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This is Corina Severlin for NVBC news.
This, just in a message from Kazimir von Leirkov, CEO of the
Von Leirkov mining coorperation, live from a press conference at
the entrance of the Copper Mines.
It's a black day, for all of us. I understand you are scared, but
that is exactly why I have called you all here.
We are extremely fortunate that no one has been seriously hurt
during these unfortunate events. And we will do everything in our
power to keep it this way. I don't like to call myself your
boss our superior. Terms like that would suggest
that this doesn't affect me in the way it affects you.
It does. I want to fill you in on what is
happening. Some of you may be confused.
There have been several explosions in the mines.
As of today, we are unsure what caused these explosions, but
rest assured that we will find out.
A rumour has circulated about some kind of monster in the
mines. These claims are unfounded and
untrue. What is more likely is that
through human error, and I don't wish to point any fingers, this
accident came to be. As a prevention method, we have
decided to install an extra equipment safety training
mandatory for every miner. Not to fret, we will refund a
part of the cost. It's important for everyone's
safety that you finish this training within a moonspan.
Furthermore, the unfortunate workers that are currently stuck
within the mines are safe. We are in contact with them, and
we are close to rescuing them. Soon, you will no longer have to
worry about their safety. Such is my promise.
Work will continue as usual, but make sure to pay extra attention
to your superiors, as they will have extra information to ensure
your safety. Thank you for your attention,
your continued courage, and your continued dedication to this
company. Have a rich day!
Wake up, New Vilirth! Chapter six.
The house always wins. The blonde woman slammed the
door into my foot. And a second time for good
measure. Pain shot through it, as I felt
it bruising under the pressure. I shoved her aside and forced my
way in. I took one step into the house
when the click of a safety being released stopped me in my
tracks. Wait!
The same click echoed on the other side of the room, where
two women stood. I raised my hands for them to
see. One of the women stood tall,
almost as tall as me. She, too, was a Dökkálfar.
That must be Rhea Räsänen. I had recognized her from my
cousin's description. Next to her stood a human, more
than two heads smaller. Her right hand, holding the gun,
was made of metal. I'm not here for a fight.
How kind of you. I started to regret following
them home from the Dragonfly. Perhaps I should have expected
to have a gun pointed at me. This might have been a terrible
idea. I have a job for you.
My name is Konstantin von Leirkov.
My father owns the von Leirkov Mining Corporation.
We have been experiencing... trouble.
I weighed my words. I watched their reactions
closely. A small woman gripped her pistol
harder, her jaw set. Something burned in her eyes
that scared me. We need your help.
You need our help? Kazimir von Leirkov needs our
help. Räsänen and frowned and looked
me over. I didn't blame her.
The von Leirkovs didn't ask for help.
I didn't want to find out what my father would say if he saw my
pitiful display. But I wasn't stupid.
There was no use in trying to threaten these women with
violence. Not that I intended to.
Everyone needed something. What kind of job?
The eyes of the short woman next to Räsänen hadn't left me for a
second. And the barrel of her handgun
was aimed directly at my face. But her hands were shaking.
Like I said, we've been experiencing trouble in the
mines. Explosions, collapses.
And now you need us to fix your problems?
After you allowed all those workers to die for you!
I realized her hands weren't shaking from fear.
She was angry, furious. The gun that I had dismissed as
a warning sign suddenly became a threat.
Nobody has died. We are currently down there to
get people out. Bullshit!
Everyone knows people are dying despite what you're paying the
news to say. I clenched and unclenched my
hands. They were clammy.
I was treading on a minefield and I had missed the warning
sign. The important thing is that I
want to stop it as much as you do.
I directed my words at the human next to Räsänen.
And we are willing to pay for it.
How much? I had nearly forgotten the voice
behind me. I hoped I hadn't visibly jumped,
but the smirk on the blonde woman's face told me otherwise.
Five million caperium shards up front and ten million shards if
you manage to fix our problem. There was the slightest change
in the blonde's face. I could swear her eyes got
bigger. And what is it that's causing
your troubles? I weighed my options.
A beast. The Krenir.
They might as well know now. Räsänen frowned.
And you've knocked on our door because?
You've been on a rogue memory hunt for the last five moons.
I'm sure you've encountered some monsters.
Hm, well there's more to it. You could have gone to anyone in
the Vanguard, but you don't want to work directly with them.
Isn't that right? It wouldn't look good.
You'd do better than listen to rumors about us.
No deal. Get out.
Wait! The next warning barely missed
me. It came so close I could feel
its draft before it exploded in the railing behind me.
The human's gun was smoking. Her metal fingers were wrapped
tightly around the trigger. She reloaded the gun with a
shaking hand. Räsänen raised a knife, its
curve shown in the dim light. I stepped back.
Guns might be more effective, but the knife would take longer.
And I didn't want to know what she could do with such a weapon.
I stumbled out of the door opening and almost fell down the
stairs. I was embarrassed to admit that
I started to run. I almost ran into a dog.
It bared its teeth and barked after me as I ran the other way
and hurled around a corner. Another turn led me into an
alley full of trash cans. I halted.
My breath came out in squeaks. But then, footsteps.
I stood up straight, but a stitch in my side made me double
over. Had they followed me?
I hadn't even brought a weapon. Was I going to die down here?
I began to back up. Perhaps I could hide among the
trash. It wasn't Räsänen who appeared.
What are you doing here? What are you doing here?
Following you, of course. Why?
Because you are stupid enough to leave without bodyguards.
And stupid enough to run through the underground city dressed in
your fancy city jacket, begging to get mugged.
And you are even more stupid for showing your face to Räsänen
instead of sending someone else. Send me!
A runner! Anyone!
Despite all your claims of brilliance, you can be
incredibly dimwitted, you know that?
I shouldered past my cousin and walked out of the alley.
I turned the corner and onto the platform to the stairs that
would take me up to the surface. I took two steps at a time.
I heard Sasha's footsteps behind me and quickened my pace.
I'm trying to help, Konstantin! I stepped out into the upper
city. The sun was particularly
blinding today. Wind raged around me, blowing
sand in my face. It tugged at my jacket and my
hair, and I had to squint to find the way to the parking lot
where my chauffeur was parked. I know the ins and outs!
I can help you! Sasha caught up to me.
Why? Why what?
I don't get why you are so invested in this!
In all these politics! You're...
Well, you don't have to do this! Finish that sentence,
Konstantin! What am I?
Well, you know, female! I gritted my teeth against the
oncoming storm. I regretted having forgotten my
mask in the car. I'm doing this because the other
option is sitting in the house all day, playing dress up and
gossiping about the latest romantic affairs!
It's what Nadya does! It's what Nadya makes you think
she does! I shook my head and turned onto
the parking lot. My black car was the only one
that seemed to be in any functioning shape.
Most cars didn't even have tires nor windshields.
My chauffeur drove the car off the parking space as soon as he
saw us and jumped out to open the door.
I interrupted him with a hand gesture and stepped into the
car. Sasha followed into the car.
I turned to my cousin. Her white hair was now covered
with a layer of dust. If getting bored is the problem,
I can find something for you to do.
There are enough jobs at the corporation.
I'm actually good at this. I'm not going to be put away in
some stuffy department just so you are rid of me.
I looked at her for a second. We'll have this conversation
another time. Home, sir?
No. Take me to the office.
Mr. von Leirkov, your father is busy.
The assistant tried to stop me from barging in.
This is urgent. He'll want to hear this.
I sounded more sure of my case than I actually was, but now was
no time to doubt my plan. What are you going— Stay here!
I pushed the door to my father's office open.
Two associates were standing in front of his desk.
—it's against the labor laws— —we are not losing...
Konstantin? My father's voice was measured,
but there was a sharp edge to it.
Apologies, sir. I wouldn't disturb you if it
wasn't important. I would hope so.
Out. Come back in five minutes.
He waved the two men away. One of them frowned at me before
leaving the office and closing the door.
Where have you been all day? It wasn't a question.
My father spat out the words. You said you were going to fix
this. I'm bleeding money!
And I can't have another strike on my hands.
They are already nagging on about unionizing.
I open my mouth. I don't want to hear your
excuses. I told you not to come back
until you had a solution. And instead, I get word that
you're hanging around in the Dragonfly, wasting my time!
I need you to stop the rescue mission in the mines.
I spoke before my father could continue his rant.
I kept his gaze. I'm sure you have a reason for
this. I've spoken to Dr. Veyera today.
She has confirmed that they have found Krenir eggs.
My father leaned back, assessing me.
The slight frown on his forehead told me that he hadn't known.
Good. This poses a significant risk to
the rescue operation. And, those eggs can make up for
the loss of money. Likely more.
I wish to secure the area. In the silence, I felt my heart
press against my throat. I fought the urge to wipe my
palms on my pants. My father didn't react.
His face was blank. I had been taught to do the same
all my life, but now... I wished I had also been taught
to read what thoughts my father hid.
You have a plan? A very illegal plan involving
very illegal people, I thought. Yes, I have a plan.
Very well. He folded his hands together on
his desk. Something sparked in his eyes.
Amusement, perhaps? Alastar!
Although he didn't shout, his demanding voice reached beyond
the room, because the door opened and one of the two men
stepped back in. Cancel the rescue mission.
The man paled. —But, sir… —Do it!
His order rang through the office.
Even I wanted to cower, but I kept my back straight.
The man glared at me, disgust hid in the curve of his mouth.
It was a look he wouldn't dare show his boss.
Bile rose up in my throat. I looked away from him and
stared at my father's desk. Of course, sir.
Anything else? That's it.
My assistant will reschedule our meeting, as you will be busy
getting word to the rescue team. Naturally, sir.
I didn't know if my father saw the twist of anger in the man's
eyebrows. Kazimir smiled.
Father looked at me. He was waiting for me to say
something. I scrambled with the words, but
I couldn't form anything coherent.
—I have to— —Yes, you do. I trust you in this decision,
Konstantin. Make sure that whatever this is
you are doing, it is worth that trust.
Do not embarrass me. The threat wiped away any guilt
I'd been feeling. It was now replaced by
determination. This better work.
Because if it didn't, I didn't want to think about that.
I won't, sir. I stepped out of my father's
office and barreled into Sasha. Not now.
I walked past my father's assistant and into the hallway
that led us to the stairs. Are you insane?
These are people, Konstantin! She took my arm and pulled me
back. You can't let them die for your
own gain! Something snapped in me.
My determination twisted into anger, and I grabbed Sasha by
her throat, pushing her against the wall.
Her head made a sickening thud as it collided with the bricks.
Sasha blinked at me in pain, and behind that, fear.
I make these choices for good reason.
You might think you know everything, but you have no idea
how any of this works. All you do is watch from the
sidelines and criticize me, as if you are not a part of this
family. As if you don't have the same
blood on your hands. Your future is not on the line
here. Sasha's fury shone in her eyes.
Her body was rigid, her fists clenched, but she remained
silent. The assistant came around the
corner. She stopped in her tracks,
glancing at me, and then at Sasha.
I let go of her, but the assistant didn't say anything.
She looked away, and hurried past.
Stay out of my business! I have more important things to
do than explain myself to you! I didn't look at her.
I didn't want to see the consequences of my actions.
I stepped back and turned around, hesitating for a moment,
and then fled down the stairs. I shut the bathroom door behind
me and locked it. The room was big enough to hold
several bathroom stalls, but instead it held only one.
And calling it a stall was an insult to the room.
I turned my back to the wall-covering mirror and leaned
against the counter. My hands were trembling.
I pressed them against my eye sockets and kept pressing until
I saw stars. Good afternoon, listeners.
It's half a bell past four in the afternoon and you are
listening to the news on NVBC. This is your host, Hanish
Mittal. Today, at twelve bells, part of
the von Leirkov mines collapsed after what is assumed to be an
earthquake caused by an explosion in the mines.
Twelve miners are still stuck in one of the mine shafts.
Late afternoon, a rescue mission was set up.
However, due to the dangerous nature of the location and the
possibility of another collapse, the mission has been halted for
the time being. The von Leirkov mining
corporation has not yet been able to confirm if and when the
rescue will be able to continue. They will, however, continue
trying to get food and water to the miners and will resume the
mission once it's deemed safe enough.
That was the news on NVBC. On to you with the weather,
Friede. Good afternoon, I'm Friede
Oblak, coming live to you from the New Vilirth Broadcast
Centre, with the weather and traffic report.
It's truly a calm before the storm.
As we approach rain season, temperatures will continue to
rise the upcoming week. We will face another bout of
water shortages as we wait for the rain to start falling.
The next few days will be warm and cloudless with temperatures
of above 40 degrees Celsius. The end of the week brings the
first rainstorms of the season. On the roads, you will find
regular traffic as the afternoon changes into evening.
If there are any changes, you will hear from me in half a
minute. Long day.
Nadya turned down the radio volume and sat down in the
opposite chair. She picked up my nearly cold mug
of herbata. I slowly opened my eyes.
Despite the late night, Nadya wore a long dark green dress.
Her hair was done up, dark brown curls trailing down her face.
Yet her mouth was turned into an ugly scowl.
She took a sip from my herbata and set it down forcefully
enough that the content sloshed over the side of the mug and
onto the saucer. Nadya picked up the piece of
chocolate before it could drown in the herbata and popped it in
her mouth. Long enough that I am not in the
mood to play your games, I rubbed my brow.
Good. Because neither am I.
What the hell are you doing? —I'm currently doing— —I had the
doctor come for Sasha. I looked away.
She said she dragged you out of the Underground and as a thank
you, you slammed her into a wall.
She had to get stitched up. She didn't drag me.
I tried to ignore the bile of guilt that rose in my throat.
But you were there. Alone.
—Are you— —I had my reasons, Nadya.
Of course. You need to impress your father
dearest. And apparently that gives you a
free pass to throw your common sense out of the window.
She leveled my stare. Look, I need you to stay alive.
Even if the only reason is so I can marry you instead of some
shriveled lord who turns into an abusive donkey behind closed
doors. Although, you have been behaving
much like one yourself lately. My cheeks burned.
What do you want me to do then? Quit putting yourself in these
precarious situations. She leaned forward.
You have no clue what those people are capable of,
Konstantin. You're smart.
You can think of something that doesn't involve you making a
deal with those criminals. I have.
I shifted forward as well. We need to help each other.
If we don't, they'll take everything.
She reached out, holding her hand in front of me.
I looked at her and, with some reluctance, laid my hand in
hers. She squeezed it before getting
up. I'm going to bed.
But you'll let me know if you need something, won't you?
I don't need to explain to you that I can also pull some
strings. I nodded.
Tell Sasha you're sorry. Nadya floated out of the room.
I sunk back in my chair and stared at the small package of
sugar drifting around in a flooded saucer.
I was sitting in my desk chair. My lower back burned and my head
protested against me as I scanned the pages in front of
me. A beam of midday sun appeared,
shining directly into my eyes. I got up to pull the curtains
close. For a moment, I wandered around
the room. I gathered a book from the
coffee table and replaced it on my shelf.
I found a speck of dust and blew it away.
And then, when I could no longer find anything to straighten or
to dust, I sat down. My cup of herbata was empty.
I had it filled five times today and the leaves didn't taste
strong anymore. I also had enough for the taste.
But I kept the bottle of moonshine closed for past
sunset. An uneaten stew stood on the
edge of my desk. It was cold.
Yes. My butler stepped inside.
A message, sir. From Dr. Veyera.
She placed a note on my desk. She called.
I nodded. The phone in my office had rung
twice. I had ignored it.
I took the note. My butler hovered beside my desk
and glanced at the stew. Take it to the kitchen.
I'm finished. Would you like anything else,
sir? No.
My butler picked up the platter of curry and left the room.
I unfolded the piece of paper. Four days was all it said.
I had expected to hear from Räsänen by now.
Perhaps not the same evening, but at least this morning or
afternoon. Perhaps I hadn't properly
assessed the influence the two humans had on Räsänen or the
effect the closure of the mines had on that one human.
I picked up the phone and dialed the number.
Yes? Are you sure those eggs are
hatching? Can't we destroy them?
Yes, we are. And no, we can't.
We need a solution. Will it really get worse when
the eggs hatch? They'll be babies after all.
Easy enough to kill, right? Mr. von Leirkov, I'm not a
biologist, but she certainly isn't going to be nicer with
little Krenirs running around. I suggest you find a solution.
I'm sure you have someone you can pay enough money to risk
their life. Good afternoon, Mr. von Leirkov.
I woke up. I wasn't sure why.
It was still dark outside. I rolled around to continue
sleeping when I heard a soft creak.
I shot up in my bed. A d┘╢kk├lfar stood in the
corner, and I grappled for the gun in my nightstand.
Who are you? How the hell did you get in
here? Finally.
I've been creaking that floorboard for ages.
You have to be a particular type of filthy rich to feel that safe
while you're sleeping. The Dökkálfar pulled down her
mask. It was Rhea Räsänen.
Her face fell in the shadow of her hood, but her yellow eyes
gleamed. I grabbed my housecoat from a
hook and pulled it over my pajamas.
I'm available for meetings in the morning.
I still held the gun, but no longer aimed it at her.
I'd like a meeting now. Räsänen sat down on the chair in
the corner. Right.
We can talk in my office. We'll talk here.
Your office is too close to Miss Minayeva's room.
Or is it Mrs. von Leirkova already?
She's pretty when she sleeps. I refrained from responding.
I knew she was baiting me, but I wasn't awake enough to be sharp.
Sit. Räsänen gestured to the bed.
She crossed her legs and leaned back.
I sat down on my bed and sank into the mattress.
But despite that, I tried to sit as straight as possible like I
would in a business meeting. I loosened my grip on the gun.
What... What would you like to discuss?
I could make an educated guess. I watched Räsänen's careless
demeanor change into something sharper.
I'm here to listen. To your deal.
You are? I fought a smug smile.
I needed to keep her here. To listen.
It had worked. Ran into more money problems?
For a moment, I was sure she was going to attack.
I lay my finger back on the trigger.
You're so easy to scare. Her grin was more of a grimace.
I take the safety off before you fire.
You sneak into my home in the middle of the night.
I have every right to be cautious.
Are you sure it isn't your guilty conscience?
Guilty of what? I knew she wasn't going to admit
how exactly I had manipulated her.
Coming here must have taken a lot.
Admitting that I had power over her by the simple act of talking
to the right person was outright embarrassing for her.
As we looked at each other, we were both aware of it.
And I couldn't hide the triumphant look on my face.
I told you the deal. You fix my problem, and I will
give you the money. Besides, you want those
explosions to stop as much as I do.
Seven million up front, and you will reinstate the rescue
mission in the mines. Or no deal.
Five million, and I will reinstate the rescue mission in
the mines after you have completed your end of the deal.
I won't do anything until you have gotten those workers out
safely. I'll send five extra squads to
get them out after you have finished this job, which happens
before the week ends. Send those squads before the end
of tomorrow. I stood up.
The end of the week. You want that Krenir dead, don't
you? The end of tomorrow, or no deal.
Fine. Keep that spot open for a
meeting tomorrow. I'll be there to collect the
money. She walked over to the window.
I watched her closely. Räsänen saluted me and slid open
the stained glass with a smack. The glass rattled, nearly
breaking a delicate piece of von Leirkov history.
Careful! I took a step forward.
But before I could get to her, she jumped.
Thank you for tuning in. We hope you've enjoyed your
stay.