11. High In Rank

"Katsíki."

Yna called.

I opened my eyes to find Yna standing above me with her sword in hand.

"It's about time we put your plan into motion." She said as I hopped onto my feet.

I then followed Yna out of her cabin and we made our way into the Dark Expanse.

.

..

Something caught my eye in the distance as we walked across the dark sandy plane.

It looked like someone had erected several structures on the surface.

I wondered if Karish had finally decided to move his people outside.

Maybe he was finally considering restoring the land above Eimval.

Yna approached the rickety wooden structures before coming across two guards who protected what looked like a fairly large encampment.

The guards recognized Yna and me but blocked our path regardless.

"Turn back, dark vessel. You're not welcome here."

"I thought the elders said he was an agent of the Moon King."

The guards said.

"Mmm… I understand that you may not want to let me in, but I am curious as to what happened after I left? Why have you decided to finally come to the surface?" I asked.

The guards looked at each other for a moment before the one to the left sighed.

"After you left, Elder Karish demanded that the High Elders let the Ia into Iana, but the High Elders strongly refused. Elder Karish then ordered that we all storm into Iana, but we were met with heavy resistance. I… I don't know why, but those below were so content with letting us all meet slow deaths, as long as it meant that they would live on."

"Do you blame them?"

The guard to the right asked, but the left one simply sighed.

"No. Not really. I just wish… I don't know. Anyway, sorry dark vessel, but we can't let you through."

"I understand, but before I leave, what is this place? Has Eimval turned into some sort of war zone?" I asked.

"Not quite. The third level is in shambles and the Rendaro in Iana are probably creating another seal as we speak. The problem is that many Ia were injured during the short battle behind the seal. We were forced to retreat into the upper levels as the Rendaro below recklessly fired all sorts of magics at us. It's almost as if they wanted Eimval to collapse." The guard said and I nodded in understanding.

"Anyway, we brought all of the wounded and frightened here since there's tons of space."

"I see. So where's Karish?" I asked, but the two guards lowered their heads slightly.

"He's… he was injured during the battle. He's not fatally injured, but he took a serious amount of damage." The guard said.

"I see. Mmm… I know you said I couldn't enter, but could you at least bring him here? There's something important I want to tell him."

"I'll tell him you're here, but I won't guarantee he'll come." The guard said as he turned to leave.

"Thank you," I said before looking at Yna, who leaned against her sword as she stood.

"Do you think it's our fault the Rendaro are going through a civil war?" I asked.

"Oh, definitely. If it weren't for us, they'd still be living relatively peacefully. However, I don't think what they were doing was gonna work in the long term. What were the Rendaro in Iana gonna do if a Primair Knight found them?" Yna asked.

"A Primair Knight?"

"Yeah. There are three classes or ranks in the Lanceberg military. The Ordinair rank is the lowest. Foot soldiers, siege specialists, low ranking knights and more. Secundair is mostly made up of regular Silver and Gold Knights. Primair, however, isn't a rank you can earn by simply training. You earn it with experience and accomplishment. Only when the Grandmaster recognizes you can you become a Primair soldier, knight and such." Yna explained.

"Oh? And you were…?"

"Primair," Yna said with a nervous chuckle.

I wondered just what she had done to earn the Primair rank, but just as those thoughts surfaced, I heard someone approach.

I turned around to find a familiar guard standing next to a heavily bandaged Karish. His left eye and right arm were entirely covered up in cloth.

I looked into his trembling eyes and after taking a deep breath, I walked up to him.

"Greetings… dark vessel," Karish said. His voice weak.

"I thought I was a spy," I said flatly.

Karish's only eye widened before lowering ever so slightly.

"I… what brings you here?"

"Looks like you're in a bit of a pinch. Yna and I are setting up the foundation for a sanctuary of sorts. There's tons of space, the land is fertile… I think... and the sanctuary will be protected by a mighty wall." I said.

Was I overselling Coh? Maybe, an l little. But I knew it would take as much to convince-

"No. I'm sorry, but I must refuse. Even with all that's come to light and all the new hardships that now burden the Ia, this is our home. We can't just… pick up our things and leave." Karish said with a rather firm tone.

I nodded before looking behind him.

I could see a few able-bodied Rendaro tending to their wounded kin.

Their injuries varied from broken limbs to… missing limbs.

I wondered if there were magicians that could heal people's injuries. After all, this was a world with magic. Surely they had some magic potions and other things that could help people.

"Ah-ha, ol' chum. I don't plan on displacing you from your home. I just want to help in whatever way I can." I said, but Karish simply raised his nose.

"Hear me out, my sanctuary and I aren't even ready for something like taking in the entire Ia population. I am, however, ready to take whoever is willing. We'll act as an allied state of sorts. I'll reduce the weight while you restore Eimval to a functional state."

Karish stroked his dishevelled beard seemingly in thought.

"I see. Would you mind if I came to inspect this… sanctuary of yours?" He asked.

"Sure. Does that mean you're on board with my plan?" I asked.

At this point my heart was beating so loudly I could feel it rattle my bones.

"No. Not yet, at least. Allow me to determine whether you are capable of protecting the Ia, regardless of how many choose to come." Karish said.

"OK!" I said excitedly.

Karish sighed before turning to face the entrance which led into Eimval.

"Let me guess. You still wish you could see Iana." I said as I walked up to his side.

"I… yes."

"Mmm…" I sounded.

I didn't know what to say to him.

He really wanted to see the city that once served as the home of a once united Rendaro nation.

Those feelings were extremely strong and there was no obvious way I could change them.

A few people knew that Kenos was resting within my body, but after the novelty of that reveal died out, the Rendaro began treating me like a normal person- a normal talking goat.

I wondered what kind of ruler Kenos was.

His people were happy that he was back and yet when the possibility that it was all a lie came up, they seemingly didn't care. Not as much as I thought they would-

"May I ask for a favor, Katsíki?" Karish asked.

"Yes! Anything."

"Could you completely destroy the third level?"

"Madness!"

"It can still be recovered. Also, we'll need that space once recovery is complete."

The guards said, but Karish looked up before sighing.

"I know, but I don't want the Ia to continue living in what was supposed to be our grave," Karish said.

The two guards exchanged conflicted glances.

This was my opportunity!

"Oh! If you're planning on using the surface, I could continue cleaning the darkness up here. I also plan on cleaning the stream."

"Alright," Karish said.

I nearly jumped with joy as the words left his mouth, but I kept calm.

"Now, before we do anything else, follow me, please," Karish said.

I energetically nodded before following Karish back into Eimval.

The city had grown much darker.

The cries of misery filled the air and I felt a gnawing pain in my chest as we walked past the countless Rendaro whose lives I had… ruined?

We eventually arrived at the entrance to the third level and I saw countless guards standing near it.

They all glared at Yna and I as we approached.

Karish briefed them on everything before giving me some instructions.

"The High Elders are content with having us die for our sake. I'd like to strongly reject that…"

Even though you stubbornly refused this concept when Yna and I brought it up. I thought.

"… henceforth, we, the Ia, will live for our sake. We will march into the future and cast off the dark shackles that bind us!" Karish said as the guards audibly applauded him.

What-

I suggested the same thing a few chapters ago!

"Katsíki, use lord Kenos's strength to destroy our link to the past. Sever our chains." Karish said.

I mentally rolled my eyes before walking to a certain spot near the entrance that led deep underground.

I could feel the immense amount of darkness that filled every crevice and every rock.

I needed to make the third level inaccessible without making all of Eimval collapse in on itself.

I thought about cement.

How it could be poured into certain containers to make certain shapes.

I could harden darkness in the same manner.

I took several deep breaths before channeling all of the darkness on the second level into the third.

Everyone gasped as plumes of black smoke seemed out of every nook and cranny of Eimval.

Those plumes turned into streams that flowed into the third floor.

This would kill two metaphorical birds as I would also be cleaning out a large part of Eimval.

Well… that was the plan.

A few moments passed and I was beginning to feel the strain of manipulating tons of darkness.

I then realized that I was trying to bury an entire level of an underground city.

I also had to do all this without risking the structural integrity of the rest of Eimval.

My vision darkened as my grasp on the concept of darkness increased.

What was I doing by manipulating darkness?

I was physically or mentally grabbing the very concept of the absence of light and bending it to my will.

The dark expanse was filled with crystallized darkness.

Darkness from an ancient war.

I wondered what Kenos wanted to do with it after we properly recovered.

I say "we", but I was technically fine.

More than fine, in fact.

My thoughts slowly began to muddle, but I held on strong.

I then saw that the darkness was beginning to overflow.

It poured out from the third floor, frightening several guards.

I then took several more breaths before hardening all of the darkness.

Loud noises filled the air and the ground trembled intensely, but I used the remaining darkness in Eimval to monitor the city.

I could feel every grain. Every particle.

Is this what it meant to be a Host?

The ground trembled further and I carefully adjusted the rate at which I hardened the darkness.

I eventually sensed that enough of the third floor had been sealed and so I began checking up on Eimval.

The city itself was fine and the city far below was unharmed as well.

The problem now was that there was a gigantic mass of darkness beneath Eimval.

I had seen what the darkness of the Expanse was doing to the Rendaro.

I didn't know the specifics of how it affected their bodies, but it was safe to assume it wasn't good.

I poured my last remnants of consciousness into the block of darkness and completely changed its makeup.

It was now a perfect crystalline prism and even if someone came into contact with it, they wouldn't be affected.