Valknar
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NM- Chapter 45
🕑 Added 2025-05-31 08:16:04 +0000 UTCI watched the thunderstorm approaching.
“It's going to pass over New Midian.”
It was the start of July, and it had rolled in from the north. I watched the lightning flashing as it approached. The Hunters had been warned, and all retreated into their lairs.
“Great, the chance of more lightning strikes.”
I was watching the approach and thinking about the things about to happen. The rain would fall through the spatial bubble, and its trajectory would be changed. And that did not even account for the possibility of lightning striking the bubble.
During the many quiet times I endured, I thought and remembered how different weather patterns interacted with it. During my first few years, the effects were not as pronounced. As my level increased and my dungeon grew, so did the impact of weather patterns interacting with the bubble.
I feared that more levels would have a more significant effect. This, in turn, would make hiding the dungeon harder in the long run. I could see a time a plane or satellite passing over might witness the effects. It was quite a quandary.
The storm arrived, and I went to the church. I did not fear the weather but had no desire to be so close to it.
A flash of lightning heralded the storm's arrival.
Then there was another, and the rain started.
The rain passing through the bubble had its angle of fall changed. It was scattering around the graveyard, hitting everything from different angles. I found the whole thing strangely captivating, even after all these years.
I sighed and went into the church, starting to contain the growing mess as best I could.
It was then that the first strike hit the bubble.
“Damn it!”
July was quiet for New Midian at the start of the month.
Two unusual things happened later on.
The first was a group of people wandering around the dungeon. They had approached the gates and looked in. They left soon after. Herbert told me later that they were searching for four missing young men. They had told their families they would be back in less than a week. They had not been seen or heard from since.
They had checked in with the local communities across the county to see where they had gone. They had been seen heading to Crossway and then disappeared. The locals had ideas, but their families sought to find out what happened to them.
The old families had helped them look around the forest, but showed them that the youths were not present. The searchers continued to investigate different areas.
This made me happy.
The second thing was far stranger.
It was a bright and clear sunny summer day.
A buggy pulled by a single horse approaches the gates. I had seen them often on the road, but none had come before. I watched as it was driven almost into the gates. The driver was an old man. He seemed dressed in his best clothes. They were not new but well-maintained. He looked a bit uncomfortable wearing them.
He paused for a few moments after stopping the buggy. He took far longer than he should to get off the buggy. As he got off, I heard every groan and crack his body made. He pulled a walking stick from it.
He turned and looked at the gates, and after a few more moments, he nodded to himself and began walking. I was not sure what was happening. If he were a Challenger, this would be the shortest attempt to this point.
He walked into the courtyard, ignoring the plinth; he went north.
[Burial request had been made: Allow Yes or No.]
“Err… Yes.”
There were no other messages after this. I followed the old man.
He stopped a few steps onto the path, blinking rapidly, and then waved his hand in front of him. He looked around as if searching for something.
“Hello, is someone there?” He asked, his voice old and worn like his body.
I was at a loss for a few seconds, but I decided to do something I rarely do. I summoned my avatar before him. He was surprised by my appearance but not fearful.
“So, there is an evil spirit living here.” He said to himself more than to me.
“That is incorrect.”
“Oh. Devil then?” He asked. He was leaning heavily on his walking stick as we spoke. I think a strong breeze could knock him over; he looked that frail.
“To some, an angel to others.”
He frowned and then asked. “Which are you then?”
“That depends on you.”
He laughs at that. “Well, I reckon you are what I deserve.”
“You are here for a burial?”
“Aye, just need to pick out a good place.” He started walking again, but it was more like a shuffle.
“Are you seeking to place a loved one here?”
I walked next to him, still a bit confused by all that was happening.
“No, no. Here to end my days. This old body is wracked by age and disease, and I am tired. The wife’s gone, and the children have moved away. I cannot afford a lavish burial, but I have always fancied having a grand tomb. So, I thought, why not come to the Devil's Graveyard? There are plenty of tombs here, according to the stories. I reckoned I might see if I could get one.” He waved his hand as he shuffled forward around the mausoleums.
“Devil's Graveyard? Is that what the people of Crossway call here?”
“Aye.” He stopped for a moment and asked. “Does this place have a name?”
“New Midian.”
“Oh.” He thought for a moment. “Midian? Like in the bible.”
“Yes.”
He continued shuffling along.
“Do you not want to be buried next to your wife?”
“God, no! I miss her sometimes, but she was a nag that I'm happy to be free of.” He stopped again as he answered.
He grunted at that and started walking again. He was looking around at the mausoleums, eyeing them up. He seemed genuine about what he said, as he was looking for a tomb. I decided to play this out.
“Most of them are empty.”
He looked at me, confused. I indicated the mausoleums along the path.
“The tombs are empty unless there is a name on them.”
He looked at me and then at the tombs. He smiled and shuffled over to the nearest as fast as he could. I followed, bemused.
He reached it after taking a few minutes to climb the stairs. Before the act, he checked for a name, finding none. He leaned against the side pillar for support as he pulled himself up each step. The doors were easy to open, and he went inside.
“This is nice, I do say!” He seemed to be impressed with what he was seeing. I'm not feeling like taking a long walk. This will do.”
I watched as he tried to open the central sarcophagus. He pushed on it, but as he was so weak, he only moved it a few centimetres before he was exhausted. He was leaning against the stone coffin, breathing hard. I walked in and pushed the stone covering to allow him a good view inside. He nodded his thanks to me and then did something which surprised me yet again.
After a little struggle, he managed to get into the sarcophagus. As he did, he dropped his walking stick.
I was about to speak and ask him what he was doing, but then he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small bottle. It was blue glass with a cork lead, and he seemed to be working to some plan.
He popped the cork and drank down the contents quickly. Once he was finished, he put the cork back in and placed the bottle on the shelf next to him.
“Right, that’s me done. Now I'll just get comfortable, and would you be so kind as to put the lid back when I'm gone?” He said to me.
“What was the contents of the bottle?”
“Poison. It’s quite quick, I’ve been told, and I'll be gone in a few minutes, so excuse me.” He shuffled about to lie down inside the sarcophagus, laying his hands across his chest and closing his eyes.
For the first time in many years, I had no idea what to say. I could hear his rattling breath, but then I noticed the change in it as it was slowing. It didn’t take long, and then he stopped breathing.
I leaned over and looked inside the sarcophagus at the now-deceased man. For the first time in many years, I saw someone smiling in my dungeon. The man’s face showed that he was at peace, with the pain lines on his face softened.
“Cheeky bugger.”
I have to admire his gumption and audacity. I picked up the bottle and removed it from the lid, and then I placed it back over the top of the sarcophagus, sealing the now-dead man away. Picking up the bottle and discarded walking stick, I left the dead man to his tomb and closed the doors to the mausoleum as I went.
“What a strange day.”
I turned back to the tomb and looked at the newly added name.
Tobias Maclean.
I thought about him for a few moments. I reviewed everything he had said and his final decision. I decided to keep his walking stick as a memento of a man who passed away on his terms.
August arrived, and things returned to their usual quietness.
The Crossway Chronicle mentioned something, but it did not provide me with much information on it. I would have to wait for the Portland Times delivery.
September brought the first signs that winter was coming, with the distant snow line starting to move. The trees would begin to change soon.
I received my papers covering the last month from Portland.
Things were moving in a not-positive way internationally.
France had announced the creation of La Triple Entente. This new alliance consisted of them the Spanish and Italians.
This represented a significant shift on the European continent. There were now two major alliances opposed to each other—the three emperors in the centre and east, along with the new Entente in the south and west.
I was curious to know how such a thing had come about, and the local paper was notorious for its lack of a dedicated international section. Thankfully, the Portland Times provided me with much of the information I needed to understand the context of what was happening.
Starting with France, it was apparent why they were seeking an alliance. With Germany right on their doorstep and still smarting from the loss of the Franco-Prussian War, they were in a bad position.
But the other two were more interesting. The Spanish empire was on its last legs, and I was being generous. With Britain taking Cuba from them at the start of the century, they were in a more significant downward spiral than in my timeline. The last considerable possession they had in their empire was the Philippines. Well, it seems that the Germans were quite eager to add that to the growing empire instead. The Germans possess several Pacific locations, but they were minor and out of the way. The Germans sought to enter the Empire game and viewed the Philippines as an excellent addition to their empire.
They approached the government in Madrid with offers to purchase the islands on several occasions over the last decade. They had been rebuffed every time, and that led a more aggressive German admiral based in the Pacific to demonstrate the power of the Imperial German Navy off the coast of the Philippines. The Admiral who committed this act was called to account for his actions, but the damage was already done. Relations between the two countries were not good. When approached by France for an alliance of mutual protection, they agreed readily.
There are times when a similar story is told, but this time, it is about the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Austro-Hungarian Empire occupied a significant portion of northeastern Italy. With the alliance with Germany and Russia, they were in a much more secure position and attempted to put pressure on Italy to make it a vassal state. This had gone just as well as the Germans' attempt to take the Philippines. Chancellor Von Bismarck had stepped in to prevent the Austrian Hungarian from going further, but again, the damage was done.
So, when France came knocking with a defensive alliance, they too readily agreed.
Part of the story gave a basic breakdown of the forces involved, which I found pretty helpful. On the ground, the three emperors' alliance dominated due to its sheer volume of manpower. The Frenchman had taken this into account and a bill to line a fortified positions along the border with Germany. They did this as soon as the alliance of the three emperors was announced. After all these years, it had turned into quite a formidable defensive line. The Italians were doing something similar in the Alps that made up the border with the Austro-Hungarians.
At sea, the story was very different. The combined French, Spanish, and Italian navies dominated the western Atlantic and Mediterranean. The Imperial Russian Navy was not considered a serious threat until it was able to enter the German part of the North Sea. The Austro-Hungarian Navy posed no serious challenge to the Italians. The only naval force that could threaten them was the Imperial German Navy, but that was limited due to the treaties with Britain.
One advantage the Imperial German Navy had was that its ships were regularly updated or replaced with newer models, and its sailors were highly trained and motivated. The Spanish Navy was the weakest of the new alliance, and part of the news report stated that the government in Madrid was seeking to buy new ships from both France and Italy.
I noted the lack of reporting on air assets, as no one had yet counted them, as a significant factor in war. I knew if conflict did kick off, that would change very quickly.
“The powder keg is building.”
One match could ignite, and the consequences would be devastating. I remembered the effects of the First World War from my timeline. I wondered what would happen here. I knew where I was located on the North American continent, and the chances of feeling the effects of such a conflict were nearly non-existent. But I had to remind myself often: different timeline, different outcomes.
In mid-October, two men rode up to the gates. I watched as they dismounted and entered through the gates.
[Alert! Intruders are not recognised as Challengers.]
I was not interested in them, to be honest. Over the years, I’d learn to identify most who came through the gates quite quickly. These two were the disreputable types that we hear about for no good reason. I would leave my Hunters to deal with them in their own time. I did tell them what they were dealing with and the rough location they were travelling in.
Each man carried a shovel and some other equipment along with their guns. They arrive here looking for the treasure I hid, or they are here for a spot of grave robbing. Normally, I would follow them around and see what they’re up to, but today, I couldn’t muster the ability to care.
This incursion did not last long. McGregor and Roberson found them first and would not spend long in despatching them.
[A Hunter has made a Kill]
Roberson quickly killed his, and from the way he was eyeing the body at his feet, I knew what he was planning to do. He knew what he had to do first before he claimed the rest for himself.
McGregor, however, was taking his time. The other man was wounded and bleeding, but McGregor was slowly inflicting more wounds on his body. The man was begging or screaming in pain. McGregor was enjoying every moment and relishing his skill slowly. I thought about telling him to hurry up and get it done, but I needed to keep my Hunter's loyalty in a good place, so I didn’t want to interrupt him.
Roberson was stripping the dead body. Rodriguez had arrived and was disappointed to have missed the kills. He went to deal with the horses. I permitted Rigger to return to his lair. Today was quite a bright and clear sunny autumn day, and he was not enjoying the weather.
[A Hunter has made a Kill]
McGregor kept his prey alive for a good ten minutes before the man eventually succumbed to his wounds. While she was sure he was dead, he went on and started stripping the body as Roberson had. Both men were quickly buried, and what little routes were left were split up. McGregor and Roberson got the best picks, then Rodrigues took his, and I held Rigger’s for him to collect tonight.
Roberson was one kill away from his next level. I wondered what skill he would develop or improve and what physical changes he would undergo. Each Hunter was developing uniquely now, and the changes were clear to see. Out of all of them, he was the strangest in some way. All my other hunters were starting to become paler while he was getting darker. I wondered what he would become in the end.
Shortly after the death of the two grave robbers, the weather shifted dramatically, and the rains came. Autumn was in full effect, and the Greens were fading as yellow and brown began to dominate. With November, the leaves fell, and winter would soon be upon us.
I prepared for winter as best I could. My days and nights were often spent cleaning up the church as the elements seeped through the smashed windows. I only wished that it was easier for me to get my next level up and repair all this god damn damage.
If wishes were horses, as the saying goes. Sighing, I got back to work, knowing that when the snows come, I will be working twice as hard to clean up the mess and limit the damage.
