively intact, others fragmentary. The mines have preserved them better than one might expect, given what…appears to be centuries that have passed since some of them have been there. At least, that was Grace’s assessment. Nungal…seemed to snort at the find, calling it a graveyard of disappointments.”
Tiffany’s head sank to the left in a deep sigh. “How tragic! Either she is playing with us, which is likely, and this is a big joke, or we will be wasting our time here.”
“Likely both, and everything in-between,” Butter giggled, crossing her legs and adjusting her extravagant dress. “Nungal is a particular personality, as Priss knows. Will this be helpful? Very likely. Should we not get our hopes up? Also a probable yes, we should not. That being said, a graveyard can have a diamond hidden in the rust. That is the expression?”
“Nicely stated, Sister,” Elinor smiled. “I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear that part about Nungal. It will upset her more that way.”
Elinor rose from her chair, decision made. “We need to investigate this immediately.”
“The US military helicopter can be of use,” Edmon reminded her. “High Queen Butter needs to coordinate the human refugees’ journey here in any case. You can catch a ride with her.”
“Indeed. Excellent work, Butter,” Elinor nodded with a genuine smile that had her twin practically beaming, chest puffing up with pride. “You can take me to the mines on your way northwest.”
“I was going to suggest that but it feels so much better coming from you!” Butter exclaimed. “We have a busy schedule ahead of us. I’d love to go with you, but we each have our duties. It will take weeks for them to reach here on foot, which means you have plenty of time to prepare the front gates so they can enter the empire with a grand welcome!”
“With their golden High Queen, triumphantly riding at their helm. I can just picture it. That being said, they’ll need supplies and quite a lot of mystical medical attention on that kind of journey. We already discovered a few issues on our trek to the Wixum’s territory. Especially the elderly, children, and pregnant women,” Tiffany noted. “Fifty thousand people can’t live on foraged jungle fruits either.”
“We brought some supplies,” Butter assured. “Seeds, basic tools, preserved foods. But you’re right—it won’t be enough for the long journey, which is why I am here! Of course, also to hear my depressed twin’s glowing review.”
Elinor’s gaze shifted to a nearby tent where a faint purple glow seeped through the fabric—the portal to Kaspir, maintained by the hag’s unnatural powers. The thought had her make a mental note to check up on the hag after she’d gone into the old Xaltan territory to establish her new swamp domain.
“There’s only so much praise I can offer you. As for the other topic, we may be able to obtain additional resources through Kaspir since it appears to be stable,” she suggested. “We’ll need to be careful how we do this, though. Their merchants might be willing to trade for future considerations and do so under the table, but that is a lot of product to move unnoticed.”
Edmon nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right. It requires careful planning and Lilya is already swamped with a lot of other tasks. I’ll go through and speak with her about arrangements. Castria might also be able to help transport critical supplies during her off hours.”
“And the unintelligent thélméthra could provide escort and hunting support,” Elinor added. “Their speed through the jungle and advanced senses would be useful.”
Tiffany set down her wine glass with a decisive click. “I should accompany Butter, as I insinuated. The White Circle can assist with protection and basic magical needs during the journey but we really do need to establish the medical wing, Empress.”
Elinor slowly nodded. It was something that was long overdue, and they’d diverted a lot of witch resources into that field that could be more focused on other utility and offensive means.
“Actually,” Edmon interjected, “the Argent Dawn units could use practical field training. Our paladins have basic healing magic, as well. This would provide valuable experience in a relatively controlled environment.”
“Good thinking,” Elinor agreed. “Tiffany, take the First Circle and coordinate with the Argent Dawn. Butter will need all the support she can get to manage such a large group. It will stretch our undead forces thin here but with the addition of all the Xaltan elite I’ve added to our combat force, it should be able to offset some of our loss.”
“What about the fortress itself?” Camellia questioned, El’Co’Ca wide-eyed and glancing between them, trying to keep up. “If we’re focusing on the mines first, we should establish a monitoring presence around Kel’mal’tha in case there is any further activity or activation of defenses.”
Elinor nodded. “As I said, we may be stretched thin, but we have units to use. More may be able to come out of this visit to this quen’talrat graveyard, as well. I’ll assign rotating sentries from the Xaltan elites and we can give the Roxim something to do. They’ve been anxious anyway, with their leader kidnapped.”
“And the Prume’s warning?” her father internally inquired, voice darkening. “About not venturing into the northern mountains?”
A thoughtful silence fell as they all recalled the mysterious Prume spokesperson’s caution. Elinor had taken it seriously—the Prume were not a clan to issue idle warnings after what they’ve already demonstrated to Butter and her.
“The mines are east of the northern range,” she carefully replied. “We’ll maintain our distance from the mountains themselves for now. But we should remain vigilant. The warning was specific to that area, not to Kel’mal’tha itself or the mountains to their east.”
“A wise precaution while still providing us room to explore,” Tiffany agreed, mouth tilting downward. “Still, I don’t particularly like being told what to do. Whatever threats lurk in those peaks have remained dormant this long. I can respect that we don’t need to awaken them prematurely and we are dealing with enough as it is, but it does leave a bitter taste in my mouth.”
Butter stifled a yawn, stretching her arms above her head. “Well, I should get some rest if you’re setting all of this up. We leave at dawn, which isn’t long, and gives me enough time for a power nap. Flying that helicopter is more exciting than I expected! It can do so many fancy maneuvers.”
You can sleep?! Elinor barked, nose twisting with slight envy at her twin’s toothy grin. Okay, I’m letting you know right now. I don’t want to hear anything about your dreams.
“Aww. Sis, are you pouting? This has to be a first!” she snickered, arching her back and leaning side to side next. “I am living, after all, and growing more beautiful by the day. Well, we both are in our own unique, contrasting twin way. So I require beauty sleep!”
Their father totally bypassed the conversation, though.
“You’re not flying it, Butter. We can’t have you damaging something so important for the fun of it. The trained US military, who are trained for it, will pilot it. Period.”
“Wha—but I’m the High Queen! I should ride the head chariot…”
Elinor couldn’t help a silent laugh at her sister’s puffed up cheeks and glare that made her realize how she must have looked as a teen, arguing with him. She did look rather cute when angry. Maybe they got that from their mother.
“It isn’t about your position but practical resources we can’t afford to lose.”
“Humph. Fine. Details, details,” Butter waved dismissively. “The point is, in the next hour or so, we begin the next phase of our empire’s expansion!” Her aquamarine eyes sparkled with excitement. “A proper capital at last! I have a body. I get my own bedroom, which is going to be fabulous. I call the highest tower!”
Elinor couldn’t help but internally snort at her twin’s enthusiasm. Sure, you can have the long, daily climb to the highest tower, sis. In fact, you can have the roof of it, the highest point. But Let’s secure the fortress before you start decorating, shall we?
“Always so practical, Priss,” Butter sighed dramatically, but her smile remained bright as she moved toward the tent flap.
As the meeting concluded and they prepared to depart, Elinor found herself gazing toward the north, where the dark silhouette of Kel’mal’tha loomed against the night sky. Tomorrow would bring them one step closer to claiming the ancient fortress as their own—to establishing a true capital worthy of their growing empire.
For now, other mysteries would have to wait—the Prume’s cryptic warning, the resurgence of the Black Fortress’ self-repairing architecture, the evolution of strange creatures in isolated pockets of the valley. Priorities had to be maintained.
She had an empire to build.
Debating further details in the following hour with her father and mother, or, at least, Tiffany was trying to tip-toe into the uncomfortable role for her, dawn finally came. True to her word, Butter passed out on a cot, looking like a sleeping goddess, glow and all with the slight influence from her former sun elf heritage that was mixing with her human.
The large military transport helicopter carried a somewhat packed group off bright and early, causing a stir within the ranks. Lucky and Gwen were working together as their intermediaries with the living to spread the news about what was happening.
The flight to Kel’mal’tha was strangely peaceful. Watching the vast landscape of the valley unfold beneath them offered a perspective Elinor had only experienced a few times before, but never in full flight and only from her stationary chains.
Death’s emerald energy rippled beneath her artificial skin as she gazed down from the open door of the military helicopter. The wind whipped against her face, her black dress fluttering behind her like shadowy wings—she had to maintain appearances and it certainly made her feel more ethereal.
“El’Co’Ca h-has never dreamed of such…sights,” the fox-monkey whispered, her tiny form gripping the safety harness with white-knuckled paws. The elderly yaltha’ma had never flown before, and despite her nervousness, her eyes gleamed with wonder. “The homeland is so…vast.”
“Indeed,” Elinor nodded, scanning the terrain below. From this altitude, the patterns of the jungle revealed themselves—the river’s winding path, the clearings where ri’bot settlements dotted the landscape, and the scars of recent battles. News would spread about the new bird in the sky amongst the clanless and Xaltan who were still gathering. “Your people have lived in these lands for generations, yet never witnessed them from above? What about the walls?”
El’Co’Ca’s whiskers twitched. “The Hidden Ones were not meant to fly, Empress. Yaltha’ma feathers are for mating purposes. Yaltha’ma were made to scurry and hide, to serve the great beasts and Secret Ones, who ruled with terror.”
“Well, now you have a new mistress to serve…”
Ash stood silently nearby, his hollow eyes scanning the horizon with military precision. Even though he didn’t need to hold onto anything to maintain his balance, his skeletal fingers gripped one of the safety handles.
“Empress,” he internally called, his voice hollow and grounded. “We’re approaching the city. Defense systems may activate if we get too close.”
The sergeant already has his orders, Elinor commented, glancing at Reeves, who had chosen to accompany Butter to this new world and start over since some horrific incident involving his family back on Earth left him wanting to forget it all. He’ll circle wide. I wanted to see the full perimeter.
“I see… Our empire is growing faster than I anticipated.”
It really is, she whispered, glancing at her laughing twin as she flirted and made jokes with the soldiers, who all seemed to respect her greatly. She really did pull off something incredible…
She turned her thoughts away from the blonde as they swung wide. And there it was—Kel’mal’tha—the Black Fortress. Even from this distance, the colossal structure dominated the landscape, its obsidian walls rising like a dark mountain against the horizon. Elinor had seen it before from distant vantage points, but never this clearly, never with such immediacy.
“The entrances on the northwestern walls are there, there and…there,” El’Co’Ca pointed with a trembling finger. “Where the jungle meets the volcanic plains. But the shields…” She shook her head. “The barriers will destroy this flying beast if it approaches.”
“We won’t approach directly,” Elinor assured her, not peeling her eyes away from it. “We’ll use the mine entrance we discovered.”
The helicopter banked again, leaving the imposing fortress built for giants behind as they headed toward the mines that Valentina had discovered. It wasn’t long until they were there, bypassing the dense jungle entirely, but the northern jungle leading to the northern mountains seemed…different, mutated compared to the rest. She could see Tiffany salivating over wanting to spend weeks inside of it, gathering samples and experimenting.
More mysteries… That’s for later.
Below, Elinor could see the camp Grace’s group had established with the small faction of Wixum craftsmen who were studying the place—a small outpost at the edge of a massive carved fortress, cut into the mountainside.
“That’s our destination,” she told the pilot through the headset, pointing it out before taking it off and shaking out her hair.
“Begging your pardon, ma’am, but there’s no suitable landing zone at first glance,” Reeves replied. “Not without risks.”
Elinor’s lips curled into a slight smile. “No need. Hover as close as you can above the entrance. I’ll make my own way down.”
As the helicopter positioned itself above the mine entrance, Elinor caught sight of Grace, Valentina, and Camellia waiting below—the arachnid had made her way here just after they’d concluded the meeting. Valentina’s tiger-striped hair was bobbing as the girl bounced on her heels with characteristic impatience, while Grace maintained his serene posture. Camellia’s crimson hair whipped around her in the downdraft, hand on her hip and studying the helicopter like it was an insect to be snatched out of the sky.
Ash eyed the thirty-meter drop and didn’t hesitate to step off the edge with her. Chains of emerald energy split space to latch onto her and Death’s arm. El’Co’Ca squeaked in surprise but didn’t resist when Elinor nudged her off, chains wrapped around her tiny form, bringing her safely down with them.
Then, they released, dropping them until they reached three meters, when more slit through the air to connect to their palms and slow their descent. Using them like rappelling lines, she controlled her descent with practiced grace, her black dress billowing around her as she kept it tamed with her free hand.
Valentina grinned as Elinor touched down, her orange eyes gleaming with excitement. “You’re such a show-off, Empress!” she called over the helicopter’s fading noise as Butter yelled the exact same line, only with her typical nickname, while banking away, heading northwest.
“Says the girl who insisted on wearing what appears to be military-grade body armor to a diplomatic mission,” Elinor retorted, eyeing the protective gear Valentina had somehow gotten, likely from what gear Camellia brought.
“Hey, this stuff is cool!” Valentina defended, patting the tactical vest proudly. “And practical! I have so many pockets. And I don’t have to be, ahem, naked with just my fur all the time. And what’s up with your gothic dress code, Empress? It’s always the same with you.”
“I’m consistent and comfortable,” she said with a small smile, showing off her outfit.
Grace bowed respectfully, maintaining his serene expression. “The Empress honors us with her presence. I presume High Queen Butter has gone to oversee the human refugees Queen Camellia informed us about?”
“Yes,” Elinor confirmed, her chains retracting into the rifts as she straightened her dress. She could feel the spider woman’s uncomfortable shifts through the Nexus at being labeled ‘queen’ when that hit too close to home with her mother. “Tiffany accompanied her with the White Circle. They’ll coordinate the refugee movement while we secure our new home.”
Her gaze shifted to Camellia, who stood slightly apart from the others, her humanoid form deceptively delicate despite the predatory stillness in her stance. “Well, what do you have for me, Camellia? I assume you already explored the mines. What have you discovered?”
The spider’s crimson eyes gleamed as she stepped forward. “The fortress remains sealed from direct entry. The automated defenses are active but minimal—most systems appear to be in a dormant state, unlike the foundations around the city.”
“That is good to hear. At least there appears to be less security here,” Elinor replied, though her mind was already calculating the risk versus potential reward. She turned to Valentina. “This was your discovery, so I’ll let you lead it. Something about a quen’talrat graveyard?”
Valentina’s tail swished behind her. “Oh yeah! You’re gonna love this. There’s a whole pit of giant gorilla bones deeper in the mines. Thousands of skeletons, maybe more. Some look pretty intact! But…” She glanced at the serene hare next to her. “Ahem, Lady Nungal wasn’t really impressed.”
“Meh. Not important,” Elinor absently waved off. “She’s too fickle and contradictory to be considered an unbiased source. Show me.”
“Quite the stinging retort, Empress. I think you’ve managed to make Her Lady pout,” Grace clapped with calm authority. “Valentina discovered the remains deep within the mines. It will take a walk to get there.”
Elinor restrained a smirk while picturing the purple-haired young woman’s pouting face. “Something tells me she is looking for my disapproval, so instead, I will offer my silence. Let’s not speak about her again while I am here.”
She could practically hear the woman gnawing on her own chains, rattling them around. The goddess wouldn’t be brought up again.
“Let’s proceed with the plan. We enter through the mines, find these quen’talrat remains, and if possible, make contact with the Hidden Ones inside the fortress.” She turned to Valentina, the girl eager to prove herself. “Lead the way.”
Valentina showed her the unusual runic markings with their shapes and patterns that were entirely alien to her. Obelisks with them appeared to be the activation zones but it wasn’t just subject to them, she noted, spotting the dull glow along various sections of the wall. Until they knew more, it would be best to leave them untouched.
The group moved deeper into the entrance tunnels, the colossal scale immediately evident. Unlike natural caverns, these passages showed signs of deliberate engineering—precisely angled walls, reinforced arches, and occasional runic markings that glowed faintly in the shadows.
This wasn’t done by the quen’talrat themselves…but what Ke’Thra’Ma learned from Shade on his journey to the far north. These are the fruits of his campaign to break one of Shade’s seals, which means it is likely a part of the very technology used to bind him.
On second thought, she dismissed the idea.
No, Shade wouldn’t give someone technology or magic like that. This is possibly connected to another race from the past, possibly the Supreme Chiefs. Butter’s origin story skipped quite a few details about their actual technology level, but they were operating out of the 4th dimension. These could have been early tools they used before advancing to that state.
As they proceeded, the passage widened further, opening into a massive junction chamber where the path split. To the right, a set of enormous rails stretched into darkness—tracks built for vehicles large enough to transport quen’talrat and their materials. To the left, the tunnel continued deeper into the mountain, marked with what she assumed to be mining symbols for the gorilla race.
“Transport rails,” El’Co’Ca explained, gesturing to the right path. “It says they lead to the loading docks beneath the fortress. But any entrance to the great city would be guarded by ancient defenses.”
Ancient to you, perhaps, but these were all created by Ke’Thra’Ma, and their race only lives for three hundred years. Of course, who knew how long the Ke would have lived with what knowledge he’d been given. Whatever it was, Shade made sure to cut him off before he could pose a real enough threat. I can’t imagine so many different races and cultures united to deal with his monumental rise without his influence.
Valentina moved toward the rail tunnel, her feline eyes piercing the darkness better than most but not nearly as well as the vision granted to the undead. “She’s right. There’s some kind of energy barrier ahead with this weird robot gorilla.”
Elinor’s brow furrowed. “Robot gorilla, hmm?”
“Yeah, it kind of disappeared,” she mumbled, scratching the back of her neck. “It was here when we first were freeing the Clanless family leaders, but it was totally broken, walking into the wall.”
She glanced at El’Co’Ca, who shook her head, not understanding what they were even talking about. The fact she didn’t know about this robot gorilla said it wasn’t something common inside the city itself.
Interesting. Perhaps a project reserved for this area? Robots mining would be far easier than flesh and blood.
Valentina took her down the right path first to see the barrier. The loading area itself was colossal in size, breathtaking, really.
Approaching further cautiously, Elinor saw it—a shimmering wall of pale blue light that stretched from floor to ceiling, blocking access to the docking zone. The barrier hummed with power, casting eerie reflections across the polished stone floor.
“So much for the direct approach,” she murmured, examining the energy field with interest. “A security measure still active after all this time. Force fields would be a nice addition to our arsenal.”
“From what I’ve observed, the quen’talrat build things to last,” Grace observed calmly, wrapping his knuckles against it and creating rippling patterns, like water disturbed. “This particular one doesn’t cause injury.”
El’Co’Ca nervously pointed toward the wall where a simple glowing rune was inscribed. “The access point to access the control panel. But only authorized great beasts could operate it. Yaltha’ma are too small…”
Elinor’s mouth became a line, turning away from it to focus on the control panel itself, behind the barrier. The obelisk held a flat disc covered in concentric circles of symbols. As she moved, the symbols seemed to shift and ripple like oil on water, responding to her presence, despite still being behind the wall.
“Fascinating,” she whispered. “A system that has a double layer of security. Can any of you decipher these patterns?”
Valentina shook her head. “Lady Nun—I mean, I tried to get some answers, but I was kind of blown off… I tried my claws, and Camellia tried to break past it, too. I asked if we could burrow a tunnel, but she said it even went through the floor… I even slammed Grace’s sheathed swords on it! He could break it. I know he could…”
“Not I, young cub,” the hare said with a patient smile. “It is not by my power that I may act.”
“And a certain purple-haired NEET isn’t going to offer her support,” Elinor hummed, the others going wide-eyed as the term was translated to their own language. What a lazy goddess… Yes, we’ll take your approach, Valentina.”
“It…is pretty far,” the tiger-girl mumbled, sucking in a cheek and looking off to the side. “Deep in the mines. It’ll take a few hours to reach it, but it’s worth it. There are thousands of quen’talrat remains. Do we have the time?”
“What else would we use the time for?” Elinor chuckled. “If we can resurrect one with the proper knowledge, they might do more than just help us bypass this barrier. Lead the way.”
Their journey into the depths began, following the left tunnel as it descended gradually into the northeastern mountain range’s heart. The scale of the excavation was staggering—corridors wide enough for twenty humans to walk abreast, ceilings that soared overhead, occasionally opening into vast chambers where mining operations had once taken place.
“These tunnels remind me of the deepest portions of Kel’mal’tha’s foundation,” Camellia observed, keen senses and thread no doubt exploring every adjacent path they passed. “They follow the same architectural principles—designed for function but built with remarkable precision. There are flaws, though, unlike the tiny machines you spoke of.”
Ash’s hollow voice echoed slightly as he added, “The more I see Ke’Thra’Ma’s work, the more I see him as more than just a warlord. For him to have turned a warring, plains-living, primitive society into…a civilization of this scale, and within merely a century, is almost unbelievable.”
Unless you had help from an ancient being imprisoned within the planet itself.
As they descended deeper, mining tracks appeared along the tunnel floor—massive rails designed for ore carts that could transport the giant workers and their excavated materials. Walking alongside these rails, Elinor noted their perfect alignment and the occasional runic markings that suggested they once carried power or signals.
“How did they power these systems?” she asked.
El’Co’Ca’s whiskers twitched. “Energy stones. Crystals that held power drawn from the deep fires.: The yaltha’ma pointed to empty recesses in the walls where such devices might once have been mounted. “Most were taken during the fall or have gone dark with time.”
Elinor’s thoughts returned to Butter’s discovery, regarding the jewels that housed the lingering souls of the Supreme Chiefs and their advanced people.
So, Shade showed Ke’Thra’Ma how to harness the soul energy of the Supreme Chiefs, and their elemental affinities that were trapped inside the gems. A power source only found on this continent since it was where the Supreme Chiefs operated, and likely some of the few types of energy that would eventually run out… Did the other races figure out how to use them? I can see a potential bigger game being played across millennia Shade is doing here.
The journey continued for hours, the group navigating through an increasingly complex network of tunnels. Some passages had collapsed over the centuries, forcing detours. Others remained pristine, as if the miners had simply set down their tools and walked away moments ago.
“The air is changing,” Valentina noted after their third hour of travel. “Getting…heavier. The automatic systems aren’t ventilating it. Can you smell that? I knew I was getting close to something when I realized that.”
Elinor could indeed detect a shift in the atmosphere—a stillness and musky scent. The tunnels had been sloping downward for some time, and the temperature had risen noticeably, suggesting they were nearing geothermal activity.
“We’re close,” Valentina confirmed. “Just through this next chamber.”
The passage suddenly widened, opening into a colossal cavern that took Elinor’s breath away. Unlike the precisely engineered tunnels, this space had a more organic quality—a natural cavern that had been expanded and reinforced rather than completely manufactured. Phosphorescent fungi clung to the walls, casting an eerie blue-green glow across the scene.
And within it lay thousands of quen’talrat skeletons, as if they’d all been executed here. In truth, they probably had been, after the fall of the empire. Then again, on closer inspection, that may not have been the case in totality.
The remains were everywhere—some carefully arranged, others haphazardly piled, as if deaths had occurred in waves over time. Most striking was the scale—these were beings that had towered in life, with skulls larger than Elinor’s torso and limb bones longer than her entire body.
Elinor moved among the remains, her emerald eyes gleaming in the darkness as she assessed the potential before her. The skeletons varied in size and condition—some nearly intact, others fragmentary or partially crushed by cave-ins over the centuries.
Jade-colored flames ignited along her arm, butterflies emerging from the dancing light to flutter around her, analyzing the remains.
Ash, Grace, and Camellia drew into a conversation about them, but Elinor was too preoccupied scanning the strength of the spirits that were still linked to these corpses.
At least two thousand relatively complete skeletons by my initial estimate… That’s massive. Most also appear to be Common Grade at a minimum, as expected, given their natural physical attributes.
Valentina whistled, the sound echoing hauntingly through the vast chamber as she danced ahead of her, opening her arms wide. “This is one hell of an army, Empress. Isn’t it?”
“Not an army,” Elinor corrected, her gaze distant as she envisioned possibilities and reflected on their placement and place of death. “A workforce. A think tank for their culture, perhaps. These weren’t soldiers. But what they can be is the intellectual foundation of our new capital.”
She approached one of the more intact skeletons—Common-A—a quen’talrat that had apparently died where it had fallen against a wall, its bones relatively undisturbed by time. Kneeling beside it, she placed her hand on its massive skull—singular skull. In fact, almost every skeleton she saw appeared to only have one head, no tails, and she doubted they had extra limbs.
These weren’t Elite Hunters. What did it mean to be a miner in Ke’Thra’Ma’s empire?
Her butterfly landed on the bones and she channeled Death Energy into the gorilla.
[Raise Undead III]
Emerald fire ignited within the empty eye sockets, spreading rapidly throughout the skeleton as the bones began to tremble and rise. Unlike most of her resurrections, this one proceeded slowly—each bone lifting and reconnecting with deliberate precision, muscle and sinew manifesting in ghostly green outlines before solidifying into actual flesh.
The soul felt…reluctant.
What rose before them was not the terrifying warrior Elinor had expected. Though immense—easily five meters tall—this quen’talrat appeared far leaner than Quin or what she envisioned a typical warrior of their race might appear, with a quieter demeanor.
Its fur grew in patches across its body, dark brown with silver streaks that suggested advanced age before death that swiftly restored to vibrant youth. The creature blinked newly formed eyes, gazing around in evident confusion before its focus settled on Elinor. Recognition—or at least comprehension—dawned in its expression.
“I…live?” The voice was deep but unexpectedly gentle, almost hesitant. “I feel…young again?”
“You serve,” Elinor corrected, though without harshness. The woman’s status was immediately provided to her. “I am Empress Elinor, Ka’Vina, and I have raised you to take part in something grand. You have been placed within the Serving Court of my network… Who were you in life?”
The quen’talrat's gaze swept over the gathered group before returning to Elinor. “O-Of course, umm, Empress. Yes, that was my name. I-I was Ka’Vina, Mining Overseer, Third Rank.”
“Ka’Vina,” Elinor acknowledged. “What can you tell me about this place? Why are there so many of your kind left to rot here?”
The massive being’s gaze swept across the chamber, recognition and sorrow evident in her expression. “This was our sentence. The weak, the timid, the questioning—those deemed unfit for the White God’s new order. We were sent to the mines to serve until death claimed us.” Her shoulders slumped. “Most of us were grateful for that mercy. The alternative was the arena…or other, less savory fates.”
“The arena?” Valentina echoed. “The city has an arena?! Score! We should put on shows against unintelligent undead!”
Elinor suppressed a chuckle. “We’ll discuss it in the future, Val. Go on, Ka’Vina.”
The giant ape rubbed her side, shying away from the much smaller and eager tiger teen. “You…enjoy death? Umm…the combat pits were a place of sport. The opening day was filled with those unfit for…manual labor, who were tested and broken for the entertainment of the Elite Ranks. The Ke never attended them, but the Kings and Queens often did.”
Elinor processed this new information. So the mines hadn’t just been for resource extraction—they had been a form of exile, a dumping ground for quen’talrat deemed inadequate by their leaders’ standards. Which meant…
“I was correct. The remains in this chamber,” she murmured, “were not warriors—they were miners, scholars, and craftsmen.”
“Not…exactly, Empress,” Ka’Vina whispered with a bitter edge to its tone. “No scholar would ever be placed here, and no craftsmen would be subjected to this fate unless opposing our leader or supervisor. Scholars and craftsmen were of great praise and use within the empire. We…not so much. Those who questioned, those who sought peace over conquest…cowards.”
Elinor exchanged glances with Ash, a silent communication passing between them. This changed their expectations but not necessarily their plans. Nungal’s eye-rolling at this graveyard made sense now. A legion of the weakest willed quen’talrat wasn’t ideal, but far from nothing.
“Ka’Vina,” she said, refocusing on their immediate goal. “Since you were of rank in the mines, you would have authorization. The security barrier blocking the rail system—can you deactivate it to get us inside the city?”
The overseer considered this, large fingers fidgeting in a gesture that seemed incongruous with her massive frame. “I… I had authorization. In life. But the Ke—”
“Is long dead,” Elinor assured it. “The fortress stands empty save for the yaltha’ma who once served your kind.”
At the mention of Ke’Thra’Ma’s death, Ka’Vina visibly flinched, then something like severe disbelief passed across its features. The same sort of reaction Quin had.
“No, no, no, no. That’s…impossible! The Ke is the Foreseen One, The White God, the One Above All. Never to have spilled blood. To have white flames hot enough to scorch the kings and queens of clans. To be born with all gifts and the ability to melt the Heart of Mountains. Destroy civilizations by himself…without injury. He is a god. Undying.”
Camellia snorted, a side-long smirk uncharacteristic of the spider twitching at the corner of her mouth. “He shouldn’t have tried to face Mother if he wanted to keep those titles…”
Elinor’s vision narrowed and she turned to the arachnid. “Camellia, could you show our newest member what you really are?”
Valentina gulped and moved away, Ash and Grace doing the same as El’Co’Ca face planted the stone floor in worship. Camellia looked up at the giant ape as if she were nothing more than a tiny insect, and darkness enveloped her, form shifting.
Soon, the colossal ruby and obsidian black-themed spider took shape, steam hissing out of her armored joints as she rose to her full height to face the gorilla, who, in size comparison, was actually smaller.
“T-The Crawling Shadows—one of the rulers?!” Ka’Vina gagged, scrambling away and falling over bones in her retreat. “Y-You are from the deep places within the valley!”
“An appropriate reaction,” Camellia huffed, returning to her human state with a hand on her hip. “My mother poisoned and put your White God on the brink of death. He is gone.”
“T-Then…it is over,” she mumbled in disbelief, trembling several meters away and coming to terms with the reality of her liberation. “The endless wars. The breeding programs. The…culling.”
“Yes,” Elinor confirmed. “And now I seek to claim the fortress as my capital. Your knowledge could be invaluable to this effort. Not as a simple slave…but a citizen of my empire. You will never have to go to war or feel that despair again.”
Understanding dawned in the overseer’s eyes. “You would raise us…not as warriors, but as builders? We wouldn’t need to work tirelessly?”
“There will be days off but it isn’t as if you will receive a free ride. You will have a good life of respect and dignity,” Elinor confirmed. “You have skills, knowledge, and crafts that may not have been useful to the Ke, but are to me—all preserved in death. Even when your services are no longer required, you will have your place to live freely within my world.”
A complex emotion passed across Ka’Vina’s features—something like hope, mingled with uncertainty. “Those who rest here were not fighters. They were…thinkers. Dreamers, some. Those who questioned the path of endless conquest. Those who had no talent.”
“Everyone has their talent and use within my society,” Elinor smiled.
She turned to Ash, who could sense the strength of souls himself. More butterflies emerged from her flames, floating toward the arbiter of death.
“Select ten of the most intact specimens—prioritize those Ka’Vina identifies as engineers or designers. I want them raised and ready to assess the fortress’ structural integrity once we gain entry. Naturally, there will be a limit to what they know and can help in, but I think basic functions are more than enough at this point.”
“As you command, Empress,” Ash acknowledged. “And the rest?”
Elinor’s gaze swept across the silent graveyard. “Mark this chamber’s location precisely. Once the fortress is secured, we’ll return with more resources to properly examine and categorize what we have here to be brought back. When I have time, I’ll raise more for positions we need filled.”
With Ka’Vina's guidance, they selected the most promising specimens—a structural engineer, two very low-level systems designers, an archival keeper of the mines, and several other specialists whose knowledge would be most immediately useful. Each rose to Elinor’s power, confused and reacting the same, until Camellia showed her true nature.
“Now,” Elinor said, once she had enough personnel to give her a rough support group, “we need to return to the security barrier. Ka’Vina, can you lead us back and help us bypass it?”
The overseer nodded. “Yes, Empress, if my credentials are still active. And the rail carts—I can operate them. It will reduce our journey to minutes.”
“Excellent. Let’s do that.”
This proved true. Under Ka’Vina's direction, they activated a massive ore cart—a vehicle designed to transport both quen’talrat workers and excavated materials. The system still functioned, drawing power from geothermal energy sources deep in the mountain.
The return journey was swift, the cart gliding along ancient rails with surprising smoothness. Ka’Vina explained aspects of the mining operation as they traveled—how certain metals had been extracted specifically for the fortress’ construction, how specialized materials had been processed on-site.
“The mining operation was extensive,” Ka’Vina explained as they rode. “We extracted rare metals used in the fortress’ construction and maintenance. Materials with…unusual properties.”
“What kind of properties?” Elinor inquired, her dress fluttering behind her as they zipped through the tunnels. Occasionally it would open up to show vast open spaces where further mining operations, lava flows, and unusual rivers of fire that appeared to be drawn into runic machines.
“Metals that responded to thought. Stones that stored energy. Materials that could repair themselves when damaged…most of which were only understood by the Kings, Queens, and advanced engineers.” The overseer gestured to the walls around them. “The entire fortress was built of such materials, programmed to maintain itself over centuries as the Ke developed more advanced features and taught the real scholars how to replicate the work.”
When they reached the junction chamber once more, Ka’Vina approached the initial security panel on the wall with confidence. Her massive hand pressed against it, more symbols emerged out of the dark wall, circling and seemingly scanning her. Then, a box opened to allow access to the obelisk.
She didn’t hesitate, moving to the area, almost breathless. “I am still recognized? It seems my authorization wasn’t purged from the system.”
Her fingers moved with surprising dexterity across the surface as the system activated. The symbols responded to her touch, glowing more brightly, shifting and realigning in complex patterns. “But…the activation sequence has been slightly altered since my time…upgraded.”
“Can you bypass it?” Elinor pressed.
“No, not exactly… It isn’t as much as it has changed as it has just been slightly altered… More refined. The master override for the overseer may be too much for my knowledge but the simple dock worker access protocol seems functionally the same.” The overseer's brow furrowed in concentration. “And…done.”
Her fingers traced a complex sequence across the symbols, each touch causing ripples of light to spread across the panel. Suddenly, the entire disc illuminated with a bright flash, and the barrier before them flickered.
“The way is open, Empress,” Ka’Vina said, stepping back and not knowing what to do next. “It’s a temporary release but can be reapplied as many times as needed. The barrier will remain down for approximately one cycle…what you might call a day.”
The shimmering wall of energy dissipated like mist in sunlight, revealing the continuation of the rail system beyond. Elinor nodded in approval, excitement bubbling up within her—they were in.
“Well done, Ka’Vina.”
Valentina bounced on her heels. “We get to go into that giant city now?! Yes! New territory.”
“The rails lead directly to the loading docks beneath the lower levels of Kel’mal’tha,” Ka’Vina confirmed but her expression grew troubled. “However, the automated defenses may still recognize me as exiled—forbidden from returning to the fortress proper. My authorization extends only to the mining sectors.”
Elinor considered this complication. “Then we need a guide who can navigate both the tunnels and the fortress defenses.” She turned to El’Co’Ca. “Will you brother be on the other side?”
The elderly yaltha’ma nodded. “The path the overseer speaks of—I know it. My people used it to scavenge materials from the mines after the fall. It isn’t active. At least, it wasn’t when I was there.”
“And what about other dangers?” Grace calmly inquired. “You mentioned creatures that have claimed parts of the city?”
“The mutated ones I sensed in the tunnels when I was resurrected?” Camellia hummed, her crimson eyes gleaming with predatory interest as she peered into the deep, seemingly endless tunnel. “I do not sense anything living or moving within. Whatever they are, they have not entered this area.”
“Then it’s settled,” Elinor decided. “We’ll proceed to the fortress through the rail system, establish contact with the main faction of yaltha’ma, and secure our new capital. We’ll be done by the end of the day.”
With their plans set, the group loaded onto a larger transport cart that Ka’Vina activated. The vehicle hummed with power as ancient mechanisms engaged, and they began their journey toward the heart of Kel’mal’tha.
A barrier materialized around the cart, shielding them from air-pressure as they rapidly picked up momentum. According to Camellia, they were now traveling nearly five hundred kilometers an hour—they’d be at the capital in minutes.
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