Chapter 326 - Hunch

Moments before, when the ritual had reached its peak.

The runic machine at the center of the chamber stopped spinning, locking a final rune in place. A burst of aether had shot into the sky, sending a shockwave across the estate.

This was the shockwave that had triggered the reveal of the White Maiden’s shrine and the sun god’s amulet within it. As Yuzu spent precious moments convincing Char Char to retrieve the amulet, the events in the ritual chamber unfolded.

“He comes!” The head servant bellowed in a low, reverent voice, raising the clockwork shell to the sky.

The cultists dropped to their knees, staring up at the sky as a godly presence descended upon the chamber.

Firuzeh trembled uncontrollably as she instinctively looked up to the sky.

A massive figure loomed above them through the smoke that billowed across the ceiling, humanoid but not human. It had an elongated face wrought from brass and steel, layered with pipes and curved plates that curled into horns at the top of its head. Ribbons made of wire formed the muscles and tendons of its neck, tubes and pipes its arteries and veins. An amber light seeped out through the gaps in its machinery, flickering rhythmically from hundreds of whirring gears housed within its skeletal frame.

There was a sound like the shattering of glass as the protective barrier that had been cast by Cecil on Firuzeh was instantly overcome from the sight of the Clockwork God’s mythical form. Firuzeh’s thoughts immediately went into chaos. Her body began to twist and deform, her skin began to melt and smoulder, emitting a putrid sulphuric scent.

“Look away!” A voice shouted in her ears.

The voice of the White Maiden shook her out of her trance as Firuzeh averted her eyes. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Her body trembled as she fought off the corruption, but she was barely able to recover. Her skin stopped smouldering and returned to normal. Her head was swimming. Light and darkness blended together in her blurred vision, barely aware of the cultists around her who had all ceased chanting simultaneously.

She heard shouting and the clash of steel. Cheen was above her protecting her.

The youth whipped his swords out like ribbons, slicing through the limbs of two of the cultists. Their faces were placid and emotionless, their eyes were void of life. They kept pressing forward, not caring about their injuries as their severed arms hit the floor.

“Don’t try to kill them, just stop them from approaching.” An ethereal voice spoke calmly in his ears, “Help is on the way.”

He swung at the head of the next cultist that stepped forward, but this one blocked Cheen’s strike with her arm. The metallic clang of metal against metal rang out as his sword bounced off harmlessly. He didn’t have a chance to react as the cultist reached forward with her other hand, fingers outstretched like claws.

Yuzu pulled at her string. The cultist’s strike missed its mark, giving Cheen the chance to spin around and kick her away.

The clockwork god didn’t notice her interference, His attention was distracted by the sun god amulet’s appearance elsewhere in the catacombs.

At this point, Yuzu still had confidence that the situation was under control. Cheen fought off the servants, barely managing to survive the waves of relentless attacks. But when Char Char picked up the amulet, the battle suddenly went into a lull.

The cultists froze, stopping their assault. Cheen kept his guard up, senses alert.

They stood around him, deathly still, their blank eyes still looking directly at him. It was like all the cultists had been turned into puppets, and their master had stopped commanding them for the moment.

A yip from the doorway caught his attention as a red fox bounded into the chamber.

The red fox made a very human-like gesture with its head to follow it, then bounded back the way it came.

~

In the physical world, a deep mist had fallen across the Hasan Walled City.

The clear blue sky felt cold, the rays of the midday sun weak despite the fact that it was in the middle of the hot summer season.

The mist hung low in the bowl-like valley that the city was built into, filling the fields and gardens at the lowest level with a peaceful white broth. The three prestigious hills upon which the wealthy and elite lived rose out of the mist, their forested areas green and fluffy like broccoli amongst the soup.

Along the sides of the bowl mist streamed through the walled districts, pouring down the sides in peaceful, steamy waterfalls.

Looking across the valley from the balcony atop the mayor’s manor on Gold Hill, Finn couldn’t help but be reminded that he hadn’t eaten since the morning the day before. The ash-haired officer’s stomach rumbled in response to his thoughts.

“I didn’t realize before how much the city was shaped like a bowl.” Minnie said from beside him.

“Delicious.” Finn muttered under his breath to himself while nodding.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” Finn sighed.

He looked back across the valley, west and a little to the north, his eyes falling upon an estate on the eastern side of Gold Hill. The Reza Estate, the subject of interest on this mid-summer day. From this vantage the estate looked perfectly normal, particularly when the rest of the city was experiencing such a strange bout of weather. The bamboo forests, the curated gardens, the traditional style housing complex, nothing looked out of place.

But reports had confirmed that a spatial anomaly had formed around the estate. Since an unspecified time in the morning, anyone that passed a certain threshold disappeared from sight and contact. Attempts to use planar doors to access the estate failed— The estate had been cut off from the world by a mysterious force.

Minnie eyed him from the corner of her eye, her lips tensing as she thought better of continuing the conversation. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, idly checking that her hair was still neatly tied in its bun.

It was one of her nervous habits that Finn found was quite cute. As much as he wanted to make a comment on it, he forced himself to keep his eyes focused across the landscape.

It had been a few days since that moment in his office— That moment. It felt funny to think about it with such sterility, considering how impactful it had been to his mental state. The kiss that Minnie had given him was still fresh in his mind. The softness of her lips, the heat of her breath, the firmness of her fingers on his shoulders.

He’d said something wrong, she took it as a rejection. He still hadn’t found a chance to talk to her, or even decided if talking was what he wanted to do.

“What?” Minnie asked, shaking Finn out of his thoughts. He’d inadvertently started looking at her.

“—“ Finn opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the arrival of Gwynn.

The woman with shoulder length hair and almond eyes looked too youthful for her position as colonel. Her tanned skin was clear and free of blemishes. Her average height put her a head shorter than Finn, and even shorter than Minnie, who immediately straightened her posture at the officer’s arrival.

Finn, used to Gwynn’s cavalier attitude when it came to decorum, remained at ease.

Several uniformed men and women in military blues followed behind Gwynn, the insignia on their shoulders indicating they were officers under her.

One Lieutenant Colonel, three Captains. Finn noted inwardly. Gwynn had brought an entire chain of command with her to the city. They’re really taking this seriously.

Finn, also dressed in military blues, was also included in Gwynn’s retinue. She had explicitly ordered for him and his team to join her, though to his understanding he was not actually taking direct part in the situation itself. In typically Gwynn fashion she didn’t explain exactly what he was doing here, only that he was required to come and bring Minnie with him.

Gwynn didn’t pay him any heed as she took a spot on the balcony a few metres away. She didn’t even glance his way, as if he were just a part of the background. At the same time, she was intentionally close enough that both he and Minnie could clearly hear their discussion.

Lieutenant Colonel Daran. Finn shared a brief nod with the highest rank officer. He had met the man recently, he was one of three LC’s under Gwynn’s command. He didn’t recognize the three captains, who gave a sideways glance to Finn but said nothing.

Colonel Gwynn cast her gaze across the valley to an estate on the eastern side of Gold Hill, the same Reza Estate that Finn had been idly watching before.

“Perimeter report.” She said.

“Our five teams are in position. Captain Baker’s three teams are on point around the perimeter, Captain Nauss are one hop away prepared to reinforce.” The highest ranking officer said, nodding to the two captains next to him.

The third captain saluted,

“My team has secured Jade Hill. We’ve completed the evacuation. We’re in touch with the local police force, no reports of other issues. They are keeping citizens clear of Gold Hill and have denied entry to the city as requested.”

Each team has anywhere from two dozen to five dozen men. That makes at least one hundred and fifty personnel mobilized for this operation. Conservatively, at least two dozen Exalted not including the commanding officers. Finn calculated, his brows knit in concern. Is this really such a critical situation that would call for such a strong response? Hasan is home to some of the most influential people in the southern part of the province, so some response is understandable… But even Gwynn seems particularly serious today.

“Status of the estate?” Gwynn asked.

“The barrier is unstable, but not from our side.” Daran said, “We’re ninety percent certain we’re dealing with a Knowledge domain ritual.”

“Byran?” Gwynn hazarded a guess.

“Not sure.”

The Byran Empire, south of Fuha, known for its worship of the God of Pre-Eminent Wisdom. Finn recalled his history lessons. Hasan Walled City used to be a part of the empire, before the War of Five Kings. Gwynn must know her history well— Then again, her training base is not too far from Plunes…

“When the barrier comes down, or when we find a way to penetrate it, be prepared to go in with full force.” Gwynn said, “Lord Noga is watching, no doubt others are as well. Anything short of overwhelming success is unacceptable.”

Ah. Finn came to an understanding as he read between the lines. Gwynn hadn’t just been sent here to deal with the anomaly, she had other considerations to fulfill from the higher ups. No wonder the response is so strong. This is a response to the near-successful revival of the God of Life in Noga City and the events surrounding it. The success of this mission is not only going to affect the city, but Kumin and Lord Noga’s reputation outside the province. Though, even with that in mind this amount of commitment still seems a bit extreme…

As for why she brought me me along… Finn frowned.

Finn was not supposed to be here, dealing with an issue in the center of the province. Just an hour prior he had been in Huan, following leads on the smuggling case. Yet Gwynn had sent for him and Minnie directly.

Finn could only think of one reason why he would be connected to this event, but it shouldn’t have been something Gwynn was aware of.

That connection being the location of the White Maiden’s shrine, that Char Char was currently investigating for him in secret, from a map that he had provided her.

A map that roughly marked the location of one particular shrine on the estate directly on the hill across from him.

This was the same Char Char who he had put on a show for less than a week ago, hiding the fact that she was not still under house arrest in Noga City. A situation with the Ministry that he had not yet fully wrapped up.

It was too much of a coincidence to ignore.

If this actually has something to do with Char Char… Finn’s expression was a picture of perfect calm as he fought back the urge to grind his teeth and furrow his brows.

…Does this mean Gwynn brought me here intentionally to deal with it?

He glanced at Gwynn, who was concluding her meeting. She seemed to notice and looked his way, locking eyes with him briefly. However she just as quickly looked away, not giving anything away. Finn did the same, acting nonchalant.

No matter how he spun it in his head, he had to assume the worst.

Leave it to Char Char to turn a discreet mission into a matter of national security.

“We don’t have any orders, right? Are we just here to watch?” Minnie mumbled from beside him, after realizing that Gwynn had no intention of including them in the discussion.

“We don’t have orders yet. But we’re definitely not here to watch.” Finn muttered, “Ah, here she comes.”

As Gwynn ended the meeting, the captains dispersed. Lieutenant Colonel Daran stayed behind, waiting until the other officers had left before speaking to Gwynn in a lowered tone, quiet enough that Finn couldn’t hear.

“What’s that?” Gwynn asked sharply, “Speak up.”

Daran glanced hesitantly at Finn and Minnie, before speaking in a normal tone, “With respect, Colonel. I was wondering why you requested me to bring half my command on this mission. With the intel we currently have, Captain Baker’s men should be more than ample.”

He hesitated, looking uncomfortable as Gwynn returned his question with a cold stare, “That is— For this level of response, I wanted to check if there is any further information or orders you may have that can help me better prepare my men.”

Gwynn continued to look Daran in the eyes without providing a reaction, putting the man under considerable pressure.

“You have your orders, Daran.” Gwynn said, after a moment, “That will suffice.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Daran saluted, leaving quickly.

Gwynn watched him leave with a frown, then walked over toward Finn, pulling out a small pouch from her pocket in a casual motion. She didn’t speak immediately, keeping her eyes cast over toward Gold Hill as she approached Finn and Minnie.

She reached into the pouch, pulling out a roasted hullnut, and popped it into her mouth. The salted, roasted half-moon shaped nut that could be found at any streetside vendor seemed to be a favourite snack of hers. She sighed, leaning against the railing of the balcony, and Finn noted with interest that she had waited until her officers had left before breaking her posture.

That was a pretty tense ending to that meeting. So I was right about the response being quite extreme…

“Command will kill me if Daran is right.” Gwynn said at length, clearly speaking to Finn and Minnie, though she didn’t look at them.

Unlike with her military officers, her posture and bearing was far more relaxed, similar to the nonchalant attitude that Finn was familiar with when she was an acting Police Chief.

“…About bringing too many men?” Finn ventured the question, “You mean, you don’t have a good reason for bringing half a battalion with you?”

“I have the best reason.” Gwynn said, “A hunch.”

Like always, Finn couldn’t tell if Gwynn was joking.

“So?” Gwynn asked with a leading tone, “You figure out why you’re here yet?”

“You asked me to come.” Finn replied flatly. He wasn’t in the mood to play guessing games, but also from his experience with Gwynn, she wasn’t asking him to read her mind either, “You tell me.”

“Hm.” Gwynn replied noncommittally as she chewed on the hullnut in her very particular way. First, she used her front incisors to slice the nut in half, chewing on the half by itself while holding the other half in her fingers, then repeating the process with the halved nut. Finn had observed this many times in their meetings, though he’d never commented on it.

It seemed to be a ritual of sorts. A way of keeping her mouth busy while she was deep in thought. She sometimes mixed up how the nut arrived in her mouth, such as tossing it in the air and catching it, but even then she’d hold the nut in her lips, half it and chew on each half separately.

She consumed three hullnuts in this way, staring off into the distance. Finn had often found her in this sort of reverie, as if she were somewhere between daydreaming and deep in thought. Finn half-ignored her, continuing his gaze off in the distance.

“I wonder.” Gwynn said finally with a shrug, “Well, I’m sure it’ll come to me eventually.”

Beside them Minnie, who was not as familiar with Gwynn as he was, fidgeted uncomfortably, clearly not sure how to act.

“Lately you’re kinda like a lucky charm for me.” She grinned, eyeing Finn out of the side of her eye, “Maybe that’s it.”

Finn didn’t give her a reply. His commanding officer had mobilized several hundred men and had him port from an entirely different province, presumably completely on a whim.

Somehow this didn’t surprise Finn at all.

In the distance the mists suddenly shifted on Gold Hill. The three Exalted on the balcony felt a wave of energy pulse out from the Reza Estate as the air in the area shimmered with subtle blues and reds.

Almost immediately afterward the figures of officers appeared on the estate grounds as the military took action.

Finn’s spiritual intuition triggered as Lieutenant Colonel Daran arrived on the balcony through a portal. Gwynn was already standing straight, the pouch of nuts stowed away.

“The barrier has dropped. As we suspected, the estate was isolated in a pocket space.” Daran reported, “However, blink scouts report that a blood ritual was completed and may still be ongoing. There are indications that intense battles have already taken place between an unknown number of high-level Exalted. To make things worse, the area is full of corrupted energy.”

“Baker is fully engaging as ordered.” He paused, adding, “Thank Noga, we may need this many men after all.”