Yordeen was feeling a little refreshed after her recent dreamless sleep. Though the loss of a three Rotations was a steep price. Her daughters had done their best to organize the visions from the endless flow of shards. But there was only so much they could do. They were a sheltered bunch, even the lesser visions was enough to curse them, once a certain amount had been seen. So when she had returned to her Title Chamber, she found her desk stacked with waiting Shards. Even after Rotations of effort, the pile was still considerable. She had become well trained at ignoring the depression that came when looked upon the depth of her Task. It didn’t do her any good, so there was no longer any point cursing about it.

Even now a Round into her Light she hadn’t touched a Shard. Instead, she relaxed and comforted herself with the warm embrace of Spirits. Her daughters had complained she was letting herself be consumed by the drink. That she should slow her consumption of it, for her health. Yordeen and ignored them, their advice may have been sound during a different part of her life. But not now, she was already suffering from ill health because of the Shards. Lessening her drinking wouldn’t change that, nor help. Without the warmth flowing through her, she would soon succumb to the sights that lay in wait within those cursed Shards. She would become even more plagued by waking dreams and Nightmares that prowled her mind.

She only reached for a Shard after her fourth, or maybe the fifth cup of the wonderful drink. By then her vessel was warm all over, and ready to experience whatever the visions had to offer. All of it was going to be bad, she yet to receive one that carried blessed sights. No, only more failures, the Lowly Chanters and Soulless Guards unable to fulfill their Tasks. Yordeen had begun to wonder often if there was even a point anymore to send Guards out or to have any at all. With the steady increase of Ancients, the Guards had become useless. They couldn’t stop or even slow the weakest of those Beasts, which plowed right through them as if they were never there. The Guards were rather inefficient at fighting Nightmares too, as those lesser ones were growing, becoming more resilient, more dangerous.

Based off what she saw this Light she would make a decision on the matter. The Guards could be made useful again but at the cost of better equipment. Or they could stop wasting resources arming the Soulless and give the Hearts that would have been used for spears, over to Chanters. At least that way all would have a Heart to Renew themselves at least once. For it was clear that this was a fight only those with Souls could make any real gains. That was how she saw it when it came to the Vanguards they’d been sending out to hold or retake the Mines. Vanguards that were barely completing their Tasks and maintaining them. It was thought those lowly souls and Soulless would be enough to hold the line while the Flocks were prepared. The trend she was seeing from past visions, showed that may not come to pass. That they would be forced to let the Nightmares nest in those blessed areas.

Then the Elders would stir and make all those below them miserable. Make those on High lower themselves and act on matters they were above. Yordeen included, and her House, the Elders would have them spend themselves funding Flocks to retake the realms lost. Yordeen knew the Flocks would need to be better trained and equipped, she had advised as such. But the Elders would take it a step beyond, those on High would be lowered if they saw it necessary. The Worthy forced out to fight an enemy far below them. There was nothing any of them could do about it either. None could challenge the Elders blessed by the Giver, and old enough to know a time before the pests arrived. All would fall in line, Yordeen included and the Anointed. Some could even find themselves sent to the front to lead the Flocks. A punishment for letting things get to such an ill state.

Even if most of what had happened below wasn’t their fault. It took time to round up the Soulless and prepare them for one of their only uses. The Houses had already been sending their lowly out to face the event, it was the only reason the Mines were holding at all. The Anointed could ask for more, demand Houses start sending Worthy out. It would help if enough were sent out at the same time. But the Mark that decision would occur would make the Anointed vulnerable. Anger too many High Houses within the various Sanctums, be they low or high. So their hands had been tied for the most part. They couldn’t push too hard unless all became interested in the reason why the Anointed wanted to send so many Worthy out to complete Tasks meant for Lowly. Houses would begin to inquire, send spies or bribe people for information about cursed affairs they normally ignored.

Word would get out, people would learn that all the Settlement below had been consumed. That the swarm of Nightmares wasn’t a normal one. That Ancients were increasing in number and size the same as their children. Panic would spread, Houses hesitant to send their Worthy away, even the Lowly. No, they would want to solidify their defenses first, regardless of the fact mining networks were about to be lost if forces weren’t sent.

Getting anything of use out of the Houses would become a choir, even if it was simple supplies. Yordeen sighed as she rubbed her temples, the display of weariness no longer something she cared if strangers saw.

The knowledge was going to get out, it was a blessing it hadn’t already. Peoples fear of the cursed sights the Shards carried these Rotations had done wonders to keep people in Sanctums ignorant of the actual size of the Task. But that wasn’t going to last much longer. Her daughters were already hearing the gossip, the questions of why Flocks were being so well trained and geared.

Those not in the know thought the flocks were just another wave of useless to be removed from sacred grounds. Outcasts sent to live where they belong in the soulless depths. So the sight of such an armed Flock was causing concern. People, Houses they knew the Nightmares had increased in activity, knew the Flocks were going to have to fight harder than normal on their way to form a Settlement. But they didn’t know yet that the Flocks weren’t even going to forming a new place to live. That every person sent out was going to be used till spent. Used to remove as many Nightmares as possible to regain the grounds they had lost.

The passing Arcs, and the increase of cursed visions had Yordeen starting to accept the truth the Flocks may not be enough. That even with so many sent out the Task wouldn’t be completed. The individuals were too weak to deal with the threat outside. Not with so many Ancients, and certainly not with how large those beasts were becoming. Even geared and trained the Flocks were mostly made up of Guards. The Chanters held with their ranks would be so lowly that a single Chant of the Givers Wrath may have them spent. Yordeen in all her Cycles had yet to see a group of Guards, no matter the size of the Host, ever kill an Ancient. Until recently the reports of Ancients was a rare thing, now, now those things were starting to be a common occurrence. A Guaranty that one would show up when a skirmish started up with their children. With that new truth, Yordeen hopes the Flocks would end things had dwindled.

When the Flocks were spent, and the Task at hand still uncomplete the Elders would take charge. Something that should already be common knowledge among those of her Title and Above. That the Elders were going to form another Flock. One that will be filled with Worthy individuals. The first time this is done, there wouldn’t be too much complaint, Houses will use it to remove to the lowliest and the troublesome from their numbers. But after, if that Flock failed to, then things would become tense. Houses would start using their Worth to spare the more prized of their members. Try and Offer Higher supplies as a contribution to the Flocks, Hearts, prized weapons and armor. It would work for some, those Houses at the top of each Sanctum, but not forever.

Yordeen knew this, she had seen parts of the plans being formed, handed down from the Elders above. Yordeen assumed the Elders had done so to get things in place, but also as a warning. To let those in charge, who let things get to this point, know of the punishment that was coming if they all continued to fail in their Tasks.

She already was moving things within her House, gathering supplies that will rise in price once the Elders plans begun to take effect. She had her Daughters organize lists of the lowest of her children, and relatives. She was aware the lists wouldn’t be completely accurate, as her Daughters would try to hide brothers they prized, or had uses for and didn’t want to lose. Yordeen would allow it for now, as there was two Flocks to be sent before things became dire. Later she would make a new list herself, even if she was already spent dealing with Shards. The Worthiest of her House had to be preserved, or she risked her line falling from Worth, lowering down with the less blessed of the Givers children.

“There’s still time.” She thought out loud, her voice low and weak. Though she no longer believed the Flocks being formed would be enough to stop the pests. They could be used to halt progress in certain areas. Keep the Elders from taking action for a little while longer. With her free hand, she grabbed an empty shard from one of her table drawers. Filled a portion of it with her advice. Rather than having the Flocks spreading out in all directions to push back the Swarm. They instead should all be sent to the Mining sights. With those safe the Elders would lose most of their interest in what was happening below them. As long as the flow of goods remained steady, the Elder wouldn’t lift a finger.

She placed the shard in her lap as she disconnected from it. The plan was sound to her mind, there was no need to rush to reclaim the realm below. There was nothing to save, all the Settlements were gone. It was best for them to focus on assets that still existed, once secure, then they could turn their eyes on slowly moving the Nightmares back.

Yordeen sighed, looked at the collection of shards in front of her and wonder why she was going to bother sifting through them. It was all going to be ill news anyways. Hosts unable to hold, their souls too weak to force the Horde of Nightmares pressing into the Mining sites. The lowly ones still believing in their Worth would beg to her for assistance to be sent. The smart ones would merely send her the facts she needed to know so those Above could plan things out better. Those were few, and normally trained souls placed with the Lowly to get some decent visions.

Breathing in Yordeen prepared herself, taking large swigs of Spirits to aid in the process. ‘Let see how bad it is this Renewal.’ She thought as her mind was pulled into a Shard and the realm around her morphed into tunnels meant for Soulless. The vision started in the middle of a fight with the Nightmares, the beast pressing in against the Host she was part of. The Nightmares were large, growing in size enough that she noticed each time she reviewed the new wave of Visions. It was the same for all the Mines, the Ancients seemed to be sending their largest children to fight for the areas.

The pests even before this new Swarm had arrived, regularly fought to place their nests in favorable mining areas. None knew why, the beasts didn’t craft, some of the Higher believed that perhaps they ate metal, but it wasn’t a popular belief. For if it was true, by the time any Hosts arrived to clear the Hive out there wouldn’t be any metal left to dig for.

They wanted something that was all any of the High knew. Yordeen had been of the opinion that the Nightmares enjoyed the wide open spaces Vail mining expeditions caused. But that had been when she was young before she’d seen the realm outside Warded Walls.

The realm flashed, and the Maker of the vison closed his eyes. Some fool had released the Givers Wrath. When her vision returned the Horde that had been moving closer was pushed back by the attack. Enough that those in front got to move forward a few paces before mounting a defense again. The Guards were having a rough time facing these larger Nightmares, whose mass allowed them to survive long enough to strike back against Guards. Or simply try and push through, alone it wouldn’t mean much, but with a Horde? The Guards she could tell had their spears set to max output, the air rippling ahead of them, shredding Nightmares into pulp. But not fast enough, Guards had to dodge or start to retreat to avoid wild swings or the occasional long spear-like needle from getting them.

Yordeen could feel her real body sighing, the sight not improving her opinion of what the future held. The Guards wouldn’t be able to keep this up, the Hearts they held would soon be spent even with them rotating people around. The Soulless would in truth already be dead even with their Spears set to max, if it wasn’t for the Chanters behind them. Thinning the Horde with Wind and stone, they could be doing a better Task. But the Chanters around her were Lowly, near the bottom in Soul. They didn’t have the reserves to hold back the Swarm on their own, so they wasted time and effort firing over the Guards. Shaping small steps from stone that allowed them to climb up and fire down on Nightmares that were barely being held back by the Guards.

She was able to see once the Maker of the vision made and climbed a set of stones stair. That the Horde was coming from a large cavern. She knew it wasn’t natural, to round, dome-shaped, made by the rolling armored Ancient that had become the terror of this section. Where it went Hosts fell, consumed by the Swarm of Children that followed in its wake, or rendered into paste when the thing rolled through tunnels. Yordeen didn’t see any means for the individuals within the Vanguard to be able to fight it. Even rolling the Ancient seemed to know what was happening around it, able to move out of the way of ravines Vail had made to try and catch the cursed thing off guard. So far all attempts had failed, and-

The tunnel around them began to quake, and the Maker of the vision and a few others who knew what that meant. Raced down the hall away from their brothers. Yordeen heard the movement of stone not long after, when the vision turned back, down the way she had been running from. She saw a good portion of the Hosts had been, squished was the best word for it. What remained of them was a smudge on the cracked floor, mixed together with Nightmares who were also caught in the Ancient path. The Soulless what remained retreated back from the assault with the Chanters.

The realm began to shake again, though it wasn’t the same Ancient as before. No, the Ancient with the semblances of an extremely large and elongated Carver came through. Smashing stone as it struck at the line of retreating Vail. For something its size the thing was unnaturally quick, Yordeen watched as it grabbed a few Vail into its maw and disappeared back into the hole it had made. The Maker of the vision ran after that, not once looking back over his shoulder as he ran passed or pushed people out of his way. The Vision faded, and Yordeen tossed it into the viewed pile before grabbing another.

The same scene played out in each Shard, the Vanguard doing their best either holding the swarm back or trying to retake tunnels. An Ancient would arrive either to halt any progress the Vanguard made, or to break her people's ranks. So the Nightmares could flood the survivors, and claim more of the realm Below for themselves. Yordeen wanted to feel disappointment, to place blame on this failing towards the Soulless and Lowly Chanters. But she couldn’t, even though she very much wanted to. There was nothing the Vanguard could do in the face of such strong opposition. The Hosts had been made to deal with Nightmares, maybe one or two small Ancients, not the beast’s they were facing against.

Yordeen began drinking large mouthfuls of Spirits when she felt the warmth fading and the harsh cold of the cursed sights clawing into her. She drank till the feeling went away, till her whole body tingled and she felt smothered in a warm blanket. Leaned back in her chair she glanced at the Shards left. She’d viewed half of them, most what she expected, the Vanguard was doing its best. But it was only a matter of time, they would be pushed out, or the whole Host was going to be consumed. The Vail involved would fight to the end regardless that their efforts were futile. As Yordeen was sure most of the Houses told those removed they don’t get to come back unless the Task was complete. Something that was never going to happen from what she had viewed.

Yordeen grabbed her shard from her lap, connected, and began filling it with what wisdom she could provide. She embedded in it that the Anointed send more out to reinforce the Vanguards. She didn’t hide the fact it wouldn’t help the Hosts complete the Tasks assigned to them. Only that the increased numbers would allow the Vanguards to hold out long enough that the Flocks could be readied in time to be sent out to aid them. Though it pained her, she advised all the Chanters that would be collected into the Flocks be proved at least one Heart. More if it could be done so.

Yordeen knew full well if the Anointed listen to that part, the cost of it would be moved down to the High Houses. To her, they would be asked to donate Hearts for the benefit of the Sanctums. It would be true, still, it didn’t ease the thought that her Hearts would be used by others. Not when there was the large chance everything was going to fail and she would need those useful resources at her disposal. But it had to be done, so the Elders Wrath would be held back a little longer, so she would have more time to prepare

‘Giver forgive me, for being the fool to wish for interesting sights.’ How she longed for those monotonous scenes, of visions that didn’t curse her, didn’t fill her mind with Nightmares that attacked her in her dreams. She had thought the flow of shards would have slowed after the fall of the Settlements, the outcast and Lowly removed and unable to send their pleas to her. It had for a short time until the Nightmares began wrecking everything they could get their claws on, and the lowly meant to face them began showering her with visions. At this rate, even if everything went well, the tide of Hunger pushed back. She was still going to be flooded with Shards for Arcs to come.

Stifling a sigh and yawn she rose her vase of Spirits to those Above. “To dreamless sleep.” She said, her words coming out morphed as her tongue sluggishly obeyed her commands. She took another swig of the sweet concoctions before placing it down in arms reach. She snorted as for a pacing Breath she had drifted off, shaking her head she forced her body to rise. Her vessel shook and complained during the whole process, and she was only able to remain standing due to the recent addition of a cane her Daughters had proved her. She used the discomfort to push the fatigue away. As she slowly one calculated step at a time worked her way over to the Atlas.

Even after Arcs had passed her mind still had difficulty accepting the scene the map displayed. The empty void circling the edges of the Atlas where once numerous Settlements were marked. The ones known anyways, ones large enough to garner any interest. Yordeen had wondered how many had actually been lost when the swarm came through and swallowed them all. It had to be double, maybe triple the number they had on the list.

Leaning heavy over the table she searched the many icons and carved marks. A half a dozen Breaths later she found the Mines she was looking for. The Shards had displayed a few more coming under siege, small ones, thankfully. The forces there had been warned of the chance of a swarm, though it wouldn’t help. There was too few in those areas to hold off the Nightmares long enough for support. Even if there had been a notion to said aid to those lesser Mines at all. The Higher Mines took priority, and with the number of those under assault as well, she could see many of the lesser mines begin left to meet their fate.

“Archivist,” the voice behind her gave her a start, as she unwisely moved too quickly to look at the intruder. The rushed motion had her head swimming as the realm spun, forcing her to dig her claws into the table and her cane to stave off falling. She looked at the woman before her, a Messenger of sorts, though one of the Higher in Worth by her dress, and her proud demeanor.

The woman inclined her head, “Apologies Archivist for disturbing your trance, but I saw no other means to gain your attention.”

“By waiting” Yordeen bluntly said, “Till I returned on my own, rather than having my body act foolishly.” Yordeen turned herself shuffling back to her table to fetch her Shard. “I don’t have much to Offer yet” motioning to the piles of Shards. “As you can see I’ve much to view before the Rotation end.” She spoke slowly, making she her words came out even, refined and not the sloppy mess her tongue was trying very hard to achieve.

The Messenger didn’t show any signs that it bothered her, that perhaps she thought Yordeen was treating her as a Mindless one. “That quite alright Archivist I wasn’t sent by the Anointed to retrieve your latest visions. I’m here for you, those Above demand an audience, to discuss matters most High.”

The words had Yordeen coming to a stop, her head jerkily turning towards the woman. She bit down on her tongue when it began to form words of refusal. Her mind going into turmoil at the thought of her displaying herself to those Above in her current state. But the growing part of her mind, spent from seeing too much didn’t care.

No not that, it was happy, a reprieve from the Shards, an excuse to ignore her Task for a little longer. She turned from the woman, forced her body to continue moving. She grabbed her Shard and placed it in a pocket, then reached and rang the Servant bell. She made it ring loud, so both her Servants and nearby Daughters would come to her.

The Woman smiled at her, when Yordeen bothered to glance back at her. Yordeen didn’t bother hiding her frown, the women had been subtly looking her over, judging her appearance. Yordeen past self would have been embarrassed, ashamed for others to see herself in this state. But not now she didn’t have the energy to care if those lower than her saw.

Her Servants and children hurried over, doubly so when they saw the Messenger. “Prepare my bath” she called out to them as they neared, “and refreshments for our guest.” Even though typically such things weren’t warranted, but it was mostly to keep the Messenger preoccupied as she freshened up enough to be at least presentable.

Those under her raced off to complete their Tasks, as Yordeen shuffled over to her Ascendance. Normally she’d walk, the act helping her fend off sleep, but she already didn’t have much time as is, there was no room to waste it.

Groaning as she sat, her body became content that it no longer had to bare its own weight. She brought the many engraved Wards to life as she hummed her soul into the workings of the construct. The chair rose, enough that her paws wouldn’t drag on the floor. It moved at what would have been a normal walking pace in her past. Now it felt like she was running down the hall to the baths that awaited her. The Messenger followed behind easily, flanked by Servants caring for her needs.

Yordeen didn’t waste herself asking the woman what the Anointed wanted to discuss. Such information wouldn’t have been imparted to the Messenger, if even she was above most of her Title. So the trip was accompanied mostly with silence, only disturbed by the Servants. Servants who guided the Messenger away to wait in a nearby lobby while Yordeen hovered herself into the Bath Chamber. There Servants and Daughters waited, they helped her from her throne, and into a bath of sizzling water.

The moment she rested in the pool, with warm water embracing her she fell asleep on the spot almost falling face first into the water. This was only stopped by Servants who held her up as they went about cleaning her. The affair passed quickly to Yordeen as she drifted in and out of conscious. By the end of it, those under her had to lift and carry her out of the bath, as the water's warmth had zapped her of what little strength she had.

The Servants and her Daughters had her standing, many hands holding on to her as Yordeen forced her legs to hold they own weight. The exercise helped Yordeen stir herself back to the realm as people went about drying her. The tangles in her unkempt hair were removed and combed straight. Her skin oiled back to a glossy finish that made her skin look youthful again. After her hair was tied in a long tail, and flattering clothing was placed on her. She looked herself over once in a mirror before nodding that she looked well enough to be in the company of Anointed. Her children guided her back to the Ascendance, where she practically collapsed into. They righted her, only then did she wave them away and have a few go collect the Messenger.

Said Messenger didn’t keep her waiting, as the women appeared by her side in less than a Sequence, just as eager as Yordeen to have this Task done. “Are you prepared Archivists?” the woman said with her trained smile.

“Ready enough” was all she bothered to speak, gesturing to the Messenger to lead the way. Her Daughters followed along, would accompany her to the Chamber that held the Anointed.

During the trip through the Tower, Yordeen saw a multitude of Messengers rushing about, all coming and going from the Anointed location. This section of the Tower had been a very empty carefree place once, now it was teeming with movement and life, people moving in hast to deliver news and cursed knowledge. Much of which she likely had a hand in making, there were few with her Title. No sane person would want to view possibly cursed visions all Rotation. Yordeen hadn’t either, but at the time when she was young, it was a Title that offered protection. Allowed her the time to cultivate connections and grow her support, it had served her well, till now.

The walk to the Chamber took longer than she recalled it should, but that was possibly due to the agony she was in. Forced to fight for consciousness the whole way to the Anointed, sleep had claimed her at some point. But one of her daughters moved quick enough to resolve the issue by flicking her ear, snapping her back to the realm. Said Daughter, she heard moved back into place behind her, quickly enough she knew the daughter of hers was afraid of punishment. Yordeen wouldn’t, even if such an act in a different time would have had the child beaten. Not now, Yordeen had ordered her children to wake her by any means when it came to Worthy matters. She would reward the child later, so others would follow in her example.

She must have been asleep for a Sequence for the Chamber door was closing, and the Messenger that had guided them was already moving on to others Tasks.

Yordeen hovered her way to a desk situated against the wall next to the decorative Gate. The woman, Lowly in Yordeen opinion, looked up at her. “I’ve been summoned,” She said, “Yordeen Taniphis Archivist, the Anointed have need of me.” The receptionist head moved back down, eyes glazing over as she connected with a Shard.

The woman consciousness returned head bowing “A moment Archivist as I have word sent of your arrival.” she rang a bell and a Servant headed over a Breath later. “Inform the Anointed the Archivist has arrived,” the receptionist said.

The Servant bowed had headed off into the Chamber, leaving Yordeen to wait in her chair that was becoming more comfortable by the moment.

Yordeen let out a low yelp when she felt a finger once again flick her ear. The receptionist was looking at her, head half bowed “Your free to enter Archivist, the Anointed will see you now.”

Yordeen turned from the woman ignoring her as she willed her chair forward, leaving her Daughters behind as she entered through the Chamber door. The room was large, covered in the proper amount and quality of decorations such a High place demanded. The Anointed were seated around a half circle table, which was positioned so it would encompass the guest they demanded to address them.

They watched her as she approached, and didn’t speak till her throne hovered back down to nestle on the ground. She bowed to them and made sure her head remained lowered.

“Archivist, we have questions that need to be addressed before matters can be moved forward.” One of the Anointed said, not bothering with greetings

“I Offer I have the answers you all seek.” She replied, the fatigue that had once been assaulting her dissolved as fear ate at it.

“Indeed” the Anointed commented, “How long before the Vanguards have the High Mines secure?”

The question had her brows scrunching, a frown forming before she smoothed her face. They should have the same knowledge she did, she had after all had it sent to them. They should know the answer already. “Never Chosen, the Vanguards lack the strength to accomplish their Tasks, the best we can Offer is they last long enough for the Flocks to be trained and sent to aid them.”

Her answer was met with silence, through her head was lowered, she heard the uneasy movements as the Anointed shifted, likely gazing at each other. “You’re sure?” An Anointed ask.

“Positive Chosen, the recent Shards I’m now viewing only certify my claim, the Vanguards are outclassed, too many Ancients are among the Nightmares. Those beasts undue any advance a Vanguard is able to achieve.

More silence ensued, broken by a voice to her left, “You believe the Vanguards might fail? The Mines themselves lost entirely?” she tilted her head towards the voice, and was tempted to look up. “That is correct, the Vanguard Chanters are too few and Lowly to face against the number of Ancients. The Soulless are faring poorly even against the Nightmares, any Ancient that arrives moves over them without the slightest delay. Though they fight to the end, their efforts matter little. The Shards sent to me show the passages filling with more Nightmares far outstripping the pests killed.” She added as her words brought with them silence one more “This I have provided before, my Shards comprises all the knowledge one needs to have a clear view of the affairs outside.”

“We have to be careful with how much we display ourselves, when it comes to such cursed sights, lest we become as consumed by it as you have let yourself.” One of the Anointed commented, his words harsh, and Yordeen lowered herself more.

“This is ill news,” another said, “to think those below us are so feeble they fail to remove pests.”

“The Elders will be displeased, more so than they already are, the Vanguards were to secure the valued grounds.” One to her right spoke, “If we’re forced to send the Flocks filled with the unwanted to clear the realm below and the Mines, it will spend them.”

Yordeen did not like what she just headed, and against her better judgment, or perhaps the weariness of her mind she spoke. “The Flocks will only be enough to secure the Mines, which is the most we can hope for.” She felt eyes return to stare at her.

“Is this a joke Archivist?” the first Anointed to speak to her asked.

“No, Chosen, I would never mock the situation the realms below are in. The Flocks as said, are made of the Unwanted, Soulless, they will stand no chance against these new Ancients. They're far larger than the ones we have on record, far stronger. Those beasts will carve through the Flocks, enough that taking the Mines will likely spend them. Another Flock will have to be formed after, one filled with Worthy. If we are to be able to secure the realms below.”

“A Flock of Worthy? That sounds like a joke to me.” one of the Above said “look at her Arvas, she’s clearly been consumed by the sights, her wisdom is suspect.

“Perhaps” The one first to ask her the questions said. “But she has had this Title long enough to grow accustomed to the harshness of the rank, she may have some sanity in her words.” His attention returned to her “So Archivist what will happen if we don’t heed your words?”

Though he asked Yordeen could tell by his tone he didn’t care too much of her answer, not unless it was to his liking. Sadly the realm didn’t care what even the High wanted. Keeping her voice even, she spoke. “The Mines High and low will be lost, and the Elders Wrath will come down on us all for our failings.”

Arvas hummed, from the sound Yordeen was sure he hadn’t accepted a single word she said. The one to heckler her before commented again. “That last part has some sense to it, the Elders are near in acting, though the rest.” the man scoffed at her, and Yordeen was glad her face was aimed at the floor.

Arvas spoke to her, his tone nearing pity. “We will try this again when you’re clear of mind Archivist, you are to avoid delving into The Shards for a Tempo. Then we will speak, after the curses within you have lessened. Now leave us, enough time has been wasted.”

Yordeen bowed herself lower, the act buying her time to smooth the emotions on her face. She had her Throne turn and swiftly take her out the Chamber of the blind. She didn’t slow her pace as she hovered passed her Daughters which raced to keep up with her. It was the longest trip back to her section of the complex she had ever felt. She barely made it back to a personal room before the tears began to shed. The anger in her boiled out onto her face as her claws tried in vain to dig into the armchairs. “Blind, Me?” the rage gave her energy to rise, her body no longer failing her. ‘Giver curse them all,’ she thought while rubbing the tears from her eyes. Furious that the talk with those Blinded fools had relieved most of her efforts had been for nothing. They had likely only reviewed the first set of Shards she had sent to them, and ignored the rest when it didn’t paint the picture they wanted to see.

Her body began to shake, first from the rage, then fear, so much fear. If they didn’t heed her words the realm below would be lost for sure. The failure to even secure the Mines with the Flocks would have the Elders coming down on them hard. Every House would be forced to spend themselves to fix their failings. The only comfort that thought brought was the certainty that those who’d just mocked her would soon be at the Front wishing they had listened to her High words.

They will, and all the while she will laugh at them, take pleasure in their due suffering. Till then she had much to do, she had to ready her House, gather as many supplies and support she could before the Elders, or maybe the Giver herself came for answers, for retribution.