Chapter 1044 — North and South
Blade of Dawn · Page 2 of 4
Whatever had happened at Talond, whatever had happened in space — at least in Xuanyao City tonight... Gao Yang, most unusually, could not sleep.
...
When the first light of morning shone through the lush Ancestral Woodland, the glorious and ancient Elven Empire too awoke from the veil of night.
Deep in the forest, the Elven royal city bathed in the morning glow. A beautiful city of vast white walls and streamlined roofs, it was like a radiant jewel set within the dense woodland; its houses stood row upon row, its districts linked by tall, slender bridges of high-strength construction, and a glittering river ran through its heart. At the river's midpoint, at the city's center, the pure-white Elven Court was suspended in midair upon a hundred and seventy-seven curving, rib-like supports, hanging above the waterway and looking down over the whole of the city.
On the highest of the bridges atop the Elven Court, Belantia Morningstar was walking at an unhurried pace along the royal promenade inlaid with fine, elongated crystals, her high-ranking ladies-in-waiting and trusted courtiers following close behind.
A breeze blew in from the direction of the forest, and from the sky came a low, deep hum. Belantia raised her head and saw a vast shadow drifting slowly across the western sky — the Sunvault Hall was cruising over the royal city in low-speed mode. From this angle she could see the underside of that ancient sanctuary: upon the armor belts cast from high-strength alloy were arrayed one anti-gravity engine after another, some already extinguished, others releasing a steady halo of pale blue or faint white; threads of magical current coursed through the Hall's base like blood pulsing through arteries.
"So the routine maintenance on the Sunvault Hall is finished..." the Silver Empress murmured to herself. "It really did take a long time this time... winter is nearly over."
Verania Silverstar, the high astromancer following at her side and slightly behind, answered at once: "Yes. This time we attempted to boost the Sunvault Hall's core output using the ley-line power units and arcane-containment devices shared by the Cecil people. That involved dismantling and modifying the sanctuary's deep power chambers — a larger undertaking than in previous years, and so it took longer."
"A bold renovation, with many opposed — but fortunately all went smoothly in the end," Belantia nodded. "Now those voices of opposition have finally fallen silent."
"In truth, I can understand those who opposed opening the deep power chambers," the high astromancer said with some feeling. "They are experienced scholars, as I am — only more cautious. They do acknowledge the arcanotechnical advancements humanity has developed, but tampering recklessly with the Sunvault Hall's core structure carried great risk; they simply feared the risk spiraling out of control."
"Rest assured, I do not blame them. Their intent was to protect the Empire's treasures," Belantia smiled, her gaze following the Sunvault Hall as it slowly passed beyond the districts overhead. "For nearly half of the past two years I have been forced to sit upon the Throne of Dominion, and the agonized shrieking of those ancient machines kept me awake through the night. Now that I know their suffering can be somewhat eased, that is truly cause for gladness — Astromancer, the modifications have indeed been effective?"
"Not enough to restore the Sunvault Hall to its former glory, but it has certainly checked the rate of decline in the core power system. As you can see, the additional energy units have relieved the pressure on nearly every system — above all, they have given some of the badly aged anti-gravity engines room to breathe. That means we now have the opportunity for a more thorough restoration," Verania said with a faint smile; the esteemed grand astromancer was plainly in good spirits. "I cannot yet guarantee we will certainly repair it, but this is a good beginning."