Chapter 277: New Information

Name:The Great Core's Paradox Author:
Chapter 277: New Information

Valera tried her best not to slump, the days challenges conspiring to hit her all at once. Only the knowledge that there were others watching - that there were others whod gone through worse, who were depending on her to put on a brave face - kept her posture ramrod straight. Still, one of her hands unerringly found its way upwards in search of comfort, to the tiny snake on her shoulder.

I still cant get it out of my head.

Every time Valera blinked, she saw fire.

Smoke.

Destruction.

It was like witnessing the destruction of Verdant Grove all over again - and, though it was so much smaller in scale, she was finding that the sight had hit her just as hard. Probably because, this time, Valera had been there to witness the worst of it rather than arriving weeks afterwards.

Though that wasnt the only thing that was bothering her.

Shed killed her first human today.

Sure, just maybe, the Little Guardian had been the one to actually finish him off. Valera couldnt be sure, with the way that shed been forced to immediately turn and take down the second man after the first. But what she was sure of was that, the moment her blade plunged into his neck, that man had been doomed to die.

And it had been so easy.

It felt good.

But it didnt remove the fire from her eyes - nor the smoke, or the destruction. Those were still there. Waiting for her to blink.

She scratched at the Little Guardians scales, digging her fingers underneath the leather straps attached to his tiny armor plates, and received a gentle hiss in return.

Still too slow, she thought, blinking and seeing the flames again. Should have been faster. Need to be better.

It was a stupid thought. Valera knew that. Being faster wouldnt have done much to save anyone, not when she needed to notice the problem to do anything about it in the first place. She had the thought, anyway.

It made her feel better, like it gave her direction.

I need to be better.

Valera tapped her feet impatiently, unable to keep still. Even now, she felt like she was supposed to be moving. But, really, there was nothing that she could do but wait. She had already done her part in capturing someone to question - something that she had been forced to excuse herself from.

She wasnt in the right headspace for something like that, after the things shed seen. Valera had already killed a man today - and if she let her eyes close for too long, if she saw too much, she might just kill another.

And that would be a waste; he had information that they needed.

Skies, Im feeling fucked up, Valera admitted to her noodley companion, rubbing at his scales again. He hissed, seeming to enjoy it, and she lost herself in the motion until the sound of heavy footsteps closed in.

Valera blinked in surprise and, forcing away the images that filled the momentary darkness, turned towards the noise. Lightning tingled under her skin, telling her that it was time to move, move, move.

Were still getting them out, she stated, refusing to entertain any other possibility.

Yes, Doran replied, beginning to turn back around. We are. It will just be a little more complicated than we thought. Walk with me. The others are already waiting so that we can talk things over.

Sighing, she pushed herself into motion again, following in Dorans wake.

To Valeras horror, the hostages werent the only issue their burgeoning rescue attempt faced, even if it was the most concerning in her mind. For example, the armaments of their enemy.

As Elaras friend demonstrated their effectiveness, thrusting his hands forward to deliver a perfect strike into empty air, she watched a hole bore itself into a tree more than thirty meters away. It was perfectly aligned with where the spear in his hands would have landed, had its tip stretched ludicrously far.

Windspears are the biggest advantage that theyll have in a fight, he said, pulling the weapon back. In a narrow tunnel and with multiple spears striking at once, theres almost no surviving without some kind of defense in front of you.

And, Valera knew, that wasnt even accounting for the fact that the ones with such a devastating weapon would have defenses of their own. She looked down at her own blades, possessed of far more boring enhancements, and felt a hint of envy.

Unfortunately, while they had four Windspears of their own - two held by the Little Guardians disconcerting undead and the other two recently acquired by Valera herself - shed never trained to use a spear. Valera would be sticking with her boring old weapons.

I think that you have more advantages, though, the boy continued, letting go of the spear with one hand to grab at the [Little Guardians Totem] around his neck. This kind of healing isunheard of. And theres more than enough volunteers if it comes to a fight, he said, motioning towards a few groups that Doran was in the midst of coaching through some basic exercises.

Volunteers were aplenty; after the first had come forward, it had been like a flood. Normally, they would have been dismissed. There was very little that anyone could feasibly learn within the timeframe that they were working under. It would be like throwing a newborn into a nest of monsters. Futile.

Normally.

As Ewan said, the kind of healing that they had on hand was unheard of. It was easier to train when your health and stamina were constantly being replenished. It was easier to practice live combat when anything short of ruptured arteries or lost limbs would eventually be shrugged off. And it was easier to fight when that same healing would exist on the battlefield itself.

Valera had concerns. Training under that sort of protection, with those sorts of assumptions, would create bad habits. Habits that would be hard to break.

But they might need the manpower - both for the problem at the mines and beyond. She hadnt forgotten about the problem of Virtun, and watching the recent volunteers had opened her eyes to some frightening possibilities for the future.

Still, that was something for the future. As eager as the new volunteers were to help, it wouldnt be right to simply throw them in front of an entrenched line of Windspears and hope that the healing of their [Little Guardians Totem]s kept them alive. And without any real armor to keep them safe, it wouldnt.

The Little Guardians healing was unheard of, true, but it wasnt perfect.

Ill be heading out soon, I think, the boy beside her said, breaking Valera away from her thoughts. He held out the glowing spear, and she took it from his hands. Ive already told Elara. Ive seen enough here; more than I hoped, but also more than I wanted to. Ill do what I can to keep my promises to her, and see about putting some pressure on politically. If enough people at home find out about whats happened, maybe that will lead to the captives release without the need for a fight.

Valera nodded. It wouldnt hurt. After what theyd found out from their prisoner, she was willing to take every advantage she could. Already, the others were beginning to work on some of those advantages, some of which were aligned with Ewans own thoughts; Erik, Elara, and Kala had left to visit some of the nearby towers with a few survivors of the recent raid, looking to recruit others to their side - both because it was their original reason for visiting Erandur in the first place, and because those new allies could be used to increase any political or social pressure that Ewan was trying to stir up to free the captives more peacefully. Doran, decidedly non peacefully, was training volunteers for a potential fight. The Little Guardian was, after some frustrating attempts at communication, creating more seeds to be used in creating new Guardian Groves.

And, finally, Valera herself was

She blinked.

A flash of fire, smoke, and destruction lit the darkness.

Valera was preparing herself to do whatever was necessary.