Chapter 339 - 332 — The Other End
By evening, the lower hall bore little resemblance to the chamber Lucien had left that afternoon.
The Alliance communicator still occupied the center, but its portable field array had been removed and absorbed into something far larger. Eight fixed anchors encircled the original formation, all connected to mana conduits beneath the stone floor.
Lucien paused at the edge of the completed array. Gandalf stood near the central platform with Elenwe, while Maerath waited beside the primary mana feed. Vale had already been brought down, and Cedric, Malen and Aurethar entered behind Lucien.
Gandalf noticed their arrival first.
"You said evening."
"And?"
A hint of satisfaction crossed the mage’s face. "It is ready."
From the mana junction, Maerath gave the formation one final glance. "We tested the support matrix twice. The flow remains stable."
"The resonance key is untouched as well," Elenwe added. "If the receiving station is still active, it should recognize the connection."
That was all Lucien needed.
He addressed Vale. "You speak first. Confirm who answers."
Vale inclined his head. "Understood."
Aurethar received the next instruction.
"If Venn comes onto the line, confirm him."
"I will."
Lucien stepped away from the formation.
"Begin."
Maerath opened the primary feed.
Mana moved into the outer array gradually soon the first anchor brightened, the light passed to the next, and within seconds a pale ring had formed around the central platform.
Power flowed inward.
The communicator answered with a faint glow from both crystal cores.
A distortion rippled across the outer formation almost immediately.
"Third node is carrying too much,we need to distribute it’s load" Gandalf said.
Maerath had already noticed. He shifted the distribution slightly, and the ripple flattened before reaching the inner array.
Elenwe kept her attention on the communicator. "Hold that balance."
A second disturbance followed, weaker than the first. This time the expanded formation absorbed it without assistance.
Moments later, one of the crystal cores flashed.
Elenwe straightened. "Return resonance."
Gandalf checked the regulator. "Clean?"
"So far."
The second crystal came alive.
Harsh static burst through the hall before thinning into a low hiss. The correction array settled around the returning resonance, and a distant voice finally emerged.
"Unknown station this is relay station 4, identify yourself."
Vale moved closer to the communicator.
"This is Torrin Vale, commander of the Alliance expedition."
The response came almost at once.
"Repeat identification and provide authorization."
"Torrin Vale. Expedition commander. Authorization Venn-Four-Seven."
No voice answered immediately, but the steady glow of the crystals showed that the connection remained intact.
They were being checked.
𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Lucien waited without interfering.
A few moments later, the operator returned.
"Authorization accepted. Maintain connection."
Vale released a slow breath.
The delay that followed was longer. Lucien glanced toward the array, and Gandalf understood the unspoken question.
"The channel is stable."
"They are making us wait," Maerath said.
Aurethar’s mouth curved slightly. "That sounds familiar."
Before anyone could answer him, another voice reached them.
"Vale?"
Vale’s expression shifted.
"Yes."
"Are all of you alright?"
"Alive."
The question had required no explanation.
After a brief delay, Venn asked again, "Any injuries?"
"Nothing serious."
A brief silence followed, and when Venn answered again, the tension in his voice had eased slightly.
"Good. Then report."
Vale straightened, the familiarity of formal procedure settling over him.
"We found the source we were sent to locate. The armored machine captured on Avarran and the machines produced here share the same underlying design."
Venn did not interrupt.
Vale continued. "The original is called the Warhound. It was designed and produced in Elarion."
The line remained quiet for several seconds.
Then Venn asked, "You are certain the machine on Avarran is derived from this Warhound?"
"Completely. The demon-built version has rougher construction, but the dimensions, internal arrangement and standardized components match the design here closely enough that there is no reasonable doubt."
Another pause followed.
When Venn spoke again, his tone had become much more focused.
"Then it is the Warhound design."
"Yes."
That was the point at which Lucien stepped forward.
"It was stolen."
The sudden appearance of an unfamiliar voice stopped the conversation completely.
Venn waited for a moment before answering.
"Who is speaking?"
"Lucien."
"And who exactly are you?"
"I rule Elarion."
The silence on the other side deepened.
Lucien continued before Venn needed to ask the obvious question.
"The Warhound and its blueprints were stolen from one of our allied customers by the Veiled Church. We eventually recovered the machine, but by that point the blueprints were already gone."
Venn answered immediately at the mention of the organization.
"and this church probably works for demons,am I correct?."
"Yes. We knew who they served, but we never discovered where the Warhound plans had gone after the theft."
Vale took over from there. "Now we know. Those blueprints reached the demons, and the machines being fielded on Avarran were built from them."
For a while, nothing came through the communicator except the faint background hiss of the connection.
Venn eventually addressed Vale again. "Where are you now?"
"Elarion."
"With its ruler standing beside you."
"Yes."
That naturally led to the question Lucien had expected sooner or later.
"Why have you not reported before now?"
Vale glanced briefly toward Cedric, though there was little point hiding the truth.
"We were captured."
Venn’s answer took several seconds.
"All eight of you?"
"Yes."
"You told me there were no serious injuries."
"There were not."
"How were you captured?"
Vale’s jaw tightened slightly. "After confirming the connection between Elarion’s Warhound and the machine captured on Avarran, we attempted to obtain additional military blueprints."
Venn understood immediately.
"You tried to steal them."
"Yes."
"And failed."
"We did."
The silence that followed carried more judgment than anything Venn could have said aloud, although when he finally spoke his voice remained controlled.
"Are you being coerced into making this report?"
"No. Everything I have said is accurate."
"And Lucien is allowing you to use Alliance communication equipment despite holding all eight of you prisoner."
"Yes."
This time Venn addressed Lucien directly.
"Why?"
"Because your people told us about Avarran, and because the weapons now being used there came from technology stolen from Elarion."
"That does not explain why you contacted us."
"It explains why I am interested."
Lucien rested one hand against the edge of the outer formation as he continued.
"Vale and the others crossed the shield months ago. Whatever information they carried about Avarran stopped being current the moment they left. Before I decide whether what is happening there concerns Elarion beyond the stolen blueprints, I need to know what the war looks like now."
Venn did not answer quickly.
"You want current Alliance military reports."
"I want an accurate picture of the situation. What happens after that depends on what those reports show."
There was another pause before Venn replied.
"You are considering becoming involved."
"I am considering learning what I would be becoming involved in before making any decision at all."
Venn eventually returned his attention to Vale.
"Who else is present with you?"
Vale hesitated.
It was only a fraction of a second, but Lucien noticed, and apparently Venn noticed something in the hesitation as well.
"Vale?"
Aurethar moved away from the wall.
He had remained silent throughout the entire exchange, even when Venn first came onto the line and Aurethar confirmed his identity for Lucien. Now the golden dragon crossed the hall at an unhurried pace and stopped beside the communicator.
For several seconds, he simply looked at the glowing crystal.
Then he spoke.
"You still take far too long to reach the useful question, Venn."
Vale closed his eyes briefly, while Malen watched the communicator with the faintest trace of amusement. Even Gandalf turned away from the regulator, his attention drawn completely toward the unexpected reunion.
The silence stretched long enough that Lucien began to wonder whether Venn had simply forgotten how to answer.
Then his voice returned, and the careful control it had carried throughout the conversation was gone.
"Aurethar?"
A faint smile appeared on the golden dragon’s face.
"Hello, Venn."