Solo Driven Beneath V

[Kelski]

Timestamp: 23rd of Fall, 518 A.V.

Continued From: Driven Beneath IV

It would help, she decided, that nothing about this piece around his neck wanted to be what it was. She examined the mechanism – the puzzle – that bound the chain to his throat and saw immediately the trick to it. It was indeed a puzzle, like one of those rings a man gave his wife to wear that would come apart if she removed it. But this one was a masterwork, far trickier than those faith rings ever could be. But yes, she could remove it… but she’d need her tools.

“I can take it off, Gil. I promise you that. But I’ll need to get my tools.” She said carefully, stifling a yawn the mulled wine had brought on.

He nodded, not daring to hope, but something changing in his eyes… something terrible and weighty. Fear, Kelski realized… he was afraid. She’d leave. She’d not come back. What she said was not true. He held himself still, absolutely still, and waited for the storm of doubt to pass… and then he reached out and touched her hair. He examined it, glanced at her mouth, and then back up at her eye.

“You aren’t human.” He said abruptly, almost angerly.

“No. I never claimed to be human. I’m a Kelvic. A Kelvic Sea Eagle. We … aren’t exactly treated as equals to most people, and I too have been a slave. That’s where I learned my trade. But I won my freedom through hard work and am what I say I am. The eye is new… just today… rocks are falling from the sky and I picked one up. I still have it. I think that’s what changed me… else it was something down here. I am not lying to you. I can and I will help you, though I’ll need to return to the surface before I can do so.” She said softly.

Gil looked startled then seemed to soften. “Kelvic? As in Marcus Kelvic? One of Marcus’ creatures? Ah… that makes much more sense. Sea Eagles are those beautiful white, silver, and black birds. Big too. I can see your eagle in you now that you have spoken up. Marcus was always an inspiration to me. I’ve read a lot of his research. I tried to give my Sups as much intelligence as he gave his creatures, but I am not there yet. I suspect being an Eth of Syna has held me back…. he was the son of a Goddess.” The mage said thoughtfully, almost with a self-depreciating chuckle.

“Yes… the vary same. We are considered a race now. A people… though not an equal one.” She said softly, glancing around and wondering something suddenly. “Is there a faster way to the surface? I took two days following a Brat Trail that looked like a main road, but I have no idea where you are located and if there’s a fast way to the surface from here.” She asked. “Otherwise, it will take me another couple of days to return, get the tools I need, and get back here. And… and there’s other things you should know as well.” Kelski said thoughtfully.

It was only fair to warn him.


Count: 531

[Kelski]

“Sunberth… what the city above is called… hunts mages. If you have any magic at all you are in danger of causing a riot and can be put to death immediately. It is a lawless place, decaying, filled with filth and people that are as mean as they come… people that will gladly take your life.” Kelski said, then carefully started to share the history of Sunberth with Gil, at least the history of it as far as she knew… with the mages that ruled everyone with an iron fist, and what she’d witnessed in the two seasons she’d lived there.

He was easy to talk to, she found, and as they got to know each other and talked further, she found herself telling him about her life – about The Gem – and her troubles. And in return, she learned about the laboratory and how he bred animals, playing havok with their traits. His mortal seeming – something she learned about Eths is that they also had two forms – was a Eypharian and the people of the desert were known for their ability to manipulate creatures.

She also learned something else. He was a Reimancer and a powerful one. He knew Morphing, Auristics and a dozen other magics some of which she’d never heard of. She also learned there was a faster way up top, though he had no idea where the entrance came out at in regards to the current city’s layout. He claimed it was near the sea and well south of the ancient river that used to flow through Sunberth. But it had been hundreds of years, so neither knew if the river bed was the same as it had been.

And there was something else, something important that he offered to her without hesitation. “Kelski… I’ll teach you what I know about magic. In my time it wasn’t something done… an immortal teaching a mortal, especially not a Kelvic. But I’d be glad to. What I have at my disposal – a library and my experience – would be at your fingertips. I’d owe you. After hundreds of years to finally be able to stand in the sun…. it would be a gift I can’t even imagine. And to go to Semele and apologize to her, wherever she is, for how selfish and arrogant I was back then. I never thought my actions would cause the death of her Champion, but I didn’t know Sora would rise so high or be so favored. She was born a simple village girl. She wasn’t even particularly pretty. But she reminds me of you… you have that quality… that otherworldly glow. And you are but a simple jeweler, a Nightstalker, and yet here you are… Marcus Kelvic… he was amazing.” Gil said softly shaking his head.

Kelski smiled, unsure if the compliments were necessary or sincere. He felt sincere, but then he needed something from her… something badly. As he opened up, relaxed, and grew more comfortable in her presence, the brats started coming out. One beautiful white one he introduced as Snowflake. Then he spent a good deal of time staring at Snowflake’s eyes until the pink in them faded to blue and she glanced at Kelski.

Count: 535

[Kelski]

“Snowflake is more than willing to escort you. She’ll take you up. She knows a good short way and then she will wait and lead you back. I… I don’t want to let you go, but trust is earned not given. Go. But please don’t forget that I am here… and that Snowflake is waiting.” Gil said abruptly, as if he didn’t want the night to end, but knew it had to progress.

It was at that time that Kelski’s backpack wiggled. The Kelvic automatically reached down, flipped open the pack, and assisted Little Rhaus out of the confines of the magic leather. She put him down on the table and he smiled at Gil. “I heard every word. If she says she’s coming back, she’s coming back. And if you don’t mind, Kels, I’ll wait here. I’d love to talk to him. He must have heard music from before the Valterrian. I suspect he fell as one of the first Eths that did. If that’s the case people didn’t have new music until the chaos was over… so maybe he’ll sing me some songs and we can talk to pass the time until you return.” Little Rhaus said firmly, studying Kelski.

She nodded. “It’s settled then. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Snowflake? Ready to lead the way?” And with that the white brat set out at a brisk pace, weaving through Gil’s laboratory and finally out into a hall that lead to a shaft that eventually lead to the surface. Naska joined them. She had questions and as they walked, Kelski patiently answered them.

The most annoying thing to Kelski was that Snowflake could climb vertical surfaces. It was nothing for the brat to scurry up an almost vertical face. Kelski wasn’t so lucky. If she changed forms, she could fly up, but there wasn’t enough room in almost all the places she found herself in to accommodate her wingspan. Seven feet was big and it precluded her from any underground flying that wasn’t absolutely in the open.

The third eye was still there. It bothered her depth perception and made her wonder if it was something permanent. She was afraid to tell Kynier about it, afraid even to tell Kynier about this whole trip beneath. And as she stared at the huge pile of boulders that Snowflake was happily ascending, Kelski wondered if she’d ever even remotely get home. She’d have to go up… then she’d have to go down. Naska didn’t seem worried though.

“This is like Bouldering, Kelski. Its one of the easiest types of Climbing.” The shadow whispered, chastising the Kelvic as if she were a coward. “The wall isn’t as vertical as it looks and its just a series of big boulders you could scale without gear if you were more experienced.” The Shadow promised, urging Kelski to get into her climbing gear as she shared some terms with her.

It was, Naska thought, the perfect ascent to give Kelski and her very basic knowledge some practice.

Count: 506

[Kelski]

Naska was a good teacher, thorough, though somewhat lacking in patience. She was annoyed that Kelski didn’t seem to know anything about bouldering, climbing, or even repelling. The first thing she wanted to do was give the Kelvic some basic vocabulary. “Kelski… faces… a face is a flat vertical surface. A slab is a flat angled surface. You need to climb each of these slightly differently. They require technical skills and delicate grip with your feet. We call your foot motions ‘footwork’.” The Shadow said as she moved into the dim, speaking from beyond the dancing light Kelski’s helmet lantern produced.

“Now, see that big boulder up there that almost forms a roof? These are called Overhangs. They are rock surfaces that are relatively horizontal to the ground and directly over your head. If you want to climb these and get past them, you need to be strong and especially powerful in your arms. While you are still learning, I want you to plot a course up a field of boulders like this… even if it is far longer… that avoids overhangs. You aren’t ready for them yet.” The shadow said, thoughtfully instructing the Kelvic.

Kelski nodded, following what Naska was saying, even if it was all new to her. She understood having more nomenclature. In Jewelcrafting it was invaluable. If one didn’t know, for example, what a bezel cut was, one wouldn’t be able to make one. Here, it was similar. If she didn’t know the names of the rock faces nor how to navigate based on what someone else instructed… like move up that face, cross the slab, and avoid the overhang…. How was she going to excel? The Kelvic nodded, encouragingly to Naska’s voice direction, and kept staring at the boulders.

“Traverses are when you have to plot a course that moves you along the face of a boulder sideways. That means you aren’t exactly climbing but more clinging, usually to get to a better path. That leads us to the term ‘topping out’. That means you’ve reached the top and are standing on the feature you just climbed.” Naska said, circling Kelski and quietly asked… “Now, tell me how you’d climb this.” She said patiently, even as Kelski could see a white brat pacing impatiently at the top of the boulder field… topped out? Kelski smiled. Surely if a brat could do it she could too?

The Kelvic stepped backwards and then raised her hand. She traced a route with her arm, calling out the way to the shadow as she did so. It stuck out to her then, something she wouldn’t have seen before she started climbing, that there was a relatively easy pathway up, if one zigzagged through some more complex places and took more time. It was a hard-won lesson to Kelski that she could actually climb without going straight up and in climbing like a well trained climber, she might even be faster.

“I’m ready to try if that route works.” Kelski said, knowing it was true. She actually wasn’t afraid, either of the height or the technicality. She knew Naska would take care of her and make sure she was safe.

“Okay ready? This is your first real test. Ascending is not descending. It takes a far larger brain.” The Shadow said, moving beside Kelski and quietly feeding her instructions. The Kelvic nodded, understanding what Naska said, and moved forward, reaching for the proper gear to begin her ascent.


Count: 578

[Kelski]

Kelski slowly got into her harness, slipped off her boots and into her climbing shoes, and clipped her chalk bag onto her harness. Then she checked her rope, made sure all her hardware was hung where Naska had taught her to hang it, and stared up at the face she’d mapped.

“You need to fix anchors your first time going up. I would recommend a more experienced climber do this, Kelski, but you are alone and I am confident that this is an easy enough ascent that you can do it yourself. I liked to use natural anchors where I could… things like trees and rock features such as horns or a chockstone… a chockstone is a stone that’s tightly wedged into a crack. They must be strong, well-rooted, solid, and if using trees… make sure its healthy. Dead trees are anchors that will kill you. If you don’t have those available… like we don’t here… use fixed anchors. These are anchors you drive into the rock itself which you can clip onto and run your ropes through to catch you if you fall. Mostly these are bolts and pitons. Finally you can use removable anchors like cams, stoppers and you also have nuts you can use in crevasses.” Naksa instructed.

Kelski nodded, touching all the gear that hung off her harness as Naska vocalized its names, feeling nervous but excited as well. She listened carefully absorbing what Naska said and plotting her route visually as Naska explained the steps.

“To build an anchor, Kelski, you need to connect two or three individual anchor points to a master point that you then clip too. That way if one of your anchors fails, you aren’t automatically dead. I would always use three. So, go as high as you can without your gear, just the old-fashioned way, and lets make three anchor points we can equalize into a cordelette that we can turn into a master anchor.” Naska instructed.

Kelski climbed until she was about ten feet above the ground and used three fixed anchors she drove into the stone with her hammer. She tugged on them to make sure they were secure. Then, following Naska’s instructions she attached three runners to each anchor by a hunk of cord which she then tied a carabiner too. That she tied herself off to using her belay and started her climb from there.

It truthfully wasn’t hard work, but it was good practice. Kelski set five more master anchors along the way up and then at the top, left her rope so she could easily get down knowing it was firmly anchored. They were close to the surface now and as Gil had told her, once this face was ascended it was an easy walk to the surface.

And when after only a short bell, Kelski finally made it to the surface, she found the entrance was in the Sunset Quarters, across the street and a short way from where the Baroque Bay area where she started. It was a ten-chime walk to The Gem. And once she arrived, she checked in quickly with Ebon, told him she was fine but going out once more, and gathered tools to his puzzlement. Once her pack was filled with everything she needed to deconstruct the faith ring binding, she turned and headed back. She met with Snowflake, and once more descended into the depths of Sunberth’s Mines.

Count: 569

[Kelski]

G R A D E S

Kelski

Teaching +3, Climbing +4, Planning +2

Gils: Making Promises, Gilthas: A Mage, Teaching: What Kelvics Are, Teaching: Sunberth’s Attitude Towards Mages, Snowflake: Appearance and Mannerism, Climbing: Bouldering, Climbing: Facing, Climbing: Types And Terms of Rock Faces And Types Of Climbs/Descents, Climbing: Traversing, Climbing: Anchoring To The Face

PM me with questions or concerns.