Crimsoncrest (The Weirkey Chronicles Book 10), page 14
"Did Theo say something about this?" Fiyu frowned as she tried to remember his comments from years ago. "We should consult with the others and see if this is a known property."
They remained for a while longer, assessing the enemy forces. Based solely on blueprint impressions, they agreed that perhaps half of the Authorities were weak, their ascensions broken or via cheating materials. None of the Strongholds displayed any obvious flaws - some might be standard, but none of them were weak.
And the Dominion... it was impossible to be a Dominion and be an unremarkable soulcrafter. They lingered longer than was strictly necessary, hoping to catch a glimpse. Whoever the enemy Dominion was, they remained in one of the higher chambers. Whenever they spoke to the others, the soldiers of Tymetron bowed and hastened to obey.
This was the first time that Fiyu had properly examined a Dominion-tier soulhome, and while it was very imposing, she was not as overwhelmed as she had expected. Back in the Chasm of Lamentations, she had felt even greater forces do battle, in tiers beyond Dominion.
Still, that fact did absolutely nothing to protect her. If her stealth somehow failed and they were attacked, two Authorities would stand no chance whatsoever. Even after ascensions, their group would still be outmatched. It was intimidating to realize that their enemy could send out a group like this merely to intimidate... which Fiyu realized made it a doubly-intimidating tactic.
"So this is the kind of army an empire can field." Friend Nauda shook her head sadly. "I've seen a lot of soulcrafters ruling by strength, but they usually rule a city-state. Tymetron practically has a continent, so their pool of soulcrafters is so much deeper..."
"They have more obligations and borders as well," Fiyu pointed out. "But yes, this is troubling. We could not face this army without allies."
Reconnaissance complete, they retreated through the defensive walls and floated back toward the garden. Fiyu would have been happy to simply enjoy the flight until it was time to discuss what they learned, but she could feel that Friend Nauda was still quite tense.
"We might be able to defeat them if we brought our main Dominions," the other woman said, "but would that be worth it? Both sides would likely end up injured, and Tymetron could send another army."
"I think the greater concern is that a battle could be an act of war," Fiyu said. "If they send their full forces, or Plutalgion himself comes, we would have no chance."
"Unless he's always been planning to attack, and he's less waiting for an excuse than an opportunity to attack safely. In that case, it might be better to reduce the enemy forces while they can't fully commit."
"Is there no hope for a truly peaceful resolution?"
"Not if Theo is right about this." Friend Nauda shook her head slowly. "I don't know if his Vistgil is really responsible, but I do agree that this sublime material that the Asplundat Movement is working on is probably more important for now. If it's as strong as everyone predicts, it could make one of these Dominions into a dominant soulcrafter."
"Everyone does seem to be treating it rather seriously." Fiyu frowned as she considered the daunting number of factions circling. "Are we quite certain that House Crimson is trying to claim the sublime material?"
"Tythes confirmed that the Salebrante is backing them, so that's pretty strong evidence. The question is how they could get away with it. If Plutalgion is also connected to Vistgil somehow, are they actually working together? That could be an ugly surprise."
They discussed the possibilities as they returned. Given their lack of information it was not strictly productive, but Fiyu recognized it as a way to reduce all their tensions from seeing such an overwhelming enemy. Even if she disliked the uncertainty, she enjoyed feeling Friend Nauda relax, especially as the other woman moved closer to her.
When they returned to Ally Homez, they concluded their pretextual tour and returned to their quarters. Those were not particularly remarkable, not secure or private enough to be relaxing. Fiyu was much happier to see Relative Guchiro return, however. As soon as she parted from Friend Nauda, her elder relative advanced to her and their stealth bubbles wrapped around one another.
"It's definitely the mountain," Relative Guchiro said. "It's an exceptional sublime material, worthy of all this attention. Perhaps not as useful to us as the materials I'd like to pursue at the divine ice, but potent."
"You think someone will attempt to steal it?" Fiyu asked.
"They can't right now, not while it's still unformed. One presumes it will form after the next cycle, but after that the process is uncertain."
"But you were investigating House Crimson, were you not?"
"Yes. They have one Stronghold and a few Authorities." Relative Guchiro looked down toward her, his jaw tense. "That's a real military force, but not enough to seize hold of something so powerful. I discovered something else: they have an Ichili stealth armament."
Fiyu's eyes widened involuntarily. "Who gave them such a thing?"
"Most likely purchased through the gate at Norro Yorthin. It isn't the highest possible tier of stealth, but it's effective. That suggests that, whatever is going to happen at the mountain, they think a small group could potentially seize it and survive the retaliation."
"It's such a large marble slab, and it seems so thoroughly tied to the Asplundat Movement..."
"I know." Relative Guchiro gritted his teeth, his gaze shifting to the horizon. "We need to figure out the details before it's too late."
Chapter 13
After two weeks of analysis, Theo had a somewhat clearer picture of what was going on in the Asplundat Movement. He didn't like it.
Currently he was soulcrafting while waiting for Homez to return from the eastern district with - hopefully - the final pieces of the puzzle. Theo continued to hammer away at the new components he was developing, including some new spiritual tools. None of them completely satisfied him, just like the answers had been unsatisfying.
As near as he could tell, there were aeon-class forces that considered the potential war to be a mere distraction from acquiring a powerful new material. One uncertain organization was backing the House of Coin, trying to purchase it legitimately. The Salebrante is working through House Crimson to try to steal it. That left others either not caring or working through forces he hadn't determined... plus whatever Tythes was doing.
One of main questions on his mind was whether or not Plutalgion was involved in this. If this material was so powerful, it was possible that his supposed intimidation force was actually only present in order to seize it as well. That would mean war, but maybe his empire was in a position to attack. Then again, it was also possible that he was being held back by all the other aeon-class forces watching.
Beyond that, the more unknowable question: was Vistgil involved with any of this directly? Theo still believed that Vistgil hadn't paid attention to him, and even though Dave had suggested that it wouldn't be immediately lethal, Theo didn't want to test that theory.
There was no question of trying to back down or hide, though: there was too much at stake. The conflict over this material could easily destroy Norron or lead to a war, especially given how larger forces were trying to manipulate both sides. He needed to find a way to resolve this with the final material in the hands of an ally.
Of course he couldn't help but think about taking it for himself, after having felt the raw power of that slab of marble. But it would be at minimum Dominion tier and likely aeon-class, so that was a bit overambitious even for him. No, what mattered was that the conflict over the mountain would have a huge impact on all the organizations and sublime materials that he actually needed over the coming few years.
Hence his return to soulcrafting, every time he had a free moment. He was still working on converting his basement into a workshop, trying to integrate more tools. While traveling with Homez he had purchased a big block of something called weightstone - it was definitely a mass-type material, just nowhere near strong enough to take a central place in a soulhome like his. Instead he had carved it into an anvil shape and figured out various substances to treat it with.
Now, as he hammered some sublime wood, he felt as though he was making some progress imparting mass to the sublime material. Just not enough. The hammer he was using was just a random spiritual tool, nothing specifically related to mass.
Based on what he had learned from the Occoire Court, workshop basements often contained a massive number of different tools attuned to specific types of materials. Theo liked the idea of building up a complete set, but it would take a long time. He did his testing with gravity and intended to branch out into the themes that Fiyu and Nauda used, so that he could do work for all three of them.
The armorstone irritated him from where it sat in one corner. Krikree expected him to improve it for her and he was still lacking something: skill or tools, he wasn't sure. All he could do was run tests with less important materials until he mastered this new craft.
Theo was so invested in his work that he was almost annoyed when Homez showed up, but he reminded himself that the politics of the situation were more important than any progress he'd make in the short term. So he set aside his tools and stepped out of his soulhome to speak to the Asplundat Authority.
"I got some answers," Homez told him without a greeting. "Not all of them, but more than I expected. The senior councils have been impressed by the intelligence the Ichili brought back."
"Let's hear it," Theo said.
"The plan is to call the new sublime material the Asplundatcrest, and it's supposed to make our Dominion untouchable. It turns out that what's special about it is that it's neutral up to this point: so many people have contributed cantae to it over the centuries that it averages out, becoming a source of raw potential."
"So this is a cantae source." Theo instinctively looked toward the mountain, reconsidering its power. "Not some specific special ability, just a powerful material."
"Allegedly enough to easily power a floor beyond Dominion, but that isn't the critical part." Homez winced and leaned against the wall beside Theo. "The Asplundatcrest really is neutral until the moment it becomes fully formed. At that last stage, the group that controls it will determine its final nature by infusion before it becomes permanently solidified."
"So I imagine the plan is to get your Dominion and Strongholds to infuse it with your usual stone-themed cantae?"
"Something that represents all the Asplundat Movement, yes. The problem is that there's no way to start early or move the tablet, so someone could steal it or, worse, influence it. If they managed to control the tablet even for a time, they could infuse it with different essence. Now if it became, for example, a fire-themed material, we could still make use of it. But there's potential for even ineffective meddling to ruin things."
"Hence why everyone is trying to move subtly." Theo folded his arms as he thought about the fundamental problem. "What did your superiors say about all the manipulation? Are they still allowing House Crimson to stay nearby?"
"I got very strange responses when it came to outside manipulation. Some agreed, some were furious, some... I don't know. But... the House Crimson part was worse..."
"What? Out with it."
"They claim that Wiltur came to warn them first." Homez winced as he shook his head. "He's claiming to have left House Crimson, and apparently he really did warn them about outside manipulation. They're keeping him here as an additional defense against someone seizing it."
Immediately Theo thought of aphorisms like "the fox guarding the henhouse" but he wasn't sure how those would translate. Instead he just summed up the results. "So you didn't think you could convince them that he's a threat, and he'll stay close by."
"Unfortunately, yes."
They lapsed into silence. It had been too much to hope that the Asplundat Movement's leaders would hear his warning and immediately take reasonable steps to protect their assets, so he hadn't been hoping for it. The fact that they seemed to believe him was good enough, he'd just need to prevent House Crimson from exploiting its position.
"Thank you all for really helping." Homez looked over at him with a strange smile. "I wasn't sure you actually would, when I reached out to ask."
"I've always been honest with you," Theo said with a shrug. "This thing remaining the Asplundatcrest would probably be one of the best outcomes we can hope for, especially if the councils believe the Ruling Cities helped. That would leave Norron stronger for when Tymetron invades."
"I don't just mean it in terms of the politics, I mean personally. I hate the idea that we're being manipulated, that the work of so many citizens is just a profit to be grasped for some people..."
That was clearly reaching out, and though Theo mostly wanted to get back to soulcrafting, he couldn't ignore that. He straightened up and leaned against the wall beside Homez.
"When I was younger," Theo said quietly, "I was manipulated by some of these same forces. I didn't understand anything at the time, of course. What I thought was my good fortune was just a resource to them. So... I don't want to see it happen to anyone else."
"I'm grateful for that." Homez closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "My superiors might not agree, but... the crest doesn't have to stay with us. If the Asplundatcrest ended up in the control of the Ruling Cities, that wouldn't be so bad. Not if we're really on the same side."
"Not all of us are, as House Crimson proves. But I'm glad you feel that way, because I agree. What matters is that we're prepared for the war."
"You think it will really come to that? Many of the councils disagree, because Tymetron has been a friend to us. But the more I see, the more I'm inclined to agree that was just an act."
"I'm sure it is," Theo said. "It's just a matter of time."
Homez groaned as he pushed off the wall. It seemed like he was going to leave the room, but he paused at the door and looked back. "I did get one concession from them: they agree that it would be better to have more forces involved, to prevent any one side from seizing the Asplundatcrest. I don't trust all the Ruling Cities, but I trust Blacksilver. If you can get others involved, I think that would be for the best."
Theo simply nodded his acknowledgment and let Homez go. Once on his own, however, he didn't need to think about it for long before he agreed. They'd gone on their own as an exploratory mission, but this had proved to be a critical part of politics on the continent.
Before he got back to work, Theo sent a message to House Blacksilver, then another to the House of Coin. Kathina hadn't been communicating with him much recently, but she represented another major force. Perhaps if he found the right leverage, he could convince her to reveal her aeon-class backers and put together another piece of the puzzle.
For a few days nothing interrupted Theo's soulcrafting, so he made significant progress on his basement. Buying local spiritual equipment and integrating them with various materials let him create a set of hammers: they weren't legendary tools, but they did their job and he wanted to have them ready for an ascension.
There had to be more, he was sure of it. In the absence of pressure forcing him to ascend, he wanted to find some secret, a genius plan that would let him become an unprecedented Stronghold. It was much easier to say that than actually come up with a revolutionary idea, so he continued working on filling out his basement. At minimum, he wanted an anti-mass anvil to serve as a balance to the mass anvil, but finding that sort of material was a tedious pain.
When he got an answer, to his surprise it wasn't Kathina: Dhan himself had come to the Dustwind Plateaus to meet. Fortunately, that was just a weirkey away, and Theo didn't mind the interruption so much. At least they were taking his request seriously.
He and Dhan hung in the sky among wispy clouds, so high that they could practically see the boundaries between nations beneath them. The Stronghold of House Blacksilver hadn't changed much physically since they last spoke, and still wore his Ichili mask, but he had clearly been working on soulcrafting out his fifth floor.
"If you were anyone else," Dhan said, "we would have ignored your request. But you're clearly not comparable to our other members."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Theo asked.
"The three of you are undeniably not simple Authorities like the others who work with Blacksilver. We understand that we, and I in particular, owe our position in part to you. But because of your work, House Blacksilver has grown, and with growth comes increasing obligations."
"So a bad thing, just in pretty language."
"Consider it from my perspective." Dhan waved his hand over the landscape beneath them. "Blacksilver is expanding, especially in the Dustwind Plateaus, and we're stretched thin. I understand that this sublime material is your highest priority, but all of these things we've invested ourselves in still matter."
"I'm not unsympathetic." Theo stared over the red planet as if it held some answers. "I'm not asking you to sacrifice what you've built. But this is our next big chance, especially in terms of building a relationship with the Asplundat Movement. We can't let House Crimson or the House of Coin seize it without a fight."
"Your message sounded more realistic: we'd be serving as another counterweight, not a decisive force. There's no guarantee that we'd actually make a difference, and if this turns to violence, it could actually work against us. House Blacksilver simply doesn't have the soulcrafters to spare, beyond you three."
Even though Theo had expected as much, he was still a little disappointed. As a younger man he might have gotten angry, expecting the world to revolve around him. Truthfully, it was almost as naive to think that the world revolved around powerful sublime materials. Even if they seized the Asplundatcrest, it wouldn't make up for broken alliances, people going hungry, and Blacksilver's influence waning across Fithe.
This wasn't something that he could solve with a gravitational field. Then again... it occurred to him that this was a rare political problem that might best be solved with power. He'd been focused on subtler solutions lately, but he'd never abandoned that.
