Inferno Ascended

'Meet me on the crucifixion field at the darkest hour…' Glax recalled the god's order. 'Certainly, he's not very good at picking places to meet…' 

However, it wasn't the darkest hour yet.

They had arrived at Rusa, the gigantic fortress made of black basalt, and the region's permanent mist enhanced its utilitarian dark beauty. The walls must have been fifty meters high, winding tortuously through spaced watchtowers as far as Glax's eyes could see. 

Most of the warriors there wore the symbols of the Alectrions, as the Valosian noticed as he passed the courtyards and lookout posts. He also noticed equal numbers of Krotons, Damastios and non-Krios. 

They were duly ignored until Glax reached the locksmith with the letters from the Marbium tagmatarchis. There was no idle person in the Keep. 

So the trio waited a while until the news that they were there reached Commander Seleukos. 

Captain Tarsos, one of the six Exalted of Armorion and married to Lady Nyssa, came to fetch them. He was from the Temnos region, which had a mild climate compared to the north, and his cheeks were red with cold. And he was also growing a dark beard. Glax barely recognized him except when he heard his joyous yet hoarse voice calling him!

"I figured I'd see you soon, Glax of Valosia! Our fortresses are so close!"

Glax froze, remembering that Tarsus was on the ship he had come from, and saw his pathetic situation paralyzed by gorgon venom. Was that why they were whispering after his passing?

He was trying hard to believe there would be people in Stygia who were more mature than himself, who wouldn't be laughing at his expense like he would be.

They reached a big hall, where a very strange fireplace emanated a comfortable, cozy warmth. Some people were gathered around a large table next to the source of heat. 

Glax was happy to have adhered to the Northern habit of using woolen hoses _ a very weird outfit when one thinks of it and looks it up close. But better than being in the cold with bared legs under a glorified minidress. Even if it was technically the summer. Everyone at Marbium used them.

Rusa's commander was pushing red blocks with a squeegee on the table, where a model made of clay represented the region. They discussed strategies casually.

He also wore a half-mask, like Glax, though in his case you could see scars that stretched down his neck and disappeared into his tunic.

"Commander Seleukos, greetings from Fort Marbium and tagmatarchis Lord Arsenios. He sends letters and news. He's also given me permission to plead with the resident iatromancer, if that's not a problem. I am Glax and these are Lord Alexandre, and Kalliaris." The Valosian held out the letters, which an assistant to the commander took from him.

"Did you learn your lesson from a medusa, boy?" This was the commander's first comment. "Here on the border they are much more common. In Lamium, you can't sneeze without tripping over a gorgon. If you get lost across the border, haha, don't want to stop there!"

Everyone laughed, and Glax pretended to laugh too. "Since what happened in the capital has become so well known, I just have to laugh about it, Commander. I am a mountain man. She was a fast-spitter."

"But Lord Glax managed to kill her before the poison overpowered him," Lady Nyssa, who was just entering, spoke up, coming to stand beside her husband. "That's what witnesses reported. Even though it's a little funny, Lord Glax, most warriors wouldn't have had time to blink after that…"

The commander's daughter wasn't a warrior. She wore an apron with ink stains; Glax had the impression that he had heard during the banquet in Temnos that she was a historian or something.

"I am grateful to hear it's the official version, Lady Nyssa. Any information about who they are is welcome. I will take revenge on those who dared to invade the tomb of the Krotons of Echelion… and dared to threaten my wife's rest." Glax made a point of speaking as gloomy and Batman-esque as he could.

After a brief silence, the commander invited, "Dine with my family tonight, Lord Glax; and boys from Marbium. I will read Lord Arsenio's letters. Lord Oenopides must be in the herbarium or temple."

"It will be an honour." It wasn't a request but an order, and Glax wasn't about to slight the commander. Besides, he was sure the commander wanted to talk about something that wasn't for everyone's ears. The Valosian suspected it had something to do with the Silvans who had arrived in the capital. And he was interested in the subject.

The commander took the letters and left the room, and Tarsus offered to take them to the iatromancer. 

The Black Keep of Rusa was several times larger than the fort at Marbium, which looked like a hut in comparison. On the way, Tarsus exchanged some information about the daily life of the forts, in light conversation. Glax suspected that he, too, was having difficulty adapting to his Krio life, or at least to life in Rusa. 

Glax made a point of asking where the crucifixion field was, to be sure of the darkest hour appointment place. Tarsus took them to the place of execution, which was far away, and the Valosian committed to his memory the path he should take later.

They arrived at the temple, dedicated to Crios, a god who wore a helmet with ram's horns and a shield dotted with stars. But the iatromancer was not there. So they went to the herbarium.

The man Glax already knew supervised his various assistants, who were preparing medicines, and pretended not to see them until the last moment.

Gla realized that the bald man was not happy to see them.

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"This old man is a heartless, arrogant bastard. I wonder when the Gods will punish him for his hubris." Tarsos expressed his opinion at the table, speaking of the iatromancer who refused to help a mere low-born soldier. 

"I hope, Tarsus, it takes a while so Lord Oenopides can heal some other people and share his knowledge of herbalism with his assistants. If he starts healing everyone, he will 'dry out' the life energy," said Lady Nyssa, taking a seat at the table. "Iatromancers are the rarest thing there is. No other spell can heal so quickly and so well; potions and medicines can be effective, but they don't compare to what an iatromancer can do. We can't really punish him, can we?"

She was an average-looking woman with bright eyes and a kind of solid, unwavering presence. Her simple yet good quality clothes were only adorned by her family's brooch, the hammer of the Damastios.

Glax was as angry as Tarsus, but he kept his opinion to himself as a guest. Not even Alexandre opened his mouth on the subject. Kal looked dumber than a stone. The Valosian had spent at least an entire hour arguing with the iatromancer. Realizing that the insolent young lochios would not give up, the iatromancer simply walked away, leaving Glax talking to himself.

The servants were waiting to serve the dinner, and Glax intimately hoped that the commander would not take more than the time it would take for his belly to start making audible sounds. Luckily, Lord Seleukos arrived before that.

As they ate dinner, a simple and 'Spartan' but tasty meal, the commander and his daughter asked Glax several questions about the events in Stimhena. The Valosian had already expected this. But he couldn't make unsolicited guesses, as he didn't know the contents of Lord Arsenio's letters.

"A captured Silvan trying to enter the Empire spoke of a mad sorcerer who wandered for a while in Erimos. It wasn't much, but he was looking for a way to forge something. The Silvan was sure the sorcerer had retraced his steps back to Stygia…" The commander spoke slowly, while his lost gaze reviewed images in his mind. "But the story was a little fantastic. "This sorcerer had something of epic proportions in mind. It can only be the same guy."

Glax remembered the merman Antaeus saying the same thing.

"This is a national security issue, Lord Glax. The sorcerer was creating a giant robot…" Lady Nyssa expressed her concern. "All we know is that there is now a colony of Prometheans near Victum. And that this sorcerer was promising untold riches for whoever designed a certain machine for him... Our clan sent spies to Erimos to ascertain this information, but we never heard from them."

"You mean, my dear, YOU sent spies to Erimos. Our function here is not to investigate or pursue sylvans in Erimos, it is to defend the Echelians and our lands. I sent a letter to the Archigeos and also to the Grand General of the Empire about this." The commander explained. Glax, however, remembered what he saw when he arrived, and what strategies the commander simulated with his miniatures.

The Valosian was under the impression that an epic fight was in the offing.

"Perhaps Marbium could return the favor and lend us excellent warriors for an infiltration mission… After all, it is a matter that concerns Marbium mostly…" sighed Lady Nyssa, backhandedly. Commander Seleukos chuckled.

"In fact, I think we have the right people in front of us…"

Glax rubbed between her brows at the sudden pressure from such important figures to the clan.

"Infiltration?"