The gliders turned out to be a lot more fun than Armin had expected, and allowed for quick travel. It was only made possible by the fact they were traveling downward, deeper into the Eternal Dark, he realized. For parts of the route, the dark elves showed him how to clip his glider to the ropes spanned across a small chasm or winding along the ceiling of a narrower tunnel; in effect creating something closer to a rope lift or pulley.

  When the tunnels widened, becoming more like a wide hall with echoing spaces, they glided downward freely. He was glad for his honed reflexes and high Dex stat in this case, making it easy to pick up the trick of steering his glider. Even Peras paid him several compliments on his handling of it.

  But the trip did not take overly long. After several hours, in which they clearly covered at least the same distance he had yesterday and this morning put together, they arrived at their destination.

  The city of Eterian’nes was noticeably deeper in the Eternal Dark, with the architecture accordingly differing somewhat. It, too, was located in a cavern; a rather large one, probably big enough to fit the city of Cera easily. It was not built purely on the ground, however, but partly into the walls and long ledges that were hewn into them and then descended or rose further to the center of the cavern, and there were even structures hanging from the ceiling. He could see large lengths of rope or chain connecting structures and allowing for travel between levels. They arrived from above, and his escort directed them to land on a wide, even platform of this sort, where several walkways and what looked like a covered slide of some kind descended further into the city. The building material of choice here appeared to be stone, with wood being very rare, but there were also bricks of what might have been clay and several more obscure materials used.

  Armin craned his neck to take everything in. He only snapped back to the present moment when they passed a checkpoint into the city proper. There were several more soldiers here, but they waved them onward after a short conversation with Peras and asking him a few lackadaisical questions. Yes, he was a Delver, and yes, he had permission to be here from Houses Ulaven and Oliren, and no, he was not here to stay permanently. Then they descended into the city.

  In contrast to the architecture, the people and the bustle of the city really did not differ much from the town they’d just come from, or even human settlements on the surface. Dark elves were going about their business, visiting shops, sitting down in teahouses or perhaps heading to and from their workplaces. In the way of big cities, no one spared him a second glance. As they walked through the city, he could see several humans, although they were quite rare. Dwarves and even a few gnomes were more frequent. Some of them were dressed in the fashion of the dark elves, with surprisingly colorful outfits. Civilians certainly seemed to dress in brighter colors and with more variety than the soldiers he’d encountered, with geometric and artistic shapes and designs painted or stitched on the fabric in many places.

  He had been told that the minerals they used to make dyes were somewhat abundant in the Eternal Dark and so it was one of their characteristic exports, especially of House Oliren. Armin was no geologist or merchant, but that seemed plausible. He simply took in the city, following his escorts down the street. They walked for about half an hour, down a broad walkway and then up into a section of the city that was situated a little higher up than most of the others. The buildings here stood taller, and there was even some space between them. Estates for the more well-off dark elves, presumably.

  Finally, Peras stopped in front of one of them. Armin noted that unlike the others, it didn’t have the sigil of her house ornately worked into the stonework, instead simply hanging from a few banners. A rented mansion, perhaps? She opened the door without ceremony and ushered him inside. Armin followed, nodding to two men who were sitting in the entrance hall, but she guided him past without stopping. They ascended a staircase of polished dark stone, then walked down a short corridor. The interior decor seemed rather austere. But he barely paid it any mind.

  Then she opened another door to meet who they had come here for, and Armin stepped inside, bowing slightly to show respect to his host. There were three women and two men present, all dark elves of course, but it was clearly the older of the men who was in charge.

  It looked like he had been right. Lermen’s hair was short, entirely white but sparser than what he typically saw from elves, and his face showed some lines. But he still stood straight and unbowed, his richly embroidered jacket (were those pearls stitched onto it?) showing wiry muscles that suggested he still kept training. His skin tone was a bit lighter than the average dark elf, an interesting detail. More importantly, his face was somewhat familiar.

  “Sir Armin.” The dark elf smiled and stepped forward, reaching out a hand. “I am pleased at your arrival and pleased to meet you.”

  “Lord Oliren,” he replied, deciding to use the address he had heard before. He clasped the lord’s wrist, turning his hand slightly; a gesture of showing each other there was nothing up one’s sleeve and no fear to touch skin, now a semi-formal greeting. “I feel compelled to clarify I am not a knight. I am also quite pleased to meet you, though. Thank you for the welcome.”

  Lermen made a dismissive gesture with his other hand. “From what I have heard, you have more than earned the courtesy ‘sir’. I am comfortable using it. Now I would like to introduce these others.”

  Armin paid attention at the introductions, exchanging a few words with each of those present. Their manner of speaking was a little uncomfortable, although he knew it was simply customary in a situation like this. Stating your emotions, and even what you hoped the other party felt, was normal in a conversation that was not either very informal or very formal with neutral or friendly parties, especially between relative strangers. It was certainly better to start off with it than with veiled threats and word games.

  It seemed like everyone present was someone of note in House Oliren, or, in one case, House Inaven, a close ally or vassal of the house; certainly weaker, but he wasn’t entirely sure where it fell on the line. Not quite the top leadership, of course. They might deign to meet him later, but hadn’t come out here to greet him — except for Lord Lermen, apparently.

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  Which reminded him. He opened his pack and carefully took out a sealed envelope, offering it to his host with both hands. “I am carrying a message for your eyes, Lord Oliren. I hope it will please you.”

  The elder dark elf was clearly too composed to show much of a reaction, but he did pause the conversation there to take open the letter and read it. Armin noticed he angled it so no one else could see it, and no one was rude enough to try to peek.

  Finally, Lermen folded it and tucked it away in an inner pocket. He smiled, inclining his head a fraction to Armin. “Thank you, Sir Armin. I am quite glad to hear from my daughter again. You have my gratitude for conveying the message, and I assure you I will support you in your time here in the Eternal Dark.”

  Armin’s eyebrows climbed slightly despite himself. He hadn’t really expected the casual way Lermen referred to his daughter without any pretense or hesitation. Although there wasn’t really a reason why he shouldn’t do that, of course. Instead, Armin just filed away the confirmation of what he had thought — Icnes Oliren did rather favor him now that he had seen both of them, but his eyes were clearly Madris’ — and bowed his head in acknowledgment.

  “I am curious how long you intend to stay here,” Peras said after a short pause. She seemed to have joined the others, but had been hovering a bit in the background.

  “I am not expected back at any fixed date, I was planning to make the length of my stay dependent on how things went here,” he answered. He glanced at Lord Oliren again. “I am ready to help in whatever ways I can. I would also gather some information for my superiors and perhaps prepare for an official emissary from the Empire to come.”

  He nodded; that had probably been covered in the letter. A few of the others looked a bit surprised.

  “Political tensions are rising in the Eternal Dark,” Lermen said after a short pause, his voice steady. “I am afraid things will likely get worse before they get better. I hope you have been briefed on the basic situation.”

  “There are several political factions, but they broadly fall into one or two camps of loose alliances? Differing on how to deal with the outside world as well as social issues within your society?” Armin said.

  “That is an oversimplification, but I admit it is mostly correct. Now, dealing with your new ‘Central European Empire’ is going to impact the situation. Perhaps it will be easier to discuss the details once we have returned and we can show you some other matters. For now, I assure you it should not turn to violence, so there is no need to be afraid of that.”

  Armin frowned. He knew it was a different culture, but he still instinctively bristled a bit at what might sound like an insult to his bravery. “I am certainly not afraid. But I will follow your lead.”

  "Of course, I did not mean to offend. Are you ready to accompany us to our home? The city is close to the center, so it will be good to stay there. We might leave tomorrow.”

  Armin nodded. “Certainly.”

  They kept talking for a few more minutes, exchanging some basic information, but he could tell that there was a bit of growing tension. Finally, Lermen dismissed the others. They left without protest.

  Now alone, the older dark elf regarded him for a moment. “Truthfully, I did not expect Madris to adopt people into her new house, but I suppose she surprised me. I hope she told you what it means?”

  “Of course,” he replied, trying not to sound defensive.

  “Good. Tell me, how is my daughter?”

  “She is well,” Armin said after a moment, hesitating slightly. “She seems happier than she was a few years ago, I believe. Moving to the Empire might have been good for her.”

  “That is good to hear. I hope she has found something worth staying for.”

  Armin frowned slightly. He thought back to talking to Madris, watching her teach the Empress and then the new psychics she had gathered. Neither of them would have expected how things had turned out, but she had seemed more fulfilled, had perhaps found a bit more purpose. It wasn’t uncommon among Delvers, of course. “With all due respect, Lord Oliren, if I may say so, I did not have the impression that you and Madris were close.”

  “In a real sense, it is your family too, now, so you may certainly express your thoughts.” Lermen reached up to rub the bridge of his nose. His composure seemed to be cracking slightly for the first time. “You are right, I have not been close with my eldest daughter. That does not mean I am not interested in how she fares.”

  Armin regarded him silently for a moment. He noticed that Oliren hadn’t said anything about his relationship to Icnes. “I understand,” he said instead of asking after that. “I was telling the truth, I believe she fares well. She is close with Empress Regina, who she has been teaching.”

  Lermen smiled slightly, almost wistfully. “Ah, of course. Leave it to Madris to befriend the most unique or scary being she finds. She has never known fear.”

  “I don’t think she’s ever encountered something she would’ve found genuine cause to be afraid of.”

  Madris’ father shook his head. “Perhaps not in some time,” he muttered. “You must know she spent near two centuries in almost total isolation for her training. When she emerged from it, she would not be stopped.”

  Armin didn’t comment on that. He had heard about it, although he didn’t know many details.

  “Regardless,” Lermen continued, fixing his gaze on him. “This will not be easy for you, Armin. People will know who you are, who you are associated with. You will be under some scrutiny.”

  He frowned. “Madris is still well-known here?”

  “Of course. It has not been that long, as our people reckon time. At least in some circles.”

  “And what about you?” he asked on impulse.

  Lermen grinned wrily. “Why, it has been largely a boon for me. My daughter might be controversial, but she is undeniably powerful. Having sired her is often counted my greatest achievement. Many do not understand why my wife did not have more children from me after Icnes.”

  Armin almost asked why, then stopped himself. It seemed like bait. And family or not, asking after such private decisions of House Oliren’s leader was perhaps not the wisest move.

  “The social customs of the Eternal Dark will take some time for me to get used to,” he commented instead. “I will take your words under advisement, and strive not to embarrass myself. Or any of us.”

  “I am confident in your abilities,” Lermen replied. “For now, perhaps you would like to rest. I will have you shown to your guest room.”

  Armin nodded, then bowed slightly in goodbye, watching as Lermen responded to the gesture with a hand on his chest.

  A servant waited outside the room to escort him, a young women in what might have been livery, who quickly led him to a guest room and then left him alone. Armin considered the conversation and his first impressions as he looked around.

  House Oliren was clearly rich, and didn’t hide it. The bed sheets were made of expensive fabric, as were the curtains — something he had not noticed in the house before, and which were clearly rather unnecessary here anyway. Gold and silver glinted in discreet embellishments and decorations.

  With a sigh, he finally took off his boots and sank into the soft bed. Someone had left a book on the bedside table. A commentary on the Eternal Dark he had not seen before, he discovered as he opened it.

  Armin settled down on the bed and got comfortable with the book. Letters always tended to move across the page for him when he wasn’t focusing properly, but it was ironically easier with less familiar characters, and he would persevere. It was a thoughtful gesture, anyway.

  All in all, his first day with the dark elves could certainly have gone worse.