Chapter 33

The Vault

I teleport straight into the magic department’s garden along with the first group. It was our gathering point for departure and I posted guards to keep people away for the day. I send a knight to the palace, I know everyone is tired, but someone has to inform the queen I am stuck teleporting everyone.

I spend the next two hours teleporting back and forth, but by the time I am finished, the Queen is ready to grant me a private audience.

Upon seeing Her, I feel reassured, as though I am finally safe and home. I know these feelings are forced onto me by her nature… but I could not care less.

“Your Majesty, I come with good news: our spell destroyed the enemy's main church as intended, and the dragon is no threat anymore. As the knight told you, when the spell struck, the dragon/calamity from the war came to inspect but found itself incapable of harming us… well me. Then another true dragon, older and more powerful took this opportunity to kill it.”

“So, I have heard. We are glad to see you coming back safely from the terrible encounter but… how? And why did you need to speak with me in private?”

She only uses the feminine first pronoun when we are alone, and I find it strangely attractive.

“The creature revealed some sensible information about my… our origins. According to the beast, long ago, some creatures of immense power created us and the dragons. The vault was theirs, and I and my kind were nothing more than its caretakers.”

“This is very alarming. Where did those creators go?”

“The beast did not care, but it revealed to me that it was nothing more than a pet for them, which is also the reason why it could not hurt me, a vault's guardian.”

“I cannot imagine such a proud being demeaning itself unless it was true.”

“Yes, this is also why I am inclined to trust in the beast. It has no reason the lie and the contract between us is... mortally binding.”

“All the more reason not to dismiss its words, then… and it explains so many aspects of mother and yourself, like your inability to leave or displace the city. As a similarly artificial being, I better understand her choice of forcefully teleporting us away: given then choice, we’d have died at her side.”

“This programming was compelling yet subtle, the first time I realized my past behavior irrationality was after my rebirth.”

“Thank you, dear. I feel so much better knowing she did not abandon us willingly.”

“Seeing how you have turned out; I know she loved you dearly… you and your siblings. You know, I always felt it did not make sense for a species as powerful and knowledgeable as ours to be so indecisive and unassertive.”

“Do not forget about your lack of survival instinct. Although, I assume it would be a major flaw for caretakers.”

“That may be true… unless the loss of the vault is less problematic to its creator than the secrets it keeps.”

“We will find out eventually. In fact, even accounting for difficulties, it should have been unearthed by now.”

“Since there is nothing more in the way, let us have a look. Will you do me the honor of accompanying me?”

“I'd love to… but the knights and ministers make a fuss whenever I go somewhere dangerous or leave for an extended period of time. In this specific case, though, I’d be inclined to listen to their opinion...”

I jest. “I am told going straight into potential danger is apparently frown upon for royalty.”

“I fear my people have become overprotective. I may not be as spry as I used to be, but I am still more than capable of protecting myself. Just because my other duties have kept me away from the battlefield does not mean I forgot how to fight or lead others in battle.”

This is the first time I have heard her complain.

“Dear, for my peace of mind as well as your own security, take your knights with you, and please exert extreme caution.”

“It reminds me, I would like to recommend the knights and mages who accompanied me today for promotion, the bravery they displayed when facing the beast was nothing short of exemplary!”

“Consider it done. Now, let’s see what we can tell the others…”

<><><>

I recount the events once more leaving out some details. “When the spell hit the capital, the dragons detected it from afar and came looking for its origin. As powerful as it was, the ancient being had no way to know we only had this one enchantment. As a show of goodwill, it killed the other and made this proposal: As long as we do not threaten it with the spell and recognize its sovereignty on the northeastern continent, it will keep itself in its own territory and prevent the rest of its kind from settling on our continent.”

“It sounds too good to be true!” Says the prime minister, his face unable to settle between relief and fear.

Anyone would assume that without knowing all the facts, but far more than our own origins, it is the existence of the creators that her Majesty wishes to keep secret.

“We have the power to end the threat once and for all, should we not use it!” Proposes a voice I fail to recognize.

“Did you not listen, fool?" Answer the general in my stead. "It takes over one hour to fully charge the spell, if… No, when the dragon detects the spell, it will attack. And it is not even the only dragon in existence, the others are simply too afraid of this one to come out!”

“There is yet another thing you have forgotten: the oath. If either of us breaks it, it will destroy our very existence. Even if I wanted to, and I do not, I could not help create a new dragon-slaying enchant, much less make one myself.

The Queen and I are the only registered users for this one tool and the knowledge of the original spell is just as well guarded. It will take a long time before anyone can recreate it from scratch … but it is probably safer to impose an oath on anyone who has information about it.

“Isn’t it possible for the dragon to ignore the oath? Their extraordinary resistance to magic is well documented.” Ask the prime minister.

“No amount of resistance can stop a spell that targets the soul, the spirit, the mind and the body from within. Even if it managed to somehow survive the spell, it would be as an empty shell.”

“This spell is awfully convenient! Is there a way to enforce international treaties with it?”

“I do not think so: the spell binds individuals, not nations.”

I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone asked this question. Thankfully, we prepared an excuse in advance. “

“At first, I did not intend to reveal this secret because it would make me a target for the foolish and the dangerously minded, but there was another reason the dragon/calamity so readily proposed this deal: an oath taken long ago with my ancestors making it impossible for the beast to harm me, directly or indirectly. But it also means that if I had fired the spell, it would have destroyed us both and the other dragons/calamities would have been free to do as they wished.”

No one knew of the oath spell before today, including me. The existence of a more powerful version capable of binding generations probably sounds doubtful, but the risks are not worth the benefits.

<><><>

There will be only forty knights accompanying me this time, I would be taking more if it was not such a pain to teleport this many people and material.

A little more than one hour later, I teleport the last of the equipment, and we enter the dig site. It is a very long way down, but even so, the site sounds eerily quiet. It is only when we finally reach the deepest level that we hear some noises; it seems as the workers are working on clearing the last corners of the room.

It feels like it is unnecessary work, but it does not matter. I ask the foreman. “When did you unearth the door?”

He looks vaguely in my direction and answers hesitantly. “We’re almost done my lord, just a few more days.”

What is he talking about? “It is right there! I can see it clear as day!”

“Indeed, we just need to remove this dirt and… prepare?”

“Prepare for what?”

He speaks slowly, his eyes unfocused. “Prepare for the... completion-of-work celebration?”

He is not making sense, so I just ignore him and head directly to the door myself and... Ah! So that is what he meant. I nod. “He is right, let us come back another day.”

The knights look at me confusedly. “My lord?!”

As I walk away, I feel like a fog dissipates and remember my purpose. I do not attempt to approach the door again: this is one frightful security if it can even mess with the mind of the dead.

I do not remember much about the vault, but I am almost certain there was key. It is safe to assume it act as identification or protection against whatever defense the lock is equipped with.

I look for sources of mana in the building, there are a lot, but most of them are around this level. A quick search of the upper level reveals a few corroded metal chests containing some busted-up data crystals, and a strangely pristine key with a very unnatural appearance: it looks as though it was forced together from completely unrelated parts.

Whatever, I do not care about its shape as long as it opens the door. I order the knights to stay back, walk unhindered toward the door and open it.

As anticlimactic as it sounds, this alone frees the workers from their hallucinations. Looking like he just woke up, the foreman asks. “My lord? When did you arrive? Why… Why is the door open?”

The poor man is still confused, he has conflicting memories of digging up to a few minutes ago, and yet the site is clean and the door open. I do not know how long they have endured the lock's mental attacks, but I can easily guess why: the mechanism still bears traces of their attempts to force it open.

They acted against orders and paid the price, but I cannot blame them too much because I would have done the same. “Do not even try to think about.” I warn him “You did a good job and now you should all go home!”

“Thank you, my lord. We will do as you say. Up till… a few days ago? I couldn’t wait to see the inside, but I suddenly don’t feel like it anymore.”

I am not surprised, even if they have no memories of being enthralled, they must be sick of this place. All I can do for them is hope there will be no lasting effects.

Surrounded by the knights, I finally enter the vault.

<><><>

Overall, it is a lot like the royal museum in the capital.

On the first level, all sorts of magic tools and golem cores are displayed along with a description of the spells and the method of fabrication.

I do not know from what material the displays are made but even though I can see no problem with farsight, it blocks most components of clairvoyance and my undead senses. It certainly has mana repelling properties but was still made with the mind of letting some in. However, the method and purpose of its creation will not be revealed until we have analyzed it… and then again, probably not.

On the second and third, all sorts of Children's bodies are in display, mostly the puppet type, but there is also a pair of organics set apart in their own case too big for them. The cores have their own display on the third level, and each one is accompanied by a small description of the spell, new features and improvements compared to the earlier versions.

The sight makes me uncomfortable: on the one hand, they are inactive tools, but on the other, the person I admire most is also one of them.

Not all the cores and bodies are fine, but after some repairs, we might revive up to three dozen. Yes, I know I should not count my chickens before they hatch, but any number would be a great boon if they are even half… one-tenth as intelligent and adaptable as the Queen’s siblings – let us be realistic there, she and the others are a world apart from older models.

Further down, we find storage areas with layer upon layer of shelves, all filled with the purest of quartz sorted by size. A bit further, alone in the middle of a large room stands an unknown machine.

With farsight, I look at every corner of the contraption and find a large reservoir in the back, filled with sand. Quartz and sand, knowing what I know today I realize the purpose of the machine and Immediately seek to confirm my theory.

As the machine spews small crystals, I fumble with the controls a bit more, until I find which one makes them bigger. I would love to see the machine’s inner workings, but every single access panel is literally covered with warnings against opening it.

It is a bit annoying, but the plans are likely in the archives anyway, so why take the risk? Anyway, it looks like the master will get his wish of independence fulfilled sooner than later.

One level down is the archive, the goal of this expedition. The sight can be described as wonderful and discouraging. There are thousands upon... No, it is far more than that: countless shelves across countless levels littered with data crystals.

In front of the stairs is a platform extending over the abyss, but behind us, the stairs continue further down. I might have reached my destination, but I really want to know what lies all the way down.

We walk for a long, very long time only to find a simple corridor and a door. The door itself is covered in drawings, but the repetitiveness and lack of symmetry remind me of a written language.

In the middle, there is a keyhole, but even though the key fits perfectly, the door does not open… something is missing, but I have no idea what it is.

As we scrutinize the door in search of a way to open it, a knight starts mumbling rapidly on his own while moving his hands and fingers in strange ways.

“Uh-oh!” Says a knight. “He is doing it again.”

“My lord,” Exclaims another. “don’t this part here look like this section of the key!”

He is right, small cavities are carved all over the door with shapes similar to elements of the misshapen key.

As I ask. “Do you think the key can be disassembled into smaller pieces to fit these sockets?” The knights who had been mumbling by himself suddenly rips the key from my hands and start taking it apart with complexes movements and rotations I cannot even dream to follow.

As he does his things he mumbles louder and louder. “Rotate this. Yes! Push that… No, remove this then push… Damn, what a clever trap… Well done bastard, well done… Yes, I need to do this first... Or maybe that…”

The Captain comes to my rescue. “Better let him do his thing, sir. He doesn’t mean harm but he’s damn insufferable when he’s working on a puzzle. He’s insanely good at it though, three times champion already and he’d probably have more titles if it weren’t for his work.”

I look at the dismantled key with dismay. “He is not going to break it, right?”

“It is not like we have much choice anyway; he won’t give it back until he’s done… not unless we pry it from his cold dead fingers.”

<><><>

Four hours later, the door opens to reveal… absolutely nothing, just an empty void, a chamber made entirely of anti-magic material.

“An empty room?” Exclaims a knight?

For me, the dark void has a single star within… “There’s a crystal in back, can someone get it for me?" I do not dare set foot inside as I cannot see the walls and the ground.”

“No one makes make a giant room out of rare material just to store a fist-sized crystal!”

“A room that big to store something this small? It definitely sounds like a trap!” Concludes a scout as he jumps inside without a warning… then come back an instant later unharmed with the crystal in his hands.