Chapter 273: 273
"Those were Demons," Brightblade said . "Nasty things, though they don't usually venture this close to the Valleys . "
"But what are they?" Arran asked again, his expression troubled . "They weren't like the Remnants . These things… they were intelligent . "
He cast a wary look at the rocky path behind them, half expecting to see either Remnants or Demons in the distance . Yet there was no sign of either — if anything had tried to follow them, the formation had clearly stopped it .
Still, he wasn't fully reassured . The mountains stretched into the distance as far as he could see, and between their snowy peaks and low valleys, he feared there would be something capable of crossing the barrier .
Meanwhile, Brightblade creased her brow as she considered Arran's question . "Their nature is a matter of much debate and speculation," she said after a moment . "Some say that when mages cast spells, some sliver of intent and intelligence is left in the Essence, and that this gives rise to the Demons . Others believe they are the remains of long-dead mages, reawakened by the infusion of Essence . "
"But you don't believe either of those things," Arran said . The tone of her voice strongly suggested that she thought both theories nonsense .
"I don't," she confirmed . "But what they really are, and where they came from… I have no answers to those questions . All I know is that they've existed within the mountains for as long as the Society has kept records . " Her expression softened, and she shrugged . "But they're no real threat . Not with the Remnants keeping their numbers in check . "
Arran frowned . From what he had seen, he had more than a few doubts about the creatures not being a threat . "If they're intelligent, can't they escape the mountains?"
Brightblade shook her head . "Formations run along the entire length of the mountains," she explained . "There's no way for Remnants or Demons to escape on either side of them . "
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"The entire length of the mountains?" Arran's eyes went wide with surprise . From north to south, the mountain range extended for a distance that would take years to travel . It seemed almost impossible for there to be formations on such a scale .
"All ten thousand miles," Brightblade confirmed . "In truth, those formations are as important in protecting the Empire as the Valleys themselves . By keeping the Remnants and Demons contained within the mountains, they form a barrier that no army can cross . "
"So the creatures protect the Empire…"
Strange though the idea sounded, Arran realized that in a twisted way, it made perfect sense . With the entire mountain range covered by formations, the creatures within were like vicious guard dogs locked in a garden, stopping anyone from crossing their territory .
The thought caused a shiver to run down his spine . Something like this could not be a mere coincidence, but if it was by design, he couldn't even begin to imagine the power needed to implement so grand a plan .
Brightblade preempted his questions, however . "If you wish, you can study the Society's history when you return to the Valley," she said . "But right now, you must prepare for the road ahead . You should be able to travel in a few hours' time, correct?"
Arran nodded reluctantly . His injuries weren't too bad — nothing a few hours of rest and a quick meal of dragon meat wouldn't fix . But after all he had just witnessed, having his questions go unanswered caused him no small amount of frustration .
But Brightblade clearly had no intention of providing him with any further answers — not now, at least .
"Excellent," she said . "Then only a few small things remain . "
She produced two items from her void bag — a large sheet of paper and an amulet — then handed them both to Arran . He quickly inspected them, and was pleased to see that the sheet of paper was a detailed map of the Ninth Valley's borderlands . That, at least, would be useful in the years to come .
"I've marked a small mountain range on the map," Brightblade said, "It's about three months' travel to the southwest, and neither mages nor Hunters travel there frequently . I would suggest you go there for your Shadowflame training . "
Arran gave it a thought and nodded . He had not yet given any thought to where he would start his training, and if Brightblade said this place was suitable, he might as well go there .
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