NINE YEARS (II)

The night had fallen steep, the somewhat warm winds managing to blow off the ever-encompa.s.sing stench of the valley. Lights of erect torches, from above, looked like a barely starlit sky, as though ever so often there was a ma.s.sive gap, a hole of pure emptiness. Yet, there was hardly a spot in the entire valley that was empty – the truth that made Daniel's and Shane's plan that much harder.

Two men were currently standing in front of the 'Hub', embraced by tender silence and warm colors of the gemstones beaming from overhead, embedded into the archway. Though the two stood still, there was a certain nimbleness to their alert eyes that took in the whole of their surroundings. They waited, for they did not know when the dark Shadow would return. On the day the two first met it, it had come just before the dawn, on their way back to the barracks. Would it still do the same? Or would it wait for them inside their room? The laws of reality hardly seemed to contain it, as far as the two men could tell.

They both knew, deep inside, they weren't being 'rescued' out of the good will; the two had a relatively high-ranking position, privy to a general map as well as far more knowledge of what was going on than most. They didn't mind trading it for a better life, which is why they were both running through all they knew and properly wording it inside their heads ever since they made the decision.

The night, however, faded slowly and silently; there was hardly any activity on this end of the valley during the night, save for a few drunk Generals wandering the streets in search of their homes. By the light of the dawn, both Shane and Daniel were unnervingly exhausted; after all, they'd kept their alertness throughout the night, as though they truly were doing a marvelous job of protecting the 'Hub'. They were thirsty and weak in their knees, but they had to endure as their post would last until noon.

It truly seemed as though the Shadow would either intersect them on their way back as the last time or wait for them in their room. Perhaps, it might even show its true features to them as a sign of trust. They both wondered what hideous creature was hidden behind the mask of shadows and shade.

Hours ticked by rapidly and slowly as the Valley awoke to a new day. A batch of women that had stayed the night in the 'Hub' was sent out, soon after replaced by roughly forty returnees. Both guards easily recognized the lacking l.u.s.ter of life in their eyes, the listlessness and soullessness ever-present in their gait.

In the distance, they could hear the roars of Commanders going through the drills, adjoined with the screams of the crowds on the opposite end of theirs where a day-long Gladiator Arena would see hundreds slaughtered in the name of entertainment.

The Valley acted as a ma.s.sive city, a melting pot of varieties, and if one's intentions were to simply have a good time, it wasn't too difficult; there were brothels everywhere, of all kinds. There were pubs and taverns spread throughout serving the cheapest and the most exotic drinks across the world. There were libraries, though only upper echelon had direct access to them, as well as the schools that the young attended.

In effect, it was a City – a proper, large, badly maintained city. Save for the few hotspots throughout, the Valley was embittered in filth and drudge, be it human's, beast's or animal's. The stench was pervasive, which meant that the stoneworks which had windows rarely opened them, and the few lethargic groups yet to catch up cursed out the heaven and the earth all day long.

Noon came about as the two men were relieved of their duty, at last. They could feel the heaviness of their eyes as they desperately tried to close, much to the men's dismay. They ran the familiar route, pa.s.sing by a variety of sights that had by now come to be expected; a disemboweled body lay in the pudge of filth, a row of isolated heads resting on the iron spikes, groups of men fighting, blood trickling down the muddied earth… when they first arrived and witnessed all this, it was impossible to hold their innards still. Now? There was a certain self-loathing a.s.sociated with their ability to withstanding it so laxly.

The barracks were as the barracks are; rapidly handing their weapons and armor, they climbed the familiar steps and lurched into the familiar room. They were right, both immediately realized; right there, standing leaned against the opposite end of the wall from the door, was a Shadow – no, not a shadow, a man. It wasn't an abomination as they had expected, but an ordinary-looking man, slightly on the handsome side even.

He was tall and lean, black-eyed and haired, with broad shoulders blending into long arms that lay crossed over his leather-bound chest. His long hair was tied into a downcast tail behind that reached half his back. Save for the brownish leather vest on his chest, he was otherwise clad in black, including gloves that had a strange, crimson sheen to them.

Neither Daniel nor Shane dared move a step closer from the doors, yet they didn't scream out or try to run away; after all, there was no point in trying to hide from a man who could sneak into the virtual heart of the Hallowed Valley entirely unnoticed. Besides, the two invited him here – it was their choice, one they should now honor.

"—you took longer than I expected," the man spoke in a completely ordinary voice, one missing any distinct features; there was no dialect, no stutter, no distinct pitch… they were somewhat shocked by it. "But, I suppose it is never too late."

"…" by their estimates, the man was nearing his thirties, though it was beyond difficult to calculate one's age by the appearance – for instance, their Superintendent, Brook, was a man seemingly in his mid-thirties, yet was pus.h.i.+ng two million in actuality.

"Well? Won't you sit down?" the man pointed at the bed, faintly smiling in amus.e.m.e.nt. "I imagine it must be uncomfortable, pressed tightly within such a narrow corridor." Daniel and Shane nodded modestly before limbering over, awkwardly sitting on the bed, occasionally glancing at the man. "Do you wish to sell information for a favor, or escape altogether?"

"—e-escape…" Shane replied.

"And you?" the man focused Daniel, forcing the latter to meet his eyes.

"E-escape, too."

"Very well," the man nodded, as though he was merely talking about taking a hike rather than escaping a militant encampment stacked to the sky with preventive formations. "We'll do it tonight. At around 11 they resupply the elective formations with Qi Stones which should give us around two-three minutes of weaker defenses to break through. When out, it should take us some time to reach the Empyrion through the network. Do you have anyone else you'd like to take with you?"

"… n-no…" both Shane and Daniel shook their heads, shocked to learn that the man knew so much about the internal workings of the Valley. How much did the Agents of the Empyrion, as they were often called, know? Apparently far more than most in here believed.

"Don't be so shocked," the man smiled faintly, seemingly having read their minds. "It's a long struggle. We'd have failed to live up to the expectations if we didn't even know this much. Daniel… Shane… strange names. Where are you originally from?"

"—h-how… ah, the… the Crypt…" Daniel replied while Shane remained silent, his eyes widening into saucers – they've never given them their names, yet the man somehow knew despite the fact that they were hardly key figures of the Valley.

"Ah, the Crypt," the man nodded. "Perhaps you two may remember Vyrove?"

"ah? Master Vyrove? Hasn't he fallen in the Hunt?!" Shane exclaimed.

"Ha ha, hardly," the man replied, laughing. "He's a happily married lad now, even has a two-year-old son. Lord of the Eastern Fort, quite an important t.i.tle, actually. We can settle you there in the end. He's been more than happy to accommodate his former Juniors."

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"—t-there… there are more of us?" Daniel asked meekly, probing as to see whether he understood the implications.

"Though the Valley may be the largest, 'tis hardly the only gathering point," the man chuckled faintly. "Of course there'd be others who wished to switch sides. Some from our end of things, some from yours. Delusion is a strange thing."

"… can… can I ask something?" much to Shane's dismay, Daniel braved himself enough to break the short-lived silence and meet the man's black eyes squarely.

"Of course." the man nodded.

"Is-is it true that… the Empyrion is… better?"

"… hmm," the man entered a deep thought for a moment before replying. "'Better' is really relative, if you ask me. I mean, we don't use enslaved women as broodmothers, nor do we allow the state of our Cities to become so… decadent, but I imagine we have higher expectations of the individuals. For instance, though the information you two have may be valuable, you won't simply be given an eternal life of pleasure. You'll be given access to the tools to improve yourself and find a place to prove your worth. After all, it would be a bit too difficult to feed everyone if they simply sat on their a.s.ses and did nothing."

"Thank… thank you, for being honest." Daniel said, finally relaxing somewhat. "What options will we have? Or will we need to fill the vacancies?"

"Whatever fancies you," the man said, smiling widely. "A scholar? A historian? A bard? A soldier? A carpenter? You'll be shoved into the school of whatever you wish to study. There are always vacancies in the ever-expanding Empire, Daniel, and nary enough souls to fill them all. Don't worry too much," the man added at the end. "You won't be left to wander blind."

"… thank you." Daniel nodded, releasing a pent-up breath and relaxing at last. Shane also appeared to have loosened up somewhat, braving himself a question as well.

"May… may I ask… what should we call you?"

"Call me?" the man glanced at them, smiling wryly. "Just call me Ty. I should leave now, however, as they'll inspect your room soon. I'll meet you tonight slightly before 11, so bury all your heart's demons by then and be ready. You're venturing out into the world, one far greater than you can even imagine…"