The afternoon was getting cooler and it was 5:00 PM now, sun filtering through the trees in golden patches, It had been thirty minutes since they started tracking and Alucent couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was happening here, But then what if he was right, what if all these tracks were part of Eloha's plan?
The Rune-Armor tracks kept going deeper into the forest, and Gryan's restored Steamcart followed them easy enough, The brass rails helped, letting the vehicle roll smooth over the forest floor, Temperature dropped to about 15°C, it felt nice after all the running around they did previously.
Alucent looked down at his frock coat, the tear from earlier was patched up with some Weavefibers he got from Gryan for 10 Copperweaves, Which cost about 1 Copperweave per meter for the silvery thread stuff, but it held together fine, His blue eyes were scanning the tracks ahead, looking determined, The Runequill felt ready in his hand.
These tracks are really fresh, maybe thirty minutes old, Whatever made them is still definitely close by.
Raya sat next to him in the Steamcart, her cloak back on now, But the scar was still visible though, glinting in the sunlight, Her Weaveblade was across her knees, ready to grab if she needed it.
"The trail grows warmer by the minute" she said, her voice carrying that aristocratic tone he was getting used to "Whatever we pursue moves with clear purpose, I should think"
Tavin was holding his Runetoken tight, the carved stone had its own little glow going, His tunic was still muddy and his eyes kept looking around between the trees as they passed, Those whispers he heard were probably still bothering him.
"I fear the voices haven't finished with me yet" he said quietly "They speak of gatherings, of things beyond what we understand"
Gryan was driving, his mechanical arm working the controls, His vest was still stained with oil and grease from working on machinery all the time, That brass arm moved really precise though, all the gears working perfect with the Steamcart's systems.
"Steady as we go" he said, adjusting their course a bit "These rails weren't made for forest travel, but they're holding up well enough"
The forest was changing as they got closer to Eryndral's edge, Not as wild and thick as the deep parts, more organized really, Alucent could see amber glowing Runepaths about a meter wide going between the trees, There were Steamcottages too, clustered together, maybe 150 square meters each and built from Ironvine wood, Brass chimneys were putting out steam at around 60°C, making warm columns in the air.
Getting close to people again, Should make me feel safer but it doesn't really.
The trauma from that ritual was still there, from whatever had torn him away from his world and dropped him here, He shouldn't feel this shaky still, but he did, who wouldn't after something like that?
The Glowroses on the ground looked dimmer here, not that bright glow they usually had, Even the Songthrushes stopped singing, no more of that melodic sound, Everything was too quiet except for the Steamcart's engine.
"The tracks are getting deeper" Gryan said, slowing down the cart "Whatever made these is heavy, really heavy, Can't be good news"
"Look there" Raya pointed ahead with her finger "Runewell, but something's wrong with it"
This one was bigger than the others they saw, about two meters across, Probably worth 150 Silverweaves if it was working right, But like everything else around here, it was pulsing weak instead of strong and steady.
Starting to see a pattern here, Something's messing with all the magic stuff systematically.
"We should stop and look at this" Alucent said while getting ready to climb out "Something's interfering with the magical systems all through this area, I want to figure out what"
Gryan brought the Steamcart to a stop near the weakened well, They all climbed out, stretching after the ride, The forest felt different on foot, more dangerous somehow, like eyes were watching from the shadows.
Alucent walked over to the Runewell, looking at the rune patterns carved in the rim, Those borrowed memories were stirring again, showing him things way more complex than anything he tried before, Not just repair or cleaning, but something completely new, Something that would need him to get better than Thread 1.
Dual-rune inscription, I can see it in my head, but can I actually do it? This is way beyond anything I've attempted before.
He got out his Runequill, felt heavier in his hand as he got ready for something harder than ever, The pattern he needed would take up about seven square centimeters, combining stability rune with force amplification in a way that would make red glow instead of the usual silver or green.
"What manner of work do you attempt?" Tavin asked, sounding nervous like he always did when magic was involved.
"Trying to advance" Alucent said, starting the first lines of the dual-rune pattern "Thread 2, if I can manage it"
The inscription was really complex, each line had to connect perfect with the others to make it work, As he worked, he could feel his Runeforce responding different, building to levels he never felt before, That warmth in his chest became more like burning, needed way more control than usual.
The first rune, for stability, glowed silver when he finished it, Then he started the second one, weaving lines for force amplification around and through the first pattern, When the two designs merged, the whole thing flared with red light.
Thread 2, I can feel it, Coppermark advancement, just like that!
"Most remarkable" Raya said, watching the dual-rune pulse with power "You've achieved Thread 2, Coppermark level, Most practitioners require eight months or more for such advancement, However did you accomplish this so swiftly?"
The effort left Alucent sweating and kind of dizzy, but the connection between his Runeforce and the dual-rune felt solid, He could sense what it could do, just waiting to be used.
"Might you apply such enhancement to my limb?" Gryan asked, flexing his mechanical arm "If it functions as I suspect, it could boost my striking power by half again, perhaps more"
Alucent nodded, though he was already feeling the drain from keeping that repair rune on the Steamcart active and now this new dual-rune too, Managing multiple inscriptions was exhausting, but the power might be really important.
Need to be careful not to push too hard, Shadowcage Taboos can cause muscle cramps if I overdo it, Better safe than sorry.
He started etching the dual-rune pattern onto Gryan's mechanical arm, the brass surface took the inscription well, The lines glowed red as they formed, and when he finished, the whole limb hummed with enhanced power.
Gryan flexed his fingers, then made a fist, The mechanical joints moved with way more force "This is extraordinary, Thread 1 Cogspring work was never like this, Never felt power quite like this before"
Steam Path and Rune Path working together, Never thought that was possible, but here we are.
Their conversation got interrupted by a sound from deeper in the forest, Heavy footsteps, metallic and rhythmic, moving toward them like a machine marching.
"Rune-Armor" Raya said, pulling out her Weaveblade again "Prepare yourselves, everyone"
The thing that came out from between the Steamcottages was really big, Two meters tall and covered in brass armor that looked beat up but still worked, It moved smooth, part machine and part magic, red runes glowing across its surface, and Alucent figured the whole suit was worth at least 500 Silverweaves.
That's what made those tracks, A scout, probably reporting back to someone, but who? And why here?
The Rune-Armor scout raised one armored hand, and Alucent saw energy gathering around its palm, A Runeforce bolt, about 0.1 meters long, formed and shot at them fast like a crossbow bolt.
Gryan's enhanced mechanical arm moved quick, deflecting the bolt with sparks flying, The impact would have destroyed a normal limb, but the dual-rune held, spreading the force and letting the brass absorb what should have been devastating damage.
It worked! The dual-rune actually worked! I can't believe that just happened!
Raya was already moving, her Weaveblade cutting toward the scout's joints where the armor was thinnest, Her crystal edge found gaps in the brass plating, though the armor was pretty thick.
"Strike where the plating meets!" she called to Gryan "The joints are vulnerable!"
Alucent knelt quick, etching another dual-rune right on the ground under the scout's feet, This one was different, designed to mess up the magical systems powering the armor instead of making them stronger, The pattern took him maybe five seconds to complete while fighting was happening, his hands steady despite the danger.
Combat inscription, I'm actually doing this, Never thought I'd be fighting like this.
Tavin threw his Runetoken at the scout's helmet, the carved stone hit with a flash of light that blinded the armored figure for a moment, Small distraction, but enough to buy Alucent the time he needed to finish his disruption rune.
When the inscription was done, the scout's armor started failing, Red runes flickered and went dark, joints seized up, and the figure toppled forward with a crash of broken mechanisms.
"That was decidedly Thread 2 work" Raya said, looking at the disabled scout "Your advancement proceeds at quite an alarming pace, Such rapid development... well, one must exercise caution with such gifts"
Gryan walked over to the fallen armor, his enhanced arm still humming with power "Examine this craftsmanship, Whoever built this knew both Rune Path and Steam Path, This represents most advanced technique"
Eloha's work, probably, Combining different magical stuff like some kind of genius inventor.
While they looked at their defeated opponent, Alucent found a small pouch on the scout's belt, Inside were 20 Silverweaves, each coin worth about 1 Silverweave, Real money, enough to buy proper equipment or supplies.
"Payment for the scout's mission, I'd wager" he said, putting the coins in his pocket "We earned it, wouldn't you say?"
This is actually pretty good luck, Twenty Silverweaves just sitting there, Not bad at all.
Tavin suddenly went stiff, his eyes wide again like when the whispers came "The visions return" he whispered with that shaky voice "They show me something new, A fate-weaver's iron grip, Someone called... Veyris?"
Another name, Another person we don't know about, This is getting complicated.
"Veyris?" Raya asked while cleaning her blade "The name means nothing to me, Why do these names emerge now?"
"The whispers speak of iron roads, of choices and destinations" Tavin's voice was distant like he was somewhere else "She watches us, measures our progress, I can feel her attention"
Before anyone could respond, they heard hoofbeats approaching, A horse and rider came out from between the Steamcottages, and Alucent recognized Sir Vorn on his big horse.
He found us, How did he know where we'd be? Has he been following us this whole time?
Sir Vorn stopped his horse, his face taking in the scene, The disabled Rune-Armor scout, Gryan's enhanced mechanical arm still glowing with red runes, and Alucent's dual-rune inscriptions scattered around.
"Thread 2 advancement achieved" Sir Vorn said with clear approval "Coppermark level attained, Excellent work, Alucent, Swifter than I expected"
"You've been watching our movements?" Raya asked, and she didn't sound happy about it.
"Monitoring" Sir Vorn corrected while getting off his horse "This threat proves more extensive than we initially believed, Eloha's scouts range far from his stronghold, employing combined techniques we've not encountered before"
He knows more than he's been telling us, I can see it in his expression.
"Sir Vorn" Alucent said, gesturing to Gryan "This is Gryan, His Steamcart got attacked by Shadebinders, and he's been helping us track them"
Sir Vorn nodded to the mechanic "Steam Path, Thread 1 Cogspring work, Your assistance is most welcome, We shall need all available help"
Raya cleaned her Weaveblade and put it away, then looked at Alucent with an expression that might have been amusement "You know, for someone who counts every Copperweave twice, you're getting rather free with that Runeforce, One might call it reckless"
Is she teasing me? That's new, Don't know how to feel about that.
"I'm just being practical" Alucent said while dusting off his coat "These inscriptions are investments in staying alive"
"Indeed" Raya said, but she was almost smiling "Practical, That's what we shall call it"
As they got ready to look at the fallen scout more carefully, Alucent noticed something else, The disruption rune he used was still active, still connected to his Runeforce, and through it he could sense something about the armor's construction, Multiple layers of runeforce, power sources he didn't recognize, and underneath it all, something dark.
"Sir Vorn" he said while pointing at the armor "I think there's something else here, Something hidden in the armor"
The weave leader came over to the fallen scout, his experienced eye seeing details that Alucent missed "Your instincts serve you well, Look at the chest plate, there's something decidedly wrong with it"
Where Raya's Weaveblade hit, the brass cracked, showing something underneath, A dark crystal fragment, maybe three centimeters across, pulsing with really bad energy.
A Voidshard, Just like the one in the Clockstag's wound, This is getting worse and worse.
"Voidshard" Sir Vorn said with a grim expression "Worth about 200 Silverweaves on the black market, but worth considerably more to whoever's been corrupting the Rune systems around here"
The fragment seemed to pulse with something distant, like it was connected to a bigger source of power, Just looking at it made Alucent's skin crawl, and he could feel his dual-rune inscriptions reacting to it.
"That's what's been draining the Runewells" Gryan said, his mechanical arm whirring as he made a fist "Some kind of parasitic connection, Like a leech upon the magical current"
And if this scout has one, how many others are out there? How many more Voidshards are scattered through the forest?
The golden afternoon light was getting dimmer, and the steam rising from the Steamcottages' chimneys looked more ominous in the growing shadows, Whatever they were dealing with was way bigger and more dangerous than just some corruption of magical wells.
"We must report this discovery" Sir Vorn said, but his tone suggested he already knew what the response would be "And we must prepare for something considerably worse than scattered attacks"
Alucent stared at the Voidshard embedded in the scout's armor, feeling its dark energy pull at his mind, Twenty Silverweaves in his pocket, Thread 2 advancement done, and new allies gained, But somehow, looking at that corrupted crystal, he felt like they were still losing in a war they barely understood.
Whatever this Eloha person is planning, we're running out of time to stop it, And I'm not sure we're strong enough.
The Voidshard pulsed again, and in that pulse, Alucent thought he could hear something, Whispers, like the ones Tavin heard, but older and way darker, Promises of power, offers of knowledge, voices that spoke of shortcuts and easy answers.
He made himself look away, focusing instead on his companions and the golden light still coming through the trees, Whatever those whispers promised, he knew the price would be higher than he wanted to pay.
The wreckage of the Rune-Armor scout lay there like a puzzle waiting to be solved, its secrets and that embedded Voidshard representing both opportunity and danger, As the sun kept going down, Alucent knew their real challenges were just starting.