Chapter 334 - 327 — An Old Name

Aurethar arrived at the interrogation wing to find Malen waiting for him at the final checkpoint. The golden dragon glanced over the reinforced doors, the armed guards stationed on either side, and the layers of security built into the underground complex.

"Eight people from the Central Continent," he said. "That was the message."

"That’s right. They attacked a military train."

Aurethar looked at him. "Ah. So they declined the usual sightseeing arrangements i see."

Malen led him through the checkpoint. "One of them also tried to put a sword through me."

"Did he succeed?"

"No."

"Then I fail to see the tragedy."

Malen gave him a flat look. "I was hoping your long absence might have made you less irritating."

"And yet here we are."

The second checkpoint opened, revealing the interrogation corridor and its guarded doors. Malen asked whether Aurethar thought he might recognize any of the prisoners, but the dragon doubted it. He had left the Central Continent a long time ago, and even if the eight belonged to organizations he once knew, there was no reason he should personally know them.

"The people may have changed," Aurethar said as they continued toward the observation rooms. "The Alliance certainly won’t have remained frozen simply because I left."

"But you know how it works."

"I knew how it worked."

"That’s already more than any of us."

Aurethar glanced sideways at him. "How unusually respectful."

"Don’t get used to it."

"Now that’s more familiar."

Lucien stood beside the central table with Cedric and Gandalf when Aurethar entered. Several interrogation reports and inventory sheets had been arranged across its surface.

"You summoned me with remarkable urgency," Aurethar said.

Lucien pushed one of the files toward him. "Eight people from the Central Continent came to Elarion looking for a machine resembling the Warhound."

Aurethar stopped.

That stripped most of the humor from his expression.

"Start again."

"Vale, their commander, admitted they’re from the Central Continent. They claim to represent the Alliance. They encountered an armored vehicle resembling a Warhound being used against Alliance forces, traced something back toward Elarion, and came here looking for answers."

Aurethar picked up the file and began reading. Torrin Vale, a human Peak Knight, commanded the group. Vashek Durn was a dwarf forge-master, Pib Skarrow a goblin mechanical specialist, and Elenwe Sarath an elven Archmage. The remaining four were Ghara Mok-Sûl, Sevik Thorne, Renna Coil and Aldis Ferren—several powerful combatants, a tracker and a logistics specialist gathered into a single expedition.

Aurethar slowly lowered the report.

"That composition could certainly belong to an Alliance expedition."

Cedric looked at him. "Recognize any names?"

"No."

"Can you tell who sent them?"

"Not from names alone."

Cedric handed him another sheet containing sketches and descriptions of the markings and identifiable equipment recovered from the prisoners. Aurethar studied it for a while, but nothing immediately identified a particular Alliance authority.

"Nothing obvious," he said eventually.

Cedric frowned slightly. "They said the Alliance sent them."

"That still leaves quite a lot unanswered."

Lucien pulled out a chair. "Explain."

Aurethar sat and placed the report on the table. "The Alliance isn’t a kingdom with one ruler deciding everything. The Central Continent contains different peoples, states and powers. Humans, dwarfs, elves, dragons, goblins, beastmen and others all have their own rulers and interests, but they cooperate when circumstances require it."

"Military matters?" Cedric asked.

"Among other things."

"Could one faction assemble this group?"

"Possibly. The Alliance itself could as well."

"Then how do we distinguish between the two?"

"Ask who authorized them."

Cedric gave him a dry look. "They’ve been remarkably reluctant to answer that."

"Then apparently your profession remains necessary."

Malen chuckled from beside the wall while Cedric ignored him.

Lucien looked toward the observation glass where Vale remained alone in his chamber. "If he gives us the name of whoever sent them, would you recognize it?"

"Maybe."

"That confident?"

"I have been gone for a long time, Lucien. Some people I knew will be dead, others retired, and entirely new commanders or organizations may have appeared. But the larger powers don’t simply vanish overnight. If these eight were sent by an established Alliance authority, there’s a reasonable chance I’ll know something."

"That’s why I called you."

"I assumed it wasn’t because you missed my company."

"I saw you yesterday."

"A long and painful separation."

Lucien ignored him.

Cedric opened Vale’s interrogation notes. "There’s another issue. Vale confirmed he personally saw the armored vehicle."

"Close enough to identify it?" Aurethar asked.

"No. Durn indicated that was why they needed the blueprints. They wanted something they could compare against."

Aurethar’s expression hardened. "And the machine was being used against Alliance forces?"

"Yes."

"By whom?"

"They still haven’t told us."

"Where?"

"Same answer."

Aurethar leaned back, considering everything he had heard. "So they crossed from the Central Continent, infiltrated Elarion, observed your military infrastructure and stole blueprints because they found something resembling one of your tanks fighting their people."

"That’s what we’ve established."

"And you haven’t confirmed the vehicle was actually yours."

"No."

Aurethar nodded once. "Good."

Lucien raised an eyebrow. "Good?"

"You’re learning not to reach a conclusion before collecting the inconvenient parts."

Malen looked away, badly concealing a smile.

Lucien stared at Aurethar. "I can still send you upstairs."

"And lose the only person here who actually knows anything about the Central Continent? Terrible negotiating skills, Lucien Terrible."

Gandalf finally spoke. "There is one possibility. The stolen Warhound."

The room quieted.

Lucien nodded. "The Veiled Church stole a Warhound blueprints from one of our allies. We never recovered them."

Aurethar’s amusement vanished completely. "And you believe that machine could have reached the Central Continent?"

"I believe we don’t know where it went."

Aurethar considered that for several moments.

Movement between the nine protected continents was difficult, but clearly possible. The eight prisoners sitting beneath their feet were proof enough of that.

"If their machine is the stolen Warhound," Aurethar said, "then their questions are reasonable."

"Their method wasn’t," Malen replied.

"I didn’t say it was."

"They could have asked instead of attacking a train."

Aurethar looked at him. "Yes. People are famously rational when they believe an unknown foreign power may be supplying weapons to their enemies."

Malen considered that. "Still attacked my train."

"There it is."

Lucien looked toward Cedric. "Bring them together."

"All eight?"

"Yes. Vale wanted to speak with me. He’ll get the meeting."

"Their restraints stay on."

"Of course. Why dont you also add two guards inside and more outside."

Malen looked toward Lucien. "You want me there?"

Gandalf glanced over. "I assume I’m attending as well."

"You are."

Aurethar looked around the room. "And apparently I’ve volunteered."

"You came all this way."

"I was summoned."

"Same difference."

"No, it really isn’t."

Lucien ignored him. "Vale asked to speak with me, and I want all eight present. If something technical comes up, Durn or Pib can answer. If it involves magic, Elenwe can speak for herself. And if they finally tell us who sent them—"

He looked toward Aurethar.

"—you tell me what you know."

Aurethar rose. "At last. A straightforward plan."

The larger interview room stood at the far end of the interrogation wing, with a long table occupying its center and guards positioned both inside and outside. The eight prisoners were brought in one at a time, Vale entering first before Durn, Pib, Elenwe and the remaining four joined him.

Vale checked each of them as they sat.

"Anyone hurt?"

"No," Renna replied.

Durn lifted his restrained hands. "My dignity."

Pib glanced at him. "I wasn’t aware you brought any."

Durn muttered something unpleasant, but Vale ignored the exchange once he had confirmed all seven were unharmed.

The door opened again.

Cedric entered first, followed by Malen and Gandalf. Lucien came next, and Vale straightened slightly when he realized that the lord he had requested to meet had finally arrived.

Aurethar entered behind him.

The prisoners watched the golden dragon take the seat beside Lucien. Two wings rested against his back, his golden scales catching the room’s white light, while his relaxed posture seemed strangely out of place in an interrogation chamber.

Vale studied him only briefly before returning his attention to Lucien.

"I assume you’re Lord Valen."

"Lucien Valcriox."

Vale inclined his head. "I asked to speak with you."

"And Cedric decided you’d finally given him enough reason."

Vale glanced toward the intelligence chief, who remained standing nearby.

Lucien folded his hands on the table. "You and your people entered my territory under false identities, conducted surveillance of military facilities and stole classified blueprints. You also claim that wasn’t why you originally came."

"It wasn’t."

"And somewhere on the Central Continent, Alliance forces encountered an armored vehicle resembling one of mine."

Vale’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Cedric told you everything."

"He told me what you gave him. I’d rather hear the rest from you."

Vale looked along the table at his companions before returning his attention to Lucien. "We came here because we needed to determine where that machine originated."

"Why Elarion?"

"We found evidence pointing in this direction."

"What evidence?"

"That part remains classified."

Malen gave a quiet snort.

Vale looked toward him. "I’m aware of the irony."

"That makes one of us feel better."

Lucien raised a hand before the exchange could continue. "The machine. Was it identical to a Warhound?"

Vale turned toward Durn.

"Externally, very close," the dwarf answered. "Hull proportions, turret design and weapon placement. Enough similarities that coincidence became difficult to believe, but we couldn’t inspect the internals."

"Which is why you wanted the blueprints."

Durn nodded. "We needed something reliable to compare against."

Lucien looked back at Vale. "And if they matched?"

"We needed to know whether Elarion built the machine."

"Or supplied it."

"Yes."

The answer came without hesitation.

Lucien leaned back. "We didn’t."

Vale remained guarded. "I expected you to say that."

"You should. You broke into my territory because you suspected I was arming people I’ve never met."

"I haven’t accused you."

"You stole military blueprints because you suspected it."

Vale accepted the distinction with a slight inclination of his head. "Fair."

Lucien studied him for a moment before continuing. "A Warhound and its blueprints were stolen from one of our allies,long time ago but yes."

The effect was immediate. Durn straightened, Pib’s head snapped toward Lucien, Elenwe’s expression sharpened, and even Vale lost some of his practiced stillness.

"Stolen?" Vale asked.

"Yes."

"By whom?"

"That’s something we can discuss."

Lucien glanced toward Aurethar.

"But first there’s another matter."

Vale followed his gaze. Aurethar had said almost nothing since entering, yet the commander now studied him more carefully. Two golden wings, golden scales, and a confidence suggesting that Lucien treated him as neither servant nor subordinate.

"You told Cedric that you represent the Alliance," Lucien continued.

"We do."

"Who authorized the expedition?"

Vale’s expression closed. "That depends on how much we can trust you."

Aurethar finally spoke.

"An interesting answer."

Vale turned toward him.

"If you truly carry Alliance authority," Aurethar continued, "someone gave you that authority—a commander, a council, perhaps one of the older powers, depending on how much has changed."

Vale stared at him. "You know the Alliance?"

"Better than most people in this room."

Durn frowned, while Elenwe’s attention sharpened noticeably.

Vale looked once more at Aurethar’s two golden wings. "You’re from the Central Continent?"

"I am."

"When?"

"A long time ago."

That only deepened Vale’s scrutiny.

"You speak as though you knew the Alliance personally."

"I know them more than you know yourself."

Pib leaned slightly toward Durn, though neither spoke.

Vale’s eyes narrowed as something about the golden dragon began to trouble him.

"Who are you?"

For once, Aurethar offered no joke. He simply looked across the table at the eight people from the homeland he had left behind so long ago.

"I’m Aurethar."