21 Questions

Chp 100

The morning after their first direct contact with 42 the valley was quiet, almost peaceful. Mira and Hetcha woke to find what they’d asked for to conduct funerary rights waiting for them. Given the short notice, it wouldn’t have been strange if some were missing or of poor quality. Instead the materials were, if anything, better than they’d have expected. More so even than if they’d had time to buy them themselves.

Likewise, following the map, they easily found the small cave in which Reiner and Lillian's bodies had been stored. Seeing they were safe, Mira and Hetcha left them in the cold space for the time being and focused on getting ready. Everything came together neatly and before noon they had the pyre ready, though the actual burning would wait until dusk.

“Love, you alright?” Hetcha asked. It wasn't strange for them to pass a morning in silence, but Mira smelled ill at ease to her. Something that seemed less and less likely to be because of what they were doing as the day wore on.

“I’m just… thinking about 42 and what she might want to offer us,” Mira replied. Hetcha’s ears stood to attention in surprise. It wasn’t as if she’d forgotten, but it definitely had been the farthest thing from her mind.

“Ah, well, I think we'll know soon enough,” Hetcha said with a half-hearted shrug. It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t like to know, but she didn’t think she could guess and didn’t bother trying.

“Ha, true,” Mira agreed, sighing.

“Chacha, if I want to leave… even before we finish this,” she gestured at the pyre “would you?”

“You say it, and we leave,” Hetcha replied without hesitation. She didn’t like hearing Mira sound scared, but it was a bit reassuring to know she did have some fears about what might come to pass. It was also nice to hear the old nickname, she hadn’t since the chaining.

“Okay… I don’t think we need to. I think I just wanted to hear you say it,” Mira said and laughed.

“Mimi, I go where you go,” Hetcha said simply.

“I think I’m going to rest here a while and stew on my thoughts,” Mira said. She’d found a nice cool spot to sit in near the pyres. Hetcha wasn’t surprised she needed a break. They traveled a lot, but always on horses, with Mira not doing any of the labors related to camping. Her eyesight made it too much of a tricky business in any but broad daylight.

“Alright love, I’m going to look around a bit,” Hetcha said and got a nod. In contrast to her lover, she was high energy, and the fact she’d been made to keep up with horses on foot hadn’t been a problem. Most of the time anyway.

Walking along the wall of the valley, Hetcha passed the cave where Reiner and Lillian were and headed closer to the mountain. Here the stone started to form paths, but nothing so complicated as the stone labyrinth at its entrance. Hetcha explored it without fear of getting lost, knowing she’d be able to trace her own scent and leaving a few markers where she felt it was warranted.

It didn’t take her long to find what was probably the mine entrance. She eyed it curiously, but didn’t make a move to explore it. Even if 42 hadn’t warned them off it she could smell something strange coming from it. Like the valley, too much life and a heavy element of mana to it.

Continuing onward, Hetcha found what looked like a broken staircase peeking from behind a rock slide. Curious, she bound over the stones to get a look. She found it continued up for a ways, broken stone statues of strange horses lining it. Jumping down she followed it up to a plaza.

Hetcha’s breath caught. The fountain was taller than she was with three tiers from which water flowed lazily from the pomegranate at its apex. She’d never seen anything quite so lovely and walked around its perimeter as she studied it. That was when the carving caught her attention.

Twice Hetcha’s height, she should have seen it right off, but had been distracted by the fountain. Walking up to it she found it seemed bizarrely familiar, despite not having seen anything like it before. After a few moments, she realized why. The carved panels were depicting a story she knew by heart, despite having lost her Leupsan family early.

It was the story of Larel represented larger than life. Knowing only crude idols or the occasional carved pendant, it was beyond her ability to imagine who might have created it. Without consciously deciding to, Hetcha reached out to touch the central image. Larel with her spear driven into the head of her eternal enemy.

Hetcha’s heart skipped a beat or ten as the panel seemed to split and fall back. Thinking she’d broken it, tears welled up until it finally registered in her overwrought mind the panels were swinging back too smoothly to be ruined. What she’d laid her hand on wasn’t a solid piece of stone but a door.

Within, Hetcha found herself passing through a short tunnel and into a large chamber full of the sound of flowing water. Before her was another fountain, this one featuring a towering figure. Larel, with her spear brandished and a fearsome expression meeting the serpent in combat. Seized by an unfamiliar feeling, Hetcha fell to her knees, then outright fainted.

When she awoke Hetcha found her side hurt rather abominably, more so than any other part of her. Rolling over she found she’d passed out on a slim book that had dug into her ribs. Feeling barely coherent, she thoughtlessly put it in her belt pouch and got up. She needed to tell Mira about this.

After relating the story and showing the temple to Mira, they retreated to the farmhouse to wait out the hours until it was time to light the pyres. They didn’t talk much, Mira’s mood growing heavier while Hetcha was filled with a deep agitation. If they didn’t have other things to do she’d have gone back, probably slept in the holy space.

“Tonight, after the funeral, I want to talk to 42 and make a deal,” Hetcha said once her agitation reached its peak. Mira didn’t respond right away, but it didn’t put her lover off. She was Human and Hetcha was Lepusan, it wasn’t unexpected she’d have less of a reaction to Larel.

“Would you still want to if 42 was the one who lured us here?” Mira asked finally.

“Did you have a revelation?” Hetcha asked.

“No, but the communication stone… it's like the light stone. It seems simple, but it is intricately made and powerful. I’ve never even heard of a magic item that didn’t need to recharge or didn’t break after so much use, no matter how minor the effect was,” Mira explained. Hetcha nodded in agreement, she hadn’t either. Magic items were rare in the first place and usually fragile or of limited use from what little she knew of them.

“Still doesn’t prove anything,” Hetcha pointed out. It wasn’t that she doubted Mira had a reason for the question but that she wanted to hear it said plainly. A process she was an old hand at helping with, having to tease out a truth from Mira’s mind that was as yet only half-formed.

“I know, and I’ve got nothing but suspicions. Everything about the story the man in the bar told Reiner seemed off, and the map was too high quality,” Mira began.

“I’m going to ask 42 about it and see how she answers. I just want to know if what she says will matter to you or not, bun,” Mira finished. Hetcha opened her mouth to answer then closed it. She honestly wasn’t sure and understood how that was problematic.

“I go where you go,” Hetcha said finally. She might not care what 42 told them, even if it was horrible, but she wouldn’t be parted from Mira. That much was unchanged.

“Alright,” Mira said and they embraced.

Bringing Lillian and Reiner’s bodies down to the pyre was easy enough and as sunset fell, Mira and Hetcha said some words and lit them. They hadn’t even discussed the idea of doing any of the rights of Stromholt. That god was dead to them both and they doubted Reiner or Lillian would have wished for it once they were free.

Instead, they used the older way of it, one that didn’t see much use except when dealing with the bodies of strangers. A few kind words for the dead, a beseeching to the gods of good to look after them, and then some drinking as they watched the pyre burn down.

Between the dry wood 42 had supplied and a calm windless night, Mira and Hetcha were able to watch in relative comfort. It was not until nearly dawn the matter was finally done.

“We can wait to speak with her,” Hetcha offered. Mira had gotten the communication stone in its little leather pouch out, but hadn’t opened it.

“Will it change anything if we do?” Mira countered. Hetcha shook her head. The only thing that could would be to learn something new. Mira took the stone out.

“42, we're ready to speak if you have the time,” Mira said.

“I certainly do,” 42 replied after only a short pause.

“You said something about a deal before,” Hetcha prompted.

“I did, but I also said I’d answer your questions once you agreed to keep my secrets. So, let's start with that. It wouldn’t be a good idea to build a partnership on uncertainty,” 42 countered.

“Did you lure us here using the man from the bar? He had a light stone and map,” Mira asked immediately.

“That was Elim, and not specifically, but yes. I asked him to send people here and he sensed you were a threat to his companion, a woman named Tiller,” 42 answered bluntly.

“Why? Do you work for the dungeon’s master?” Mira asked. Hetcha’s breath caught. She hadn’t considered anything of the sort.

“No,” 42 replied, sounding shocked. Hetcha felt a deep sense of relief.

“Would you allow people to come here? Would you allow them to visit the temple?” Hetcha asked, unable to wait.

“Certainly, I’d actually hoped people would want to live here,” 42 replied but her tone was off. She sounded surprised, like something had caught her off guard.

“Why?” Mira asked.

“Well, my idea is to build a community. One where adventurers can come and stay while they challenge the dungeon. It’s got enough monsters, gatherable materials, and rewards that I think it could support a sizable town,” 42 explained. Mira and Hetcha exchanged a confused look.

“So, you mean to coexist with it?” Mira asked.

“In a manner of speaking,” 42 said, still sounding like the conversation had her wrongfooted.

"Would you require all people who came here to challenge the dungeon?" Hetcha asked, as something occurred to her.

"No? I mean, aside from adventurers, most people will be craftspeople and whatnot. It would be kind of insane to make that a requirement to live here," 42 replied.

"Would you welcome La'Darin?" Hetcha asked.

"Yeah, I don't plan on discriminating against anyone," 42 replied.

"Mira?" Hetcha asked, looking at her lover. She wasn't good with plans, though like now, she did get the occasional big idea. She'd need Mira to help her make any sort of plan and see it through.

"May we speak again tomorrow?" Mira asked. They had much to talk about between themselves before they continued with 42. Hetcha's questions had caught Mira entirely off guard.

"Yeah, no problem. Have a good night, you two," 42 agreed.

After a final pleasantry, Mira put away the communication stone, and Hetcha helped her up. Together they walked back to the farmhouse for some sleep, and a long talk once rested.