Brave New World

Deborah takes Sophia and her friends on an aerial tour of the new Flux.

32.

Brave New World

 

Everyone in the jet had their noses pressed to the glass windows as Deborah flew low over the large island that would now be home to Flux.

“It’s hard to believe we’re back in Synomenia.”   Joila said as she surveyed the land beneath them.

“It all seems so wild.”   Sirya commented, “We will be permitted to expand out into the wilderness, won’t we?”

“I think so.”   Sophia responded from where she sat next to Khord, “As you can see, we’ll have plenty of stuff for everyone to do.”

“I have to admit, I like this island better than the artificial feel of the ‘old’ Flux.”   Khord said, glancing out as he caressed his wife’s pregnant belly.

“We all must remember that this environment won’t be without hazards.   Storms, wild animals, earthquakes - we’ll be part of the real world again, so our carefree lives are gone.”

“It’s worth it.”   Eioldth said from behind Sophia and Khord, “Flux never felt quite right to me.”

Haroldris nodded, “I never grew completely comfortable with the weather; it always felt unnatural to me.    A question I have is how will we maintain the technological state in which Flux existed?    Most of our resources were created artificially by Producers.   From what I’ve heard today, that will now stop, right?”

“That is how I understood it.”   Eioldth told her husband, then turning to Sophia she asked, “Isn’t that how you interpreted it?”

“Yes, but I got the feeling that we’d have time to set up the infrastructure before the Producers lost the ability to create raw materials.     To be honest, Yesh didn’t go into great detail about that, and I was so shocked about all the changes that he had implemented that I didn’t think to question him further.”

Over the intercom, the voice of Deborah came, “Sophia, he told me that we’d get an outline of all the changes tomorrow by e-mail, so we could brief all our people, so hopefully all the details will be in that.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Deborah.   I am still dumbfounded by the levels of changes that The Lord made today.    We’ve had so much to consider that we have almost forgotten the great struggle that is happening in - and under- Westmark.”

“Are there any updates, Sophia?”   Aranthi asked from several seats ahead of her.

The Drow Watcher glanced down at a tablet computer that she was using as a scrying device, “Let me look and see what is going on.”

She touched the screen of the tablet and an image of her half sister popped up.   Allea was pacing around, her lower face covered by a cloth.

“Nothing new here.”  Sophia told everyone, “They are still waiting on Alleania.”    She touched the screen again and the image shifted to show Alleania and Drake racing through the dark passages on a ghostly horse.

“What about Grandmother and Drake?”   Leah asked, looking over the backrest of the seat at the image on the computer screen.

“They’re almost up to the cavern… in fact, they just got there!”

Sophia and those around her that could see the scene on the tablet screen all watched as it showed the group in the cavern beneath the Faesidhe trash chute jump up as they rode in.

There was no sound with this scrying device, but it was easy to see their surprise at Alleania and Drake’s arrival.    The spectral horse dissipated as soon as Drake helped Alleania dismount (on very wobbly legs).  

Drake landed gracefully on his feet as soon as the spell ended and he stood back while Alleania seemed to be telling those in the cavern what happened to her.

As they watched, Sophia clicked on some boxes on the edge of the screen, which was part of the scrying program’s functions.   It gave a brief summary of the events that had transpired since the program was last accessed.

She brought the others in the jet up to speed and they all were thrilled to learn about the red Faesidhe fruit’s effect upon a vampire.

“I am astounded.”   Eioldth said after she learned about it, “No one would have ever thought to try that!   Such a shame that we didn’t know about that years ago.   Think of the suffering that we could have remedied and the lives that could have been reclaimed.”

 

“Well, since they all seem alright, let’s check in on Aurei and Eleazar.”   Sophia suggested.   Touching the screen again brought up a view of the couple, with Amala and Carn beside them, cautiously slipping through the nearly abandoned city of Hor’olorbb.    Fires burned from the path of destruction that the Dragon had caused, and small bands of exhausted Goblins, Orcs and Hobgoblins fought against small patrols of Drow.    Several times one of the four stopped to cough or catch his or her breath and it was clear to Sophia that the air was growing worse.   They passed close to where a Troll was surrounded by a large group of Drow and their Bugbear servants.     

It was clear that the fighting was dwindling down quickly and soon the Goblinoids would slip away in retreat.   But for the time being, the streets were dangerous and so the Dullerms and Carn moved cautiously as they went back to the Ar’Rilla compound.

“Things are alright there too.”   Sophia told everyone after she had watched for a few minutes.

“I wonder if Yesh will allow Drake to stay there for a while.”   Joila asked.

“I don’t know.” Sophia responded, “He was always fascinated with the Drow, so perhaps he will be allowed to help them.”

“That makes me wonder - what will the Underdark be like now that the demon has destroyed most of the major cities?”   Eioldth questioned.

“I doubt it will be inhabitable… even for the Drow.”   Haroldris commented.

“Then what shall become of them?”  The former queen asked.

“They will have to come to the surface - hopefully to Westmark.”

“But will they?   Perhaps those that follow Yesh, but they are few in number.”

“Yesh has long been very concerned with the dark elves - both those few who worship him and those that don’t know him.”   Sophia told them, “I think this is why Drake was allowed to come back.   Not only to defeat the Dragon, but to assist with the Drow refugees that will be forced to the surface.”

“So you think there could be trouble with them?”   Sirya asked, feeling odd talking about her own race as if they were an alien species.

“Possibly.   Most that live in the Underdark do not understand anything else but brute strength.   The most powerful rule over the lesser.”

“That sounds like the philosophy of the Southern Empire.”   Deborah’s voice said over the intercom, “I need to see if anything has changed there since Mazzikim’ruhin was cast out.    Sophia, would you do me a favor and check on our good friend Torrin to see what he and his cronies are up to?”

“Sure, Deborah.”   Sophia agreed, and touched the tablet’s screen again while thinking of the false prophet.

The screen went dark for a moment, and then revealed a huge crowd of people, many carrying torches, in some sort of rally or event.    On top of a stage or platform with his back to the view of the scrying program was Torrin, wearing the yellow robe of a priest of The One True God.

Beside him on the platform stood the Emperor, former General Fortatius, and he was dressed in full armor.   Beside him stood military aids and what appeared to be generals.

“Uh oh.”  Sophia said and everyone looked at her in alarm.

“What do you see, Sophia?”  Deborah asked over the intercom.

“It looks like a large rally - I’d say it’s on the Imperial Parade Grounds outside of Aeropolis.    There is a sea of people carrying torches, and I keep seeing reflections from the crowd as if the torch light is shining off of armor.”

“Armor?    Is it a gathering of soldiers?   The legions, perhaps?”

Sophia didn’t answer for a minute, but typed in a few search terms.    When she entered the names of the commanders of the Imperial legions, the view would change to show one from the perspective of those in the crowd, looking at the stage where Torrin was addressing them.    The crowd was made up of Imperial soldiers, and the prophet seemed to be stirring them up for something.  

She shared what she saw with Deborah while the others left their seats and encircled her to see the scene on her tablet.

“What does it mean?”   Leah asked.

“They have great rallies before they set off on a major Imperial offensive.”   Haroldris responded.

“Do you think they are preparing for an invasion of Northmarch?”

“No, I think that Redburr has joined their forces and they are instead preparing a major offensive against our friends in Westmark and Dullerm.”

“How many legion commanders did you see in the crowd, Sophia?”  Deborah asked over the speaker.

“Ten, and all of them were there.   I’d guess that at least half of the legions were at the rally.   Maybe more.”

“They could not spare 12 that I know of - they are essential to guard the Imperial borders.    I know of maybe 10 others that would take many months to return to Aeropolis.    So an educated guess, without seeing the image that you are seeing would be that Fortatius is going ahead with his commitment to Torrin.”

“What is his commitment?”   Joila asked.

“30 legions and 40 to 50 auxiliary legions.”

“How many soldiers would that be?”   Sirya wondered.

“Between 400,000 and half a million.”  Deborah answered grimly.

There were a few moments of astonishment from those aboard the jet, and then Haroldris explained to them his estimate of the supply trains and equipment needed to move that many troops against them.

“It would be a force much larger than has ever been assembled before.” He told them, and Deborah, who was the Watcher in charge of the Southern Empire, agreed.

“They have been making preparations for a month or so, for this.    I am surprised they want to move it up.    Perhaps the departure of Torrin’s demonic master forced him to play his hand early.   Winter is not the time that you want to begin a campaign.”

“Wouldn’t it take a long time to move that many men and their supply trains -in winter?”   Aranthi asked.

“Yes,” Deborah responded, “Especially if they continue to avoid using magic.     It would take perhaps two weeks to move a smaller force from Aeropolis to Southgate.    One this large would very likely take a month.”

“It would be winter by then, even in the southern parts of Northmarch.”   Eioldth commented, “Do you think they will just occupy Southgate and then press forward in the spring?”

“The roads are very poor in the spring.”   Haroldris said, “The melting snow and spring rains would bog down their supply wagons.”

“But would they be able to advance toward Westmark in the winter?”   Khord asked the former King.

“In early winter, they could probably reach King’s Reach before the heavier snows arrive, if they marched hard.    I’d think this would be their plan; fortify King’s Reach and then march westward on paved roads in early spring to advance on Westmark and Dullerm.”

“So what we are looking at is their departure rally?”   Sophia asked, “They will probably march north in the next few days.”

“Right.”  Deborah agreed, “That would make strategic sense.    King’s Reach would accommodate more legions than Southgate would, though not half a million in number.   Most will probably tough it out in winter camps.”

“They’ll seize all the food they can find and the people of King’s Reach will suffer and many will starve.”   Haroldris said, his jaw set with rage at the thought.

“Can we send word to Eleazar and Aurei?”   Joila asked her mother.

“No; Yesh was very clear about that.    Not until he commands it.   They will find out about it.    Eleazar and Aurei have expected this, though they probably didn’t expect movement so far north, this late in the year.”

“So what can we do to help them?    Mom and Dad are still in the Underdark.”   Leah questioned.

“For now, sadly, we just watch and bite our nails.”   Sophia responded, thinking of the anxious days ahead watching by scrying device and trying not to feel helpless.