"So, what brings you to the very edge of the Chasm itself, young one?" Eff asked.
"The Underlord has found a way to invade Overland," Ess said. "Pierce was able to warn us of the timing of the initial attack, but we don't know how Kash has done it. Grondell has fallen. The Everlasting Temple is in ruins."
She told him the tale of Testadel's emergence in the heart of Grondell, how they had barely escaped with their lives.
Eff didn't look shocked, but he gave out a little sigh and seemed to deflate with disappointment.
"Did you know?" Ess asked lowly.
Eff seemed surprised she would ask this. "No, by the Beard. I have not been monitoring distant events lately. I've been otherwise engaged. The, uh, structure of our world is not what I thought it was..."
Ess shook her head. "I didn't mean whether you knew the news. Did you know this would happen."
"Ah," Eff said. "It is a reflection that I have seen, yes. But you know that does not denote knowledge. I cannot predict the future any more than you can."
Ess sighed and leaned back. "But you did have a hint. Why wouldn't you warn anyone?"
The First turned his head in the direction of the Chasm. His gaze may have pierced the wall of the tower.
"It doesn't matter who controls Overland," he said distantly. "The battle of import does not occur here."
"What does that mean?" Axebourne protested. Pierce had seen him striving to hold his tongue through all of this. He couldn't stand it anymore. "Of course it matters! We humans have lived here for... well who knows how long? The surface world is our home."
"My Second is not human," the First said cooly. "Shall we deport her to Underland?"
Axebourne balked and huffed.
"Unfair, Master," Ess said. "You understand his meaning. And I agree. It is clear that humans were born under the light of the sun. Gen, and all the monsters and mutants that Kash commands, are children of the dark. Each race was given their estate. Perhaps I should return to the land of my people. Yet I no longer consider myself gen. I am only your Second."
Eff hmmed. "Assume, then, that I am able to help you defend Overland. Assume that I wish to. What would you have me do?"
Pierce raised his hand. "That'd be my department, sir. I'm Pierce."
Pierce stood and put his hand on the hilt of his sword. A king, guard, or warrior might have tensed and put a hand to his own weapon at this, but the First just watched in curiosity.
Pierce drew the enchanted bone-melter and let its blue light bathe the room.
Eff's eyes actually opened wider. Pierce grinned. Even this old wizard could be surprised.
"Sev, this forgemaster who's joined us, created this color," Pierce said.
"Well I didn't create it," Sev said sheepishly. "The Blacksmith forges all things. But I did discover the recipe."
"Most Underlanders don't like it," said Pierce. "It either scares or angers them. I discovered this as I escaped Testadel."
Eff cocked his head slightly and glanced at Ess. She nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Alright. The rarest of all colors, distilled into an enchantment," said Eff. "What would you do with it? Slay Kash's forces one by one?"
"Well sir," Pierce answered seriously, "I would enjoy nothing more. But it doesn't seem efficient."
Agrathor chuckled.
"I was thinking, Sev here could forge us some more blue, and you could enchant something big, something to cover all of Overland and drive the Underlanders away. Something like the sky."
Pierce almost expected Eff to laugh, but he did not. Instead he resumed his puzzled expression and stood. He brought a hand to his silver-bearded chin, seemed to gaze through the wall again.
"It's not a bad idea," he said at last. "And the legends do point to an aversion to brightness."
Pierce had always known his grandmother was a genius. Vindication. He, Agrathor, and Axebourne all grinned at each other. There was hope, then.
"But do you have any idea how much dust that will take?" asked Eff.
"Some idea, revered wizard," said Sev. "The work will be arduous for me once the materials are secured, but I will enjoy it. Gorgonbane has already assembled a team with which to mine the silicon I require. "
"We have?" asked Axebourne.
"Are they not waiting at the main tower's gate?" Sev asked.
"Huh," said Axebourne. "I suppose they are."
"So you can do it?" Pierce pressed.
Eff scoffed. "Of course I can do it, boy, I am the First. Enchantments of light are some of the simplest anyway. Success depends only on the volume of material available and the amount of focus I can achieve. Yes, it will be trivial. The only thing I lack is the knowledge of the forging of blue."
"Hear that, Sev?" Pierce said, slapping his big friend on the back. "Your blue's gonna be everywhere! So, where do we start? Where do we go mining?"
Eff deferred to Sev, but he grew a sardonic grin.
"Down the side of the Chasm, far as I know," Sev said. "Unless anyone else knows where to mine pure silicon."
"Can we not just dredge up sand?" Ess asked. "Must we risk the Chasm? I fear the banshees."
Sev shook his head gravely. "It would take too long to process the silica. This is why the Chasm below the Underlands was braved in the first place. It's much quicker, if you don't die. We - Kash - has thousands of miners working the walls, from moonrise to moonrise."
"I always wondered how Kash was so rich in enchantments," Ess said wonderingly. "Did you know this, too?" she asked Eff.
He shrugged. "I suppose," he said. "Though I never thought of it in terms of riches. Perhaps because I am not poor in enchantment myself." He smirked.
"Still," Ess grumbled. Pierce hadn't yet heard her speak this way to anyone. "Why allow him to grow in power, unchecked? Too, I've always wondered, why you don't simply destroy him yourself."
"Am I a murderer, then?" Eff said.
"He murders," said Ess. "I do not mean to equivocate, but it would be
