《The Forest Spirit who sought the Gods》 -3 Magic and Pantheon may contain spoilers . In this world, magic relies on their favour for the Gods of Men, and on study and comprehension for the Gods of Creation. Both paths are not exclusive, but gods from the same path usually are, because mortals are after all fragile, and being under the gaze of multiple gods would influence them in multiple directions, driving them insane. Full devotion to a God will bring as much power as restrictions. Some gods will also bestow inhuman characteristics upon their believers or punish them, and the more they transform the more powerful they are, closer to the image and power of the one they revere. may range from being bulkier and stronger, to getting horns or a tail, or having grass as hair. People can of course choose none of that, and live normal lives or try to walk their own path to divinity. Every magic has its physical price. It may range from fatigue, to consuming one''s life. Using energy taken from outside oneself is an advanced technique that enables powerful spells but will always cause tragedy around the caster. Keep in mind that pushed to the extreme (fanatics), the paths of the gods can become perverted abominations in the hands of mortals. Creation Gods : they have no name, and are called by their role by mortals. Beasts and plants can also be affected by them. -God of Time : pretty explicit, it favours the immortal ghosts and undeads in existence, for they live through time with him. Associated magics are acceleration, wilting, and rewinding.Users will become thinner and frail, but enjoy a (much) longer life. -God of Nature : it favours plants and animals alike, but only them and not their creations. Associated magic is none. Users will take on beastly or plantly characteristics. -God of the Elements : it favours the world itself and brings retribution on those that harm it. Associated magic are the elements found in the world, such as fire, water, wind, earth, thunder. Users will have their temperament affected by the element they study and use. Gods of Men : they are mortals who, through their own path and will, were recognised by the Creation Gods as interesting, and elevated through legends. Their path can be trod by others now, and they will respond to it by blessing their practitionners. -Theomars, the Warrior God : his strenght was glorified, and his temper made into legend. His emblem is his sword. His followers are strong and sharp, and free spirits, but have a hard time focusing on anything else than action. They may lose themselves to a fight, in which case their eyes will lose their light until they are defeated as punishment. The strongest battle maniacs would sometimes stay blind their whole life, for holding back would bring even greater retribution... -Oberon, the God of Protection : his stalwart character and endurance are sung through the world. His emblem is a shield. His followers hardly ever tire and are strong, but this boon is linked to what they choose to defend, be it a place, a person, or a moral value. A blow to these will often make them crumble and be ignored by the God, falling to misery. -Liezel, the God of Transgression : his disrespect for everything but himself isolated him, and he is not much liked. His emblem is a gust of wind. His followers are sparse, taking in hermits, bandits, tricksters and the banished. He is more chaotic than evil, advocationg freedom. His eccentric followers are granted power in the form of reduced presence, can blend into shadows , and are almost impossible to restrain, always free to do whatever they like. -Monte, the God of Fortune : he went hand in hand with Eludia as a mortal. Solid as a rock and working hard, he climbed to the top of this world step by step during his now legendary adventures. His emblem is tree roots. He rewards those who work to better themselves. They will be unmovable, and will find success and limit losses in what they do, helping them guide their fate. -Eludia, the Goddess of Luck : she went hand in hand with Monte as a mortal. Her emblem is a hundred-faced die. Fickle and daring, her gains were as heavy as her losses, often saved my Monte in the end. She guides the hands and feet of bright and audacious people to find opportunities, and help them twisting fate in their favour or against others. -Deva, the Goddess of Truce : she was a kind saintess, bringing peace of mind and relief to those she met. Her emblem is a heart. Her followers are sages, know healing and the heart of people, but they are frail and unsuited to any physical labour. -Nyx, the Goddess of Arts : her love for arts and revelry, whatever they may be, know no bounds. Her emblem is an aflame pyre. Anything mastered can be an art in itself under her eyes. She will twist bodies so they conform better to the practice, following the mind of the performer. -Kali, the Goddess of Suffering : she died a martyr with no thought for herself. Her emblem is a drop of blood. Her followers lose their pupils and are left with only the white of their eyes. They are not blind, but it is the mark of the goddess, reflecting the impartiality of suffering.They are able to use blood magic to manipulate wounds, are tenacious and heal quickly. The most powerful are able to deny death itself for a few moments. -2 World setting no spoilers @@ This World is walked by all sorts of creatures, be it humans, demi humans, elves, sentient and moving plants and minerals, and all sorts of mythical beasts. Most revere no god but still know of their stories, in fear of losing themselves or being changed as a price for blessings. Children are usually told the ways of the gods early, and given a choice around age 15 to hold a ceremony to choose one. It is an opportunity to receive powerful blessings for those confident in their choice. The believers who bear some mark of transformation are generally respected for their choice and persistence. To gauge the "power" of someone, the common practice is to look for signs of transformation on the person, referred as "blessings". There are other means too, like watching them using their blessings, or asking an advanced follower of Deva to peer through their heart. Population is not very concentrated, what can be considered a "big city" is one that has walls to defend it and a governor. There is no concept of State or Kingdom over the size of those cities. Cities are considered the multicultural hubs of the world, the majority of the population still lives in the wild, grouped in communities. This is why the teachings of the gods are usually biaised towards one in particular in small communities, and more liberal and free in cities who can afford to build multiple temples. The gods are asleep, and share dreams and experiences with some mortals, granting them incredible power. They are the revered Children of the Gods, able to wake their consciousness to bring miracles. Each god will only follow one children at a time. The temples or shrines have no guidelines, focus and a symbolic offering is usually enough to show devotion and attract attention. The exception to that are the Gods of Creation, which shrine is usually built a specific way : circular, with the roof divided in three sections. One of opaque blackened glass, for the God of Time ; one open-aired, for the God of Nature ; one of multicolored tainted glass, for the God of the Elements. Money and language are universal, gifted by Monte and the God of Nature respectively.@@ -1 Money and equipmen -- MONEY -- 1 big gold coin =>50 gold coins 1 gold coin => 20 silver coins 1 silver coin => 10 big copper coins => 100 little copper coins When gold isn''t enough, precious gems or rare materials can be used to exchange. -- EQUIPMENT -- Most of the existing equipment is pretty basic, armour made of leather (simple, studded, reinforced with bits of metal...) and weapons forged with iron or steel alloy. Anything better needs to go through the hands of master craftsmen capable of magic, usually followers of Nyx, Theomars or Monte. These experts are capable of creating new alloys, engraving magic circuits and infusing materials with their power to give their creations unique capacities. Broke elementalists can exhaust themselves in order to create elemental crystals and sell them, which are then used in alchemy and crafting. tl:dr BASIC : leather / iron / steel works. ADVANCED : uncommon alloys and simple runes. Require magic use during the making. EXPERT :composite runes and elemental works through crystals. Requires a huge quantity of magic and special resources. MASTER : custom works requiring the client''s own magic to be imbued in the product. Crafting effort can vary enormously depending on what is desired. RELICS : items owned by the Gods of Men before their ascension, which followed through their deification. They are usually wielded by the Children of the Gods, if they remember where they left them, and hold incredible power. Time, Nature and Element don''t have relics, but can nonetheless create some on a whim or to reward followers and god-candidates. The Gods of Men can make some too, but it is much rarer as they already have their own stuff. Relics are particular in that they contain traces of divinity, and can thus choose and refuse a wielder. -- Potions and magical reagents -- Nothing much to say here. Potions are common goods with simple effects such as healing, coloring or feeding. They are NOT MAGIC in any way, and won''t grant anything fancy like flight or invisibility (see relics for that). The only exception would be alchemical lights, which works pretty much like a mix of dynamo and glowsticks. Shake it and it''ll glow. Magical reagents are a pretty vast theme and usually encompasses anything magic. Charged gems, elemental crystals and aligned materials, resources from Blessed and mythical creatures... and what they are used to make. Golems are halfway elemental magic and magical reagent, since they need the first to make them and give them intent, also the second (a charged gem) to provide it energy. --GENERAL TL;DR -- Oh come on. You fell for that? This is a book, what are you doing if you don''t read? 1 The Song of the God-Tree At the heart of the forest of Creation, in the world of the Three, stood the tallest tree of all. The Stalwart Oak, is watching over the forest and blessing its creatures and good-hearted travelers, older than anyone remembers, kinder than anyone would be, and lonelier than anyone could get. Blessed by the three Creation Gods after they made this world, his life is coming at an end, without anyone at his side to witness the passing of this supreme entity. Thus the Oak came to a decision, that he would not wait in vain anymore. He would gamble everything he had left, in the pursuit of his creators. He decided to create his own new life, that would seek them, consuming the blessings he received in the process. As he began to concentrate, his branches trembled, and his leaves bloomed in full, gathering the sunlight. The forest around him, and every being in it began to tremble under the torrent of sheer might that was being used. Men, plants, beasts, every being felt the urge to prostrate in the Stalwart Oak''s direction, for the powers he used were those of the Gods of Time, Nature and the Elements. As his roots and branches began to wither, and his leaves to drop, the God-Tree began to sing his life away, his power conveying his words deep inside the heart of any who felt it : When this world was made, They toiled hard and got exhausted. They stopped and rested under my shade, While they marveled at what they created. For my comforting leaves they bestowed gifts, Of thought, strenght, and resilience. I lived through time, consciousness adrift, Radiating around me a serene presence. In thanks I watched over their creation, Gazing at its life and evolution. Giving help to what they created, I could not follow them for I am rooted. But I grow old and tired, knowing my end, And I yearn to meet those I called friend. Alas I am unable to reach them, For they slumber and dream with their children. They are Gods, and their offspring called me one too, So before I die let me gift this to you. This is my life, this is my seed, Bring it to them so I could be freed, Carry it to them, show it to their eye, For it is my thanks, and my last goodbye. Now go, little one, travel out of this forest, of my shrine, Now go, my seedling, my sprout, my sapling, and shine... As the last words echoed and the crumbling leaves of the Stalwart Oak fell, the tree finished melding his power, and put it all into two things : his first and only seed, and his youngest leaf. The dried leaf turned back to it''s green and lively sheen, as the seed melted into a black fist-sized mass of shadows. Two little, glowing, white eyes lit up on the black ball, then two slender tendrils squirmed towards the leaf, pierced throught it, and brought it over itself like a hat. Under it sprouted two little nubs serving as legs as it got up, and looked up at the crown of the now passed away God-Tree. Thus the only Forest Spirit in this world was born. The forest was silent, as if every being inside it had stopped breathing, their heartbeat stolen for a moment, before a cold wind began to blow, and every plant and creature inconsciously began to weep and grieve. Every exploration and fight for survival in the forest stopped to welcome the last form of life created from the powers of the Three. Life and sound returned as the Spirit made its first movement. It began crushing a few leaves, and scraped a piece of bark off the Tree to put it in. I then dug a hole between two of the biggest tree roots, and buried it''s little package inside. As soon as it finished, the whole forest shuddered again, of its own volition this time, paying hommage to the great existence who watched over them since the dawn of time. Every single plant, be it a young bud or old tree, gave a bit of its life to give to the Spirit, who then put it in the soil. As the shuddering stopped, a tiny branch with a single leaf sprouted from where the bark ballot was buried. The little Forest Spirit turned around, and began walking... 2 The Will of the God-Tree When the Spirit took its first steps away from the tree, following a trail left by pilgrims, it began to feel something tug at itself... as it stepped further, now out of view, the feeling became more precise : it was hunger. But hunger for what? The only thing it had left was the leaf of the God-Tree, consuming such a treasure would be a waste! So it ate some scraped-off bark, a piece of bush, blades of grass, some fallen fruits, anything it found. But the feeling got stronger, and nothing could satiate it. At this moment, the Spirit made its first encounter with a creature. A daring snake ignored its instinct pushing it away from the Stalwart Oak, baited by the power of the leaf. It lunged at the little Spirit from a branch, only to fall flat on the leaf, crushing the Spirit underneath. Confused at not finding its prey, but greedy, the snake prepared to swallow the leaf immediately. The Spirit reformed itself in front of the snake, opened a glowing white, jagged mouth-like rift under its eyes, and screamed in anger ; the snake only saw its prey reappear, and had no time to move before it felt as if a mountain crashed upon its head. Feeling the greed in the stunned snake in front of it, the Spirit was furious and grabbed it with its tendrils. Activating a power it did not know it had, leftover from the power the God-Tree created his inheritor with, the snake began to hiss and flail around. But it was to no avail, and it could only bite through its foe, enduring pain as magic began its cruel work. The Spirit''s power fueled its magic and the snake began to turn into plants! Blades of grass covered it, its body turned brown and hard like a discarded piece of wood, and flowers bloomed where its eyes were. Once it calmed down, the hunger came back haunting the Spirit, but with it also came fear, fear of losing the leaf. Crumbling under the gripping feelings, it decided to eat the leaf. -- As soon as it finished swallowing it, the Spirit fell asleep. In the dream, the first thing to appear was the Stalwart Oak, who began talking to him : "So you ate my leaf, little one... I created you to bear my last will and my heart, and through this leaf I will give it to you, satiating your hunger for eternity. It will grant you powers, and it will also let you recognise my friends if you accept to meet them. Now watch, learn, and remember!" Scenes began flashing by the Spirit''s consciousness. The Spirit saw itself screaming, and creatures falling to the floor around it. It saw itself turn weak or injured creatures to inanimate plants. It watched as it crawled into a helmet, using it as a shell, then as it slid into a dead bird and took flight. It learned, as it gave its power to a gem, and a golem was born of it. It understood, as it helped nature grow, that it could feel the will of every plant around it helping it back. "My friends, they are asleep, they have been for so long that I can no longer remember... But they are Gods, and they share their dreams and mind with mortals they choose, the Children of the Gods... This is the last thing I can give you, little sapling. You have no roots to shackle yourself with, so go freely into this world of the Three! Look at them, as I remember them, feel them, and maybe you will find them." Then, slower, after the last flash went off, three figures appeared. The first looked like a mummified elven corpse, two meters tall and emaciated, with its characteristic long ears and silver hair, dressed in rags and sitting against a gigantic tree. Next to him stood a pint-size grass doll, barely coming up to the elf''s knee, pouring power into the same tree. The third was a human-like mass of everchanging power, with a ball similar to a miniature sun where its head would be, at shoulder height of the elf. The Spirit felt itself drift off to sleep, digesting all that he saw in those few moments... -- At the same time the leaf was consumed, the Three who were woken up when the Stalwart Oak died, opened their eyes and took over their Child of the Gods to think. The God of Time was underground, buried in an ancient ruined city. It currently possessed a very special undead, the Mad King, who prided himself of his time magic when he was alive. At the end of his mortal life, he expressed his lingering regrets, and in an insane fit, challenged the God of Time itself. He pledged to turn back time, for he wanted to die with no regrets and fix his mistakes. The Mad King used his whole city and its inhabitants to fuel his grand spell, turning it to ruin and passing dust. When the spell finished powering up, to his delight, time froze and began to turn back. However it was destined to fail, for going against a God of Creation was folly. Time turned back and flowed again in the middle of the ritual, creating backlash on the caster. The city was ruined, its inhabitants dead ash flying in the wind, as its King saw himself wither to a skeleton. His rage and despair ignited his soul flames, blue sparks burning brightly in his skull. But the God of Time was not enraged by his defiance, he got interested instead, in this mortal who walked the path of Time farther than any before. Withering its previous host, it made the Mad King its new Child, to ironically grant him Time, the Time he never could touch, and make him repent for twisting the world. But the former king only sat back on his throne, blue sparks flying around his regal clothes, waiting. Now time still around him as the soul flames turned pitch black. "So it was you who woke me up, old friend... you vanished but I feel you again, but it is not you either... Maybe it is time I take a new look at what my brothers and I created." Time flowed again, the skeleton trembled, and the flames turned blue again, while leaving small black points in his eyes, showing its new purpose. The God of Nature resided in a stunned dryad, living in a shrine of the Three. It melded into the tree which grew above the roof, and reappeared on its crown, feeling terrible not knowing why, looking far beyond the horizon. But the God inside her knew, that the death of the God-Tree shook its host just like it shook the God. The dryad murmured in a sad voice that wasn''t completely hers : "Even a mighty existence like you couldn''t bear the loneliness nor the parting at the end of the line it seems... Just like you I am rooted in this life. So come, Old Friend, come and see me again, Meet me once more to be free of your pain Just like you we yearned for a friend, But it seems none could last in the end." Upon a frozen mountain laid a dragon, covered in brown scales, with a fiery mane and transparent wings. It got up and roared, shattering the glaciers around him, hiw maw spitting a tempest of sparks and snow. He turned his head to look down the mountain range, his yellow eyes like miniature suns cut in half by vertical slits. "Why did you wake us both up, old Creator? Tell me, what has shifted in your world that startled you so?" said the dragon, laying back down with his head on its front legs. "An old friend has passed away without saying goodbye, but why did he leave himself to die? With the powers he was granted, his life was guaranteed..." "Is it the little oak you told me about?" "Yes... but I feel him still, he severed his root to pass his will, a life for a life in a trade. It is not him anymore." "Then let me find him for you, and play this game of tag, it''s been a few centuries since I last exercised a bit, the little ones below might event have forgotten me!" The dragon got up and flapped his pair of wings, a grin on its monstruous faceand a glint in his eyes, a tempest circling around him from this simple movement. "Do you even remember where little Oak''s forest is?" The dragon''s talons tensed and crushed a few rocks under him. "No. But it wouldn''t be fun otherwise, would it? How about using this little chase to meet a few of your eight new friends you made after the little tree?" "I don''t care. They are like us Three, slumbering and watching through mortals, I won''t interrupt them if they don''t reach out to me." "Now this is getting more and more exciting, I hope we meet Theomars on the way, I haven''t had a good brawl with him since you came to me..." "Just don''t overdo it and ruin his host, alright? If it''s the one I remember he''s pretty attached to it." 3 First meeting Unaware of the waves it sent through the world, the little fist-sized Spirit woke up near sunset, still near the snake it just fought. It felt happiness and relief at the notion of never again feeling the hunger that plagued him before. But then it got surprised, and shocked again immediately at the thought that it could now feel emotions and think! This was interesting. Gaining individuality, it felt for the first time that it was alive. Was this part of the blessing of eating the leaf? What would that little snake become, had it eaten the leaf before the Spirit ? Getting out of its reverie, the Spirit felt uncomfortable without the leaf on its head, and went to a nearby tree to pulle off a piece of bark to cover itself (https://i.imgur.com/1cXZ1rK.jpg, enjoy some hand drawn cuteness). Shuddering in delight, it poured magic into the tree to help it grow and heal as thanks. When it removed its tendrils from the tree, it felt a rush of information about the surrounding area come into its head, like a sonar wave. There was an unusual concentration of bushes around a little clearing a bit further on the trail, and smoke was still rising from a fire pit. Four people were sitting around it. Hunters, or pilgrims maybe? This was a good opportunity, because in order to fullfill''s the Stalwart Oak''s last wish, it would need to make contact with civilization. -- "Hey, what was that?" said a leather clad-man, still wearing full equipment despite the camp being set up for the night. He sat against a wooden shield that was planted vertically into the soil, facing the fire. "What''s what? You know I already asked the plants around here to prevent creatures from coming too close. And we''re so close to the God-Tree too, nothing bad dares to come close. Aaaaah, I can''t help but be happy at the idea of meeting him again. A being blessed by the Three, how many are there in this world? Can''t believe it didn''t convince you to worship one of them after the last time you came here with me." "You''re a bit of a nutcase Aldo, and you know it just as well as me. I''m happy to live as I am. Blessings sure could be helpful, but I love myself more than that. You got your hair changed to a freaking birdnest and now you can talk to plants, what''s the big deal? Anyway I saw the bushes near the trail sway, and that definitely wasn''t wind." "Eeeeh, alright alright. No need to fight about that now Mark, and don''t even start on how we dress, I like my hand-made loincloth very much and I won''t make one for you." "Mention that loincloth again and I''ll have my axe say ''hi'' to it, you pervert." Mark looked towards the other two members of the group. The first was a frail teenager with an open-back green sundress, a cute face, strikingly blue eyes, waist-lenght chesnut hair and a pair of dragonfly-esque wings. Why did the believers of Deva, the Goddess of Truce, have to be so damn pretty? She was helping an old man set up his tent, but was panting heavily under the weight of the fabric. Even with his hunching back and greying half-bald head, her uncle seemed in better shape than the little beauty assisting him. His tasteful clothes were a bit messy from trekking in the forest, but he was the core of this team."Maya, sir Klib, I''m going to see what moved!" Klib''s wrinkled face cracked into a smile : "You do you kid, I''m going to finish setting up the tents. Maya dear, stop pushing yourself and start with the food, will you? Keep it up and you won''t be able to cast anything until you''ve slept." He turned away humming, taking the tent''s roof from Maya''s hands. "Okay, okay... but don''t hurt your back carrying all that stuff at once, you hear me? It won''t make a difference if I need to heal you instead of helping you now." She pouted and rummaged through a bag half as big as herself, "How the hell can you even carry all that stuff all day, Aldo?" "Hehe, that''s one of the perks of worshipping the god of Nature, the wilder I live the stronger I get! I won''t force myself to live naked in a cave to try and get a third blessing though, however close I may be to it. I still fancy living in towns. Living in a hand-made wooden cabin and being barefoot and half-naked all the time''s more than enough for me." "ALDOOOOOOOO! You were right, it was nothing bad." Mark came back, carrying a little black ball covered in a piece of bark in his right hand."Look how cute those tiny wiggly arms are." -- Seeing no threat, the Spirit decided to reveal itself to the armoured human, and let him carry it back to the others. It feared no physical attack after all, and could easily mend itself back if it got hurt somehow. Only its precious bark hat would suffer. I felt a friendly aura from the wild-haired, half-naked man. The girl looked exhausted, but still emitted some magical power around her little wings. "Look how cute those tiny wiggly arms are." Hey, those are tools for working, using magic and maybe fighting, they are not CUTE, tried to say the Spirit. But as scary as its mouth was, what came out of it was a little squeal. Aldo and Maya were transfixed as soon as they laid their eyes upon it. Kilb went on with his tent-building, ignoring them. "So cuuuuute! I want to pet it!" "Wh... what is that... it was just an instant... but it felt just like the God-Tree... p-p-put it down. RIGHT NOW!" Aldo fell to his knees, eyes bloodshot and arms trembling, while Maya walked slowly towards the Spirit, eyes glowing like she just found the best thing in the world. Surprised by Aldo''s shout, Mark put the Spirit to the ground ; his friend was a prankster, but he could see that this time''s look of terror and awe was not feigned. "Calm down Aldo, if it was hostile it wouldn''t need to hide, and it certainly wouldn''t have let me pick it up either." The Spirit nodded and waved at Mark in answer, before turning around and emitting a panicked cry, grabbing its bark hat. Maya, who was behind the Spirit, opened her fingers to let go of it "Okay okay, I won''t try to pet you anymore.". Still holding its precious hat, it looked carefully at the crouching Maya, before experimentally sending a tendril towards her forehead. As soon as it made contact, she howled in pain, breaking her voice, before falling to the floor. Shocked still, everyone could see her grow a new pair of wings, also attached to her shoulder blades, in the opposite direction from her first pair. She now had four meter-long wings, shaped like a butterfly''s. Panting and crying, she fainted. Kilb dropped the wooden stake he was carrying to rush to his niece, as Mark immediately went to grab his weapon before standing on guard. Aldo still hadn''t moved, getting paler by the second. "It just pushed Maya to her third blessing... It just pushed Maya to her third blessing... just what are you, what do you want..." As if waiting for the question, the little Spirit shuffled to an empty plot of dirt, before using its now clawed tendrils to draw on the ground. "Wait, did it just understand what you said?" Kilb was stunned. Intelligent creatures were rare, and friendly ones even more so. Holding Maya to his chest, he nudged Aldo and pulled him to look at what it was drawing. When they came close, the Spirit turned around and took a step back. Before it were plenty of tiny gashes, and a deep and long one in the middle. It pointed to a gash, then to a tree, as if comparing them. Then again with another, then another. "Is it saying those cuts represent a tree each?" Kilb asked Aldo. The Spirit nodded, stunning them, and pointed at the long one, then at the trail. "Is that... the God-Tree?" A nod again. Then once more at the long gash, then at itself. "Did you come from there?" It shook its head and repeated its gesture. "It didnt just come from it Kilb... I know what I felt now.l think it was MADE by the God-Tree. Mark, put down your axe, we... have nothing to fear." Aldo had stopped trembling, and was now staring at the nodding little Spirit. "I''ve already come before the God-Tree six times. The first time, before its majesty, l became a follower of the God of Nature, and obtained my first blessing on the spot. The fourth time, it gifted me one of its leaf, and touching it granted me with my second blessing, because l came to pray, not to him, but to Nature. Not escorting other pilgrims like today. However this time, we are accompanying Maya, who follows Deva. This little thing is... just like the God-Tree, it could grant blessing to a follower that isn''t his." "Wait, so there''s no more need to finish the trip? She came here to try and be blessed by the Tree, but now it''s already happened. What do we do?" Mark was puzzled, and had lowered his axe and shield. "First, we wait for her to wake up". 4 A name Maya woke up in the middle of the night, sore from all the pain in her body. Clasping her hands together, she cast a recovery spell. She could feel her fatigue increasing and her eyelids getting heavy, but the pain was fading away... Maya kept the spell going until she fell back asleep. The morning after, Kilb, Mark, Aldo and Maya found the little Spirit running around the fire pit in circle, its arms waving above its head. "Did it get possessed by Liezel during the night, or is it just playing?... Anyway, how are you feeling Maya? Yesterday sure was a shocker, getting your third blessing with a snap of the fingers." Mark was more and more convinced that dealing with gods was crazy. Still drowsy from the magic overuse, she answered in a quiet voice "Wait, what? My third blessing? What are you talking about?" "Your wings changed after this creature touched you, try feeling them for a bit, and see if you''ve got something interesting" When Maya tried to move her wings, her eyes went wide and she turned her head to look at them. "They''ve gotten so big! Did that really happen while I was asleep? I woke up during the night and got back to sleep by healing the pain I felt with magic, but I didn''t feel them at all! Ugh, at least my dresses will still fit." She looked to Kilb, seeking confirmation. "Don''t look at me like that dear niece, it''s all true." "You said the truth just now." She immediately put her hands to her mouth in bewilderment, as she didn''t intend to speak at all! "Oh! Seems that your new wings aren''t the only addition from that blessing. I know that ability, I''ve met a head priest of Deva that did the same. He could tell when people lied to him, and could also see the general character of people. Try focusing magic on your eyes to look at us." "Uhhhhh... It''s vague, but I can see something like a blurry green shape behind you Aldo? Like a giant grass, but... twisted in a spiral? Any idea what that means?" "Damn, now I know why that old codger didn''t want to tell me what he saw! Shit, he must still be laughing his ass off!" Mark couldn''t help but snicker too "Ahahahah, a straightforward nutcase, with his head into the mud looking for fresh leaves, that''s totally you!" "Maya, look at him too! I need something on him or he is going to make fun of me forever with that now." "I... can''t? It''s there, but it''s behind a fog, like it''s hiding?" She was confused. What kind of blessing worked whenever it wanted to, and not when it was being used actively? "That''s because he''s blocking you with his own magic power." Kilb came to her rescue with his knowledge. "Thank the gods you don''t just see everyone''s nature all the time and you need to focus, otherwise you would go crazy in a matter of days. Also, people can actively block you if they want to. Just look at him when he''s asleep, I don''t think he''s trained himself to block that too. Look at mine now, and I''ll demonstrate for you." "That''s right, anti-peeping protection. I just have to keep it in mind, and remember it when going to sleep. If you want to force it, I would have to be unconscious. I may not follow the path of a God, but I can still train myself, you know?" Mark replied proudly. "By the way, can you look at the little guy?" Hearing they were speaking about it, the Spirit stopped running in circles, climbing out of the ditch it made in its frenzy, and walked towards Maya. Still scared, she took a deep breath and focused her magic on her eyes again. What she saw left her mind reeling : she thought she wouldn''t be able to see something behind a creature, but this dwarfed all sense of proportion she had. Behind the fist-sized Spirit stood the tallest tree she had ever seen, three fruits hanging from it. The other three saw her eyes go wide and tip her head back to look towards the sky, wondering what she was seeing. "Aldo... how tall did you say the God-Tree was again?" her voice was trembling. "Because this is insane... I can''t even see the top of the manifestation behind it... It''s just a gigantic tree, with a black, a green, and a strange, multicolored fruit hanging from it. It''s nothing like your blade of grass or uncle Kilb''s rock..." "That''s... I have no idea. But it can''t be good, it shouldn''t be taller than oneself! Shit, let''s go down the trail and meet the God-Tree, he should be able to explain that to us since you won''t beseech him to bless you anymore." The confused little Spirit disappeared into smoke, throwing his bark flying towards Maya, and reappeared on her left shoulder, catching it and covering himself again. -- "The God-Tree is... dead?" Aldo''s voice was hoarse, choking on emotion after seeing the grey, leafless tree. Being a follower of the God of Nature, he was shaken to his core. He was pulled out of his reverie by the Spirit''s arm, pulling him a bit further around the tree. Then it pointed at the tree, and at the little sapling in a crack between old roots. "Are you saying this is the God-Tree? I can''t believe you, this little bud here is perfectly average... I know you know it too." Hearing this, the Spirit looked a bit depressed, its arms drooping. But it pointed again, at the tree, then at itself, then at the sapling, before looking up at Aldo''s face. "You''re the tree? And you planted that?" It shook its little head, then nodded. "So I was right... The God-Tree made you, what Maya saw confirms that, but I never expected that he would give everything, from his blessings to its very life, to you... What a sad end, alone in the middle of this gigantic forest of Creation." Aldo kneeled in front of the sapling to caress its leaf, pulled a few seeds from his messy hair somehow, and placed them around the newly grown plant as an offering. "Let''s go back, okay? This is going to cause a huge stir, and we definitely don''t want to be caught as the first people to report it. We need to get to a temple of the Three quickly though... What a pain." -- While walking on the return path, Mark looked at the Spirit sitting on Kilb''s head and asked it a question "Say, can you do anything besides turning to smoke, chirping, waving your tiny arms and distributing blessings like a follower of the Warrior God distributes slaps?". Annoyed at the comparison to a bird, the Spirit jumped to the ground and threw a pebble accurately to Mark''s face. "Ow, what was that for? Did I upset you with a simple question? Come on, chirp once for yes and twice for no". His answer wasn''t a chirp, but a skull-rattling, piercing scream that had Mark plug his ears with his fingers. "Okay, noted, spirit attack. No need for demonstration, I''m going to have a headache now." "Brought that upon yourself, Mark. Stop bullying Bud!" Maya was grinning at the two''s antics. "Bud? When did it get a name?" "Right now! It''s so young! So pure! Like a budding plant, discovering the world growing to the skies! I think it''s a great name!" The two chirps following her declaration had her smile wane. "Oh come on! You don''t like it?" Chirp Chirp, Chirp. Maya focused on Bud with her magic "So you feel it''s... incomplete? I know! Try to think of what you want and we''ll see if I can get it! Eheh, that blessing of yours truly is practical sometimes." After a few seconds, she spoke again "The God-Tree? What''s the relation to your name?" "When I met the God-Tree the fourth time, before he gave me its blessing, it shared his story with me. He was called the Stalwart Oak before being deified by people." Aldo cut in their conversation. "Do you want something like that, Bud?" Chirp! "Okay, how about Oakbud? It''s a bit of a strange name by our standards, but it''s closest to what you are. What do you think?" Chiiiirp. "He likes it! Nice find, Aldo." "Oakbud it is then." 5 Leaving the fores The few days of travel to get back to the edge of the forest were uneventful, with only a few wild animals disrupting their monotonous walk. Communicating through yes and noes with Oakbud was a bit hard at first, but everyone got accustomed to it after the first day. The little Spirit made Maya''s head his travelling spot, getting down from time to time to check the surroundings with his plant-sonar and humming nonsense. He also helped hunting some birds stunning them or even killing them outright. On the last day before getting out of the sea of trees, Oakbud found traces of an unknown animal, and showed them to Aldo. It left a trail of scratched trees and plowed earth behind it, crossing the trail. "I''ve never seen tracks like these Bud'', and it''s been more than a decade since I began helping people get to the God-Tree on this track. Let me think for a bit... Marks on the trees are around waist-high, looks like the bark got both crushed and sliced on some places. Ground has two sets of prints, looks like hooves, and a trail in the middle. My guess would be a blessed beast, but not more than once. Like a huge boar, but with a long tail. I hope it''s just that and not a more advanced creature that''s traveling... Also a few blood drops over there, maybe it''s in a frenzy because of an injury?" Oakbud jumped from Aldo''s shoulder and began tracing shapes on the ground. A circle, a big cross, and a little star. This was a code they made up to try and communicate more efficiently. "so, people, a big creature, and traces of magic?". The Spirit drew a line across the circle, making Aldo grimace "...well damn. Dead or hurt people." The drawing started again, this time a V then crossed it like the circle, and Oakbud pointed at himself insistently. "What do you want a dead bird for? You don''t eat, and those two we have left are for dinner" "ChirpchirpCHIRPCHIRPCHIIIIIIIIRP" "....Okay! Stop screeching, I''ll get you one. MAAARK! Throw me a bird will you? Bud has an idea I think!" Kilb and Maya got closer too, curious about the little critter''s latest idea. The bird was set on the ground, ready for whatever purpose it would serve. Oakbud put down his bark hat, and crawled into the bird''s mouth. The body twitched a bit, and the glowing white eyes of the Spirit appeared in the opened beak. The bird''s eyes began bleeding black, thick pus, and the usual two clawed arms popped through the sockets. Getting up and flapping his new wings, Oakbud chirped in excitement, this time with a real bird cry! By the time the "possession" was finished, everyone had taken a few steps back. Maya was even holding herself in her arms, face a little green. Mark was the first, and only one to comment on what just happened "Welp, I''ve seen people die, some of them by my hands, but that is definitely a new one for me. I''ll have to rephrase my question from when we met : what can you not do?" "I have to agree on this one." said Kilb, "but l have a scary but must-ask question for you Oakbud : since you just made bird cries, does that mean you could speak like us, provided the right creature?" The zombie bird nodded, and the Spirit used his arms to point back to the crossed V and circle from earlier. "Oh, so only dead creatures then? Still, this is quite terrifying, you shouldn''t show this to many people. You''re lucky we''ve met you a few days ago and got to know you, otherwise we would have attacked you on sight." This remark made Oakbud freeze. Kilb was right. He didn''t really know what was considered "normal" outside of the forest. The Stalwart Oak only left him memories about the Gods of Creation, the Gods of Men, what their path was, and what kind of common blessings their followers could get. Even heroes and god candidates pioneering their own path would probably not turn to desacrating the dead. They would never dare to touch the favourites of the God of Time. But he would still need to in order to look for the Children of the Gods mingling through society. Bud took his unstable flight to scout the beast trail from above, and for the first time in his short life, he saw the open sky, the top of the trees, the far-away God tree, and what looked like a city further in the plain beyond the forest. He shouted his joy, his arms funnily beating in sync with his wings, and made a few acrobaties before getting back to ''work''. He couldn''t use his plant sonar while in the air, so he used his eyes looking from the bird''s beak to check what was ahead. Around two kilometers further, Oakbud found a strange beast fighting with three people, two of them bleeding out on the ground and the third on his last legs. They were clearly not fighters, dressed in robes with a staff in their hands. The beast looked like a boar, crossed with a ram. It had a huge build, short hair and stubby short legs, making it comically imbalanced. However it had a boney protrusion at the end of its tail that reached the ground, and four sharp tusks : two curving over its head, and two at the sides of it mouth. The bird-Spirit decided to head back when the last man fell. The beast didn''t see the strange bird flying over it, and started to munch on the corpses happily, barely hurt at all. -- "So, what did you see over there, Bud?" Maya was curious, obviously having recovered from the earlier fright. "Anything interesting?" Oakbud used his arms and beak simultaneously to draw on the ground. Three circles, and a cross twice as big over them. "The beast killed three people? Oh Deva that can''t be good. What do we do, do you think we can beat them?" Maya focused her power to feel the answer from Oakbud, and what she understood shocked her. "Draw that for the others please, I''m not sure l understood everything..." The Spirit agilely drew a big cross again, then eight circles, and barred 3 of them. "Uncle Kilb, Mark, Aldo, he''s telling us it thinks it could be beat with eight people, but not without sacrifices... we should really get out of here." "Ooooh, that''s way scarier than what l could tell from the marks on the trees. We''re not hunting that blessed creature for sure. Can''t do anything for those poor souls but pray to the God of Nature that their corpses are well-received by the forest..." While everyone was debating on how fast they would need to bolt, Oakbud waddled towards Maya and pulled at the hem of her dress to get her attention. He pointed at her wings, then at his, and hopped. Since she had taken the habit of ''reading'' him, she immediately understood the simple idea of ''can you fly too?''. "Sorry Bud, l''m only able to hover a bit, and it''s really tiring because my wings aren''t strong enough without magic to help." The zombie bird hung its head low, and Oakbud dropped from its mouth. It picked his bark hat back up before climbing on Maya''s head again. Mark stopped speaking with the other two and turned towards the bird with a stiff smile. "I don''t know about you all, but this isn''t dinner anymore for me." No one answered that, but they all knew they wouldn''t eat it either. "I''ll bury it before we go. I''ll also use some magic to cover our tracks with some plant overgrowth so that crazy beast doesn''t catch up. We can get out of the forest by sundown and to the city by noon tomorrow if we hurry a bit." Kilb nodded to Aldo, picked up his backpack, and started walking, soon followed by the others. 6 How about a map? not a story chapter @@ Heyo all, author here. Have stopped writing for a bit, in order to draw a map of out little magical world. You will surely need to zoom in a bit, but everything should be readable. Just in case, a bit of legend : https://i.imgur.com/DzHA93R.png -Grey : mountains -Yellow (border of continents) : plain/beach -Crimson (border of continents) : cliff -Green : forest -Blue : rivers/lakes -Crimson (inside continents) : dried-up river beds -Brown (filling) : normal plains, duh. -Black writing : location''s name (also used for the size scale in days of foot travel) Can you guess a bit of the continent''s story looking at the map? Tell me in the comments! Not seeing any roads, cities or borders is normal. There shouldn''t be borders anyway in this story, and maps are rare and mostly owned by big families'' heads. Common people have no real need for maps and get by using geological landmarks to orient themselves. Next chapter should hit tomorrow or monday! EDIT : eeheh oops, real life took over for a bit. Couldn''t write a chapter, but consolidated what I already had : now I have a map, a list of who and where our little hero has met and has been, a few characters built for later, and some ideas for some important places.@@ 7 Pilgrim Woods 1 It had been a full eleven days since the little group left the God-Tree''s clearing, and the uneventful journey was stopped by a pack of goblins. This group was fortunately small with eight members, but no one liked being rushed at by two guards and bombarded by six throwers. Adult goblins have the size of a human child, green warty skin, and lithe builds. Their deformed human-like face usually have grey hair, an often crooked by fights nose, and yellow eyes shining with creativity. Yes, creativity and not intelligence ; goblin leaders are rare, and so they tend to form little groups arranging themselves between ranged and melee fighters, hunting and looting whatever they please instead. Improvised weapons, improvised armour, improvised explosives, improvised hideout... the word "improvise" sums up the goblin race pretty well, excluding their true and well-known tribe leaders who are intelligent and able to cast magic. The fight was quick : Mark and Aldo were definitely used to this kind of encounter, one rushing them with his wooden wall-like shield, toppling their fighters down and deflecting projectiles, the other growing grass and plants to bind the fallen. Kilb watched indifferently with a slight smile, while Maya clutched her staff, her knuckles whitening from the strain. Pushing his torso out and swinging his free arm, Mark spoke : "Didn''t even need to unsheathe my axe. Do we take time to finish this properly, or do we let them bound here and go? We''re close to Pilgrim Woods now, I really want to get to a bed and bath soon." Before anyone had time to answer, Oakbud was already by the closest goblin''s head, and screamed at it to make it faint. It then went to the other seven, repeating the operation, before standing in the middle of the pack. The Spirit focused and radiated its magic out, his little arms planted into the ground ant his mouth open in a silent scream. Like the snake before, the goblins started turning to piles of wood and plants, sparing the farthest one. Maya was the first to understand that Oakbud made it so it could possess the last goblin. "That is way cleaner than the first trip when Mark had to kill beasts and Aldo buried them after... but don''t you need it to be dead?" Tilting its head, the Spirit looked at her before passing through the nearest goblin. Aldo jumped from surprise, because the ex-goblin plant-mass began to grow at an accelerated pace while Oakbud was inside it. "I get it, he can help plants grow and probably gets something in return, but it''s different for animal creatures. Let me help, I guess the less damaged the better it is for you. Maya, you may not want to see this." Finished talking, Aldo stepped towards the last struggling goblin, picked up a stick on the ground, and impaled it through the creature''s nose to the hilt. It stood still after a few last spasms. Waving his wriggly arms in thanks, Oakbud entered the goblin''s head. Like with the bird from before, the creature''s head began bleeding blackish pus, its eyes turned the shade of night, and the Spirit''s arms poked through them. Standing up after beeing freed by Mark''s axe, Oakbud began familiarising himself with his new form, walking, jumping, stumbling and rolling around. He tried to climb a tree and failed miserably, eliciting a few chuckles from Kilb : "Thank Deva you didn''t have these fragile wings yet when you were youger, that clumsiness was one of your strong traits even before you were blessed by the goddess of Truce." "Uncle! Please help him instead of making fun of me! I''m 19 already!" "Help Oakbud with what? It''s not like he doesn''t know how to walk. I''m more curious about what, if any magic he can still use like this. The bird had flight to compensate, but aside from his scream, it didn''t look like he could sense around it through the earth anymore." Mark squatted in front of Bud, poking his shoulder curiously : "I really can''t wrap my mind around that possessing trick of yours, makes me shiver. So, what can you do besides face-planting when you try to run?" "Speak!" Four pair of wide-open eyes stared at the strange goblin. "That''s new... no more doodling and guessing from you and Maya, eh? Finally you can stop gouging the earth and treebark with your little claws! No more need for me to tire myself cleaning after you with magic!" Aldo was the happiest one at the idea of their strange companion being able to talk. "Also, could you tell us more about how you came to be now? I got that you come from the God-Tree, but that''s pretty much it." "Speak!" Kilb sat on the ground, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I guess that''s the difference between understanding what we say, and learning to speak...At least we should be able to teach him before we reach the border of the woods. He can think and understand, he''s just unable to form proper words, nothing a bit of training can''t resolve. I''m more worried about what he''ll be possessing next, maybe he''s going to re-learn each time if the creature''s different..." "Speak! ? Speak! ?" -- Two days later... "Me like fairy!" "I know, Bud, you only told me a good hundred times since this morning." "Pretty wings! Maya fairy!" "Hundred and o- hey!" She blushed furiously and knocked on Goblin-Bud''s head "Compliments are nice but you have to mean it at least! I can read you, remember? You''re just repeating that like a stupid song! Also being complimented by a dead goblin is gross!" "Somehow that ability to see through people makes it look like you''re in looo~~~~ve with that very dead goblin, you know?" Mark was grinning behind her, closing the march. Aldo nodded in front, looking serious but doing his best not to laugh : "Yup, I can''t see the cute little forest Spirit through that fugly goblin either. So weird, so weird." "You guys! No more scratches and splinters healing for you!" "What is love?" The smile on Kilb''s wrinkled face could only wane at Oakbud''s latest question. That little critter really couldn''t be held back once he got curious about something, and that meant one more headache for himself as the other three would push the Spirit to him for answers. Travelling with young people really was tiring sometimes. At least the little one didn''t stutter anymore. -- Two days later, in their last camp before town, Kilb frowned, thinking about the problem they postponed solving until the last moment. "How exactly do we come back Pilgrim Woods, announce the God-Tree is dead, and that we found its Child who currently possesses a goblin''s corpse, without getting pursued by everyone in the temple?" Mark scratched his head : "I''d say we talk with Bud about anything he needs now, before going into the town, so we can dispose of the goblin and bring Bud under our hood or something." "Goblin not good for town? Mark said strong goblin speak! Me find temple and God-Children, God-Tree dad say goodbye." "Sorry Bud, but the goblin chiefs look nothing like the small-fry you''re currently possessing. Also you don''t really look alive, so you''ll either get attacked because it''s strange, or we bluff your way in saying you''re undead. Can you pull off some magic for that? It''s dangerous either way, that''s why you getting out of it is better." "What undead like? Time God like undead, me find more undead and find God!" Aldo was the one who spoke this time, being the only one who met some before : "Your bad speech is a bonus, no offense there. You can also try to walk a bit more like how you did when you just possessed that goblin. But what''s bugging me is your pair of pitch-black eyes, undead have soul-flames in their head... Can you make your eyes glow white, similar to your outside state? Also pull the wriggly arms back in." Apparently, changing his appearance never crossed Oakbud''s head (aside from his bark hat), and he could indeed do it effortlessly. "That works, but there''s still one last problem, remember? Just like me, the higher blessed people from the temple might see your overpowering soul and magic. There hasn''t been a new God-Child in centuries and the live ones are known, so you just popping out would raise panic. Even the hidden away God of Time''s Child is known, the Mad Undead King Jack in his ruins." "Me try hide me from Maya like plank-arm!" "Call me by name, please. Mark. Ma-rk. You even said it before. You really speak however you want, huh. And it''s not hiding, its protecting. You wrap yourself in magic to prevent thought-peeping." Not wanting to abandon his goblin, Oakbud tried to follow Mark''s instructions. Concentrating, he visualized a revolving wall of fog around himself. However, what wasn''t expected was the quantity of magic power Oakbud assigned to that, creating a literal fog wall around himself, protecting him from any kind of eyes... "Listen to me Oakbud, break that scary fog wall down, and do it again starting with almost no magic. I''ll tell you when l can no longer read you.... Alright, it''s not tangible this time... a bit more? more still, it''s getting blurry. Aaaaaand you can stop there, I can only see you as a strange goblin now." "Now visit town, meet people in temple! Say meet scary beast, come back. No say dad dead? See house for God-Tree dad friends, say hello." -- Pilgrim Woods was just as its name said : more of a supply point for travelers than a proper town. It was located at the intersection between the end of he Forest of Creation, the God''s Eye Lake, and the plain along its west shore. Still, a family of the Goddess of Suffering Kali lived here, bringing an immovable stronghold to the forest''s border. Their powers of transferring injuries and rapid healing were a great help as well as a strong deterrant. No sane person would fight with someone who could transmit their own injuries to you, or even heal a severed limb in a matter of hours. They are invincible berserkers as long as their magic holds up and they stick to their foe. The five-man team strolled right through the entrance just before noon, going towards the central inn, which doubled as a temple of the Three. Aldo booked a room for himself, Mark and Bud''s goblin, while Kilb paid for Maya and him. Once this was done, they all felt fatigue setting in, and Kilb announced : "Let''s meet up in an hour or so after we freshen up. In any case it''s great that nobody stopped us and asked about Oakbud. We''ll have to prepare answers for the temple, though. It''s too big of a news for us not to report it, however bothersome it may be." They met back up at the entrance of the temple part of the inn. Although it was a temple of the Three, it could welcome anyone, and was even headed by a follower of Kali. After a round of questions, they found the person responsible for the transmission of news, a strange wolf-man named Harp. Sighing, he rolled his eyes at the one he was familiar with. "Don''t look at me like that, Aldo. The God of Nature saw more of a hunter in me than a tree-hugger like you, and so he gave me claws, fur and a tail. Bet l can snip your bird-nest hair straight off, so I''ll skip your usual comments today. What can l do for you today?" "Ugh, l feel both welcomed and not. l won''t be the one talking the most though. Me and Mark want to report a blessed beast, around ten men strong, about half-way to the God-Tree. We found its trail and three dead, no traces of injuries for the beast. has hooves, a dragging tail and big-ass tusks from what marks it left. Maya, you next." "Interesting. I''ll relay that to the Blood family so they can send a few blessed people to take care of it. How about you, lady?" A bit nervous, Maya took a step forward. "Uh, hello Mr Harp. My uncle Kilb and myself were accompanied on my pilgrimage by Mark and Aldo here. Sit down and brace yourself because we have grave news." Harp lifted an eyebrow "What can be bigger than a ten-strong blessed beast roaming on the pilgrimage trail? Did you find a dragon or an elemental spirit?" Maya could feel that he was not impressed, and could only resign herself to scaring him stupid and healing him after. "We indeed found a peculiar spirit, see our goblin friend here. Name''s Oakbud. I also got my third blessing on the way, l''m now able to read auras in addition to healing." "Wings pretty! Maya fairy!" This time Oakbud had prepared himself and grinned as he caught Maya''s fist with his before she could hit his head. Meanwhile Harp was examining the strange goblin standing before him, thinking. "Looks like the usual small-fry, but it can talk pretty well... Interesting, did it get a blessing?" As the goblin finished squabbling with the little fairy, Harp paid attention to his face, and exclaimed "Undead!" when he saw the glowing eyes. "Is an undead goblin even possible? And it can even talk? Incredible!" He squinted his eyes, at almost twice Bud''s height "...what do you want. I don''t like your kind, we don''t see you enough to ever grow accustomed to it." "Aldo know too. Tree-God dead. Me find God-Children, say bye to them for him." Edit : got a few typos who slipped in before. Writing until 00:30 am was a bad idea. 8 Pilgrim Woods 2 Harp couldn''t believe what he heard and snorted. "You''ll need to do better than that to scare me off. A being blessed by the Three dying by himself? What a joke!" Aldo was the one to prevent Harp from kicking Oakbud straight out, clasping his shoulders with his hands, forcing Harp to face him. "Harp... right here and now, l swear on my own faith that this is the truth. No joke, no lie, no illusion this time. The God-Tree is dead. Now sit down, and let''s talk." Looking into Aldo''s eyes for a few seconds, the wolf-man fell back into his desk chair, his legs unable to support him anymore. Maya watched him, ready to heal him, as he kept muttering "fuck..." into his breath, like a prayer. Taking a deep breath after a moment, he looked at the strange goblin undead again and exclaimed "Fuck! What the hell! This is worse than the incident of Sorrow''s Pass over at the Jagged Heights!" Harp stood up. "Let me get some paper for this, l feel l won''t be able to remember everything if we only speak." Going to the door of the room on shaky legs, he turned his head towards the goblin. "l... I swear on my faith l''ll listen to you to the end of this crazy story, and not tell anyone else until then." "That went better than expected", said Kilb, finally able to relax a bit. -- "Damn it, vomiting from feeling pain is for rookies, Thani''s going to laugh at me for a while. Never knew someone could hurt so bad. Got to go back to the family to tell her, some atrocious undead probably popped up. Harp''s taken quite the blow too." Karj couldn''t help but curse. As the one maintaining the temple of the Three in Pilgrim Woods, and a three-time blessed follower of Kali, how many years had it been since he couldn''t handle probing the emotional state of someone close by? His pride took a severe hit with this incident. "I know it''s part of the rites of Kali, but still, sometimes I wish we could shut off that perception like Deva''s worshippers..." Karj needed a few steps using the wall as a crutch to distance himself from the source of anguish before being able to walk normally again, and ran back to the Blood family''s mansion as soon as his legs stopped trembling. He felt like he spent an entire day running when he finally stood before the main building''s gate. "Let me through, I have urgent news, I need to meet Thani right away. Relay my orders, everyone able is to get ready in the front yard for instructions. Something creepy even for me got into town. Now MOVE!" As the two guards scurried away, Karj opened the double door and walked in. The building consisted of a single room, with only one opening on the roof for light. It was made of smooth white stone, and was almost bare. The only thing of note was the fountain basin in the middle hosting a five meter-high statue of the Goddess of Suffering Kali, a bucket and a mat behind it. The white stone statue depicted the Goddess during her final moments, the time she was called by the Three to join them. She was kneeling, head bowed, hands grabbing her elbows behind her back, her pair of mangled and bloody wings entangled in chains falling from the ceiling. Her beautiful naked body and smooth carved face would inspire mercy in any who saw her, the shining eyes made of diamond shedding a single tear of red blood. As always, he picked up the rock knife placed on the fountain''s edge, and sliced both his wrists to bleed, waiting until his regeneration kicked in to block the hemorraghe. "Is the temple so empty that you would have time to visit me, Karj?" His ritual was met with an enchanting voice coming from behind the statue, clear like the ringing of a crystal bell. With a sigh, he replied "It''s as full as always. But I met... bad news. I didn''t see what it was but I could feel its anguish through the walls of the building, and it was so much it forced me to give my lunch back to nature. You need to get ready." "It gave YOU that much pain? Through walls even? You''re right about one thing, I''m the only one who will be able to meet it. None in the family will even be able to stand facing that directly." Karj heard Thani''s steps from behind the statue, and she finally came into view. Her body was hairless and well-proportionned, her face beautiful, her voice soothing. She had white hair and empty eyes, her real age unrelated to her twenty-years-old appearance. Her arms were scarlet red from the tip of her fingers to above her elbows, ending in a splash of color, and had a drop of blood the size of a palm tattooed on her left breast. Her whole body was riddled with horrible whitened scars she forever refused to heal. Her attire was simple, and fit her role well : a barbed metal belt held a white robe revealing her tattoos and scars around her waist, a clasp at her right shoulder preventing it from falling. She wore golden bracelets on her wrists and ankles, walking barefoot. He bowed to her, who was now standing between the statue and him. "What do we do now?" Thani sat on the fountain, Karj''s blood still mixing with the water in the basin behind her. "I heard you outside. Call off the alert, get people with two blessings or more to stay inside a building. Less than that they''ll feel uncomfortable but won''t be able to pinpoint why, but they''re useless if we need to fight. You go back to the temple, and ask whatever made you like that to come meet me right here. I''ll wait." As Karj walked out of the temple, Thani unclasped her robe, and immersed her body in the fountain''s tainted water. Preparing to wait for the "special guest", she took the stone knife , and sliced open well over-used scars on her arms. Now sitting with the water at her waist, she took a deep breath and cut her eyes before closing them to meditate. -- Meanwhile -- Harp came back into the room with fatigued eyes "I''ve stopped all departs for the God-Tree using the beast as an excuse, and the director. Now explain to me what happened exactly, so I can write it down and pass it to the Blood family. They''ll be able to manage the shock better and act on it, while I rush the trail to verify whatever your insane story is." "Me tell before, fairy say after!" "Stop calling me fairy already! You''re doing the same to Mark, call us by name!" "Fairy better!" Ignoring Maya''s protests, Oakbud went to Harp, who was now ready to write. "Me was born when God-Tree dad dead. He tell me no root be free, find his friends say goodbye. He give me leaf, ate it, no more hungry, become smart and magic! Meet fairy, come here." "Wait... the God-Tree created an undead goblin? Are you kidding me? Wouldn''t he make a plant?" "Tree-dad no legs too sad. He make creature instead." "But... Undead?" "Me no undead! Fairy said me Spirit! But me no speak if no body..." "It''s okay Oakbud, I''ll take it from there. Did you manage to get something understandable out of that, Harp? Trust me it wasn''t easy for us at first either, he was in spirit form and could only draw on the ground, I had to decipher his scribbles and use my blessing to understand him." "I''ve heard worse... but it''s all so crazy. Alright, tell me your side now" "We were a day away from the God-Tree, when we felt the whole forest tremble. The tremor sent us all to our knees, Aldo even fainted because he follows the God of Nature. It was like a God had descended, there was a crazy wave of magic coming from the Oak''s direction. Then everything went still, and another wave of magic in the reverse direction swept past us. When we got back up we decided to stop travelling immediately and set up camp. We met Bud'' here shortly after when he came into our camp." Mark intervened, as he was the main concerned party for that time "Yeah, I heard something in the bushes Aldo set up so I went to look, and I picked it up. You should have seen Aldo''s face, almost fainted right back. Oakbud understood what we said, and he began responding with scribbles. Luckily we''re good guessers. Then he brought us to the Tree, and that''s when we learned and verified his death." A bit ill-at-ease because she would need to lie now, Maya continued speaking. "The shocks one after the other pushed me and it triggered my third blessing ; thanks to being able to read auras and intentions I could look at Oakbud. His soul is... the height of the God-Tree, with three fruits of different colors, probably representing the Three. I vouch on my faith that reading is true." "You''re the third one of us here to swear the Oath today, even with the possible consequences... Shit. I guess you went straight back after this?" "Yes. We met a small group of goblins, and that''s where we learned he can possess dead bodies, hence the undead appearence. We had to bluff our way in, a Spirit is far too rare, even more so a non-elemental one. We taught him to shield himself from my soul seeing before entering too." "Wait. Only that? You''re a follower of Deva so you did what you could, but did you forget the temple head is fom the Blood family? Karj is able to read the emotions of people around him really well. You know that an undead strutting around is going to give him a serious headache, right? How''d the goblin die?" Aldo grimaced at Harp''s reminder, twisting his fingers "Ran a stick inside its head through the nose. Should have been instant and painless since it was knocked out cold before." "...Karj was buried under paperwork when you came in, and wasn''t there anymore when I came out of here just now. I can only assume the goblin had woken up and felt every inch of your stick, Aldo. And THAT pain must have made quite a number on him. He must have gone back to the Blood family to recuperate. Undead really mess with Kali''s believers." "If me get out of goblin, no more pain?" "You''re right, little guy. I suggest you go back to whatever your spirit form is before you go over to Karj, or you''ll make everyone over there faint from the pain and anguish the goblin body felt last." Nodding, Oakbud took it as a cue to slide out of the goblin. Now the wolf-man was sitting in front of a sprawled on the ground, deader than dead goblin, with a little black ball wearing a piece of bark on its head, two glowing eyes looking at him through holes in it. "I did not expect that... how do you do, little spirit?" Even the aggressive-looking Harp couldn''t resist Bud''s looks. The Spirit went back to his earlier mimicking method to communicate, pointing at himself, then at Harp, then making a point of touching the side of the desk with one of his arms. Mark and Maya understood that move first, her becoming pale, and Mark warning the wolf-man. "He wants to touch you. Probably to thank you. But please swear what happens next will never be told out of this room, and brace yourself." "That sounds way too mysterious for me, but today''s completely fucked already. I''ll play along. I swear on my faith I will not tell anyone about what happens when Oakbud touches me." Kilb, who stayed silent until now, sighed and put his fingers in his ears "You asked for it..." 9 Pilgrim Woods 3 Pain. Seemingly infinite pain, concentrated on his head. He''d been cut, rammed, or thrown to the ground violently during fights before, but that pain was special. Not a wound you could rub a bit of ointment on to heal, not a bruise you just didn''t need to touch for a few days... this pain was far deeper than that, but what remedy existed for pain of the mind? Harp was rolling on the ground, holding his head in pain, barely conscious enough not to scratch himself to death with his claws. Just as Maya wanted to heal him, she was stopped by a grim-faced Aldo. "Don''t interfere while Oakbud''s blessing takes effect. Every healing magic works differently, and yours would be useless here. You can''t reconstruct what is not broken. Wait until Harp calms down before healing whatever self-inflicted wounds and fatigue he gets from his thrashing." She nodded, thinking to herself she was somehow lucky to have fainted before. Going through the forceful blessing awake really looked excruciating. Maya could see the wolf-man changing slightly with the naked eye, and couldn''t help but caress her wings. His human ears were changing, becoming longer, more triangular, covered in fur, and they were also... moving up a bit? His fur was also growing a bit thicker, standing erect and shivering from the pain. After a few minutes, Harp stopped moving and his breath calmed down, eyes still closed and body twitching a little. Maya kneeled besides him, put one hand on his forehead and the other on his chest, then used magic to heal his sore contracted muscles, soothing his pain. When he opened his eyes, she was startled because they had changed too. His pupils were now black slits, like a cat''s. "Thank you... what was that..." "Congratulations on your second blessing, Harp. How do you feel?" Mark wore a faint smile, wondering if all blessings were this painful. The more he saw the less he regretted not following a God. The wolf-man was batting his eyelids and moving his ears reflexively "It''s strange... I can feel so much more things now. It''s disorienting. My hearing, sight, and... smell? seem to have been enhanced. I guess I''ll be able to smell Aldo before seeing him now. And, thank you for the healing, miss Maya." "Oi! Go look in a mirror, doggy. Your eyes and ears changed too." Once Harp made peace with the incredible changes that just happened to him, he sat up from the ground and looked at Oakbud intently before speaking. "Now I get why you didn''t tell me what would happen once you touched me. You did that to thank me, and yet I''m the one who thanks you." Sighing, he looked at the rest of the group. "Take what I''ve written to the Blood family, and find Karj there. This news needs to be released in a controlled manner rather than having more panicked people scream it around in the streets. I''ll rest a bit more, then I''ll rush the forest trail. With that new blessing I don''t need a team to stay out of trouble." Maya picked up the paper on the desk, and gave it to Oakbud, who happily held it by wrapping his wriggly arms around the roll. After a brief checkup to verify everyone was ready, they set off for the Blood family''s residence. -- "Strange... why is there nobody outside keeping guard?" The silence at the front entrance of the Blood family''s grounds was unnerving. "Hmmmm. Maybe it''s like Harp said before : undead mess with those who have an emotion sensing blessing, so they must all stay inside buildings. Karj must have told them when he got back." Kilb was the one who both spotted the problem and solution when the Blood family''s estate came into view. "Let''s go to their central temple then, I guess he is speaking with the family''s leader." Aldo was the one who knew the town the most, having lived there for years already, helping pilgrims on their way to the God-Tree. "Mistress Thani is a bit of an oddball, but don''t be mistaken, she is extremely strong and you definitely don''t want to offend her. She has been blessed four times by Kali already." Even though she was the closest to that level, Maya was the most surprised one, being the youngest and least experienced of the group. Oakbud didn''t care about such things. "Four blessings! Isn''t this close to a Child of the Gods'' level already?" "Yes and no. You know by now that each subsequent blessing brings something new to the follower, but it may also reinforce the previous blessings at the same time. Your wings changing shape are a good example : your third blessing was heart reading, but they evolved too. Harp''s fur also grew a little when he got his senses enhanced." "So the growth can be exponential?" Kilb was the one who spoke this time "No, it may or may not happen. This is why the differences in strenght become larger with more blessings, even with the same number. But if we had to compare, a Child of God could be said to be blessed seven times. Their physique and magic have received an incredible boost from the God''s possession, but the abilities they have will stay at a mortal''s level, only raised to the maximum as soon as they get it." "Thank you Kilb. To finish up about Thani, she has an incredible amount of luck, and one of her blessings was reinforced each time. I''ve never seen it, but they say even her most recent ability, blood animation allows her to become a one-man army, able to hold the town by herself if the need arises." By the time Aldo and Kilb finished explaining how blessings would evolve, the group stood before the residence''s entrance. A bit impatient because he had no part in the previous discussion, Mark went ahead and knocked. A voice immediately came from the other side "Who''s there, and what''s your business? The Blood family is regulating internal affairs right now!" Aldo recognised that voice..."Director Karj, is that you? I''m Aldo, I come from the temple with a message from Harp for the family!" As soon as Karj heard this, his thoughts raced and confusion showed on his face. "It must be related to what I felt earlier... he said it''s from Harp... but why did he not come himself? Why don''t I feel that pain and terror again? Strange, strange. Better safe than sorry, I can ask him about an undead in town too." Coming to a decision, he announced that he would open the gate. "Come inside so I can close the gates behind you. We need to talk serious- what is that?" When they started walking, Oakbud was revealed behind them, still holding the paper scroll. "It''s related to the message, and also the reason Harp isn''t here but us." "Really? Then I''ll see about that later. Come to the temple with me, I bet you are the ones Thani want to meet." Karj was now almost sure that the undead was related to this group, but Aldo had left him the impression of a good and serious person. The only answer would be the strange little creature, but it didn''t look undead at all, more like an elemental spirit. Alas, he couldn''t determine if it was one of fire, earth, water, air or even thunder. "Wait... Mistress Thani expects us? But why would she..." Maya put her hands to her mouth to prevent herself from saying anything more, and looked at Oakbud, understanding what probably happened. Karj had not just come back to recuperate, he had sounded the alarm in the territory! But it was too late, and Karj felt her emotions shift from curiosity to fear, then guilt, and finally nervousness. The others were bewildered, however that came as no surprise : meeting Thani was a rare occurence already, so being expected by her would be even more bizarre. But other than being surprised, they seemed happier than scared. Maya''s reaction confirmed his doubts, and he could finally relax, sighing a little in relief. His job would be done when they crossed the temple''s doors. -- ''Dong! Dong! Dong!''... Karj''s beating on the temple''s doors gave a low resounding sound. Oakbud was now being held in Maya''s arm as a makeshift stress-reliever. "I''m so nervous, even the place is already so imposing... I wonder what mistress Thani will be like?" Aldo, who had already met her once, rubbed her head with his hands to comfort her. "Don''t worry, she''s not different from you or me. She''s human, even though her body will startle anyone who sees her the first time. It''s fine as long as you don''t faint at the sight of blood or run screaming ''murder''." "That''s not reassuring at all!" "Hm. Don''t fall in love either." Karj coughed to prevent Aldo from saying something strange. "Aldo, please... miss Maya, Thani''s appearance reflects her devotion to Kali, and her blessed body shows her proximity to the goddess. That is what he meant." He could feel her relax a bit, but she still looked worried. The doors opened inwards by themselves this time, pulled by heavy chains and pulleys hidden in the temple''s ceiling. Thani''s crystal clear voice invited them in, carried through the wind with magic. "Welcome to my Blood family''s temple of Kali. Come in everyone, and let us have a round of presentations." Kilb took the lead, signing everyone with his hand to follow. At the door''s threshold, he took out a pocket knife and pricked his left thumb, waiting until a drop fell to the floor inside. "I pay my respects to the Lady of Pain." He passed the knife to Aldo behind him and went a few steps inside, waiting for and smiling encouragingly at Maya. Mark and Aldo entered at the same time, Mark mimicking Kilb with his axe and Aldo with the knife he was handed. Maya hesistated a bit before taking a deep breath and doing the same. She had already met other worshippers of Kali before, but that was at home! Not in one of their biggest families, and in their temple at that! She was ready to heal everyone, but was stopped by a glare from Kilb who knew how weak she was to pain. Healing a self-inflicted wound showing respect for Kali with magic was one of the worst blasphemy possible. Karj activated a mechanism to close the doors behind them, and went ahead towards the statue and the fountain. Thani was still meditating in the basin, blood running from her eyes on her perfect face, down her beautiful but scarred body and into the water. The tattoos on her arms looked alive, moving slowly on her body, tracing artful lines towards the heart tattoo on her breast. The image of Thani sitting in front of the statue was forever imprinted into the mind of the visitors. Karj was looking at their reaction, and he could feel their awe, none of them moving closer nor speaking a word, their voice stolen. The Time that seemed to have frozen the scene flowed again when Thani opened her wounded eyes. She stood up facing them, lifting her arms horizontally at her side, revealing her whole body. Maya let out a small gasp, shocked silly by the amount of scars she wore. She started trembling, fascinated, as Thani''s eyes healed in mere seconds, returning her sight through her empty white eyes. The blood in the fountain was lifted from the water, flying up to stick to her tattoos. She stepped out of the basin, and clasped her dress back on her shoulder. "I am Thani, head of the Blood family. May I know what brings you to my temple?" 10 The Tears of a Goddess "This is an incredible story that will shake the entire known continent" Thani was reading the scroll Harp wrote with Oakbud perched on her head, sitting on the fountain''s edge. Everyone else was sitting in a semi-circle around her. "My family will spread this under my name so you don''t need to fear being pursued and can lead normal lives. Thank you for bringing this to me first. But, this is not my immediate concern : Karj told me a powerful undead should have appeared in town, even coming in the temple. Do you know anything about it?" "I knew this was a bad idea from the start..." Mark shook his head and raised a hand to attract attention. "Yes, it is related to us. But there''s no undead, at least not in the usual sense. Oakbud here is a spirit somehow, and possessed the corpse of a goblin we killed." "I didn''t notice it was awake when dealing the last blow, I''m sorry. We all thought it was knocked out." Aldo apologized personally, and continued "The corpse has been laid to rest behind the templebefore we came here. You will not be troubled again." "Then I need to thank you a second time in the name in the Blood family." Oakbud was getting restless up on Thani''s head, looking at the statue and extending his arms towards it, but not willing to get down from his comfortable "seat". He could feel the same kind of power the God-Tree had from it, even if it was a bit different and faint. Curious about this new creature, Thani grabbed him in her palms and brought him in front of her face. "Even if you were made anew, you inherited the power of the dying God-Tree, and we can guess the sadness you don''t show. What are you getting restless for? I can help you, and even tell you where the God-Child of Nature is." Oakbud looked towards her, but he was staring at the statue behind through her head. "He''s behaving weirdly, usually he would become livelier at the mention of the Three." Maya was frowning. She had gotten really attached to the little critter in the two weeks or so they spent together, and couldn''t help but worry. At this moment, Oakbud jump from Thani''s hands back on her head, then into the water before she could catch him, taken by surprise. He swam to the base of the statue and tried to climb it. "This temple is where every one of Kali''s worshippers in Pilgrim Woods come. Are you interested in it?" To everyone''s surprise, Oakbud stopped, turned around and nodded, seemingly waiting for more. "When we pray and are ready to dedicate ourselves further, receiving a blessing, people would gather, everyone offering a bit of blood to Kali in the fountain. The candidate would then make a cut on his arms, and plunge them in the water. Results may vary, but a sincere person has yet to fail. The more blessings the candidate already has, the stronger the manifestation of power happens with the statue." Her bell-like voice had everyone pay undivided attention. "So the rumour is true, then? The statue moved when you got your fourth blessing, mistress Thani?" Aldo was familiar with the local stories. "But wouldn''t this be too strong of a manifestation? Four shouldn''t be enough to attract the God''s direct attention." "And it didn''t. Her consciousness did not manifest. But the statue''s wings trembled, rattling the great chains above. I can feel your honesty, but please do not spread this : my body was blessed first, and enhanced with every next blessing, gifting me incredible healing capabilities. A lost limb would probably heal in a few hours. This power is what may have attracted a bit of divinity to our object of worship." Hearing this, Oakbud understood he may be able to do something interesting, and resumed climbing the statue. He nestled on the statue''s sculpted robe''s hem, her head right above him. The half-closed diamond eyes were framed by the detailed stone hair, like jewels at the bottom of a well. This was a shocking revelation, only Karj knew of this before. Maya pointed at Thani with an unsure hand "But your scars... they are so painful to even watch." "It is my will for my scars of prayer to never heal. It is part of how I devote myself to our Lady of Pain. Otherwise they would be gone in a flash." The little spirit put both his arms on the statue''s belly in front of him and poured power into it, releasing a little squeak that made everyone look at him and stop talking. He was trying to rouse the trace of divinity in the statue, wanting to know more about this Goddess of Men, desiring to meet a divine being other than his "Dad-Tree", filling his empty little heart. "What incredible magic... But he is still so pure and naive, no blessing is needed to know what he feels and wants right now." With a shaky voice, Aldo told them about the time after their meeting, when the desolate little Spirit led him between the God-Tree roots, planting an ordinary seed to bury his pain. -- She woke up, her mind hazy, her senses dull and her vision blurry. Her position was a familiar one, as she would never forget the moment of her ascension. But this wasn''t the body of her Child. She could feel the power of the Three, did they call her? Focusing, she used her eyes. She was in what looked like a temple, with six people in front of her. She could feel the blessings she had granted on two of them, but the divine power didn''t come from them. Right below her was a strange spirit, looking at her through the holes in a piece of tree bark. When she saw it, she knew. Her predecessor was no more, and she could feel the longing for affection from this newborn creature. -- The stone effigy began trembling under Oakbud''s efforts, and he stopped, meeting the statue''s eyes. He could feel her, look at her, he knew she was there for him. The eyes never left him, and the stone eyelids batted once, fissuring the diamonds, and two tears of blood formed. The drops fell on Oakbud''s head, and he absorbed them. As he did, he understood. She could not meet him directly now, but she gifted him something anyway. She knew of his pain and gave him the warmth he longed for, infinite comfort and understanding. Then everything stood still again. When he looked back, Oakbud saw Thani and Karj bent on their knees, while Maya, Kilb, Mark and Aldo stood frozen, looking at the satue with wide eyes. He jumped back into the basin, and climbed on the fountain''s edge. Kilb pulled Maya back, and Mark and Aldo followed. "Let us not meddle with the affairs between gods. Oakbud, thank you for your help and company during our journey, thank you for blessing Maya. But this is where she and I will part with you." Aldo and Mark looked at each other then Mark spoke : "I''ll be blunt, little one. We fear you and the gods. Aldo and I will stay and continue with our previous lives. Thank you for your company. Take this as a parting gift, a piece of advice : stop revealing your uncommon capacities so easily, it will hurt you some day." "Me understand. You all nice, me remember." Oakbud still could not speak, but Kali''s gift enabled him to transmit his thoughts to people now. He would no longer be restrained by the lack of a speech-capable body. Thani and Karj stood up. "We understand your concerns. I will take it from here. Thank you again for the information you brought. Karj, please accompany them back, I need to speak with Oakbud alone for a bit." "Alright. Let''s go back to the city''s temple, I will also reward you for your service." No more than a minute later, only Oakbud and Thani were left face to face in the temple. The Gods and the power of divinity had instantly created an unbridgeable rift between the group''s members. -- "Alright, now that it''s just us two, let us talk about what you need! I feel your interaction with Kali when you managed to rouse her divinity in the statue relieved you a lot, but there are some other things you want, right? What are you going to do now? Do you need help?" Thani had dropped her aloof appearance, and spoke animatedly to Oakbud, bombarding him with questions. This was the difference in image between the head of the family and the person itself. "Me need...Me want to meet Dad-tree''s friends!" Oakbud was still on the fountain''s edge, facing the now sitting Thani. "The Children of the Gods, is that it? But there should be eleven of them you know, do you want to meet them all? This would be an incredible task!" She tilted her head, wondering what this godly creature might want to do. "Dad-tree said to meet Nature, Time and Elements Gods, say goodbye. But me curious with other gods too!" "Then let me tell you a bit about the whereabouts of the Three first. The God of Time possesses an undead known as the Mad King, and his current location is unknown. He was last seen in the Undercity on the Jagged Heights, but that was a few centuries ago so he might have moved. The God of the Elements... The only sure thing is that his Child is not human, we don''t know his name, and it is also unknown where he is. But for the God of Nature it is easy, its current Child is a Dryad named Talia, and she resides in the central temple of the Three in Ebb, a bit further north along the Lake''s shores." "How does me thank you for help? Thank you! Thank you!" "How about letting me tag along?" Her proposition was surprising. How could a family''s head doubling as town''s protector so easily leave her function? "I want to see more of the world, and following you means a chance to meet my Goddess'' Child too. Don''t underestimate the value of such a meeting for me. I''ve been stuck here for years!" "But town in danger. Me not like being alone. If you go, people here alone, not good." She shook her head in denial, a grin on her face. "Hah! Me going doesn''t mean the rest are bad, I''m just outshining them by a lot. That fourth blessing of mine really is something, you know?" Realising something, she frowned. "Also... On Harp''s scroll, he said you had trouble communicating, but was it a lie?" "No! Kali help, me no need body to speak now! me speak better too!" "So it wasn''t only a manifestation... incredible! Now I want to come along even more!" Thani looked more like an over-excited adolescent than a 34-year-old woman right now. She had lived in Pilgrim Woods her whole life, and stayed inside the temple since she obtained her last blessing at twenty, almost freezing her body in time with its fourth overlapping enhancement. The repressed thirst for first-hand experience and travel was now bursting out from her. "You need a guide anyway, right? I''ll take you to Ebb, and even farther! Staying here in the temple is really boring you know! I don''t even need to to anything... I just stay here and meditate." Her smile had turned sad by the end of her last sentence, showing how much change she needed in her life. "Can''t even meet boys, they''re all so scared of me here..." That last part was left unsaid, but was thought nonetheless. 11 Demonstration of power "Alright it''s decided, we''re going on a journey! To the biggest city on the Primal! Biggest temple, best food, best entertainment!" Thani was now at the back of the statue, rummaging through her possessions. She was trying to stuff a few dresses, some dried food and a few commodities in a sling-bag. "No more boring forest! I''m sick of trees!" "Trees are good!" "Uh...I meant no offense." She had forgotten Oakbud''s presence for a moment. "You not tell Karj you go outside?" "I''ll leave a note. He can''t prevent me from leaving even if everyone here comes at me, but at least he won''t be as mad. Maybe. I feel like I''m living again, you know? Fourteen years almost never getting out! Never even leaving the town! But now I have a very good reason to get out of here thanks to you, eheh." After she finished packing with Oakbud splayed on top of her head since Maya wasn''t here anymore, she pricked her finger and used the blood to leave a message to Karj on the fountain. -- The wind felt nice. I had been too long since he last flew. But naps were at least of the same importance, and less tiring. After his last discussion with the God of Nature, the dragon went straight back to sleep for some time. Sure, playing tag with a magical creature sounds fun, but he litterally had all the time in the world for it. Unless he got depressed like the Old Branch in his forest and let itself die. Ugh, not again, the God''s going to get mad if I don''t go. "Hey, smelly bones, which direction do I go to the forest of your little oak?" "..." "Sure, send me on an errand and don''t tell me where to go. That''s sooo efficient." "..." "I know you''re not asleep, stop pretending and say something." "Nyx''s Child is below us in the sea, I can feel her pretty close." "Oh! That''s great, I''ll go and ask her since you don''t want to tell me." He was flapping his gigantic wings lazily, relying on magic to make the winds favorable to him and spend minimum effort. "Suit yourself. You''re the one who said that not knowing where to go was the fun part first." "You may be a God of Creation, but you really are a bastard sometimes." "And you may be a bastard, but you''re the only bastard who dared to talk back to me, and that''s why I''m still with you." "Was that a compliment? What''s happening today? Did you eat something wrong? Can you even eat something?" "..." Leaving the God to his sulking, the Dragon took a deep breath, and screamed at the sea below, creating huge waves with the power of his voice. "NYX! GET OUT THERE YOU SNOBBISH BRAT! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING DOWN HERE, I DIDN''T KNOW A SHRIMP WAS ABLE TO DRAW!" "You said you wanted to talk to her, not fight her." "Isn''t it the same? I want to see her now, not in a century, har har" His laugh sounded like pieces of rock rubbing together, a peculiar and disturbing sound. "I''m stronger than her anyway. She''s so proud, I bet she''ll prefer a little insult to a full ass-whopping." As he said his piece, he began accumulating magic again, and dove towards the sea. He opened his wings wide to stop his fall, and released his magic. A big chunk of seawater froze, then got covered with sand and gravel, then finally a layer of dirt. He landed on the strange island-sized floating iceberg, curled himself up, and closed his eyes again."Let''s just wait here." He extended a claw over his head and created a huge ball of fire over himself, keeping himself warm. -- Two weeks after feeling the Stalwart Oak''s death, Jack had barely moved, only getting down from the steps under his throne. "Hmmmm. Has he broken down? Maybe it is time I look for a new Child." After a pause, the God of time thought it wouldn''t be so bad of an idea. Touring the realm at a snail''s pace was not interesting. He may be the God of Time, but he still felt boredom. "Not..... Yet....." "Oh? still able to talk? You impress me, just like you did all those years ago..." "I... Was so close... I hate you.... hate you..... I will.... break... anything..... you want to find.... make you.... feel what I felt..... when I.... lost everything." "You are welcome to try, but do you know it already? I won''t let you in the end. Just. like. before." As if fueled by his hate, Jack''s eyes glowed brighter and brighter, and his so slow it was unnoticeable movement got faster. The air trembled around him, and each one of his slow step took him far, far away, folding the world to his whim. -- "I knew I forgot something! A Tent! I wanted to travel, but sleeping in the wilderness without a roof is a bit unnerving." At sunset, when time came to set up camp for the night, Thani was throwing a tantrum "Give seed, me make home!" "What... how? Uuuuhh, a seed, wait. Dried fruits work?" "Work, work ?" She pulled a ration from her bag and gave it to Oakbud, who dug a hole and planted it. After that, he poured his magic full throttle into the soil, forcing it to grow. Roughly five minutes later, a ten-meter tall fruit tree stood in front of a gobsmacked Thani. The tree''s branches were even shaped, creating a platform under weaved branches that would cover her for the night. "Aldo told me you could make nature grow, but this... this much magic, don''t you ever feel tired? We would need two or three people doing the same over a week to get a tree like that at Pilgrim Woods! And there are followers of Nature everywhere there!" "What is fatigue?" "... And there I almost forgot you have the powers of a God." -- During the evening, Karj went back to the temple in order to report the affair''s ending to Thani. When he entered, he performed his usual sacrifice, and approached the fountain. Strange, where did she take the little Oakbud? Looking at the back of the room, behind the statue, he found a mess. Clothes, food, ustensils and weapons were laying a bit everywhere. He began worrying when he didn''t see her mat anymore. "What happened there while I was gone? .... Thani? THANI!" He began looking through the temple, and soon found the message written in blood on the fountain. His mouth couldn''t help but twitch in anger and helplessness when he read the simple but ridiculous sentence : "I''m going to find the Gods with Oakbud, don''t break the temple too much while I''m gone, ok?" 12 En route "Ooooooh. Faster than I thought you''d be. And bigger than a shrimp. Did you learn a bit of respect during these last few centuries, Nyx?" "Couldn''t you just stay asleep, you overgrown lizard." A displeased melodious voice answered the raspy one, coming from the front of the dragon''s "iceberg". He could recognise her from the voice, but she didn''t get on the magic-made island wth him. "Come on don''t be like that, I wanted to see you quickly, I''m on an errand." "While sleeping? And since when was someone above you anyway? Aren''t you just bored?" "..." The dragon raised an eyebrow. "At least you''ve learned to talk. But you didn''t know I have Ole'' Elements watching through me now." "YOU WHAT!" The dragon heard a loud splash, and Nyx finally came into view. Her appearance was that of a three meters long mermaid with silver scales and teal hair. Her eyes were dark black, the contrast between them and her pale skin dragging one''s focus into her pupils. Her face was at the limit of mortal perfection, full rosy lips, a cute button nose and well-proportionned features framed by her back-length wavy hair. However the dragon wasn''t impressed and snorted. "Heh. Silver shrimp. How much did you change her? Is she even conscious anymore?" "She chose to give me free reign, basically swapping our usual positions. And not much change actually! She''s a princess down here, I liked her colors! I only arranged her silhouette and tail a bit, her face was so good to start with!" Her shock was forgotten with just one comment on her looks. The Goddess of the Arts loved beauty the most after all. "And look at all the trinkets they managed to create for me! The craftsmanship is excellent!" She proceeded to twirl around a bit, showing off the jewelry and clothing she was wearing. A short-sleeved, form-fitting vest made of her own silver scales covered her voluptuous chest, exposing her belly. Intricate golden bracelets were on her arms, jingling with her movements, carved pearl earrings were at her ears and navel, and a diadem made of nacre embedded with emeralds framed her forehead. "A bit gaudy, but maybe I''ll take some on my way back. I enjoy gold works." "Way ba- YOU MADE ME FORGET AGAIN!" She huffed violently for a bit, calming down her rising anger and making sense of what he said at the start. "So. An errand, eh? And how could I help you, oh lazy-boasting-lizard?" "Which way to the Primal? I want to find the little Oak the God of Elements told me about." "Wait, didn''t he pass away almost three weeks ago? And you also forgot the way from the Third to the Primal? How long did you sleep this time to forget even that?" This one jabbed at a sore spot. "...Just answer me please. I don''t want to keep flying in circles and the old one won''t tell me." "Alright crybaby, but you''ll have to either help or pay me before that. Which will it be?" "What if I told you the Tree''s both dead and alive? Aren''t you interested?" Nyx dropped her mocking tone, becoming solemn at his remark. "Nidh?gran* the dragon, Child of Elements. You may be strong, but it does not give you right to joke about the power of the Three. I sincerely hope you are telling the truth." "Why else would I be willing to go on an errand for? Don''t make light of me. I''m very curious about the life the little Oak created in his last moments, and so is Ole'' Elements." "...I''ll bite, since you''re even prouder than me." Her interest wan''t really stoked, but seeing the aloof overgrown lizard bend was worth more than any riches. She hid her mouth behind a graceful hand, giggling. "And by the way, the Primal is in the opposite direction. Congratulations on flying here and losing so much time." Nidh?gran''s eyes twitched. -- The fourth day of travel towards Ebb went well. Thani and Oakbud were beginning to leave a trail of tree-houses behind them along the lake shore. Growing bored of her dried food, Thani deciced to catch fish. Armed with a simple dagger and her magic, she dove into the lake. The water was clear, and she could see satisfying prey with little effort. Using her short weapon, she stabbed. Right into her left arm. She extended her wounded member, and got ready for action. The spreading blood attracted a predatory fish as big as herself, with menacing teeth and a thick build. "Slow but strong, this is going to be fun!" She was getting excited at her first fight in years, even if her adversary was only a fish. It rushed at her in a straight line, trying to get a good bite off the frail creature facing it. Thani went with the flow, letting it bite her arm used as a bait. She used it arm as a pivot to grab onto the fish''s dorsal fin, and focused all her strenght to jab her dagger into the fishe''s eyes and gills repeatedly. As she got dragged under by the frenzied creature, her air reserves grew insufficient and her vision began to blur, her head hurting more and more. She started using magic to actively fuel her body''s regeneration, forcing it to heal at a tremendous rate and function as the lack of oxygen tried to paralyse her, continuing to stab, cut and dice the predator. In the end, Oakbud, who was idling around her bag and clothes watched with curiosity as Thani pulled a gigantic fish out of the water, her knife still planted in its gills. "Now I can eat until we arrive! Too bad you can''t help me eat all of it.". Her injuries had already finished healing, her skin sporting no new scars. She arranged a few rocks to make a fire pit, and lit a bonfire with some deadwood to grill her catch. When night fell, Oakbud followed new orders and grew giant leaves on a nearby tree, that his companion used to wrap some fish meat for later transport, and returned to his spot on her head. The strongest fishbones were used to build a lantern, fueled with fish grease and protected by a piece of its skin. "And here is light for tonight''s treehouse. I''m counting on you, Bud''!". The growing tree of the day picked up the brand new lantern from Thani''s hands with a branch, stationning it close to the treehouse''s top. She climbed to the little room and laid her mat down. "Alright, that''s it for today! Goodnight Oakbud!" She drifted to sleep under the dim lantern''s light, while the sleepless Oakbud watched the lake''s waves form and crash against the beach. 13 Wild nigh "Is this woman crazy, or is it a trap? Travelling alone like that, she''s almost begging us to rob her... Hey Dravin, have you found something?" A group of people was sitting at the edge of the dying campfire''s light, close to the Tree Oakbud had grown for the night. "All I can tell is that she really is alone, chief, and with a strange pet? Looks like a spirit of some kind. Anyway, it doesn''t seem like other people are following anywhere close. Careful though, her hair is white and I couldn''t see her eyes, she may be a devotee to Kali, so young with such a colour..." "Hah, those pain addicts, thinking they''re invincible... Just beat them in one stroke or stay far and they can''t lift a finger." A shadow took the form of a human right behind the "chief", joining the seven other people. "Do we really need to be all nine of us for this? There''s only one bag of loot to carry back." "But she took down that big-ass fish by herself, so careful. Alright, briefing time. Dravin, you kill the fire and get ready to ambush afterwards, try and support the frontline. Gramor, you step up and block the pet and whatever they could throw at us. Jamie and Frond, you two do your thing and bust that tree down. Lami, prepare to try and influence fate with your cards. I''ll get my wind magic ready for boosted projectiles. Lucas, Felicity, Delia, you take the right flank, Jamie and Frond will take the left after cutting the tree." Eight voices responded in hushed agreement to that elaborate declaration, confirming they understood. This kind of tactics could be considered too much, but Kali''s followers last throes were always the most cruel and dangerous. "Malar, I didn''t see a weapon except a knife up here, we only need to take care not to let her touch us directly." "Prioritise defending and wear her down, we''ll have to kill her since subduing the Lady of Pain''s favourites is impossible." They lacked any kind of magic healing, and Malar tensed remembering a fight against one of Kali''s maniacs. He was hired to kill the man, a nutcase who murdered people in the name of "sharing the pain with everyone". Worst thing was that his ideology granted him two blessings. That man was able to refuse his very death for a long time, fighting like a creepy puppet until he was beheaded and taking five people with him. He would never again underestimate Kali''s believers. ------ Oakbud was watching the waves crashing and rolling on the shore of the lake when the dim fire was extinguished, only leaving the pale moonlight shining. During his time with Maya''s little group, he learned that it should *not* die out like this unless someone killed it. Alarmed, he turned back and used his earth sonar through the tree, finding nine people in formation around the tree against the shore, two of them rushing straight at him. He could see their two muscular bodies reinforced with magic carrying what looked like an enormous blade. Before he could decide on how to react since he was met with hostility for the first time, the blade collided with the trunk, cutting through three quarters of it. With a hard push, they brought the tree down before taking their position, and heard a cry when it fell to the ground. ------ "Did we get her already? Dravin, go and check, be careful of her faking anything." Malar asked in wonder. This would be miraculous! "Aye." After answering, Dravin cloaked himself in shadows and went towards the tree, being almost invisible. He looked between the fallen branches to find the body, but what met his gaze were two glowing white eyes at ankle level. The eyes seemed to grow until he could see only them, and his concealment magic broke as he lost consciousness. ------ "Too easy, I could feel his nervousness so clearly. Nice job little Bud'', he didn''t make a sound. Do you want to try and fight too? You don''t have to hold back you know, they''re coming at us with killing intent over there. Come on, you should try at least, you won''t always meet friendly creatures you know". Oakbud hesitated a bit seeing Thani''s bloodthirsty smile, but then nodded. "Good. Let me see that possession magic of yours then!" Her dagger was already lodged under Dravin''s jaw, killing him silently. The dead man opened his now pitch black eyes again, his body trembling a little as Oakbud tried to get familiar with it. "Me feel magic from people at the back and right. Thani will fight how?" "Alright, the one at the back preparing magic must be the leader, the others all feel respect towards him. They''re anxious. Four of them are couples, we can try do do something with that affection. The two lugs over there are eager to fight, and if they''re the ones who cut the tree they must be followers of the God of Warriors." Her eyes closed, she was concentrating, trying to use her blessings to determine the structure of the group they were facing, their back to the lake. "The three on our left are terrified, I don''t think they have any magic or blessing. the Shield-guy must be a follower of Oberon, we need to find what drives him to break his mind and power, otherwise beating him will be very hard. Can you speak aloud with this body, or did I mess up?" "Can speak." Oakbud answered with the hushed voice of Dravin. "What me do?" "You go right back to the leader, he was sent to scout me. Try to get the one behind him, I''ve got a bad feeling about her. Ideal situation is a big melee with no ranged attackers, but she looks more like support and if she follows Nyx, Deva, Eludia or Liezel like the one we just killed I may get in big trouble. I''ll lure the fighters, you target the backline." ------ "Why are you coming back uncloaked, Dravin?" Malar was frowning, thinking something was going wrong after their stroke of luck. "She saw me. She follows Kali, empty eyes." Dravin was a man of few words, as always. "Shit. Let''s go before she finishes getting up. CHARGE!" ------ Malar''s shout pushed Gramor into action, the huge man rushing with growing momentum behind his shield, a heavy club lifted over his head. The others tightened the encirclement, while he and Lami concentrated on their respective magics, him with a bow and her with a deck of cards. She pulled the top card and infused magic into it before flipping it and looking at it ; "The Tower, on Gramor!" The rushing man''s armor began emitting its own light, not only reflecting the moon''s ; then the next card, "The scythe! Fuck! Backlash!", Her hand began bleeding where she touched the card, and she coughed blood ; Taking a deep breath, she pulled a third card, "The Seer! Wait, Dravin? But ho-" Before she could finish her sentence, A dagger ran through her stomach and another into her collarbone. She fell in shock, stopping any further action from her part as her ''scythe'' card aggravated her wounds. Oakbud abandonned Dravin''s body, making it fall over Lina to further incapacitate her. The noise interrupted Malar''s concentration, and he turned back to look at what happened. "What the hell are you?!" He spotted Oakbud''s eyes and contour in the faint light, shooting his wind-enhanced arrow straight at him. To his surprise, it went through Oakbud cleanly, only making him stagger back a bit. Dropping his bow, he pulled out a sword and activated his magic again. He was confident the others could kill the woman without his help, and his experience told him that ignoring that little creature would be the last mistake in his life. Oakbud dodged the first sword slash, its speed surprising him. It was much faster than Mark''s axe! He lauched a bit of sand towards Malar''s eyes and a fistful of seeds around them both in retaliation. Malar pulled back a few steps, shielding his face with his arm, and cast a wind blade that hit an earth wall raised in defense. "Shit. How many things can you do, you''re so small!" He felt threatened, his usual long-range fighting now sealed. However that did not mean his close combat ability was bad either and he changed tactics, using his wind magic to accelerate instead of attacking directly. Oakbud was prepared this time, and went all out with his nature magic, forgoing any sort of defense, not that he needed any in the first place. The seeds he threw began growing plants and vines at an accelerated pace, grabbing Malar''s limbs and covering him head to toe, blocking his movement, pinning him to the ground. As he tried to struggle desperately he managed to cut a few with his sharp winds, but exhaustion took over him and his head was finally covered in plants, and twisted at an unnatural angle. Oakbud had managed to kill all the backliners, and prepared to watch Thani''s fight. Helping her crossed his mind but he remembrered that she asked him to get the backline only. He didn''t want her to come to harm though, after the help she gave him. He would help her if she called. Even if she didnt. He didn''t know why, but he was feeling restless, wanting to move, to do something, his thoughts in disorder. ------ Author note more : cut here at 1600 words. Thani''s part tomorrow I swear! What do you think of Oakbud''s indirect fighting style? 14 Wild night 2 Disclaimer / this chapter contains only fighting and no particular plot. Expect graphic violence here. People who are adverse to blood or cruelty might want to skip this one. The others get a free pass into Thani''s fight-hungry mind and will discover exactly WHY fighting close range against Kali''s believers is the worst of ideas. ------ "Alright, come at me you little wimps! I can guess you have already fought other followers of Kali, but did you know? We''re able to take down five times our numbers alone, and up to ten times in groups! I only see six of you here, who''s ready to die!" Standing straight on the fallen trunk, back to the lake, her little speech sent back a wave of thick fear through her blessing''s senses, telling her she would have more room for errors, their apprehension preventing them from exploiting any holes, fearing a trap. Smiling, she decided to add fuel to the fire. "Hey big boy with the shield, tell me who''s the closest to you here, so I can rip him apart first! You''ve only been blessed with strength, I can feel it... Will the other two turn blind from rage when you break? Hmm? Come on! Fight me!" Her crazy urging and taunts sent shivers down their spines. Her pupil-less eyes were eerie, her gaze combined with her scar-riddled and tattooed body enough to make them flinch. She was sure of it now. Two followers of Theomars, one of Oberon, three non-believers. The protector had someone close included in the three. She could see the backliners moving, and knew that was her cue for action. "Let''s dance! AHAHAHAHAHA ~~~~~" Her insane laughter resounded in the night as her magic pulsed through her arms. She rushed at the weaker three to her left, turning her back to the heavy and strong warriors. Her best bet was on reducing the number of opponents quickly, breaking Oberon''s follower''s powers at the same time, before going back to the stronger ones. She would be fine as long as she didn''t take any mobility crippling or instantly lethal injury. "Lucas, block her!" One of the two women pushed the shield-bearing man in front, then got ready to flank Thani as soon as she was stopped. "Sorry missy, but I won''t be the one to die today!" "Ahahah, want to bet on that? The stake''s all of your heads!" She cut her left arm lightly, and smeared the running blood on her magic-infused tattoos. Still holding her dagger in the right hand, she swung her opposite arm towards Lucas, and her tattoo detached from her skin, forming a strange spiderweb which grabbed his shield. She pulled him down, tripping him forward. "What is that magic! Malar never told us anything like this!" The second woman behind Lucas turned pale, terrified by Thani''s unknown magic. "It''s called Blood Animation if you want to know!" Thani dodged a panicked sword stab from the shield-bearer at the same time, riposting with one of her own. However the leather armour managed to deflect her hit, turning this exchange into a draw. "It lets me do cool things like THIS!" She threw herself in Lucas'' embrace, her free left hand cupping his face. Her left tatoo jumped from the shield the man''s face, covering his head entirely, making him both blind and unable to breathe. The three warriors behind would catch up in a dozen seconds at most, Thani had to decide which woman to kill first. One of them first would break Oberon''s follower''s powers early, giving her respite by slowing him down, the other would press her for time. She kicked down the man struggling for air, looked intently at her two other foes and spoke in a low, intimidating voice "Who next?". The difference between her crazy attitude and the bloodthirsty one now finally made them realise how close they were to death. "Don''t fight her! She''s trying to get you into a close melee and we won''t be able to help you!" Gramor''s approaching voice boomed into the air, waking everyone up from that terrifying first trade. Lucas struggling unsuccessfully on the ground told them of their ennemy''s magic strenght. "So what if they know, big man? They don''t get to choose!" Thani''s right tattoo snaked around her shoulder down her left hand, ready to jump at another target. No more time to focus on her emotion sensing blessing to find the most scared one now. She lunged at the one closest to the shore, intending to break the encirclement to get some more freedom. The target took a step back to give time for her partner to catch up and pincer Thani. Thani used her tattoo to grab her target''s sword and hand, leaving her exposed to her own weapon. "Leave Delia alone, you madwoman!" She traded a slash across the woman''s throat for a heavy stab to her belly, giving her the first non-self injury of the fight. No reaction from the big lug behind her, she got the wrong one. "You should have gone for the head.", she said, turing her empty eyes to the last woman and grinning. "Who are you... How can someone so young be this strong?" Felicity''s voice was choked, her face harboring tears, her sword still stuck inside Thani''s abdomen. The tattoo left the dying Delia''s sword and grabbed both combatants in a tight embrace. "Blood Family. Give my regards to your companions when then come after you." Grinning from ear to ear, she activated more of her magic, sending it both towards her newest gaping wound and Felicity. "Transfusion!". Gramor''s heartbroken howl in the night covered the woman''s agonized one. The living tattoo released the two women, and only Thani was left standing. Felicity fell to her back, gasping for air and holding her abdomen, now adorned with the same wound she inflicted seconds before. Jamie, Frond and Gramor caught up as Thani pulled the sword out of herself, and began healing at a visible rate. She threw her short dagger at Lucas'' face to finish him before they could react, pulling back her second tattoo at the occasion. Both parties stood roughly five meters apart, staring at each other. "I''m going to need something larger for round two." Thani swung a tattoo like a whip, using it to swipe the sword of Felicity, who was bleeding out. "Now THAT is a knife. How are you feeling, big man? Ready to get cut up by your relative''s weapon? Who was she, a sister, a girlfriend maybe?". She could already imagine the man''s distorted face under his helmet, Oberon''s curse for failing to protect his loved ones doing its work of robbing him from his blessing and more. "Now fall for me. Kneel, and I just might let you live to bury your dead. Your God''s curse will leave you by then, am I right? Such a dilemma, isn''t it? Die a dog''s death, unable to even move with your heavy armor, or suffer mental agony as everyone you''re familiar with dies?" Turning to the two apostles of Theomars, she continued : "I''m no follower of Deva and you both know it. Get worked up too much and you''ll go blind. Don''t and die to me." "Jamie and Frond, followers of the Warrior God. Do not humiliate us. We will not be swayed by your words, you must have spent an incredible amount of energy in the fight just now to finish it early. You were aware that if we caught up before then it would be your end. Gramor won''t be able to do anything anymore, you have already won. Why keep fighting?" She squinted her eyes and gave a few swings with her sword. "You told me your names, now let me tell you mine in honor of your God. I am Thani, head of the Blood Family, Blessed four times. Praying and managing gets boring, you know? I can finally indulge in my little guilty pleasure after 14 years. Dont you dare take that fight from me and run." She tapped her wound with her free hand, showing off her now healed body. "I''m impressed at your discipline after witnessing our little carnage here. The last half of my magic will be enough for you! Now let''s paint the earth red!" 15 Wild night 3 Oakbud watched in wonder as Thani, Jamie and Frond were facing off and talking. Gramor was on the ground, pinned down by the heavy armor he was unable to lift under Oberon''s curse. Why did they stop? They were all at each other''s throat seconds ago. The camp was in complete disorder under the moonlight. The tree was brought down, a messy jungle of vines held a broken corpse, two other bodies were piled and leaked blood on each other at it''s edge. A bit further on the opposite side of the dead campfire, Thani stood covered in blood and sweat with her dress torn on her stomach. Around her were the corpses of Lucas, Felicity and Delia. They had all received cruel and painful deaths, painting the earth black with blood on the gray-scaled background. He didn''t understand. Why did they hurt each other? Why... did he? He understood that Kali''s blessing didn''t only let him communicate easily. After he possessed Dravin, he could think even more clearly and construct better sentences, getting more and more familiar with the language. But that wasn''t all. He could put words on the strange feelings he had when watching the fight before. Fear. Worry. Anger. Confidence. Gratefulness. ------ "Thani want help? Is the fight over?" Oakbud''s thoughts were passed to her. She answered aloud, surprising the two strong men who couldn''t hear anything Oakbud said before. "It''s fine Oakbud! We''re just confirming each other''s intentions, they want to run and I want to fight!" "Me want to help! I feel they have strong power!" "I''ll be alright I tell you! Just look! Learn from me, see that everyone isn''t as good as you''ve seen. Not even me." Jamie and Frond were unsettled. First Dravin had turned traitor and their backline trio had exchanged their lives, leaving none standing. Then this crazy woman managed to kill three of them in barely a dozen seconds before they could help, downing Gramor in the process. Now she was talking to air, even calling a name ; what was she up to this time? Their eyes met, and that was enough for them to decide it was time to end this farce. Tonight they had lost everything, and only had vengeance left. Not the exuberant, messy, angry kind. The calm, cold, calculating kind that would only leave dust after they were done. "Look at them Bud! Look at us! Look how they just changed! They''re not scared anymore! They are ready to lose everything they have left, even leaving the living one on the ground to himself! We are selfish! We are monsters!" Both apostles took up their arms, ready to fight. Their metal-reinforced armor was ideal for both defense and movement, and Thani would have no way to leave a decisive blow without receiving one herself. This was two versus one, but they were strong. The sheer difference in physical strenght was enough to bridge the number of Blessings. Both parties knew, this would become an endurance fight. They would aim to land a crippling blow while protecting themselves, restraining her before finishing her off. She would aim for light trades, taking injuries and healing them as they came, whittling them down as time went on. "We know you can feel our emotions. We will not hear another treacherous word from you." And they made the first move. ------ As she dodged another heavy slash, Thani couldn''t help but start taunting the two strong men facing her, even though her words were much different from her appearance. "Come on! Those heavy swords look as light as dried-up sticks in your hands, but you can''t even hit me right after all this time?" Her dress had gained a few more cuts, and was now plastered to her body with all the blood splashes. Jamie and Frond hadn''t slowed much since the start of the fight, their stamina seemingly infinite. Thani''s magic, however, wasn''t. She limited herself to her passive regeneration and blood animation, using it to harden her sword-wielding arm tattoo in the form of a crystallized blood bracer and the other in the shape of a multi-threaded spiderweb whip. From the very first move, Thani had been on the defensive this time. They were perfectly calm and worked flawlessly together, covering each other for any gap in defense. Their mental fortitude was also strong, preventing them from being tricked by anything she could say. She was close to a checkmate situation, the only salvation being the open ground letting her kite them around again and again. But she didn''t care at all! She was finally free after fourteen years staying in her temple! Any hardship was worth it, and any activity was welcome, death matches included. The fish-hunt was exciting, but she had never felt so alive before the current fight. Nine versus two, counting six versus one for her, and winning still. She was a blood-soaked fairy, a dancer bringing death under the moonlight. She was discovering the flip side of Kali''s worship, the opposite of accepting and soothing the suffering. They were running, pursuing the source of clear and insane laughter under the night. They were restraining themselves at first, not giving their all to the fight in fear of Theomars'' punishment were they to lose themselves in it. But even though her body was weak, she was agile and capable of powerful magic. They had rarely fought on such a fine edge, advancing and turning both meaning death. Their limits were challenged, again and again this very night, bringing them higher and higher. ------ Oakbud could feel it. All three of them would die if the situation stayed like this. No side gaining an advantage, the slightest slip would start a fatal exchange of lives. Magic was thrumming through the air, pulled around them like a crowd of cheering specators. What should he do? She did not want help from him... But what about help from others? And the duo of Jamie and Frond... Should he help them too? Changing the situation, tipping the scales... He could feel both Theomars and Kali in the magic, he could feel the three believers approaching their limits. He had decided. He would call out to Them, and let Them decide this fight. Even if it was impossible he would try. His resolve made on this grand bet, he could feel two additional traces of divine powers, but didn''t know whose they were. Slowly, but powerfully, Oakbud lifted his arms in the air, looking at the stars, and added to the magic maelstrom that was forming around the camp. What would They do? The one who helped him, and the one now facing him? ------ His mind was pulled away. He could see his own, feel their rage, their calm, their emotion, their control. What happened here? Why could he see out of his Child? The fight was electrifying, a textbook example of "brave warriors". As he looked more, he found them limited by their blessing. He is the Theomars the Warrior God, and he could feel Kali by his side. They gave him a fight, and he would give them the tools for more. --- She felt herself be transported again, and recognised the magic of the little forest Spirit. He called her to look over her believer during this fight. She was already strong, but she hadn''t reached the full understanding of what she had been given yet. Years wasting away in vain, praying. She is Kali, the Goddess of Suffering and she could feel Theomars by her side. Their overflowing emotions, opposing bliss and grief, she embraced them all. She would help resolve the knot in those people''s hearts. --- Thrilling. A creature possessing divine might, choosing to surrender fate to others. It could lose so much, and win so little. But he did anyway. Whatever the stakes, the bold decision triggered her interest. She is Eludia the Goddess of Luck, and she could feel Monte by her side. She grasped Fate, holding it and making sure this grand bet would unfold without interference. --- Fascinating. Through sheer will and magic, it managed to pull the consciousness of four Gods at the same time. Making his way through the world, one step at a time, decisive and steady. The three fighters were also impressive, pushing forward, never faltering, determined to be the ones left standing. He is Monte the God of Fortune, and he could feel Eludia by his side. He would bolster their will and magic this time, so that the world may bend to them in their endeavour. 16 Wild night 4 End of the fight. Power-ups, but don''t expect anything incredible and xianxia-like (cough cough, Meng Hao in ISSTH, cough cough). ------ He was entirely focused on his act, not looking anymore, not hearing anymore, not thinking anymore, not feeling anymore. He kept pouring out his magic, waiting for anything to come. And when something came, it was both expected and not. Expected, because he already had managed to call for a God, even though it was through divinity in a statue. And unexpected, because he got way more than he asked for, four Gods manifesting their consciousness at once to watch over the fight. They could only watch, and so as if a silent decision had been agreed upon, they began pulling on Oakbud''s power, taking it as their own to make the most of the occasion. Oakbud could feel their general intentions, Theomars wanted to win, Kali wanted to resolve, Eludia wanted to have fun, and Monte wanted to reward. The Goddess of Luck was the first to act, using the power she drew to close off the area of the maelstrom, creating an arena in which to fight. Then the Warrior God used his share to Bless his two devotees, choosing an appropriate power to give them an edge. At the same time, Kali chose to create a link with Thani and passed her knowledge on her powers, a boon only her Child was meant to have. And finally, Monte took the rest of what magic Oakbud had spent, and used it to restore the fighters entirely, then have the arena bend to them. The fight was reset with new powers, new strenght, and the earth itself at their back to arrive at a resolution. They could not miss, could not trip, and could not stop. They would be tested on whether they could adapt to the divine intervention or not. ------ Jamie, Frond and Thani felt the vortex around them solidify, and energy invade them, forcing them to stop for a short moment. In addition to being healed, the warriors felt themselves receive their second blessing, winning the approval of their God through their fight. The energy they usually stocked in their limbs to augment their explosive power could now be projected outwards, granting them greater reach and a new means of attacking. Their own intelligence would decide how powerful and ingenious its use would be. Thani had no wound to heal, but her fatigue was relieved and her magic refilled. She felt Kali at her side. Her Goddess had enough borrowed magic to whisper three words into her ears, infused with power and knowledge : Body, Heart, Mind. As information flowed into her brain, the understanding she had of her own blessings reached the limit of what mortals could fathom. There was no wind anymore, and they felt as if the earth moved under each of their steps to best accomodate them. What happened they did not know, but they would end their fight before asking themselves why. ------ Action sparked simultaneously on both sides. Jamie threw a punch straight ahead, way out of reach, and Frond rushed at Thani. The air burst in front of his hand, trying to create an aimed shockwave in order to disrupt their ennemy. They had gained reach and the capacity for disruption in addition to their strenght. Under themselves through the legs to accelerate or rupture the ground, through the arms in order to attack directly or even deflect projectiles or push people back. The possibilities were endless. At the other end of the vortex, the two animated arm tattoos crawled back on Thani''s chest and connected to the mark of the heart on her left breast, before bursting out again, maintaining a fine thread of blood between them still. Now they almost had a mind of their own, becoming another pair of multi-faceted limbs to do her bidding instead of tools. She also began accelerating her blood flow consciously, taxing her organism heavily to fight at higher capacity. However for her the risks were inexistent, her regeneration fixing any harm done instantly. Life and death were determined in the first clash. The air blast had lost a lot of power through the distance and only ruffled Thani''s hair. Frond had his greatsword at the ready and crushed the ground with magic on his penultimate step, making her lose balance before following up with a heavy slash. Thani let herself fall a bit to the side, regaining balance by pulling onto the incoming blade with a tattoo. Using the momentum of his charge, her other tattoo whipped his legs off the ground while her hands blurred and cut at his knees and wrists before he could react. The effort left her sword- and dagger-wielding arms trembling, but at least she had taken one out of the fight. The fatigue would be gone in a few seconds anyway, while any injury they took would last. She didn''t have enough time to recuperate and reset her stance before eating another air blast, this time powerful enough to send her skidding across the ground. Her tattoos managed to bash the incoming sword down in the nick of time to avoid losing her head, instead taking a crippling injury to the left leg. Jamie followed up with a kick to the stomach, sending her flying. Thani slammed against the vortex, which dragged her around a bit and made her cough blood from the hits. Her thigh was almost lopped off, and she couldn''t move the leg anymore. Her regeneration, accelerated forcefully, had already begun mending the wound, but it wasn''t something she could heal in less than a few hours. She used one of her tattoos as an exoskeleton instead, choosing to continue the fight with a handicap. As she faced Jamie''s charge, Thani''s free tattoo raked the earth to make a dust cloud, cutting vision. However it was instantly dispersed by an air blast, and his piercing eyes were locked on hers again. Her mind had cleared in the meantime, and she focused on her blessing of emotions. The words Body and Heart let her understand how the Goddess herself used the arts of Blood, but the word Mind made her discover that her emotion sensing had also been reinforced before and could work both ways. She chose to show him the pain of almost losing her leg a few seconds ago, making him fall down and add his wails to Frond''s who was squirming helplessly on the ground. His charge was broken, and the initiative was back in Thani''s hands. During the time it took Jamie to get back up and check the pain had no associated injury, she was already inside his preferred greatsword range. He repelled the tattoo coming at his face strongly with a magic-covered hand, sending it flying far away, and jumped back to get his ideal spacing again. "Every hit you give me from now on, you will also feel in full." "But it won''t break me! And when you die... I will only feel the achievement and grace of my God." "How about self-inflicted injuries then? Do you see all the scars I bear? Let''s see you bear them too, AND ALL AT ONCE! AHAHA~~~~~" Thani herself didn''t know if it was possible, but it was a bluff, and so she made a show of closing her eyes to focus. Jamie took the bait and rushed at her before she could complete her spell. He knew his mind would shut down under so much pain at once, the phantom leg pain still fresh in his mind. In his precipitation, he forgot her regeneration, and that because of it not all the wounds she took had left a scar. He also forgot that she could feel Frond''s current pain and Gramor''s despair. He howled, feeling the fresh stomach pain of the previous wound left on both Felicity and Thani, but his charge didn''t stop. She opened her eyes, and ran her thumb across her neck. He could feel it too, and fear crept up as he imagined her doing the same with her dagger. He swung his two-handed greatsword, preparing a magic blast to break off the exchange afterwards, but was interrupted by pain in his wrists and knees. He lost his footing, and saw Thani slice her eyes with her dagger while a wave of anguish hit. He couldn''t restrain himself this time, and dropped his sword to grab at his intact eyes, almost crying from the accumulated pain. "Too bad you never learned to shield your mind with magic, I guess? Send my regards to Theomars." The last thing he saw before dying was Thani''s thin smile under her already healed eyes. Her weapon ran across his neck, putting an end to the fighting. She sat down, and her tattoo released her leg to carry the weapon. She immediately stopped overfueling her body, almost fainting from the stress, and laid on her back. Thani only maintained enough magic to let the tattoo carry her sword to finish off Frond on the ground, Gramor through the visor of his helmet, and back to her arm. Her magic ran out as her second tattoo finally managed to come back after being sent flying off. She was void of any energy, incapable of moving while bleeding out from an almost-sectionned left leg. But she won. "Told you I''d be alright." ------ AUTHOR''S EXTENDED NOTE : Remember that believers choose a path and can only discover it gradually, it is not their own creation, hence the possibility for quick but limited progress. Blessings may get overlapping enhancements, however some types have their own limits. Taking Dravin as example, shadows manipulation only has two levels : cloaking, then invisibility. After that, it is the experience the user has and his understanding of the powers that counts. Jamie and Frond are pretty much brutish bird-brains, while Thani is accomplished but had overlooked many things before. Note that some self-training like Mark to shield his mind would have made it possible for Thani to lose to Jamie. Yes she has versatility, but she lacks the power to land heavy enough blows, only able to win through trickery. Frond was caught unprepared by her new speed so it would have been useless, and Gramor knew how but couldn''t shield his mind annymore under Oberon''s curse. 17 Dawn The vortex of magic dispersed when the last hit was given to Gramor. Theomars and Kali wouldn''t let things end unless they were throughly finished. Oakbud could finally see through the wall of wind and dust, and spotted Thani splayed on the ground, unconscious. She was in no danger of dying thanks to her incredible self-healing capabilities, but her current state really was unsightly. Covered in blood, clothes ripped, ans snoring the pain away ungracefully with a silly grin on her face. The rest of the camp was even messier than before. Oakbud possessed the body of Frond, the strongest of the bandits, and regrouped the bodies towards the fire. He left the corpse, and turned all nine of them into plants, offering them their last home. All around the soil had been scraped clean by the vortex, leaving an almost smooth circle around 50m in diameter at the edge of the lake. He finally went back to the fallen tree, grew vines from the stump to grab Thani and hide her away, waiting for her to wake up, and finally used the dying lantern to spark a new fire. He stood upon his little plant mound / throne proudly, surveilling the surroundings closely for what was left of the night. ------ "My scars are gone..." When she woke up, Thani knew it even before looking at herself. All she had accumulated during her fourteen years of prayer was lost, and would not come back. It wasn''t important anymore, though. The battle before taught her she was headed down the wrong way in her worship, and Kali herself opened up her eyes to the truth. It was liberating. Staying still under the foliage coccoon, she checked the state of her body. She was overall healed, only her thigh would still prevent her from walking. Her magic wasn''t recovered yet either, and so she couldn''t accelerate her healing. "Hey Oakbud, open up!" Hearing Thani awake, the Spirit used a bit of magic to unfold the plants around her, letting the aura of dawn illuminate her. "That was too dangerous. Thani almost dead! Next time me help from the start!" "Says the one who pulled Gods into this. Don''t try to say otherwise, I felt it clearly. You managed to get at least Theomars and Kali''s attention, an at least a third one, because these two wouldn''t lock the vortex like that or heal us. My bet is on Deva because of the healing." She was looking at the sky smiling, waiting for the first rays of the sun to brighten the next day. "That was one hell of a night, eh? Can you bring me some food? I promise I won''t be as reckless the next time, I know it was close. -Ow Ow OW OW! I mean it! stop that!" Oakbud was poking at her injured leg and looking at her with a reproachful glare, making sure his meaning was conveyed properly. "You no die anymore. You heal, you eat, you wash, get new dress, then we walk again! Meet Dad-Tree friends, say goodbye." ------ "Hmmmmmm... that was a nice nap. Sleeping back in one''s own nest really is the best. Hey, Ole Elements, I''m in a good mood, what do you want me to eat today I know you can taste it." The dragon yawned and stretched like a cat, the tip of his tail trembling and curling up. Looking at his "bed", he crushed a few rocks between his talons to make himself more comfortable before rolling back into a dark brown scaly ball. "Nidh?gran, Nidh?gran, Nidh?gran... I have known you for about a millenia now, but I have yet to find someone more capricious and forgetful than you. But I like that untameable side of you." He stopped kneading the stone floor, one leg frozen in its movement. "Wait, a compliment? That''s no good coming from you. What have you found to torment me this time? WAITNODONTTELLME!" His paw was now tapping on the gravely surface beneath him, his claws beating an unsteady rythm following his train of thoughts. "...Ugh, you know it''s your fault I forget so many things. I''m no God, you are! Being attuned to seven elements at once all the time disperses my focus too much, they''re all so contradictory." "Then just stop it and get moving. It''s been a week already." "Fine, fine! I''ll cut back for a bit and isolate Earth to get steadier. But it gets me so sluggish, I want to sleep again just thinking about it!" As Nidh?gran finished speaking with his rumbling voice, his body shriveled a bit, his wings retracting into his back. His mane lost its fiery luster and turned ash-gray, and his breath lost its destructive power. Only his sun-like eyes kept their bright color, as even his scales turned a shade darker towards black. What was left was a pitch-black and bulky Earthen dragon around half the size of the previous Nidh?gran, with two straight horns stemming from the back of his head. His limbs were shorter a stumpy, but the physical strenght he could exert was unparalleled. He exuded a dangerous rather than scary air around him, with his sharp and sturdy claws, impenetrable scales and his razor-sharp teeth filled angular maw. "Aaaaaaaah... thiiiiiiiiiis mouuuuuuuntaiiiiiiiiiiin reeaaaaaallllllyyyyyy feeeeellllssss goooooood... Sleeeeeepppppyyyyyyyy." "... That appearence of yours really doesn''t match your character. Why did I make a bastard like you my Child again?" His eyes ware glazed over, and he seemed barely awake, like he would turn into a part of the mountain himself any second, never to wake up again. "Beeeecaaauuuuuuuse I''mmmmmmmm wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiild. Aaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnd I reeeeeeeemmmmmmeeeeeemmmmmbeeeeeer nooooooow... Theeeee treeeeeeeee aaaaand Nyyyyyyyyx, sheeeeee gooooooot meeeee goooood thiiiiiiiis tiiiime. Leeeeeeeeet''s gooooooooo aaaaaaaffteeeeeeer naaaaaaap tiiiiiiiime." "..." 18 Arrival at Ebb Thani took until midday until she could walk again, and began recovering her magic around evening. A full day of delay could seem like much, but it really wasn''t since food and water were plentiful. They had no constraint of time either. Thani used her recovery time to explore her new knowledge a bit more, and found that she really had only scratched the surface. No wonder she didn''t make any progress in fourteen years staying in the same place. She also asked Oakbud to search their agressors'' stuff, and what exactly happened for him to win against the backline. Her regeneration is passive from the beginning, and she only fueled it with magic to accelerate it sometimes. However, she was now able to control her whole body, and not only its healing, meaning she would be stronger and more agile, could prevent wounds from bleeding, and could do dangerous things like accelerating her circulatory system to bring in more oxygen and overclock her performances. She discovered that her emotion sensing blessing was boosted during a previous ceremony, and she hadn''t known it. In addition to feeling the state of people around her, she could work the link in reverse in order to mess with them (she would still need to feel the emotion in question herself). Her magic of injury transfer hadn''t changed. Originally it was meant to "steal" the injuries of others to relieve them, and heal it oneself with the incredible regeneration, but she had already discovered its flip side to copy her own wounds on others, even though the cost was high. Finally, her understanding of Blood Animation was barely superficial before, and she could only use her tattoos as crude tools, changing their forms actively. Kali''s method was way more refined in comparison, linking her mind to the heart tattoo, making it a control hub to synchronize any blood tattoo she had and would add in the future and enabling them to act on her instinct. This method was also almost costless magic-wise, and the following morning she started using her tattoos on her legs to augment her step, effectively doubling her traveling speed. Wild birds and animals along the lake shore could thus take in the comical sight of a robed white-haired woman happily skipping a meter into the air, carrying a clinking bag as big as herself on her back and dragging a giant fish carcass. ------ "And pop! ? gooooes the baaaaaandit ?! Hey Oakbud, I know my head is comfortable, but could you stop your arms from swinging in front of my eyes at every step?" The offender was sitting upon Thani''s head, his arms bobbing up and down in her field of vision each time she bounced back on the ground. He had ditched his piece of bark and replaced it with a looted kneepad during the previous day of travel, making him look like an iron nut. His arms couldn''t pierce through, so they were squashed towards the front and bothered Thani. "Arms in the back are not good to hold on to things! Are we there yet? The trail is larger and we have met five people." "Yeah. In the end we made up for lost time with my tattoos. It''s normal to meet people around here too, look around, there are fields a bit further. We should see Ebb in a few hours. Let''s stop for a bit, I''m getting hungry from the walk." "Why not run like before? Thani fly!" "It''s not flying... I guess I could try making wings later, but I''m going to need to bleed some for that. Can''t be sure they''ll do much either. And to answer the question, goofing around is fun but showing off is bad. Just think about what happened three days ago : if they knew my powers I''d be in those guys'' place now." "Wings are nice! Thani fairy ?!" The first thing they saw of the city was its wall, ten meters high, vertical, raspy and colored a tarnished sand-beige. On top of it were guard towers rising further into the sky and patrolling militia. A heavy sluice gate stood at the end of the trail they were on, and Thani joined the queue to enter the city of Ebb, and began explaining the social structure hereto Oakbud. "Sorry for this, but if anyone asks you are my pet, a young nature spirit. Let me speak to others and limit yourself to plant growth, okay?" "Me understand. Friend Mark said before me too strange, have to hide." So he said, but his excitement was hard contained, and having his freedom restricted felt bad to him, even if it was for his own good. "Don''t get too sad, okay? We can still have plenty of fun here, and I''ll show you around to meet followers of other gods." Thani''s words were enough to lift Oakbud''s spirits, and she couldn''t help but think he really was nothing but a child trying to wield a greatsword... "New friends, say hello!" ------ The city itself was built by areas, sporting a residential area, a commerce district, one for craftsmen, one for temples and other religious businesses, and a fifth for entertainment. Finally at the center of it all stood the command center of the city''s defense force, undeniably the lifeline of its activity. It housed the defense force and the administrative functions such as taxes. The guards handled general defense over and inside the walls, but the rest was left to the people themselves, and the place was free for them to drop requests for others to take. Losing yourself was as easy as finding where you were again, since by walking alone the transition between areas was clearly visible. The residential area took up the most space, almost a fourth of the whole place, and was filled with small-scale housing. Here and there you could find bigger buildings made out of hard stone instead of basic materials like mortar and wood, that usually indicated some sort of status and strenght. Those were owned by bigger families like Thani''s Blood family in Pilgrim Woods. The commercial district was full of all kinds of shops, from the usual foodstores, restaurants and inns, to the more peculiar herbalists, doctors and potions shops. This was one part of the city which never slept, and also boasted the second best security with the most guards patrolling it. The artisanal district was small, but possessed his own particular atmosphere. It smelled of wood chips, failed magical experiments and steel dust, with a hint of leather to top it off. The religious part was the safest of all despite having no guards in it, since the fear of the Gods'' retribution was real and well-ingrained. Some of them were known for their pettiness, particularly Time, Nyx, Oberon and Liezel, and even the bravest criminal wouldn''t dare set foot in there. Another part of the city never stopped, and that would be the entertainment block. High-end and fancy bars, both public and inside stages for performances, brothels, gambling dens, auction houses, diverse addicts, criminals and rich folk ensured it would stay forever noisy and animated. Finally, the administrative square at the city center served as the heart linking them all, watching over public order and redistributing taxes through general interest works. People could volunteer or be condemned to these works. The army was lead by the city council, which was made of big families'' heads and district representatives, and organised in units by the God they follow if they have one. This way, they could make up efficient teams through the multitude of blessings received, and even had definite healing and support squads. "Alright, we''re in! Let''s find some lodgings first, then try and resell all that dirty looted stuff, and I''ll be able to bring you to the temple of the Three afterwards! That bag is getting heavy." Still playing the shining knight with his kneepad, Oakbud asked Thani who had to leave the fish carcass outside. "Thani no visit the temple of Kali here?" "Nope! Met them once, they''re boring old men. I don''t really need to pray anymore either, do I? I know how blessings work now, and only need to appropriate what I learned to progress. Guess I still haven''t thanked you properly for that divine help either." She kept walking towards the residential district bordering the lake, having entered from the commercial one at the south gate. Thani needed to show some elbow to open a path through the disorderly mob of people clustering the roads, hurryingly finishing their business before nightfall. "Me wants to visit anyway! Try all temples after meeting Dad-tree''s friend Nature God." "Alright alright... but that''s for tomorrow. Night''s beginning to fall, so let me settle down and sort our things out for now. Got to separate all the weapons, gold and armor parts then clean them all up if I want to get some coin out of it." She finally arrived and quickly chose the closest Inn to step in, the Coughing Pony. Its exterior was plain, with only its original signboard of a sick horse head to annouce it was there. She was greeted by bad interior lighting and a scent of alcohol. It definitely wasn''t the cleanest of the lot but it would do for a first night. Walking towards the counter between the wobbly chairs and mouldy tables, she threw a silver coin and extended her hand, expecting change. "Single room, one night, no food, no questions." "That''s 50 copper for the room, 20 for its key and 10 for the discretion." The gruff innkeeper answered her at the same time he caught the coin with practiced movements. His face was oily with grease and sweat, and the only visibile thing under his bandana was a tuft of black hair, his eyes and flattened nose. "That''s 50 for the room and its key, you swindler. And the 10 if you don''t want me to call a guard." "Not a tourist, eh? You win girlie, here''s the change and your key. Find it yourself on the second floor with the engraved pattern on it." He threw back the key and a little pouch attached to it, full of copper coins. "And I want that back tomorrow before noon." The room wasn''t very big, the bed taking up most of the space, with a chair and table at its end. The window only had its shutter to block the air and light. Thani locked the door behind her, shut the window, and put her bag down. She set her own mat over the straw mattress to make it more comfortable, and used the inn''s blanket to complete the sleeping gear. "Alright, good night Bud''. See you tomorrow for our little program, and this time wake me up if someone comes." 19 Meeting Natures Child The following morning at sunrise, a peculiar silhouette could be foud roaming the streets of Ebb. It was just another hooded person protecting herself from the cold, except her head was moving by itself and annoyed grumblings could be heard to who listened closely. The person was walking briskly towards the religious quarter, sometimes even hitting her own head. "Temple temple, meet dad-tree friend! ?" "Aaaaaaaah have mercy on me! Stop!" "Temple temple, meet dad-tree friend! ? Friend!!" Thani hit Oakbud who was hiding on top of her head again. He had been harping her since she woke up, even during breakfast, like an impossible to turn off 6 o''clock alarm. She was forced to abandon any plan she had of selling their loot in favour of rushing to the Temple of the Three as fast as she could. "You''ll drive me insane! I said stop! I swear I''m going to turn around and leave you alone here if you hum that stupid line one more time!" "Thani already insane, no? Temple temple ?" "You little bastard, you''re lucky I owe you a big one!" She was whining in a low tone, giving the impression she was talking to herself. Plugging her ears was useless as Oakbud talked directly through her mind, but her talking back with the hood on gave the impression of a deranged madman talking to himself. The transition between the two districts was flagrant, the flux of people dwindling a lot this early in the morning, and the architecture changing style. The haphazardly houses made from a mix of mortar, wood and stone were replaced with clear-cut roads and polished stone decorated buildings, with decorative gardens strewn every here and there. They could easily be differenciated through the emblems carved over the doors, and variety was a good word to describe the panel of styles present. Liezel''s shrine was almost bare, resembling a roadside shrine of any other deity, with only a little statue under a wooden roof. Even with the fear people held for Gods this wasn''t considered strange in the biggest city of the Primal continent : Liezel advocated freedom over all and couldn''t be bothered to pass guidelines through his Child for his followers. On the opposite side of the spectrum stood the temple dedicated to Nyx. The Goddess of the Arts came in person through her Child every odd dozen years, and couldn''t help but change things in accordance to her current tastes ; the result was a mix of almost every technique and materials possible, from sculpting to painting and mosa?ques, hard to make sense of but full of hidden tiny masterpieces. The temple of the Three was in the middle, both geographically and in the fashion sense. Its form was a big circular room, built with sober grey polished stone. Its interior was open and its roof made of tainted glass, only two-thirds closed off. The first third was tainted black, and under it laid the statue of an hourglass on a sand bed, circled by carved stone benches. The second part was covered with multicolored glass, and further divided into areas on floor level with multiple floor carvings : a blue drop, a red spark, a green tornado, a brown pebble, golden lightning, and a white crystal. A seventh element was legendary and had only been touched by the Children of the God, standing at the apex of the world''s confection, and thus wasn''t represented. However Thani hadn''t brought Oakbud here for these two today, but for the third side of the temple. It was open-roofed and invaded by overgrowing plants, an enormous tree growing in the middle of it, reaching to the clouds. It stood even higher than the central administrative building of the city, and also served as both a landmark and a deterrent. Adding to it the presence of the God-Child Talia the dryad, this temple created the safest heaven for all animal races in this world ; if an intelligent creature was hunted and managed to reach the city it would be safe as long as it restrained its aggressivity, however cruel it could be otherwise. "Alright, here it goes, I hope you know what you wish to talk about. Also I''ll get to show off a bit of my practice from when you didn''t look, ahah." She sighed in relief after crossing the threshold of the temple, since Oakbud was too busy looking around in silent wonder to continue his maddening chant. Thani had uncovered head and was now making a path through the overgrowth towards the tree, taking care not to stomp on anything by accident, using her tattoos to gently part the man-sized plants and vines before her. She finally arrived in front of the tree, and found there was a circle of free space all around it, close to three meters in length. "Hoooooo... I''m nervous you know. I''m going to meet one of the Three somehow. Never been that close to any God before, that little tryst during our travel really was exceptional. Wonder what a Child is like, two minds in a single body seems a bit creepy." Taking a few deep breaths, Thani used her newfound control to push droplets of blood through her palms, and spread it on the humongous trunk in front of her and spoke. "Thani of the Blood, blessed four times and granted Wisdom by the Goddess Kali, seeks an audience with the God-Child Talia." After saying her piece, she stepped back and kneeled sitting on her heels, and waited with her gaze lowered. Oakbud was looking up into the sky, waiting in silence. ------ After a few minutes, Oakbud started lowering his gaze slowly, following the carved lines of bark and growth knots along the tree. When he looked straight in front of him again, a visage started appearing on the side of the trunk facing Thani and him. He watched as the head, then shoulders and torso, and finally a pair of legs emerged. Talia was a dryad, and looked like an extreme version of female Aldo, with green skin and eyes, long transluscent leaves as hair, and extremities turning to wooden feet or forearms. Her figure half-covered in leaves was a bit alien compared to humans, but she was still beautiful in her own manner, and the magical power she exuded left no doubt as to her identity. "You don''t seem troubled, what can I do for you, worshipper of Kali? Is it related to the strange creature on your head?" "Yes. But Oakbud here will speak for himself, I only brought him here to you." She only lifted her head to answer after being spoken to, her calm and respect very unusual for the exuberant Thani. She lifted a hand to nudge her companion, waking him up from his reverie. "Your turn Bud'', now''s not the time to stare you know?". She continued to stay unmoving after that, fading her presence to let the two nature freaks talk without restraint. "Are you dad-tree''s friend?" Oakbud''s question was full of innocence and longing. When she heard it, Talia knew even without sensing his magic that he was related to the Stalwart Oak. The God of Nature had gone back to sleep, but she had still pried bits of information about what happened before that. She flashed a helpless smile, knowing full well she had to kill his immediate hopes. "... This is both correct and not. I am Nature''s Child, not the God itself, so I can''t help you. He woke up when the Stalwart Oak died and gave birth to you, but he has left me again since. I have no way to wake him up either, and I guess I''m not the one you wanted to meet the most..." "Dad-tree''s friend not here?..." Oakbud''s eyes dimmed, and for the first time he felt truly lost. Talia sat down crossed-legged, her back against the tree''s trunk, leveling her head to his. "I''m truly sorry I can''t help you. Can you tell me what you wanted? I will transmit the message to him when he''s up again." "Dad-tree said find his friends, say... goodbye..." Unknowingly, he hadn''t stopped speaking into Thani''s mind when Talia began discussing with him, and she could doubly feel his pain and grief through her blessing and his words. She realized she had been more than a travel companion for him, so young, alone and lost he was. "I''m really sorry... let me tell you a bit more about how Gods live through us in this world, so don''t be so dejected and you will understand. They are somehow both asleep and awake most of the time, the difference being the focus of their awareness. Usually it is spread out everywhere, following people''s calls, their own whims and granting seeds of power to those who worship them. When they connect to lives this way they can gleam information on what is happening to whatever they connect to. Being a Child is a bit different, as they focus their presence into us, and so they can take form, talk to us, grant us knowledge and much, much more. From my life since he chose me, I understand that Nature enjoys the world without favoritism and only selected a Child to have a more direct means of communication with his creations, whereas for example, Nyx or Kali revel in the mortal life, and Time is almost completely disinterested. But right now Nature is in the other state, meaning completely asleep and unaware. It can stay like this for a few hours or a few days in general, but it''s already been weeks now... which is why I can''t help you. If it may be of any comfort for you, he might be grieving his loss too." Because she had been explaining aloud, Thani profited greatly too, and had a bit of difficulty processing all this high-level information. Only god-candidates preparing for ascension, having found their own original path, would usually get to know such things. What would happen when she reached the limit of her own path? She couldn''t tell, and she decided not to worry about it either. Having made peace with her decision and future, Thani remembered the wild night and Harp''s report : Oakbud had been able to call Gods and focus their attention, and could even discharge magic to grant blessings independently from Gods. "Sorry for interrupting, but... Oakbud, maybe you could try to... touch Talia? Like you touched Harp and the little Maya? If it is true that the God of Nature woke up for the God-Tree''s death, maybe your magic can jolt him awake?" 20 Dad-Trees Friend I Magic at the level of the Gods was something Thani could not understand, but the experience of living with the little Spirit told her it mightbe possible. Still sitting, Talia was looking at her with a look of wonder, supporting her chin with one hand. Oakbud was looking from one to the other, happy to have a new idea to try and waiting for Talia to decide. They could feel his burning passion, trembling like an overcompressed spring ready to release, following his mood''s ups and downs. "He''s not the Stalwart Oak, but it just-" Talia had just begun speaking her mind when she was cut off by a furious mental storm coming from the little one in front of her. "Me want to try! try now!" She sighed, and finished her sentence. "Calm down will you? Your outburst started wilting the plantlife around us... And I was going to say that it''s alright to try." She smiled and extended a hand towards Oakbud. "Now, come here and transfer me some of your power." ------ "Every second of life you steal, I will take back in full, Jack. You already burnt yourself, and now re-kindle the embers with your own scorched soul." Time''s voice echoed in the skeleton''s mind, a mortal reminder of his Child''s folly. "And I will continue to steal time from every single plant and creature I come across. You tied me to the stake and gave me the torch to lit my own pyre! And now after this, if I must still go out, then I will make that pyre burst, and set everything I can ablaze." Jack didn''t have flesh on his body and remained bare bones wrapped in a robe, however he had gotten his magic back and used it to steal life away around him, gaining his capacity to think, move and speak normally back throught it. Grass was dying under each of his steps, trees turned gray and lifeless showering him with crunchy leaves, and low-flying birds fell out of the sky never to take off again when passing over him in a strange trail of death. "And you will understand that I, that Time, doesn''t need or care about you... What blaze, what pyre, would you even expect a spark from a wet candlewick unable to even give smoke? Everything you try to do since I made you fail the first time is inconsequential. The clock is ticking, Jack, and when I stop its hand, you will be erased from history." "..." Not answering the God''s ultimatum, Jack marched on. He arrived at the place known as the Cliff of Abandon on the Jagged Heights, a hundreds of meters tall, vertical and slick cliff that dove deep into the sea. "We''re not playing on the same scale, Time. You don''t care and me neither. And that''s why you keep me undead. Because you want me to care and I want you to care too. You want to win but I''m flipping the board. And when it''s finally done you will simply fix it, and find the next player." Facing the sky, Jack took a step forward onto the air. Before the Anger that fragmented the earth and set it apart, there once was a mountain here. And he would cross it to the Primal in the current time. ------ "Nature met it." "Met what, Ole'' Elements?" The dragon woke up from his semi-sleeping flight towards the Primal, back to normal but still groggy from his little whirl as an earth drake. "Little Oak''s creation. You don''t need to go to the forest anymore Nidh?gran, but to the human city called Ebb." He yawned a little hail tornado then dove into the sea to wake himself up. Splashing water into the air as he took flight again after the dip, Nidh?gran took his time before answering. "It''s so unlike you to tell me this. You really care about it that much it seems. But I''m still going to check out the God-Tree before finding it. We should see the coast tonight at worst anyway, it won''t be much farther." ------ Thani was watching as Oakbud stood on Talia''s cupped hands, and she felt the torrent of pure magical force he poured out from a few meters away. It was making her white hair sway, and even the plants around the clearing were bending backwards. Then Talia changed. Her appearance stayed the exact same, but her mannerism shifted, and her eyes were aflame with raw power. As every plant in the temple trembled, cheering in joy at the arrival of their creator, Thani felt the dryad disappear from her blessing''s senses, and her chest tightened. It felt as if a predator had set its sight on her, and she couldn''t spot it... She felt vulnerable, and knew her idea had worked. She was in the presence of a God of Creation. "Is that you my Old friend? Did you not leave the world in the end?" The possessed dryad''s eyes were still unfocused from the change, and the God took a second to clear her mind and take over cleanly. Ignoring the two creatures in front of him for now, he lifted a hand in front of his face to focus his vision and learn where was. This simple gesture was a terrifying picture of perfection, moving nor too fast nor slow at a meticulously even speed. "Aaaaah... Talia my Child, how and why did you find such a way of waking me up, I wonder?" The dryad''s voice hadn''t changed, and the gap it created between her previous and current state would make any spectator ill-at-ease. Her elocution also had followed her movements and slowed down. After his round of introspection, Nature finally took time to observe his surroundings. He was in the temple of the Three, his back against the giant tree representing himself. Facing him were... A human follower of Kali, he could recognise her deeply set marks in this one, and... An unknown creature standing in the hand he hadn''t lifted. Had Elements created something new in the short while he was away for? What woke him up from deep slumber was Little Oak''s power again, but none of his brothers or himself could replicate it alone. "Let me look at you, children of Our world... I will know, there is no need to say a word..." Talia''s voice this time was tinged with power, and seemed to be spoken by all the plants in the temple at the same time in the background. With but a thought and a glance, Nature learned everything about both of them, from their name and age to their experiences and strenghts. The God used Talia''s free hand to pat Oakbud''s head with a smile, before addressing the human kneeling before him with his slow and even voice. "Thank you Thani, favoured daughter of Kali, for bringing the last endeavor of my friend to me. My grace will forever follow you and those who helped. Little Oak may not have been one of us Three, but his existence was dear to us nonetheless." She felt nothing, but knew that something happened ; she would know one day, maybe in a time of need. With this Thani knew her role had ended, and decided to wait in order to learn of Oakbud''s next move. Talia focused back on Oakbud in her palm. "Little seedling, little sprout, little sapling, already you shine... You left the forest, little one, got out of his shrine, You are his thanks and last goodbye, brought to me under my eye, his life and key to be freed, the lone bearer of his seed... Thank you for coming, for stopping my grieving." Oakbud was trembling faintly, back to his state from before he ate the God-Tree''s leaf. Facing Nature, he was the newborn little Spirit again, only knowing one thing and living to accomplish it. Now in front of the first of his Dad-Tree''s friends, he could only say one word. "Goodbye" 21 Advice from a God Unknown to the world, save for two creatures, a God had manifested directly through his child. Even the other people in the temple didn''t know, as only those in the tree''s clearing could know. The Gods and their Children were revered, but the God himself and the idea their followers had of them would always differ in some places. After all, what information got through the Child wasn''t exact itself, because some things wouldn''t be understandable to them, thus giving them an incomplete picture. To the Gods, choosing a Child was like a human feeding chicks by throwing handful of seeds, and selecting one to hand-feed on the side, speaking to it for entertainment or out of boredom while watching the others grow. In the end, a God taking over his Child to act was rarer than one would think, Nyx being an exuberant exception. Through the coincidence of meeting Oakbud, people would get to meet more Gods in days than the whole continent had in centuries. "So you see, if you want to meet Us all it would be harder than you think. However I can maybe give you a few tips if you really want to look for them, be it information on their character or about magic. You have so much of it, it would be a waste not to learn." Even though his own part was over, Nature couldn''t help but doting on Oakbud more in memory of the God-Tree. Thani stood silent at the side, taking in as much as she could from this impossible encounter. "If I go and say goodbye, will the others be happy?" "Yes. Every one of Us has met the Stalwart Oak before, and receiving his hommage would be touching." "Then I want to go! Meet dad-tree''s friends, say goodbye." ------ "Up until now, you have cast magic you have learnt from little Oak, but did it without really thinking, right? Have you thought on how you could make it stronger or direct it better?" The God started his lecture through this question, and it was directed at Thani too. Oakbud hadn''t ever thought about that, so she was the one to answer first in the end. "Pour more magic into the spell?" "It is indeed a way if a bit crude and limited. Let me demonstrate for you." Under the focused eyes of Thani and the little Spirit, Talia waved her hand, and four blades of grass grew side by side, with a few differences between them. The first looked banal, the second was shorter, the third was thicker, and the fourth was taller. Since they knew that casting multiple spells at once was bordering the impossible, and that the God was trying to teach them, they concluded it was the same one. However the flux of magic had to be different somehow. "Now, try to cut them one by one, beginning with the one on my left. It is the most normal grass you can find. Tell me what you find." Thani grabbed the first grass, and it broke with a slight pull of her fingers. It was indeed perfectly normal. She then went to touch the second, and was surprised that it didn''t break ; when she pulled on it this time, the whole grass was pulled out, and she had to use both her hands to break it in the end. Frowning, she tried the third one. It was the thickest, but it broke just like the first, only needing a slightly harder force. The last grass didn''t break when she tried tu pull it up, and didn''t break like the second when she bent it ; however it was cut easily by Oakbud''s little arm. They spoke softly before coming back to Nature with their results. Thani was the one to report back with her enchanting voice. "The second grass was harder and heavier, like multiple blades of it were stuck together. The third one was simply thicker, and the last one was very durable. But how? It was the same magic, wasn''t it?" Both were awaiting the answer with fervent curiosity. Getting private magic lessons from a God was definitely not an everyday occurence. "Well said. The third grass corresponded to your first guess, pouring more magic into the spell. As you can see, the effect is the same but on a bigger scale." Taking the broken second grass in hand, Talia began to make little holes in the ground as she continued speaking. "Imagine the dots are the magic I used for the first grass." There were five little aligned holes, evenly spaced. "Now this was the second grass." Nature poked five holes again, except this time the space between them was almost non-existent. "Third grass." Using the first spacing, eight deeper holes were dug. "And the last one." This time the five holes were shallower but formed little lines, which were overlapping at their respecive ends. "Now do you see? You can change the result just by changing the use of your magic, and can even combine techniques. That''s how you can arrive at this." Waving his hand again, this time a vine grew out of the earth, as long and thick as an arm, with a hard and rugged surface. Manipulating the flow, Nature curled the tip of it and stopped, creating a makeshift staff. He grabbed it and poked holes in the ground again. There were three rows of five deep dots, interlinked by little grooves. "This is how the disciples of Elements manage to create their crystals. It is easier for them because they focus on only one element to compress, but it is applicable to many things, so take your time trying it later." ------ Nature really had an affable and uncaring personality. He wasn''t interested in curtsies and pleasantries, but was happy to reciprocate sentiments. The extensive magic lesson ended up taking quite a bit of time with Thani and Oakbud''s questions, and he only changed subject during the afternoon. "I should stop with the magic, else you will both become Gods without any effort by the end of our discussion. Let me speak about Time and Elements instead ; I can''t say much about the eight little ones." Thani crumpled down, exhausted from the sheer quantity of information she received. Sadly, her regeneration didn''t cover things like fatigue and headaches. If Oakbud hadn''t made the Gods intervene in her fight a few days prior, gaining direct knowledge from Kali in the process, she wouldn''t have been able to understand much of what Nature talked about today. This was the fundamentals of magic in the world! The basis for the existence of Gods! Too tired to think anymore, she fell asleep in the clearing. "I''m impressed the little one could follow the discussion until now. She will get stronger and stronger. But now I can speak of my Brothers in peace." Talia picked Oakbud up and put him on her head, before closing her eyes to start reminiscing. "I know you like it up here. Time... His Child loathes him, because he toys with him. He doesn''t care much about anything, and only moves when something happens to catch his eye. If my guess is right, his Child will try to kill you to get back at Time, so you''d better prepare yourself and avoid him for now. He must have awakened like me when the Stalwart Oak died, his Child probably realized it too, and he is surely coming for you as we speak. The powers of time are versatile, so depending on how he uses them he might come right now or never catch you for all I know. The magic of Time does not use magic but life itself, which is very dangerous ; you should try to learn more about it before continuing your journey. If you happen to meet him still, Time will surely take over to speak to you since you are interesting, but after that there is no guarantee for your safety. Elements has a better character but a bad temper. He''s passionate about things, especially his own creations, but he doesn''t like to show it. I don''t know what you can expect from him, but you''re not in danger. His current Child is... I''ll leave that for you to experience. All you need to know is that he''s probably looking for you too. And now, little Oakbud, I bid you farewell. I wish you well, and know that I will be watching." ------ After Nature gave control of her own body back to Talia, she helped Oakbud create his first golem, and attached the staff Nature created on it to mark it as protected. It had a human shape and was around 2.5 meters high, but was made of blocks of dirt and stone linked by plants. Its heavy steps shook the ground and threatened to throw its creator to the ground with the tremors. Perched on the golems''s head, the little spirit took some time to smoothen his control of his new servant. He had made the core himself with the crystallization technique and Talia''s encouragements, before drawing materials from the ground around him to form the body. The humanoid shape was the final choice for multiple reasons, and mainly because it was the most commonly seen in the city. In the end, Oakbud used his ride to princess carry Thani back to the inn at dusk, and since the golem didn''t fit inside he left him out after pushing Thani through their room''s window. Looking for the other Gods wasn''t as quick or easy as finding the rooted Talia, so taking a few days to learn more about them in Ebb couldn''t hurt anyway. 22 Daily life in Ebb 1 During the night, Oakbud had continued practicing him golem-making and its control by jumping back in the street and changing his first creation. When Thani woke up the next morning, she was greeted by the now usual "Thani fairy!" from Oakbud, eliciting a small smile. She was surprised at waking up back at the Inn, since Oakbud couldn''t carry anything when she was with her ; Talia couldn''t leave her tree too far either, and she didn''t believe he would ask a stranger for help. Nothing was out of order in the room either. Her head still felt muddy from eveything she''d learned the day before, and stretched herself on the bed to finish clearing her head. After a last yawn, she began her inquisition. "So, how''d I get back from the temple? Don''t tell me the God somehow threw us here?" "Dad-tree''s friend tell me how to make golems! I make golem, then golem carry you back here. Thani fairy is big, so golem is reaally big too and not fit here." "Wait, you''ve already managed to make that crystallized magic thing? You really are a freak. Don''t tell that to elementalists, they''ll spit blood from the shock you know." She cleaned herself with a wet towel and changed her clothes before picking up their big loot bag. "Let''s go get some breakfast, then sell of of that stuff. You don''t plan on screaming at me to go to the temple today, do you?" "Golem carry us and bag, and we meet other Gods'' followers! I am curious." "Hey, your speech improved again. You''re close to fluent now, just stop messing up some words in your sentences and you''ll be good." The strange couple discussed what to do with each type of items over a bowl of vegetable soup, bread and dried fish. This low-class inn''s food was sub-par but so was Thani''s purse ; she didn''t have more than a few silvers when she left Pilgrim Woods, and the bandits didn''t carry their loot on them. After the fight, she had picked up her weapons, and the less damaged armour parts. However since Oakbud had transmutated the bodies into plants, removing the armour proved tedious and dirty. They would go see a blacksmith for the weapons, a magic shop for the enchanted card deck, and a jeweller for the ornaments they wore. Reporting the encounter and get a bounty reward seemed like a good idea to Oakbud, but Thani refused to expose her strenght in the open. To get the bounty, she''d have to show her open face and report her identity. ------ The golem was walking with its heavy steps like the day before, except he''d shrunk to a height of two meters. It would still be unable to enter most buildings, but it wasn''t as conspicuous as before at the very least. Its left arm was holding the clinky bag to its chest with its left arm, and carrying the sitting Thani in the other. Oakbud was in his usual spot, enjoying the smooth white hair under him. This strange way of transportation had two main advantages : first, people would make way for you, because bumping into a walking mud, rocks and vines wall definitely wasn''t enjoyable. Second, it was less tiring, only needing to give the golem directions from time to time. The bustling atmosphere of the commercial district was replaced with the unique sounds of the artisanal one. Hammers banging, bellows working, leather scraping, engravings, woodworking, magical research were lound enough to drown people''s voices. As convened earlier, the golem''s first stop would be a smithy to get rid of the heaviest load. "Go to the ''Twin Hammers'' smithy Bud'', it''s one of the biggest. I want to try something special and we''re going to need an appraiser for that. And if I can really make what I''m thinking... eheh, you''ll see." She was wearing a shit-eating grin and sparkly eyes, preparing to create a bit of chaos obviously lifting her mood significantly. The building wasn''t high, but had a high ceiling and a wide surface. The name was derived from their door : two enourmous hammers were set to make an entry gate. The heads on the floor were made of steel, two meters wide, one long, and one and a half tall. Handles made from grossly cut then polished tree trunks went through the roof, standing proud with the chimneys behind them. The golem was left outside, and when Thani and Oakbud entered a free smith-hand came to welcome them. He was pretty unremarkable in his work clothes, exposing his strong arms and sweat-covered face under a bandana. "Welcome to the Twin Hammers, what can we make for you today? Weapons, armour, carving, infusing, we make it all as long as you have the coin!" "Sorry, but I''m here to sell for now. Do you have an appraiser on hand right now? Otherwise I''ll look in the next shop. I''ve got armour parts, some weapons, and some exotic stuff I don''t want to discuss here." The worker''s sweat wasn''t only from the heat now. What an beautiful and obnoxious client! All he learned was that she wanted an appraiser to sell scrap. The only redeeming point was the "exotic" item. Taking the bait, he brought Thani to a back area. "Master Auri! I''ve got sellers with a need for appraisal! Are you free?" He stopped in front of the door and knocked at the same time, waiting for an answer. "Come in!" A strong baritone voice answered almost instantly, and the smith hand opened the door. The room was an individual smithy coupled with an office. To the right stood a desk with piles of stacked documents and a few chairs around it, and a drawing table behind. To the left was the forge with a human-sized crucible, scattered molds, an anvil, a quenching basin, and an impressive collection of hammering and carving tools set on the wall. There was also a solid-looking safe, which was used to store the more precious resources of the shop. The owner of the room was the forgemaster of the shop, an almost 2 meters-tall bronze skinned man. His flattened nose, bald head and sunken black eyes gave him a menacing air that was only reinforced by his bulging muscles. He signed the worker to go back to his own work before greeting Thani, seating at his desk and pushing a chair towards Thani. "So what do you need appraised? That bag looks full of scrap, the others can handle that so you better have something interesting for me, or be ready to pay for my time." Still wearing her satisfied grin, she answered without missing a beat. "I''ve seen debt collectors with a better temper than you, but I like the straightforwardness. I won''t mince my words either, and don''t worry about the bag of dead weight here. The good stuff isn''t here..." She pointed at her chest "...but there". "Are you the customer or am I? It''s not the right time of the day for whoring you know. What do you want?" He had to admit she was beautiful and that her voice was enchanting, but recognising she was a follower of Kali, decided that throwing her out would be a bad idea. These people were usually eccentrics, and this woman was sure to be a special one among them. Auri was frowning with a hand on his chin, not understanding what she was here for. He is a master-level smith, but she was here to sell. She said the bag was full of scrap, so she had to own something else of value. Thani dropped the bag and lifted her arms, picking Oakbud up on their way back down. "Alright old man, you win. I need two things, and they''re linked. If the first fails I''ll be out of here. Ever seen an elementalist make a crystal, and can you work them?" "Yes, and yes. Engravings too. I''m a master smith, kid. I''ve seen whatever there is too see in smithing and magical materials. Stop wasting my time, you knew at least that much coming in here." "Great, then you can help me for sure. Watch this and tell me if you can make something out of it." She put Oakbud down, before lifting her left palm and grabbing her wrist with the other hand. Her smile was gone, replaced with an air of concentration. Working her magic, blood began pooling in her palm. The principles she''d learned the day before gave her the idea of making blood crystals ; if elementalists could do it, why couldn''t she with her own blood? It should be harder because it wasn''t pure, but she was certain that her magical knowledge was second only to the God-Children now, and that it wouldn''t be an obstacle. Full of disbelief, Auri watched as the girl''s blood took a ball shape, before shrinking, being covered in more blood and repeating the cycle. This was magic compression! Why would a believer of Kali waste years of time learning this? And making a blood crystal, what kind of idea was that! Thinking as fast as he could, he linked his own skills to the newly born material in front of him, and to what she''d said before. Two linked steps, the first being the condition. Materials creation, forging. It was obvious now. "If you fail that, you can just go. I''ll have seen something worth days of my time at least. And if you manage to create a stable crystal with your blood, I want it." Thani was still concentrating, linking the motes of magical power of blood together, weaving the densest and hardest connexions she could. Magic infusion during the forging of a weapon and using crystals were a different level of quality altogether, even for custom orders by a master smith. Reaching her limit, she grunted and closed her hand around the thumb-sized ball of blood she''d created. "Not selling. If you want it, make something for me with it." "No way I''m using basic steel to fuse that, you pay the metals at least. Don''t make me bankrupt, I''ve got to pull out some fancy stuff to make it worth." Negociating with a master smith to get some forging done with a bag of scrap equipment and a few scant silver coins was definitely a challenge for Thani. But she wouldn''t give up, for she had felt her lack of good equipment strongly in the 1v6 situation before. "I need a dagger, sharpening and durability engravings, imbued with that crystal and my own magic power. And it''s personal so I won''t make another. I can give you other elemental crystals as payment though." Auri was clenching his hands on his crossed arms, leaning back in his chair with a crooked and stiff smile. "You realise what you''re asking for there? I''m going to need to use all my blessings to the max and a precious base here. I don''t have earth-affiliated metal on hand, so next tier would be blessed creatures carcasses. Got some drake bones on hand to make it, and that''s going to cost a pretty penny even if you don''t count the fire crystals to melt them. I''ll do it for three blood crystals though." Understanding flashed past her brain. She asked for too much, and couldn''t pay for it herself. But so what! Her trump card wasn''t used yet! "Hey Oakbud, can you make some fancy crystals too? I know you use earth because of your origin, but can you make some others?" "Me can make earth crystals good, but didn''t try others yet. Thani wants me to try now?" "Yeah please, I really need a good custom weapon. Blow his mind!" ------ Afternoon. Auri, still not believing his potential loss, was working on the drake bones. That strange familiar could speak to the mind directly, and even managed to make another unknown crystal, as big as a fist! Thumb sized was more than enough for a craft, but with that he had enough to experiment on without using it all at once. As a follower of Monte, taking risks wasn''t the usual thing to do, but he could feel the possibilities through what he just witnessed. After being blessed three times with strength, magic and fate, he was rarely wrong about this kind of things. Strength allowed him to hammer and shape the hardest materials, his magic let him perform crystal infusions and runes, and fate now guided his hand towards success. Thani would need to be present for the last part, magic infusion, but for now she was gone attending to other business. While the bone was melted and mixed with other reagents, he was making a blueprint of the runes he''d carve on the weapon to let the magic flow. Thani had revealed her blood animation to him, and explained she wanted to use her own blood as a medium to augment the weapon during fights. The design was interesting, complicated projects like this weren''t everyday occurences. ------ While Auri was overworking his brain and countind his potential gain or loss, Thani and Oakbud went back to the general part of the smithy. She exchanged her bulk of scrap against a suit of light leather armour, and paid for a new and waterproofed cape. Once that was done, they looked for another clothing store so Thani could replace her torn and blood-stained dresses, before heading to a shop named the "Blazing Ring". It was owned by a follower of Nyx named Saroo, a beautiful elf. He had almond-shaped green eyes, back-length silver hair, the characteristic pointy ears, and a slender and soft body. He looked like the slightest breeze would send him flying, in total opposition to the bronze mountain Auri. His blessing helped him see the value in things and also elongated his hands, which helped him appraise the quality of his jewelry works and items people would present him. With time, he acquired knowledge on magical reagents and ingredients, and his shop now served as both a jewelry and a magic shop. Thani presented him the card deck used by the thief Lami, and was asked what made it special. Oakbud, having fought her directly, was the one to do the explaining. "She followed Eludia, Me thinks. She used her blessing and turned the card, use fate to bring magic. Tower here made armor shine, scythe hurt herself and seer found me hiding. Not seen other cards before fight ended." "Fascinating! This is definitely custom-made! Let me take a closer look, I need to see if there are special materials and examine the artwork to determine a value. All you need to know is that I''ll buy it." After Thani gave it to him, Saroo began by feeling the cards, after which he made a few notes. Then he examined every drawing on the cards one by one, twenty-four in total. From Oakbud''s descriptions and his own deductions, he was able to guess at the effects of each card when used with fate magic. "This has no resell value, only collectors could be interested, the maker is probably the only one who could use them. I can give you five gold for it right now, or you can try your luck at an auction in the entertainment quarter." "No time and empty pockets, I''ll take the gold." Having finished their most pressing business, Thani and Oakbud were now free to roam. They returned to the Twin Hammers to watch Auri working, but he told them the magic infusion would only take place the next day. In the end, Thani decided to visit the Blazing Ring to get herself a pair of earrings and a necklace, before going back to the inn''s room to practice magic. 23 Daily life in Ebb 2 When Thani and Oakbud arrived at the Twin Hammers the next day, a worker was waiting for them at the entrance of the shop to guide them as soon as possible to Auri. The sun was barely up, but both parties knew the final process of infusing magic into the weapon took time. They were ushered in Auri''s personal workshop, and the final details still needed to be discussed. Thani previously wanted to focus on sharpness and hardness for the basic magic engravings, and that was already done ; what was left was the blood crystal and her own magic, and those would need further debate depending on what the weapon would be used for. "Take a look at the weapon base. Reinforced drake bone, double-edged blade, little to no guard, and the engravings are under the leather grip. It''s thirty centimeters long total, twenty for the blade, classic one-handed hold. It should be able to resist any clash as long as it''s not against a weapon specialized in destruction." The master smith threw the weapon lightly and explained his work and the results to Thani while she was fiddling with it, getting a feel for her newest acquisition. She couldn''t resist trying it out, even if it was unfinished, and cut herself lightly. Sharp indeed! She could definitely make a close shave on the hairiest of bears without ever sharpening it during the process with that. Thani threw the weapon up, and Oakbud caught it. "It''s perfect, I didn''t expect any less from you, master Auri. Should we talk about the infusion?" "Definitely. I know you follow Kali, and that you definitely lack range ; that''s no throwing weapon either, so you must have something in mind already?" He was paying rapt attention to her movements and reactions, trying to get as much information as he could. Thani herself was by no means a simple person, and that strange creature with her was a wonder of its own. He had seen the creation of the incredible crystals, and also the golem outside. "Trust me on this, range is not a problem for me. And yes, I know how I want to complete the weapon. The infusion should be simple, with only the capacity for magic channeling and alignment through my blood crystal. The aim is for me to be able to shape the magic and combine it with my blood arts. The weapon itself is more of a handle for what I have in mind, and a trusty backup should I run out of magic." She had a smile and glittering eyes on her face, but the beautiful face looked more like a hungry predator to Auri. She was telling him things most people would hold secret, but it just made him want to hear more. "Who exactly are you, telling me all this. I know the big heads of the temple of Pain here, and you''re not related to any of them. It''s not all, is it? By Monte, I will do my best for you here, but tell me more. I swear on my faith this won''t get out. No one would be crazy enough to ask me about a customer of mine anyway." "I''ll tell you while you prepare the final engravings, just don''t let your hand slip." Oakbud, who was playing with the weapon since Thani finished examining it, got the signal and handed it back to the smith. Auri clamped the weapon solidly in a vice, got his carving tools from the wall, and began the second to last step. First, he grooved the circumference of the guard as a base for infusion, before slowly tracing up along the center of the blade on both faces. Not needing to create complicated runes was a definite time saver, but the process still took almost three hours. Thani sat down to meditate, while Oakbud, being as curious as ever, was exploring the room in great detail. After deliberation, although the underside of the forge crucible was comfortably hot, Thani''s head was still his preferred spot. "Alright wake up, the dagger is ready to be infused." Auri waited until his client made her way to his working table before continuing. "The aim is to smelt your blood into the grooves I''ve made into the blade. Compared to simply fusing the crystal somewhere and having the magic flow through a circuit, it will be easier to channel your arts and less wasteful. Now, I need you to do the smelting, while I''ll guide and fuse it to the weapon. You need to keep its structure and force it to become liquid at the same time ; but it should''t be too hard for you since you''re able to make crystals." Since he had sworn secrecy, Thani disclosed her full identity and demonstrated her blessings to Auri before they began. He was shocked, but it would help him understand her powers and fine-tune the infusion better. -- The sun was high in the sky, and both the smith and his client were tired and feeling empty, but satisfied. The magic forging had its own way of taking its toll, be it on magical reserves or the mind. Oakbud and Auri were watching as Thani began learning to use the weapon, channeling what was left of her magic. She was able to create some sort of sheath with her own blood or one of her tattoos, and could also shape it further, extending the reach of the weapon multiple folds by creating a longer blade or a whip, or doing the opposite and layering a shield over it. With this new armament, she would be able to harness any blood spilt in a fight to use it as a weapon, not depending completely on her tattoos anymore. After making sure everything was fine with the masterpiece, and inviting the master craftsman to a meal to thank him again, the duo made their way to the entertainment district in the afternoon. ------ "Everyone pleaaaaaaaaase make some noise for this afternoon''s 2+ blessings tournament! As usual, no killing is allowed and our healers following Time and Deva are here to remedy any type of injury! The prize is a big gold coin, worth 50 gold! Anyone interested only needs to register for five one gold! And if you are feeling lucky, bets will open when registration ends in fifteen minutes!" In-between the barracks from the central city and the entertainment quarter stood an arena, roughly fifty meters in diameter. It could accomodate a few thousand spectators, and was one of the most attractive places for gamblers. Tournaments, beast fights, challenges, flashy shows, in this place anything goes as long as money flows. An emcee was in charge of the daily events, and was trying to heat up the audience. "Hey Bud, how about we get down there and have some fun? The card deck got us some good change, and I really want to see what our little Godly lessons brought to the table." Thani was sitting in the spectator stands with the little Spirit on her head, watching the show underneath and the file of people registering. "Thani recuperated your magic already? Me''s fine!" "Nah, I''m still around half out, but I can take the handicap or it''ll be plain bullying, you know?" She was spinning her dagger in her right hand, showing her eagerness to get down and break some bones. "How me fight?" Oakbud''s interest was piqued, since his only fight until now was against bandits. This kind of environment would allow him to discover more in relative safety. "Good question... I don''t think they''ll let you in with your current appearance. Can you change a bit, or make a golem to get inside of maybe?" "Me likes golems! Thank Thani fairy!" Once the decision was taken, they both got down on the dusty arena floor and queued quietly at the registration. The wait was short, but Oakbud had enough time to make himself a golem with stone debris, on-the-spot-grown plants and a bit of dirt. It was shaped like a wolf or a dog, and Oakbud had made himself a little nest in its head. When their turn came, Thani registered without trouble, but was disappointed because her enchanted dagger was banned from use ("We might as well give you the big gold right now", the man in charge said.) ; The clerk was surprised at the golem''s appearance, and rules had to be set for his defeat because of its reconstructibility and state of body substitute. Healing it was allowed until the head was crushed or separated from the body. Surprisingly, besides the gold coin, only a name and rundown of their blessings was needed, and nicknames were accepted too. Oakbud chose to stay true to his name, announcing earth and nature magic, while Thani chose ''Blood Angel'' as her pseudonym, referencing her obvious faith and blood armaments. "Thank you for your patience ladies and gentlemen, the competition will start soon! Since twenty three people have entered the contest, an supplementary first round will be set up before going through duels! Fighters please draw a number from the box being brought to you, if there''s a number from one to nine, congratulations on advancing to the second round, and please leave the space so the others can fight it out!" The person bringing the urn was a follower of Eludia, and she would feel any attempt at manipulating fate during the draw. Both Thani and Oakbud got lucky draws and got back to the seating area to wath the first seven fights. Because his golem was unable to pick a paper, he was left for last. As in every tournament, the first rounds showed the most disparity of strength, and were concluded rather quickly, no fight taking more than a few minutes. One was even an instant-ko by a follower of Liezel ; as soon as it started, he melded into shadows to reappear behind his opponent and knock him out cleanly. Flashy and strong moves weren''t used much because of the need for secrecy for the coming rounds. With 16 fighters left, one would need to win four consecutive duels to win, and disclosing their full strength right off the bat would spell their early demise. The table for the real first round was the following : Harod vs Fabrice, Crow vs Roland, Oakbud vs Torque, The Wall vs Ellen, Wild Fairy vs Blood Angel, Ulyne vs Roman, Alice vs John, Tristan vs Bone-Crusher. Just like Thani, some people preferred giving a nickname. The first fight featured unusual powers, Harod being a follower of Time and Fabrice of Monte. Although he was able to speed himself up and slow his opponent''s sense of time, he couldn''t triumph quick enough and was defeated when he ran out of magic. Fabrice moved in an unhurried way, but every one of his movements struck true. The flow of the fight was under his foot, and the arena seemd to dance around him. In the second fight, Crow knocked Roland into the wall almost instantly, breaking multiple ribs. His strength of a follower of Theomars let him catch and send the lithe apostle of Nyx flying. Oakbud''s foe was another War God adept, Torque. The first earthen walls made by Oakbud were broken down and their debris used as projectiles, and the first knocked the golem to the ground. This gave Torque the time to close the gap and try to smash Oakbud flat, but he was slowed down by vines gripping his feet. In the end he wasn''t able to free himself in time and got buried under a coccoon of plants. "The Wall" was obviously a follower of Oberon, and Ellen who was facing him was surprisingly a water elementalist. She crushed a water crystal she''d made to release a first wave of water, while Wall rushed straight ahead with his shield in front. His nigh infinite stamina and great muscle power allowed him to close in while bearing the brunt of crashing waves of water. However Ellen was obviously prepared, and her flowing attacks gathered growing momentum, eventually washing him away. Thani the Blood Angel faced the "Wild Fairy", inciting Oakbud''s ire when he heard the name. Thani''s adversary proved to follow Eludia and could manipulate fate to an extent. The Blood Angel would trip or miss attacks closely when it was seemingly impossible, while the Fairy danced and pummeled randomly, hoping for Fate to guide her hits to critical targets. The fight ended when Thani received a major injury to the neck, taking the trade to grasp her foe with her tattoos before using her injury transfer spell. The medics were called, and the follower of Time accelerated the regeneration cast by his colleague praying to Deva. Thani herself focused her magic on her wound and healed in a matter of minutes, scaring all the other contestants silly. How do you fight an immortal? What was the spell she used to get a hold of the Fairy? Ulyne possessed the same advanced feelings blessing as Thani and some regeneration, which he used to harass and trade with Roman, who followed Oberon. However Roman''s fortitude surpassed Ulyne''s by far ; even though he could heal, every heavy hit from shield bashes and Roman''s mace rattled him. Ulyne ended up forfeiting, unable to stand when he got too dizzy after a hit to the head. Not being able to take the initiative to attack was his undoing. Alice was the follower of Liezel who KO''d her matchup instantly during the preliminary. This time she was faced with John, a thunder elementalist. The first thing he did when he saw her fade out of sight was creating a lightning burst around him to try and reveal her. The move was calculated though, and he lost focus when he saw it didn''t bear fruit. His following spell had no available target and fizzled away. Alice had bluffed well enough this time, and used the lapse in John''s concentration to end the fight in the same way she did her first, sending him to the land of dreams in one clean hit. Tristan and Bone-Crusher followed Oberon and Theomars respectively. The perfect sword won against the sturdy shield, using the same force externalisation blessing Jamie and Frond obtained before their death. Tristan was unable to defend on multiple sides at once and was made to bite the arena''s floor by the powerful shocks and sheer might Bone-Crusher sent through his body. "Congratulations to the fighters going to the second round. May the losers not be disheartened, for there will be many more occasions to show your might and continue learning! The second round will begin in half an hour, please use this time to place your next bets and get some refreshments, the show will only get more exciting from now on!" 24 Daily life in Ebb 3 He bashed away the heavy sword of his competitor with his medium round shield. As he decided his action, the world bent to his will, and no amount of force would move him away. He could feel some resistance, the disciple of the Warrior God facing him definitely had some magic nullification as his blessing. Still, that was an easy matchup for Fabrice. Crow was surprised that his full-power blow could be deflected effortlessly, and could not protect himself in time, eating an axe blow to his open left side. Cheers resounded in the arena all around Fabrice, who lifted his weapon-wielding arm to the sky in victory. "Damn, he''s definitely using some fate magic. Monte is a scary God ; when he has his mind to something, it will happen. A frontal clash is the easiest matchup, I wonder how I can fare against that if we meet up for the finals." Thani had her brows scrunched in wonder, sharing her worries with Oakbud besides her. The fight was very straightforward, but she could see there was a difference in number of blessings at work. Fabrice must have at least three. "Thani fairy has tattoos! Attack three times at once, one goes through." She sighed before answering. "No, it''s not that simple. It''s going to be a battle of attrition, but his own attacks are equally devastating so it''s pretty even. That''s the difference between Eludia''s and Monte''s Fate magic. Eludia changes the world around her to bring about opportunities, while Monte bends the world to follow his actions and bring about their success. And don''t forget you''ll meet him next round if you win this one." "Me make magic from the Gods, little fate is no problem!" This comment got him a light punch in his golem''s shoulder in return. "Yeah right, why do I even worry about you?" -- For his second match, Oakbud was facing Ellen, the water elementalist. This would be a tough matchup for him, because water magic would render his earth one almost useless. There was no rock around to use, only dust and dirt that would get muddy and washed away. When the start signal was given, he made his golem rush forward while Ellen crushed two water crystals. The quantity of water was around a cubic meter per crystal, which was very impressive. That scale was used to determine the level of elementalists, since there were no blessings to this path, and Ellen was a high-leveled one. She made her first wave run around herself in a cycle, ready to deflect projectiles and carrying her around the arena, while the second was hurled repeatedly at Oakbud''s golem. He managed to dodge some and block the others with mixed walls of dirt and vines, enough to close in. Lifting a fore paw, Oakbud aggregated an earthen sphere on it before crashing down on Ellen and making a quick wall behind her. However, she used her second wave to push the aggregate to the side and fled to the other. Oakbud tried to bind her, but she had seen his previous fight and was able to escape. Since her first wave carried her around, both her arms and legs were free to struggle and freedom was just a second away. Failing to get her, Oakbud decided to change tactics, and blew up a dust strom to cut her vision. Free from harassment for a second, he linked his golem to the ground to have better access through magic. By the time Ellen calmed the strom down by sticking the dust with water to the ground, she was pursued ceaselessly by rising walls, spikes and vines all around, dodging with difficulty. He had successed in pushing her to the limits of her capacities. Ellen needed both her waves to carry her in order to stay safe now, and this would only exhaust her magic faster. In frustration, she broke a third crystal and got back on the offensive! This time, Oakbud who was entrenched had nowhere to dodge and bore the brunt of the attacks. His vines had trouble holding his melting golem together, and the earth he conjured to reinforce it was washed away faster than he could create. Even his soul scream lost its effectiveness with distance ; since her water carried her, it wasn''t great on Ellen to start with. Oakbud was defeated when his golem finished melting, revealing the little spirit underneath. The judge stopped the fight following the rule set for the golem, and Ellen was declared the victor. - "Ahahahahah, you got booted earlier than I thought! Serves you right! ''A little blessing is no problem'', you said! Ouhouhou, this is too good." Thani was laughing her ass off in the stands, mocking the disappointed Oakbud cheerfully. He was curled into a ball on her right, sulking. "Eheh... Okay, let''s stop... Heh. Heh. Sorry." She had a hard time reigning herself in, still wearing a smile up to her ears. Watching a Godly creature get his ass kicked was a premium distraction for sure. "So... did you get some insight from this?" "Hmph!" "Come on, tell me! I''ll tell you what I saw too." She poked Oakbud with a finger repeatedly, pushing him to act. "Cmon! Cmon!" "She was too fast. Me couldn''t make walls quick enough to trap her." "My exact thoughts! You have unlimited power but aren''t good at big scale things yet. Got to practice more! Alright, my turn, watch me bash than Roman to the ground!" -- "Third match of round 2, Blood Angel versus Roman! Start!" "Here we goooo! I hope you''re less boring than the Fairy before and let me hit you to my heart''s content!" Thani let herself free, boosting forward with her tattoos applied to the legs. "All you''re going to hit is my shield! What are you going to do then? Bleed on me?" Roman opened his arms in response, inviting her to strike before taking a stance. "My thoughts exactly!" Thani was flying straight to the shield at an incredible speed. She pulled her tattoos from her legs to her hands, and used her newly learnt magic structure lessons to make her joined hands into a hard mace. "[Fortress]!" Roman activated magic of his own at the moment of collision. With a resounding BANG!, Thani hit the shield dead center ; this would usually break down anything non-enchanted, but Oberon''s magic made it as sturdy as a mountain. She had the sensation of hurling herself into a wall full speed, numbing her all over. Still shocked from the impact, she was unable to dodge the mace strike coming for her waist. Thani still had enough time to move a tattoo. She made it into an armor plate at the hit''s location, preventing most harm, while her other tattoo grabbed the edge of the shield in front of her. The strenght of the hit swept her off her feet, and taking advantage of her unstable posture, Roman used his shield as an anchor point to swing Thani around through the tattoo. She was thrown five meters into the sky, proving he received a blessing of strength. Roman prepared himself to hit her while she was down after the incoming rough landing, when Thani made surprising movements. She used her tattoos to slice her arms, and forced blood to flow. "Here''s the reason for my nickname, so watch and learn!" Using her blessing, she shaped her blood into a pair of wings over her arms. With a first flap, she took distance, and used a second to land softly on the ground, effectively saving herself from a heavy blow. "Could have made them on the back, but that''s wayyyy too tiring. Oh well, had to cut myself somehow, wouldn''t happen otherwise with the mace in your hand, you know?" Roman was sweating heavily facing that smiling madwoman. What in Oberon''s name is that monster? Instant regeneration, blood manipulation to the point of flying, and what''s with those strange tattoos? His only hope was to run her out of magic, but he doubted he could hold long enough. Her offensive power was extremely strong, and he would definitely exhaust himself very quickly when parrying that kind of strike. Even if he managed to counter her, she could just step back to heal in seconds, because he knew holding her down was suicidal at best. While he was considering his options, Thani was working her magic. She combined her tattoos and her blood at the shoulders to make herself another pair of flexible and magical arms. More blood was made to flow from her fists to elbows, and on her lower legs. She didn''t stop her bleeding, because her regeneration was enough to cover the loss for free ; instead it would give her more blood to ''work'' with, making her stronger as the fight went. She decided to keep her emotion transfer a secret for the coming fights, just in case. "Alright, ready to dance? This is the finale!" This time, Roman had no viable answer for her charge. In a last ditch effort he managed to push her back, but he was soon overpowered by the multi-limbed Thani. Her two blood arms held onto Roman''s mace and shield, leaving Thani free to pummel him with her boosted stony legs and fists. She even shaped her hand augmentations into of shivs, wounding Roman quickly. Even his infinite stamina couldn''t save him from the beating, and he ended up fainting with a leg and several ribs broken, and severe puncture wounds on his arms and body. The flashy fight received a standing ovation from the audience and worried gazes from the remaining competitors. -- The last match of the round was Alice, the follower of Liezel, against Bone-Crusher the Warrior apostle. This was once again the shortest match, but the intensity this time was unmatched. Alice disappeared again, only to be found by a ground-wave made by the warrior crushing the ground with magic. Seeing her invisibility was useless, Alice engage in high-speed close combat with Bone-Crusher. The contest was decided quickly, but at a terrible price : she took a hard hit, breaking her left arm, but in exchange was able to rest her dagger on Bon-Crusher''s neck, signaling his defeat. Alice had a high-risk high-reward fighting style, supplemented by her stealth and intelligence. However she was dragged into a dogfight this time, making her pay the price. She would need to go on with the broken arm ; it would be considered cheating otherwise, as some would take injuries on purpose to get an advantage by receiving healing. -- "Aaaaand onto the third round! Remember to place your bets ladies and gentlemen! Fights will resume after half an hour!" The emcee''s calls to place bets were not out of the goodness of his heart. The arena itself was the banker for the bets, and was the one deciding the rates ; since only twenty three people registered for the fights, they had to make up the difference of gold with the prize back, and that was such an occasion. The fight between Fabrice and Ellen started full swing, with three water crystals crushed immediately. Two waves were crashing towards Fabrice while the third one was used to carry Ellen around like before. Each time water barreled down on him, Fabrice only stepped lightly aside, and the whole attack would miss, and his pursuit was almost unhindered. Even when stepping on the wet ground, he wouldn''t slip, and his feet left dry imprints behind him. Ellen switched to close combat quickly, pushing walls of water at her opponent to push him back. It had little effect however, as Fabrice used recogniseable magic for the first time in the competition. "FALL!" With his shout, all of Ellen''s water was knocked to the ground out of her control, and she herself was sent tumbling because she wasn''t carried anymore. She didn''t have enough time to collect her bearings and crush a new crystal before an axe stopped its blade in front of her face. In the stands, Thani was shocked. "This isn''t simple fate magic! He''s got four blessings at least, like me! He''s not strong, he''s not fast, but it doesn''t matter... This is him applying his will onto the world, not just ''favourable outcomes''." Her hands were fidgeting in worry. "This is a terrible opponent for anyone." "Thani fairy has four arms! Attack everywhere at once, no problem!" She shook her head at Oakbud, a strained smile on her face. "It''s not that simple. He can just step back and avoid eveything, or worse, imprint will to disturb my all-out attack and create a fatal opening. He''s seen my fights before, he knows what to expect. I''ll have to bet on my emotions blessing to make him lose focus at the right moment, and stall before that to understand ho this works. I''m the only one who can with my regeneration. Damn this is tense!" -- "I forfeit the match!" Those anticlamactic words came out of Alice''s mouth when she got back down to the arena to face Thani. The injury she got in the previous match made her unable to fight properly, and she knew she stood no chance against the Blood Angel in this state. "Ladies and gentlemen, contestant Alice gives up due to her broken arm and inability to fight! All stakes placed on this match will be refunded!" The emcee couldn''t force her to fight, and thus the final match would happen earlier than anticipated. Thani and Fabrice stood face to face at the center of the arena, her with her new leather armour and bare-handed, him with light armour too and his axe and shield. They were staring at each other, trying to pry the other''s mental state before the fight. Any edge they could get was welcome, as they both knew the fight wouldn''t be easy by any means. "So, was that will imposition I saw you use against Ellen? Four blessings, right? That''s bullying the competition you know?" Thani was the one to start the mental offense. "Right back at you, or am I mistaken?" Fabrice wasn''t shaken, and replied with a quiet smile. "You''re no beginner either, your abilities are a real threat to me." "That''s all I needed to know! Shall we start now?" Saying this, she cut the exposed underside of her arms again with the tattoos, along with the nape of her neck. She formed her two blood arms and crystallized some blood over her hands and feet in preparation. "No holding back now." He answered and took a fighting stance. The blessings Fabrice had received were Steady, Fate, Magic and Will in that order. The first and third are self-explicit, letting him keep a cool head in any situation and control his magic consciously. Fate let him influence or reinforce his actions, making them [the best] at the time (which is why Auri is such a good blacksmith!) ; Will was a much stronger version of that, and he could overwrite the circumstances around him. For example, using his will to [pierce] and touching Thani with his finger would land a critical blow, or he could [push down] like he did against Ellen before. What he set his mind on would be, and the combination of Fate and Will could bring about terrifying effects. When the signal was given, Fabrice was the one to rush ahead first, axe up high and ready to fall. Thani prepared the blood arms to receive the coming blow and started a kick of her own, that should connect with his waist after she grabbed the shield with her hands. Having four upper limbs really was a cheat in a duel situation, and she intended exploit that as much as she could. [HOLD!] As Thani''s hands were a hair away from the shield, Fabrice imposed his will for her not to move. Immobilized, she could only take the hit passively ; the axe fell perfectly on the articulation between the collarbone and the arm bone, aiming to sever it. "Umph!" With a groan, she was released from the magic hold and stepped back while Fabrice reset his stance. Her shoulder hurt like hell, and even though it was far from her own standards of pain, her left arm now dangled at her side. "I wanted to cut that off... Chicken!" Fabrice was charging at her again, but his own speed was no match for Thani with her blessed body. "I''ve had worse!" The little chase gave her enough time to fix her shoulder, but her movements were still stiff. Luckily the crystallized blood in addition to the armour made it so her shoulder was dislocated instead of cut. She wasn''t only setting back her shoulder, but also thinking at the same time. "Strange, he could have cut my arm cleanly there... That must be the limit on his will. He can only force one at a time, and it must cost him stupid amounts of magic! If he released me and willed to [sever] I could have moved out of the way or finished my kick to bounce him back." Now that she understood the gist of his power, Thani could devise a battle plan. "He can''t hurt me enough if he holds me down, so I can just focus on blood armaments to attack. Must do several at once to force him to use up his magic or trade injury." After the short interlude, the fight resumed full swing. Neither used big moves again, as they focused on getting a better feeling of the other''s style. Thani was obviously extremely aggressive and aimed for mutual destruction, relying on her absurd healing capabilities to be the last one standing. Fabrice was more reserved, and focused on efficiency not to get overwhelmed ; his positionning was exquisite, and his grasp of the flow of the fight allowed him to stay unhurt after a few minutes of non-stop trades. However he was not able to get past Thani''s defense provided by the blood arms and the crystallized armour either. This was the textbook example of the master fighting his knife-wielding apprentice with a simple stone. "Alright, we don''t have all day! How about we end things now?" Even after more than twenty exchanges, all they got were light bruises at worst, and this rythm would take days to reach a conclusion. Thani was frustrated because she couldn''t take the advantage despite her efforts, and was the first to release her full capabilities. The Blood angel made a return, as bloody wings appeared on Thani''s back. With a powerful flap, she threw herself at Fabrice and got her four arms ready to disarm him. In a repeat of the first blow, Fabrice had a stance behind his shield with his axe to the sky. [CRUSH!] Except he didn''t use his axe but a shield bash this time. Thani was bounced back with an arm and three ribs broken, and couldn''t grab onto his weapons ; however she traded that for the opportunity to throw blood shivs at him, and sharing the pain with him at the same time. As Fabrice''s face contorted under the intense pain of having torso bones broken, the shivs landed clean hits on his axe-wielding arm, penetrating his leather bracer and the flesh underneath. The flip side of sensing emotions was not well-known and considered perverse, and since his mood was always as calm as a lake he hadn''t bothered to hide it. Thani stood up slowly, in pain and dizzy from the collision. She braced her broken arm like she did her leg against the bandits, and forced her healing to maximum speed. "You can''t heal. It''s the end. I''ll be fine in a minute, and you won''t catch me in time to bash my head in again. Even if you could, I still have three arms. I didn''t faint here, it''s your loss." Fabrice knew it as well. It would only be a question of time before he''d run out of magic solely defending. He''d been had, and could only delay his defeat now. What he willed would be, but what was couldn''t be changed, breaking his spell through a paradox. His will to [win] in a last effort would have no effect due to his inability to fight. "And the winner is the Blood Angel! Congratulations on winning the biiiiiig 50 goooooold!" As lacking as the end felt, the fight wasn''t to the death, so things wouldn''t escalate further to desperate suicidal trades. "Hey, Fabrice?" "Yes?" Under the deafening clapping, Thani spoke to her adversary. "That was the best fight I''ve ever had ; want to split the reward?" In the end, by the time they left the arena, Thani was healed and 40 gold richer. She had given 10 coins to Fabrice, who refused to split equally and was being healed. "Alright Bud! I''m hungry! Let''s eat then have some fun!" 25 Last night in Ebb Thani didn''t drag Oakbud very far, her destination was in the same city quarter. What do people do when they have money? Savings? Settling down? Boring! Enjoyment and fun, those were her favourite choices, closely followed by helping her people. That''s why she stayed duty-bound in Pilgrim Woods, and why she was stagnating until she left that cocoon. And what better choice than a casino to make coins flow? Still with Oakbud on her head, Thani crashed the doors of the nearest one to go on a streak to finish the hectic day. She set twenty gold aside, and changed 10 into chips at the counter. 8 more were reserved for everyday purchases, and the last two spent to get alcohol. As it turned out, Oakbud was unable to understand the pun between him being a spirit, and spirits as a drink. Even though he couldn''t eat or drink, the intoxicated Thani gave him a glass of alcohol to share. Unexpectedly, the vapours were enough to send Oakbud''s senses haywire. Screaming mentally at everyone and stealing chips from Thani to bet in a haphazard manner, the evening passed in a flash. Thani was half-drunkenly watching the little spirit who went out of control, sitting back and drinking while Oakbud rolled around on a roulette table, collecting amazed gazes from other gamblers while losing all his chips. Even though he ended up lucky a few times, it only prolonged Thani''s purse''s agony for a bit. When the euphoria went away, Oakbud felt ''shame'' for the first time. He really felt like he lost himself there, and got scared at what could happen. He jumped back on Thani''s head and refused to get down again, grabbing onto her with his wriggly arms on the return trip. "Come on, get down and get to the hotel room! I want to meet Fabrice again, I got his address after the match." She was pulling on him and scolding him, but his death grip shifted from the top of her head to her neck, and she was stuck. "Me no leave Thani! Me follow fairy!" The little spirit was insisting on sticking to her, having no good reason to leave her alone. After all, they had never left each other''s company since they met. The only parting he had was with Maya and Aldo''s group. "Argh, you want a reason? It''s personal! I''m not going for the same kind of ''dance'' we did in the arena! Why do you have to be such an ignorant blockhead sometimes? This is humiliating to say you know!" Thani was blushing furiously, and she covered her mouth when she realised she had shouted just now. Did neighbours hear that? "Urgh, you stay here please, okay? I''ll be back soon enough..." "But me no sleep... Me wait all alone?" Defeated, Oakbud released her and jumped down on the room''s bed. When she closed the door behind her after changing into a dress, Thani sighed heavily. When had they gotten so attached to each other? Leaving him alone for the night left her free but also a bit empty. ------ Nidh?gran had changed his size when he began flying over the continent ; he was now the size of a big eagle, with around 4 meters of wing-span. His normal size would create too big of a commotion, and being pursued everywhere by greedy adventurers was definitely more tiresome than changing himself with magic. His laziness wouldn''t let him bother himself with anything else than his curiosity, hunger and sleepiness. His current appearence was just the right size, and Nidh?gran landed on the crown of the God-Tree. Poking it a few times with a claw, he found its branches dry and brittle (author note : according to his own standard of strength!). It died two months before, after all. But for such an existence, that very fact was troubling ; how could its corpse degrade so quickly? "Hey, Ole''Elements, wake up... we''re here." The Stalwart Oak reminded him of his own false immortality, and his tone lacked the usual arrogance. Even after twenty minutes however, the dragon had had no answer from the God. He knew he was definitely watching though ; he would not turn a blind eye to his late friend. "It''s that bad, huh... Tell me when you''re ready to leave. I''ll wait for you." Like a strange bird of prey, Nidh?gran curled himself up on a high branch, eyes open and looking down at the Tree and the rest of the forest. ------ Her first date in fifteen years had left her satisfied and happy ; Fabrice was a strong fighter, and an interesting man behind that. He was the most surprised of the two though, finding her barging in his lodging to take him out ; the gap between her bloodthirsty smirk in the arena and the sunny personnality in a dress outside of it was too much to wrap his head around immediately. Finally finding someone who wasn''t scared of her was a relief, and having lost the scars everywhere on her body certainly helped, leaving behind a figure Nyx could be jealous of - even though she was reluctant to admit it-. But stronger than that was still the call of adventure and travel. Following Oakbud on his journey to meet the Gods was incredible, and she would regret not participating her whole life if she stopped. Thani got back to the inn a bit before dawn, and jumped straight to the second floor''s window. She hadn''t realized how much Oakbud dreaded loneliness. He had made a golem in her effigy sitting in the bed, using a bedsheet he ripped in strips to mimic her hair. The little spirit was curled in a ball, snuggling the golem''s torso in its crossed arms. She could feel her heart break a little at that moment. "I''m sorry... I''m sorry... I''m sorry... I didn''t know... I''m sorry..." She rushed at Bud'' to pick him up, feeling tears welling up her eyes. His glowing white eyes were as empty as usual, but she felt like it was their first meeting ; he radiated emotional pain. "I''m sorry..." She continued repeating the words in a soothing tone, patting his head at the same time. She completely lost track of time, comforting the depressed little spirit. She understood now ; his father died to birth him, and now she left him for someone they met for an hour. During breakfast in the common room below, Thani still felt guilty even though she was forgiven ; Oakbud was also almost lifeless. The somber mood stayed until they checked out of the inn. For their last day in the city, the task list was little. Thani decided to say goodbye to the smith Auri, and bought food supplies on the way to the artisanal quarter. Once that was done, they decided to return to the religious district. They tried to meet Talia again to bid farewell, but this time the dryad didn''t answer their calls ; Nature had instructed her not to, because their fate meeting was already done, and no more links were needed. "Hey, before we leave for good, let me pass by the temple of Kali quickly. I need to send back the money I made in the arena to Pilgrim Woods. Hide for a bit, will you? Don''t want to make a ruckus, I don''t like the old men here.". She couldn''t stand the old fogeys who were focused on ''spreading faith'' and cooped themselves in the temple for the sake of appearing more devoted. Since her indirect meeting with Kali, she knew how wrong that was, and wasn''t surprised when the highest ranked person to greet them only had two blessings. She left a proper letter and the bag of 20 gold she reserved before to be sent back to her hometown ; that amount would be enough for Karj to run the temple and the family for a year at least. Using the time they spent inside the temple, Thani and Oakbud decided on their next destination : God''s Eye Island on the lake across Ebb. It would take two days of walking and one of sailing, or three of sailing directly. They chose to walk first, because the life on a cruise boat was bound to be pretty boring for them. The island would be their first and last stop before aiming further east, to the Ocean''s Guard mountain range. Something in the name made them think of Oberon, the God of Protection, and because they had no lead anyway, it would do fine as a goal for now. The little city at the moutain''s foot by the same name would serve as a rest stop after the next 10 days of travel. -- A surprise was waiting for Thani and Oakbud at the temple''s exit, in the form of Alice. Her speed and shadow magic had left a strong impression on them, and they wondered what she was doing at the temple of Kali ; Liezel''s shrine was tiny and decrepit, but she hadn''t come to visit, right? She was wearing traveling clothes and had a bag slung over her shoulder. Her pants were loose, only cinched at the ankles by her boots, and the shirt she wore wasn''t form-fitting either. The last visible piece of clothing was a worn brown cloak with the hood hanging behind her head. She still had bandages around the arm that was broken the day before. Alice had a rather petite stature at Thani''s shoulder height and an innocent face, giving the impression of an adolescent girl. Her piercing eyes were surprisingly purple, a strange and unnatural color ; her hair was black, but the roots were a sandy blonde, showing that she colored them herself. Overall, she was unassuming in appearance, not plain but not beautiful either, but looking closer would break the ''innocent next-door-girl'' look. "Hey, Blood Angel? Or should I call you Thani?" This was definitely no mistake, as she waved in her direction at the same time. "Uh, yes? Alice, right? What can I do for you?" This wasn''t Pilgrim Woods where she had responsibilities, so people approaching her was puzzling. "I got curious after watching your fights yesterday, both about you and the creature with you. Isn''t that ''Oakbud'' with you today? You seemed rather close." "Me''s here!" Hearing his name being called, the little spirit popped his head from Thani''s collar. "Alice friend, say hello?" It looked like the new meeting managed to distract him from his low mood. "Woah, you can even speak! Incredible! Now I''ve managed to meet the three monsters of the tournament, haha." Alice seemed genuinly happy to meet them, and clinched her fist in victory. "Oh, you met Fabrice too? He''s crazy good indeed." "You''d know about that, right? I followed you starting yesterday night, by the way." Alice shot Thani a knowing smile that made her blush furiously. "*Cough* S-so, how can we help?" Thani wanted to bury herself to hide but couldn''t, and tried to center the conversation back. The embarrassed angel was fun to see, but that wasn''t her goal today. "I''m traveling to see the world and gather experience. You both looked like an interesting potential companion, so I''d like to tag along for a bit if it doesn''t bother you. I''m not imposing on something important, right?" She was a bit afraid of the answer, because none of the other contestants from the tournament were free. Her talents permitted her to travel alone without danger, but having no company was tiring and didn''t help growing either. "New friend! Come come! Find Gods, say hello!" Oakbud was getting fired up. He was happiest with the first group he met, so having more than one companion again was a joyous occasion for him. Still guilt-tripped, and because it wasn''t a bad idea to break monotony, Thani agreed readily too. "Important? Not particularly ; I''d rather say incredible. I guess I''ll tell you over lunch before leaving, we''ve got all the time in the world..." 26 Back on the road The little group decided to leave Ebb through the north gate, in order to follow the lake shore up to God''s Eye Island before crossing the water. While they ate, Thani recounted her adventures and the start of it all to Alice, and the weather took the opportunity to turn sour. When they crossed the bridge over the river outside, Alice still wasn''t over the shock ; she''d seen Thani and Fabrice fight, but she assumed they were very skilled at utilising three blessings only, not four. The death of the God-Tree didn''t faze her in comparison, as she couldn''t relate to it at all. The next day of running along the bank in the forest was spent under heavy rain, and was mainly used to exchange stories and information. Alice still wore her cloak to ward off the peals of water falling, while Thani experimented a bit and made herself a self-held umbrella with a bit of blood and magic. Oakbud was happily sitting over Thani''s newest creation, enjoying in the rain. As Thani spoke of her life in Pilgrim Woods and of her talents, Alice responded in kind with hers. She is twenty years old, comes from the sea down the river from Ebb, and the proud owner of two blessings from the God of Transgression. Before coming, she had learnt to fight with a childhood friend who followed after Theomars in the end ; however they were separated by sickness three years before. At that moment, she decided to see the world in his stead and to find a remedy for his affliction ; traditional medicine was gradually abandoned after Deva''s ascension, due to her followers'' healing arts. But their absence was only felt harder, the few left studying it being the devotees in question. Concerning her magic, her blessings are shadow magic and [break], with her first magic reinforced. She hoped to get a third soon during her travels. Her magic, as showed in the arena before, enabled her to camouflage herself, and also jump to other close shadows (However the magic consumption of that was huge, and she could only use it once before resting). She''d rather rely on her agility to do the job. The blessing to [break] was what gave the God Liezel his title of [Transgression]. It allowed one to see through the fabric of things and make them crumble. It could be applied to many things, such as armour, walls, and even the majority of channeled magics. She demonstrated against one of Thani''s tattoos, revealing its weakness at the occasion : range. Even though it was separated from Thani''s arm and fell to the floor, Alice needed to touch it directly, and couldn''t yet apply the blessing through a weapon. The rain stopped the next morning, and a smell of fresh irrigated soil permeated the air. Sun rays were heating the world again, and Oakbud was completely revitalized by the comfortable setup ; he could feel the well-being and satisfaction of every plant around them. While the little spirit was busy drugging himself, Thani and Alice were sparring. At first, they banned the use of magic to compete in pure athletic ability, before putting it back into the mix to get more familiar with each other. As it turned out, Thani had a much stronger body, but it didn''t prevent her from getting beaten to the ground harshly ; she wasn''t used to fighting without her magic, and her physical advantage was completely ignored by Alice''s techniques, who was well-acquainted with hand-to-hand fighting and short weapons. However, the situation was reversed with spells allowed, and Alice could barely break even for a minute before being forced to surrendering with nowhere to hide or dodge. Her last-ditch effort to win through a shadow jump into knockout was thwarted by a revolving blood wall to the face ; breaking magic still took a bit of time and effort, and she was thrown down by the force of the blow. Her blessing wasn''t a good combat technique in its budding form. Even though she wasn''t the best of brawlers, Thani and her new dagger represented walking doom for whoever faced her : the ability to channel a second magic through the weapon over her own was close to invincible in a duel and priceless in a group. Oakbud decided to join the fight at one point, and the initial exercise turned to a wild goose chase where Alice and Thani kept dashing and slicing roots and vines apart, dodging pitfalls and trip-easy short walls. He couldn''t catch them, but they were equally unable to to anything to him ; the time Alice tried to attack, she discovered he could just phase through as a spirit and almost got caught. Once they were too tired to continue, and after a quick cleanup, the group finally left the cover of trees and continue their trip north. ------ Hundreds of kilometers away from them, Harp finally arrived at the Stalwart Oak''s clearing to verify his informations. Like the group had said, the God-Tree had drawn his last breath ; he even found the new sapling that Aldo had told him about. His boosted senses helped him avoid danger on the way, and he was thankful for being able to avoid a pack of boars. Now he only needed to make his way home and everything would be alright. What he could not see though, was the strange little dragon perched atop the tree, far out of his perception range, with his eyes riveted to his returning back. -- Step. Step. Step. Evenly spaced, ticking like a metronome, Jack''s eerie walk was out of everyone''s sight thousands of meters into the air, well above the sea. He had been using his time magic continuously for weeks to walk on the earth that was before. Step. Step. Step. Fatigue was a foreign concept to undead, and magical reserves were nothing but a joke to God-Children. Step Step. Step. "I''ve lost everything when you stopped my grand spell to change my life... How cold it be too early? Or too late? For someone who masters time? And you had to ruin it all..." Step. Step. Step. "There can only be one God of Time. And I am it. And I said that turning Time back was not a good thing. But you were nothing close to strong enough to ignite divinity, you were just an ignorant but lucky human who stumbled upon a great idea. Had you studied more, you would have understood why." Step. Step. Step. "You want to break me? Reform me? It''s too late, but you won''t kill me. So I will break your things in return. Until your tolerance stops. Because you won''t turn the harm I do back." Step. Step. Step. "Don''t overestimate your value to me. I will stop you when I feel like it. Then I will tell you why your idea was mad from the start. Then I will kill you and find another Child. Until then I will continue to watch." Step. Step. Step. "Then tell me, and end this farce." Step. Step. Step. "No." Step. Step. Step. ------ Next morning. "Soooo... I feel I should have asked sooner, but. It''s great that we''re facing the island and can see it, but we don''t have a boat. How do you plan on crossing? Do you plan on flying there or something? Alice was grimacing, already imagining a useless trip back to Ebb and paying for the cruise. "Me can fly there! Take bird! But too far for Thani fairy. Alice fairy swim well?" The first anwser came from Thani, more precisely the top of her head. "Well, I was kind of hoping to improvise. Just think of something, and then Oakbud makes it. It''s good to train his magic control, and we have time anyway." She flicked a tattoo at the back of Oakbud''s head, while she was chewing on a piece of bread. The other tattoo was currenty used to stir a pot of aromatic plants infusion. "Also, don''t call people who don''t have wings a fairy, idiot." "Boat works how to go to the island?" "Uh, you''ve never seen a boat?" Alice was surprised, and still as confused as before. "Barely two months old, remember?" "Oh. Right." So the lesson began, Thani going first. "So, you see, there are boats with sails, and some with oars. We''re not many so oars are fine if we help you make one." She was drawing shapes in the dirt to illustrate her words. Alice didn''t lose time to start grumbling. "We''re only two, remember? How do you plan to row for two days straight without dying from exhaustion?" "Me make golem for boat! Golem never stops." The end product looked halfway between a raft and a barque, and was a bit wobbly. The rowing golem took a tentative step on it, and nothing seemed to creak ominously somewhere. The hull was made from compacted clay held together with vines over heavy strips of bark. Its size reached five meters in length and two in width, leaving the trio plenty of space to move aboard. Oakbud''s golem grabbed his bear-sized heavy oars, made like the hull, and with the infinite magic he was supplied made his first row. The whole boat shook, sending both passengers to the ground ; the golem''s strength was proportional to his magic core, and Oakbud getting more familiar with their creation only made it more powerful. The speed kept increasing quickly after fine tuning the movements of the construct a bit, and stabilized around a quick running speed. With this rythm, God''s Eye Island would be at arm''s reach the next day early afternoon.. 27 Waves 1 Harp was petrified. He hadn''t litteraly turned to stone, but might as well have ; at least the attention of the being in front of him wouldn''t be focused on himself. He could feel his short fur stand on end, his claws cramping, and his instinct screaming at him to run without turning back. But his legs still refused to move, as if movement was the factor that would mark his death. "Tell me your name, mortal, and what you were doing here." "..." Nidh?gran had to squash a big sigh ; burning the little Oak''s forest, even by accident, would earn him an ass-whopping from Ole''Elements. Even after making an effort to appear more human-like and reigning himself in, his sheer magical presence was still enough to send the weaker creatures to death or unconsciousness. At least the little human didn''t faint. Or did he? Extending a scaly and clawed hand towards Harp, he cast a calming spell and waited a few seconds. At least they should be able to talk now. "Answer my question." His terror dissipating, Harp could finally think straight again. Covered in sweat, his body shivered one last time before he was able to understand what just happened. Just after he turned back, he felt like he was being watched, but couldn''t find anything ; the feeling got more and more unnerving until that strange man jumped in front of him. He was wearing a shimmering heavy cloak, but that seemed to be all. He was only humano?d, with his badly proportionned facial features. The most striking were his skin, covered in peach colored scales, blazing slitted eyes, two black horns curved around his skull, and messy grey hair and beard. He felt like a monster in human skin, and -oh how right he was. "My name is... Harp, from Pilgrim Woods. I have come to check on the God-Tree''s death, to verify the truth of a report." The wolfman''s voice was even, the calm spell forcing his bubbling emotions to still. His apprehension was anything but receding though. The discordance was starting to make him sick, and he decided to tell more than was asked in the hope of getting out of here faster. "Oh? So people already know? That makes things easier!" The dragon-man''s toothy grin sent a new wave of nausea through Harp''s brain. "Tell you what, you''ve done your job, so how about an exchange? You tell me all about that report, and I''ll give you a lift back home." "And what guarantees me I''ll stay alive when you have what you want? You don''t seem exactly friendly..." "Oh." Nidh?gran scrunched his thick brows and brushed his beard slowly. "I guess it won''t convince you, but I''m lazy, so I want a guide. I have zero interest in you humans. So the only thing is I won''t eat you if you refuse to help." "He didn''t say he wouldn''t kill me though... Guess I won''t get a better answer." Harp was thinking as hard as he could to find a loophole, but couldn''t. Well, there were plenty to get through wordplay, but in front of infinite strength, the best option was still to not piss the creature off. "...I''ll help. How may I address you?" He was feeling really sick now, and had to force himself not to vomit somewhere. "I''m Nidh?gran the dragon! Nice to meet you, little human! Don''t go fainting on me when I change form later, okay? Wait no! Now, before I get a slap on the wrist for lazying about! Ahahaha." ------ On the surface of the sea, a closed shell was floating quietly, seemingly floating around randomly. Looking a bit longer, one would understand it was special. No bird came trying to peck it, no fish swam under trying to sink or swallow it, and it kept moving forward. More surprising, it had already made a detour around the Cursed Third and was making its way to the coast of the Primal. On its back, were engraved a few words mibued with powerful magic : "Open in front of the Three". Floating around, moving at its own pace, the enchanted shell continued its route, carried by the waves. ------ Barely a few days after the real start to her adventures, Alice was considering retirement and even knew the title of the first book she''d write : "why earth magic constructs are a bad match for water", referencing the spirit Oakbud who already forgot his lesson from the arena, and Thani of the Blood who was just too excited to notice the problem before it manifested. It was now dawn, the start of their second and last day on the boat ; and her feet were wet. "Alright, does anyone have an idea to bring us on the right shore before this boat finishes melting and sinks?" Her tone was reproachful, and she was glaring at the two people at fault in front of her. The fact that a golem twice her size with arms as thick as her body was still mechanically rowing behind her didn''t help her stern image, but she tried her best. "If me breaks the golem, me can make the boat again but boat will stop moving." "No idea!" Thani was laying on her back, beginning another relaxing sunbath on a plank across the boat, wearing only a pair of shorts. The cold morning air and frigid water splashes couldn''t faze her, and she wasn''t in any mood to think of a solution. The culprit of the boat''s current predicament was playing in the water that infiltrated the hull. "You both might be able to reach the shore with your absurd magic reserves, BUT I CAN''T! Help me for a bit, damn it, knowing how to swim won''t save me here! If you''re really coming from the God-Tree, can''t you use something else than earth magic?" Alice was stuck between crying and shouting now. Why couldn''t they take this more seriously? "Well even though I got some special attention recently, I still follow Kali, so learning and using other magic is a no-no unless I want to renounce my faith. But you''re actually making sense there! Hey Bud''! Why have you never tried some other magic?" "Dad-Tree didn''t show me... But me can try!" He was referencing the moment he ate the Stalwart Oak''s last leaf, but Alice and Thani couldn''t know that. -- The blood Angel continued her sunbath quietly while her tattoos helped Alice scoop some water out of the boat. The aim was to gain time for Oakbud to try his hans, or rather wriggly arms, at another magic, specifically water. The problem that came up quickly was a simple one : the little spirit couldn''t simply invent his own mastery of a whole new branch of magic in minutes. After a bit more time of trying out new spells, a solution came by itself at the same time as a four-meter high geyser on the starboard side. A little water fairy the size of Oakbud, probably attracted by the incredible amount of magic poured in the water, was looking at him and the two humans curiously. "Do you need help?" 28 Waves 2 "We''re fine, Oakbud is just trying to learn water magic." "YES WE NEED HELP WE''RE SINKING!!" Two contradictory voices were heard at the same time, Alice''s covering Thani''s without much surprise. The water pixie was confused. As a creature born of an element and concentration of magic, casting water spells was second nature to her, and she was generally curious and friendly because her species had next to no predators. "HE MADE THE BOAT WITH EARTH MAGIC AND IT''S MELTING!" "Eh? He''s never practiced his spells before? Can''t he just adapt an earth magic spell to help?" The little fairy was flying around the panicked Alice''s head, moving around mischievously and pulling a few strands of hair. "What is a spell?" "..." "..." "..." This time all three were amazed at Oakbud''s lack of knowledge. Weren''t spells the basics of basics in magic manipulation? Sure, at first learning incantations was slow an tedious, but they brought stability to the casts and with habit people could just skip them. Even blessings were used to cast spell by powering them with magic, and were essentially free instant-casts. The next usual step was learning the spell without using the blessing to make variations of it and deepening one''s comprehension of the God''s path. "... Bud'', how do you cast your magic?" Thani was both amazed and concerned, since she had received the God''s lessons about magic too. "Grab earth mold earth. Find plant, give magic to grow and guide! But me can''t grab water!" Thani''s lips twitched. Alice was bordering collapse. The pixie giggled happily. That level of ignorance really was too much to bear. "Oh Liezel, he never learned anything about magic, it''s pure natural ability... I''m doomed, I''m so doomed..." The pixie had finished making Alice nauseous with her high-speed flight in front of her eyes, and was now standing in front of Oakbud, trying to grab one of his arms to play with it. "Hey, I''ll teach you a quick spell, okay? This way you can learn how water magic flows and make your own later! You''re like me, you can see the magic flow, right? Right?" After saying her piece, she climbed up to the golem''s head before diving into the water. She resurfaced and stood upon the water a second later, ready for her demonstration. Taking what she thought was a heroic pose, she started her spell : "Water friend, listen to my will and come to my hand!" Alice only saw droplets of water rose from the lake to form a fairy-fist sized bead over the pixie''s extended hand. Oakbud though, was seeing the raw magic being molded through the intent and words of the little creature. Contrary to his own crude earthen hands, the flow of water magic resembled a spiralling siphon, drawing out the water elemental particles to shape the spell. "Oh! Interesting! Looks like every elemental magic is different right from the start! Bud''s earth looks nothing like that!" "Eh? Thani, you can see the flow too?" Alice, who had water to the middle of her calves, turned back from looking at the boat''s edge that was approaching the water level quickly. "Let''s just say I had a lucky encounter in Ebb." Explaining how a God of Creation taught her magic personally would be the finishing blow to Alice''s spirit, and was also a secret to keep closely guarded. "Alright! Did you see? Did you? Now try! Try!" The pixie jumped back into the boat in front of Oakbud, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Blood friend, follow my will and build in my hand." Thani tried out her own short incantation inspired from the fairy''s at the same time, wondering what she could do with such a simple shape-shifting spell and a bit of focus. The longer the incantation, the better the precision. Thani''s spell worked its wonder and her blood seeped from her skin to make a statue of Kali in her palm. The result was alright and the proportions nice, but some edges and the wings were blurry. She should have spoken more to define those parts it seems. While she was finishing her round of magical introspection, the forest Spirit screamed out his spell while pouring out magic. "Me try! Water friend, listen to me and come to my hand!". And just like when he tried to learn from Maya, the result was disproportionate. The surface of the whole lake shook, responding to Oakbud''s enthusiasm, and a ball of water the size of the boat made its appearance over the passenger''s heads. "So Alice, are you still worried about getting to the island or what?". Still holding her little statue, Thani was grinning madly. ------ In a city on the west coast of the Primal, the magical shell was opened by very concerned priests of the Three that were assembled with urgency. It had arrived carried by a gigantic wave that almost crashed the whole harbor, and those kind of stranger things were always somehow divine. Doing what was written on it was only common sense. Once opened, Nyx''s possessed Child''s voice reverbed through the little temple : "Call out to the Child of the God-Tree, so that he comes west of the Third to meet me!" ------ Oh Nature! When folk spoke of riding a dragon, he''d always have an image of a heroic figure sitting behind the beast''s neck, with his shining armor, weapon and saddle! No one ever told Harp that he could make it someday... And no one ever told him he''d be carried suspended to a claw like a sandbag either! The serious flight of the dragon was insane, and he was almost completely blinded by the wind, only able to see trees and roads flash by far below. Without the dragon''s calm spell and his natural fiery heat, Harp would also have frozen to death despite his fur. High-altitute high-speed flight let the strange duo cover the distance from the Tree to Pilgrim Woods in barely half a day, and the town came in sight at dusk. On Harp''s recommandation, Nidh?gran landed close to the Blood family''s estate and reverted to his human-ish form, abusing wind magic for a smooth landing from a thousand-meters drop. The panicked wolfman sprinted to meet Karj, who was preparing for the night, oblivious to the new headache coming his way. Just as he finally got into bed, his door was slammed open and his head slammed by his emotions sensing blessing roaring panic at him. A stressed out guard came in unannounced with Harp in tow, dropped the wolfman there, and bolted out as quick as he came. "Harp? What in Kali''s name is going on? How are you back so soon? What happened?". Being at home was no excuse for the competent leader, and his mind switched back to business mode almost instantly, trying to understand the situation. "Remember the undead affair a while ago? Well it''s worse now." Harp wore a sad smile and shook his head, before falling back on a random chair in the room. It wasn''t big, but still had two windows that let light get in nicely during the day, and enough space for Karj''s bed, a desk and three chairs, and a basin in the corner. "Undead? The God-Tree again? And worse? What''s this all about?" "Long story short, I need to know where mistress Thani went, or we get killed by an angry lazy dragon." Both men exchanged an incredulous gaze after the end of the sentence. "..." "..." Knowing that the shock most probably had passed already, Harp broke the awkward silence and Karj''s cramped face. "Alright, I''m as serious as when I wrote the report before. Whatever the little Oakbud is, there''s a -very very- powerful dragon looking for it right now, that found me as a guide when I came back after verifying the God-Tree''s death." "Sigh... Then we''re screwed, because I have no sure idea of where she went. Probaly to Ebb and its temple of the Three, I remember she spoke about it with the group about the little spirit... Do you have any idea on how to keep the dragon in a good mood just in case?" Tension seemed to evaporate from Karj, as he slumped back against his bed head. Harp leaned forward and used his hand to muffle his next words, as he feared the dragon would hear them. "That dragon really seems...airheaded and full of himself. Do you have some good booze?" At this moment, fate told him that the town''s security was assured for the days to come. 29 Waves 3 "Me can cast water magic! Boat will not sink!" Oakbud was marvelling at his own prowess, too happy to realise the situation he put Alice in. "So big! So much magic! Can you move it? Can you? Put it back? In the lake?" The water fairy was flying around him like an overly wound up spring. Pulled out of his reverie by the rapid-fire torrent of questions, Oakbud lost his focus, and the spell terminated before he could try to layer more magic around it to change the water ball. "NOOOO~~~~" Alice''s despairing voice could only spread across the surface of the lake before a few cubic metres of water fell upon the boat, golem... and her. Thani had quick enough reflexes to start moving as soon as the water ball was lifted, knowing Oakbud more and able to predict what tragedy would probably unfold. Jumping to the side of the boat, she''d made herself a pair of blood wings and spent some more magic to use her tattoos as skipping stones over the water in between flaps. They were now a meter and a half long each and more defined, finally able to support her weight for short flights, but staying in place like this for an unknown amount of time required the extra step. She was holding her bag in one hand, and her shirt in the other, barely holding her laughter. The golem instantly began its descent towards the lake''s bottom, leaving small earth clumps behind it, while the boat sank more slowly due to its shape. A furious Alice resurfaced a few seconds later, a bit groggy from the hit, and with her black hair glued over her eyes by water. "Fuaaaaaah! What in Liezel''s name was that! You... wannabe murderer! And you, damn pixie! You''re an incarnation of water, the lake itself through magic! Couldn''t you do anything to help there?". Her violet eyes were locked on the second-hand culprit (she taught Oakbud the spell, after all), and the mean glare prompted the water spirit to calm down a bit. "Eh? Me? The other boats usually give me a few magic crystals so I don''t bother them and don''t let them sink, you know? Also, it''s fuuuuun! It''s always the same on the lake otherwise!" "Bahahaha! I suddenly like that fairy a lot!" Thani couldn''t repress herself anymore, and her clear bell-like laughter brought life to the lake again. "So, what now, little Buddy? You don''t plan on leaving Alice here, do you?" "Me can''t bring back the boat and make boat again at the same time... Fairy help?" The little spirit had grabbed Thani''s backpack to keep afloat, and was feeling guilty for his mistake. "Alright, but then I want water magic crystals! You have so much magic, you can make some, right? Right?" Even before she got her answer, the pixie waved her arms upwards, and with a cute "Hya!", the sinking boat stopped deteriorating and began floating back to the surface. Luckily it hadn''t turned over and was just pushed down, so Alice''s bag was still on it (only soaked through). Oakbud started using earth-elemental reinforcement magic on it after it was drained, and even found it interesting to make a tiny golem core for it. "Crystals ?! Crystals ?! Crystals ?!" During the whole process, the water fairy was still flying around Oakbud, harping him to get her due even a second earlier. As sensible as he was, Oakbud was able to ignore her to focus on his repairs before getting to condensing water crystals. Once again compressing magic and integrating his new knowledge, he made a first crystal as big as himself, which the fairy immediately tried to grab. However, its size rendered her unable to plunder the gem, and the density of magic inside instantly made her drunk on the power when she began draining it. "Who- Whoa... This is some gooood blue crystal! Soo niiiiiice... You know what, I''ll even take you to the Island if you make me another one like that... Water take me to the Island on the lake, for my words are not fake!" The moment she finished speaking, magic resounded under the water surface, and a wave tilted the boat forward gently, carrying it forward towards their goal. As the wily pixie started her end of the bargain even before they agreed to it, Oakbud could only start making another crystal. The golem core in the boat helped it maintain equilibrium on the wave, and the trip finally went back on tracks with the addition of a new passenger. Under the morning sun, a pixie was drunkenly lying on two water crystals at the front of the boat, with a still drying up Alice and sunbathing Thani behind her, and Oakbud practising water magic with maximum restraint at the rear. ------ When Harp came back to Nidh?gran, he wasn''t alone. Three people from Karj''s family, including their brewmaster, were helping him carry two barrels of home-made alcohol each. "Hm? What''s all this? How about our matter here?" The dragon had reverted to his normal form, but kept at a reasonable twice as large as a horse size. Feeling his discontentment, the wolfman immediately came forward to appease the beast with ingratiating words. The other carriers preferred to stay further back, intimidated by the dragon''s appearance. "Master Nidh?gran, we would be poor hosts if we didn''t extend every courtesy to you while you stay. Also, it is night, definitely not the best of travel conditions. Why not spend the night away drinking and sleeping comfortably? The road can always await the rays of the sun." With a twinkle in his eyes, the beast couldn''t hide his interest at the flowery words. Food and sleep? Those were both included in his favourite activities! His grabbing of the closest barrel with a quick cast of wind magic was a tacit agreement to the proposal, and Nidh?gran lost no time piercing the barrel with a claw before pouring the sweet alcohol in his waiting maw. "Oho? *Glug* The taste isn''t bad, but it could be stronger! Hmmm, I don''t remember you mortals making such a good beverage before." Two other barrels were drunk in quick succession, while the brewmaster of the house was lamenting the loss of his best creations. Harp couldn''t help but wonder at the beast in front of him. Couldn''t remember alcohol? Was it just that forgetful, or that old? "Hpmph! Too bad I can''t carry much of that, I''ll need to get down from my mountain more often it seems!" Even with such great alcohol in hand, he somehow managed to work himself up, pushing a thick cloud of embers and ash through his nose. "Not to worry, great Dragon, if you told us where you reside we could surely bring some to you..." The brewmaster was the one coming up to flatter the beast this time. As scared as he was, this was a great opportunity to get some fame out of his work! "Bah! You''d bring me barrels of that all the way to the top of the Third''s highest mountain? Less ass-kissing, human. I may be lazy and arrogant, but don''t you dare thinking I''m dumb. Hmmm, many of you have quite a similar aura, who are you worshipping here?" The poor craftsman took a few steps back quickly, pale faced and afraid that the reach of these sharp-looking claws was enough to tear him to shreds right now. Harp, who had a bit more time to learn some of Nidh?gran''s antics, came to the rescue. "Please don''t be angry, as we couldn''t know your mighty residence would be so far... This here is the Blood family''s residence, whe-" "Blood you say? I knew that aura was familiar! Hahaha! That little girl Kali is here?" The dragon was surprised, and got up to look around. "WHERE ARE YOU LITTLE DROPLET, COME BRUSH MY SCALES LIKE YOU DID ALL THOSE YEARS AGO, I HAVE MISSED YOUR SWEET CARE!" The content of his shout was as incredible as its volume, sending everyone rolling away, and even crashing some trees behind him. After a few seconds without any reaction, Nidh?gran scrunched his menacing brows over his squinted fiery eyes. "Hm? Wait, she''s not here! And here I got happy for nothing! Come on, show me! You must at least have a statue here, right?" His mood, that was just uplifted, was deflated back almost instantly. "Might as well give you something, for bringing those good memories back and your ''alcohol''!" Karj met Harp and the dragon at the temple''s entrance, and quickly opened the doors to let the monster in. There was not much light during the night to see, so the dragon conjured a swarm of fireflies to light up the interior of the building. The basin with the chained statue at its center was revealed in all its splendor under the warm orange magical light. Under the swaying light and shadows, the sculpture looked almost alive. "She''s just like before... Nyx would be jealous of this artwork without a doubt..." From the side, Karj and the wolfman could see the fondness in Nidh?gran''s eyes. He began speaking in a low and shaky tone, lost in his memories of the Goddess. "When I was on a rampage once, she dared to face me and offered herself to be a sacrifice and bear my fury in exchange for the end of the carnage. There was something in her at the time, in her aura and her look, that soothed even me. I took her back, and she spent quite a few years at my side serving me. She was such a sweet little human before she ascended, I even ended up teaching her a bit of magic. How and why she left I can''t remember, but still sadness lingers in me... RISE!" With his last word, Nidh?gran mobilised his magical reserves and cast an unknown grand spell on the statue. Every carved pillar in the room was trembling, and the chains rattled eerily under the pressure of the discharge. Still emotional, the dragon threw the two humans outside and slammed the doors shut. His voice carried through the door. "Now leave me with little Droplet. We''ll talk more tomorrow, humans." 30 Rocking the world From the moment the dragon and Nyx''s message arrived at their respective destinations, the news of the death of the God-Tree started to spread all around. Through the city first, then to others by using messenger birds and blessed beasts to transmit the message as fast as possible! Wind elementalists and Time mages were especially appreciated under these circumstances, as they could accelerate the speed of the messengers. The morning after, half of the Primal was already informed of the thunderous news. The death of a God! Even if the Tree wasn''t one, he was revered as such anyway and held a special place in the heart of the people. In Ebb, Talia was even forced to show herself to put an end to the clamours ringing in her temple from all the people who wanted to bring her the news. With this speed, the news would barely take three days to reach the farthest reaches of the known continent. The answer of Talia started accompannying the message now to appease the unrest it brought. ------ Completely unaware of the storm he had kicked as the news hadn''t caught up to them yet, Oakbud and his little team continued their voyage quietly, on land for a few days. God''s Eye island was not big, at twice the size of Ebb, and its population was a few thousand at best. Fishermen on the coast, farmers on the inside, and no city to speak of. The biggest hub was a trade counter on the west side that linked to Ebb in the south and another city in the north. The local specialty was a plant, a short tree dubbed "God''s Eye Stalk" by the residents, and fields of it covered themajority of space here. Its uses were almost limitless : its roots and fruits could be eaten, the trunk was thick and robust enough for construction, and the thick leaves never dried as long as they stayed over the island, enabling one to make clothes or waterproof housing easily. The reason for the nickname was half the location, and half the entire species of tree being Blessed. The two-day trip across the island was the occasion to relax after the lake incident for Alice, and to practice magic for the other two. Re-supplying included buying back food since the previous bag drowned with the rowing golem, clothes, and a pair of alchemical lights. "I can''t believe travelling could be so relaxing. This is so much better than carriages! I''m almost ready to forgive you now!" Alice was enjoying her ride, princess carried in a golem''s arms and shielded from the sun by an umbrella made of Stalk leaves. Even though its steps were heavy, the arms acted as a cushion to make movement as smooth as possible. "Wouldn''t you be better off practicing magic a bit? You''ve done nothing but sleeping and eating since we''ve come ashore." Thani was flapping her now majestic blood wings, flying circles over the golem''s head with Oakbud on her own. "Look at me, I was barely able to hover two days ago but I can fly freely for a good minute or two now!" "Thani real fairy now! Thani fly!" "Who says I''m not practicing? I just don''t need to move! Shadow magic is all about movement and presence, but there''s no need to run around to practice magical flux and spells. I admit it''s not something perfectible without serious practice, especially [break], but I can at least think in peace for my future path." Illustrating her point, Alice stretched herself, and in a puff of darkness shifted from laying in its arms to sitting on the golem''s shoulder with the umbrella in her hand. Thani landed in her previous spot, taking a seat in the golem''s arms with a big sigh. "Fair enough. Haaaah... Damn, flying really does a number on my magic reserves. I really need to work harder on the blood arts if I want to be able to use them freely. Tattoos are only the baby-step." "You''re so strong already, what''s next for you?" Thani only answered after a delay, her mood broken by the seemingly innocent question. "... I don''t know. I have not prayed since the depart from Pilgrim Woods." After Kali''s intervention that fateful night, Thani hadn''t felt the need or any urge to worship her Goddess. At first, she attributed it to the fact that the powerful contact was enough for a time, and that she would need time to absorb everything she learned before making any more progress. She had been almost fanatical in the past, sacrificing her flesh everyday in the temple. But now, that change was disturbing ; was she close to Kali, or was she not? Why did she have such powerful blessings? She hadn''t met anyone at her level before ; even Fabrice, with four blessings too, wasn''t nearly as strong and well-rounded as she was. Unaware of the chains of doubt and fear on their companion''s heart, Alice and Oakbud were teasing each other by dueling with thrown pebbles. The little spirit was at times jumping around, at others thrown up by earth magic and bombarding the little girl mercilessly. In exchange, she took the opportunity to practice her [break], rending the little stones and earth clumps to dust and riposting with the one she managed to grab. ------ In Pilgrim Woods, Harp and Karj had barely slept, and stayed right in front of the temple''s doors. The dragon''s reaction to the statue had shown them he had history with the Goddess, and with his warning they didn''t dare knock even when dawn passed. People started meeting in front of the temple, preparing themselves to meet the godlike creature again. When the door rumbled open, they were greeted by volcanic air and blazing heat. They prepared to show respect and resume the previous day''s discussion, but were stopped by the look in Nidh?gran''s eyes. "You mortals... Know nothing. NOTHING! NOTHING OF EVEN THE GODDESS YOU WORSHIP!" The simple sight of Kali''s worshippers was enough to kindle the dragon''s rage, completely different from the day before. His magic started building up around him, enough to press people to the ground and crack the earth under his claws. "I spent the whole night purifying Little Droplet''s temple because of you mortals'' foolishness. Let me tell you one thing, and I will not repeat myself. Do not. Ever. Again. Spill. A single. Drop. Of blood. In that fountain. Do not test my patience, because none on this continent will be able to bear anotherAnger of mine." The few still conscious trembled under the simmering wrath of the beast. It felt like the arrival of a simple fly would be enough to trigger a cataclysm. With bated breath, none dared stand up, and only waited for Nidh?gran to either calm down or continue his speech. "Now, tell me where Ebb is. And I will not hear another word from you lot." "N-North, along the sh-shore..." A timid voice answered the dragon, its speaker unknown as everyone was laying face down. "Hmph!" With a final roiling cloud of smoke and ash, Nidh?gran disappeared from their sight and the crushing pressure disappeared. "Alive... We''re alive..." "But now what?" "What as that!" "The Anger! Kali protect us..." Panic bloomed after the beast''s departure. The mythical Anger... It was said to be a battle of the Gods, which split apart the Primal and gave birth to the Jagged Edges and the Cursed Third. But how could that dragon know about it? That name was only passed down in humanity''s writings! The only possibility was both impossible and terrifying : Nidh?gran himself had to be alive at the time... A terrifying roar sounded up high in the heavens, covered in storm clouds. The screaming winds were far from enough to muffle the beast''s cry. "I WANT TO CRUSH THEM ALL! I don''t mind the fall of another pantheon of the human race!" "..." "I WANT TO KILL SOMETHING!" "Then what? Have us Three rebuild after you again? You''re too selfish, Nidh?gran. We haven''t even pulled the continents you sank last time out of the water yet." "I''m so angry! The foolish humans you love so much can''t even think correctly, it''s scary! But I won''t, not this time, not again." Huffing and puffing, the dragon began his war dance high up in the air, far from any prying eyes of the world. The air burnt, froze, was shredded, space fragmented, as he turned the morning sun to night with his fury. "What''s stopping you this time?" "I''d miss those brats Kali, Nyx, Liezel and Theomars too much. Oberon though... I really want to give that little prick a good beating. Deva can just go to sleep,I don''t care about that wuss. The lovebirds just annoy me. Bah! You''d probably kill me too if I didn''t finish your little errand first. As boring as it gets, I still enjoy my life, you know?" 31 Calm before the storm 1 Step. Step. Step. Step In a stormy weather, a skeleton with flashing blue eyes was walking slowly in the air under the rain and thunder. "Finally in sight. Now to find the Tree''s remnant... Hmmm, I''ll have to get to the forest of Creation first. I''ll just call back the past to know where he''s gone." Step. Step. Step. Jack was coming down from the sky in his tattered robes, preparing his arrival on the northwestern coast of the Primal continent. "Oh? Finished with your wanton killing?" Step. Step "Don''t act all innocent, you immortal bastard. The Jagged Heights have almost nothing living there, that''s why you didn''t care. I''m perfectly aware of your bottom line though." "Oh? Did you make some progress? Care to enlighten me?" Step. "I am just a ghost, a relic of the past to scare children now. And you don''t want it to change before you''ve won your little game or I die for good." Step. "You want me to stay dead to the world. You''d prevent me from making myself known, so why bother?" Step. Step. "Same with plundering time here. You would just block my spells." Step. Step. Step. "I''ll do it your way this time, as much as I hate it. Closer to my goal, closer to yours, closer to my end, closer to his. Dancing on Time''s edge." Brighter than ever, two ghastly torches lit up the way amidst the clouds, harbingers of times past coming to reap their due. Step. Step. Step. Step. ------ "Hey, Ole'' Elements, what''s with that giant tree over there? Did you make another little Oak while I slept?" Now calmed down, Nidh?gran was making his way north over God''s Eye Lake, taking in the sunny view in his burning eyes. One advantage of flying was definitely height for the longer sight distance under the horizon. "Nope. Should be where Nature''s latest Child is, though." "Oh? Hey, it''s in a human city too. That should be Ebb then. Hah, stupid humans, making temples for you everywhere. Still haven''t understood they''re useless after millenia." "You have to admit it''s convenient for us to spread our awareness." "Why would I? I''m not a god, I don''t care." "Why have I chosen you again? ..." "Because I''m the biggest bastard you''ve met. Let''s go and say hello." "..." As much as he disdained them, the dragon didn''t want to scare them. Causing panics everywhere would invariably bring some trouble, and he didn''t want to to deal with that. Once he was at a reasonable distance, he began reducing his size and camouflaged his silhouette in the sky before landing on the tree''s crown. Tapping a claw tentatively against the rock-solid bark, the dragon felt something wasn''t quite right with it, but couldn''t tell exactly what. Given his powers, it wasn''t every day that something would stump him. This tree was divine, but also not ; how odd. Absorbed in the feeling of divinity flowing, he only woke up from his reverie when it left the tree itself to reveal Talia the dryad standing behind him. "Hm? Oh! Who are you? I know! You''re the Child of Nature, I can feel it! Haha, that''s why I couldn''t get a grasp of the tree! No way anything mortal could elude me!" "Yes, yes, you are an almighty lizard. What are you here for?" Before Nidh?gran could lose himself in a cycle of boasting, Talia interruped him so the conversation could go on and walked in front of the beast. Nature had told her a bit about him, and knew that she''d fall victim to his antics if she let him set his pace. The challenge was to weave her own agenda in his drivel without angering him. "Dragon! Dra-gon. Hmph! See the wings? Claws? Horns? Are you a bat?" "I do, and I also have your attention now." The dryad answered with a deadpan expression before repeating her earlier question. "So? What are you here for?" "Urgh, you''re as pushy as Eludia you know? Has Nature ever told you that? That brat really is something else, always running around. I remember that time she visited me, made a mess of my cave. Next time I meet her, I''ll-" "Stop ignoring me, will you? I''ll just go back to sleep and you can freeze your fat bottom on my windy branches!" "What a rude little dryad! Interrupting people is rude, you know? Hmmm, still haven''t paid a visit to that prick with the shield, got to get back at him for that treasure he stole while I slept." True to her words, Talia rolled her eyes before sinking back into the tree, exasperated. This didn''t seem to disturb Nidh?gran''s monologue, listing one memory or grudge after another. His unstable personality enabled him to entertain himself almost indefinitely as the elements he harmonized with rampaged in his mind. He apparently had much to say, as he continued for the good part of an hour. His ramblings included stories of petty thieves burned to death, Gods and Children visiting, treasures being stolen, female dragon companions or him going for walks and bringing back riches from terrified people ; but never one of him owing anything to anyone. "Hey, where did she go? We were talking here!" "She left about ten seconds after you started speaking." "How dare a little Child ignore me like that! I''m going to teach her a lesson." "..." The dragon began tapping the tree again with his claws to call Talia back. As soon as her annoyed face surfaced from the bark, he started again. "Why would you leave like that, you boorish kid? Am I not worthy of your attention? Hmmmm? Watch out or I''ll discipline you myself!" Feeling the dragon''s anger, she could only put on a show of sincere apology and bottle up her aggravation. "Now that''s better! So, what are you here for? I appreciate you coming to say hello, but I have no time to lose, I''m on a mission you know." Talia was dumbfounded. How did that bird-brained oversized lizard manage to forget he was the one to pay her a visit? He even managed to reverse their roles! "A mission you say? Can I help you maybe?" "Yes, yes! I know you met little Oak''s creation, and I''m looking for it now too! Can you tell me where it is now?" Damn, that lizard really changes mood too quickly. Did he even need to fight the Gods to kill them? Just one minute in his presence was enough to torture someone to death! Even though those words were thought as hard as could be, what got out from behind Talia''s crooked smile was another thing entirely. In fact, Nature himself took over the dryad to answer because Elements was too busy gloating over the poor Child''s misfortune. "The little Oakbud is not here and has left the city already. But he is travelling with a Saintess of Kali, so you can just follow the traces of divinity that she left. Just like his father, he bears the power of us three brothers, you will recognise him easily when you meet them. Now stop traumatizing my Child like that, Nidh?gran. I thought you worked on your personnality problems with Elements already?" "Oh, it''s you, Ole'' Nature! Been a few millenia! Thanks for the info, there''s no way I could miss little Droplet''s divinity." He continued with an angry puff. "Yeah, I''ve worked most of it out already, you know how I was during the Anger. But I''ve touched upon that one element Ole'' scrooge here had been hiding recently, and it''s begun messing with the thin balance I had going. That and sleep. Ten thousand years can give you such a crick in the neck! I always need a bit of time to get the feel back. You know I''m not a God." "And that the position holds no interest in your eyes. Yes. Now go, until our next meeting." Finished with what he had to say, Nature sank Talia back into the tree before handing her back her autonomy, leaving a perplexed Nidh?gran behind. She was glad that her God was the one to get her out of the face-to-face ; being a God-Child didn''t mean interacting with Gods and behemoths like the dragon wouldn''t make her insane. Being a mortal really was different. "Hey, is it me or did he just flee? Has my temper come back that badly?" "I feel he gave the little one and the saintess a huge blessing and it took a toll on him, let Nature sleep..." "Well, now I know where to go and how to get there, so don''t mind me. Heh Heh." And with these words, Nidh?gran curled up to take another nap under the sun, perched on the saint tree''s crown. 32 Calm before the storm 2 "See? Now THAT is a boat. Not a pile of crumbling mud!" Hitting the east side of the island was only another step on the journey, but one Alice wouldn''t get dangerous again. Before getting on the water again, she asked for help from locals to build a sturdy barge with Stalks trunks. The result was a six meters long, two meters wide boat with a flat bottom, a set of oars and a long perch for coast manoeuvers. The open-roofed interior featured a spot for a golem towards the back, benches on the sides, and an earthen fire pit in the center front. Its shape was ideal for lake travel, as the waters were usually still ; the risk of capsizing was none unless one actively tried to overturn that kind of boat, and even if it did it would stay afloat. Thani, Alice an Oakbud had decided against hiring a ferryman to get to shore to the north. They didn''t want to wait for a trader to pass by and take them along, and the town locals were mostly fishermen who wouldn''t want to take four days for the journey to and back. Once Oakbud finished making a brand new rowing golem and a last push, the little group of three was afloat again. Thani and Alice spent the whole morning fishing, making themselves a stash of fresh food that would let them eat something else than travel-friendly dry food. However, boredom quickly set itself back when the sun began its daily descent. Oakbud was happily dozing off under the heat of the day, looking at birds flying and occasionnaly practicing his new magic. With a rope bound to the boat as a guide, it was decided that diving would be a great idea to pass time. Clear and melodious laughter quickly proved the idea''s greatness, and the activity quickly turned into a contest to see who could go the furthest down. Alice proved to be the best swimmer and was able to beat Thani by a large margin, almost double the depth ; that record was flipped once magic became involved however : the blood saintess exploited her blood wings fully to fly up and gather momentum for monumental dives that sent her way past their fifteen meters long rope in one move. Sadly for Alice, her shadow magic was completely unable to augment her physical prowess in this manner, and the two bickered for a bit before deciding on a draw. The balance was upset when Oakbud got jealous and tried to swim too when he didn''t know how. He panicked when his spirit body, completely unadapted to swimming, began sinking as he couldn''t get traction in the water to stay afloat with his tiny arms and claws. He was fished back out by one of Thani''s tattoos, who could barely hold her laughter, and grumblingly tried to use water magic to navigate in the water. As it turned out, walking on water was feasible, but swimming still stood out of his reach ; he would need to possess a body to explore the lake''s depths or attain greater mastery over the element. The occasion presented itself after another predatory fish tried to get his fill by eating Alice. Her shadow magic was used to make a decoy silhouette in front of her, making the attacker bite through water. Not letting go of this opportunity, she applied her blessing of [break] to one of her hands and pierced right through the fish''s gills and into its head , ending its life with one fluid movement. Normal animals and monsters, which couldn''t count on a blessing to protect themselves, were extremely vulnerable to magic-augmented attacks. Thani had struggled against the same type of fish before because she didn''t have suitable underwater attack techniques, and had to rely on her stout body and an ordinary weapon. "This is disgusting. Let me in!" "Gross. Don''t come closer, will you?" "Let me grab something to wipe my hand at least! Otherwise the stench is going to stay for WEEKS!" "No way! Stop trying to get on the boat, don''t come and pollute it for the rest of the trip! Whose fault do you think it is you have fish brain all over your arm?" "LET ME IIIIN!" "Shoo! Shoo!" Thani had already changed into dry clothes and was currently doing her best to slap Alice''s hands from the boat to prevent her from climbing on board, while the dead fish was being possessed by Oakbud and twitching reflexively. The black-haired woman finally managed to climb up after Thani had enough of teasing her, sending her a dark glare all the while. Night fell while Oakbud was getting familiar with his newest toy, and he only came back to the boat once a fire was started in the pit to grill the day''s catch and keep some heat. The dead fish was dragged on board for use the next day ; attaching it to the boat with a rope was possible, but they feared it would get nibbled at by other creatures during the night. If that happened, Oakbud wouldn''t be able to use it anymore, and another predator fish would need to be hunted (Regular fish could do, however being defenseless was not the best of ideas). 33 Calm before the storm 3 The rising sun woke up the girls after an uneventful night. Oakbud was watching the celestial ball of fire rise over the horizon from the top of the golem''s head (which never stopped rowing throughout the night). "Alright! Now that Oakbud can dive too, let''s see if we can find some interesting things at the bottom of the lake. With a name like God''s Eye, you''d think there would be mountains of riches waiting, right?" Alice was excitedly making plans during breakfast. Once the last crumb was swallowed, she checked her outfit once more and made sure she had a dagger on hand this time. Pushing her bare hand through a fish''s brain really was an unpleasant experience, so she prepared a killing tool this time just in case. "If you want treasures there are indeed some, but it''s way deeper than you could reach, you know?" A bubbly voice rose from the water behind her, prompting Alice to turn back immediately with her weapon unsheathed. "Hi!" "OH LIEZEL IT''S YOU AGAIN!" In front of her aghast face, the water pixie they met a few days before flew up with a big smile on her face. The ''magic lesson'' left a scar on her mental, and her appearance was equivalent to sprinkling salt in the wound. "Fairy friend, say hello!" "Heyo little spirit!" Compared to her, Thani and Oakbud were much calmer and friendly. Still, they wondered why she''d come before them again, since they gave her much more than she expected in crystals already. The pixie was buzzing around furiously, exploring every nook and cranny of their new boat. She finally came to a stop between the little spirit and the saintess, floating quietly over the embers left from the night. "Heard you talk about shinies, so I came to take a look. You can''t escape me as long as you''re on the lake, you know?" She playfully showed her tongue to Alice, who was still tense and ready to jump. "You won''t get anything good because the lake''s way too deep, buuuuuuut I might give you a hand if you can get me another crystal. Like, breathing underwater? Guiding you back to the boat when you want go come back up from the dive?" "Breathing underwater? You can do that? That''s seriously advanced magic, impressive." "So she can just interrupt it and laugh as we drown? No thanks!" "Me have a fish now, me don''t need magic for diving!" A fish, and didn''t need the magic? He wouldn''t need it as a spirit himself anyway... What did that mean? Up until now, the pixie had considered Oakbud as just another elemental spirit, albeit gifted who was able to manipulate a second element ; but that last statement forced her to reconsider her perspective. Her curiosity was stoked at the moment. "What do you mean? Aren''t you an elemental spirit like me? How would a dead fish help when you can just jump in? I know, stop hiding and let me look at your soul!" "Wait, you can even do that? What kind of godly pixie are you?" "Who said I''m a pixie? I may look like this, but I''m kind of the incarnation of the lake itself, you know? You were closer to home that you thought last time when angry, right? Right? Nothing going on over or under can escape my notice, it''s just more convenient and less scary to people when I appear like that!" With this, she dropped her airheaded facade. Oakbud wasn''t an elemental spirit like her, fine. But he wasn''t an undead spirit nor a nature spirit like a dryad either. What in Elements'' name was he really? Under her repeated urges, and after remembering that antagonizing the lake they were on itself would be the worst idea possible, everyone removed their magic veil that would prevent Deva''s disciples'' peeping. "Oh... OH? OH! OOOOOOOOH!" The pixie took a minute to wrap her mind around what she just saw, and told them it was fine to cover again. "So, I get the gist of the thing going with Oakbud here... I''ll bring you to some nice shinies below, no need for another crystal! Do you want to know what you''re like, misses? Think carefully, it can come as a shock for some, and it''s not easy to change. And that''s not something I''d joke about either." Alice was sure of herself and knew what path she would like to tread in the future, and the reading of her soul being in the form of a bundled cloth weaved with shadows came as no surprise. Free and unfettered, she wanted to see the world. It was all too common for those who chose to put their faith in Liezel, the God of Transgressions. However, for the wavering Thani, it was as much of a blessing as it was a curse. At the moment she was questionning her own beliefs, seeing her soul itself in a mirror could break her, more than it could help her finding herself again. In the end, she decided not to listen to the water fairy. She had her Goddess Kali at her back, and even Nature himself, and that knowledge helped her to not fall. "Alright, to diving then! You''ll be surprised at what you can find down there, it''s an important spot in the history of the Primal after all!" And surprised they were. At first, light penetrated less and less, plunging the group in darkness ; the pixie took the responsibility to guide them further down, dragging the girls by a hand while Oakbud followed, wiggling his fins. They didn''t know how deep they were anymore, numb to time because of the cold and dark. However, a blue-ish glow became visible when they began approaching the bottom of the lake. What came in their sight was a gigantic humano?d skeleton, illuminated by two weapons stuck in the rock and algae, pristine despite the unknown time they spent here. The first one was a chain and sickle wrapped around the left arm of the body, the other one a waraxe with its blade half-buried through the bedrock. The armaments were man-sized themselves, and Thani litterally only scaled up to the corpse''s ankle. Everyone but the pixie were awestruck and quietly let themselves be dragged. She tried to get her guests close to the body, however the weapons themselves seemed alive and pushed them back with a magical shockwave. At this moment, a flash was emitted from somewhere close to the feet of the giant, attracting the divers'' attention. The giant''s weapons didn''t prevent them from inspecting this light closer, and allowed them to discover a drinking cup. It was ornemented, and seemed carved from the horn of a blessed beast. When they got close enough, it detached itself from the lake''s depths and flew directly to Thani''s free hand. The strange event pushed the water fairy to simply drag everyone back up ; she just wanted to scare them a bit before bringing them to a more common stash of sunken gold! -- The fear of the moment had dissipated by the time they could take another breath of fresh air and dry themselves aboard the boat. "What was that? Were those relics? And that corpse? That was terrifying! No way I''m ever diving again here! I knew you''d do something fishy!" Alice''s tone was reproachful, and that was understandable after her previous experiences. "I''m sorry... I didn''t think the weapons would react like that, they don''t bother usually... I''ve never seen that cup before either, but I can still say it''s definitely a Relic if I couldn''t see it. Why it responded to miss Thani here and came on its own I have no idea, something in you must have roused its interest." "Rouse its interest? You mean it''s aware?" Thani scrunched her brows and tried poking the cup that wouldn''t leave her hand even if she tried to drop it. "What are you? What can you do?" In response, the engraved drinking vessel filled itself up with what seemed to be water, made its content disappear before filling itself again with something else, and repeated its cycle multiple times before flashing once and stopping. A pair of dice shone feebly at the bottom of the cup. "Dice? That''s a relic of Eludia! Seems like it''s able to fill itself infinitely, but are the drinks random? Can you give me something in particular, like water or wine?" The goblet filled itself with fragrant red wine in response, answering the question in the most direct and convincing manner. "This is awesome!" Thani absorbed herself in the study of the Relic with Oakbud on the side poking it as well ; it seemed to respond to him more than to her, but chose to stay with the woman because the little spirit couldn''t hold it well. Meanwhile, Alice continued her questionning of the fairy. "You still haven''t answered me! What were that corpse and those weapons?" "I''m not sure I should say this... That''s the predecessor of the God you call Theomars today and his weapons. He was killed during the Anger and has reposed here ever since" That statement was enough to silence everyone on the boat. It was simply too shocking ; could Gods really be killed? "I''m only talking to you about this because of Oakbud and his ties to the Three... It''s related to the forgotten history of your world. After the Anger, the timeless existences like me and the late God-Tree convened a meeting and decided it would be better for that terrible event to be passed as a legend rather than history. The Three came to us too and agreed with our decision, before helping a new pantheon of Gods, the current one, rise up. Very few people today still know of the events that transpired at the time." "Can Gods... really be killed? The only thing taught about the Anger is that a catastrophe ruined the continent and split it apart. Was it the intervention of Gods?" "It was not their doing, otherwise it wouldn''t be so terrifying. Just know that the God at the bottom of the lake wasn''t the only one to die at the time. Anyone in the path of the Anger died, and the others were simply lucky. I''m not even sure how it ended." The rest of the way was spent in calm, with everyone meditating about what they learned. The silence was only broken by the golem rowing the oars, pushing the boat towards its goal without pain or fatigue. 34 Storm clouds Thani established a clever code of yes/no answers for Eludia''s goblet when they landed, and soon its mysteries were unraveled. With its capacity to fill with any drink the holder desires, the Goddess of Luck used it for... partying. Its only other power was to disappear randomly ; and it only activated when its current owner died or threw it away. "Too unreasonable... How could a Relic be so usel- specialized?! Since when are Gods pranksters?" Alice was grimacing, still bitter about the whole lake experience. She still seemed to smell fish brain on her hand and was in a bad mood overall. Getting thrown back by a previous God''s Relics and getting nothing else to show for it didn''t help. "I think it fits the Goddess of Luck quite well. What would she use it for if not drinking, when it''s limited to mortal products? Even a healing potion wouldn''t do much to help a Child, so to a God?" As perplexed as she was, Thani was the more reasonable one here. They were currently watching a silent exchange between Oakbud and the cup ; it filled with a liquid, Oakbud tasted it and squeaked to demand the next one. Water, wine, beer, cream, distilled alcohols, milk, various potions, honey, syrup, dew, blood, sap, it had them all and more. The water fairy had left before they arrived on the shore, eager to go and extort more crystals from other lake travelers. Come to think of it, she had lost close to an entire day of mischief by accompanying Oakbud''s party ; and she would definitely make sure to get back up to par. Despite their protests, she had refused to tell them more about the Anger and what happened during it. That would be left to survivor Gods to explain. The little underwater expedition made them miss their original mark, an they had to walk half a day before arriving at the trading village they aimed for at the beginning. It served as a harbor, and regrouped multiple trading routes coming from the north and east towards God''s Eye Island. It didn''t have and didn''t need a name, and was simply called the North Point. Along the coast, in relative proximity to the Island, were in the same fashion the East and South Points. These regroupments were nothing more than a few wooden cabins and docks, with the only residents being boat handlers ; they survived entirely on the flux of people and goods coming their way. The good news, was that thanks to Oakbud learning water magic, they didn''t need to bother carrying gourds and other heavy reserves for their future travels. The bad news, was that they finally learned of the divine message of Nyx when discussing with other people. Going west of the Third? They were northeast of the great lake right now! That trip would take months, and nobody sane would accept to use their boat to bring them there! In spite of the pressure it brought, they didn''t change their original course and continued towards the Ocean''s Guard mountains to the east. A few weeks of difference wouldn''t matter to the Goddess. "Shouldn''t we turn back and go to the sea? If you''re looking for Gods and Goddesses, one just told you where she is. Is it really worth it to complete the trip to the mountains right now?" Alice asked. "And what if we miss one by turning back? We would have to make another return trip here afterwards to make sure, adding months and months of travel. I don''t dislike sightseeing, but that''s way too long for my taste." After answering, Thani turned to Oakbud to hear his opinion. "Me know where Nyx is, so me can go whenever! Meet God friend in the mountains now, say hello!" Enthusiast as ever, Oakbud was happy to go anywhere and do anything as long as it helped him meet more of his dad-tree''s friends, even if they weren''t sure they would find one where they went. Thus they continued on their initial route. ------ "Hmmm? Who dares fly over the great me?" The groggy Nidh?gran was woken up when he felt a strong power pass over his head. Sleeping was no excuse for being unaware when one reached his level of might. "Wait, isn''t it the magic of Ole'' Time? Is he chasing after the little one too?" "Most certainly. Time''s current Child is a poor excuse of a living being, and absolutely hates his God." Elements was the one to answer the dragon''s question. Since he decided to sleep, the God was bored, and because they finally had a clear way of finding Oakbud, Elements couldn''t really punish him either without appearing too petty. "A Child hating his God? Is that even possible?" After a final leaves-incinerating yawn, Nidh?gran was wide awake and ready to sate his curiosity. "It is. The hardest part is not wiping the mortal''s consciousness if he rejects the bestowal. For this one... he''s a textbook heretic. Using mortal taboos of magic, going against the order set by his God, even trying to usurp his domain." The God of Elements took his time to recount Jack''s story to Nidh?gran, since he was asleep at the time his grand time reversal spell was cast. "Ooooh, ballsy. Dumb, though. Let me guess, he found a relic or something similar and wanted to use a shortcut to divinity? Hehe, so foolish, so foolish." "Not exactly. He indeed found writings from a past Child, but he didn''t aspire to divinity, only a long life. He tried to sacrifice his whole domain and his people to turn back the clock of his life." "And he didn''t straight up kill him? I know I would have!" After laughing to himself for a bit, shaking the tree and scaring off every bird in the vicinity, Nidh?gran thought a bit more before speaking again. "What am I saying, of course he wouldn''t kill him. His actions crossed his bottom line, death would be too easy a way out. So that''s why he''s the Child now? Ole''Time is just having his fun tormenting the guy?" "Depends on how you see it. You know he''s the one who likes humans the most among us Three. Yes, he''s tormenting him and bringing him at his wit''s end ; he tore apart the grand spell formation, bringin ruin to everything it encompassed, be it people, animals, the city, and even the elements themselves ; it''s a dead zone now. He could have let him perish with it, but he didn''t, because he wants to bring him back on a correct path. But it hasn''t borne fruit for now, and if he''s going to try and kill the little Oakbud like I think he is, Time will probably end the game right there and then." "Bring him back, eh? Redeeming, really? He''s bored, no need for flowery words... Don''t tell him that though, I know he still hasn''t and probably never will forgive me for the Anger. I owe you more than my fragile sanity for that one." Thinking about his own past, Nidh?gran couldn''t help but shiver a bit. His own madness had brought ruin to entire continents, sinking them under the ocean. He extinguished millions of lives, and almost wiped out humanity. But Time''s anger... that was on another scale entirely ; he had crossed the line by far too much, and his life would have been forfeit if not for Elements and Nature interceding in his favor. Being one of the first creations had some perks to it. After a last sigh, the dragon got up, stretched like a cat without forgetting to leave deep claw marks in the bark, and soared to the skies without wasting time. After being awake for months now, and under the current pressure, the dragon''s hubris was finally coming back under control, and his lazy side was receding in stride. "So he''s coming, huh. Let''s go now, so much for the nap. I don''t want to get there during the aftermath. We''ll have a lead of a few days at best considering how fast he was going." 35 Downpour After another few days of walking and getting carried by a golem (depending on the mood), Oakbud, Thani and Alice were halfway to the mountain range and could already see the peaks in the distance. If they kept up the pace, they should be able to reach the town there in three days, and after that they could take their time exploring the Ocean''s Guard. Their plan was bound to be disrupted this fine morning because of Nidh?gran, who followed Kali''s divinity present in Thani and finally found them. He was currently high up above the clouds, concocting another silly plan of his for the sake of fun. As old as he was, he had spent so much time sleeping that he wasn''t at the point of total boredom yet, where he would have seen everything the world had to offer. His problem of conflicting elements and regular memory damage also helped in that respect. "Hmmm Hmmm Hmmm ?. I want to follow them for a bit and see, but I don''t want to scare them. At least not yet. I know! I can just transform to something harmless-looking." Scratching his chin with a claw, his thinking expression appeared very human. If one was facing him right now however, he would worry about being eaten or not due to the shine of interest in his eyes. "Like the time you impersonated the Sea God to be left alone? Remember it was only harmless to you... Congratulations on traumatazing the sea folk, I think they pass it down in their stories still." The dragon protested immediately, not wanting his reputation harmed. Sure, he scared people sometimes, but never for the sake of it, he wasn''t a sadist! "But he was an octopus! How harmful is that?" "A gigantic Kraken you mean... That you ended up eating. Thogoss''s must have been the most unfair of deaths during your Anger, he wasn''t even involved." There was no rebuking one of the Three though, especially when he knew more about the event than Nidh?gran himself during his madness. Admitting his defeat, he started pondering again and scrapped the idea of appearing as a ''simple'' drake. "Alright alright, you win. Uuuuuuuuuuuuh. How does a pixie sound? I can still keep my elements like that. Yeah, sounds good, only a bit small. Pixie, hmm hmm hmm ?. I wonder if they know about Nyx yet." -- Thani was taking a nap in the golem''s arms, so it was Alice''s turn to keep an eye out for things around them and lead the magical construct. Oakbud had flown somewhere after possessing a bird of prey he killed with a scream ; who asked it to mistake him for his lunch? After his practice of water and earth magic, he had taken upon himself the further study of his original abilities. He learned to focus and aim his spiritual attack, boosting its range and power tremendously. If he were to fight Ellen the water elementalist again, he would be able to win without too much difficulty now. The prize fighters like Thani, Fabrice and even the versatile Alice were still out of his reach though. The women weren''t worried, because they knew the little spirit had a connection with the golem and could feel its location ; wherever he went, he would be fly back after satisfying his curiosity. The moment of peace was broken by Nidh?gran, who revealed himself in a flashy burst of embers and magical fire. Proud as he was, he chose a flamboyant style of entrance to say the least. The fire he summonned changed from flying erratically to flowing around his new body, before finally crystallizing into a diadem on his forehead and draping over his shoulders to make a blazing cape of ash and fiery veins. He was laying in the air in front of the golem, supported by two majestic gossamer wings with rainbow reflections. His body looked human, the only mystery left being the legs covered by a gem-ornemented pair of pants. The pixie''s muscles were sculpted all over, and sported strong and wide shoulders. The draconic heritage couldn''t be hidden, and Nidh?gran made the best out of it by integrating brilliant vermillion scales on his torso, shoulders, back and other articulations such as his wrists and elbow. His head was also a culmination of beauty, clear and sharp eyes with his characteristic slitted blazing pupils, chiseled face bones and jaw, a fine and straight nose, and finally a collection of scintillating scales on his forehead which faded into a heap of waist-length crimson-auburn straight hair. He was the picture-perfect emperor of all spirits, emitting unparalleled magical strength and a regal aura. Fire was his first and favourite element, after all, and years did nothing to change that. Under his unrestrained efforts, he was confident that even the ever-arrogant and vain Nyx would admit her inferiority. The creation of this transformation made him into the ultimate ladykiller, if not for one thing. He was barely 80cm tall. "HAHAHA! Tremble before this king, mortals! What are you doing in my domain!" Thani was startled awake and had her dagger already in hand, glancing around to find what in the Gods'' name had interrupted her nap. She soon joined Alice in her examination of the draconic fairy emperor in front of them, in awe of his looks and power alike. "Hahaha. Cat got your tongue? Answer me before I send you back in a snap of my fingers. Don''t think it would take more than that." The disguised dragon was happily strutting around, showing off as much as he could. Foolish mortals... So dumb, but also so entertaining. The looks on their face were priceless. Alice started mumbling in disbelief under her breath with wide eyes : "Ooooh fuck not again. Not again. That''s totally water pixie number two. No way I''m falling for it. That''s not a fairy at all!" Sadly for her, Nidh?gran''s ears were sharp, and he heard her loud and clear. Confident as he was in his disguise, being revealed as a fake was a fatal blow. Alas, his unstable temperament prevented him from keeping a poker face in front of the wild guess. "What? A fake? But... But? How did you know? Damn it, even Deva can''t see through me! Tell me how! So unfair!" The dragon completely lost his composure, and flew over to Alice to grab her by the collar, before lifting her up in the air with him. His face was distorted with an ugly grimace full of disbelief and anger. Alice got paler by the second when she felt the full brunt of the magical power radiating out of the unknown being in front of her. Thani was frowning, but wouldn''t make a move without being certain the fake fairy had bad intentions ; for now it looked like a bad actor looking to have fun was aggravated when his disguise was broken. And how right she was! "I was right?" "..." Almost in a whisper, Alice could only get a few words of disbelief out. Hearing that, Nidh?gran instantly understood that she was only guessing and probably had encountered something similar before. And that the fault for breaking character was all his. And that he could have gotten away with it easily. And that the situation was very embarassing for his status. He couldn''t just burn them all to wipe away the blunder, because they were the ones he wanted to meet. The little human in front of him was just that parano?ac. "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! I''M SO DUMB! DAMN IT ALL!" -- After his outburst, Nidh?gran put Alice down and revealed his true form. At least, a scaled-down version of it, only elephant-sized. Just like his meeting with Harp under the God-Tree, he had to use a calm spell for the duration of his explanations. Otherwise Thani would have never stayed, and Alice would maybe die from sheer shock. He was not a bad guy, wouldn''t harm them, was here to meet the lady with white hair here and the creature linked to the golem, and only that. Once they managed to accept the situation and calm down by themselves, the dragon, who was still sighing at his own stupidity for ruining his show, jolted the golem to call Oakbud back quicker. The real meeting could finally begin once the little spirit was back, leaving Thani wondering why a dragon would want to see her. When he felt the dragon''s might, he instantly asked him : "Are you dad-tree''s friend?" "Yes and no, little one. I''m not a god, but I''ve met the Stalwart Oak before. I''m here to tell you two things, and one to the white-haired human here." The little spirit''s enthusiasm was cooled down instantly. On the other hand, Thani began to really worry ; she still hadn''t resolved her problems with her faith, and that dragon looked like bad news. "First, I''m curious about you, and that''s why I wanted to come and meet you in person. It''s not everyday a new life is created, and you are special indeed. You''re one of a kind in my whole long life. Look." Extending a claw, the dragon made a little flame burn bright at its tip. Soon, under the concentrated flow of power, the fire birthed life, and a fire spirit was born under their incredulous eyes. Happy to see the dragon, it began flying around his head and horns in a playful manner, barely stopping to look at the humans. "See? That''s a spirit, you can call them a pixie if they take a humanish shape. Born of a powerful concentration of magic and an element." There, he extinguished his flame, and the spirit disappeared with a last wave of the hand and a smile. "They have consciousness, they can learn, live, laugh, use magic even. But they can never stray too far from their source, otherwise they will cease to exist ; same if their source is killed, like I did with the flame. They are very ephemereal and can even decide to dissipate on their own, they have no concept of life and death." Alice couldn''t help but ask : "But we met a water pixie on the lake, and she appeared and disappeared multiple times in front of us, and she remembered! Was she a fairy?" "That''s different. If you''re referring to what you call God''s Eye Lake, she is an ancient being like me and possesses traces of divinity. She''s not simply a water spirit, she is the very incarnation of the lake, the lake is not her source like a regular spirit. That''s why she could do that. Fairies are a fully fledged species just like you humans, they just don''t live close to you so you tend to mistake one for the other." "Why is me special? Water fairy said me is a spirit!" "She doesn''t know enough, being forever unable to travel is a fatal weakness in her knowledge. I was there when the first of your Gods ascended, kids. You''d better listen to me." At this declaration, none of them could help but tremble. That dragon was a monster amongst monsters! "Come on, don''t get scared now. I''ve more to tell still..." Seeing their reaction, he shook his massive head before continuing and looking at Oakbud: "You are special because you are not born from an element, but from the life of the God-Tree, and validated by the divinity of the Three. You are the newest creation of the Three, a complete existence, the first of your kind in this world. Your potential, like mine was, is limitless. But for your future path... I see you''ve begun learning the elements. Promise me one thing, do not make the same mistake I did. Never integrate yourself with the elements completely. If one day you learn about the Anger in detail, you will understand why. I have no right to tell you." Alice began wishing she wasn''t there. This kind of conversation touching taboo topics and secrets of life and magic in the world were too much for her. Thani only listened with furrowed brows on the side. The first lesson with Nature helped her a lot, and she could feel the same intent from the dragon in front of her : "Are you the Child of a God, to be able to know all this?" "... No." He answered Thani after a short hesitation, short enough for Elements to tell him not to reveal his presence. "I''m just an old being of this world. Don''t underestimate what tens of thousands years of life and meeting with Gods can teach you." Somehow she had the impression that he didn''t tell the truth. But before she could continue her enquiry, hesitating to push it further, the dragon began talking to Oakbud again. She let it go ; if he didn''t want to tell, what rights did she have to ask anyway? "Now onto my second reason to speak to you : you are in great danger. The Child of Time is coming after you, and he is not friendly. He loathes anything that has a link to Ole''Time, and will surely seek to destroy you completely. Prepare yourself, because you can''t hide from him, and he will arrive soon after I leave." "Dad-Tree''s friend is not a friend?" "Ole''Time is, but not his Child. I can''t tell how your meeting will go, and I won''t interfere either." Finished with his discourse, he turned to Thani. "You''re special as well, you know? So young, yet so strong. Have you never asked yourself why? Don''t bother answering, I can see your faltering gaze. You''ve begun understanding some things, and you''re lost. And now that I''ve seen you, I''m absolutely sure of my conjecture." "How... How could you know anything? I won''t let you shake my belief in Kali!" She looked scared, and was forcing herself not to shake. "I don''t need to, because it''s Kali herself who has severed you from her." There was no answer, only Thani''s pale face streaked with unending tears and a broken heart. 36 Raging storm Thani was petrified, and her only movements was her eyelids batting her tears away. She knew, didn''t she? She only didn''t want to, didn''t dare to admit it. All since that night... That fateful, damn night. Her whole world was crumbling, facing a crushing blow to the heart. Since young, she had admired the Goddess for everything she represented ; she made the choice of following Kali way earlier than people usually would at ten years old. Since then, she had studied hard about her history, her domain, her magic, and most of all prayed. Everything seemed perfect! She was not an orphan, a refugee, or from any kind of tragic background! Even today, her family was alive and well in pilgrim Woods. What went wrong, where did it go wrong... All since that night... She hadn''t prayed since that night. Her powers changed since that night. Her body had changed since that night. Her mind had changed since that night. Body, Heart, Mind ; the three words her Goddess whispered in her ear. And what else she didn''t even notice? She felt truly alone, for the first time she could remember. The dragon was right, she was lost ; and for months at that. Since that night... She was stuck, and nothing Oakbud and Alice tried to say to her even registered in her brain. They were scared ; she was crying blood now, and if nothing changed she would die without a doubt. Nidh?gran was the one to pull her out of her trance with his powerful, all shaking voice : "WAKE UP! Little human... Don''t let your heart fall. Why bother following Kali when you can be her equal? Don''t think you''re being rejected, because you would have been dead long ago. Listen to me now, and I will recount to you the story of your Goddess, and what motivated her choice of severance. Then you will know, and understand... That you, are yourself again. You are not lost! The rest of you humans is... Now sit, and hear me!" The dragon sighed, expelling a cloud of embers and smoldering ashes, and stomped the ground once. The earth started rearranging itself, making a comfortable nest for Nidh?gran and rising to form chairs for Thani and Alice. Oakbud had climbed upon the former''s head, and was busy combing her hair with his little arms to comfort her. He waited for the trembling woman to sit down, and began his tale of divinities. "Your Goddess, Kali, was a mortal, like you, like every other God was at the start. What are Gods, really... but that''s not the subject." The dragon''s fickleness was nowhere to be found at this instant. Elements was wide awake, even though he was hidden, and was helping him suppress any flaw in his mind for the time being. The birth of a new God through severance... That was too interesting to miss. "I don''t know don''t know how Kali lived before I met her. All I know is, when I was rampaging through the world, she was the one to stop me. I remember her eyes... Her eyes! A mortal, herself, but also so much more! She was the one to thaw my fury ; she offered herself in exchange of the end of my carnage. Her body and mind were the sturdiest I had met amongst mortals, and I accepted ; under her care, I managed to recover my sanity, and taught her magic. She bore through every situation I put her in, and stayed true to who she was, unaffected by even me." The dragon took a pause for dramatic effect, watching the reaction of his three-man audience. They were listening with rapt attention ; the life story of a God? Where else could they ever listen to that? Oakbud was ever-curious about any of his dad-tree''s friends, Thani was still processing everything and calming down progressively, retaining every thread of sanity she could. Alice couldn''t help but interrupt the story at the risk of her life however, having pieced together some things : "You know too much... You can''t NOT be a God or a Child. These are definitely not matters that mortals can be privy to..." She braced herself for the answer. Too many incredible things had happened to her since she started following that little spirit ; it was messing with everything she knew, almost everyday. "Hmph! Rude little girl, don''t interrupt me! But you''re somewhat right. I am a Child right now. But I am also older than any God living today, and I wasn''t a Child yet. Why can''t I just have lived through those events? Didn''t you listen to me speak of myself right now?" Alice was stunned into silence. Older than the Gods themselves... "That''s what I thought. Now where was I... Right! Kali living under me, following my teachings as much as my whims. I went to sleep. When I woke up, a few thousand years had passed, and she had become a Goddess, the Goddess of Suffering, or Lady of Pain as you mortals like to call her. But I know... Only I know! That''s not who she is! You mortals have distorted her worship, and got everything wrong about her : you revere her as a Goddess of pain, sacrifice, suffering and healing! But that... is not who she is." Nidh?gran could only shake his head in lamentation. His eyes glazed over in reminiscence, and focused back when he heard Thani''s now hoarse voice. "What... Is Kali forsaking us? Humans? Am I not special, like you said? Will she abandon everyone?" "She won''t. But what mortals understood wrong hurt her deeply, as well as became a part of her. Your beliefs have distorted who she is. She is a Goddess of the self, of perseverance, endurance, fortitude ; she is immovable, the bearer of mortal burdens, the closest to the title of ''God of Men'' you use to describe your pantheon. Only endurance is common with your beliefs, and still let her retain herself. She is nothing like a Goddess of Sacrifice, blood, healing and life. Her blessings, which should be in the line of wisdom, mind fortitude, bodily resilience and strength, have been distorted. Healing instead of resilience, emotions instead of wisdom, blood and life have even been forced upon her. Now think. Think back! What are your blessings and power now? Think and tell me, and you will know the answer to the question that haunts you." At first, Thani still had a lost look, but as she retraced her life and the recent events, it turned to surprise, shock, and disbelief. Her beauty was smirched by her widened reddened eyes and dried tears. Oakbud and Alice''s curiosity was stoked by her changing expressions, and Nidh?gran knew that the Goddess had chosen well : the mortal before him hadn''t died to despair like he thought she might. "My blessings... the strongest, is regeneration." She took a pause, huffing violently to calm herself down. "Then, blood magic." Her heart was beating so fast it was hurting. "Then, injury manipulation, and emotion manipulation equal." With the dragon''s latest information, she was understanding, bit by bit. Everything she had... pertained to the distorted domains that Kali had shouldered, and none of what he said was the true Goddess. Even Nature''s lessons on magic ; that was no coincidence. "Do you see it now? Kali doesn''t reject you. It''s the complete opposite, she is trying to sever the misunderstanding you mortals have of her by pushing you up to being another God, rightfully supporting the crooked beliefs in herself. Let me tell you about your soul. I''ve been alive for so long, I''ve probably seen all there is to see. I''ve met Children, I''ve met Saints, I''ve met God-candidates. But you... You have the crown of a Saint, the mark that you have reached the end of the path a God lays for his followers ; your soul also is in the shape of yourself, like God-candidates. The budding wings I see on it are proof of that status and of the formation of your path to ascension, even though it will certainly change ; and finally, it also has traces of divinity, coming from what Kali transmitted to you, and that I used to find you. You are yourself, you are not lost. You are free. Free to tread your own path, free to rise and meet the Goddess you worshipped on equal foot. That''s all I had to say." No one said anything for what felt like an eternity. The silence, broken by the dragon''s breathing, was weighing heavily on everyone, waiting for Thani to compose herself and come to a decision. "I''ll do it... If it truly means that I can help Kali, I''ll do it. I will walk the path of Blood and Life. I will ascend." There was newfound confidence in her voice, and it had stopped shaking. Even if she wasn''t entirely sure yet for herself, she would at least do it for her Goddess. Forgetting immediately and scraping everything she had worked for until now was too abrupt, and she still needed to rely on that bond to not crumble under the pressure. "Your eyes have cleared... Good, good, good. Little Droplet and Ole''Nature weren''t wrong. But I won''t help you, no God or Child will. Ascension is a path you must forge yourself, even if you have an inkling of it already. Never forget the divinity you own, and never forget that preparation is key ; confidence without strength will only lead to an early fall." Nidh?gran sighed once more, at least in the eyes of Oakbud''s group. But he was actually conversing with Elements through his mind : "So, are you satisfied yet? Errand complete?" "No. He''s too weak, way too weak. He owns divinity from the Three of us, he is as indestructible as the world we made. But he''s too young, incomplete still. Give him a trial, make him experience more. I will speak to him when he has grown more." "Do I still have to play baby-sitter here then? Thanks for helping me keep my mind clear while we''re here, but that''s nowhere near enough if you want me to follow the little Oakbud everywhere and be a nanny!" "Don''t be one, then. He''ll get by just fine. The meeting with Time''s Child should be interesting." It only took a fraction of a second. The decision now made, the dragon addressed Oakbud once more : "Little spirit, little spirit... you heard that I''m a Child, and I know you want to meet the Gods. But you''re weak, far too weak, and the God I host won''t want to meet you with such poor standards." "But... Me wants to meet Dad-Tree''s friends, say goodbye?" "No need to insist, I won''t wake him up. When you feel capable enough, come and look for me on the highest peak of the Third. I want you to traverse the whole island, and know that I will be watching. No flying there directly, or I''ll swat you back to your Forest! Hoho." Finished with his mission, Nidh?gran was happy and eager to go back to his precious nap. He couldn''t feel any Child close by, so nothing was tying him up there anymore. With one last crushing blow to the earth, his claws left deep gouges in the earth when he took flight again. His last laugh resounded across the plain as he disappeared from sight. "Don''t forget, little ones! Time... Time waits for no one!" 37 Silence "Hmmmm, let''s see if I can meet Nyx again on the return trip. Now that my mind has mostly cleared I won''t get lost anymore. Good occasion to get back at her if she wants me to tell her about the little Oak." "..." Elements, as Godly as he was, could still not fathom the next move or mood swing of Nidh?gran. That was part of the reason he was still his Child after all this time. Variety to fight boredom. "I know, I know, that''s not like me. The Butcher of the Aeons, killer of more than ten Gods, suddenly being affectionate towards a budding life." The beast sported a toothy smile in self-mockery. "..." "Nothing to say, eh? Well I''m just like you, I''m curious, so why not stay around and watch the fun? No need! I''ll simply ask the Wind from the comfort of my lair. Hehe, my old blood is boiling again. Let''s see if he comes to me or I manage to grasp the Void without dying first." "Speaking of Wind, what did you think of his approach to magic?" "He''s still only beginning, barely able to manipulate the base form of the elements. Definitely hasn''t chosen a way of progression either, the little lass by his side is more impressive in that sense. Far from being a match against any serious fighter, even less if he meets some of the more reclusive species and old beasts. All he really has is his invulnerability." His blazing eyes shuddered for a moment, as he remembered something : "Damn it, remind me sooner! I wanted to introduce him to the elements he hadn''t touched yet! Not that he could do anything to Ole''Time''s Child anyway, but still!" "He will learn eventually, there is no rush. Think about it from mortal perspective, he has barely been born and learned so much in comparison. What difference does a day or a year make to beings of your and my level?" Elements'' reply made Nidh?gran laugh openly and joyfully : "GAHAHAHAHA! That''s right, that''s right! So much more to live, so much more to learn! He''s nothing like these old bones of mine, and he will surely live enough to bury me. I''m not immortal after all, for the seat of God of the Elements is already taken!" "It''s not too late to take another seat, and you know it. It''s still not too late if you want to glimpse at the worlds above." Elements was serious. He was one of the Three, no one would be more informed about the inner workings of the world he himself had a hand in making. "Heh, what is still available? God of Magic? Being revered as the creator of a decent magical system so beings would stop blowing themselves up while experimenting? I don''t need that fame! The only ones who would be out of the scope are you Ole''Three, who embody the makings of the world itself and don''t depend on magic. Such a wide domain, at the core of every ascension, would only be the last blow to my frail sanity. Good luck doing anything up there then." With a last shake of the head, Nidh?gran put an end to the discussion. "Who knows? Maybe after I walk your path and catch up I will see something else for myself ; but I''m too far gone to change now." ------ The next days of travel were spent in an awkward atmosphere : Thani was morose and uncommunicative, without a trace of her usual energy or smile ; Alice was feeling insignificant compared to everyone and everything she seemed to meet now, and lost her drive ; and Oakbud didn''t know what to do, choosing silence too. The God refusing to meet and talk to him had hit a nerve, and taught him frustration. The newly-learned God-candidate was trying to assess her current state fully, determining what was "hers" and what was "Kali''s". The fact that her eyes hadn''t recovered their pupils and were still blank like before didn''t help, but the rest was pretty obvious. Emotions, Kali''s. Regeneration, hers. Blood magic, hers. Injury manipulation, that would probably develop into a form of healing later, hers. Physical appearance... too much had changed for her already ; losing that on top of the rest would be too much to bear. Luckily, it was back under her control since the Goddess had removed the scars she had, and could choose to change it freely. She needed time and peace to be able to lift her head again. On her side, Alice wasn''t sure what to do anymore. It escalated so quickly. Leaving her sea-side home, coming to Ebb, fighting in the arena and living there for a bit, meeting Thani and Oakbud, the God-Tree''s death and godly affairs, meeting with the fairy, then the crazy dragon. She feared what was to come next, especially considering the beast''s last ominous message about time. Her vivacious violet eyes were muddled, her mind unsure. Was she worthy? Was she strong enough? Would she simply die there? Would she turn back? Could she, now that she was involved? In a bout of self-deprecation, she couldn''t help but think that the only thing her blessing could [break] right now was her own mind... Speaking of which, Oakbud''s was in turmoil too. He had never really worked on his magic outside of regular exercise on control, and bits of experimentation on what he already knew. But now, adding on the frustration of having missed a God to talk to, he had a bunch of heavy responsibilities shoved on him. Up until now, he had been happily living and discovering things, going with the flow and taking no initiative besides looking for Gods. However, Nidh?gran''s arrival had swept all that easy-going mindset away : he had begun understanding he was much more than what he thought he was, a messenger for his dad-tree ; Thani, who was the closest being to him today, was in danger ; and finally, he himself was in danger. Like the dragon had said, he was a whole new life, and this comment alone made him aware of his need to take things seriously and work relentlessly if he wanted to lead the life he wanted (not that he wanted much, only meeting the Gods and see people close to him happy). ------ Step. Step. Step. Step. "Here you are... One more step for me, one more for my revenge! Kakakakaka" From the horizon, Jack''s creepy laugh, agremented by his jaws clacking against each other, was heard. His flaming blue eyes were pointed straight at a walking golem on the ground far away. "O Time, O abusive jailer of mine... See how I am about to win your little game. Remember, I won''t cross your line, but your move is your loss! Kakakaka. Death is nothing compared to beating a God!" Step. Step. Step. Step. 38 Thunder break Oakbud had impersonated one before, but this time, facing him stood the real deal. Undead. Flaming blue eyes, tinged with black at their center, bringing light to the decomposed human skull under the old shredded hood he wore. His garbs, which seemed as old as his death and were as decrepit as the body itself, still had some golden inlays visible despite their terrible state, and gave the wearer some kind of grandeur from times past. He was unmoving, as if asleep, or waiting for something. He had appeared suddenly on their path, simply unveiling himself to their sight where nothing stood before. They hadn''t, and couldn''t see him until they got close, as if he had been here all along. It wasn''t the first time for Thani to meet an undead creature, but what she could feel from this one gave her the creeps. For her, these beings radiated the pain from their death, however gruesome it was ; but this one let her feel nothing. Was it that her blessing had mutated? Probably. But she still couldn''t get the creeping fear out of her mind. Silently, she motionned her hand to tell Alice and Oakbud''s golem to walk around him on the path. Undead were generally not very open, and avoidance was the rule of thumb when it came to them ; unless one had business with the undead in question, it was best to not get in the path of their lingering attachments. Eerily, the path and the skeleton were still right in front of them ; and this, even after multiple tries of avoidance. That was no good. He was the one who had business with them. "Kakakaka... That won''t do, that won''t do at all, simply not enough, not enough... Isn''t time a precious thing, very precious?" The undead nodded his bony head a few times. As the unsettling feeling began giving rise to fear, the group decided to turn back completely, and leave far enough away, before taking a longer way around. However they were interrupted by the undead''s scornful laughter, in front of them. That was no good. Step. Step. Step. Step. "Have we met before? Last week, or was it tomorrow? Tomorrow''s tomorrow? After your death maybe? Was it before the birth? Why not make it... now? KkkakKAKAkakkaka" Step. Step. Step. Step. "An ant, a little girl playing God, and the successor of the God-Tree. It''s time to set the record straight. [Freeze]." His last word unleashed a colossal torrent of magic, and the whole world turned dull. The sky lost its colors, the grass stopped waving, the wind became silent, and life became a statue under Jack''s spell. From a dessicated corpse that was barely standing, the undead became an eternal king, surrounded by a pulsating cloud of magic. "I... Won''t... Let you... Kill... Us... Without a fight!" Thani was surprisingly still moving, and was reaching for her precious blood-forged dagger with firm intention of retaliating. "Oh? You have some divinity in you protecting you from harm? Interesting, Kkakkaka. But what will you do once you have spent it all, all alone? No matter. [I banish you from this Time!]. You''re not quite there yet, little girl. Come back in a few hundred years." Step. Step. With his bony hand, Jack pushed Thani a step back, and made her fall back into a strange engraved mirror behind her. She went through without even a ripple. Passing the threshold somehow freed her from the first spell, and Thani channelled her blood magic at full power, infusing her dagger and boosting her offense to the maximum to break through the banishment.But whatever she did couldn''t even nick the mirror from the other side. She was trapped. To her horror, her dagger''s magical engravings were slowly dimming, as if tens of years were passing in the blink of an eye. The little divinity she possessed protected her from time''s merciless withering, but that still wasn''t enough... Thani could feel it, little by little, her energy was waning, her magical reserves dissipating, her blood wings evaporating. If this went on, she would no doubt die as a decomposed corpse. Understanding that there was nothing she could do, Thani reversed her approach, and did everything she could to prevent the erosion of her magic and life, waiting to be freed. She wasn''t the only one with divinity. Oakbud could help her... right? -- As soon as Jack had started speaking, Oakbud had been gripped by a powerful sense of foreboding. In his eyes, the skeleton''s appearance had completely changed. Before he could respond or do anything, the first spell had already been cast, and his mind was frozen. When he met Kali, he felt curiosity and awe. When he was facing Nature, all he felt was reverence, joy, and sadness. When he was facing the dragon, he experienced frustration. And now that he met that undead, he learned of fear. Dread, horror, terror, aversion, nightmare. Death. He couldn''t move, couldn''t think. Unable to help Thani, unable to even check if Alice was alright. All he saw was Jack, whose eyes had never left him, appearing larger than life itself in front of him. He was surrounded by a swirling ma?lstrom of death, from all the lives that he had wasted and stolen, haunting his already dead body and soul until he breathed his last. Oakbud was created by the God-Tree, and possessed a bit of Nature''s divinity. So much death, so much rancor, so much hatred and pain... That undead was his nemesis. He was shaken profoundly, never imagining it was even possible for such a being to exist. "That''s right, don''t move, don''t speak, don''t think. You have no need for my name, in the same way I don''t need yours... the only thing you need to know, is that I am here to kill you." Step. Step. Step. Step. Jack was now standing in arm''s reach of the little spirit, and he picked it up carefully with his old dessicated hands. His voice was barely a whisper, but it was full of warmth and conviction, like a dying man in a desert finding an oasis. His words infiltrated Oakbud''s mind, agitating a primordial instinct to live in him, to no avail. His life was in the palm of his hand. "Now now. I don''t hate you, I don''t even care about you. I came to see you and not. Am I that scary?" He had won. Won against a God, one of the Three. You could hear the smile he couldn''t show to the world. "..." "Can''t even answer, hmmmm." Jack pondered. "That ends up being less interesting than I thought it would be. Oh well. [Wither]." Oakbud was still unmoving in his palm, petrified by fear, when the skeleton pointed a finger at him. "Hm? [Wither]! [Wither]! Why... why? Why don''t you die? DIE! [Banish]! [Wither]![Consume Time]! Why! Why! WHY!" The undead was frantically casting his most powerful lethal spells, again and again. And again. All to no avail. Against a totally defenseless Oakbud, he could do nothing. His smile was gone, his calm was thrown to the wind, leaving only rage. Clutching his hand, stomping, stabbing, everything went through the little spirit without harm. Time magic did nothing to him. And when he was on the verge of losing his mind, Time took his body over to speak : "Did you think you could harm a creature blessed by me and my two brothers? With our own powers at that? All that extra time really was wasted on your brain it seems... Why even call it a game, if you didn''t even understand how to win to start with? I had told you before, didn''t I? That I would stop you. Just. like. Before." With a wave of the hand, time resumed its course, freeing Alice from its prison. From her point of view, nothing had happened between the spell-cast and its interruption. All she knew was that the skeleton was an ennemy. Looking around, she saw Thani, sitting eyes closed behind a floating mirror. Her hair had begun drying, her hands were trembling. Even with the strength and vitality of her body, Alice could make out wrinkles on her once-perfect face. "Don''t move, little one. No harm will come to you." It was not the same voice as before. What happened? The majesty of the new raspy, timeworn voice prevented her from trying anything. He called her an ant earlier, and an ant she was indeed ; even if she tried, what could she do? With a second wave of his bony hand, Time broke the time mirror holding Thani prisonner, freeing her from the terrible spell. And with a third, its effects on her started to reverse, rewinding her time to before she was ever hit by the spell. Even the divinity she lost was restored. All the while, Jack''s soul was howling with unwillingness, trapped in his own body and condemned to watch everything he worked for disappear to nothingness... For the second time. "I hope you guessed who I am... Until we meet again, little one, if and when you find my next Child!" And upon those final parting words, the trio of Alice, Thani and Oakbud watched silently as the undead''s body started crumbling to dust, quietly swept away by the wind. In his final moments, Jack''s eyes were pure blue, free of the darkness. After a few seconds, nothing was left of that fateful encounter but their memories of it. They never even learned his name. 39 Aftermath With Jack now laid to rest, Time couldn''t stay in the mortal world anymore, and his consciousness was pulled back to his world above, where his two brothers laid as well. They had no body here, and were completey intangible ; only their minds resided here, sustaining on the world they made. He couldn''t help but sigh. Humans were Nature'' and his most prized creation, made towards the end. They were all Time could wish for : rather short, but fulfilling and incredibly diverse life, and most of all intelligence. Rise, stand, fall, all in a continuous circle of life. That Child had been peculiar to say the least ; he was the most interesting he could find at the time, but disappointment was what waited for him in the end. After preventing the fool from wrecking the order he had painstakingly established, Time had given Jack another chance, that he didn''t take. From the moment of his second awakening when the God-Tree died, Time knew that he could only give up on this one. The little hide and seek was nothing more than a pastime for him, hence the interaction and limits he set for it. What jailer, what torturer? That was just joining useful to pleasant. He hadn''t made this world on his own, so why would his powers be able to break it on their own either? It was only expected that the little Oakbud, owning the Three''s divinity, would be fine. Jack would have understood that another school of magic could hurt him in a flash, but emotion had taken over him, and Time wasn''t in the mood to let him loose anymore. It was good enough to have met the little one. Thinking back to the fright the little spirit was given, Time couldn''t help but chuckle, giving rise to a mildly curious thought from his two brothers. He had to burn up Jack''s time, collapsing him completely in the process, to intervene with his own powers and restore the harm he did to Oakbud''s party. Not like that would be the first time he consumed a Child. Who knew what he would have become, how he would have grown, the next time they met? Time would tell. He laughed again at his own joke, and began looking for the next most interesting Child again. Undead? Living? Human? Beast? Elf, like his first? A half-breed perhaps? So much to look at. ------ The undead time mage''s outburst that froze time itself was short, and unnoticeable to the majority. To the ones that could feel it however, old recluses, God-candidates, Saints, it spread unrest. Was this the prelude to another disaster? Unless the Gods told their Children what happened, and gave their approval for them to spread the event, it would only stay known to the few participants. A manifestation of power on that scale, especially related to the vengeful Time, was a death flag for whoever dared to investigate his motives too much. It should have been something interesting, worth visiting at least. In the Ocean''s Guard mountains, close to the top of a peak in the center of the chain, a steep, snow-covered cliff started to tremble, before crumbling... upwards. As the snow fell, it revealed the brownish rock that was sinking back into the mountain. Behind that strange cliff, stood more rock, but paler in color, closer to grey marble. The part that was revealed shifted a bit to the left, then right, before peering straight through another peak to the south-west and to the horizon. After a few minutes, wind howled through the whole mountain chain, the brown rock cliff fell back over the white one, and all movement stopped. The phenomenon was too close for comfort. ------ Pilgrim Woods. Karj was pacing restlessly in front of Kali''s statue in the temple. He looked like he had aged ten years in barely a few day. His eyes boasted huge shadows, his cheeks were drooping slightly, and his eyes were streaked with bulging red sanguine vessels. As he wiped sweat off his forehead, he couldn''t help but feel like he''d gotten some new wrinkles too. The cause of the disastrous state he got in despite his body''s self-healing was the statue ; or, more precisely, what the dragon Nidh?gran had done to it with his spell. No one understood his purpose, but one thing was clear : it was now impossible to sacrifice blood anywhere in the temple. After the "visit", when he tried, he had been slapped and thrown out of the temple. Since then, multiple days had passed, and he had tried everywhere. In the fountain, behind it, before it, on the sides, behind a pillar, at the door even. But it still wouldn''t let him. Still, that meant that other people couldn''t either, and he hadn''t been the only one to get rebuffed, sparing the little dignity he had left. The beast must have had its reasons, but they were unknown to them. Would they need to find Kali''s Child? Probably. How would they do that? No idea. Since the death of the God-Tree, a lot less people came to Pilgrim Woods, and as such they lacked proper communications. But in their mind of habit, how could they worship the Goddess if not with blood, their proof of suffering? ------ The barren plain where the fight took place left its place to bushes and sparse trees as Oakbud, Thani and Alice got closer and closer to the mountain range. From the distance, the town bearing the name of the mountains was almost invisible. The only telltale sign was a few crops being cultivated at the edge of the natural elevation. The residents were not many, and survived on tree farms, fishing, hunting, and excavating. The little plantations they had provided cereals and basic staple food, and the fruit trees brought both food and shade to the houses. Fishing needed time, because the village wasn''t that close to the ocean. The bountiful sea was still the one to bring the most food home despite the dangers there : the coast was a broken cliff, and most could only throw a line and hope for the best ; diving and having a boat were certainly suicidal and reserved to the strongest of all due to the marine beasts habitating the region. Excavating was more straightforward : find a nice place, make yourself a pickaxe or two, then dig. The Ocean''s Guard was rich with rare minerals and jewels, only waiting for the fortunate to bring to the air. It was intricately tied to the hunting part of survival in the forested and snowy peaks. Not everything that lived on them was hostile and dangerous, but whatever failed to kill you once would surely try again. Rabbits, birds, deers, boars, foxes...wolves, blessed beasts, drakes, blessed drakes... and the Granites. The latter weren''t dangerous, and were a sentient race of rock-people, like golems with true life. People had learned the hard way to not provoke them however ; they were the guardians of the mountains, just like the mountains guarded the land. Ocean''s Guard itself was not large, and hosted around a hundred people. The community was solidly welded together, supportive, and well organized. Hunters and fishermen would relinquish part of their catch, while the excavators did the same, all in teams and changing regularly. It made for robust people able to do anything and fight when was necessary. The opportunity to get extraordinary and exotic materials or riches was compensated by the risks of the profession. "Hey!" Such was the lackluster greeting they received on arrival, early in the afternoon. The man who spoke was busy tanning some leather on a rack, and had barely turned his head to look at them before going back to his task. "New blood? Third house on the right, get Harod to introduce you to how things work. Booze offered for first-nighters and first catch. After that if you want it, you brew it!" "Uhhh. Thanks, I guess?" Alice answered, a bit unsure of how to react. All she got from the man was another grunt and a wave of the hand to chase them away. After exchanging a glance, the girls simply followed the man''s direction, not wasting either of their time. Like the man said, they looked for houses, but all that existed were caves dug out from the mountain wall, closed by planks and curtains, and excavated earth mounds hidden between the trees. They could even spot a few treehouses along the way. Still a bit stumped by the rudimentary lifestyle, Thani knocked on the third plank door. "It''s open! Come on in!" Contrary to their expectations, the interior of the troglodyte house was well furnished and even had a chimney duct. The single occupant was a young man with sandy blonde hair and strange matching eyes. He had a rather hero?c visage and well-define features, but the rest of his body didn''t match the first impression he gave. His voice was rather high-pitched for a grown man, and he was wearing dark green robes. He was sitting in front of the fire in his pit, reading a book. Only when he turned around did they realise the robe was bundled and tied at his left shoulder. "Don''t stare so hard, it won''t make it re-grow, you know?" His light chuckle embarrassed the trio who had been staring, but he seemed used to it. "Before you say anything, I''m Harod, welcome to Ocean''s Guard, and I can still defend myself with one arm thank you." Harod snapped his fingers, and with a flash in his eyes embers came from the fire to dance around him, before going back to burning wood. "..." "I really don''t bite. I guess you need a run-down of the place? Since I got injured it''s been my role to coordinate people and the overall effort. Hunting is good and all, but you can''t do it from your home." After recovering from the initial shock, the trio engaged in conversation with Harod happily. Finally meeting another human face after their ordeals felt like a breath of fresh air for a drowning man. When they left Harod''s house at sunset, they had directions to a free grotto, planks to close it, and an invitation to feast that night in honor of their arrival. It was a good occasion to settle down and get to know people more. The next day was free, but they were expected to contribute quickly to the common effort on a task or another. Even Oakbud, usually so passionate about things, was colder now, and didn''t try to rush things to continue travelling. With their bellies and minds full, having a place to call home for the few days or weeks to come was good for reflection. On the second day, Oakbud chose to help on the tree farms with his golem-making ; this left him free to think while the construct did the heavy work. Alice informed Harod on the fourth day that she would join a hunting team and help with reconnaissance. Finally, Thani stayed behind closed doors for a whole week before choosing to go and dig the frost-hardened rock high up the mountain. 40 Oceans Guard 1 Her breath was even, trying to concentrate and not tremble. Her torso was held straight, shoulders pulled back, head cocked to the left and her eyes on her target. Her body weight was sitting strongly on her waistbone and her feet planted to the ground, effectively maintaining the elementary shooting posture. She checked again that her hand holding the bow had the elbow rotated and wouldn''t get in the way of the string when it''s released. The flesh of her arm under her sleeve bore painful reminders, accumulated during the last few days. Finally, she nocked her arrow on the center mark of her string, two fingers right under it, and pulled. The bow itself was as big as herself, a masterpiece of work made for killing huge game, but that didn''t prevent her from pulling it ; the trick was to not pull with the arm, but with the shoulder. The great part was consistency : she knew for sure that once her shoulderblades joined, when she released the string the arrow would fly straight to the target unless she misjudged distance and placed her fingers too high or too low on the string. *thunk* Without a cry, the arrow struck true and the deer she''d been watching fell. As the manacle holding her bow to her left wrist did its job and the weapon swung down freely in a beautiful arc from her still extended arm, the tension in her body, perpendicular to her line of fire, finally relaxed, and the breath she held during the last second was breathed out. "Nice one kid. Next time we''ll try with a live one, huh?" said a gruff voice behind her. The man was, surprisingly, the one that "greeted" them when they arrived. When she joined a band of hunters, she quickly discovered that he was simply always grumpy. Seeing him smile was pretty rare, and mainly reserved for hiw wife and kids. Yet, he was sporting one now when addressing the woman. She had striking violet eyes, blond-ish hair dyed to black and cut to the neck, a reasonably cute face, and a short size and rather petite figure. Equipped for the hunt and forest life, she was wearing solid boots with her loose pants tucked in, and wore a tight chest leather piece. A hood and cloak were draped over her right shoulder, ready for use in case the weather turned bad. "Tembra, could you call me Alice already? It''s been weeks now." This wasn''t the first time that particular exchange took place. She was eager to learn, and he happy to teach, but he also loved teasing the new blood in the camp. In a remarkably short time, he''d managed to plant the basics of archery in her head and had her practice in the evening when he didn''t have use for his bow anymore. As for why? Her previous experiences had definitely triggered a bit of long-term fear in her, and she had decided that in the end, stabbing things was cool and gave a nice rush of adrenaline, but that sticking''em with the pointy end from a safe distance was just as great. "I have a wife and kids, am almost 40, and bring back the biggest game out of everyone in Ocean''s Guard. You''re around 19 or 20 and haven''t even fucked yet. No way I''m calling you something else than kid." While Alice was standing there gobsmacked at the bluntness of the reply, one of the other two hunters, who were preparing the camp for the night, came to her rescue and diverted the topic of conversation : "Stop teasing her and come prepare the deer instead! It''s not going to gut itself!" While Tembra was dragging his feet towards the carcass, Alice removed the bowstring and ended her session. She''d need to make her own bow soon, and luckily she was learning from the best. That man was not following any God, but was still able to hit in-flight birds without any kind of magic augmentation, truly the pinnacle of marsmanship. In that sense, it was good she was forbidden to use hers until she had solid knowledge and practice. Future augmentations would only bring more power to her technique. Tonight was the last day of an expedition, and everyone but her would need to carry their own weight in prey. Her responsibility was roaming the land around them and on the path to make sure they wouldn''t get dropped on by a predator, and thus couldn''t afford to be weighted down. Truly, the period of calm allowed her to find a direction to work towards, and to incorporate what she learned anew into her own style. She was pretty eager to spar again with the people of the village ; not being at the bottom of the barrel anymore felt great, and she had even won a slight reputation. ------ "HAHAHA! AGAIN!!" She rushed straight at the Granite in front of her once more, blood trickling from her mouth, which was distorted into a crooked smile. She had been immersed in battle for hours now, and the insane look in her eyes was not even close to fading, only intensifying as injuries piled up. Even as the sun set, the fight raged on. It had all started when the smell from her lunch had attracted a small pack of wolves. It wasn''t the first time that happened, and she knew it was her fault for grilling meat anyway, but it still annoyed her. Picking up her weapon, she had dispatched the beasts quickly, and resumed her meal. The woman seating quietly on a broken stump was tall, had waist-long straight white hair, and eery empty eyes. Her full figure and painting-like beauty was enough to make Nyx jealous, and her light dress did nothing to hide it. Overall, she didn''t resemble anyone who would be found near the peak of a mountain, amongst sharp rocks and glaciers, and alone at that. The cold did nothing to prevent the smell of blood from spreading, and before she could leave to resume her digging, it managed to attract a drake. It was twice as tall as her, looked incredibly heavy, and boasted formidable defense in the form of thick scales. His offensive capabilities included his sheer weight, maw, claws, tail, and basic earth magic. The first mistake she made was to parry a claw strike to jauge the drake''s strength ; she was sent flying, had dropped her weapon, and received a serious injury at the very start of the fight. She had to spend quite a bit of time dodging closely to give some time to her regeneration to kick in fully, get back to a fighting state and pick her weapon back up. The second mistake was to not use magic straight away, and trying to fight conventionally by targetting weak spots on his natural armor, such as the eyes, belly, and underside of the limbs. The roars of the beast, as time passed, had managed attracted the beast''s mate, putting her in an incredibly deadly situation. A single drake was enough work for a trained platoon of four people already. The third mistake was underestimating the beast''s intelligence. Once his mate was there, the couple of drakes proved their developped intelligence and didn''t attack recklessly, rather working together as a main attacker and support. Earth magic, even at a basic level, when used as support for a fight in the mountains, was definitely a table-turner ; footing wasn''t assured anymore, and rocks popping up to trip you at every step or projectiles were extremely efficient at breakig focus and creating opportunities. At that moment, Thani finally had enough, and burst out with the full extent of her capabilities. The last bout with Time''s Child was an eye-opener for her, and let her grasp the divinity hosted inside of her. Finding the right feeling again, she began circulating it without using it as fuel. During her week of meditation, Thani had discovered multiple uses for it. It could serve as fuel for magic, and allowed for incredible power and scale ; Sorrow''s pass, which cleaved the Jagged Height''s in two on the map, was definitely divine work. Divinity could also boost one''s affinity to magic passively, and be circulated to reinforce physical capabilites in a flashy manner. This last option still led to a backlash afterwards and didn''t help in the way of defense, as mortal bodies weren''t enough to fully support such power. Thani, however, did precisely that. Her insane regeneration and self-healing capabilities let her endure the damage for extended periods of time and fight whole-heartedly. In order to get on even ground, she formed her blood wings and took to the sky ; they were now fully formed, majestic, and were a towering ten-meters span. Luckily, the trees around had long been reduced to shreds by the beasts'' rampage. Her dagger was quickly coated with crystallized blood, doubling its reach and introducing a terrific magic-induced sharpness thanks to the smith Auri''s masterful work. The ability to double up on magic casts with the weapon let her free to manipulate the blood spread all around for general purpose, such as cutting vision, defending, and moving by using it as ropes. Her newfound agility and capability to slash the sturdy scales let her take the upper hand in the fight again. However, it still took her close to four hours to finally bring down the beasts, and left her with multiple broken bones and a severed arm. Despite their looks, the drakes were not slow and had overwhelming vitality. Soon after the fight, tension finally left her battered body, leaving her to recuperate while almost entirely coated in crystallized blood braces and her bountiful chest heaving heavily. She didn''t faint this time, as the pain from over-using dinivity wracked her mind, and she experienced the full brunt of it while her arm reconnecting brought its own share of suffering. Alas, the global devastation the fight had brought to the frozen summit had finally attracted the wrath of a Granite living in the area. The earth was broken, gaping fissures could swallow anything coming too close, trees were but a fleeting souvenir and flying sawdust. Granites were not aggressive, but were keepers of the mountains. And she had thoroughly pissed this one off. Back to the present time, Thani popped her dislocated shoulder back in place, and called her divinity once again to rampage through her veins. The first collision had let her understand that the thing was unbelievably hard. Even with the blood-infused dagger, she could barely leave light nicks in the rocky body of the 10 meters tall Granite. Even worse, said marks were healed instantly, and even though it understood human speech it wasn''t open to dialogue in its fury. The Granite''s shape was pretty human like, with two arms, two legs, and an upright posture. The main differences were the variable size, from a pebble to the mountain-like one Thani was facing, and the head located in front of the torso rather than atop it. Liquid gems flowed in its carved eyes, and its mouth only served for intimidation and fighting purposes ; "feeding" consisted in aggregating more and more rocks to form their body through time and magic. Rock dust flew from each of its movement, blinding Thani enough to get a square hit on her for the third time with its enormous fist. She had met her worst match this time, and would have died multiple times over if not for her regeneration. In the end, too exhausted to continue, she had no choice but to take a risky decision, leave her loot behind and flee through the darkness, followed by the unwilling roar of the Granite. 41 Oceans Guard 2 "Hey, Ole''Scrooge, you felt it too, right?" Back inside his lair atop the highest peak of the Third continent, Nidh?gran sighed. "I''m on the path now. Now that you''ve helped me stabilize the bit of Void I understand so I don''t finally snap and die, I think I know what''s next for me. God of Magic doesn''t fit me ; but I think a God of Knowledge wouldn''t be too bad. I''m almost as old as the World you made here, and if it''s that domain I can patch up my memories too." Just like when he woke up months ago to follow Oakubd''s trail, he was curled into a ball, his mighty head supported by the tip of his tail. His short period of being awake had felt like a hundred years at once this time. The dragon''s furnace-red eyes shut for a moment, waiting for an answer from the God inside of him. But nothing came. He knew it had to come from himself, without any help. "I''m going to sleep now. I don''t know if I''ll wake up this time... If I do, I won''t be far from ascending. If I don''t, you be sure to tell Little Droplet''s Child I missed her, okay?" "..." The dragon''s voice was as resounding as ever, able to crush rock by itself and start avalanches nearby. "I''m tired of this... ''life''. Since the day I''ve integrated with Fire, I have not been myself. You can let go of my broken mind now. The last stretch is mine alone to make." "..." It was also trembling with emotion. Desire, regret... Fear. He was monologuing his innermost thoughts for the God of Elements to hear. Even he was not immune to the fear of death in front of his grand gamble. "I''m not sure if this is goodbye or farewell, but... I don''t remember ever saying this to you : " The last words were left unsaid, as Nidh?gran''s breath pacified and he fell asleep. [Thank you] ------ "The Witch is back!" The murmur was spreading around the campfires. One had to say, Thani''s arrival wasn''t exactly discreet, flying straight into the clearing with the last of her strength. She fell flat on her stomach, blood wings melting into a puddle of blood that left a long trail due to the momentum of the crash. Luckily, she didn''t lose consciousness, and was able to reply to Harod when he came to check the commotion. After he dispersed the more rowdy ones who had begun the night with a bottle glued to their lips, the circumstances could finally be explained. Shock, awe and fear were the most common reactions to her story. She had survived all that? She was even able to get up after barely an hour, and managed to return to her house supported by Harod, dagger in hand and swearing all the way. Like she herself said while coughing, Thani was lucky she hadn''t gone too far and had a visual on the town from the moutain flank she was on. Frenzied discussions bubbled up as soon as the two''s figures disappeared. "Why''d you call her ''Witch''?" "Yeah, what happened while we were out?" "You told us there were new arrivals three weeks ago, but I haven''t met them yet either. Tell us!" Some people were interested in the story. Some had already met Thani and simply didn''t care. Some had been under her ''care'' and shivered a bit from the memories. Some stood up to follow the leaving Thani. Under the pressure, the man who now had a dozen other people listening started his little legend with a smile plastered to his face : "T''was a week after Thani and Alice came here. The little girl went hunting with Tembra, and the other stayed home. Because we knew nothing about them, nobody went to bother her either. Until a few idiots tried to flirt a bit too much with her when she got out and joined everyone around the fire again. Not surprising you haven''t heard of it since you were out at the time too." At that moment, Harod came back into the circle of warm light emitted by the bonfires. "She''s got it really tough on her first outing. Let''s talk more when she''s better, we''ll see if there''s anything worth preparing a sortie to get back." However the narrator interrupted him before he could even pick his skewer up again : "Don''t sit down and get some healers ready instead, some guys followed you when you helped Thani back." "For fuck''s sake, not again." He was livid. That skewer was a rare fish that was brought back by the fishermen now listening to the story, and he really wanted to enjoy it in peace. Absolutely delicious, but hard to come by since fishing expeditions took the most time ; just walking to the sea took a few days already. "How many?" "Three. Want to bet on the results?" "Yeah right. OY EVERYONE! I NEED A TIME HEALER WHO''S NOT SHITFACED WITH BOOZE AND ONE SUPPORT! NOW!" "Story''s finished guys, you can just follow and see your happy ever after in person. That''s better than listening to me." With this, he dismissed the little circle of people and got back to his own meat and bottle. Luckily, Harod''s authority was no joke and he was quickly obeyed. He and the two healers left again quickly. -- "My luck''s been fucking terrible lately, Bud'', I swear. It''s like everything is against me. The more I think about it, the more miserable it gets. I mean come on, a dragon, the Child of Time, and now this? Does it just keep on escalating until I die?" Thani was lying eyes closed on her makeshift bed, and relying on Oakbud, who was with her, to wipe off the blood and grime off her wrecked body. She had pushed herself too far this time, and would need a whole two or three days to recuperate properly. Compared to her usual rate of healing, that was indeed long. "Even in the temple back in Pilgrim Woods it wasn''t great, you know? Just... staying there, praying, cutting myself and offering blood to Kali. Listening to sad, scared and crazy people confessing whatever was on their mind for comfort. Disgusting lechers speaking behind my back thinking I couldn''t hear them or feel their intent. Only the kids were alright." With a pained groan, she turned on her side then on her belly, avoiding as much as possible to put weight on the arm that was severed. "Only times to get a breath of fresh air were small trips to Ebb, only to get locked up in the temple there with the old hypocrites. In the end I''m 34, but I''m really still a 20 years old girl like the day I was made to stay under Kali''s statue. Haha." "Me''s not against Thani Fairy!" Oakbud protested while changing to a different piece of fabric for the third time. As he worked, he washed off the barely holding on blood braces and replaced them with ones he freshly grew from wood and vines himself. "Alice is not against you! Harod is a good man!" "Yeah, I guess... Thanks, Bud''. It feels good to know I''m not alone anymore." As the little spirit finished his cleanup operation, he felt three people outside. He would have frowned if he could. He had spoken to Harod, and they should have been left alone ; the man knew Oakbud was special, and could take care of Thani himself. Oakbud threw a cover over Thani, and went to the door instead of curling himself at her side to spend the night watching over her. "See? It continues. I can feel the pigs from here too. Blessing mutated, I can''t feel everything anymore, only strong negative emotions like pain, rage or lust, but not fear. Break their fucking arms and legs, Bud''. I''ll get them myself later." Sweat dripping from her forehead in concentration, she created twelve shivs to give to Oakbud. His pair of glowing white eyes radiated anger. His mindset had changed for good. From ''learning'', he was now eager to ''grow stronger'' and ''protect''. He''d grown to understand more about people during the three weeks here, and he flared again when he remembered what Thani had told him on their way to Ebb. [Just look! Learn from me, see that everyone isn''t as good as you''ve seen. Not even me.] And just like that, it wasn''t time for him to be good anymore either. It was a very immature approach, but it was still progress. Before they could get any closer, Oakbud knocked the three men out with a soul scream. They never understood what hit them, and didn''t wake up when the dirt track met their faces. Pulsing with magical power, twelve vines grabbed a blood shiv each. -- The three who followed Harod from the start evidently wanted to abuse Thani and bet on her not remembering afterwards due to her fatigue and injuries. Ocean''s Guard counted many more men than women, so the arrival of two "free" women was a welcome sight for everyone. Food, equipment, security ; such were the bottom lines of the town''s management. Unless one wanted to become a pariah known in the whole place and suffer the retribution, consent was obviously required. Living in a difficult frontier didn''t mean they were crazy or savages. But crime was a part of everyday life everywhere, and this time the line was crossed. It wasn''t the first time this type of things happened, and it surely wouldn''t be the last down the line either. "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" Shrill screams reverberated in the moutain. Harod and the two healers broke into a run, despite the risk of tripping in the dark. "We''re too late, hurry up!" They finally arrived in front of Alice and Thani''s house, only to find the three nailed to the ground face up by blood knives, one in each limb exactly at the same spot. Silence had come back after the initial cries, probably passing out from the pain. Everyone''s blood ran cold. Restraining their fear, Harod and the healers got to work and began healing the three, before carrying them back with some spectators'' help. Turning back, Harod could see Oakbud''s glowing eyes peeking from under the door, and he gave him a nod ; thank you for not killing them, was the message conveyed. In return they had only provided first aid for them to remember the lesson ; they would still be immobilized for weeks. Everyone got back to the bonfires with conflicting emotions, only to meet the man who had started telling them what happened before. He was smiling. "Told you, the Witch is back. You don''t piss off Kali''s worshippers and get out easy. The pushy ones were beaten down, but ****? Tsk tsk tsk. Just wait for her to recover and see, I myself don''t think it''s the end of it." 42 Oceans Guard 3 "Anyone tries anything like that again, I swear they won''t see the sun. If there''s ever a second time like this for me or Alice, you can look forward to a God-Candidate''s rampage, and Granites and beast tides will be the last of your problems." Harod could only keep his strained smile on the chair he was sitting on. Thani was easy to get along with, but very hard to deal with at the same time. Her eyes, void of pupils, were cold. She was truly angered this time. It had taken him all he had to stop her from making a public show of executing the culprits. Even with her lasting wounds, she was adamant about getting her personal revenge, and since the would-be assaulters were in worse shape than her, he finally managed to calm her down by promising a few things. "Now, about the fight I got in. It''s only been two days; I doubt anything up there went and ate the two drake carcasses already. And because the Granite was huge too, no wild beast would dare come close for a bit. If you hope to get anything out of an expedition, you''ll need to start right now." Thani was sitting on her bed facing him, elbows on her knees and hands under her chin. She was still not in fighting shape when it came to beasts but kicking a few people down would be alright as long as she didn''t need to call upon her divinity. Her hard gaze was riveted to Harod''s eyes, waiting for a convincing answer following the arrangement they just concluded. "Best we can send right now is a small team of seven, barely enough to bring back the most valuable parts. Normally, since they''re your kills, you''d get 50% because you need help bringing it all back. Right now you can''t help recover the loot so you''d get less, but because of the incident we''ll still keep the 50%, adding first pick on the materials collected. If you want to make anything with what you collect though, that''s on you." The poker face in front of him finally cracked, her mouth curling up a bit, and Harod let out a sigh of relief. Things wouldn''t go back to what they were before, but at least the tension was broken for good this time. "You know, it''s fun meeting a second person named Harod. The first was a Time mage in Ebb, not very good in the arena though. Seeing you here weaving fire delicately is a nice change. That and you being open-hearted in the discussion." Harod immediately took the opportunity to change the current heavy atmosphere: "Speaking of fire, it''s going to be time to eat soon, why don''t we go to the bonfires place now?" Thinking for a second, Thani nodded and got up. There were no traces of injury on her anymore, only exhaustion. She still made a point of bringing her dagger sheathed to her hip, though, before following the chief outside and closing the door behind her. Right beside the fire pits, stood the sparring circle. When they arrived, it was being used by Oakbud and another hunter. While still messy, his barrage of elemental magic had still gained form over time, as he left the state of reaction to true action and prediction. At least, he was able to manipulate both water and earth at the same time now, but that was all; combining elemental magic with his own original abilities like the soul shock and ordering one or more golem at the same time was out of reach for now. Facing him stood Facta, a senior hunter, proud owner of three Blessings from the God of Warriors Theomars. He was strong, fast, and had some degree of resistance to magic, overall a good counter to Oakbud''s abilities. His bulging muscles above the waist were exposed to the midday sun, and currently working on dismantling the latest rock wall set up by his little opponent. Over the last few days, he had sparred with the little spirit regularly, and come to know that his magical reserves were pretty much infinite. Against a control-type foe, he thought his physical prowess would allow him to outlast Oakbud, but that wasn''t the case, and so he fought using a more direct approach now. The vines entwined around his ankles were pulled out easily as he took a step forward. Fighting him was like fighting a beast, who relied on his overbearing natural endowments. However, he also had a high level of intelligence and decision making. "Gotcha again!" Facta had used Oakbud''s spells against him, ignoring the minor spells and using the bigger earthen materializations as footholds to get closer. The variations the little spirit was able to pull off thanks to Nature''s teachings were threatening, but still not enough; his vines were not strong enough, his rock not solid enough, his water not weaved sufficiently. Facta''s bare hand picked his opponent off the ground before he could defend himself, putting an end to the round. "Your coordination''s getting better, but your spells are lacking power and timing. Basic elemental magic is only good as a support I''m afraid. Your magic can''t catch me, your golems can''t either, or your shock, although good, prevents you from doing anything at the same time so it''s a bit niche. Still, you''re learning fast! At this speed, in a week I''m going to need to bring a weapon." "Facta''s too strong! You''re a bully!" Oakbud was voicing his disagreement, but on a playful tone. He understood that being forced down like this would make him progress faster. "Me try one more time!" -- After lunch, Thani picked Oakbud up and returned home. Her recovery had forced her to stay still, and thus she had a bit more time and calm to think about things. Her latest discovery was relevant to her, Oakbud, and concerned divinity. "I think you''ll be able to make your own body." After dropping the bomb, Thani began her explanations in earnest, as Oakbud listened religiously. "Do you remember the dragon and his shapeshifting? I think I''ve found how we can do that too. Look:" As she spoke, she showed her index and middle fingers to Oakbud, and stuck them together. Under his incredulous eyes, they began to fuse together, until only one larger finger was left. "See that?" Focusing once more, she returned her hand to its normal five-fingered state. "Fuaaah. It''s a weird feeling, and it also hurts. The whole point being, what is shapeshifting in the first place? It''s remodelling your own body. With what? That''s the good question. When someone breaks his hips badly for example, it might heal in a crooked way and cripple the person. That''s where learning to shapeshift comes in handy. With it, you''d be able to remodel yourself to your ''healed'' state." The coldness held in her eyes when she was speaking with Harod was nowhere to be found, replaced by excitement. Shapeshifting, mastering one''s own body¡­ that was definitely a pre-requisite to ascension, and a big step on its path. "But it''s not free, far from it. First, you need a good image of what you want, and unbreakable focus. Imagine changing, getting distracted, and maybe killing yourself by accident in the process¡­ I''m honestly terrified by that, that''s why I only tried it with my fingers: even if I fail, I can just cut them apart again forcefully. Second, you need divinity: it''s what allows you to create the shape safely, and to protect the integrity of the body''s functionality in the process. Third, is the materials; for my fingers, it was the fingers themselves, opening the side, sticking them together, and stitching the muscle and vessels and skin together again. But what if you could bring an outside source for it? That''s why, you may be able to make a body for yourself. I think it also relates to your current state: if I''m not wrong, you''re already doing it subconsciously. You''re able to possess dead bodies, and are invulnerable to physical hits; isn''t that simply because you''re just a soul and divinity shapeshifting itself? However, having one of your own will bring drawbacks with it, mainly being able to get hurt since it will [be] you, or having to sustain it with energy like we humans do by eating. The possession, despite relying on finding the right body and being unable to heal it, only brings advantages in comparison. And fourth¡­ tolerance to pain, and magic capacity. Just morphing two of my fingers was already extremely painful and took a huge effort. I can''t imagine what Nidh?gran went through to change himself from a dragon to a pixie, then back to a dragon¡­ He''s a monster amongst monsters." Thani and Oakbud looked in each other''s eyes for a moment, insisting on the importance of what was just discussed. This opened a whole lot of doors to progress further on the path of magic and life in general. If she knew how they worked, Thani could even give herself gills and go breathe underwater following this principle. Oakbud could create a body of his own, and maybe even new life one day thanks to the divinity of the Three he owned. But all that would still need plenty of time, research, and experimentation. "Thani Fairy''s so smart!" -- Later that night, Alice''s group came back surrounded by cheers. Tembra''s expeditions always brought back plenty of game, and this one was no exception. Leaving Oakbud to his magical ruminations since he didn''t need to eat or sleep, Thani brought Alice out to the fire pits, and sat close to Harod before exchanging stories of what happened while they weren''t together. "Oh, Tembra said it''s time for you to get your own bow? That''s good, we''ll pick some nice bones and tendons from the drakes to make one. Let''s also get some leather, scales and claws to make some armor. We have plenty of time for that, none of three really want to go back running around right now." One her side, Alice''s face was alternating between green and white. What the hell happened here while she was gone? What if it was her then? Seeing this, Thani stopped talking and got up, giving Harod a meaningful look. By now, everyone knew what transpired two nights before, and her action made her the center of attention. Just what she wanted at the moment. "I think everyone''s up to speed about what happened two days ago. I only have one thing to say regarding that." Her voice was neutral, and she took time to slowly gaze at everyone around the fires. "There will be no next time. That is, kill without mercy. And for anyone thinking himself smart, that stands for Alice with me too. You want to fuck me? Come fight me and we''ll see if you''re worthy." After her little discourse, she sat back down and picked up a bottle of alcohol, chugging a few mouthfuls at once. Most people didn''t know Oakbud was with them so the worst would never come to pass anyway, but she might as well spare him the effort. The attention shifted from her to Harod at her side. He simply nodded his head, giving his approval. The sour mood was soon lifted as people got back to their plates and glasses, and no one took Thani up on her offer either. Alice was thoughtful, wondering how shameless and exuberant her companion was to speak such bold statements in front of so many people. She almost spit what she was eating when she heard her get close to Harod over the general noisy rabble and tease him. "Looks like Fabrice number two", she thought. "Poor guy, she''s got her sights on him now". "When I said you were open-hearted, I really meant it. You don''t have the same gaze some others do; I can feel it. I''m tired¡­ Truly tired, and I need some distraction right now. Sleep with me tonight? Or does lacking a left arm make you feel inadequate?" 43 Oceans Guard 4 "Hmmmmm! That hit the spot! Do you think I could just grab a nice man, fight him and bring him home, or would that make too much of a mess?" Thani was stretching lazily in Harod''s bed, feeling fresh and full of energy again. Today marked the third day after her injury, and the lasting damage caused by the divinity in her was finally healed. She had been so used to getting back in shape almost instantly lately and having nothing to do for a couple of days was boring her to death. Another benefit to her regeneration was the absence of any kind of hangover; getting drunk in itself had almost become impossible with the last boost to her prowess. In comparison, Harod was using his only arm to shield his eyes from the morning sun seeping through cracks in his door, head still heavy from trying to match Thani with the bottle. At least, he wasn''t part of the drake scavenging expedition and could sleep in for a bit. His throat was a bit sore from the night''s partying, and his voice was lower than usual as a result, closer to ''normal'' than his usual high pitch. "Please don''t¡­ What happened flipped enough shit already. No need for another outcry, especially with that kind of thing." "Well, it''s not like they wouldn''t want to, if I can believe my own blessings." "That''s not the point, is it?" Finally awake enough, he was taking in the sight of her dressing back up, then turning around with puffed up cheeks and a hand on her hip. "But I''m bored!", answered her annoyed voice. It looked like his headache would stay for longer than anticipated. Now that Alice was back, the trio could spend the day together while they waited for the expedition to do its job. Thani hoped that they could find some of her stuff in the process, she was especially fond of a mechanical lighter she had found while shopping in Ebb. But since worrying wouldn''t change the result, she decided to help Alice come up with plans for her bow, and maybe replace her basic steel daggers with drake bones too. Their share of loot would be enough to outfit a whole gang, not mentioning two people. Oakbud was happy that everyone was back and had taken his favourite spot back on top of Thani''s head, watching the proceedings. Training magic all day, even if he had no notion of fatigue, was monotonous; taking a rest and using that time to learn something new wasn''t a loss either. He himself didn''t need any kind of protection or weapons as he was. The main topic was the bow: making it from scratch required time, especially the treating of materials. The bones had to be laminated and soaked in a special alchemical concoction to bring it the necessary suppleness, otherwise it would break as soon as tension was put on the string. The string itself was tricky too, as it was planned to use tendons from the beasts to weave multiple ones with different strength. The handle would be made from magical alloy and be the central piece to hold the arms of the bow, also featuring a slot for a magical core if they met another master smith in the future to engrave it. Alice wanted it to be small as well to conserve her usual agile fighting style, but still packing a good punch for long distance shots. For that matter, they went looking for the grumpy Tembra, who was busy enjoying time with his family after the hunt. Bringing a bottle helped with his mood, and talking about archery in general had his eyes shine with interest. Under his careful guidance, Thani, Alice, and Oakbud learned of a delicate pulley system that would allow the shortening of the bow''s arms while keeping the power intact. However, it would be harder to pull and wouldn''t allow for the same shooting posture that she''d learned. In the eyes of the user though, it was a worthy trade-off. Thani''s dagger was a masterpiece and a good source of inspiration. Making Alice''s out of drake bones would require finding the right master smith though, as the material was still a bit brittle and unsuited for that kind of weapon. It would have to be put on hold for now; keeping at least some of her equipment familiar would facilitate the transition. Finally, the topic of armour came up. The stuff they had brought from Ebb was basic leather, enough for most situations already, but since all sorts of extraordinary things kept happening around Oakbud, an upgrade would be of help without a doubt. Thani would get enough hide, scales and other materials to make two full suits with some to spare, so they could afford to be a bit extravagant. They could just trade the surplus for the crafting fees of everything they planned and more. Alice chose an average and common design for hers, but Thani didn''t share her mind. Since she got bored the last few days, she wanted to customize hers a bit. The best part of her agreement with Harod was getting first pick for half the materials brought back : that would allow het to splurge and pick as many claws as she wanted for accessories (she really wanted a necklace), and even take all four horns to strap to create weaponized gauntlets. Hitting people with bare fists felt great to her but doing it with class was on another level of satisfaction. Luckily, Thani''s camp was in line of sight with Ocean''s Guard, even if its distance and height separated it, and the expedition made it back a bit after sundown when everyone was around the bonfires. The seven hunters had a good haul and managed to bring back a whole bag of teeth and claws, all horns, and heavy rolls of scaled hide. The hardest part had been the long march; only some more courageous scavenging beasts had come, and those only touched the meat, so there had been no conflict of interest. When they worked on the first drake, the beasts ate from the second, then they swapped. This way both sides were doing what they came for and cohabitating almost peacefully. After the whole day of thinking and arranging meetings with the better learned craftsmen here, the choice was quickly made, and the actual manual labour left for the following days. The whole village was grinning after such a good haul, any previous problems and conflicts forgotten. ------ "I really am the wrong generation of Child, aren''t I?" She sighed, contemplating her blue-purple webbed palm. She let herself be lulled by the deep currents around her, looking towards the light peering through the surface of the sea. "I''m sorry to ask this of you, Ashirijen. But it''s time, and I''m not sure how long I can go on with the split in beliefs that was initiated if it''s not spread to the world." "I guess the death of the Goddess of Suffering would be a big deal indeed¡­ But why do I have to go up there?" She was lamenting herself, torn between her adoration for Kali and her hate of land-dwellers. "They''re humans, damnit. Isn''t there another way so I can stay down there? I''m a Nereid! They hunt us on sight for our horns, fangs and scales! Is it impossible to send Merfolk instead?" "Isn''t that a good reason for you to be my Child in the first place?" Ashirijen stood 2.5 meters tall, covered only by her dark blue skin, purple scales and floating black hair, and had no answer for that last remark. Her hands and feet were webbed and ended up in very short, pointy claws. She also had foldable fins on her back, legs and forearms to help her underwater navigation. Completing her arsenal, her mouth sported fangs and a poison sac in addition to her very long tongue, and two thin horns sprouted from her forehead; from a young age, she had directed their growth to be straight so she could use them as both an ornament and a weapon, and even tried her hand at carving light decorative patterns on them with her claws. "I mean, while he was at it, why didn''t the God who made my race give us more human features? It''s like he just picked a few parts of fish and sea serpents to give us on top, not even speaking of Merfolk who are just half and half. Sure, the face is the same if you remove the horns, but what kind of human has gills under her boobs and no nipples? What was the God thinking? Nereids lay eggs, and we don''t breastfeed. What was the point of giving us two lumps of flesh there?" "We''ve gone over this already. To human standards, you''d be a great beauty, you know. Thogoss probably wanted to create resemblance to help with diplomacy. Please try and don''t start a fight as soon as you go to the surface. Putting on a friendly front alone would prevent most incidents, if not all." Kali was fond of this Child; despite her more reclusive personality and racial status, she was strong and steady. Even though Ashirijen was complaining, being a predator to be feared in the eyes of others, Kali knew that she wouldn''t shirk her duties. "A beauty for perverts maybe. I don''t own clothes, remember? Where do I get those if not from a ship?" She started fiddling with her favourite spear made of precious magic-infused coral and sea-beast''s teeth. Her race needed her being a Child, and that meant going the extra mile for her Goddess; Kali was right, she chose her for a reason and wouldn''t have picked someone completely unrelated to what values she incarnated. Her leisurely life was coming to an end, and her purple snake-eyes reflected her determination from behind her double eyelid. It was time for her to show mortals the true path of Kali. 44 Granite hunt 1 The following week, while the new equipment was being made by commissioned artisans, none of Alice, Thani and Oakbud left Ocean''s Guard. The latter two were absorbed in research on shapeshifting, while Liezel''s follower was training to fight with a short bow. The precision of her shots let much room for improvement, but her reflexive shooting still got a passing grade from Tembra at a five meters distance. It should let her defend reasonably in close quarters, enough to get her daggers out. Long distance shooting on the other end, was more complicated: the short bow replica she was handed by her grumpy instructor, like he told her before, didn''t allow for the basic shooting pose to be used. As such, the usual marks weren''t there to guarantee good aim and consistency. It couldn''t be pulled all the way until her shoulder blades touched, locking the head towards the target didn''t matter as much, and the other ones for hand position around her face were also less reliable. All in all, it was much more flexible in its use than a longbow thanks to its short size, but it also meant re-learning a good part of what she''d already acquire as technique. Basic teaching could only get her so far, and because she was making a personal weapon, she was the one who would create the handling techniques going with it too. Still, she would not rush to add magic into her shots, following Tembra''s advice to get a solid foundation first. Coming back to the house after an exhausting day of practice, she almost didn''t recognise Thani when she opened the door. Some success had been achieved with the transformation techniques, and Thani had pulled the poor little spirit into pranking Alice. She was a head shorter than usual, a chest twice its usual size, but most of all¡­ her eyes were entirely black, and her mouth was sewn shut in a picture of terror. "Boo!" The cheeks expanded in a hum like a frog''s belly, scaring Alice who had asked for nothing, standing there petrified with wide eyes in the doorframe. Half a beat later, she was weapon in hand and two steps back. "WHAT IN LIEZEL''S NAME IS THAT!" Thani dodged the thrown dagger by hiding behind the door, and Oakbud was the one to come forward to explain things and calm Alice down. After more and more practice, the pain of transformation wasn''t as excruciating anymore, so Thani had been adventurous enough to change her body on a larger scale. "Thani Fairy put the height she lost around her chest! Then gave colour to her eyes! Then did like with her fingers but on the face too! Me can''t change me yet, but me can make better golems!" While Thani was changing back and laughing at Alice''s reaction, Oakbud got busy making a demonstration of his new golem-making technique. First, he extended one of his wriggly arms to Alice, and used a pulse of magic and divinity to ''scan'' her. Then, with that knowledge, he used divinity as a mould to speed-compress magic power and form an earth elemental core and began aggregating materials from the earth. In a matter of minutes, a perfect copy of Alice''s body was standing in front of its original. "If me touches things, me can use divine magic to make it again! Golems move better like this too!" As incredible as that sounded and as practical as it was, the original model had a frown on her face. "Why does it have to be naked, though?" Pranks aside, that wasn''t all they learned. After slight losses and accidental consumption of divinity on their part, their mastery over its use had skyrocketed. If it didn''t leave their body or lose their touch, it could be compared to manipulating heavy and gelatinous water. The simple idea of putting the sensation into words let them exchange impressions easier and progress faster with its handling. Thani was in better shape than ever (after recovering her usual appearance of course), and Oakbud had learned the basics of fire magic from Harod. Earth magic was like using hands to sculpt clay, water magic could be described as siphoning power, and fire had its own aspect, friction. He had to excite his magic power, fold it upon itself and rub it together to create heat until he could ignite something; the something in question could be a combustible material or simply more magic. Also, since divinity had to be manipulated separately from magic, it made it easier for Oakbud to multitask; he had the idea of using dust explosions by combining his earth and fire magic. The drawback was him being unable to set them off elsewhere than around him because oh his divinity''s short reach. He had effectively turned himself into an invulnerable suicide bomber in close quarters. His enhanced golem creation also used both water and earth magic to make nicer shapes and bring a bit of flexibility to the results. -- "Now that your bow is ready, it''s time to hunt. Let''s take the Granite that picked me off down!" Thani was humming as she donned her new armour. This one even had a helmet! The slick scales over the leather were scraped a bit ant tinted black so it wouldn''t shine off too much light, same as Alice''s, but that''s where the similarities stopped. The latter had true, full-cover custom-fit pieces from head to toe, with almost no wiggle room. If not for her demeanour, she could be confused for a man quite easily while wearing it. Thani, because of her blood magic and generally more provocative character, boasted a bit less protection. The focus of her own armour was her joints: knees, ankles, elbows, wrists, shoulders, hips. She preferred the rest to be more open, because she''d need to spill blood in order to fully exploit her main attack power. Her self-healing could cover almost any wound extremely quickly but getting injured on a critical spot for mobility would be more troubling; in the end, the underside of her arms was uncovered from palm to armpit, as was a spot on the interior of the thighs. Those were the points that would allow her both easy access and good location for her spells (The blood wings could be grown from the neck or arms, as getting injured on the back was a delicate affair). And contrary to Alice, her own enchanting figure left no doubt about her gender. To top everything off, she had managed to make herself a teeth necklace for style, and had indeed strapped horn tips to her gauntlets. "Do you even know where it went, or where to strike to kill it? I''m betting no." Alice was quick to put cold water on her brilliant mood. "Also, doesn''t your chest piece hurt? It really looks awfully tight¡­" "Oh, that? No problem, I just bulked up my arms a bit with boob thanks to shapeshifting, hehe. It''s as comfortable as I want it to be, and even gives a bit of edge in strength. Still hurts to do though, but I''m used to pain worse than that; it''s more like getting cramps than being cut up or breaking something." "Me knows how to kill a Granite! Me asked Facta during training. Me need to find the part where lifegem flows and break it. Thani fairy said it had red eyes, that is lifegem flowing!" Both girls turned towards the little spirit, feeling surprised. When did he get so proactive? But he wasn''t done yet: "Me knows Thani fairy hates losing, so me asked. Harod said Thani is a bit thick-headed too." "¡­ He what?" Alice was already holding her sides laughing, making it too awkward for Thani to show too much anger. After all, he was right. She hated losing, hated being forced to do things, and had a pronounced distaste for shady characters and anything too close to vegetables. The years she spent cooped up in the temple in Pilgrim Woods did nothing to help those sides of her, instead having her face them every day to hold up her image. The worst was, despite Alice being sarcastic and a bit paranoid, Thani felt she was positive and meant well through her blessing; that''s just how she was and lashing at her for that would leave a bitter aftertaste. "Okay¡­ We''ll have a talk when we get back. Shouldn''t be more than a two-day trip up there. I really need something to bash to vent a bit now. Everything''s ready?" "Houhou¡­ Ready." Alice was still red-faced from the laughter and was quickly followed by Oakbud''s enthusiastic response: "Me''s ready too!" "Let''s go first light tomorrow then." 45 Granite hunt 2 "Why''d you bring your short bow, Alice? I thought you couldn''t shoot well enough with it for now?" The group was reviewing their packs a last time before departure, making sure they didn''t lack anything, be it food, drink, camping gear, and a change of clothes. The point was to make a short trip up the mountain to hunt the Granite that crushed Thani single-handedly, so Alice bringing a weapon she wasn''t familiar with was not the wisest choice. "Even if I''m not good with it, I still need to get familiar with its weight and global handling. It''s not like you have to stab and kill something every time you grab your dagger either, right?" Alice shrugged, and placed it on her back. It was about half her size at 80 cm, letting her carry it easily without dismounting the arms of the bow. She had nocked one end of the string, and the other one was left free for now; the bow was brand new, but even for regular use in the future leaving a bowstring taut was bad practice and would damage it in the long run. "And I still have these two darlings right here if need be. Aren''t you the front liner though? I shouldn''t need to draw them." "Uh, you clearly overestimate my ability to care when I fight¡­ The more blood the better for me, remember?" Oakbud was watching the two girls bickering with interest while they were donning their protective gear, which was the last step before setting out. They managed to go at sunrise before the whole town got up for breakfast; since the little spirit didn''t need sleep, he made for a very efficient alarm clock and night watch. The sky was only half-lit still, providing diffuse light to climb the mountain path. By the time they reached Thani''s previous camp, it was early afternoon and they were starving. They hoped to make it before lunch time, but they found themselves surrounded by a pack of wolves halfway and had spent much time fending the beasts off. Luckily, the leader of the pack was a blessed beast and had some measure of intelligence; the assault was that much harder to defend from because the pack was able to implement tactics, but also much shorter once the leader found they were not good preys and brought the rest back after a long howl. During the fight, Thani acted as the main target, not caring for what came at her and gleefully punching the wolves in return with her brand-new weaponized gloves. The drake horns had been filed short and cleverly sewn onto the top part of the gauntlets, peeking 4 centimetres from the seam in-between the scales. It was enough to make two painful puncture wounds with each punch, and she even managed to kill a wolf outright when a full-force punch landed directly on its head. She didn''t have the occasion to use blood magic because she took no injury, but a bit of divinity to reinforce her body did wonders to send the beast tide flying. Alice had stringed her bow as soon as she noticed they had been marked as prey and took a few shots before putting it down. The melee got too chaotic, and she needed both hands to navigate the terrain agilely. She adopted guerrilla tactics, confusing the wolves by going in and out of sight with the trees around and shadow magic. Her trusty steel daggers got their share of kills too before the retreat was sounded. Oakbud acted as a support with his earth, nature, water and fire magic, funnelling the pack of wolf and blocking its path alternatively so Thani and Alice wouldn''t be overwhelmed by the onslaught. The greatest advantage brought by the variety of his attacks was the ability to keep the blessed wolf in the back surprised and suspicious. Walls, vines, fireballs were made in rapid succession to break the formation of wolves. Nothing much was left of the camp, not even a trace of fire pit because even that was trampled during the Granite''s rampage. Broken trees were sprawled everywhere, and the two drake''s carcasses were still there, albeit different from before: after the week, the meat was stripped completely clean, and even the bones had been chewed on. There was even a worrying mark of a giant maw taking a bite of the skeleton directly, with bones broken and teeth mark left on what was left intact. They concluded it had to be either from a blessed beast, or maybe even the furious Granite to vent after Thani fled. Being made from rocks didn''t mean their mouth was useless. "Damn, you really fought two of these alone? I imagined them a lot smaller." Said Alice while poking a body with a dagger. "Hard as rock too. How in Liezel''s name did you manage to even hurt them?" "Used divinity at full throttle with my little pretty here." The cat was out of the bag since a long time ago, so Alice was one of the very few people Thani didn''t mind telling, even making a show of kissing her dagger. "It helps a lot with attack but not at all for defence. If I had the armour we''re wearing now at the time, I wouldn''t have ended up in such a bad state. The injuries were mostly internal and caused by the divinity itself rather than the hits I took; I actually healed a good part of those during my flight back." "So, what''s the plan now? How do we find the Granite, and even more important how do we fight it? You said yourself you were unable to hurt it." Alice raised the biggest question she held about this operation. How do you hunt something you can''t kill? "Oh, that''s not my part anymore. As much as I hate the idea of being unable to do it myself, the one to fight the Granite will be Oakbud. Right, little guy?" "Me''s strong now! Help Thani fairy, fight the Granite!" Alice raised a brow while watching the other two''s antics, him on her head and her trying to have him come down so he could get to work. "So? It still doesn''t answer the question. How?" "C''mon Buddy, get down and do your thing or she won''t stop bugging us." With a last tug on her hair, the little spirit relented and jumped to the ground, preparing to use magic. It had been a while since he last used his ability to commune with the surrounding nature, so he got surprised at how easier it was for him now. The speed, range, and clarity of information he got back from the plant life was so much higher! At least three times! He had the impression he could see and hear across the whole mountain, and it gave him an incredible sensation. Joy, power, but also comfort and a sense of peace; he was born from the God-Tree, after all. In this condition, it was extremely easy for him to follow the traces of destruction and heavy steps left by the Granite. He was done in a few minutes and informed the girls that they could meet it before the sun began to set if they walked a bit quicker. "Let''s get moving!" Thani was grinning at the news, happy that her revenge could come sooner than later. "Please¡­ tell me already: how?" Alice had abandoned the struggle and was just moaning now. It''s like the other two purposely teamed up to make a fool of her. Even when Oakbud was searching, Thani kept changing subjects as soon as she brought it up again, frustrating her to no end. But as fate willed it, she could finally get her answer. "Remember last night when Oakbud made a golem-clone of you? We''re going to try and do the same with the Granite to fight it on equal grounds. I say equal grounds, but Buddy can cast magic on top of that since a good core will make it semi-autonomous, so he''ll have a huge advantage in the end." "And how will Oakbud get close? I remember he had to touch me directly to make that creepy mannequin." "Me''s golem isn''t creepy! Golems are good!" "Yes, it is, don''t go making such realistic and moving statues of naked people." Alice still had a hard time accepting the event. Seeing a perfect copy of oneself, able to move independently at that, was really disturbing; especially when Oakbud only copied the body and not the accessory¡­ such as clothes. "Isn''t it creepy just because it''s you, though?" "You!" Thani''s little jab was the drop breaking the dam, and the laughing culprit started running on the path Oakbud indicated, pursued by Alice who wanted nothing more than make her ass eat her shoes. The little spirit was following quietly, still not understanding the intricacies of humour and human feelings. -- Thani and Alice were currently hidden close to the Granite''s place, a beautiful meadow in the forest. This part of the mountain was a bit cliffy, and this place was the plateau on top of one. The open area let the sun through, projecting the foliage''s shadow on its borders and illuminating a small pond closer to the upwards slope. At the centre laid the Granite, curled on itself; it was probably sleeping. Oakbud was sent in reconnaissance, because he was a spirit; he was unlikely to be viewed with hostility by the old Granite, who had seen his fair share of humans and learned from experience. In fact, what were its eyes with its flowing lifegem peeking through opened as soon as the little spirit stepped in the clearing, making a few pebbles fall from its head with the movement. The debris, animated by magic, rolled back on the ground and along its legs and torso before making it back to their original spot. The bet paid off, and the creature was curiously friendly: it took the initiative to shade Oakbud with one hand and lowered his other palm to the ground so he could climb up. Oakbud was confused. The bloodthirsty, rampaging beast described by Thani was nowhere to be found. He could feel its good intentions and care towards him. What was this? Did he really have to fight it? Why? But¡­ He''d been with Thani for so long now. She was in the right, wasn''t she? Thani fairy was beautiful, smart and gentle with him; she wouldn''t do bad things, right? Feeling conflicted, he initiated his pulse of divinity to scan the Granite from its lowered palm, and an identical golem started to rise up at the edge of the clearing. 46 Granite hunt 3 Granites only had basic consciousness and didn''t have particularly clever thoughts; most of their life was learning what was good and what was bad for them. They would start as pebbles with a drop of lifegem, cut off voluntarily by an older Granite. After that, they would roll around farther until they found a "good spot" and were far enough from other Granites. Finally, they would make their lifegem flow inside them and toward the outside, agglomerating more soil and rocks to grow and refine into more lifegem to circulate. As protectors of the mountains, they were territorial creatures, and only the older ones would have a true mind of their own to learn by other means than instinct. Elder granites, that could easily be mistaken for whole cliffs, were often able to speak and use magic too. The one Oakbud copied could be considered a regular adult member of the species, old enough to get to a big enough size and meet humans, beasts, spirits and the like through its life; not old enough however, to have awoken a true consciousness. When it saw Oakbud, the Granite knew that this one was "good" instinctively, so he was friendly to the little spirit. To be fair, when it came crashing after Thani and the drakes'' fight, he would have killed whichever was left for breaking the mountain. With no concept of self, the Granite took the golem for another looking for a fight over the territory and his forest meadow. The golem core was made exquisitely, even imitating the red-ish tone of the lifegem behind the holes serving as eye-sockets. Emitting a growl from source unknown, the Granite stood up completely and bulked its arms in a threat display. Seeing no reaction from its opponent, he put Oakbud down as delicately as it could before taking heavy steps forward; the golem finally started moving in response, obeying the hesitating Oakbud''s commands. The two magical constructs threw themselves at each other without restraint, shaking the earth in a brutal clash. The fight looked like and sounded like an avalanche, rock grating against rock and shrapnel flying everywhere; the Granite''s innate magic was demonstrated beautifully, very similar to how Thani healed. Each piece of rock that fell from it, like the pebbles when it opened its "eyes", were rolling back towards his legs and reattaching themselves to the body. Oakbud''s golem was a copy of the Granite, but that didn''t mean it could copy magic too; the construct only had its own strength and Oakbud''s instructions to fight with. Punch for punch, ram for ram, throw for throw. The upwards avalanche of debris was seemingly endless, the two creatures being relatively on par with each other. The meadow had lost its beauty, with most of its trees broken, and even the pond a bit farther was being filled with soil and gravel thrown over. Oakbud had to give his all repairing his creation as time passed, because it couldn''t sustain by itself. He knew help wouldn''t come, as Alice and Thani were unable to harm the creature. The worst was that the stalemate couldn''t be broken with time either. Oakbud''s magic reserves were seemingly endless, and the Granite was only benefitting from its own inborn capacities without fatigue. Thinking that the sun was beginning to come down and that the girls wouldn''t want to spend the night without a camp, the little spirit finally decided to step up himself to reinforce his golem. After another clash that finished levelling a part of the clearing, he made the golem take a step back, enough time for him to join it and start harassing the Granite with his magic. The aim was to give a strong enough blow to the "head" where lifegem flowed, thing he had been unable to do until now. A powerful roar, full of bloodlust, echoed across the mountain flank, sending every creature that hadn''t fled the vicinity yet scrambling in fear. Alice had shivers run down her spine, and Thani frowned; she understood completely what happened before: the Granite was enraged when she fought it, but it hadn''t been serious either. The step back was taken as a sign of victory, and the beast was releasing all his pent-up frustration before going in for the finishing blow, eyes billowing magical radiance. Left to itself for a second, the golem wasn''t fast enough to parry the unstoppable blow; the core inside of it was rattled, and an arm began to melt. If Oakbud imitated the Granite perfectly and put the core in the head, it would have been destroyed right then. Luckily, it was only an imitation of lifegem at this place, and the true core was right in the centre of the trunk. The Granite prepared to smash open the golem''s head for good, ready for the rush of plundering the lifegem of one of its brethren, only to be stopped by plants twining around its lifted arm. Then, the Granite locked eyes with Oakbud on the fallen golem''s shoulder and froze for a second. It was enough for the golem to stand back up and for more vines to bind its body. Now wasn''t the time to think too much though, and now the golem was the one with an advantage over its slowed down foe. It seemed like the creature had slowed, but not only because of the vines. It wasn''t as aggressive either, even taking a step back sometimes. Disturbed by Oakbud''s magic, the Granite''s punches couldn''t match the golem''s anymore. However, it had started dodging and deviating some of the hits to compensate, buying more time. But in the end, this new fighting style wasn''t enough to even the odds again, and the Granite ended up pinned down under the golem''s equally massive body after another body slam. When the golem smashed the Granite''s head for the last time, Oakbud crossed its gaze again and felt its last emotions; pain, and sadness. It seemed that somewhere during the fight, it had attained a higher measure of consciousness. The Granite had fallen apart, now only a pile of ordinary rocks dropped on the ground; lifegem was leaking between the ones that made up its head, losing its deep red lustre a bit more each second. "That was incredible¡­ I''m glad I didn''t insist on fighting that monster. Armour or not, I''d have ended up as meat paste, and there''s no way I can heal from that." Thani and Alice had come closer as the fight continued, because the beast''s attention was fully riveted onto its rival. They managed to observe the majority of the fight, and the conclusion was not a happy one for Thani : being a God-candidate and possessing divinity was definitely not a free-pass in life, and countless beings were still stronger than that; some, just by virtue of their natural endowments. Alice was just watching with awe, perfectly aware that taking the fight as anything else but a show would result in her dying in one blow. -- There was a saying in Ocean''s Guard, that was seemingly there from its inception. No one knew who brought it, no one knew who continued it; people simply used it to warn themselves and others of Granites. It was simple, barely a few words. The mountain has eyes. People who knew the habits of Granite would know what that meant, but those who tried to learn had all died the same death, crushed to paste. Sometimes, when wandering the mountains, you could meet plenty of little Granites, or some adolescent ones, and more sparsely adult ones. Elder Granites were excessively strong and not to be approached by humans. This territorial dynamic was what created "empty zones" on the peaks. But towards the middle of the mountain range, one of the peaks had his own special name: Peak of Repose. A massive gust of wind came from the ocean and flayed the mountainous coast, infiltrating the land between the high peaks, before flowing back and dragging ice shards on the way. The tall cliff of Rest trembled, and ice and rock fell from it again. The previous avalanche had left no trace, the very same rocks having come back into place. The rocky wall, brownish and time-worn, receded up and into the higher wall of the mountain. This time however, the same happened roughly a kilometre on the side, exposing another surface, more polished and almost white. Underneath the layer of pale rock, if one looked closely, they could see thin red lines and rivulets of flowing magic. The Eyes of the Mountain weren''t only a saying. It was a Granite. That was the reason no other lived on or came close to the Peak of Repose. The very Granite who felt Jack''s time stopping spell was able to recognise the three little troublemakers who killed one of his descendants this time. For anything else, he wouldn''t have lifted a pebble, but those three were embroiled in divine affairs. Choosing to act or not could change the future. The mountain-sized Granite finally made up its mind: he had been silent for too long, and as the Ancestor of his race it was time to act. He would teach them a lesson; one they would have no choice but to accept. 47 Granite hunt 4 As the last of the Granite''s lifegem flowed to the ground, it had almost become black, like lava cooling down. [My child is dead.] Crushing pressure manifested around the corpse, Oakbud, Alice, and Thani. Facing Jack, they had learned what "being an ant" was already, but the feeling was different. In front of the undead, they had been frozen in time, something that could be considered an attack spell and could thus be resisted through magic power all the same. This pressure was different: a whole mountain was bearing down on their body and mind, making their legs weak and spirit on the brink of collapsing. It was raw strength and weight, that nothing could bar from its path. [You killed him.] The voice was heard in their mind only. If the Granite truly moved to speak, unimaginable damage would be dealt to nature around it. [I am Repose, the Ancestor of Granites.] It spoke slowly but with no voice, each word imprinting itself into their mind. It was a very weird feeling, as if information popped into their head and forced their thoughts to focus on it. [You killed my child, who only lived quietly in his meadow, for pointless revenge.] [You, little spirit, don''t know your worth. You are blessed by the Three, a tiny piece of the world that houses us, while we were born under the watch of the Elements of Earth, Fire and Water.] [You, the World, rejected my descendant.] They were unable to move, unable to think, only taking in what Repose said through their mind; in the jaw of the beast that the mountain range itself had become. Oakbud was faring the best out of the three and began to remember the look in the Granite''s eyes. The pain and sadness it seemed to feel were in fact betrayal; in its eyes, the world that gave it life was rejecting it. Its fighting style hadn''t changed; it was only fighting half-heartedly, succumbing to despair. The granite-golem was chosen over him by what was the world in its eyes. [Now learn the consequences of your thoughtless intervention.] The dried-up lifegem close to them was brought back to life under Repose''s ministrations, flowing anew and shining like red-hot iron. [Just like you killed my innocent child, I will punish an innocent too, a lesson for you all to learn of causality cycles and future tolerance.] The lifegem had condensed to a fist-sized ball of burning lava and was now floating towards Alice. Her eyes were wide with terror, but no voice could escape her lips. Thani and Oakbud were just as powerless, only able to carve the scene into their eyes without a sound. The ball of lifegem entered her mouth, and the world turned dark in the fading light of the day. "Not that I could do anything before either", she thought. After all that happened, she thought she had finally found her path. That she had become stronger. And yet, it all came crashing down once again. She could see the fear and regret in Thani''s eyes, feel Oakbud''s anguish. But she couldn''t share the sentiment; all she felt was a tug in her heart, whispering the same question over and over. Then it all turned black. "Why me?" she asked in the dark world. [Why not?], it answered. "I did nothing!" [My child didn''t either.] "Will you kill me?" [I have learned tolerance before humans came to be.] "Then why? Why do you wish to hurt me?" [Do I?] "Don''t you?" [I don''t.] "What will you do to me then?" [Nothing.] "Then why go through all this setup, if it is for nothing?" [Is it truly for nothing?] "Will you hurt Thani and Oakbud?" [Only themselves can do that now.] "Why? How?" [Fear of loss, pardon, and remembrance. For the future.] "Where is this?" [Don''t you know?] "I don''t." [Wake up.] And Alice woke up. She coughed once; the lifegem that entered her was spit back out accompanied by blood. The glowing liquid had continued to shrink, barely the size of a nail now. She didn''t know what happened, but seemingly no time had passed at all, according to the falling night sky. All she knew was that she was fine. The pressure was still there, clamping on their body and almost freezing their thoughts. Under their eyes, the globe of lifegem drank Alice''s spilt blood before coming back towards her, slithering in the trampled grass. It wound loosely around her neck, leaving behind a thin necklace with a lump of crystal-clear red gem hanging from it. [The cycle is broken, and a new one emerges. Will you repeat it, or choose otherwise?] Suddenly, the necklace contracted inwards and phased through Alice''s skin painlessly, leaving only the gem protruding a bit from in-between her collarbones. [A token, to remember this encounter by. One day it will birth a new Granite, following your experiences. What will it become; I wonder? The choice¡­ is yours.] -- "Let''s leave. I think we got food for thought to mull over while we walk back to the camp." After the pressure disappeared, releasing them from its embrace, no one was hurt. However, the air had become awkward between everyone; Alice was the one to break the silence, once again being the voice of reason. They each had a very different experience during the encounter, depending on their own thoughts and maturity. Alice''s had been the most straightforward, speaking directly to the Ancestor of Granites. She still had trouble sorting everything out, but from what she understood, Repose didn''t have bad intentions and truly wanted to teach them a lesson in life. Oakbud represented so much in his eyes, did he maybe hope for something? He hadn''t even addressed Thani, the main perpetrator of the hunt. Also, there was this lifegem stuck to her now; it was a bit weird to feel it there, but it wasn''t uncomfortable. She wondered what the parting words of the Granite meant. How would what she experienced be able to change the birth of the Granite? By the time they made it back to the forest camp, she had decided to worry about it later and simply observe if anything happened to it instead. On her side, Thani was exceptionally quiet, not even trying to poke fun at Alice on the way back. Alice had told her and Oakbud her conversation with Repose and combined with what he had said before, was building a larger picture of the situation, seeing the opposite side of the story. It was true, the Granite was only living quietly, and because it did his part as a protector, he had been hunted in revenge. But at the same time, Repose also admitted that cycle was somewhat natural, since he spoke of it being broken and renewed; he forgave them, halting it momentarily, enough to give it a new direction. To her, the message was clear as day: [You are too wilful for someone in your position, think before you act.]. He was right. She had been letting everything out since she''d left Pilgrim Woods but hadn''t really reigned in her exuberance either since she had realized her status as a God-candidate. If becoming a God was a personal path, in the end it still couldn''t be done without the recognition of the people. What image would she project, what would she give others to believe in? Oakbud was more troubled than ever. When the Child of Time had attacked him with the intention to kill and destroy, he had been dismayed. When he met the Granite and saw it being friendly, he doubted. When he gave it the coup de grace, he wavered. [We''re not as good as you think, not even me!], Thani said. Now it seemed that he was no different. Repose''s intervention had sown a seed in him, a seed of doubt to grow his mind. He didn''t know enough to always make his own decision, and he was learning constantly. Travelling with Thani, a God-candidate, Alice, a regular follower of Liezel, and encountering Gods, Children and old Undyings had all given him plenty of new knowledge; but it was too much at once. He received one thing, only to need another the following day, not leaving enough time to consolidate everything and forge his own character and opinions. What would have happened if he did not hesitate, and had made his own decision on the matter? Could he have stood up to Thani and told her: "This is wrong"? Or would he come to the same conclusion as her and want payback for his friend? He hadn''t questioned anything until it was too late. There was also the problem of [what he was] roaming among his thoughts. At first, he was nothing, a simple mass of instinct until he ate the leaf of the Stalwart Oak. Then, he had received a name, Oakbud; the new growth of the Oak. Then, he found companions he could call friends, and learned more about the world, magic, and what his self-attributed mission meant. By this time, his mind had grown tremendously already, enough to think back on past experiences. And then, he met Nidh?gran, and shortly after the Child of Time, whose name he didn''t even know. He finally had to face adversity straight-on, and extract wisdom from the fateful encounter. During his stay in Ocean''s Guard, he finally had time to reflect upon himself and try new things. He was attached to his companions, and they had taken a growing spot in his little heart of mind. And finally, this day, he stood before the facts: he had learnt, but not truly grown. His priorities needed a change. Look for the Gods? Yes, of course; he wouldn''t let that goal fade away. The problem was how. He had only been following behind people he asked for help. It wasn''t bad, because they knew more than him; but could he not do more? Continue learning, ask, listen, decide, learn more, reconsider. "Thani fairy and Alice sleep good. Me will watch the forest for you." Maybe he had done something bad today. It wasn''t good at least; but he had done worse before, killing people during the trip to Ebb and crippling three others just a week earlier. He also had done good, helping people close to him, the fairy on the lake, or even Ocean''s Guard residents. The problem was the conflicting elements between the both. Everything was clicking together, forming a true incentive to act for himself. And the first act towards that, was telling this to the girls before they told him they would go to bed and asked him if he would keep watch for them like always. 48 Rising tide The sun rose slowly over the snowy peaks, quietly illuminating the camp in the morning to wake up its occupants. The night had been calm, thanks to the traces of battle that were still left all around, and as a result Oakbud didn''t have to chase away anything or anyone. After the exhausting previous day, getting a full night of sleep in a mountain camp was a luxury for sure, but a welcome one. No words were exchanged until they finished eating breakfast, as Thani and Alice were both still thinking about it all. From the corner of her eye, the former could see Alice rub the spot where the lifegem had been embedded in her torso, making her sigh from guilt. Oakbud was the same, worried and apologetic; it was showing in his demeanour, perched on Alice''s head and patting it regularly instead of his usual spot. "I''m sorry¡­ does it hurt or something? I was too impulsive and shouldn''t have dragged you into this." As headstrong as she was, Thani knew it was her responsibility in the end, and couldn''t keep it in anymore when Alice lifted her hand to her neck once again. "I''m fine", She answered. "It''s a bit uncomfortable, that''s all. It really doesn''t seem to do anything either, besides maybe giving it a rub each time I''ll be worried about something." Her loose black hair was hiding her violet eyes as she packed her stuff up for the return trip. This flustered Thani, as she had lost the major part of her blessing of emotion sensing; she was able to feel strong negative emotions but couldn''t read a troubled mood anymore. "Sigh. I''m not angry at you or anything." She continued, startling her companion. "It was meant to happen the instant we decided to come back up here." "What does Alice fairy mean?" The two others were curious now; what had made it so easy for Alice to accept the outcome? "Think for a bit. Repose is the Ancestor of Granites, an old undying like the dragon we met before. He can probably see everything that''s going on in the whole mountain range, be it us, Ocean''s Guard, or even maybe the plains and ocean around it. How else could he know the context of our actions, and seek to teach us a lesson in return?" "That''s¡­" "Repose is the Granite''s Dad-mountain! Strong!" "Actually, I''m pretty sure he''s listening to us right now and watching the effects of yesterday''s stunt. Even if I hadn''t followed you both, do you really think he would have been unable to pull me there with you as an example? If I wasn''t there at all, who would have it been? That''s why I''m saying it was inevitable. I think he acted up because of you two, a God-candidate and Oakbud the seed of the God-Tree." Alice stood up. In a flash, she had finished folding the tent, cleaning up the food, tying her hair and donning her armour and weapons back on, ignoring Thani and the little spirit''s plea. "Come on, let''s go. We''re going to miss lunch if we wait more before going." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Why does it look like someone half my age is wiser than me? Haaaah¡­ To be honest, it would be easier for me to accept it you were angry¡­ Elder Repose, if you''re truly listening to us¡­ I''m sorry." "Me will learn more and think more too!" Oakbud followed Thani''s initiative before jumping down from his perch and beginning to fold the second tent. Far and high in the mountains, another powerful gust of wind ran through the frozen peaks before flying back to the ocean; perhaps a bit warmer, this time. ------ The fresh air stung her eyes, and Ashirijen closed her interior eyelid down again. It had been too long since her last trip to the surface, and she felt like she had forgotten many things about it. Squinting her eyes, she looked at the coast a few kilometres away, trying to estimate how much time she''d need to get there. Not that she was a slow swimmer, far from it; but distance was a tricky subject at sea without any instruments to help measure it. Looked like a few hours of effort, maybe more or less depending on the currents she''d encounter. At least her spear was at her back, leaving both her webbed hands free to encroach on the water and propel her forward. She was the Child of Kali, the one that the distorted general belief wouldn''t stain; as such, she bore none of the traits that were usually found on her followers, especially the white hair and empty pupils. She''d been swimming for a few days now and wishing for mastery over water magic all the while so the trip would be faster. Alas, she would be forever unable to mix paths between elemental magic and Kali. Still, it was just senseless grumbling. She was the Goddess of the Self''s Child; unchangeable, immovable, strong, resilient. Her own perfect body and mind to take on the world around her. The key to it all was the bearer''s will, able to recover from any negative event, stand back up and continue to tread forward. When the will is strong, she is unstoppable. [It must end], was the mortal Kali''s will when she stood facing Nidh?gran; and he stopped, his own will pulled by hers out of his madness. It was different from how Eludia and Monte''s fate alteration work. If, for example, a rock was rolling down a slope, and she stood on its path : in Eludia''s case, maybe the rock would bounce over her head, or hit some terrain that would deviate its trajectory so she would stay unharmed; or accelerate it further, for all she knew. Monte would have acted directly, punching the boulder or maybe digging a trench to redirect the danger, and the imposition of his will would have made it work. Kali, however, would have simply stood there, and let the boulder ram into her; she would have stood immovable, stopping the rock dead on its tracks, before gently pushing it away to continue walking. And so, she swam tirelessly towards her goal, enlivened when she could finally spot a fishing town to aim for. She had found a big boat on the way before, however, remembering her race and nakedness she didn''t try to board it. Its occupants would probably have attacked her before she could say anything, and the annoyance wasn''t worth the clothes or the longer time to reach land. She had no clothes, no money, no map; only her spear and Kali at her back. It was a good time to think about how she would contact the land-dwellers. First, she''d need to land a bit further from town and cover herself up a bit so they wouldn''t just take her for a feral and mindless beast. Then, beat them down anyway to assert dominance, so they would listen to what she has to say, that is: a map, and some traveling equipment she couldn''t pay for. The sea was so much better, honestly¡­ dive down, catch a fish or two to eat, dive some more and find yourself a little cave or entwine yourself in algae to sleep without drifting, and repeat. Sighing, she reached the shore in the middle of the afternoon. "Fuck. Now I remember why land is such a hassle." She watched in disgust as the parts of her blue skin not covered by her purple scales began covering themselves in a sticky and slippery mucus. "Even if I find clothes, they''ll just get even less comfortable or ruined like this. And all the dust, damnit. Fucking sand, fucking leaves, fucking dirt! Everything''s sticking to me now! Aaaaaaaaah!" Ashirijen started venting her frustration by hitting some random trees around the beach she swam to, only to have more leaves fall and stick to her. But the offenders didn''t get away scot-free either, as she left multiple trunks felled and full of spear marks with her massive strength. "Ugh, so much for the approachable appearance. Whatever." After deciding against brushing off all the leaves, and leaving some around the waist and torso, she began her trek towards the coastal village through the clear woods. Once she got in sighting distance, she finally met her first human in a long time. Both relieved and annoyed, she spoke what came to her mind: "Damn you''re small. That''s why the sea''s way better." Surprised at being hollered at by the towering nereid he hadn''t seen or heard come from the woods behind him, the poor man prepared to scream, only to be silenced instantly by a sticky palm grabbing his throat. He was coming back quietly from picking seashells to eat for the night, and definitely didn''t expect this kind of rucksack-harvest-breaking kind of encounter. "Scream and you''re dead; I''m not in the mood for nonsense. Oi, look at me, I''m not scary, right? Look, I''ve got eyes, a nose, a mouth, a head, arms, legs. Not scary, right? Nod if I don''t need to bloody my hand right now." Seeing the sharps fangs, horns, towering build and claws of the being in front of him, the man begged to differ, but still chose to nod weakly in order to save his life. Being called small was a first for his 1.84m, however he had more pressing matters to pertain to. "Okay, first, believe me or not I''m not here to fight. Might look contradictory, but if I didn''t catch you, I''d probably be knee deep in a vigilantes patrol by now." She released the man, thinking that she wouldn''t get problems from him now that this was said. What she didn''t expect, was the common-looking, short brown-haired man, to blankly stare at her for a few seconds. "¡­beautiful voice¡­" She caught the weak whisper, reminding her of another thing that made relations between her race and humans difficult: just like mermaids, nereids boasted a beautiful magic-laced voice that could mesmerize others easily if they weren''t careful. "Well, shit." Seemed like he nodded under her own suggestion and not because he agreed to not scream in panic, after all. With the human under her influence, she had all the time she wanted to come up with a solution. Shortly after, she carefully modulated her voice so the charm wouldn''t happen again, even though it felt very uncomfortable for her. Then, Ashirijen used the same trick as her Goddess facing Nidh?gran, and imposed her self on the man''s mind through her eyes to wake him up. Good thing she''d caught him again before that, because he really wanted to scream this time. After a few more rounds of back-and-forth explanations and one-sided negotiations, it was decided that the man would leave his day''s catch here while he''d go to the village and get someone a bit more responsible to come see her. She sat down against a tree under the shade, watching the human''s receding back, before grabbing a handful of shells and popping them open to eat with a sigh. "Humans. What a pain." 49 High tide By the time someone strong enough to resist her voice came back to check on her, Ashirijen was surrounded by discarded shells, still lazing around and breaking even more of them open. If the man had been any later, he probably wouldn''t have had anything left to eat that night. If anything, her nonchalant appearance only worried the newcomer more: either she had a way to know he had come alone as convened, or she was strong enough to not care how many people he could bring. Locking eyes with her for a moment and seeing her smirk, he knew it was the latter. Another shell disappeared in her stomach. While the two were watching each other, the ''casualty man'' was picking the leftover shells back up quickly to bring back; he knew the nereid was waiting for him to leave before speaking. Still befuddled by the whole encounter, he left barely a minute after coming. He was a follower of Deva, twice blessed; that afforded him an important position in the fishing town, the ability to cure sickness and injuries being highly sought after. He wasn''t the strongest or the highest authority, but he was the one with the best shot at resisting her voice. The man was approximately 40 years old, with short greying hair cut short and well shaved. He wore tough boots, a simple temple robe with Deva''s emblem on it, and a heavier jacket over it to defend against the salty wind of the coast. He was assessing the monster in front of him, estimating that he''d barely measure up to her lower ribs if she were standing right now. In any case, he didn''t want to speak up first; in fact, stepping back a few more metres to get out of that oppressive air around her would be a blessing on its own. "So? Are you a mute, or what? Did you even forget your name or something?" His train of thought was interrupted by the nereid. Well, that wasn''t a good start, he thought; she sounded annoyed already. At least, his blessing protected him against the charm. "My name is Mandale." She looked at him with interest, and her smirk widened into something that resembled a smile more. "Not charmed! Great! Now we can talk, human!" She clapped her hands once in victory before continuing: "So, what did the other guy tell you?" "Just that you don''t want to fight, and want us to provide you with some¡­ help?" "Hah, you got that right; I''m not here to ask." Yes, definitely not someone they should be making angry. They only had three people with blessings in the village, him, the non-combatant, included. "Okay, now listen well, because I don''t want to repeat myself. First, I need a place to crash for the night. Second, info on where in Liezel''s name we are on this Gods-loved land. And third, some basic stuff like clothes and a bit of change to get me going. All clear?" "That doesn''t seem excessive¡­ But I''m not sure what we could find to dress you with, honestly. We don''t have anything that would fit your size. As for lodging, I think Old Jacques won''t mind someone in his home too much; he spends all his time cooped up in his library and lab anyway¡­" "So? Is that a yes, or do I need to begin hitting people?" Her toothy grin was unsettling; it looked like she''d be happy with both outcomes. "Just kidding. Let''s move, little human." Ashirijen finally stood up, towering over the scared Mandale in front of her with all her height. "Don''t look at me like that, it''s not like I''ll eat your kids or something. Leave that to the Sea-grippers below. Hah!" The way to the village was a real road and the leaves stuck to Ashirijen''s feet started to drop little by little, only to be replaced by dirt and dust adhering to her mucus. It wasn''t comfortable, but shoes would stupidly fill with her secretions in record time and that would be even worse. She would need to find something tight enough to cut air contact but still able to serve as shoes later; the same went for the body parts that she shouldn''t expose in human society to avoid creating more outrage. The little walk let her some time to converse with Kali a bit, as she felt her watching while Ashirijen made the first contact. "Didn''t you say you''d make an effort to be amicable? What kind of image do you want me to have?" "Eh, no worries. They don''t know I''m your Child and they''re already scared shitless of me; don''t need any more than that to get what I need here. Wouldn''t they fall dead from shock if I told them? Would they even believe me? And, I don''t like them anyway." It was still the middle of the afternoon, so most of the population was busy left and right, without time to care about or even look at the nereid. That was good though; there was no guarantee she wouldn''t lash out if people kept pestering her before she got settled in. They only had to walk past a few houses before arriving at their destination: the house-library-laboratory of Old Jacques. It was thrice the size of an ordinary house, but Ashirijen still had to hunch her back to stay inside because it didn''t apply to ceiling height. "Do you seriously want me to stay in this puny doll house?" She said with a frown. She''d already poked the roof with her horns multiple times and couldn''t find a comfortable position to stand in; kneeling was absolutely out of the question. "I''m sorry, but that''s already the tallest building there is here. The only other option would be to sleep outside. I''ll try to make this quick; if anyone can solve your clothes problem that''ll be him." Mandale wasn''t happy either, fearing her wrath, but they had to come in and meet the old weirdo. He wasn''t actively participating in the village life, but he was very knowledgeable and had his ways to solve problems all around. "Hmph. Might as well jump back in the water to sleep indeed. Nothing beats the night waves for a good nap." "Jacques ! It''s Mandale, I need your help!" He shouted. The house was really big and looking for him would only be a waste of time. For a time, nothing happened so he hollered again; he hoped the old man hadn''t gone outside picking stuff now. ¡­"~~~~oming!" Finally, a muffled voice was heard behind a door on their left and revealed the man people called Old Jacques. The simplest word to describe him was decrepit. He probably wasn''t that old yet, maybe 55, but everything about him screamed "messy". His white hair was dirty and cut haphazardly, probably cut by himself roughly with a knife, his robes were dusty and stained, and his old wrinkled face had the characteristic pockmarks from a lack of sleep. "Yes, Yes. What did you bring this time? Someone stuck some fishing hook in his arm again, is that it? Hmm? So, where''s the idiot? Did you leave him outside for the bloodstains? Great, I haven''t got all day. Show me the way, hop hop!" From the moment he entered the room, the little old man hadn''t stopped walking and continued harping at Mandale with his weak voice. Not even looking towards the door to the outside where Ashirijen stood, he went straight for a cupboard and started rummaging in it furiously. "Tweezers¡­ knife¡­ linens¡­ I knew I left the distilled alcohol somewhere, where is it¡­" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. As perplexed as she was by the show, Ashirijen was getting tired of getting nothing done. "You''re an interesting little human, I''ll give you that. But you''re here for me." The charming power of her voice be damned, at least he would look at her. And he did. "Hmmm? What are you? Wait don''t tell me, I know! Horns¡­ fangs¡­ don''t look at me all surprised like that, will you? Sharp claws, webbed hands, blue skin, scales and fins on the limbs¡­ you''re a nereid! What''s a sea nymph doing here on land? I''m busy enough dealing with humans, so make it quick. Thank you Mandale, you can go now." Ashirijen was too stunned to answer and didn''t even notice the one who accompanied her there leaving. How did that little man resist her voice? She couldn''t feel a shred of magic from him, he was¡­ disappointingly mortal. "Well? Maw-angler got your tongue? Spit it out already." It only left one possibility¡­ "You''re a Child ?!" She couldn''t believe it. "Hmm? Are you deranged? Does an old man like me look that divine to you?" He stood arms crossed, his right foot tapping the ground ceaselessly from impatience. "But you''ve got no magic! And you''re resisting the charm of my voice!" "Oh? Oh? You''re right! I forgot about that." Jacques began pacing around, never stopping for a moment. "Eh, whatever. So, what are you here for, for the third time now!" He was looking at her again, standing facing her unfazed; but even though he stopped walking, his hands were now fiddling with the tweezers he picked up earlier. "¡­Which God could tolerate a Child like you, or even choose you in the first place¡­" She had lost any notion of bullying the human before her, now taking him seriously. She was sure of it now; that little man was not ordinary at all. But she didn''t know what to say either, her original purpose forgotten; Kali was silent too, even though the Goddess probably had recognised his status and God long before she did. "Don''t know, don''t care. If it''s true, maybe that''s why I''ve felt a bit more limber the past few days." With these words, Jacques stuck the metallic instrument in his rope belt before pulling out a magnifying glass from Gods knew where and looking at his arms in detail. "Yes¡­ even if it''s not true, it certainly has merits to studying. But that''s for later, will you finally tell me what you want?" "Can''t you take this more seriously!" "Am I not? It''s on my reflection list now! And besides, if the God wasn''t happy with me, I''d be dead already!" "You''re insane!" "And what are you going to do about it? For the last time, tell me why you''re here! I''ve got an experiment running in the back and if it burns it''ll all go to waste!" "I¡­ I need clothes and travel supplies for land." Her answer was almost meek under the continuous shocks the puny human was giving her. Kali help her, she''d go insane at this pace! "Well grab a curtain for all I care, do I look like a tailor? Who are you anyway? It''s not everyday sea-dwellers come up and visit." Finally realizing the uniqueness of the situation they were in, Jacques was taking a growing interest in the nereid in front of him, enough to ask her name; an honour he reserved for the most fascinating study cases in his book. He took a step back and stopped examining his right arm to get a good look at her instead, putting the magnifying glass in a hidden pocket in the process. "I am Ashirijen, a nereid, and chosen Child of Kali!" That, at least, was a question she could answer with confidence and pride. Her lost poise was back, and her magic radiated full blast in the room. She was projecting her Self on her surroundings through her gaze, like Kali did so many years before, imprinting her presence and proving her might. She would not hesitate anymore, not fear, not think. She had come to do some things, and they would be done. However, the outburst had little effect outside damaging the roof with her head further when she stood tall, puffing her chest and showing a clenched fist. Jacques was not scared, but didn''t stay unresponsive this time either; he had a new twinkle in his eyes. "Now THAT is interesting¡­ come closer and let''s see if I can help you, the damn plants can burn for all I care!" She hadn''t seen when, but the tweezers and magnifying glass had made their way back to his hands. 50 Slack tide "Alright, please sit down here and show me your arm." Jacques'' weak voice pulled the nereid following him out of her reverie when they stepped in his laboratory. The door frames were humiliatingly low for Ashirijen, but the man had the sensibility to not speak of it; what stopped her wasn''t that though, but the vast array of strange equipment everywhere in the messy room. Like he had said, the plants had burnt by now and the rancid stench of hot ashes assailed her. Living underwater didn''t allow one to smell the same array of odours as on the surface and this one was new to her. Tweezers of all sizes, boilers, knives, spikes, drying enclosures, compost, distillation apparatuses, dissection table¡­ are those shackles? She didn''t even want to know what else was stored in the cupboards. "The more I see the less I feel like trusting you with my problem. I''m not exactly inclined to sit down right now, mind telling me what this is all for instead?" After pushing Jacques back when he over-enthusiastically tried to grab her, they had stayed in the house''s main room for a bit and discussed some important topics. Important to her at least, including what he''s doing here instead of a bigger city, is he always in such a rush, if he could really solve the problem of clothes and/or of her mucus on land, and some more questions about him being a Child. The more she heard, the more she was convinced he had a screw loose. But in the end, she still relented and accepted to be a lab rat for a bit. She was having second thoughts right now though, and it showed as the fins on her body had begun rising all the way up like a threatened beast would do. Jacques only smiled in answer; too many people reacted the same way when they stepped in his lab for the first time, and Kali''s Child was no exception. "Cut it, scrape it, boil it, refine it, burn it, dry it, rot it, keep it, cultivate it, you name it, I can do that here! You don''t need to worry though; I''ll only be taking some mucus from your arm in a tub before running some experiments on it. Just like you remarked before, I''m just a puny mortal compared to any magic practitioner. What could I do to you?" "You''re playing a dangerous game, little man. If a God was so bored as to choose a mortal, I don''t think he''d miss you either." "Oh, I wouldn''t be so sure about that. Quite the opposite in fact, if you think about it. I must be quite extraordinary in his eyes. He chose a mortal who''s willingly ignoring him, and didn''t kill such a pest outright? Hohoho. Now that''s what I call patience." "You''d call waiting a single second for food to cool down patience¡­ why bother heating it up in the first place?" Under the persistent squabbles and threats raised, Jacques never stopped moving and had started preparing multiple things. He had to verify why the mucus was secreted while learning more about its properties, otherwise the solution wouldn''t be efficient. After she wiped her body with a hand into a basin and filled it, Jacques signed Ashirijen to follow before pointing her to¡­ "Is that a fish tank? Do you have a death wish?" Her imposing aura came back full blast, and this time there was enough killing intent mixed in for the old man to feel it directly. The shock woke him up, and he gulped. When he turned around to apologize, he faced the nereid''s chilling glare¡­ and the tip of her spear. He was really too far gone in his desire to study things this time, and inadvertently touched one of the most taboo subjects around sea-dwellers: captivity. Too many had been captured and abused by immoral people for their entertainment. Slave trade wasn''t widespread, but it still existed and foreign species were the most prized goods anywhere. "Just for your arm¡­ please? I need to make sure it''s not being produced in the water too. We''ll use another smaller one and see if the water thickens." "One more time. Just one more time, I dare you. I will kill you right here in the most painful and cruel way I know, using your dearest knives in this madhouse." If the earlier threats were just for her to remind him not to push her too far or humiliate her¡­ then this one was entirely serious. And she wouldn''t forgive him for this slip of the tongue easily either, intentional or not. Luckily for both, there was no "next time". Contrary to almost everything else it seemed, Jacques wasn''t especially in a rush to die. Ashirijen''s continuous cold glare coupled with the spear she refused to put down anymore also helped him to maintain his focus on the right things. The results were pretty much what was expected following the previous discussion. Her skin produced a layer of mucus to isolate it from air and perhaps direct sunlight. The layer wouldn''t be replaced as long as it wasn''t wiped off by something, and it wasn''t produced when her skin was underwater either; that was actually the best way to wash it off. Drying it over a flame would leave some residues, but it didn''t lose its moisture easily otherwise. All in all, its slipperiness and durability made it very performant in its base task and could also double as lubricant; that last idea was demonstrated on a door''s hinges by a smirking Jacques so no other ideas would come to her already riled up mind. By the time it was said and done night had fallen, and food had been skipped. This didn''t bother either Children though: Jacques was used to absorbing himself in his research and often skipped meals, while Ashirijen didn''t need to eat three times a day like humans. Like she said before, she decided to use the cover of the dark to make her way back to the water; seeing her to the door, Jacques let out a big sigh of relief and went right back to work. In his own opinion, time sleeping was time wasted, and he also wanted something to show to the nereid the following day so she wouldn''t wreck everything in anger. "So, aren''t you going to tell me who the God of this little man is?" Ashirijen was floating on the shallow water facing the night sky, tail curled around her spear anchored into the floor. "Finally some quiet¡­", She murmured with her eyes closed. "You''ll guess soon enough; he will start changing soon." Kali had indeed been looking and listening through her Child, following her actions during the first day of contact. "I really thought you''d kill him though¡­ I have rarely seen you lose your temper like that." "All for my Goddess," she sighed. -- While one spent the night toiling, the other caught any fish dumb enough to swim into her arm''s reach and only let fishbones drift away while waiting half-asleep for the night to pass. When the sky brightened from the very first rays of the sun a few hours later, Ashirijen made her way back to Jacque''s house, freshwater glistening like polished pearls on her scales and exposed skin. She couldn''t afford to wait more, be it to see what the madman had probably tried to make throughout the night or to avoid the early risers going out in the first direct rays of morning light. The old man was still running around restlessly in his lab, going back and forth between seemingly random workbenches and cupboards to the basin of mucus Ashirijen had left there the night before. He only noticed the presence of the imposing nereid when she got in arm''s reach of him, startling him badly in the process. "Wha! ¡­ Don''t come in without knocking like this! What will you do if I fall flat from such a bad fright?" "I actually did knock.", she answered with a raised brow. "So? What''s this strange stuff? I''m pretty sure my mucus wasn''t like that when I left it there." The secretions were still transparent, but seemed to have hardened a bit, as well as acquired some elasticity and a slightly murky colour when she put a finger in to see what it was like. The tired face of the passionate researcher lit up when he heard the question: it was finally time to boast about the fruits of his hard work! "Absolutely right! Correct! It''s not the same thing at all anymore! Listen, this is how it''s done and what you''ll be able to do with it: first, ¡­" Before she could react, Jacques had launched himself in a long discourse of complicated alchemical reactions, strange plant names and all kinds of other incomprehensible stuff. "¡­and with this you''ll be able to wear it like a second skin¡­" "¡­effectively isolate from air¡­" "¡­won''t get washed off easily¡­" "¡­ So! What do you think! Are puny humans not awesome even without magic? Hm? Hmmm?" The long litany stopped abruptly after a quarter of an hour leaving Ashirijen, who had decided to look elsewhere to skip the boring stuff a minute in, face-to-face with an excited and ready to blow Jacques waiting for her reaction. Despite her dislike of humans and his help, she felt a bit bad to burst his bubble, but she really didn''t understand anything of what he said. "That''s great," she said in a forced tone to get out of the awkward situation, "can we try the stuff yet?" "Yes, yes, yes! Absolutely! Don''t forget to tell me your impressions as you do please!" Jacques was staring at her intensely with a fire that put her off a little. Tentatively, she put her hand in and out of the container and gave it an experimental lick. "Blah! Cough! Koff! What the fuck did you put in there!" She started spitting everywhere and even used her second hand to wipe her tongue free of the strange liquid. "It''s not meant for consumption! Oh Gods I forgot to tell you with all the excitement! You only apply it on your skin!" He looked genuinely worried about the grimacing nereid. "Alright, I''ll show you first so you can see how it should be done. Jacques grabbed a towel he had prepared close to the modified mucus container and started the demonstration on his own arm. He started by wetting then wringing it and used the towel to wipe the area of skin he''d cover. Then, he scooped a small handful of the stuff and let it flow in a thin layer over the exposed skin, letting the surplus flow back to the container. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "There! Just give it a few seconds and it''ll have dried enough to work perfectly. You have to make sure you''ve wiped the skin area properly so none of your original mucus is left when you apply the new one." He blew on it a few times, and started showing its other properties: "See? I can stretch it a bit with my fingers here, meaning it won''t bother you or tear near your articulations or fins, and it''s almost invisible. You''ll be able to wear clothes like everyone else. Look, I''m pouring a flask of water on my arm and it''s not getting washed off, so you can even still swim as much as you want; you''d need to scrub it off purposefully to get it off¡­ with the towel for example." Lost in his explanations again, he missed Ashirijen folding her long body to slither into the small container and starting to cover her whole body with his creation. By the time he was done, she was applying finishing touches to her face area with her fingers, wiping it bit by bit with another piece of cloth. After trying it out, she found that it was indeed very convenient. "Breath-taking! Screw your useless stuffy clothes, this stuff seems to work. It''s not even sticky once it''s dried for a bit! Now give me map and some other stuff like money and we can get going. I never thought I''d be able to kick some land-dweller ass comfortably but thanks to you that''s not a dream anymore." Still a man facing a seemingly naked woman, he wanted to tell her that she was the breath-taking one however remembering her previous wrath he abstained from the comment. The social values and habits of sea-dwellers were very different from the humans'', but their physical resemblance made things awkward at times; like now. She was a warring beauty indeed. As happy as he was with the positive feedback from the now grinning Ashirijen, his reflections on other possible applications were broken when he heard the last part of her answer. "¡­We?" 51 Receding tide "What do you mean by ''we''? I''ve solved your problem, now get on your way and stop disturbing my experiments. Go ask Mandale for the rest of the things you need, I''ve got none of that for you. Shoo!" Ashirijen was smiling way too much to his liking. The exposed fangs and shining purple snake-eyes gave him the shivers and her beauty did nothing to dampen the rising fear this time. It was as if she was a predator who just found a new toy to torment. "What, YOU have got no money, no backpacks and travelling supplies? Heh, I bet even followers of Deva can lie better than that." She tilted her head back in laughter, speaking in an overly suave and sugary tone: "and since you''re a bit of a know-it-all, surely you can bring me to a big city with lots of temples, riiiight?" "I I I¡­ I''m sorry, what?" "I''ve got a map, but it doesn''t mean I can use it or that I know what''s where! In fact, I don''t even know where we are now. You''re coming with me little man, like it or not." "What? No! No, no, no! I have plenty of things going on here! Go and bother someone else!" He knew he couldn''t resist if she decided to grab him under her arm and run away from here, but he''d been living in this place for far too long and had accumulated way too much to be able to let it all go like this! He took a step back only to be matched by the nereid''s step forward, except that her towering height brought her even closer to him now. "Do I look like I''m giving you a choice? You messed with me enough, time for a bit of payback. What would I do anyway if I run out of the stuff you made, huh? Come back here pleading? Dream on!" "You can''t just take an old man like me and drag me on the road! So unreasonable!" Jacques was grasping at straws now, evoking his physical condition that was unfit for travelling. Alas, that was a shot in the dark too and the sea nymph had an answer to it too. "Hoho, all that brain and you can''t accept you''re a Child! It''s good for you, the perfect occasion to show you that you''re tougher than you look. Didn''t you say you felt limber than before yesterday?" Her low laughter was incessant now, amused by his frantic backpedalling. "Come on, pick up some stuff and let''s go; I''ll carry you if I have to but you''re not getting out that easy!" Understanding he had no way out was only the start of his misery though: now he had to pack his essentials right away and lose everything else because he felt that Ashirijen wouldn''t give him much time. Lamenting his misfortune, he could only start rummaging through his plentiful possessions and start to select what to bring and what to leave out. With a happy smile on her face, Ashirijen watched as the decrepit old man shuffled along left and right. Picking up vials, moaning, putting them down, looking back at them, picking something else only to have his eye caught by another seemingly vital thing¡­ The agony on his face was so satisfying! She wouldn''t tire of seeing him like this for a long time. However, she still had an important mission to accomplish and as good as the show got, it didn''t help. In the end she had to stop his frantic running inside the lab to remind him that his priority should be food and clothes, not lab equipment: they weren''t exactly going on a leisure trip. Apparently his mood could fall even further that it already did, and her intervention did exactly that. She even felt a bit mean to pour salt into the wound like this. His face now completely warped into a crying rictus, Jacques got out of the lab to gather his more vital possessions. As she thought, he was back in a flash with the strict minimum in tow. "Why in the Gods'' name are you doing this to me anyway? Isn''t Kali all about sacrificing yourself for those around you?" "Oh! That''s the whole point actually: you''ve got that wrong. Try to ask your own God, I''m too lazy to give you the whole story myself." That¡­ that was thunderous news, coming from the Goddess'' Child herself. Jacques wasn''t in the right state of mind to appreciate it though, still half-crying while indulging in self-pity and doing his best to sort through all his equipment. When the sun approached its highest point, his choice had finally been made: he would save the core notes from his experiments, his pet pair of tweezers, and a portable magnifying glass. -- "Alright, now that you''ve packed you can show me where we are and where we go to find the biggest temples. The more the better, the message will spread faster that way." The red-eyed Jacques took a map from his bag and spread it out on a nearby table. He''d done so many experiments on that table¡­ Cut thigs, written things¡­ the burn marks from an explosion were still there after all those years¡­ oh, and he hadn''t realized some dried blood had been stuck to the corner like that; was it his? Probably not. Such a good table, and he had to leave it behind now. What a tragedy! "Oi! Stop looking at the table like it''s your long-lost wife and read the map!" "I''ve never had a wife, young lady! Wait¡­ How old are you anyway?" Surprised by the snapping comeback, Ashirijen had to take a good second to gather her thoughts and answer; at least the man didn''t have a breakdown and was still as insufferable as before. Knowing that the worst for him was still to come, the remark wasn''t enough to attack her good mood. "No idea. I''m an adult nereid for sure, and a well-built one at that. Why does it matter?" "You don''t keep track of your age?" "Is there any point to that? Isn''t it just depressing to have the counter go up every time you think about it? If I had to tell, uuuuh let me see¡­ I think I''ve seen the same boat pass by multiple times close to my grotto, but it had a different chief. Like, the one with a grey beard was there for a few times and then it was another with dark hair. Oh, and I chose the coral for my spear before it was tall enough so I could have it grow straight enough. So, the map?" Jacques was astonished and couldn''t help but look at the nereid differently now. She looked like a young human adult! It seemed like he still had much to learn about marine species, but he could note down his questions and ask them during the trip. "Wait, you must be even older than me if you watched your coral grow!" "Who cares! Map!" "Fine! I''ll ask later! We''re currently on the eastern coast of the Primal, a bit south of East Lake''s forested estuary." "No idea how I''d even get back to my grotto from there, all I know is that I swam for around ten days to get there." "You don''t know your way home?" "What home, it''s just a grotto. I can find another I like whenever I want to." "R-Right¡­" Jacques had trouble fathoming exactly what kind of life Ashirijen had been leading up until now. Was this considered normal among sea-folk? "Kmh¡­ Kmh¡­ So, if you''re looking for a big concentration of people and temples, you''re looking for Ebb: it has a central temple of the Three and I think that every other God has a shrine there too; including Kali. If I remember well the Child of Nature is there as well." "Woah! That''s great stuff, if my message has the backing of three Children it might actually be listened to. That''s one of the reasons why I''m taking you with me, by the way; people won''t listen to a nereid but it''s different if the message comes from a human. Show me where it is on the map!" He pointed at another spot on the map with a finger: "It''s here, along God''s Eye Lake''s shore, at the crossing with the outflowing river and forest. If I had to estimate the time it takes to get there, I would guess around a month." "That''s human walking speed! You''re too slow! Look, there''s waterways almost all the way, the only thing to cross on foot is the forest area between the two lakes. You just need to get a small boat and I''ll drag everything there in half that time no sweat." Jacques held his doubts concerning that part¡­ Her dragging a boat with him and his stuff securely and lazily standing on it? That seemed way too nice from the condescending nereid. Looking into her eyes, he saw he''d hit the nail on the head. "Might as well begin right now in fact." "What do you- Put me down! Put me down!" -- Wondering what happened with the monster he had to bring back to town the day prior, Mandale decided to come back knocking on Jacques'' door after his lunch. To his surprise, he found no one but an eerie lack of the usual glassware clinking noise. The door was even left unlocked! The old man said she was a nereid¡­ Maybe they went to the seaside? Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. He indeed found the strange duo at the pier, seemingly looking for a suitable vessel. Knowing the effects of her voice, Jacques was leading the negotiations but Mandale could see that the monster at his side wasn''t pleased. Things were apparently turning south because she was carrying him under her arm and held her spear in the other hand; he hastened his pace, almost breaking into a run. Alas, he got there too late and she couldn''t hold herself back anymore. Face full of disgust, she started screaming: "I''ve played nice until now, don''t make me change my mind!". The effect was instantaneous, and the glowing hostility disappeared like foam on the waves. Jacques followed up when he saw Mandale coming, trying to reassure him so the situation wouldn''t devolve into pointless carnage. "Yes! Yes! I''m not in danger, don''t worry. I''ve got this under control! Oh, and they should come back to their senses in a few minutes. Just compensate them with what''s left in my house¡­" The last few words turned his eyes teary again at the thought. Smiling wryly, Mandale could only allow them to take their pick and leave with a small barque before the aggravated Ashirijen took matters into her own big hands. 52 Now What? Oakbud felt calm. No thinking, no fighting, simply living for a bit and forgetting his mission. Each subsequent encounter pushed him to re-think his position further. One thing was for sure, he wasn''t strong enough to go looking for Nidh?gran yet; now that he thought about it the dragon admitted to being a Child in the end, and what better fit was there than the God of Elements? Time had gone¡­ somewhere, waiting for him to grow more too as another layer of challenge. Wasn''t that good though? That meant he could go on travelling with Thani and Alice, learning more and more until he was ready and didn''t need to wait for the Gods to lower themselves to him. One problem was completely overlooked by the little spirit during his reflections: he and Thani were already far out of the bounds for what could be considered "normal". Only Alice fit that description, but she managed to more or less keep up with her blessings and that prevented him from seeing the point entirely. A God-candidate and a kind of multi-elemental mage: both were exceedingly powerful and rare at the same time, not even taking the divinity they could wield into account. The daily life in Ocean''s guard was a simple and straightforward struggle for everyone and disallowed slackers. Still, that was a good kind of pressure compared to the last few weeks, one that let him calm down and consolidate what he''d learned. As it turned out, his golems created via copying another thing were way better than the ones he''d create without models but making himself a real body was unattainable for the moment. Even with all the drawbacks it would bring, seeing other beings be they human or beast mingle together made him long for a sense of touch with emotion, rather than his current simple sensation of ''contact''. He couldn''t stay here forever though. Even if he picked a destination at random, he met plenty of interesting people along the way. The few leads that they had didn''t end up with meeting a Child, but what about the next? And the one after? There was still so much more in this world to explore. Maybe it was time to backtrack and try to meet Nyx¡­ Having her wait for too long couldn''t be good either. Yes, that''s it; he''d meet Nyx at sea next. Having come to a decision, Oakbud planned to tell the girls that night so they could start moving again in the next two or three days and focused back to the task on hand: weeding the orchards. At first, he wanted to avoid hurting any plant, be it ''good'' or ''bad''. That resulted in him using earth, water and nature magic to move and preserve the herbs. This method was devised after multiple iterations while using his nature sense to check on the plants'' wellbeing. The plot it was applied to ended up perfectly devoid of weeds as he was asked. To the dismay of the person checking on him though, every weed was in the end simply relocated outside of this part of the orchard: close by in the forest, on the road, or even in the neighbouring plot. "No no no! That''s not good little guy¡­ I know you don''t like it, but we have to kill the weeds, not just pluck them." The woman in charge was Tembra''s wife Manille, put there by Harod. With a sigh, she continued to speak: "I thought you''d know best, being a user of nature magic. If you leave them around, they will only come back faster and in greater numbers. How do I say this¡­ We must make a choice between the two: dead weeds or dead fruit trees. We can''t always get what we want or what we need without a little sacrifice." That was a notion he could only agree with but still had trouble coming to terms with. Thani considered "that''s how it is, just like everything. Get a grip, Bud.", already jaded to this kind of everyday dilemma. In the end, under Manille''s gentle push, the little spirit agreed to burn the weeds to help the trees flourish even if it left him a bit uncomfortable. While Oakbud tended to his latest routine (that would last a few days more because the orchards were large), Alice and Thani had also found theirs. The gem on her chest didn''t bother Liezel''s follower anymore, used to its presence after a few days. She would train her marksmanship with her new bow in the mornings, go into the forested mountains in the afternoon to try and stalk unaware hunting teams, and brawl in the dusty arenas after dusk to maintain a balanced training regimen. In the last few weeks, she had made remarkable progress with the bow, enough for Tembra to allow her to begin using magic to augment her shots. During her roaming she would sometimes warn hunters of dangerous places or beasts while practising her stealth, or guide prey towards them if everything was fine. She felt that she was very close to getting a third blessing from the Unfettered. Thani''s everyday life on the other hand could only be described as hectic. She woke up whenever to fly up the mountains with the bare minimum equipment to go and explore things for days, coming back only when her bag was full or if she had enough. Her armour found its use quickly, and many scrapes and marks had begun covering it bit by bit. Some were from rocks or branches, but most came from fights with wildlife. Unwilling to provoke Repose''s ire again and guessing he was watching her, she limited her initiatives to exploration and digging. Fighting was a last resort, and absolutely not the stupid beasts'' fault for falling for her taunts, not at all¡­ The content of the bag she sold for alcohol when she came back often told its own story. The nights she came back were livelier and saw "the good-looking ones" dragged to the arena by the tipsy and grinning God-candidate for a bout or two, before pulling them somewhere else for another kind of bout if the first performance was satisfactory. As bad and hedonistic as it appeared, Thani was only living the life she never could during the years she wouldn''t get back from the confines of her temple. It didn''t prevent her from working on her own magic and researching the dichotomy between herself and Kali further. The way of "Blood and Life" was decided already so she did things at her own pace. The "Blood" part was the easiest one to work with as it was the one she was most used to. It was also linked to "Life", but the fighting part was taking shape at least. On the other hand, she was completely stumped by the "Life and Healing" part and hadn''t made any progress. Even in all her exuberance, she tended to keep things to herself because she didn''t want to burden others with that kind of hard thinking. ------ "Aaaannd this goes there. That one over here." Nyx happily waved her Child''s hands around, directing magic as if it were a full orchestra. "Finally done!" She was in her room inside the palace her mermaid Child was the princess of, working on a new piece of decorative clothing by assembling a mix of magic crystals, deep sea jewels, corals and other base metals. One would tend to think of the result as a powerful relic however that wasn''t the case: this one was purely for the sake of decoration, a solid half-necklace inlaid with gold and jewels meant to hold something like a cape, cloak, or even serve as border for a wide-necked piece of clothing. The torrent of magic she used was purely for the sake of making its creation faster and making sure it''d stay strong and glittery for the longest time. The Goddess of Art cared for very few things outside of her domain, and that reflected on both her attitude and her followers. The fact that her Child had relinquished control of her body to the Goddess didn''t help either: Nyx relished in the life of mortals, but that prevented her from gaining access to the global divine information gathering from prayers. Perfect appearance, perfect manners, perfect speech and voice, perfect craft, perfect ear and pitch, peerless appraisal talent, perfect mastery of her body and magic; all aspects of Nyx she could learn or better reached the peak. Her mind on the other hand had a few weaknesses, like forgetfulness or being overly proud and arrogant. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Contrary to Oakbud''s expectations of her, Nyx was completely oblivious to the storm she had started on the continent and happily humming while starting to plan her next piece. After the initial shock, the death of the God-Tree was now in a far corner of her mind. 53 Leaving the mountains Oakbud, Alice and Thani knew a good half of the road this time, but it didn''t make the road any easier: they would still need to make their way back to Ebb, before either following the road or the river towards the sea. The trip back wasn''t anything impossible, all the more since they didn''t have a murderous Child after them anymore, but it would still bring up various memories in everyone (for better or worse). Preparations would happen over a couple of days, enough time to say goodbye to everyone in Ocean''s Guard and gather provisions. The first step though, would be pulling Thani out of bed, cocooned in her quilt after the previous night''s alcohol fuelled brawling. Buried under her bedding, the sun filtering through the door sides of the house they were granted did nothing to pull her out of her sleep. Unable to release her death grip on the quilt, Oakbud gave up and decided he''d rather talk to Alice first and get some help; she should be about to finish her morning exercise with the bow. In the end the trio could only hold a true conversation after lunch, when everyone else picked up their work again. "So, you were serious yesterday then? We''re leaving Ocean''s Guard. I guess we already made sure we wouldn''t meet up with a Child here. Also got plenty of nice and expensive trinkets for a bit of blood, worth it." Still a bit groggy and with wild hair, Thani took the reminder in stride. "Not as much blood on me as you, Thani, but I agree it''s a great place overall if you don''t mind hard work." On her side, Alice had begun packing her own stuff, sorting through the clothes and utilities she''d wear and the ones she''d put in a bag. "As soon as I''m done, I''ll go and speak with Harod and Tembra. No need to wait until last minute to tell them, and maybe they have a few tips that could save us some time. I''d rather not walk all the way back again if possible, but I don''t know if you''re okay with waiting for the next merchant group to come by and join them either." "Me thinks me can make some new golems to walk!" The prospect of sleeping more and walking less roused Thani''s interest, her head peeking through the shirt she was putting on: "Really? Could you mimic something like a horse or make a big wolf to pull a cart maybe?" "Me can copy a beast but it won''t move as fast. If golem moves quickly, materials decay rapidly and magic too." "Well, if there''s one thing you don''t lack it''s magic for sure!" said Alice from the back of the room where she kept her less important possessions. "The problem is you having to maintain the spells to regenerate the golems but also guide them all the while, right?" "Me has magic for a very big golem or two big enough to carry Thani Fairy and Alice, but me can''t do anything else then. Me still wants to practice magic and play." "Sooooo¡­ Do we just go up the mountain and beat down a drake or two to carry us instead?" "Ugh, you just go back to sleep instead of saying stupid things. By the way, aren''t you worried about things with all that you do?" "What things? I can barely get drunk with how fast my body eliminates alcohol! And, well, you know how fast I heal for the rest." "I mean your literal fucking around!" "Oh, that! Blood and Life now, and four blessings before, remember? If I couldn''t manage my body by now, I''d really be the dumbest woman in the world. That''s how worried I am about this; do I seriously look like someone ready for kids?" Seeing that the usual banter made its return, Oakbud decided to get back to his own affairs; there was still a last plot of the orchard that needed weeding, after all. He couldn''t help the two women pack their stuff anyway. -- "So, you will go walking in the end?" Asked Harod at the border of the forest. "Yes, Oakbud can''t make completely autonomous golems yet, and at best they''d be as fast as our walking speed anyway, so it''s not worth it. We''re not trained to take care of mounts either, so it''s for the best. We''ll make do on the spot." Replied Alice, shrugging. "You know better than others here how freakish our little group is." The man could only smile wryly, a little laugh escaping his lips. "That I do, I do indeed¡­" He''d remember the yelling he got from Thani when they got back from their Granite hunt for a long time. Who told her that he called her thick-headed anyway? Oakbud was even less forgettable, a never seen before spirit. Maybe not a spirit, since he could apparently move around freely, but what else could he be? The people in Ocean''s Guard they had gotten closer to had all given them a little something to remember them by: Harod had engraved a little medallion with the image of the peak of Repose, the local landmark, unaware of the underlying feelings; Tembra had given Alice a few bottles of home-brewed alcohol, making her blush by saying she''d have an easier time getting a man with half a bottle of that in the stomach; the people working at the orchards gifted Oakbud an assortment of fruits and seeds for him to grow; a band of hunters they sparred with regularly surprised them by refurbishing their camping gear with brand new pelts; and Facta had manufactured a brain teaser for Oakbud so he could work on his coordination on the road. The one person they hadn''t said goodbye to had already left its ''gift'' between Alice''s collarbones; it had been quite some time now, but nothing had happened to the lifegem core embedded in her body by Repose. None of the three knew what to make of that yet. Maybe some change would manifest once they left Ocean''s Guard vicinity? The father of all Granites had told them nothing. With one last heavy look towards the tallest mountain between them and the ocean, Thani, Alice and Oakbud started their journey back to Ebb, on their way to the ocean west of the Primal. ------ "Why do we need a detour? We''re so close to East Lake on the map already!" After following the river for days, dragging Jacques along with a small boat, Ashirijen wasn''t taking the news well. She''d seen the damn piece of paper, and the legend for ''river'' clearly indicated that it connected directly to the lake. What was the human trying to pull off this time? It was calm at first, when the old man was still bemoaning the loss of his house and all his leftover experiments. A few days later, he made a fuss over some kind of plants they came across she didn''t know, insisting she stopped so he could pluck some of them for whatever recipe he couldn''t create up until now. After this he had finally started to walk instead of staying depressed on the boat, and her load got lighter. At least she didn''t have to listen to him marvelling over flora he hadn''t met before since then and could just swim against the current at the bottom of the riverbed without worrying about splashing him. The artificial ''second skin'' he invented for her back in the town was still holding well even with her staying in the water most of the time, and the jar of the leftover stuff hadn''t been needed to re-do any place yet. It had dried a bit, becoming a bit more rigid, but that was all. Back to current time, her tail was slamming the river''s surface, expressing her annoyance. Ashirijen rested face down, head on her crossed arms on the riverbank. The little boat was anchored in arm''s reach, ready to be dragged along further, but its main occupant was busy cooking himself some breakfast in the rising sun. He also had the map. "It''s just a general map, not a topographical map. That''s why you can''t see it on here, but we can''t follow the river further up or it''d take even longer to get to the lake afterwards." "A topo-what? At least tell me things I can understand, it''s morning and you''re pissing me off already." Over the days, the nereid''s temper tantrums had become common for the old Jacques, and he learned to work around them. Ashirijen was surprisingly easy to get along with once you got to know her. Well, as long as you followed her whims that is; she was unwavering in her decisions and persuading her was impossible. Unless you could bring solid arguments to convince her, she wasn''t afraid to use her monstrous strength to strong-arm you into doing what she wanted. "A topographical map represents terrain elevation in addition to locations, but they''re less practical because adding anything else quickly clusters the paper, so you usually bring both types of map. The part further along the new stretch of forest is very close to the mountains, so you won''t be able to swim and drag the boat over rapids and waterfalls anyway. The last stretch is actually a tall cliff. That''s why the best way is to follow the plain along the forest, because the way isn''t so impractical. Sure, it''s longer on the map, but there''s no steep cliff to scale and no jagged paths to follow so in the end it should be even faster." Sighing, Jacques took the time to explain everything to the nereid facing him. "Also, I don''t think I''d fare well on dangerous mountain paths." "Booo~~~ring. By the way, why don''t you cut that lock of black hair? Isn''t it better when it''s all white and gray? Your clothes are already old and shabby, might as well get one thing right." "Wait, black hair? Are you sure? Where!" Jacques stood up immediately in shock, almost knocking his food over in the process. "I haven''t had those in years!" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "What, you''ve gone senile as well now? Ugh. Right over your right temple, look at yourself in the water." Her tone was laced with regret now. She was torn between her dislike of land dwellers, and her current wish to have another human to keep the old coot in check. She puffed up her cheeks, eyeing Jacque''s unsupervised food, before letting go of the idea and closing her eyes; she''d have to move to get it. "No no no! You don''t get it, it''s a miracle! Am I really a Child after all? Nothing weird has happened in the last week besides having more energy overall!" Jacques'' weak voice was trembling with excitement. This was a first! He had to¡­no, needed to study this! "You being a Child is old news, act like it already. If you wanted weird, there you have it." "It''s like¡­ Am I growing younger maybe?" The old man was looking at his reflection doubtfully, looking for signs of rejuvenation on his wrinkled face. Pulling his skin taut under different angles, he couldn''t find a difference. "But shouldn''t that be impossible?" Everything clicked in Ashirijen''s head. Dear Kali, the crazy old man was the Child of Time! No wonder her Goddess was mocking her for being so dense and not figuring it out all the while. What God besides Time and his unusual view on things would tolerate that insufferable human? And she treated him pretty rudely all this while. Time was known for bearing grudges¡­ But was he even watching? Should she be a bit more careful? "Like I care. Maybe you''ll walk faster like this?" She decided not to change anything; after all, what could be worse than forcibly dragging him along and evicting him from his home already? "Guess the boat can stay here for good then. Swimming was easy, but you''ll be carrying your own stuff now. Finish eating so we can go, you can play with your hair and run your little experiments all you want on the way." Grunting in acknowledgment, Jacques got back to his plate while Ashirijen stood up to unload the boat. It would stay anchored here for a future lucky traveller to find, maybe. Perhaps getting young again wasn''t so bad, he thought while hydrating his suddenly parched throat. The alchemical second skin was holding well, but she still refused to wear clothes after all. If you could forget the dangerous voice, fatal venom, claws, teeth and horns that could rip you to shreds in seconds, eerie eyes, scales, webbed fingers and feet, she was beautiful. Some traits like the tail and skin colour or scales weren''t that uncommon with Nature''s, Nyx''s or even Theomars'' followers so he had seen his fair share, but seeing her back for a moment he almost forgot that she was a dangerous predator close to twice his own size. He quickly focused himself, making a list of everything he''d need to check about his own body if his own clock had indeed begun ticking in reverse. Despite his obsessive personality which abhorred losing time and inefficiency, he was still a very passionate researcher; his hands almost itched to cut himself apart already, and he couldn''t wait for them to reach the lake to get on another boat. The week of walking there would feel excruciatingly long. 54 Smoke on the water "¡­" Thani''s soft declaration was met with silence, her two companions numbed by the monotonous walking. Nothing much ever happened on the plains between dawn and sunset. The scenery was the same flat grass, dried ground and bushes. The rare animal life made itself scarce under the sun, which hammered its rays unceasingly on the weary travellers. The nights didn''t see much action either; distractions were lacking, and the few creatures who approached the little group were quickly sent back whining with a good kick. During the dozen days they needed to get back to God''s Eye Lake, the only interesting encounter they made was one with another group of travellers that were camping at a crossroad between larger paths. It was a full-fledged merchant caravan with businessmen and their goods, regular travellers and hired guards, totalling 17 people; the leader, a lucky follower of Eludia, had made his business from scratch after he''d tamed a strong blessed beast by healing it in its time of need. It was strong enough to give the drakes in Ocean''s Guard a run for their money, but it followed its master like a puppy and happily carried a heavy load. It was the occasion for both groups to spend a very welcome refreshing moment, and they shared stories and dreams for the future around the fire that night. But after that one night, the groups parted again and Thani, Alice and Oakbud headed south on the dirt road while the caravan followed the road they came from towards the east. They had reached the lake now and would find a harbour this day or the next to ferry them to Ebb, finally meeting civilization again. "I think I found how my power to sense emotions is evolving. Or rather, regressing." She spoke louder this time, enough to pull the other two from their numb-legged stupor. "It''s linked to both blood and life, maybe more accurately instinct. Whereas I could feel intricate fluctuations in people''s emotions before, to the point of seeing through lies sometimes, it''s become rawer now. More basic and stronger, like hunger, loathing, fear, lust, anger. I''m not sure how I feel about it yet, I don''t even know how and why it''s changing like that." "Is Thani fairy scared?" The fact that she shared her discovery showed it was important to her, as she didn''t usually want to burden her companions with her troubles. Both Alice and Oakbud could feel her hesitation. "No¡­ Yes. Maybe. I''m not sure anymore. The events that happened after the visit to Ebb have set some things in motion, things I can''t truly understand or control yet. It''s a very strange sensation. I''m not scared of the change; I''m scared of the lack of control. I''m losing everything I''ve been and what I believed in. There''s no way I can make peace with that in a month or two." "Still, you''ve only gotten stronger and more confident with your powers, right? It''s not all bad from what I see. You''ve gotten so far after falling so low." "Thank you, Alice." The few words of Liezel''s follower managed to comfort her a little. Nidh?gran had broken her spirit before giving her the thread to mend it himself, telling her to face Kali to get her answers. At the time it seemed reasonable, but in truth, by the time she could do that she would probably be a different person already. "It''s simply going too fast. Now it''s this, but what''s next?" None of them had an answer to that. When he wasn''t animating disposable golems to carry his companions, Oakbud was resting on one of their heads, thinking about his own path in magic. He had innate knowledge of nature magic, able to enter communion with plant and animal life to the point of taking their bodies for himself, and had begun dabbling in the elements of earth, water and more recently fire. After more experiments, he had also determined that the soul shock was an ability bestowed by the divinity he owned, using it to jolt foes down to their unprotected core. His growing mastery over the manipulation of divinity made this type of attack exponentially more powerful. But it seemed like everyone constantly told him that he had powers of the Three, not only two of them. However, he didn''t have the slightest clue on the magic of Time. Perhaps he''d even used it unknowingly or mixed it with another already. Seeing Alice growing on her path and Thani beginning hers anew made him think. He was still following his Dad-tree''s last wish, but he was also growing into his own identity; the problem was defining that identity when he didn''t even know what he could do. The rest of the day was spent in silence, and even Alice''s exercises when they stopped to camp that night had become part of their routine. Oakbud lit a fire and grew some fresh food with the grains he was given before taking night watch, Thani used her blood magic to make herself a plethora of arms and make camp quickly, and Alice cooked then picked up her weapons to exercise. Having two blessings was not weak by any means, but Alice was feeling a strong pressure to get stronger just by accompanying Thani and Oakbud. Training was both a way to improve, getting closer to a third blessing, and a way to relieve boredom. Before starting her travels, she had a hobby of carving some wood, but Oakbud refused to grow some pieces only to have her hack them to splinters right after or to let her cut grown trees for base material. She could only look for poor deadwood or a store. That and the urge to improve hadn''t let Alice take her carving tools out since she met him and Thani. She wasn''t sure she would have enough space on the boat, so for this last night on land she made a complete check, almost exhausting herself to sleep: endurance training, flexibility training, weapon handling, archery, breathing, stretching, and finished with magic. She fell asleep soon after a quick dip in the lake to rinse off the sweat she worked out, leaving Oakbud alone with his thoughts for the rest of the night. -- When they entered the settlement the morning after, they learned that there were indeed ferries to Ebb passing through here. However, it had left a few hours earlier, and the next one was at least five days away. In that case, they would need to find someone and pay him full price to get them there instead of sharing the costs with other people. The upside was that they wouldn''t lack space and wouldn''t be bothered by other passengers. The downside on the other hand was that the price of the ride just changed from silver to gold coins on top of a bonus fee for the sailor who''d drive them for a good week instead of fishing like usual. Facing the harbour master in his office, Alice blanched when she opened her purse to check on the state of things. The ride was twelve gold, enough to live comfortably in a bigger city for months without working! Sure, Thani was there to split the cost, but that still meant all the money she saved up in Ocean''s Guard would be gone, leaving her with silver only. Most of her personal value was her armour nowadays, and hopefully an upgrade to her bow and daggers once they got to Ebb. She was about to take out her part of the payment when Thani shook her head at her and paid the whole price herself without batting an eye. Confirming they could leave this very day, she waited until the harbour manager they spoke to returned to his business to speak to Alice with a happy grin. "You have no idea how much money I made with my constant hunting, digging, bets and challenges, do you? Told you that only working wouldn''t get you that far. Look in there." First, the pouch was bigger than hers. Second, it was also many times heavier. Third¡­ there were only gold coins in it, around a hundred maybe; meaning Thani had at least one other pouch. But¡­ how? She stared at her wide-eyed, formulating a silent "how?". "Okay first, the drakes are a good half of that even after paying the crafting costs for our stuff, then I had leftovers from Ebb and the arena, I dug up some nice gem ores in-between fights up the mountains, and the brawling bets¡­ Let''s just say the odds for 1v3s and up are just that favourable. I''ve robbed more than one or two poor sods blind." Alice felt dizzy. Thani made that much money fooling around? Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "If it makes you feel any better, Oakbud made less money than you." Leaving the stunned Alice behind her, Thani got out of the harbour master''s house to meet the sailor and the boat who''d get them to Ebb. And as they loaded their belongings, thunder struck Alice a second time in the form of Oakbud, who said happily: "Me think we can meet water fairy again!" 55 Smoke on the water 2 "I''ve been feeling better and better! Don''t worry about my bag! As if, you old bag of bones!" Snap. The sound of her spear hitting a tree was soon followed by the sound of the tree hitting the ground. "Stronger doesn''t mean strong at all. Even children could carry more than you do." Ashirijen was regretting following Jacques'' advice to take the detour already, his bag on her back a grim reminder of her trusting mistake. "Perhaps merfolk children would be able to, but I am an old human man and that''s still superior to my own species'' children." Jacques'' wheezing voice answered shortly, trying to avoid getting side pain. "Just shut up and walk faster if you''ve got enough energy to complain! I''m cooking alive here." Ashirijen continued venting on every tree that met her path, smacking them angrily with her spear and unrooting most as a result. Still, her being almost twice as tall as Jacques didn''t make it easy for the old man to keep up, forcing him to hover between a run and a fast walk most of the time. The worst enemy wasn''t the weight of his bag or his slow walking speed, though. As a creature born in the sea and made for life at sea, the sun was tormenting her. Being away from a body of water for long was unnerving for the nereid. She missed the comfort of fresh water, the way movement took account of her whole body, the dimmed light of the depths that didn''t assault her eyes. Being on land simply didn''t feel right. Alas she didn''t get many opportunities to think about anything else. The dirt track followed the edge of the forest along the plains and provided her with a bit of shade, but it was still spoiled by the never changing scenery and unusual sensation of walking, guiding her thoughts back to her discomfort. Kali wasn''t helping either, leaving her to endure that hardship by herself. On his side, Jacques was simply focusing on his breathing to keep up with the sculpted back of the giant walking in front of him. Whatever his wishes were, examining himself and the changes brought in him by the God of Time would have to wait. An opportunity in the form of a pack of goblins presented itself during the first day''s afternoon. Numbering only two people, Ashirijen and Jacques were a prime target for the creatures. At almost five times their number, the goblins were confident in their victory and rushed at them from the treeline. They rushed at the two travellers without taking any precautions like flanking or even trying to weaken them from a distance first, not considering that their weapons made of wood, leather and rock wouldn''t be able to hurt much. Their reckless charge was met with pure, unaltered violence. Goblins were already not tall compared to humans, and they were barely taller than Ashirijen''s knees. The sound of her spear cutting the air was covered by dismayed cries of agony as she swiped her weapon sideways in front of her. Five out of the nine goblins were broken in half instantly and landed on top of each other following the movement of her strike, never to get up again. She couldn''t be bothered to stab, as it would require one attack per foe. Without a word, she radiated her magical might, crushing the four remaining goblins to the ground; one step and another slash later, no other life besides Jacques'' remained. The old man looked wide-eyed at the scene of carnage, not used to bloodshed that didn''t happen on his operating table. He had been that close. That close to that spear, to that horrible death, back in his house when he inadvertently asked her to get in a fish tank. He didn''t even have time to move to safety. The creatures had been broken, their bodies crushed by the might of the nereid''s blows, like badly glued parts of children''s dolls. The calm look she gave him when she looked back to see if he was still walking after her, like nothing happened, shook him profoundly. That close. He had been that close. If, like she told him, the general understanding of Kali''s worship was misguided, and¡­ this¡­ was the right path. Then what exactly was the right path? And whose was the other? The amount of emotional restraint she had shown that day was titanic and proved that she wasn''t the Child of a God chosen at random. He silently swore to never bring that event up again, not even in her absence. Nothing else happened the next two days. However, on the third Ashirijen was casting regular looks towards the deeper parts of the forest for the bigger part of the morning, sensing that they were followed. The beast was closing in slowly, testing their range of perception like a seasoned predator. Jacques didn''t notice anything and was happy that she slowed down a little. "Off the trail, on the plains. Now." With a commanding voice, she spoke to Jacques out of the blue, startling him. "Something''s been stalking us for hours and I don''t like it; I''m going to flush it out. And kill it, best if it turns back." Frowning and a little worried, the old man did as he was told. If they were lucky, it wouldn''t be anything too dangerous, maybe a few wolves. If they weren''t, it would be a predating blessed beast. The answer would be given through Ashirijen''s current display of threat. She had dropped the two heavy bags to free her movement and held her spear in her right hand, tipped towards the forest. Even though she had a good grasp of the enemy''s direction, she purposefully looked around to bait the creature. For good measure, she released a loud war cry and a sliver of her magic. "Uh? It''s gone?" Raising her brows in surprise, Ashirijen relaxed her guard a little. "That was really enough to intimidate it? Guess it''s for the best." Picking up one of the bags, she signed Jacques that he could come back. "I can''t feel it anymore, it''s gone. Let''s get to the lake today, I really need a good dip." The walking encyclopaedia at her side stiffened. "Wait a second. When you say gone, has it disappeared, or did it go away?" There was a huge difference between the two; the first meant the creature could camouflage itself and got serious, aiming for the kill, while the second meant it had truly abandoned the chase. Understanding the implications, the nereid instantly dropped the bag she had picked up and reaffirmed the grip on her spear. "It disapp- okay, time to get a bit serious. You go back in the open plain." A gust of wind blew from her left, attracting her attention. A split-second later she ducked under her spear, dodging the mantis-like man-sized creature taking a swipe at her neck from another angle. Another fraction of a second later, the creature had disappeared back into the woods, still hidden from Ashirijen''s senses. "Fast and strong¡­ Now it''s getting interesting." She jumped over the next dash and parried the attack from below. "But if there''s one thing I''m not afraid of, it''s a fight. The moment I catch it it''s dead." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Jacques felt lucky that the giant mantis didn''t go after him. It must have sensed that if it killed the nereid first, he wouldn''t be able to run away or fight back. It was intelligent, could mask its presence and also use some wind magic. That was the kind of apex predator able to cut all possibility of travel on a road until it migrated or died. They were roughly equivalent to a four-times blessed human following a more combat-oriented God and often able to understand human speech, and even answer sometimes. The Cursed Third, Nidh?gran''s self-proclaimed kingdom was filled with them, but they could also be found in the more desolate parts of the Primal and the Jagged Heights. They were currently not that far from the biggest mountain range of the continent, the Roof of the Earth, but it was still surprising to find such a creature at the very edge of that zone. Perhaps it had fled conflict with another beast, perhaps it just wanted to explore and extend its territory more. Jacques was pulled from his analysis by the noise created by the next collision. But look as he may, he couldn''t catch a glimpse of the mantis. What he saw on the other hand, was Ashirijen smiling fearlessly, waving her spear provocatively after each trade. "Don''t want to stay? I''ll make you!" Her purple snake-eyes narrowed on the creature as soon as it left its cover. She''d been pulling it in, giving the beast confidence the whole time for this very moment. Since her purely physical capabilities weren''t enough to beat it, it was about time she fought as a Child and used Kali''s signature magic. Instead of dodging this time, Ashirijen stood her ground and took the hit head-on, catching one scythe with her spear and the other with her bare hand. Kali, the Goddess of the Self, focused on refining her body and mind to the extreme, creating a complete inner world in the process and evolving into something more, something stronger. With nigh-infinite mental and physical poise, even a missing limb or two were barely chips on the corner of her inner world and would heal in seconds. In order to truly kill her, they would need to reduce the Goddess to dust entirely. Her other powers were all derived from that refined inner world, such as externalising it to overwrite her surroundings and make them her ruling domain or pulling them in to analyse them. Sensing people''s presence and emotions was an application of the latter, and Ashirijen crushing goblins to the ground or catching the mantis bare-handed one of the former. The focus of people towards pain and sacrifice in her worship was nowhere near the full path, degenerating further with time and causing her current predicament. "Gotcha." The nereid was nowhere near Kali''s level of mastery and refinement; she wasn''t the Goddess after all, and living her whole life at sea hadn''t let her refine much of anything besides ''water'' in her inner world. It showed in her movements in general, fluid motions linking together and flexibility despite her size. Her character was still lacking, as was her experience, but right now it was more than enough. Her cruel smile exposed her fangs, and with her eyes shining she unleashed her full strength. The man-sized mantis was paralysed, getting crushed slowly and painfully as the nereid pushed it down bit by bit. Crossing her eyes, it could see its own reflection being ground down under the absurd weight of Ashirijen''s inner world. From Jacques'' point of view, she had caught the creature and it had stopped moving altogether. He knew something was up; it was like the time she clamoured her name and position when they met, but stronger. He had endured strong pressure at the time, but once again it seemed like she had gone the easiest she could on him. Fascinated, he watched as the mantis was reduced to a ball of crushed limbs and death. He didn''t know when he had resumed walking behind Kali''s Child, still absorbed in the scene. Focusing his mind, he could remember tinier details of the event, surprising even himself. Sighing, he looked at the two scythe-arms of the beast dangling from the bags she carried as a trophy. -- East Lake¡­ Ashirijen was finally at ease, back in her element. Everything felt so great compared to being on land; the sensation of flowing water on her skin, the full-body movement, the smoothness of clear water compared to the ocean, the fish, the radiant beauty of sunlight piercing the surface and enough space to swim freely. How great it felt after days of drying under the sun! Well, since neither Ashirijen nor Jacques knew how to make a boat from scratch, they still had needed to walk two more days along the lake to find civilization, but at least she could swim at night. But now that the old man was on a boat to cross the lake, she could take her time and relax, only checking the boat''s progress occasionally. It was time for some good old deep diving exploration. Meanwhile, Jacques was left to his own devices aboard the ferry. He could finally observe his appearance with great detail in a mirror, finding that after another week the patch of dark hair had almost doubled in size. There wasn''t any other change to observe; at least, for now. He was convinced that his hair changing colour wasn''t the last of it. In fact, it was already not the only thing changing: his stamina and general health had shown miraculous improvement over the course of the trip. Alas, he had been forced to leave almost all his laboratory equipment behind and being unable to discover more about his condition right now was ruining his mood. At least he had the mantis'' weaponized forelimbs to examine. Even without his notes and most of his tools, he could still open the things up and take a look inside to see what they were made of. It also distracted him from the map: to get to God''s Eye Lake after this ferry, there was another patch of forest to cross and he was trying to find the best way to tell that to the nereid. It would be a shorter walk than the previous one and on a properly maintained road, but that still didn''t mean that she''d take it with a smile. In fact, remembering the two fights he had witnessed he found that he would be even more scared if she did. 56 Second visit to Ebb Ebb''s harbour on the horizon evoked mixed feelings for everyone in Oakbud''s little group. They stood at the prow of the boat, watching as the silhouette of the city got progressively clearer. The lake pixie had -almost- not bothered them after she made sure Alice''s past trauma was still well-remembered. Since the little spirit had gotten more proficient with magic since last time, he''d been able to save his companion from the water spirit faster by offering her some freshly made water crystals. Liezel''s follower only got out of the cabin in the evening, still cursing lowly at the pixie who had made a point of staying on her windowsill the whole afternoon before leaving to torment other people on the lake. Alice was happy to come back to civilization and eager to find the comfort of an inn. She had continued to train at night on the open deck when no one was up and intended to offer a more elaborate prayer to Liezel at a real shrine, hoping to get a third blessing and close a bit of the gap between herself and the other two. Perhaps she''d become able to condense her element too? Up until now each attempt had failed miserably, dispersing into fine dust despite her unwavering focus. The idea came to her without even thinking of its possible use or difficulty after seeing Thani do it with her blood, but she was ignorant of the advanced lessons Thani had gotten from the God of Nature himself¡­ and was thus doomed to fail. Oakbud was excited and could barely be held in place in Thani''s arms. He was determined to meet Nature again, or at least Talia, to show off his progress and maybe get a bit of insight on what to pursue next. After all he didn''t have any goal besides finding the other Gods, and the lack of a path to tread on the road to power stifled his growth. The God-Child and Ebb''s Time followers were his best bet to learn something about that God''s powers. Thani on the other hand felt a bit apprehensive: her perspective on Kali''s worship and the temple in Ebb where she knew people had been flipped over and trampled multiple times already, and she felt at a loss. Should she say something? Would they even listen before branding her a faith-renouncing heretic? And if they did, what guarantee did she have that they''d believe her even if she could bring proof? That slight bit of anxiety kept her from concentrating properly and was enough to make her unable to crystallize blood properly; it was, after all, much harder than the same procedure for pure elements. She had made a few when they were still on land and stored them for later; the thumb-sized crystals could be used for crafts like her dagger or emergency replenishment if she got injured. Perhaps she could use them instead of water crystals to power small contraptions like a miniature water mill or a fountain, but that would make for a pretty disturbing sight and she soon gave up the idea. Sighing, she gave up and got back to her makeshift sun-soaking spot on the deck to wait for their arrival. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. -- "Whoever said money doesn''t bring happiness clearly hasn''t slept on one of this inn''s beds!" said Alice in between bites of food. Compared to the dusty Coughing Pony Inn where Oakbud and Thani had stayed last time, they almost felt like spoiled children. The ''Ebb''s Flow Inn'' was a higher-end establishment, and its quality showed in both the amenities as well as the nightly price. The chairs had padding, there was enough light to see what you were eating, the bed was fluffy and bug-free, there was no smoke or alcohol smell lingering in the air, the staff was helpful and didn''t try to scam you, proper locks on the doors, and decorations in the common room were both nice and intact. The three silvers a night (with complimentary meal!) were absolutely worth it for who had enough money and did wonders for everyone''s mood after a night of sleep. "I agree", answered a contented Thani. "Can you pass me that plate to your left? That pastry looks tasty." "No way! That''s mine. Order one for yourself if you want it so badly." She guarded the endangered plate with an arm, ready to slap away Thani''s hands, or worse, a blood string made specially to steal food from her. She''d been had once already. "So, what''s the plan now that we''re back on land? To each their own for a bit like we discussed earlier, or is there anything specific we need to be together for?" "Me wants to go to the temples! But me knows the way and can speak well now, so me can go alone with a golem." Oakbud was sitting on the table in-between the two squabbling women. "Me will stay here today, but Thani fairy and Alice can go do other things." "Well," Thani answered, "I was thinking of going back to Auri at the Twin Hammers. The dagger he made is a real masterpiece and I wondered if he''d be able to help a bit with the new armour I got in Ocean''s Guard. Should make for an interesting reunion, faster work, and maybe a discount since he knows a bit about my powers already." Thani took a sip of the tea she''d ordered for breakfast before continuing : "You might want to come at the same time as me Alice, Auri is a true master smith and he''ll be able to process the drake bones you have into a pair of daggers." "Do you think he could engrave my bow too, or maybe even infuse it?" She had seen Thani''s dagger before. The one who made it was no quack doctor, so having an opportunity to meet the man was great in her opinion. She already had plans for all her equipment but remembering her purse''s content, she couldn''t help but grimace. "He probably can, but I''m not confident in being able to pay for it¡­" "Oh, you most definitely can''t," Thani answered with a snigger. "Before we left last time he told me he usually asks for three gold just for the consultation fee. I got lucky because Oakbud worked his magic, is all. I can cover it this time though so don''t worry. Speaking of which, I wonder if he managed to do anything with the crystal Buddy made for him." "Can''t complain if you''re footing the bill or at least part of it. Let''s go after I finish eating." Alice focused back on her breakfast, engulfing the rest of her honeyed gruel and pastry with record speed. The city hadn''t changed much since last time. The streets were still noisy and full of people, and it only got worse as they made their way from the commercial district towards the artisanal one. Gradually, the loud chatter of the markets and shouting merchants was overcome by banging, grinding, cutting and swearing. The distinct smells of metal, leather, wood and fire greeted Thani and Alice with open arms as they carried their gear. The twin handles of the giant hammers making the smithy''s door were visible from afar, peeking over the rest of the buildings, taunting them as they struggled to make their way through the badly designed alleys. They were welcomed by a very enthusiastic teen, probably a younger hire not yet ground down by the harsh job; his smile didn''t even wane when Thani explicitly told him they weren''t here to buy nor sell, but to meet the master smith with precious materials and gear instead. Unfortunately for them, Auri wasn''t available so they would need to wait until his afternoon break at least. Disappointed, Alice made for turning back but was stopped by Thani. "Wait. Auri is not the only competent smith here, and the others also know what kind of commissions he takes. Let''s stay here and work with someone else on feasible designs so we don''t lose time." As impossible as it looked, the young man''s smile widened even further and guided them to a free experienced worker in the shop before going back to the entrance. Finally, they could get some valid feedback on their ideas. Unless it was a relic made by a powerful God-Child or a God himself, equipment couldn''t empower its wearer directly; still, that didn''t mean nothing could be done to pieces of armour. Alice''s bow was planned to get a new stronger string to match her current prowess and an engraving that would let her empower her shots magically. She also wanted to be able to infuse some kind of stealth effect from her shadow magic or her blessing, but it was impossible. Each arrow would need to be engraved individually and the consumption to keep the effect active until the target was hit would be tremendous, so the idea was scrapped. She was still very satisfied with the designs of her future twin daggers though: those couldn''t be infused with shadow magic due to the non-existence of crystals of that element, but they could sill be engraved with runes and circuits for sturdiness and camouflage. Without surprise, her [break] blessing belonged to the ''non-engravable'' category due to its intrinsic effect: it would break the weapon itself if it were channelled through it. Thani didn''t need a new weapon, so she had followed Alice''s discussions before; she got back in the heat of things when the topic switched to their armour however. Since Alice dual-wielded her weapons she didn''t want nor needed something like a shield, and Thani could create one herself in times of need. When looking a bit closer, the smith pointed a major problem with the material they had used: the drake leather could be inlaid with a magic circuit that would help with fitting the gear and another for magical conductivity, but the scales on the outside were another story entirely. Because scales moved naturally with the wearer''s movement, it was completely impossible to create a circuit of engravings without it breaking instantly. Each scale would need to get its own individual engraving, and even the greediest of craftsmen would refuse such a daunting task. The same went for repairing it through magic infusion of powdered drake scales, the process would be lengthy and costly. On the plus side, drake scales were extremely sturdy on their own and few things could pierce them outright; the barely visible markings on Thani''s set despite all her fighting were a good proof of that. The discussions ended a bit after lunch (to which they had invited the blacksmith over), but Auri wasn''t done with whatever he was doing. In the end, they had to wait until sundown, watching the rhythmical work and listening to the symphony of metal and fire playing in the smithy. "Next one!" Slamming his door open, Auri was about to call a name on his list through sheer habit when he recognised Thani''s. Looking through the working space, the surprised bronze mountain of a man instead walked behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I remember you. I hope you enjoyed your dagger till'' now, because you really screwed me over last time." 57 Second visit to Ebb 2 "Soooo¡­ No chance for a freebie?" Knowing it was a lost cause because of Auri''s mood when he grabbed her, Thani still tried to ask with an innocent smile. "None," he answered. "Now follow me to my office, we''ll speak more in there. Too noisy in the workshop." Without waiting for an answer, the smith turned around and started walking at a brisk pace. "Not even a little reduction or consultation fee weaving for an acquaintance?" Auri stopped walking and turned his head for a moment, looking at Thani with squinted eyes. "You''re not an acquaintance in my book right now, but a customer. And a troublesome one at that, so cut the nonsense." With a sigh, Thani turned to Alice who was walking at her side: "There''s your answer. Ready to fork out some gold yet?" "Uh-uh¡­ No choice I guess," she answered in a hushed tone. "But why does he look so annoyed with you?". Thani could only shrug in answer, wondering about the same question herself; Auri looked pretty happy with the trade when she left last time, after all. The personal smithy looked the same behind its heavy door. Same desk, same chairs, same pile of papers, same forge and tool racks all over the walls. Once everyone was seated, Auri took the blueprints the girls had made in advance to look them over, nodding from time to time and adding some notes here and there. While he was studying the plans, Thani continued looking around and spotted the crystal Oakbud had made for the smith last time. It looked like it reduced in size for a bit, so she stood up to pick it up and look at it more closely. She also wondered why it wasn''t in the safe with the other precious materials. "Take it back with you if you like. That thing only brought me headaches; I should never have accepted the deal last time. So much for a follower of Monte taking a bet, huh?" Her standing up had alerted Auri, who was now watching her. "It made me lose time, favour with Monte, and I can''t even craft anything with it. Look at all the colours in it, it''s a giant mess of different elements and powers. I would need to master each and every one of them to be able to isolate them and do something with it. As it is, its only use is to be a magic reservoir from which I take a bit to support myself when working on hard projects. And even then, changing the power to pure magic isn''t easy; I couldn''t without my blessings. Sleeping and taking one more day for a craft isn''t worth your dagger in any way." Thani flinched. Seems like she was lucky Auri didn''t attack her outright when he saw her coming back. If she had to put a price on it¡­ She made him suffer a loss of a good thousand gold if you accounted for her dagger''s materials, engravings, crystal infusion, and time spent. "You¡­ are not going to make me owe you for the bad trade, right?" They had no way to pay that much, after all. Auri''s face softened, and he let out a long sigh. "I know how to take a loss, it''s not the first and won''t be the last. It''ll be compensated for with the overall revenue of the smithy during the next year somehow, even though it''s putting me in the red for taxes. Now tell me which blueprint is for who, and what materials you have if any. I''m still going to ask you for extra service though, you owe me that much. Call it interest if you want." Well, at least they weren''t indebted too much. Thani wondered what favour Auri would ask of her, considering he knew of her strength. "Fine. We''ve got every base material for both daggers and the bowstring. All of it for my companion Alice here, and the armour engravings are for both of us." "Congratulations, you just saved yourself several hundred gold on costs. I can do all of this but it''s going to take time, a whole two or three weeks at least. Also, I have other commissions scheduled before yours, so it''s going to take even longer overall." Taking a board from under his desk, he looked intently at what looked like a calendar planning sheet. "Count six or seven weeks from now for the finished product. Maybe a few days less if another experienced worker comes to give me a hand on the armour engravings since that''s the easiest part. As for labour costs¡­" He looked up, grinning at them to see their reaction: "You better win some more in the arena, ladies, because total will be seven hundred fifty gold." "se- seven¡­ Gluk!" Alice was unable to even speak. She could buy half of her hometown with this! Thani fared better and managed to keep a bit of poise, faking a cough to hide her shock before speaking to the still smiling Auri: "We don''t have that kind of money. I can spare a hundred fifty, but that still leaves six hundred¡­" "Now, my charming ladies, about that favour you owe me¡­" That was the voice of temptation, in the form of the master smith in front of them. That''s when Thani realised that the man wasn''t only a genius at blacksmithing, but also a veteran businessman and a wily old fox. The discussion until now¡­ She was ready to bet he had it all planned while they walked from the common room to his private smithy! -- "He''s got us good, right?" The remark was lost in the noisy alleys of the artisans'' district, but the look in Thani''s and Alice''s eyes was enough to convey the same meaning. A 600-gold favour¡­ And it''s not like they could go and visit the second master smith of Ebb either: Auri was sure to have dispatched someone to tell him they were his clients already, so he wouldn''t take the business either. Both of their businesses were well enough to work together like that despite the competition. And the other wouldn''t even ask anything before throwing them out anyway: one doesn''t simply come in to make a deal only to tell that you lack 4/5 of the money after the estimate is done. "Let''s go back to the inn and tell Oakbud about the deal before accepting. It won''t be too late tomorrow, I''m pretty sure Auri doesn''t mind the help of two people like us." Thani had lost the detailed part of her emotions blessing, but what she had was still enough to know that the big bronze man didn''t hate her down to the bones. The rest of the way back was spent in the dark as they could only meet Auri at sundown before, but that was easily ignored through the public lighting: alchemical lights truly were a boon to cities. This kind of lighting was made with a simple translucent bulb with fire or lightning magic that agitating a special concoction inside. Lighting them up was easy, only needing to pour some un-aligned or same-element magic through it, and each light could emit around 15m of bright light. It was even possible to tint the bulbs if they were made out of glass, for a whole arsenal of colours used to decorate shop displays. True to his word, Oakbud hadn''t left the inn during the whole day. Instead, since they planned to stay for a while, he took the time to make their room feel more like a home. The room waiting for Thani and Alice looked nothing like the one they''d left in the morning, and they even had to do a double take to the number carved on the door to make sure it was theirs. They weren''t even sure if "room" was the correct word to describe the place. "Forest" would be more appropriate. While they were waiting in line for Auri, Oakbud hadn''t spent his time doing nothing. During the same time, he took it upon himself to make the inn room feel more like home to him. The staff had been surprised that he could talk, and a bit perplexed at his request of arranging the decorations a bit (Ebb''s Flow was a nice inn already, after all), but still agreed. Using his seemingly infinite magic, Oakbud started the growth of the furniture again and guided it into new, more artful-ish shapes. The beds ended up a bit higher than before, but their corners and feet didn''t look like they had been cut into shape anymore; if one didn''t give it a closer look, they would look like plants simply grew into the shape of beds. The chairs looked as if they were one with the floor and their padding had been doubled with a soft leaves cushion that would not wilt for a very long time. The wooden desk had re-grown its bark, young, springy and soft to the touch; it was thin too, and there was no height difference to mess writing on paper either. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. But the biggest transformation was still the one the walls and ceiling had gone through, as they couldn''t be seen anymore. Oakbud had put everything he knew in practice to create the most beautiful and relaxing thing he knew: flowers. All kinds of roses, lilies, lilacs and other blossoms shared the whole available space. The staff assumed he would move the furniture around a bit, but Oakbud had truly made himself home; a nature-rich home. Thani felt like she stepped back into the tree-houses the little spirit made her on their way from Pilgrim Woods, while Alice wasn''t sure she was in the right place anymore. 58 Second visit to Ebb 3 Thani couldn''t remember the last time she had slept so soundly. After so much time, she was finally free of responsibilities like temple duty in Pilgrim Woods, wasn''t alert on the road, or in any kind of danger. The group was in the biggest city of the Primal, in a secure location and with nothing but entertainment to think about. For the first time in maybe years or even her drafting into Kali''s temple, she felt at ease and more like herself; she had no more role to play or people''s expectations to conform to. Sure, there were daily worries to cater to like her most recent tab at Auri''s smith, but the rest was still quite far away. Now that she thought about it, she had been stifled for half of her life and even the recent freedom she got by escaping with Oakbud was nothing compared to the feeling of peace she felt this morning .The little spirit had gotten more proactive recently but was still happy to go along with anyone''s plans and needs. And when she realized that he had beaten his fear of losing time, something clicked deep inside Thani. Despite the crushing hardships she had met in so little time, her perspective hadn''t changed; she still felt like a runaway busying herself before getting caught and going back to her previous life. But that night changed things. Why was she worried about time herself? Before she could comprehend it and its meaning, her own time had become close to unending too. What were a few years stuck in the temple when she had so many more to come? Perhaps she''d even look at this memory fondly in the future. How could Pilgrim Woods be considered a problem, how could a debt of money? How could her lack of recent progress with her powers be considered worrying? The scale had changed, and she had everything to create and learn. Opening her eyes, she gave a genuine smile to the little spirit who first gave it to her. -- Oakbud was happy. His Thani Fairy felt even more like his image of a fairy. Something had changed in her, and it could be felt in the air around her. She felt much more like Talia, Nidh?gran and Jack had when he met them before. Thani looked at peace, not unlike the first time he saw her sacrificing blood in her temple''s fountain; except this time he could see its truth. Alice was smiling too, unwilling to get up from the revamped bed. "Me will go see Talia today, what will Thani fairy and Alice do?" He was looking at them from the ceiling, hanging from one of the many flowered branches he grew like a weird fruit. The two below exchanged a look and seemed to agree on something: "Well for now absolutely nothing, it''s way too cosy here to move," said Thani. "Definitely. I don''t intend to move until I''m hungry enough to warrant getting up." "Ooooooh, do you think they have room service here?" "We''d have to get up to ask, screw it," answered Alice with a sigh. "Are Thani fairy and Alice tired?" None of the girls answered immediately. Tired wasn''t the right word after all; it was more like the accumulation of all the stress from their round trip to Ocean''s Guard came crashing down now that they could settle securely for a bit. It was more of a mental exhaustion type of fatigue rather than physical. Both trained their bodies well after all, and boat travel certainly wouldn''t give them muscle strain. "Not exactly tired, no¡­ Oh, and before you go, Alice and I need to tell you about our stuff from yesterday. Are you okay with staying in Ebb for a while? It should be around two months for Alice''s stuff and my armour to be done. Think you can wait this long?" "Me can wait! Meet other Gods in temple, say hello." "I honestly doubt you''ll get to speak to them if we don''t find their Children, but you can try. Don''t get your hopes up too much." "Then me follow Thani Fairy!" It seemed like they didn''t need to worry after all. The real trouble was finding how to pay Auri, but they couldn''t plan anything before discussing with him again so they decided to laze about for the time being. It was barely dawn so Oakbud had enough time to go to the temple of the Three and make it back around midday, depending on how long he would chat with the Child of Nature. -- Since the Anger the continent''s population had fallen extremely low, enough for Ebb to be considered the biggest of cities with a few dozen thousand people in it. It might not sound like a lot, but human population wasn''t the only one to get culled brutally at the time and it even affected climate enough for a small cultural revolution to take place. Many species had been extinguished completely, now at the mercy of the Gods to reappear one day. Four seasons had become two and were renamed to better fit what happened during them nowadays. Spring and summer have become the Boon, fall and winter the Renewal. Influenced by the new Gods after history was hidden away, they had tried to change the number of days in a week and months to better fit the new pantheon but it was quickly abandoned, staying at twelve months of 30 days in four weeks of seven days (including the last two days for rest) each for a total of 360 days a year. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The God-Tree''s death had had much more impact than he thought by dying around the start of the Boon. When he learned of this for the first time, Oakbud had been conflicted. On one hand he was still sad that his Dad-Tree had to die, but on the other he has now decided that it was also a good sign of birth for himself. Thani and Alice''s commission was expected to be done on the fourth week of the fifth month of Boon, and travelling would become harder after that with how broken the Anger had made things. According to what few notes weren''t hidden away by the Gods it had gotten much better since then, but it was still impossible to move during the Renewal without ample preparations. Thinking about this timeline and his own objectives, Oakbud failed to notice he was attracting attention to himself by being a rare and intelligent spirit asking directions to the temple of the Three. A crowd quickly gathered around him and tried to ask him questions, follow them or grant them all kinds of wish for the boldest ones. But this was still Ebb, the city of the Three, so no one dared to grab him forcefully. Spirits only existed in accord with the Three''s domains (even though no one had ever met a spirit of Time and lived to record tell the tale), so harming one under the nose of Nature''s Child was reckless at best, suicidal at worst. In the end, after getting the directions he wanted he got tired of the obstruction and rose a golem on the spot to get to higher ground, away from all the ruckus. His construct also doubled as a convenient bouncer to open up a path, and from the top of its head he could also finally see more than a sea of feet. With its intimidation size, he easily made his way towards the religious quarter. The round and unadorned temple exterior hadn''t changed at all since last time, and Talia''s tree was still towering in the sky above and broadcasting Nature''s presence to any who would look. The three sections inside were the same too, with a few footsteps in the sand at the foot of Time''s sculpted hourglass and a scant few believers sitting on the floor mosaic of Elements. He would need to get to the centre of Nature''s little jungle to see if he could meet Talia alone or not. As it turned out, she had felt Oakbud''s presence the moment his golem stepped up to the temple and so the plants gave way to him voluntarily. When he arrived in her tree''s clearing, Talia was waiting for him while sitting cross-legged with her back to the bark and her head resting on her hands. "I didn''t think I''d see you back so soon, little Oakbud. You were pretty determined to go on a wild chase when you left last time." She had a slight smile on her face and extended a bark-covered arm for him to climb. He accepted joyfully, quickly making his way to the top of her head and hiding with relish in her leafy hair. If the Stalwart Oak was his Dad-Tree, then Talia could be seen as a cousin of sorts. "Me met plenty of people and got much time to think. Me isn''t in a rush anymore. Meet Gods, say hello, but bring friends too." "Oh? Tell me more about that, and I''ll tell you some things that happened here in return." Talia wasn''t afraid of their reunion being disturbed; anyone trying to reach her right now would wander endlessly in circles in the plant life around her tree. Being the Child of Nature had its perks and staying undisturbed when one wanted to be was one of them. His speech wasn''t as hesitant as before, but it seemed to her like he wouldn''t stop referring to himself as ''me'' instead of ''I'' like everyone else. When she asked why, he couldn''t answer properly. Maybe when he grows more he would change his form of address, but despite his incredible learning speed he was still thinking and speaking like a very young child. She listened with interest to his tales of adventure, cheering with him about meeting God''s Eye Lake''s spirit and seeing the previous God of War''s body, comforting him when he got to Nidh?gran and Jack''s meeting, and counselling him for the loss of the Granite. She encouraged him to continue learning different types of magic until he found one he truly liked and wanted to pursue. While she played the part of a good audience, Talia had climbed her tree and brought Oakbud to its crown to admire the view of the city and its surroundings. It truly was a nice spot. From there, they could see the blurry shore of God''s Eye Island, the great plains to the south and forest to the north, and the start of the river going straight west towards the coast. The city plan was apparent with its neat divisions between quarters. With Talia on top of the tree and him on top of her head, he felt like he was standing on top of the whole world. "I would like to meet with this Alice and see what it is Repose left with her. I''ve never spoken to him in person since none of us can move from our spots, but Nature told me a bit about him, and he usually doesn''t bother with anything; he barely even moved during the Anger. Going to such lengths isn''t like him at all so it''s making me curious. How long will you stay this time?" "Me will wait for Thani fairy and Alice to go on sixth month." "Plenty more time to chat then." She clapped her hands once happily. "My turn now! You probably guessed it, but Nature is either sleeping or doesn''t want to speak to you particularly. You didn''t ask either, so you probably know more than before about how it all works oooor don''t care as much because you already met last time. Not that I mind. It feels so good speaking to you, your presence of nature is so strong and more like a plant than the humans below." Seeing that Oakbud was obediently waiting for her to continue, Talia smiled even wider and began to recount her side of things. Since she couldn''t leave far from her tree, nothing particularly eventful ever happened. Routine life while meeting mostly the same faces, discussing the same topics, answering the same questions, waiting for Nature to wake up and bring something interesting up. As hateful as he was, Nidh?gran''s visit was very welcome as it broke that monotony. Jack and Time not coming to see her despite having the same objective didn''t surprise her, that was their character and they were a good pair. She was angry at the dragon and Elements for hiding his status in front of Oakbud, but she had news from Nature for him that would be of interest in the near future. "Now the good news, at least for you! Time has chosen a new Child already; may the other Gods help the poor soul who must now accept his eccentricities. I have no idea who or where, but at least you won''t look for him in vain. Second information that''s a bit stranger though, Nidh?gran is no longer the Child of Elements, and he hasn''t chosen a new one yet either. It''s very strange, because Gods don''t usually change Children unless they die or some extreme case where they need to intervene pops up; them leaving the Child normally kills them. I doubt the old lizard breathed his last though, we''ll probably know when he finishes his next nap or you go meet him on the Third. Don''t spread anything about the Gods around though, please, because that is for them to decide." With everything that needed to be being said, Talia brought Oakbud back to the ground and bid him goodbye. He liked staying close to her very much too, but he also wanted to visit the other temples in the quarter to learn more about each God. Time had flown while they spoke and admired the view, and lunch hour had ended long ago. If he spent that much time in each temple, his round would take multiple days anyway, so he decided to call it a day and go back to the inn. He wondered if it had room service. 59 Second visit to Ebb 4 By the time Oakbud made his way back to Ebb''s Flow, night had begun to fall already. Some city guards were walking down the streets to light up the alchemical lights to fight the blanketing darkness. Nightfall wasn''t the end of the day in Ebb, but rather the dawn of another city. It was the time the rowdier crowd got to let itself free after a hard day of work, the side that he hadn''t stayed enough to experience during his last stay. Some people were dressed better, some worse depending on what they intended to do but whoever he came across only had the entertainment quarter as their destination. The last months of the Boon were the hottest and most comfortable to live in, the lukewarm breeze of the lakeside perfect for nightly excursions and lighter clothing. Perhaps he would explore more later with Alice and Thani. He hoped than Alice would be there to stop him instead of laugh if there was a repeat of him going wild. The entry hall that doubled as restaurant was nearly empty, it wasn''t quite time to eat yet. "Over here, Oakbud!" Alice called him from a table as he was going towards the stairs to get back to their room. Out of everyone present, she was the only one expecting someone to come at ankle level and that''s the only reason she didn''t miss him. His golem had been dismantled and returned to the earth outside because it was truly too big to keep and would only bother people and block the way. She was sitting on a cushioned bench, back to the wall, with a half a glass of unidentifiable juice. "Is Thani fairy in the room? Why is Alice alone here?" He couldn''t see her anywhere even after scouring the hall with his gaze. He was so used to everyone being together, did she not move from the bed all day? "Word for word, she''s gone ''hunting''. No idea when she''ll come back, and in what state." She answered while grimacing. She just couldn''t get used to that side of Thani; it''s like she had a revenge to take on boredom and was ready to do anything, moral or not, to fight it. The cruise was very lacking in distractions, the crew didn''t catch her eye either, and she''d been quite restless towards the end. "Thani fairy need help, found monsters in Ebb?" Alice choked on her drink. She just couldn''t get used to that side of Oakbud either; he was so innocent and didn''t understand what she meant despite the time spent living with her. What in Liezel''s name did she get herself into¡­ That question would become a catchphrase quickly if she didn''t pay attention. "No, no, no." She sighed. "No monster, no danger, no beast. I thought you''d know that best since you can be considered one in a sense. My guess is she''s going to waste a bit of money betting, get drunk or at least try to, surely get into a fight or other kind of contest, and then wreck the door here in the middle of the night or drag some poor soul to his own bed to have her fun." "Oh." She felt bad for giving such a bad image of Thani behind her back and ruining Oakbud''s pure mind, but she wasn''t in the best of moods. They each had their own burden to bear and Alice didn''t understand how her companion could be so loose with how important hers was. She gave Oakbud a pat on his little head. Perhaps she was too anxious, serious and introverted for her own good; she started thinking that the gruff Tembra was right. Well, she wouldn''t throw herself at the first man she met but she should still find some distractions somewhere; her hobby of woodcarving wasn''t much fun and glory. The arena seemed like a good prospect, but she still had vivid memories of her last time in the ring. Getting an arm broken was not the kind of pain she looked forward to again, so perhaps she could try to get another blessing first. Her first motivation to travel had been finding a cure to her friend''s deadly illness. When she first arrived in Ebb, she had made rounds of every herb and potions shops and even went to the temple of Deva, only to find that it had been some old, rare and obscure affliction. She had resolved herself to travel more to find more information elsewhere to put an end to her regret, and in that process had found herself embroiled in divine affairs. That didn''t leave her much time to think about it until they made their way back to the city on the boat, and she had to make a choice what to pursue. "Me spoke to Talia today! Plenty of stories to tell. Talia asked if Alice would come meet her too, she wants to look at Repose-dad''s stone he left you." Oh well. Oakbud looked as happy as ever, and it started rubbing off her bad mood. Tomorrow wouldn''t be too late to think more. Alice continued sipping from her glass, content with looking around and listening to the little spirit for a while. -- Alice woke up at the first light of dawn. Thani''s absence and Oakbud not being much for conversation had her go to bed earlier than usual, so the early wakeup didn''t feel bad. Then she realized that light was coming in their room, meaning that the blinds had been opened. Did someone break in? The adrenaline rush sat her up immediately, giving her the full view of the inn room. Nothing seemed to be missing, and Oakbud looked at her curiously. In fact, something or rather someone had been added instead. Thani was snoring lightly, half naked and not even under her bed covers. Her breath still smelt of alcohol, but Alice knew she wouldn''t be hungover at all since her body processed booze too fast for her to even get tipsy. The little spirit was watching over them like always from a little ceiling nest he made for himself in the flowers. Sighing, she stretched a bit and resolved to get up properly and do her morning exercise then wash up while waiting for Thani to wake up. Good inns had the advantage of not serving the previous evening''s leftovers for breakfast, so they were able to enjoy fresh bread, pastries and fruits while the beautiful white-haired woman shared her nightly adventures. Alice was right in her prediction for the most part. Thani had started lightly by going to a bar and knocking back a few drinks, trying to find something she could buy for travel and not get bored of. Once the general clientele began to get a bit drunk and a lot rowdier, she left and went a few blocks further to a casino. Her luck, boldness and outgoing character didn''t betray her and she managed to get back a majority of her drinking money. Roulette, dice, cards, shells game, arm wrestling¡­ She built up quite a momentum until some losers accused her of cheating, citing her lucky streak and rapid changing of games as proof. "All idiots, I swear¡­ One of these idiots was even playing cards with a mirror to his back. Sure, if using that because the bloke is too drunk to even think is considered cheating, then I''m in the wrong. Muscle-brain warrior with two blessings thought he could arm-wrestle me and thought I used magic to weaken him. Since when do Kali followers have that? My body''s simply more blessed than his." Lifting an eyebrow, Alice countered: "Are you sure you didn''t abuse having divinity to flatten him? I remember you get incredibly strong if you do that. And since it''s not exactly magic no one would know, right?" Thani looked at her with an admiring look. "Shit, I didn''t even think of that! You really have to come with me next time, we''ll make a killing!" "Please don''t drag me into this. First sign being a follower of Eludia or Liezel is usually enough to get booted from gambling dens, without your hair and eyes I think people would have jumped you there and then." Thani chuckled. "Who said they didn''t try? I''ve got a date with five sore losers at the Arena. Bet their lost amount of money I cheated, and they want to fight it out this morning. That should get us about ten gold closer to Auri''s price, and I get to kick some ass with perfect impunity." Her smile looked outright carnivorous. "I''m a tad pissed I didn''t get to finish my night like I wanted to." "So, what''s the plan for today? Oakbud told me that Nature''s Child wanted to meet me, and I prefer delaying our response to Auri than missing that." "I say you both come watch me get some easy money, then grab a bite and go visit Talia. We''ll see if we''ve got some time left after that to go to the Twin Hammers. My match could be a bit late if there''s some other thing planned for today or too many people want to fight over something." "Ugh. I''ll never understand that might makes right aspect. I know that going to guards for your drunk gambling scuffle would be more likely to get everyone in a cell for the night, but it still doesn''t sit well with me." He didn''t need to eat, but Oakbud had been focused on eating a bread bun until that topic came up. He was happy just following the flow since they had more than a month of downtime. "Thani fairy want help fighting?" "Thanks, Bud, but it''s for involved parties only. And don''t worry, out of five three don''t have any blessings at all. I''m going to wipe the arena floor with their teeth, bare-handed." "Then Thani fairy come see Talia with me after too?" "Of course. Who knows, maybe she''ll answer some of my questions about divinity and the path I chose. I hope she does because she''s probably the most qualified to speak about it." Once they had finished eating, Oakbud hopped on Thani''s head and they began making their way to the arena. Alice only took her daggers and Thani did the same, as she wouldn''t need her armour for a fist fight. She would abuse the poor challengers enough as is and the girls also didn''t want to stand out with dragon scale. Perhaps if they thought more about that, they wouldn''t have Oakbud''s golem carry them, but comfort was comfort. 60 Hammer and anvil One of the many good points of the arena, was the fact that you always knew where it was. Partly because it was big enough to accommodate about a fourth of Ebb''s people on its stone benches, and also from the permanent noise and life around it. The circular building had most of its functions hidden inside and underneath the stone, and only left its dust ring open to the public''s sight. Armory, cages, baths, bookers, a kitchen and a guard post shared the space to organize public demands and entertainment. The not so good point of the arena was the abundance of use it received. There were periodic shows and fights for man against man, beast against beast and beast against man, with some tournaments mixed in. Thani had participated in one on her previous visit and took the big gold prize home. But it could also be used for non-violent cultural manifestations, like festivals at the turn of the season where almost everyone would participate and the arena was the only place big enough, or even a space for city guards to train. The rest of the time it was used as a space to resolve conflicts between people, by either fighting it out or asking a popular jury to form. Whatever they chose, they would need to register the grievance and method of dealing with it before waiting for the allotted time to come. The delay could range from a few hours to a week or more depending on the already booked schedule. But at least the registration was quick. Thani quickly led Oakbud''s golem to the public entrance, where they found the five brawlers already waiting. The golem''s intimidating size wouldn''t stop them from trying to get their betting money back. They weren''t thugs or thieves in any way, just normal people working normal city jobs with normal pay who lost their whole money in one evening and couldn''t accept it. But Thani wasn''t opposed to some hearty bullying, especially since it could net her some more money for free this time. After exchanging a quick greeting with a shrug, they went inside to sign up and queued in silence. When their turn came, the booker''s eyes bulged when as recognised the Blood Angel and Alice. Both had left a strong impression on the public during that tournament, and as working personnel he had to keep an eye out for potential prize fighters and returning champions. He quickly rang the little bell at his desk to call for someone on his side to come take his place, before standing up and going to the group to greet them. Special people deserved special attention, and the least he could do was offering them some privacy in a room away from the noisy hall. "This way please," he gestured. "welcome to Ebb''s arena, how can I help you today?" One of the five men didn''t even wait to be seated before cutting to the chase: "Hey, why can''t we just register at the counter like everyone? Are you going to try and ask for money or something? I''ve never had to come to a separate place to do business before." His gambling buddies, Alice and Oakbud were just as perplexed, and only Thani had an idea of what was going on. "This is VIP procedure because of me, right?" She asked with a brow raised. "Precisely," the booker answered all smiles. "We can''t go around forgetting four times blessed tournament winners now, can we?" Thani on the other hand was frowning while Alice and Oakbud watched the proceedings. "Except that now that these guys here heard that, there''s no way they''ll honour their bet. Just look at them¡­" Indeed, the five men had gone white as sheets. They had a single blessing at most themselves, and two of them didn''t have any! They could consider themselves lucky they hadn''t signed or sworn anything before coming here. "And now goodbye to my 10 gold 3 silvers. If I had known, I would have come earlier alone so you don''t scare them off like that. And don''t start telling me how unfair that would be, would anyone really turn down 10 gold for a minute of warm-up?" The booker was starting to sweat heavily too under the accusing glare of Thani, the reality of his blunder sinking in. But that was not the end of his torment. No business sense was required to make threats once you got strong enough, and Thani''s usual grin making its way back on her face was indication of that. "Since you value me so highly and made me lose that much money, you can be pretty sure I''ll be dragging the arena in the mud for a bit. Unless you''ve got something available to compensate me maybe?" -- "I can''t believe you''re not secretly a follower of Liezel or Monte. You''re one of the most crooked thugs I''ve ever met." Alice spat at her companion. Oakbud was humming atop his golem''s head while Thani chuckled in response. The employee of the arena had been completely overwhelmed and the ordeal ended up going to the upper management while the five gamblers ran with their tails between their legs and not a copper richer. Not only did she manage to get a flat five gold directly as compensation, but she''d also secured her group of three a spot on an exhibition match against beasts and another for an endurance gauntlet, where one could stay as long as they won in a ''fight whoever challenges'' kind of competition. They were forbidden of betting on themselves but would get a percentage of all betting money concerning their fights in return. The first fight was scheduled for the end of the following week, and the gauntlet for the month after, well within Auri''s deadline for money. Since beasts had to be captured to be fought in the arena, nothing too threatening could ever be brought back; according to their standards after Ocean''s Guard, of course. As for the other fights, it would depend on who challenged them, but none were overly worried despite their respective weaknesses. Alice had trouble against defensive fighters, especially shield-bearers. A shield is extremely threatening to her because of her short reach and lack of brute strength and stamina. A good fighter would know this too and fight from behind his shield-line without opening himself up to counters, at which point the loser would be the one making a mistake first or running out of energy. Luckily magic could get her out of that kind of stalemate, however it was also applicable to her would-be challengers, and as a result she was the one most likely to get defeated first. Oakbud had trouble with long-range fighters like himself or those who could outpace him and his spellcasting. He was good at controlling the terrain, but the arena offered very little possibilities in that aspect and his lack of mobility was a serious problem if he had to fight alone. He wouldn''t be at risk of anything and could receive any attack freely, but it would be cheating without rules for elimination. Thani was still vulnerable to blitzing with heavy hits, but that was only comparatively to her other strong points. In practicality she remained very much impossible to take down despite deciding to fight bare-handed and unarmoured. She would need to fake exhaustion or no one would ever come up after the first challenge or two, and she would end up making the least money. Her years of faking a good nature and soft personality in the temple would come in handy. Each with their own thoughts on the newest plans, they relaxed on the ambling golem''s arms. It was time to get some food, after which they would all go visit Auri and finally Talia. They would still need to find some other source of revenue after and in-between; earning six hundred gold that easily was completely unrealistic and the amount of betted money wouldn''t even amount to a third or half anyway. Even with the cash prizes they would get, maybe they''d earn eighty to a hundred at most. That was still far from enough so they would need to negotiate going into debt with the smith, not the best of prospects for a group of adventurers; especially considering the amount and irregular income. -- "I didn''t expect you back so soon, to be honest. Thought you''d be scared by the price or would go to my competitor, but you did neither and that''s quite impressive of you. So, what will it be? Tell me quickly, I''ve got to get back to the forge in about ten minutes, metal''s almost molten." They were able to catch Auri during his own lunch because he had left orders to let them in if they wanted to speak with him. Thani pushed Alice forward, as she was the indebted one. Her money was enough to cover her own armour engraving and she was only helping Alice collect enough for her own order. With a bit of luck, the arguments she''d worked on on the way would convince him to accept the order despite the lack of money. "We''ve got an opportunity for about a hundred gold in a month in the arena, meaning after you''d start crafting. That pushes our gold to a third of the amount you''re asking for already. It also leaves time for us to do other things, including the favour you wanted to ask of Thani. Would you consi-" "Stop right there," Auri interrupted by slamming his hand on the table, startling her out of her litany. "I''m not doing 500 gold favours, and you don''t have the money. Too much of a gap, what are you even trying to negotiate? Price reduction? Going into a debt I''m not sure you can repay in a couple lifetimes? Or did you want to order less? Stop dodging around, my time''s precious and I thought yours would be more than that too." "I¡­ I¡­" Alice''s words were stuck in her mouth from the bluntness. "I what? Out with it or walk outside already. I don''t do charity; we have city smiths for that." Auri''s intimidating air was at its maximum at this moment, as anger mixed with annoyance in the tall bronze mountain of a man. She felt small, like she was facing a Granite all over again. But she wasn''t alone, and Thani came in to save the day. "What if we make an Oath that this job concerns the well-being of at least one God, and the interest of¡­" She bit her lips for a moment. Until now her sentence contained no falsehood. However, finishing it was a huge gamble that could end her right here and now. After considering how involved Oakbud was and who his ''parents'' were¡­ Thani decided to take it: "the interest of at least three more." No one really knew how Oaths worked and how much magic was involved in them, or how the Gods were aware of them and when. But one thing was written in stone, and that was immediate catastrophe for whoever made one and lied or broke it. Immediate loss of blessings, curses and even death weren''t out of the question for the biggest infractions. It truly was the best insurance system for anyone and anything, applicable to any creature sentient enough to make one. And now it was Auri''s turn to be speechless. How dare she? Who was that woman really? He got a glimpse when he made the dagger for her, but things looked to be far more complicated than that. If she confirmed that and nothing happened, it could very well be the biggest event since the Anger, and also meant that at least three Gods recognised his would-be role in whatever she was dealing with. And under his eyes, she repeated it . And while Oakbud stayed gleefully ignorant of the severity of the situation, Auri crumpled down on his table holding his head in his hands, Alice stock stiff on the side. 61 Hammer and Anvil 2 The tension around the table evaporated slowly. About a minute later, Auri finally managed to calm himself down enough to think rationally. His blessing of fate received from his God Monte was screaming at him, but he couldn''t make sense of it. Was it danger or opportunity? He could not decide. "You can''t say something like that and expect me to give an answer right away. Come back in¡­ whatever, at least five days. I need to think and plan things, just know that I will not ignore what was said here today." Sharing a few awkward looks with Alice and Thani, he decided to send them away for now. He watched their receding backs in wonder. It had been a while since he''d felt so conflicted about something. His bald head, tall height, flattened nose and sunken black eyes usually mellowed every customer enough for him to get his way in business, but this? How do you intimidate a God? Multiple Gods apparently even? He needed to think seriously this time. He got up, not even finishing his meal; he didn''t have the stomach for it anymore. The bronze mountain made his way to his vice-forgemaster to discuss organization. "Something''s up. I''ll be out for a bit, put away whatever''s in my forge and extinguish it. Cancel everything I had for the coming week and forget the money. Some things are worth more than that." Not waiting for an answer from the gobsmacked man he''d worked with for a good dozen years, Auri unbuckled his tool belt and heavy leather apron and made his way out in the city. -- Because it was still early in the afternoon, Oakbud asked Thani and Alice to come and see Talia with him again. She could surely help Thani on her quest to Godhood, and she wanted to meet Alice anyway; he only anticipated the comfort of climbing her hair again. They were unable to get straight through to meet her though, and had to wait for a good hour before the leaves of the vegetation parted away before them. When the group finally came before Talia, she was waiting for them in her usual spot with her back against her tree but looked a bit down. "Sorry I couldn''t let you through earlier" she said while giving her right arm for Oakbud to scale up, "but I was meeting with some of Ebb''s administrators. There''s been a confirmed rise in numbers of dangerous and blessed beasts in the southern part of the Primal since the Stalwart Oak''s death and it''s causing many problems overall; trade''s declining, pilgrimages get aborted, information circulation is hindered and even if you can''t see effects in the city itself yet, fear is rising." Talia rubbed her temples softly with her head hung low. People knew she was a Child and came to her for their problems, but that didn''t mean she was able to provide the best solutions. Her status didn''t make her omniscient; even the gods weren''t. And as Nature''s Child, she couldn''t really make partial decisions and advocate for extermination. That would be against her very nature as a dryad, and also mean giving up her role of protector. "Shouldn''t blessed creatures become more intelligent? I''m pretty sure that with two blessings establishing rudimentary dialogue would be possible, no?" Thani asked. Having lived at the border of the Forest of Creation for her whole life, she was the most informed about that kind of thing. "What happens when you let an oppressed predator free? The Oak was keeping them down and now they have no limits. Of course they don''t stay peaceful. All people can do is wait, see and adapt for now. But enough about that, what can I do for you today?" Alice took a hesitant step forward, intimidated by the fact that she was meeting with a Child. "Uh¡­ I''m Alice, Oakbud told me you wanted to meet me." "Oh? Oh!" Talia''s face lit up with anticipation. "Yes! He told me Repose left something with you, I''d like to see what it is. He doesn''t do much usually and Nature told me that he only stood by during the Anger, so I''m curious. I''m confident he did it because of Oakbud here, but because we''re both aware of each other but unable to communicate, rooted in place, I really want to see. It''s like an undirect meeting of sorts for us." The dryad was outwardly much more approachable than Nidh?gran or Jack had been, so Alice managed to calm down quite a bit by the time she got close to Talia. With a slight blush, she opened up her shirt to show the crystallized lifegem the Granite had left between her clavicles. "Wait, isn''t that some of his lifegem?" She grabbed Alice''s shoulder and pulled her face closer to the rock. "That means he''s able to hear us! Hi! I''m Talia, Nature''s current Child! I''ve heard a lot about you, sorry we can''t meet face to face! Let''s get along." ¡­ There was no answer, though, and she sighed. "Aw, he can''t communicate back it seems, too bad. I had so many things to ask him. In any case, you don''t have to worry about it. He''s just looking out for you because he''s curious of your group somehow, and if you show it to other people or creatures that can recognise it they''ll definitely be friendly like I am. There might be something more about it, but Nature would need to be here to tell us." "Wait, seriously? You¡­ You''ve got to be ki-kidding right?" Alice lost her cool enough to stutter and tried to pry the stone off her chest. "You damn stack of rocks! I''ve been scared shitless of what your nasty trick was since the day we''ve met, and now you''re just peeping on us? Even when I¡­ Fuck! No way! Fuckfuckfuck it hurts! You damn creep! Aaaaaah!" Leaving Alice to her hysterical fit and Oakbud playing with the leaves on her head, Talia turned her attention to Thani. She had sat down and was waiting for her turn. Talia couldn''t help but notice how much she had change since the last time they met. She looked more poised and confident, and the shadow of fear that her wavering faith had cast over had gone from her face. "Why are you here, though? Nature won''t help you more on your path, as much as he''d like to help Kali. And you look quite well on your way." "I hoped to talk to you about magic in general¡­ I feel myself and my magic changing, and my soul''s shape has been in the back of my mind for a while now. I''ve become more proficient at using the little divinity I own so it''s easier to perceive it myself, but there are still many things that elude my understanding. For example, I''ve decided to walk the path of Blood and Life; I''ve pretty much figured out blood and know of its role in life and healing, but I still have yet to take any more steps in that direction. I''ll be forever grateful for the magic manipulation lessons you have given me, but I feel I have reached a wall there." "Well, isn''t it simply a case of lacking knowledge? You know extremely well how natural healing works after experiencing it over and over again with your regeneration, but how about Time healing and Deva''s return to Order? What is your ambition for healing, what will you create?" Thani realized the dryad was right. Her knowledge was limited, and while she was taking on Kali''s domain of Blood and sacrifice for herself, she had to create something new entirely for healing. No wonder she was blocked, her perspective on what she had to do was wrong from the start. "I''ll take your silence as acceptance, then." Talia continued. "Why don''t you go and meet Eliott in the temple for Time? He''s no child, but his mastery of magic is incredible and I thought he''d be chosen next after the undead. I think he doesn''t have many years left either, maybe that''s why. You could also try the temple of Deva later." "I''ll do that. What is that return to Order you spoke of though? It''s the first time I''ve heard of it." Deva was known as the Goddess of Truce so it wasn''t totally out of place, but the word Order made her think of contracts rather than healing. "They''ll tell you more than I can about it at Deva''s temple. No point asking me more, because I honestly have no idea." Talia looked at Alice, who was now rolled in a ball on the floor whining. "She''s not taking it well, huh¡­ You look pretty okay with it though, it''s surprising." Thani answered with her signature grin: "Well, I''ve practiced ritual scarification naked in front of crowds for years, so I haven''t cared about that kind of thing for a good dozen years, you know?" -- Alice''s eyes were still a bit red when they left Talia''s grove. They went straight for the hourglass statue, and after asking a bit about the Eliott the dryad mentioned, they found themselves face to face with a decrepit man. He only wore a simple brown robe, opting to stay barefoot in the fine sand around the statue. His eyes had lost their light and he was obviously blind, his head was bald, his skin saggy, his bones devoid of much flesh. At the side of the bench he was sitting on was a wooden cane, and going by his general look of frailness he was someone who needed assistance in his daily life to keep on living. It looked like Oakbud felt something from the man though, because he was awfully silent and reserved in front of him, examining him intently. "Hello? Are you Eliott?" Thani asked softly. "In the flesh! Or what''s left of it, anyway." He turned to her with a broken half-smile, gesturing to invite them to sit at his side. His voice was surprisingly normal in comparison to his appearance, not weak nor wavering. Looking up at the hourglass he couldn''t see, he spoke: "What do you need me to heal, and when did the injury occur? Which of you three needs my assistance?" "Sorry, we''re not coming to see you about an injury¡­ Talia has told me to come to you to learn about Time healing." "She did, did she?" He nodded a few times to himself, lost in thoughts. They didn''t realize he knew of Oakbud''s presence despite the absence of any noise announcing his presence. "Yes, let''s do a bit of a lesson here. What do you know about the magic of Time? My guess is nothing, but let''s take it from the start anyway. Do you know how threading clothes work? I like to compare Time to a thread of fabric." Thani and Alice exchanged a look. The comparison seemed a bit far-fetched¡­ "You think I''m crazy, right? I felt you tense up for a second." They were caught red-handed. "Don''t worry, it''ll make sense soon. Imagine that each person or thing has its own thread, and that all combined together, they form an intricate mesh that is¡­Time. Time magic is the art of navigating this mesh and changing parts of it as precisely and effectively as possible. And it''s only because I''m so good at it that I can bear being blind. My vision isn''t the same as yours anymore. But because it''s so incredibly complex, and I''m coming back to the analogy of a thread of wool here, you can''t touch that mesh without consequences. It''s commonly referred to as erosion. Look at my robe, for example." Eliott pulled on the right sleeve of his robe, rubbing it between two fingers. A few tiny specks fell to the floor, lost in the grains of sand. "Some fell off, right? It''s all the little parts that are lost because of my actions. My robe lost a bit of thread, and maybe my skin has been rubbed off a bit too. And that was only touching the mesh. Do you understand better now?" Thani felt Oakbud shiver on top of her head. She didn''t even feel him climbing up there. Was the old man messing with them? Each of them remembered the traumatic encounter with Jack vividly. "This is terrifying¡­" murmured Alice. "It is, isn''t it? and it takes a lot of willpower to dive in again and again. Let''s come back to our thread for now, and I''ll try to describe what happens during common time magic usage. Slowing and accelerating things is what most people think of first, and they''re right as it''s also the basis for far more advanced uses. My left hand is the current point in time, and my right is what we''re going to enchant, alright?" Eliott made his right hand close in on his left. "Compression. The same thread happens much faster than usual, but coming to the opposite, it stretches the other end." He widened his arms. "And stretching. Now things will happen slower until the string is back to normal. But leaving someone slowed down or sped up by a fraction for the rest of his life would be tragic, wouldn''t it? If you have ever experienced a Time spell of this kind, you know how sick it can make you feel at the end of its duration due to the catch-up in time. That''s why the very first thing we learn when it comes to Time magic, is the ability to grab more wool from somewhere, be it ourselves or the target''s, to patch up the thread. And that''s where the life consumption occurs." Eliott lifted his right hand, and pointed down at his left. "We can''t take from our left because it''s the build-up to the right, the future, and touching the past can create lasting damage to it easily, maybe even snapping the thread and destroying what it''s linked to. So we take it off the right end." "Wait, maybe Oakbud''s scream is Time magic then? I know it feels horrible at least." Alice intervened, and Thani nodded. "Oh? Please describe the effects of that scream. Better in fact, use it on me and I will be able to tell immediately, won''t I? Don''t worry, I can take it." Oakbud did what he was asked after jumping down in front of the man from Thani''s head, weakly at first but quickly rising in intensity. He reached a level he hadn''t before, one enough to slaughter small animals and knock people out instantly in an area. Thani had gotten up, taken a step back and was grimacing, while Alice was kneeling on the floor retching, and Eliott stayed unfazed. "Definitely time magic, indeed. It''s like he''s grabbing the mesh and shaking it, just like the stretching and compression I explained before, only with a bigger amplitude and higher frequency. Do it hard enough and the thread can snap, killing whatever it''s connected to. But I haven''t felt erosion from it, which is strange; it felt different than usual magic. That would be divinity, wouldn''t it? What an incredibly wonderful creature you are, able to do so much while preserving the threads perfectly. Thank you for having come here to meet me. Thank you for showing me this before I pass away." "So that was the principle of time magic for living things, right? Do inanimate things also have threads?" Thani asked. "They do. But as they are not alive in the same sense as we are, interacting with them is different. I would not compare them to wool, it differs for each thing. For example, I could turn a rock into sand," Eliott said, pointing at his bare feet under the hourglass. "But It''s much more taxing; how hard do you think it is to break rock with wool?" They knew that like each leader of the temple of Time, he''d had his part in filling the sand pit around the hourglass. His description of the act only reinforced their awe of the frail old man. "And now we come to your question I know is coming, healing. Why wouldn''t it? As you surely know, to make wool thread you need wool fibre. Healing concerns that much finer fibre, it is the art of repairing the thread. Here is its principle : focus on a point of the thread before the injury occurred, find the fibre showing the healed state you want your patient to be in, find the fibre of the present where the injury occurred, shave off the future end to connect them both and replicate the past on the present. The older the injury, the more you need to shave off to connect time, hence the incredible cost of time healing. Without this connection, just like the moment after an acceleration spell, the injury would reappear because there would only be a small healed section on the thread without continuity, and the shock would in most cases kill the patient immediately. Without that connection, I would need to heal the whole future of the thread, and that would bring ruin both parties. And repairs are repairs, only a patch on a weaker point of the thread. Multiple time healings over the course of time will only exacerbate those weaknesses, and their cost will rise exponentially. That is why Time healing is the most powerful, but also the most dangerous." "Your appearance, all this knowledge¡­ you''ve been practising for an incredible amount of time, right? No wonder Talia asked us to visit you." Alice whispered in awe. "Hohoho! Cough cough¡­" Eliott took a minute to calm his coughing and laughing fit. "Thank you, I hadn''t laughed that hard in a while, but you''re wrong. Everyone always is, for that is the price of Time. For your information, I will be turning 28 years old on the third month of Renewal." Feeling their brains stop working for a moment, the seemingly old man smiled proudly. 62 Hammer and Anvil 3 "I''m not going to the temple of Deva. I''d just slap the first of them I see." Alice declared before Oakbud or Thani could give a signal to their now staple carrier-golem. She didn''t get on its arm, hesitating a bit in front of the construct. "Alice fairy doesn''t like Deva?" Oakbud asked. "Why? Maya fairy was nice, with pretty wings!" "Never met her, and I told you why I started traveling before, right? I want to find a cure to the disease that killed my childhood friend. But it didn''t happen in a snap of the fingers, you know?" Alice sighed, while Thani looked down from the golem''s arm to listen. "I don''t know the specific limits, but Deva''s followers are able to heal wounds and treat diseases. We¡­ I¡­ did all I could to stop him from getting worse, and called for a healer. With what we just learned I understand a Time healer couldn''t have helped, but I don''t even want to hear how Deva''s blessing works." Alice took a big breath with hate in her eyes. "Her temple answered us, saying they''d send someone quickly; he came a whole week later than what they said, and it was too late by then. And when the priest arrived, not a word about the delay, not a sorry, AND HE DIDN''T EVEN VISIT HIS GRAVE! HE JUST LEFT AGAIN LIKE IT WAS JUST ANOTHER JOB!" Her outburst turned a few heads in the street, and stunned Oakbud and Thani completely. But Alice wasn''t done yet, and climbed on the golem''s right arm in front of her to get closer to them. With a steely voice, she continued softly so only them could hear her: "I never told you how I got my blessings before, did I? Maybe you won''t want me following you anymore. I stalked him, and I killed him in cold blood. On his way back, staging a beast attack. I thought my vengeance was blasphemous to the Goddess and prepared to end my own life, and I received two blessings at once from Liezel telling me otherwise. So I''ll say it again, I''m not going to that temple. I''ve made my peace with Deva, but I don''t want to associate with her followers either. Ever, if possible. See you later." She jumped down and started walking back towards the inn, leaving her two companions petrified and trying to digest what she just told them. Oakbud was the first to recover through his naivety. "Is Alice bad?" "¡­No, she''s not." Thani took a bit of time to think before continuing. "But don''t speak of it to anyone. I think she told us now because what Eliott said has shaken her, hard. Deva is known as the Goddess of Truce, and that manifests mostly through healing, contracts and order in general. But that man¡­ He didn''t have long to live anyway in my opinion. A capable healer has at least two blessings, and that represents a certain level of piety and self-investment; if what Alice just told us is true, then he broke two or even all three of these three tenets at once. That''s not something you can do without paying for it dearly at that level. And ironically, that''s the kind of scar in her mind that only time can heal." "Then is Alice good?" Thani sighed. "¡­No, she''s not. But who is or can be, really? I thought you''d seen enough of me by now to know that." She tapped the golem''s shoulder and pointed at the direction she wanted to go, prompting it to begin moving. "Come on, let''s get this over with and get back to the inn before night falls. Alice is going to need some support when we get back." -- Deva''s temple architecture was rather clear-cut and sober, but also featured beautiful curves towards the top and windows of the second story. The roof was slanted inwards into a patio where a little garden was tended to. The whole place was radiant, built with pure white polished rock and decorated with soft winter flower pink and subtle gold. Thani and Oakbud got off the golem in front of it and took a moment to take in the view of the building. The man welcoming them seemed very young and probably just got his very first Blessing. It was plastered all over his overly cheerful face and tone. "Hello, welcome to the temple of Deva! What can I help you with? Do you need healing, counsel, or settle some business? Oh, and is this a spirit? How incredible!" ''At least that bubbling idiot didn''t ask if I wanted to convert¡­'' thought Thani. He didn''t even have a trace of wings poking out of his back, definitely a zealous newcomer. She hadn''t come here often in the past, maybe once every few years, but Thani could understand why Alice didn''t want to be exposed to such a cheesy greeting. She answered with a flat tone, not showing any interest in or effect from his speech. "If you''re not an accomplished healer, you can''t help me. And I do mean one of the higher-ups, not a general healer." "Healing healing!" sung Oakbud from her hair. It might have come off as rude, but having eyes without pupils didn''t always help with expressiveness and they didn''t want to linger too much this time. Alas, they needed his help and couldn''t just brush him off to head inside. Talia was a Child so her knowledge and power were incredible. Eliott, if pressed for it, would surely be able to contend against someone with five Blessings. But they were surprised to learn that the highest power in Deva''s temple only had three. Apparently the most they ever had in Ebb was four, but that person had passed away about twenty years ago. Because of this, their insights weren''t currently that deep and the healers relied mostly on their Blessings to do the work. Deva''s Children had only appeared as human two times in history, which didn''t help either with their accumulation of knowledge. They still found a healer with free time to speak to, and were able to learn the wide principle behind their healing methods: "order", also called the "normal state" of things. That was why an already scarred wound couldn''t be healed because it had become the new "normal state", and they were able to fight but not directly cure sickness: they could restore the symptoms but the patient''s body was still the one curing itself. Thani and Oakbud realized two big things: first, there was a fundamental difference in approach between the Three and the Gods of Men. The Three didn''t bestow blessings per se but rather pushed one to improve their own comprehension of their power. Thinking about it for a bit, that divide was clearly visible with elementalists, completely obvious with Eliott, and gave food for thought about Nature too; they''d have to ask Talia to confirm. On the other hand, the Gods of Men bestowed blessings through their divinity, which acted like shortcuts to use magic or improve an aspect of the recipient. And second, Oakbud could mess with that. It was already proved when he bestowed Blessings early on on Maya and later Harp. This in turn had them reflect on what divinity actually was, and why Thani felt so stuck on the path she had to make for herself. With how unnatural Oakbud''s learning speed, common sense and general comprehension was, The God-Tree had truly done something incredible that toppled everything they knew or could have imagined a few months before. But ignoring those revelations, the most memorable point of their visit was still the beautiful building and that was a bit disheartening. -- The return to Ebb''s Flow was made without much conversation, each thinking deeply about what they learned - again. Despite having no time imperative or planning to follow through, the rush of information and the process of integrating it felt suffocating. Their rate of growth was almost alienating. Luckily the golem was taking care of walking for them, as who knows how long they could stay absorbed otherwise. The sun was just beginning to come down when Thani made her way back to the room with Oakbud on her head. She sighed in relief when she saw Alice was there, and again because she was asleep and looked like a wreck; it was clear she had been crying her heart out on her bed. But that break down seemed to have another effect, that she probably hadn''t noticed herself yet in her state of dismay: Her hair had completely transitioned from the blonde dyed tar black to a natural black with profound purple hues. It seemed like Liezel had bestowed his blessing on her again for a total of three. Thani decided that if any, now was the time to get back to her gentler temple head persona, and stepped up to do something about it. She had soothed innumerable physical wounds in the past but wasn''t a stranger to mental anguish either. Sitting on the bed, she took Alice in her arms and began combing her hair softly with her fingers while repeating softly: "It''s okay. You''re not to blame. You did right. You''re not alone." Oakbud watched in contemplation from his little nest on the ceiling as the sun began setting down accompanied by Alice''s wailing. Unable to fully understand the situation below, he wondered how the coming fight in the arena would go. 63 Ashes to ashes From a certain depth onwards and down, light couldn''t permeate the water anymore. That was the case at sea and the same went for the lake where its depth was sufficient, but it wouldn''t deter Ashirijen from exploring the surroundings of the boat. Her eyes were better at seeing underwater than above it anyway, and she had other senses to rely on if light was absent. At best she''d see in black and white, and at worst she would only need to concentrate on her perception more and decrypt the movements of water and heat around her. The body of a predator had its perks. It was in these conditions that she was able to find the comfort of her deep-sea cave, where the blinding light of the sun couldn''t hurt her eyes anymore. The fact that she had to come up from time to time to check on things up there and ask how much longer the trip would be pissed her off, but also kept her occupied. The nereid was indeed facing incredible boredom at the moment: the fish were scared of her be they Blessed or not (those were more intelligent and tended to run away even faster), the passengers were scared of her, the crew was scared of her, the other boats she swam to were terrified of her. She had nothing exciting to do besides swim, eat and sleep, but as relaxing as that could get her patience was reaching its limits. No more familiar merfolk to speak to, nothing to fight; the biggest fish she''d hunted in the lake couldn''t even put up a struggle, and the fun of seeing humans scrambling around to avoid aggravating her had passed. The only good point in that situation was Jacques, the strange Child of Time. He wasn''t scared of her, so despite the discomfort of staying in the sun she ended up spending more and more time on the deck or in his cabin. But he was still kind of obnoxious, completely absorbed in studying whatever caught his fancy. Currently, that meant her and him. Her, because he never had the occasion to meet a nereid face to face and talk peacefully about things before and was eager to learn more about the whole underwater world. And him, because his obvious reverse-aging was taking up every other waking moment he had. The first change had been that black lock of hair that continued growing by the day; most of it had got its colour back after the week of navigation. The second had been his energy and general fitness, which was in his own terms "Outrageous! Truly, truly, outrageous!" because he could skip his usual nap to continue examining things instead. He could be considered slightly weak instead of febrile now. And finally, his body: it hadn''t started immediately but his face was slowly losing its deep creases, his back was straightening itself, and his voice regained some power and stopped trembling. The only question was at what point the transformation would stop, as for some baffling reason the old man had been adamantly refusing to try and initiate contact with the God watching over him and was still unable to cast magic. Scary for scary, they both were alienated by the rest of the people on the boat despite providing them with security, food, and knowledge of healing. "Your lakes are so boring! I''ve had time to swim far and wide while your even more boring boat goes on slowly, but there''s nothing interesting at all! No shiny stuff, no corals because it''s fresh water, and no action either because everything just swims away whenever I get close. Your fish have no backbone at all, even those with a blessing or two¡­ They were the ones to flee the fastest. I need a bank of maw-anglers to pop up to vent, seriously. I want to kill something lively." Ashirijen huffed in annoyance in Jacque''s room under the deck. The alchemical solution covering her skin had stopped working this morning, and she had started sweating a sticky film on her skin again to the dismay of the cleaning crew. She was extremely bored, and even dirtying his bed wasn''t enough to cheer her up. "I already asked you to please use a towel to sit on! And to cover yourself up when you come on the boat, I don''t know what''ll happen next if I keep getting younger at this pace!" Jacques had his back to her, fiddling with something on a small table on the side. She could see his tweezers poking out of his closed hand, he was obviously too absorbed in cutting up whatever he found (or even himself) to pay any serious attention to her. "As if you could fall ill anymore now that you''re a Child. A humid bed won''t kill you in your sleep." She smiled showing her fangs and a clawed hand, despite him not being able to see it: "And what if I decide to tease you anyway? I''m bored and almost twice your size, you oversized shrimp. Try me, I''m sure you''d look stunning splattered on the ceiling." This kind of banter had gone on for the past few days but would come at an end very soon: land was visible, more boats were passing by than before and the town they were headed to was in plain view. "Khmn! Khm." Jacques coughed to cover up his embarrassment. Thinking about it, he would have ended up at spear-tip, crushed under her magical pressure for that comment not long before; he wasn''t sure that her getting more familiar with him was helping, though. "What are maw-anglers anyway? You keep talking about them but never really described them. Is it a kind of fish I know but under a different name?" "Hah! I knew you''d ask, finally can''t stand it anymore, huh? Took longer than I thought I''ll give you that." Ashirijen clapped her hands in glee. Truly, she was relieving her boredom in any way she could. "No, you surely don''t know them, they live in the depths where light doesn''t shine anymore and the weight of the sea can crush about anything. Mostly deep crevices. Only ones that would rarely come to the surface are the weak ones or the sick ones, so you up there only get the small fry. Maybe you could find some where mountains meet the sea, there''s bound to be a trench there. We call them maw-anglers because the biggest thing they have is their mouth, and they can unhinge it to grab onto and eat stuff bigger than themselves. And let me tell you, those teeth are nasty. Size-wise, they go from an arm''s length to bigger than me, so there you go. Scales aren''t too tough; I can shred them without my spear. Kind of slow swimmers but it makes it harder to sense them coming when you can''t rely on your sight. What else is there¡­ Oh, yeah, small ones live in groups and bigger ones go solo, but both can make you disappear in a flash!" She grumbled a bit before finishing: "That''s why I lived at the border of a deep trench, they don''t come that far up often, they''re good sport, and other people didn''t come down to bother me either so it was a cool and quiet place." "And no, I won''t catch one for you." She added before he could say anything. -- "C''mon, help me rub your stuff on my back before we get to land so we can get things done." Ashirijen was looking with impatience at the lakeside city growing into her view, alchemical solution in one hand and pointing at Jacques with the other. Since she couldn''t splash around in a tub of the strange concoction like the first time, she had no qualms in asking for help; she was too lazy to bother twisting around blindly and risking missing a spot. It was now or never anyway: they could already make out some details on the buildings and even see people scuttling about on the docks. "Alright, alright¡­" Jacques relented. "At least we know it''ll last until we reach God''s Eye lake, but just in case don''t go wiping it off somewhere. I won''t be able to make more until I settle down and get some tools back." The blue-purplish nereid really was a slave driver, but she wasn''t one you would even try to say ''no'' to. Despite her apparent laziness, she had quite the sanguine temperament and was still ready to jump into action at a moment''s notice. It had happened only once, but he''d never forget the time where she seemingly forgot his presence and allowed him to surprise her inadvertently by making noise. He had let a glass fall from his desk by accident, and the shattering noise jump-scared her; Ashirijen had instantly switched from dozing off on his bed to a fighting stance despite not being quite awake yet. Luckily for him her groggy state meant that she took a fraction of a second more to assess the situation instead of striking instantly, saving his life. The most memorable had been her eyes, fully opened with pupils narrowed into slits, scanning for movement with burning intensity. Next were her bared fangs and extended gills in a display of threat. At that instant he had not been ''Jacques'' in her eyes but something else entirely¡­ prey. The terror he felt as they locked eyes for a second had been a grim reminder of her nature, to say the least. Tension had left her quickly and she had started berating him for his breakage in stride, but Jacques was confident that she was trying to hide her embarrassment at being surprised like this. But he also knew that she probably had raised some walls around her again, and that she would never allow herself such a moment of weakness again. Not that he would voluntarily try to scare her again, mind you; he still had too many things to study to gamble his life away like this. "What do you mean it''ll last enough? That''s Ebb, right?" Ashirijen asked with her gaze locked on the city. "No, it''s not. We still have a stretch of forest to cross to reach God''s Eye lake, and then a good fifteen to twenty days of navigating again. I thought you were in a good mood despite having to go back on land, but it seems it was misguided." He felt her freeze under his hand, and heard an ominous creaking sound coming from under her feet. Without a word, Jacques sped up his movements. By the time he looked up again after screwing the cap on his reserve of the product, she was nowhere in sight. He could swear he hear a scream from under the water, though. Jacques found her again soon enough. She had reached the shore at extreme speed, and he was wondering why she''d done that until he saw the first tree fall. Then another, followed by many more, often multiple at once. She popped back on the deck a few minutes before the ship started docking, scaring everyone a bit more than they already were with a chilling glare and a single hate-filled sentence before going in Jacques'' cabin to wait: "Fuck sand, fuck leaves, and fuck trees." 64 Ashes to ashes 2 Thinking back to the difficulties of negotiating calmly with the other party with a 2.5m tall and intimidating nereid behind you, Ashirijen begrudgingly accepted to remain hidden under the docks until Jacques could find another group to travel through the forest with. Sure, her magic-laced voice could make any discussion a breeze, but it wasn''t a good situation to take advantage of it. Not that they couldn''t move by themselves, but the old man truly didn''t want to travel alone with her again. She could restrain herself for the group, however once he was left alone with her, he would have to bear her temperament and tantrums. Of course, saying that to her face meant getting his own slapped, and so he wrapped that under the argument that he needed to replenish some necessities for the coming days. Finding another group of travellers would become a "lucky coincidence" she would be unable to refute, and his mind would be at peace. The nereid in question was looking at the sky, bobbing up and down alongside the small waves under the wooden docks, gripping a pillar with her long and prehensile tail and doing her best to simmer down. She was annoyed already, and the old coot obviously had some kind of plan she wouldn''t be able to refute when they separated. He was devious like that. It wouldn''t feel so bad if she could get back at him a little, but since brute force was impossible the leftover options didn''t feel satisfying enough compared to the effort. Her best comfort was that Kali was with her almost all the time these days; she hadn''t been able to talk with her so often in years, even if the reason this time was the Goddess'' curiosity towards Time''s new Child. Slowly caressing her coral spear, she waited. "Bad temper my ass¡­ How would he feel if he was forced to suddenly spend multiple days underwater, huh?" -- Ashirijen had trouble sleeping. The forest was a deeply unsettling environment for her. Water blocked sound and light differently than air, and the rustling of the wind in the leaves kept her on edge. She was also not used to living with a group, and she constantly confounded the other traveller''s noises with something hostile. No way she would ever sleep under a tent in those conditions, blocking her vision. Still thinking how unpleasant the situation was, she heard Jacques roll over in his sleep and sighed. At least he was quiet like this. Then he rolled over again, and another time and she heard an ominous whimper. Something was wrong. Opening the old man''s tent''s flap, she saw him struggling against his sleeping gear. Wasn''t it supposed to be brand new? How was it possible for him to rip some bits of it off with his meagre strength? "Wake him up, quickly!" Kali screamed in the nereid''s mind. Knowing better than to disobey the Goddess, Ashirijen grabbed the old man and began shaking him, to no avail. "Use magic!", Kali added, her voice more urgent. The moment Ashirijen put pressure on the old man''s head, he woke up with a start, taking a big breath of air as if he had been drowning. She held him down, looking with rising apprehension as his eyes darted around crazily. Did he finally snap? After what felt like an eternity Jacques finally calmed down and clarity returned to his eyes. "What the fuck was that, old man¡­" Ashirijen muttered, and she felt Kali metaphorically shake her head in hers. The bedroll was slowly falling apart under her hands. That was magic, no doubt; and very advanced time magic at that. The only response she got though, was Jacques curling into a ball and sobbing uncontrollably, before slowly falling back into an agitated sleep. Frozen by shock, she decided that questioning him would be best left for later. Feeling that Kali was pensive too, she knew she wouldn''t get answers that night and did her best to get some rest too. The morning after, Jacques got up without a word, ate a little and started following the others. Compared to the usual curious man looking all around himself, the silent and introverted fa?ade he had now felt worrying to the nereid. What happened to a man of his calibre, to be shaken that badly? He looked exhausted and jumped in fright from the slightest stimulation. Maybe leaving him alone without pushing for answers had been a bad move. The rejuvenating old man had avoided sleep like children avoided vegetables the whole way to God''s Eye Lake, and his state had gone from worrying to pity-inspiring; if there was a contest for the best beggar, he would win it for sure at this moment. Ashirijen had to take care of him all the way, making sure he didn''t fall down while walking, and even forcing him to eat. Her growing anxiety and the lack of comments from Kali trumped her annoyance, and she did what she had to do diligently, gently even in order to avoid breaking the fragile twig in front of her. She could guess at what was happening, but couldn''t be sure until she heard it from Jacques'' mouth directly. Three paranoid days in the forest later, Jacques fell asleep from exhaustion the moment they climbed on the boat that would get them to Ebb for good. He didn''t have time to enjoy his forced rest however, and he was shortly woken up with a good smack on the head from the frowning nereid at his bedside. She was forced to, as it seemed that the "nightmare" that had chased him all this time made its return as soon as his eyes closed again. "If you can''t sleep, at least talk to me and stop cowering like a reclusive seashell! Did your brain melt from fear? Did you forget who you are, and who I am?" She berated him harshly. "We are Children of the Gods! Did you think it was easy? That it had nothing to do with you, that it''s all a coincidence? Well you''d better start writing in your little books, because if you haven''t realized by now you really are hopeless." The old man opened his mouth, but no words would come out. He just looked like a fish held above the water instead, flapping his lips futilely. "You..!" The nereid stood straight and lifted her arm to give him another smack before shaking slightly and lowering it back down. "The Goddess Kali wishes to speak to you directly. You''re a lucky man, so choose your words well." She closed her eyes, and when they opened back, the deep purple of Ashirijen''s irises was tinted slightly lighter than usual. "What did you see?" In his fragile state of mind, there was no resisting the charming voice for Jacques. "The¡­ The darkness, it came for me." His face paled as he remembered the terrifying visions that tormented him. "I don''t know what I''ve seen. I wish I hadn''t. I was in a cold, dark place. Do you know how maddening it is, to open your eyes only to see nothing, your ears to hear nothing, your mouth to scream nothing?" Kali pushed Ashirijen''s hand on his shoulder to stop his violent trembling, and for an instant he felt as if he stood on top of the world, flying over his worries and fear to liberate his mind. "Focus on my voice and answer slowly", she said as she started humming a tune. "I was alone at first," he continued with a weak, but now stable voice. "But I felt something starting to crawl up my neck, like a hand made of bones beginning to choke me. I don''t know how much time went, then I could see it suddenly, like it was always there. Then another hand joined the first on top of my head, and I could see a woman, an elf I think. Something brushed my cheek and I saw a chicken. Then I got hit in the back of the knee, and a fairy was looking me in the eye behind by back. And it went on, and on, and on¡­ Until you woke me up. I can''t count the number of things, people, monsters I saw." Kali stopped humming, and Jacques released the breath he never knew he held. "Just as we share the bodies of the Children we choose, so do you mortals share part of you with us. And we remember each and every one of you. Perhaps you''ve already understood now. The Three are much more powerful than us other Gods. Take this as a warning of sorts from Time¡­ I''ve said too much already." Her eyes turned their usual shade of purple again and Ashirijen was back, panting slightly from exertion. Like she said before, as marvellous as it sounded, being a Child was not an easy task. "Now will you stop being stupid? Or do you want me to smack you again?" the nereid said while removing her hand from his shoulder. He was looking at his open palms in wonder, oblivious to her presence. Reassured that he was in a better frame of mind now, she went above deck and dove into the lake. Such a heavy atmosphere, why did she have to babysit a stubborn old man like this? Pretty fish. She thought he resembled some stupid merfolk kid chewing on toxic algae before showing it off proudly. She felt hungry. It had been a while since she''d laid an egg herself, but she had pretty much abandoned the idea after becoming Kali''s Child. She turned her face up and stood still on her back for a moment; letting Kali take control really messed with her head this time, she needed to focus or her head would start hurting. She knew that Jacques had seen the previous Children of Time in his dream. She hadn''t seen Kali''s, but her explanation was clear enough. The God had probably had enough of his denying attitude and decided to take him down a peg. Perhaps the old man would be a bit more amenable in the future. But seriously, a Time chicken? She sighed before diving deeper and deeper in the cold water. 65 Ashes to ashes 3 Ashirijen swam lazily, propelling herself quietly with her muscular lower body. She didn''t have a destination in mind, and only steered with her tail to stay stable or if something caught her attention; and that meant not much. Moving from the sea to a lake had felt weird at first, as she wasn''t used to fresh water. But God''s Eye Lake had a peculiar feeling of its own, something she couldn''t quite put her fin on. "Heya! What''chu doing?" A high-pitched voice asked from behind her. She spun around and grabbed her spear with practised movements, ready to face whatever managed to get the jump on her like this, only to find nothing. Which was strange, very strange indeed. Just as Kali had explained to Jacques before, Ashirijen was also able to "drag" and feel the world around her, albeit only underwater like she was now. Even a creature using some form of magic to conceal itself wouldn''t be able to hide itself from her senses. "Oooh, scary! You''re from the sea, right? A nereid, right? Right?" Once again, behind her. Except this time, she didn''t move, because whoever was speaking obviously didn''t have bad intentions. Simply relaxing her aggressive stance, she waited. "Oh you''re no fun!" The lake spirit revealed its pixie form, barely as tall as the nereid''s hand. "So, whose Child are you? The old man like you on the boat looks laaaaaame." "I''m Kali''s Child¡­ But how''d you know that?" She couldn''t feel the same kind of presence she had on Jacques when they first met, so the pixie wasn''t a Child either. But even when with it under her nose, she wasn''t able to sense it. Ashirijen frowned. "And what are you?" "You''re Kali''s Child? Awesome awesome awesome!" The pixie started swimming frantically around the nereid, eager to take in all of her form and burn it in its mind. "I reaaaaaally really wanted to meet you and thank you in person at least once! I thought that crazy lizard would evaporate me dry if you hadn''t stopped him! Hey, Kali''s listening, right? Right?" She stopped in front of her face again. "Right?" "Crazy lizard..? Stopped? Wait, you mean Nidh?gran?" Ashirijen almost dropped her cherished spear from shock. After hearing about him from Kali''s point of view and memories, hearing the beast called like that punched her in the gut. Kali had nothing but admiration for the almighty dragon, and having the Goddess directly recounting their story had left its mark on her too. "Yeah! Crazy lizard, right? He''s even flown by a while ago so I hid down there. Not sure if he didn''t sense me or the skeletons are good cover, but I''m glad I didn''t have to deal with him anyway. Soooooo, what are you here for?" The pixie was laying down on¡­ nothing, arms crossed under its chin and rolling around, seemingly unable to stand still for a single second. "Uh, just usual Godly stuff, I guess? Going to Ebb to start a little revolution with Kali''s worship." Ashirijen was really perplexed by the strange creature. "But, seriously, what are you? How come I can''t even feel your presence?" "Oh? Ooooh! You''re going to meet Talia to get help then? Good idea, she''s nice! Even though it''s super hard to meet her since she can''t really leave her tree, since she''s a dryad and all. Oh, and now that I think about it, there''s pleeeeeenty of interesting people you could meet there too. Like, there''s the God-Oak''s little guy who came by recently, he shouldn''t be far, and he''s with¡­ you''ll see. Hope you meet them, they''re fun. Fun!" "Yeah, I planned to ask Nature''s Child about other supports we could get. Glad it''s not another human, to be honest. Who''s the little guy? And again, will you answer on what you are?" She was beginning to lose patience with the little hyperactive ball of nerves in front of her. "I''m the lake, dummy! Dummy! Hey, you''re strong right? Wanna see some cooool stuff down there? Crazy lizard is crazy strong for sure, but he didn''t even come back to take stuff after the fight. There''s the bodies of three late Gods down there, with some of their divine artifacts to boot. Divine!" The lake was obviously not trained in the art of mincing its words, so Ashirijen found herself speechless again. The lake? Remains of Gods? Not Children? That meant that the Gods had taken over their Children''s body completely and burnt themselves down by using their own full strength! She trembled internally, getting a glimpse of the terror reigning during the Anger. Oblivious to the effect its words had, the pixie continued without stopping. "There''s the late god of War Procas with his axe, Behuia of Life and Healing, and a Child of elements who was titled Windchaser by people. Human, nereid and elf. Still no match against the lizard even after he was injured that badly. Pretty sure the blood he was losing in the lake helped me somehow." Ashirijen was seeking confirmation from Kali while listening to the incredible tales. But it was true. Breathing a big gulp of cold water to calm herself down, she sighed. This trip really wasn''t easy on her heart since its beginning. "But I guess I won''t get as bored on the way as I thought¡­" -- Even after calming himself some, Jacques still felt terrified and his chest was heavy. Why did this happen to him, why? He had spent his life until now learning everything he could about everything he found, satisfying his curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Not to help other people, but only out of pure self-satisfaction. Trading out the knowledge he had accumulated for comfort was only an effortless benefit on his road. Or at the very least worth being disturbed for. But now, something he could never had planned for had broken into his life: magic. He had never felt the need nor the desire to learn it. On the contrary, he wasn''t too fond of it. Because of magic and the presence of the Gods'' Blessings, many things became obsolete. No need for complex machinery to do the heavy lifting and build impressive architecture when you can be stronger than a beast thrice your own size. No need for alchemy, healing poultices and natural remedies if magic could fix your body. No need for agricultural knowledge and how to maintain the soil''s health if you can just imbue it with magic to grow crops. The loss of all this knowledge tore at his heart. Almost every time he moved from town to town, he was able to unearth some new things, some old things, some lost things. And that was only speaking about human settlements on the Primal, never mind going deep in the mountains, forests, seas or another island. And now a God was looking inside him. Magic again. Jacques feared the Gods deeply. A wave of the hand, nothing more; that''s what it would take to erase him. Even less than that perhaps. And then all the things that he found would be lost again. For the first time in his long years, his dream and ambition were facing the cold hard wall of reality. Still, obstacles were bound to stand in front of him and that was only the biggest one he faced yet. Perhaps he''d look back at it later and laugh of it. But anxiety wasn''t the kind of thing you could repress with rational arguments. Taking a deep breath, he resolved to take the plunge. He''d go back "there" and meet the God or whatever was waiting for him face to face. But since he wouldn''t fall asleep naturally in his anxious state, he got up from the bed to get one of his bags and began fishing in it, pulling out two different types of herbs. One could act as a painkiller by numbing his touch, the other one slightly toxic would put him in a stupor and hopefully sleep. He was Child through and through now; that''s what he was betting on to get through the little overdose he planned for himself. After smashing them with a portable mortar and mixing the pulp with some water, Jacques drank the mixture and got back on his bed. "This is going to be a wild ride." Was his last thought before waking up in the dark world. At least he could see, this time. Facing him sat a skeleton on a throne, wearing rags. Its flaming blue eyes were fixated on him, seemingly piercing through his innermost thoughts, and despite the lack of flesh it looked like it sported a mean smile. "Jacques, meet Jack", said a voice in his head. 66 Ashes to ashes 4 "That''s me?" "No, I''m not you." Answered the skeleton with a lackadaisical tone. "The name is just a coincidence." He was sitting on a throne of stone and lazily supporting his head with a hand on the side, contradicting his tattered clothing. "Then are you Time? I doubt it." Said Jacques firmly. He didn''t know exactly what or who that was, but he knew that he himself was there because he decided to. And he also inferred that him taking the right step was the key to end the plague of nightmares. "Didn''t you hear his voice when you came in?" The skeleton dodged the question, choosing to give the man scraps of information instead. "Would Time give himself another name and play house with you like this? He threw me away for you after all, surely you can be more¡­ entertaining?" "You''re a Child of Time then, like I saw in the nightmares before. But how are you here? Don''t Gods only change Children when one dies?" "And where do you think we are?" He gestured with his free arm, showing the darkness all around them. "Take a guess. Or don''t. You wouldn''t get it right, no mortal can, and it doesn''t matter so let me get to the point. I''m just an image of who I was; even beyond death I can''t escape being a puppet of Time. Memories of me aggregated with divinity to bring my personality back the time of a debate." "A debate? What a peculiar choice of words." Jacques voiced his thought aloud with furrowed brows. He wasn''t speaking to the God, despite being its Child. Instead, the God forced him into meeting his previous incarnation. Why pull him there then avoid meeting him? The whole roundabout reeked of a trap of sorts. He took a good look at the skeleton, who was now patiently waiting for him to speak up again. "You are a test, then. What lesson am I to learn from you?" "Perhaps you''re not as worthless as I thought. But you missed something: what makes you think I''m on your side? For someone boasting of knowing all sorts of things, you are quite lacking in intelligence." The skeleton spat at him. "Think again." And so Jacques thought again, from the beginning of their exchange. He wasn''t just any previous Child like he first thought, the skeleton was the Child living right before him. Then who was he? The last known Child was human, not an undead; the king of the Undercity in the Jagged Heights. But that was more than a century ago, and he should be dead already, with another vessel between them. Unless he was one and the same? The name certainly fit. Then when did he become it? Before or after the tragedy that unfolded? He himself was growing younger by the day, so he based his decision on after because in front of him stood an undead and not a living man. "You are Jack, the king of the Undercity." He nodded his skull, then motioned him to continue with a hand. "You¡­ sacrificed the entire population of your domain. And failed, from your appearance." Another nod. "You are a warning to me, not a lesson." A shrug, this time. Not entirely correct, then. "Hmmm¡­ You are all of it then. A test, a warning, and a lesson. Hence you being not on my side, but pitted against me." Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. "An acute deduction," answered Jack between claps, "but a wrong one still. A second chance is all you''ll get I''m afraid, and I will provide the answer to your narrow mind so we can save time. It is oh so precious after all, isn''t it? I am¡­ entertainment." That word again. The skeleton was playing him like a fiddle. "Wouldn''t that make me entertainment as well? However, your words¡­ A debate, was it? Surely there is more to that than you would let me think?" He had no choice but to admit defeat and ask directly. "Indeed, but that is because you are not entertainment¡­ not yet. You are an experiment, as you would call it. A curiosity to make sense of, another frog to dissect alive on your table. Whether you wake up or die depends on its result, and Time made me its knife! Isn''t that¡­ intriguing?" It was becoming obvious that the skeleton held bad intentions towards him, and that Time didn''t control his actions. He thought about a possible source of such hostility. He was undead, so his sustaining will made him effectively immortal; yet here he was, dead. The chicken in the nightmare, entertainment. A distraction, nothing more. To wait. Then interest brought change. So, Jack was inadequate to fulfil that interest then; a different perspective. Discarded; jealousy? How did he die, in which circumstances? He didn''t know enough about this man. All sorts of thoughts were swirling in his head. "Would you tell me about you?" He didn''t like conceding like this. The skeleton was simply throwing him against a wall again. "So, you know your inferiority then. Struggling with the boundaries of your knowledge and mind. You''re weak!" The skeleton taunted him. "Quick wit isn''t intelligence. Knowledge without intelligence is useless. What use are your little books now, I wonder? I lost the game, and so will you!" The skeleton punched his own head, hard, and screamed in rage into the dark: "Damn you! How dare you put me there, only to interfere? You''re nothing but a cheat, changing the rules of the game!" Jack huffed non-existent air with his non-existent body, before turning his burning eyes towards the old man once again, silent. Entertainment, again. A game to lose, resulting in death. The split action, the rage. The God of Time intervened against the skeleton; when, and what was it? The last thing he said, surely. The game is a hint. The game against Time? He needed to know more, to fish for scrapes. "This is not a debate, but a duel. You''re trying to crush my mind." He accused the skeleton directly. All along he was being demeaned, led by the nose, proven wrong again and again. Jack wasn''t only hostile to himself, but also to the very God that put him there. How did he come to be antagonistic to his God? Something very wrong must have happened. Was he himself wrong? The incident. The key. "Why? All we know is the result. Why did you sacrifice the city?" "You''re closing in on the crux. Have you figured it out yet? I didn''t become a Child after, but right before." Jack was calm again, and pointed a bony finger at him. "I wanted what you have. Turn back time. Live. Know more. If you want to learn, you need time. Isn''t it ironic? In order to have the time, I learned. Lost secrets of magic, complex spells that would put any so-called great mind to shame. And then¡­ I accomplished my ambition. I earned my time; but time was denied to me. Time took possession of me and turned my grand spell I had prepared against me." "Then you died at the time, and became undead from sheer resentment? This got you the immortality you wanted, even better than a reversion of time." Success or not, the people would have died any way. Time hadn''t stopped the spell. Did he not want to, or was he unable to? No, if he wanted to he could have done it, but chose to smite the king instead. Why? He wouldn''t make him his Child for an instant just to punish him; a lesson, then? A lesson that was rejected. The game. A game of time between two immortals, insanity. Jack could only ever lose that game because of his origin. His stubbornness kept him going, but accepting the lesson meant making peace with himself; making peace with himself meant he would dissipate as an undead, and refusing the lesson meant denying himself his past ambition by staying stuck in place with his hate. Yes, he saw it now, he wouldn''t be broken anymore by the blabbering madman trapped in his loop. "You said I''m weak, but I''m standing in front of you alive. And that is more than you achieved." He countered. Step. Step. "Are you sure about that?" Jack said as he stood up and began walking towards the old man facing him. "Why don''t you take a look at yourself?" A look. Meaning something changed. Younger, his hair. Immediately, Jacques put a hand on his head where the black lock of hair had appeared recently, and pulled hard. White. He felt frail. Step. Step. Step. "I was alive too when I reached an incredible height of power. Younger than you are now, even. But you, for all your ambition, where are you now?" Jack pointed an accusatory finger to the old man''s chest. Step. Step. "You ignore half of what makes up the world you so dearly study, magic. Is it unworthy? Not interesting? Are you scared of losing your original goal perhaps? Taking the easy route, you''re just a coward. That''s not called ambition, but pipe dreams." Step. Step. "I hate me, I hate Time, and I hate you. Your only luck was being chosen before you came to the point things ended for me. I wish ruin upon you, I wish that your sleep be never easy, that every shadow torment you with fear of your end, that every path you take on your quest be a dead end. I wish undeath upon you, so you wallow in the agony of your failure." The bony finger was touching him now. Something he didn''t know was radiating from it. Cold? Fear? Death? Step. "Did you know? Time didn''t win the game against me; he flipped the board. He gave up, changed his mind. All because the God-Tree died and left something behind. I won! I. Won. He had enough and killed me for good. Don''t you see? You should just die right now. Close your eyes and take a deep breath now. Recognise you are lacking, admit that you don''t deserve your position. You''re nothing. Breathe in, breathe out and it''ll be all over." Jacques was petrified, looking into the hollow skull less than an arm''s length away from him. The skeleton was right. He had given up. He thought that magic was a one-way path following a God, a trap with an unsatisfying end unable to reach the apex. He chose to give up one to study the many. That''s right; he hadn''t let everything go for the sake of his ambition. He was alive, and he could change. Jacques breathed in, and breathed out. He opened his eyes. "I knew you had it in you, Jacques. Good morning." He was greeted by a hearty, toothy smile. 67 Brawl A week later, Alice was still trying to adapt to her new Blessing. She wasn''t sure she had understood everything it did, and she wasn''t sure she deserved it in the first place. Using her small knife to carve a fist-sized block of wood in her hand, she put too much force on it and chipped a big piece of wood by accident, ruining her work. She looked at their inn room''s floor covered in sawdust and chips and sighed. "That''s the third. Why do I keep messing up on the finishing strokes like this?" She whined in a small voice. She''d been unable to finish an idol of Liezel since. After the second failure she''d tried to make something else, and even though the quality wasn''t transcendent the piece was a success. The third failure left her at a loss. "I mean, why are you even trying to carve an idol?" Asked Thani from the side. She was laying on her bed, quietly thinking about magic and relaxing to Oakbud''s floral arrangement on the ceiling. "It calms my mind." "Doesn''t seem like it." Thani turned her head on her pillow to stare Alice in the eye. "Look, with all the mess we''ve been in and Gods we''ve met, we both know they have some measure of awareness and influence on things that have their attention. You''ve gotten a Blessing just last week, so I''m pretty sure he''s messing with you intentionally right there. We both know you''ve made idols in the past, and that your skill is greater than that." "But it''s so unfair! What do I do if even doing what I like doesn''t help? I- hey!" Her dismay turned to anger as Thani had gotten up to slap the failed creation out of her hand. "What''s wrong with you!" "Come out back and fight with me." "What?" "You haven''t unsheathed your daggers all week, not even for maintenance. You''ve also stopped exercising." Thani pointed at Alice''s gear, which was beginning to accumulate dust. She frowned at the purple-haired woman in front of her. "So, the question is, what''s wrong with YOU? Come in the yard with me and let''s spar." "No! I ¨C" "What are you worried about? Just do it. Now." With finality in her tone, Thani got out of the room without even looking if Alice was following. She had ignored her for the most part these days to let her sort her emotions out herself, but that was taking too much time considering their schedule. Oakbud rightfully refused to participate in the exhibition match two days later by principle; it was very different from a regular spar with someone, nothing more than a fancy execution and he wanted no part in that. He didn''t like fighting anyway. The little spirit had instead opted to work with the innkeeper to renovate some of the building''s interior with his nature magic and make some coin of his own. He didn''t need it yet, but he accepted the fact that he may need it later to stand on his own. It was an overall good learning opportunity for him. Thani wasn''t worried at the prospect of fighting without Oakbud''s golem as a frontline. She''d already fought and won against much bigger and fiercer than whatever the arena personnel could find for them to fight against. She caressed the spot where the drakes had severed her arm and exited the building into its backyard. Alice followed a few seconds later, looking down at her feet. She would need to shake her up and make Alice look herself in the face for good, otherwise she''d be fighting alone. Right now, she couldn''t be considered a valid combatant. "Come on, hit me." She said, trying to get to the point directly. "I can''t!" Alice answered, shaking her head. "I can''t, my ass! You''re a better fighter than me. But you''re right, you''re not fighting anything or anyone in your state. Listen to me for a bit, stop running. What''s Liezel''s domain, and what are his values? What does he approve of, what does he condemn? Say it aloud." Thani''s aim here was to have Alice re-focus on the facts rather than her out-of-control emotions. "Liezel is the Unfettered, he advocates freedom in all its aspects and despite the associations people commonly make because of his magic, he despises treachery and other purposely evil acts." Alice answered mechanically. "Then what are you capable of now, what have your blessings given you?" Thani pushed. She had to make her admit how far she''d gotten, that it was a great achievement, and how ridiculous she was right now. "The blessings¡­ They''ve changed my body. My eyes turned purple, and now my hair too. I''ve gained the ability to [break] things and magic alike by touching them directly. As for magic, it''s about the shadows. I can jump to a shadow, obfuscate my appearance, presence and movements; and now I can also wield shadows without contact and give some substance to it. It''s a bit strange but I can use it as footing while other people can pass straight through it. What''s your point?" "My point is, with all that do you feel free right now?" "Yes!" "And that''s why you''re so stuck! Look, I''ve counselled people for years even without liking it, held stupid useless ceremonies and stuff. I know how that stuff works. You''re not free." Thani raised her hand to cut Alice''s reply. "It''s going to sound cheesy, but think about it. It was the first time you spoke of your past to someone, right? And that got you your third Blessing from Liezel? That''s you freeing yourself from the past by talking about it. So why can''t you go a step further and let it go? Isn''t it about time you stopped hating yourself for what happened? You''ve gotten your God''s approval twice now; can''t you trust him on that at least?" Thani could see Alice''s eyes redden already. It wasn''t the time to push further, but to build her back up. She herself had her own life flipped on its head two or three times already, and that experience put to use could soften the blow for Alice. Looking at the daggers dropped on the floor, Thani went in for a hug while thinking she''d ask Oakbud to give Alice flowers later to cheer her up some more. "Letting go doesn''t mean forget. It means being at peace with what happened and your decision at the time. I''ve had to kill people and blessed beasts too, multiple times, and it''s never become easier. It should not." Thani did her best to be as calming as she could while caressing Alice''s head and back softly. Leading the Blood family, and by extension pretty much the whole of Pilgrim Woods, hadn''t been easy either and had needed some unsavoury acts to be performed over the years to keep up. This was a good occasion for herself to think back on things too. "And even if you''re feeling stuck right now, look at how it was for me in Ocean''s Guard. I''m standing back up taller than ever now; you will too. Let''s go back upstairs, okay? I''m sure you''ll get the fourth idol just right this time." -- Thani had gone back to visit Auri the day before while Oakbud was working and Alice sulking. He had said to come back five days later, but she gave him a sixth just in case. The time he had taken off was for him to reflect on himself, his motivations and his faith. What was he working for? He was happy and satisfied with his situation in Ebb. Did he forgo the idea of climbing up further? The short-term losses couldn''t be compared to the surge of rekindling ambition inside of him. The context for those pieces of work was mind-blowing, and fate was whispering in his ear. Rather than following usual practice which meant that he would refuse for lack of payment, he had an occasion to give it his all and make something fate-changing. He couldn''t make an artifact, only Gods could. It wouldn''t be his best work. But wasn''t his faith in Monte all about being in the centre of the currents and choosing their flow? That work would be for himself too. And so when they met again, the blacksmith had come to an impressive decision, one that would benefit all parties involved. He had decided to tackle their order first, which meant that Alice would have her stuff in time for the gauntlet in the arena the month after; and also decided to make it for free, with a smile on his face. Thani had refused immediately. They''d still give him as much as they could for his work, even if they couldn''t get the full amount. It was the least she could do to honour his resolve. It was objectively not the best course of action for Oakbud''s party given how much they needed to move around, but it was the right one. Of course, she hadn''t told Alice the piece of news and only shared it with Oakbud, trusting his lips would be tight enough about it. It wasn''t a good idea to bring down a strong pillar of motivation and responsibility in her at the moment. She could tell her after things were done to give her more time. Waking up on the day of the exhibition match, Thani really felt like she was too used to leading. They were following Oakbud on his journey, but she was the one making most practical decisions. At least the little spirit was taking independent action and vocalizing his thoughts and preferences now, and that was very good progress. She''d be able to be a bit more carefree in the future, she thought happily. At the foot of Alice''s bed stood a carved wooden idol of Liezel, showing a smiling man sitting in a circle of broken chains. Was it smiling at her, she wondered? How sly. In any case, it looked like she wouldn''t be the only one blowing of some steam in the fight today. 68 Brawl 2 Thani and Alice could hear the clamour of the crowd on the other side of the gate. They were waiting for the previous segment to end before coming in for their match. Their suits of drake scale armour were in the hands of the blacksmith Auri so they couldn''t use their best gear, but they didn''t have grounds for worry either. Both of them had their favourite weapons in hands: Thani her masterfully crafted and enchanted dagger, and Alice her bow and steel daggers. The promoter had every participant wait in the same room, and tension had been mounting the whole day as fighters went in in high spirits to come back with various degrees of success. Deaths had been avoided so far thanks to the reactivity of the medical team, but that could never be guaranteed. Being assigned to one of the very last spots was a double-edged sword in a sense. On one hand it let Thani and Alice look at what the others were fighting in advance, but on the other pressure was rising and people''s gaze was lingering longer and longer on them. Some were jealous, some admiring, some lustful, some didn''t care, some anticipating, but none mocking. Every fighter knew better than to take one''s appearance at face value in the ring. Just like in an auction, the best pieces were kept for last after all. At the beginning it had been very simple fights with wolves raised in the arena, then goblins captured in the forest; the little buggers were weak individually but their ingenuity and experience in using anything useful at their disposal made them a threat the longer the fight went on. They were a bit like janitors for the forest, cleaning up everything their little hands could grab. The true test had first shown up against a party of four, a flock of birds able to cast rudimentary wind magic. The four had been caught completely unprepared for this type of fight and surrendered before ending up pecked to death. The tamer of the birds, a devotee to the God of Nature who had taken some bird-like features himself, had called them back quickly with the satisfaction of having taken no losses. Soon after, the first blessed beast had made its appearance. Not an intelligent one, but a strong one. Creatures gifted with intelligence would often be able to communicate, and none of them was dumb enough to come here of its own volition. It was a strange wolf, easily triple the usual size, and it also had what looked like two horn bumps in between its ears. The man facing it had three Blessings on his own though, and had been able to take its charge head-on for the enjoyment of the crowd. And now the announcer had come to see them: "I hope you are ready ladies," he waved amicably. "You are the third to last match and we have an air mage drake that''s hot to trot. It''s got at least two blessings, toughest guy we have as promised. We wanted to keep it for last, but since you''ve been scheduled as a bit of an extra in the first place¡­ But I digress. Don''t worry about the safety of the public, that''s our job; our medical and elementalist teams are on high alert for stray shots during your performance. Just so you know, it also has a bit of intelligence. We''ve discovered that after capturing him but since we''ve beaten it, it''s agreed to fight once for its freedom. Please, do your best not to kill it. That would be the wrong kind of reputation to get for us." "That''s your problem, but we''ll try, I guess? How big is it compared to me? And I suppose it''s going to fly around a lot?" Questioned Thani. It looked like Alice''s bow and evasion capabilities would be in high demand for this fight. But it was an exhibition match after all, so waiting until it was pelted down or fatigued to engage it on the ground was a bit boring. "Think I can catch up to it?" She asked Alice. "No idea; maybe if you force a bit? Don''t injure yourself though, please. I don''t know if it''s to put us on the spot or just a coincidence, but flying matchups aren''t too bad now, are they? Oakbud wouldn''t have been much help there, good for him to work on something he likes." The announcer frowned. For such an opponent, these two didn''t look to be considering things carefully enough in his eye. That wasn''t his job however, so he signed them to follow him to the gate with a gesture of his hand. "Grate''s about to be lifted, your time to shine¡­ And let''s avoid deaths on any side, alright?" He also couldn''t know that the single beast ranked in the lower middle evaluation for them. "You want flashy?" Thani asked, unsheathing her dagger and pointing it towards her shoulder blades through the gap in her clothes at her neck. "I''ll give you flashy." "No promises." Added Alice with a slight smile, already envisioning Thani''s ten-metre blood wingspan. Just like Ocean''s Guard, but with an audience. Too bad they were forbidden to bet on their own match. -- Two ordinary people fighting an ordinary drake would die without a doubt for multiple reasons, the main one being anatomy. First, humans needed tools to augment their offense; drakes already had claws, teeth, horns, tail, and their scale-covered body. Second, weight, inertia and bodily resilience: for the same movement, the bigger body generates much more force and thus will be able to inflict damage more easily while needing to resist the impact itself. And third, flight, which didn''t need a long description. Luckily, magic and Blessings from the Gods were there to balance the matchup. Thani was, well, Thani. A close to fully-fledged God-candidate, with the ability to match. Overpowered regeneration, feeling the general mood of someone by focusing on them, and blood magic which got stronger the longer the fight dragged on. Her not learning to fight properly wasn''t too much of a handicap as she was able to overpower her opponents with relentless and reckless trade-offs no enemy would like to make. Alice was more subdued due to the inherent properties of her magic: the shadows of Liezel. Her offensive power was zero, inversely proportionate to her movement and disruption potential. The fact remained that none of them had any true frontline capabilities and relied exclusively on evasion to avoid injuries. On the other side stood a creature they''d come to know during their stay in the mountains of Ocean''s Guard: a magic-capable drake. Strong musculature, tough scales, easily thrice to four times their size and able to knock them out of the fight with one direct hit. Since the personnel of the arena had told them about its wind magic, it meant the drake was able to fly faster than would be normal and could probably use some form of projectile. "Fire an arrow, see how it reacts." Ordered Thani to Alice who stood behind her. She wanted to get a grip of the drake''s personality quickly to get control over the fight''s flow, and an arrow was a good test for that. It wouldn''t hurt it until it hit an open eye or its thin wing leather, and she wanted to see if it would let the arrow bounce off its scales, use magic to deflect it, dodge it, or break it in flight with a direct hit. "Gotcha!" The drake rushed forward, letting the arrow bounce off with a pitiable sound. Its speed and the claw marks left behind made it obvious that it wasn''t holding back on its magic either, so Thani and Alice broke off to either side to avoid getting crushed by the mass of flesh barrelling at them. They had the advantage of knowing what it could do, while the drake ignored how they fought. Alice stood out as the weak link for being in the backline at first, making her the drake''s target after the dodge. Rather than stopping its charge with its legs, it instead unfurled its wings, flapped and slapped its tail towards Thani to change its momentum and continue pursuing. "Whoa there!" Alice made a screen of shadow pop up before her to obscure vision and successfully made the drake lose its target. That split second was enough to dodge towards a blind spot in the beast''s vision and swap her weapons from bow to daggers. Thani was also rushing after the drake with full access to its less protected hind legs and tail. The first engagement ended as the drake took flight after missing twice. After a flying a quick round above them, it chose to swoop down on Thani. Alice was standing further on her side bow in hand again, but the two arrows she''d fired at the wings got deflected by wind magic this time. "We only get one chance to nail it down, get ready!" When 10 metres were left between the drake and Thani, she chose to suddenly deploy her own blood wings while also imbuing her dagger with magic, granting it a new, longer and sharper bloody blade. The surprise was effective and the beast tried to brake to no avail, it was already too close. Its reduction in speed meant that its prey escaped its claws once again though. Frustrated at its inability to win quickly, the drake tried to bite Thani. She purposefully failed her dodge and exposed one of her wings as bait. The beast got a mouthful of blood and nothing more to show for it, while Thani was able to transform it into bindings and propelled herself over its extended neck and towards its wings. The drake was once again surprised, as the gust of wind it tried to cast didn''t even appear. Only then it felt Alice''s touch on its back, before roaring in pain. Thani had inflicted severe cuts to the base of one of its wings, effectively pinning the beast to the ground for the rest of the fight. The two women were shaken off by the wildly bucking drake, resuming the original standoff after eliminating the flight disparity. They had planned for Thani to obstruct it if she were able to keep up with its speed, but she wasn''t able to because of its wind magic. And with Alice losing contact and unable to use her blessing, it was able to cast spells again. "I''m still around 80%, how do you feel?" Asked Thani. "30 to 40 at most. I''ve never stopped something so big from using magic, it''s drained me in an instant. I''ve got two shadow jumps left max, best I can do is try to injure a back leg and back off quickly. I''ll stick to dodging and blocking its vision after that." Alice was breathing roughly, the toll of her actions obvious. Using magic quickly or in large quantity wasn''t physically exhausting, but the flow of power still had a proportionate impact on mental fatigue. "I''m charging up front then. Be careful." Thani nodded. True to her word, she reformed her clipped wing and rushed to meet the beast head-on. There was no way for her to win a clash of strength, but she was the one holding the upper hand in mobility now and fully intended to exploit it. She also needed to wound the drake more to establish herself as the main threat so Alice could do her thing. The drake roared and stood on its hind legs to receive Thani''s charge with a threatening display. Alice waited until the two exchanged a flurry of blows and dodges resulting in mutual injuries. She jumped into action when they broke off again to prevent the beast from pacing its breath while Thani regenerated her mauled upper left arm and torso. It wasn''t severed this time at least. She reappeared under the drake, and plunged her two daggers as hard as she could in the softer inner thigh scales before jumping back to Thani''s shadow without waiting for the result. And she did well, because the drake started thrashing around wildly, looking to crush the unseen opponent that just attacked it. The daggers fell back down, but the beast was now limping slightly. "I''m out," she panted. "I did it. You finish it." "Sure. Still got about 40% in me discounting cheating with divinity. Good exercise, good money." The two smiled lightly at each other, and Thani rushed back into the fray with a powerful flap of her wings. Her display of skill and bloody exchanges earned the passion of the public, and she started hearing the people all around screaming again now that the pressure was dying down. The roars of anger transformed into unwillingness before dying out slowly some time later under Thani''s gleeful laughter. Going back to the waiting room after the fight and under the ovation of the spectators, she winked at the stunned announcer: "Flashy enough for you?" 69 Home No casualties, no grave injury, but a light tune and the jingle of gold was the sign of a fight well done on the way back to the inn. Since their income was a royalty and would therefore only be given after calculations were made, Thani''s pouch was only heavier from the arena management''s "gratitude" for not killing the drake. Alice would still have some minor bruises, scratches and muscle aches the next day or two, but that was it. Compared to what they had faced in Ocean''s Guard during hunts, a lone drake truly wasn''t high on their danger scale anymore. But now that the exhibition match was done, the question remained of what the party would do during the coming month to wait for the next planned arena fight. The format was be quite open, in a sort of king of the hill series of fights. Eight stages would be set up in the pit, with one king each. The king''s job was to defeat as many successive challengers as he could, and to step down when he got defeated himself. People would be able to climb up on stage freely, the only real limit being a five minutes time-out between each fight. The king could even take risks and allow multiple challengers to come up at once to increase his streak quicker, if he dared. As a bonus and incentive to bet, the announcer would fire up the audience and give out optional challenges to high-profile kings to spice up the contest. Some of them in the past included fighting a round barehanded, getting another opponent on stage, challenging another king¡­ Each had the clear-cut benefit of not breaking the streak in case of a loss, thus letting the prospective champion get down to rest for a bit, and of course bonus prize money in case of a win. Rewards would then be distributed at the end according to a ranking with multiple criteria: highest win streak, highest number of simultaneous opponents defeated, challenges completed, and an audience vote. Still, that was for the next month. When Alice and Thani entered Ebb''s Flow, they found Oakbud on the innkeeper''s head, both busily looking at the stairs to the first floor. Looking around a bit, it seemed like the little spirit was using nature magic to revitalise the wooden construction, as well as decorate it slightly. Within a few days, the atmosphere of the building had changed already thanks to his work. It was clean and received light well on top of its tasteful decorations before, but it still stood out as man-made. Oakbud had changed that in a miraculous way, reminding Thani and Alice of the treehouses he had grown for them to sleep in. The growth of the visible wooden parts now flowed beautifully from one door frame to the other, as if the beams had been seeded and naturally became the inn over time. It seemed like the man had really liked what Oakbud did in their room first and decided to revamp the whole inn based off of it. Later that evening, the group of three was sharing a drink and tossing ideas on what to do. "We''ve got a month to kill until the money-maker comes up, want to do anything special? Don''t get me wrong, we''re not going to get thrown out of the inn for not paying a room anytime soon, but there''s only so much distraction we can get in Ebb. I like a good fight in the arena and gambling, but two out of three of those cost money and it''ll get boring quite fast." Thani slammed her pint of alcohol on the table, and used a sling of blood to catapult a roasted nut from a bowl to her mouth. Auri wouldn''t run away with their stuff anyway. "You mean to travel again? I''m not against it, but we can only go so far if we need to be back there for the arena." Alice was nursing her own drink slowly, digesting her sugary pick as well as the events of the day. "Me want to go back to the forest." Said Oakbud slowly. Come to think of it, city life really wasn''t his forte. Common knowledge told of the much closer relation between civilization and nature in the elven and fairy populations, but those were rather far and hidden from prying eyes. Going there was one thing, but getting inside was another entirely. So his proposition most likely meant the Forest of Creation he had come from. "Me want to see dad-tree again." "Going home, eh¡­ Guess that wouldn''t hurt to go back to Pilgrim Woods for a bit. We can go the way there and back in three weeks without rushing too much, even taking a day or two to rest should be fine before diving in the forest to see the God-Tree. How about you, Alice? Any plans to visit home?" "No¡­ No." She hesitated, searching for more adequate words to describe her feelings. "I don''t want to go there." "Is Alice sad?" Asked Oakbud. "I don''t feel like I''ve earned it yet." She shook her head. Indeed, she wanted to find a cure before going back to her childhood friend''s grave. She had woken back up to her original goal. "Pilgrim Woods it is then!" exclaimed Thani. "We''re gonna need to leave soon, tomorrow would be great actually. Just enough time to drop by Auri''s to tell him to keep out stuff in store and buy a few seeds. No need to worry about food with Oakbud, and there''s the lake along the way." She snickered and lifted her glass back up. "Can''t wait to see what face Karj is going to make when we talk about all the stuff going on. Not sure if I''ll say everything to mom and dad, though." -- As discussed the day prior, the group finished their arrangements and got on the south road along the lake. Alice reluctantly had to leave her bow in the blacksmith''s hands, but she had to if she wanted it engraved for power. Since her blessing couldn''t be enchanted into it, a twin circuit engraving was what got planned instead: one would help the bow flex, and the other straighten back according to her arrow shooting. As a result, she would consume a bit of magic each shot in exchange for more power and less effort on the draw. But for now, she had to exchange it for a regular weapon and she was grumbling about the downgrade. The journey to Pilgrim Woods was without incidents. Oakbud''s golem helped everyone travel faster and longer, his nature and water magic combined with fruit and vegetable seeds fed them, and they were even able to make use of one of the treehouses him and Thani had left on their first trip to the city. Despite Talia''s warning that things south had gotten more dangerous, it seemed like the effects weren''t visible that far yet. And since the temple of Kali in Ebb didn''t receive urgent news either, Pilgrim woods should be in relative safety still. However, when they arrived, they were greeted by palisades around the settlement. Frowning, Thani jumped down from the walking golem''s arms to examine the structure. It wasn''t made, but grown from nature magic. After all, it was simpler considering the comparatively huge number of Nature adepts in Pilgrim Wood''s population. The people they came across also seemed a bit on edge. Signalling to the other two to follow, she went straight to her Blood family''s compound to get more info. Quickly shutting down the surprised reaction of the watchers who recognised her at the gate, she sent for someone to call Karj and Harp to see her. Calling Karj was obvious, since he was the acting chief of the family and head of the temple in the city. Harp on the other hand, was responsible for information and oversaw the expeditions and pilgrimages going through Pilgrim Woods. Combining those two should be enough to know everything going on in the settlement, so they simply waited for them in the lobby on the side of the temple''s entrance. A few minutes later, both men were silently exchanging conflicted glances while looking at Thani and her fashionable Oakbud head ornament. One wanted to but couldn''t really complain about anything because Thani had sent back a proper letter and money, and the other was simply wary of the little spirit. "So, what''s up with the barricade around the town? Something bad happened while I was away?" The white-haired woman took the initiative since the others didn''t look like they were ready to talk. "It''s good to have you back", sighed Karj slowly. "It''s all begun a bit after I received the pouch of gold you sent back¡­" The man began to narrate the dragon''s visit and their inability to hold sacrifices in the temple, followed by the increasing danger of the forest, eliciting soft gasps from Alice. Attacks had multiplied and the strength of the aggressors had gone up significantly since the God-Tree''s passing. Since they were told of the situation before hand, their surprise wasn''t as big, but hearing the details was unpleasant nonetheless. They had lost fourteen people defending the town already, and people''s morale was at rock bottom because of the temple. Thani was clutching her hands tightly, almost perforating her skin with her nails from the tension. She knew more of Nidh?gran''s background than Karj and Harp, and that he was trying to help, but the situation still couldn''t go as it were. Still, there was another matter to address. "What''s up with you Harp? You changed again since we saw each other last." Indeed, it seemed like the man had gotten his third blessing in stride after Oakbud gifted him his second. His wolf-like and human features were more clear-cut now, and some had changed. His skin and hands were back to human, the only obvious signs being his feral eyes, teeth and furry ears. "Well, I''d like to think it''s thanks to my efforts only, but I''m not dumb enough to brag about it. Thanks to Oakbud here, I was able to go out more often and more safely, as well as participate actively in the defense. As a result, I''ve received my third blessing from the God of Nature. I''m able to control my transformation now, so it''s much more practical to switch between town and forest. At this rate, I''ll be able to change into a wolf completely if I get another one; but the fourth will never come that easily or early, if it does at all. I need to think on it for while I''m just glad it came when it did so I can help everyone out more." "Won''t you check out the temple?" Interrupted Karj. "People are scared, some even say we''ve been cast out by the Goddess. Some blessings still have come through for the youngest ones, but it''s nothing compared to before. I''ve tried everything, but I can''t do anything about it¡­ please, try something. You''re the one closest to Her. Please. Alice and Oakbud were waiting and reading the mood, watching as Thani''s expression crumpled further and further throughout the discussions. Seeing her worry, they decided to go straight away and to go to the God-Tree the following day instead. The temple of Kali was as impressive as ever with its giant double doors operated by heavy chains. The interior was as spotless as ever, the Goddess'' effigy towering in the middle of the stone basin. Head and gaze cast down, kneeling with wings of carved stone wrapped in chains to pillars on the side and roof and crying tears of blood. Kali''s statue depicted the moment of her ascension, the yearning of mortals towards divinity. From what Karj told her, they could come in just fine, but as soon as they tried to hold a usual ceremony or sacrifice, they were cast out by the dragon''s magic. People could only pray quietly from afar. If it was the past her, she would have been lost and wouldn''t know what to do. However, since she had accepted the mantle the Goddess gave her, Thani knew. Solemn, she put Oakbud down and disrobed to get to the foot of the statue in the water, as she had done countless times before. Knee deep in the water, she roused the spark of divinity inside of her and guided it to the cold stone carving in front of her. Everyone stared in mute horror as the chains holding the stone wings rattled; the statue was trembling slightly and bits of stone were falling down in the water. When the shaking stopped, Thani fell to her knees in the water, exhausted by her usage of divinity. Looking up, the statue wasn''t depicting Kali anymore, instead featuring Thani''s likeness in the same position. No one said anything nor moved for a time, the silence only disturbed by a crow flying out of the temple, disturbed by all the noise. "We need to talk." This was the point of no return, the true start of the road to divinity. 70 Home 2 "There''s no way people will take this in stride. This is a whole new mess!" Karj was pacing back and forth restlessly. He was torn between his awe of Thani''s situation, his outrage at what she just did to Kali''s statue, and the greater good in Pilgrim Woods. Harp was silent, thinking that things were really going downhill since the dragon''s visit and wondering if maybe moving house before stuff began exploding was a good idea. Oakbud wasn''t interfering either: as much as he liked Kali during their first encounter through this very statue of her, he was capable of recognising his incompetence on the subject. His little social experience wouldn''t help the situation, and he feared adding oil to the fire with a misplaced comment. It was the third time he''d seen Thani this riled up after the way to Ebb and Ocean''s Guard, and her state still frightened him. "Well, we don''t need to tell them everything, right? They know who I am, just say I managed to restore the shrine." Answered Thani. "You''ve managed to cut yourself in the fountain again right now, didn''t you? Just push that and sweep the rest under the rug, and they''ll believe you. What they don''t know won''t hurt them. You''re the one who taught me that kind of thing." "But what is going to happen to you and Kali then? If you''re truly helping her right our wrong and taking her place, but we still offer worship as before, what will happen?" "That¡­ that is a good point." She relented. "I''m not sure how it works exactly, but perhaps Kali can do something about it on her side? Especially since she knows what''s going on here. There''s no way she doesn''t if Nidh?gran was here." "I don''t really like it, but if you''re manipulating things this way, why don''t you go further?" Alice intervened from the side. "Focus the ceremonies on the statue instead of the Goddess, and on Blood rather than sacrifice? It wouldn''t be that different, right? It could also mark the difference, increasing the odds of Kali being unaffected while reopening the temple all the same." "You realise you''re asking me to change fifty years of my belief in one day, and the same for everyone in Pilgrim Woods?" Karj shouted angrily. "How dare you! How can you even say that!" "Who says worshipping Kali and supporting a God-candidate are exclusive matters? You have ways of communicating with her, right? You can prop up something convincing enough if you do, at least Liezel has that. Gather people, do the special ceremony, make an oath or some kind of statement supported by a Blessing in return¡­" "An oath, huh¡­" Karj took a big breath, calming his down his fit of anger. He knew they were trying to help, but whatever they tried the responsibility would be his in the end. "I''m not ready to die yet. Same with begging for a Blessing. This is much too important. Let me calm down first." After exchanging more arguments back and forth, it was decided that the temple would close for good while Oakbud, Thani, Alice and Harp went to the God-Tree. That would give everyone more time to think of a final solution, while also letting people know that Thani was back and that she was doing something about the situation. As soon as they were ready and stepped into the forest, Harp removed his boots and demonstrated his third Blessing. His whole body started bulging with more muscle than before, and got quickly covered in black fur; his feet and hands became clawed, and his face morphed into a more triangular shape. If he got naked and crouched in a bush somewhere, he could be mistaken for a real wolf at first sight if he didn''t stand upright. "I''ll lead the way, let''s hurry. You''re on the clock, right? If we''re fast, we can be back at night in three days." The past influence of the Stalwart Oak was gone, and vegetation had quickly taken back its rights of growth on the paths. They were narrower now, and branches dangled from nearby trees at shoulder level, hindering progression. True to his reputation as one of the best pathfinders in Pilgrim Woods, the group was able to progress quickly under Harp''s lead. He had surprised everyone with his silent steps and swiftness. During the first night, Oakbud grew some seeds for people to eat while Thani slowly coaxed Eludia''s cup into giving them water. The relic was sulking, because it had been too long since they last used it. It even gave Thani a mouthful of vinegar at first. The little spirit guarded everyone while they were asleep. If anything dangerous came too close, he could either scream at it to knock it out or wake Harp up so he could decide what to do; he didn''t need to do either though. "You''re saying that absolutely nothing came towards the camp?" "Yes! Quiet night, good night." Answered Oakbud. "But it''s strange! We only had to chase away a small pack of wolves and kick a band of goblins yesterday¡­ During the last weeks I had to hide as best as I could to avoid blessed beasts, and I needed to flee if I met one by accident. I even found some plant monster gnawing on bones, and animal tracks unknown before to the area. It''s completely illogical for things to have calmed down this fast. Let''s stay on guard." On the second day, they met nothing at all. According to the rule of the jungle that had taken the forest over, that meant they were coming closer and closer to something so strong, that no living creature wanted to approach it fearing death. And since the God-Tree was dead, it wasn''t very good news. Still, the area was as quiet as it could be around the dead Tree. The little sapling planted in between its roots was healthy, and a pair of fresh offerings were sitting around it. Alice and Harp were the first ones to look up when they heard a rustle in the dead Oak''s branches. "A crow?" "Caw. You''re slow!" "It spoke!" "Liezel!" Alice fell to her knees and looked down, trembling. "Quick on the uptake, are you? Didn''t look like it two weeks ago." The God flew down and landed in front of the group. His voice was¡­strange, to say the least. It sounded like a human was trying to speak through a long, resonating tube, and the result was also mixed with the bird''s cry. All in all, it was really unpleasant to listen to. "Caw. I''m not going to eat you, you know? I''ve just taken a random bird over to come here and see things myself for a few days." Nobody spoke while the bird hopped in front of Alice and the others in successions, giving each one a cursory glance. "So it''s you, then?" Liezel asked in front of Oakbud. "Dad-Tree says goodbye." The little spirit answered. "Goodbye? Sure, but shouldn''t you be saying hello instead? Caw. You can''t just live for the Oak''s memory, you know." The bird lifted its wings and pecked at its flank to remove a pebble of dust in its feathers, restoring their pristine black colour. "Look at you, you can be as strong as a God, you could do great stuff with that divinity! You can''t stay depressed like this and waste it forever! Kicking Oberon in the nuts is a great idea, if you''re taking suggestions. Caw." Without waiting for an answer, it hopped back in front of Harp and continued talking freely. "You''re not too bad, keep at it. It''s become quite rare to see someone push that far on Nature''s path of harmony. Just don''t get too surprised later, cawcawcaw." He cackled ominously. "And you!" Liezel jumped to Alice next. "I''m quite disappointed you know, you showed great promise at first. What are you hesitating for? You''ve got stuff to do, you know what it is and you want it. Caw. I''m not helping people for them to deflate and be all sad later, you know? I''m not giving you more blessings to break stuff until you stop running away like that." Peck. "Ow!" Alice screamed and retracted her hands from her knees. "Look at me, will you? You think you''re just a random nobody? Caw. I don''t have that many so I know damn well each and every one of my followers, you can be sure of that." Finally, he came back to Thani, but Liezel didn''t start talking immediately, instead taking more time to observe her. "Thanks for babysitting miss whiny over here. What do I call you though? Future colleague? It''s been quite a while since anyone joined. You''ve even got some divinity already, good job. Why the fuss in the temple though? Running like headless chickens." "Wait, you were watching us? How?" Thani and the others opened their eyes wide. Did a God''s influence reach that far into another''s shrine? "What how? You even saw me fly out two days ago. Caw. Anyway, the solution you seek is quite easy. You make an oath in front of the whiners and give them a choice: support you or keep praying to Kali without sacrifice until word comes from her Child about new practices. Nobody sane would doubt an oath, even we Gods are under the Three''s thumb. Oooops, shouldn''t have said that." Liezel looked at everyone around him. "You didn''t hear that, okay? Uh, let me give you some tips, I don''t wanna be the youngest forever in the pantheon. Nothing too advanced or you''ll just fail later, but let''s go. What''s your take on divinity? Hey mini-tree, it should help you too so listen well." Everyone had trouble accepting that a revered God could be that careless and crude with its language, especially Alice, but evidence stood before their eyes. Everyone here had also met Nidh?gran and his antics before, even though he wasn''t a God. Making light of everything and disregarding established rules and codes, the God of Transgressions didn''t get his nickname for nothing. "My take on divinity¡­ for now I know it can help me shapeshift", said Thani, showing how she could stick two of her fingers together. "but it hurts a lot and it''s not the kind of pain I can ignore. I can also use it in spells, even though it''ll be consumed, or alongside magic to permit casting simultaneous spells. It''s really powerful whatever it''s used for, but I don''t know how to get more." "Hahahahaha!" Liezel fell flat on his back from laughter. "I mean, Caw. Oh, no way you''re joining us anytime soon if that''s what you think." The God theatrically disappeared in a puff of shadows, reappearing in the same place but standing on his legs once more. "And I suppose you shared your insights with mini-tree here, so his point of view and use should be the same, right? Right, must be. Caw. Listen well because I''m not going to repeat that: you''re dumb. Caw. I mean, sure, magic has to do with it, but you''re getting the order wrong here. Here''s the tip. If magic is the river, then divinity is the tool to make the riverbed. I''d say some more but then I''ll get a spanking. Caw. Oh, and be sure to tour the continent a bit, there''s plenty of old entities just waiting for distractions to come by, and you''re definitely premium material. I know Repose''s got his fill at least." Liezel said with a glare toward Alice. "And if you''re worried about the sapling here don''t worry, the old dragon has done something to the area and I''ve added my own little twist to it. Nothing''s going to come and destroy it. Look how time flies! Caw. And you need to carve bigger stuff for a change, whiny!" With a final puff of shadows, the crow disappeared completely. Silence fell down on the area. "That certainly was¡­ something." Began Harp, scratching his head in wonder. "I won''t ask what you''ve talked about, since I''ve been unable to hear after the God went away from me. Seriously, I hope meeting with Gods isn''t like this with all of them." It looked like Alice hadn''t heard anything either, judging from her blank look after being reprimanded publicly by Liezel. The God didn''t say anything about accumulating divinity, but it was rather obvious with all he had said. It was all about the people following you and giving back to them. And, although it could be considered far-fetched, as long as people believed in the Three, Oakbud wouldn''t ever run out of it either. Speaking of him, the little spirit was happily using magic to water the sapling and hasten its growth even though it was almost two metres tall already. Exchanging a glance with Harp, Thani declared that it was time to go back. Oakbud had seen the sapling, was happy he could see it again and help it, and even more gleeful at having met another one of his Dad-Tree''s friends. Thani, Alice and Harp also had things to think about after the one-sided chiding they each got. The way back should be quiet too according to Liezel, so she would have time to question Alice on the God''s story to learn a bit more. 71 Home 3 The more often they met Gods and their Children, the less they felt like they were the kind of untouchable and mystic existences the stories said they were. Naturally, they spoke very little while moving in the forest despite Liezel''s assurance that the way was clear: it had become obvious to them long ago that oaths asides, Gods were far from omniscient. Setting camp for the night was another matter however, and Alice began to satiate everyone''s curiosity about the God of Transgressions. "The thing about Gods in general, is that their word is considered truth. Because of that, it''s very easy for them to set up a heroic life story or spread what they like through their Children. I''m not saying that''s the case for every one of them, and there''s no way to know either, but I''m pretty sure what the records in the temples tell aren''t stories of failure and defeats. You guys know about each one in at least a general manner, yeah?" "Well I obviously know more about Kali since I''ve chosen the path at ten instead of fifteen years old," answered Thani from the other side of the fire they set up, "but I also have a general understanding of the other Gods and their domains. I mean, the Three''s names are self-explanatory, so remembering what seven others are good at is no problem." "Same for me." Said Harp on the side. "¡­" Oakbud stayed silent. After all, he didn''t know. He''d been so busy running around and learning how to live with others since his birth that he never had taken the time to accrue detailed knowledge on the Gods he was seeking. As foolish as it could seem, the decision wasn''t bad either: after all, he didn''t need to know about them to speak to them when they met. But here was a good occasion for him to fill in one of the blanks, even after the fact. "Well, there''s little to nothing about Liezel. And what''s available isn''t very glorious either, and that makes quite the contrast. It would be easy to tell people more, like he did with us earlier: he only needs to go to Ebb and say whatever he wants; but Liezel doesn''t. In my opinion, that''s why most people don''t choose him and would rather follow the others." Alice sighed. "I didn''t even choose him, though. Most people never choose either. I don''t know how he knew of me, and how he managed to reach out to me. Seriously, that''s some scary stalking, right? ''I''m pissed at you and I know your name'' is terrifying when coming from a God." "Well that''s all nice and good, but you''re still telling us nothing." Thani cut her speech. "I''m coming to it!" Alice snapped back. "But it''s truly not the most fascinating stories. It''s like he''s mocking the other Gods, saying they''re patting themselves on the back with their stories while he''s saying the truth. That''s fitting of his title for sure." Everyone around the fire laughed. "Anyway," Alice continued, "what we followers of Liezel have is mostly oral transmission. You''ve been in Ebb, so you know he doesn''t have a serious temple even there; meaning no written archives. That in itself limits how much we know, and it''s also likely things have become somewhat distorted down the line. He doesn''t have stories of fights or impressive feats, it''s mostly about his travels and who he met. First, there''s nothing about before he decided to become a God, because that is ''the real start''. What would you like to hear about?" "Well you''re leaving the choice quite open¡­ Did he go to the Third? Since people don''t come back from there, surely a God-Candidate can, right?" Harp asked. He was quite curious about this issue since meeting with Nidh?gran, who had asserted his home was the tallest peak of the cursed island. It also related to Thani''s current state, and could only bring benefits. "Yeah, he did. It''s one of the more documented stories, paradoxically. It doesn''t tell how to actually land there safely though, only what he''s done. According to that story, the Third is a monster paradise where you can find anything and everything. Drakes are close to the bottom of the barrel over there, only fit for feeding stronger stuff." "No wonder he''s told us not to go meeting him directly¡­" Said Thani lowly while thinking about the Child of Elements. "The craziest though, is that apparently almost everything on the isle is Blessed." "Wait, you mean plants, insects and trees too, not just the beasts, right?" Harp frowned. "Yup. Insane, right? Just by the Three apparently though, the other Gods seem to steer clear of it for some reason. So wherever you go on the Third, you can''t do anything recklessly. And since everything is so sheltered, it means it''s a paradise of time for older beings. Liezel has learned things from old monsters there. He was rejected by a dragon after waking it up, which I think is Nidh?gran now that I think about it¡­ He''s also spoken with a giant serpent in a lake, fairies, trees and other rare beings in the woods. He''s found what called itself the ''mother of spiders'' there too, but there''s no description available. If it''s a giant spider for real, and I mean Nidh?gran-sized¡­ or worse, as tall as Repose? Ugh." "And you''re telling us that''s not some kind of epic stories?" Thani scoffed. "That''s already more than most other Gods have done before their ascension in the records." "Well, it''s really not. He was just travelling and meeting with them, we don''t have track of what he spoke about though. Liezel''s arts are all about freedom, so the rest is mostly him running away from dangerous stuff that wasn''t open to discussion." No one had a comment for that. "Actually, most of it is him running away. The dragon threw it from its mountain in rage, the serpent tried to drag him under after a disagreement, and if not for his magic he''d been trapped in the mother of spider''s webs. Speaking of Repose, he''s met him too but nothing special to note about it. If we go back to the Primal where we are, his tales also mention the Stalwart Oak. It''s actually the start for Liezel, and one of the verified truths; the God-Tree once let him climb to its top, and the view he had over the world from up there opened his eyes to ambition. There''s nothing about the underwater folk at sea, meaning he''s either not found a reliable way to visit or he just hasn''t spoken about it. Nothing much about the Jagged Heights either, besides it being a scary place full of undead. The Undercity can apparently be more dangerous than the Third if you''re not prepared." "And how long ago was all that?" Asked Thani. "Uh, about three hundred years ago maybe?" Alice answered. At least that timeframe corresponded to Liezel being the latest addition to the Gods. "This might be a bit insensitive, but listening to you, how come he''s the God of Transgressions and not of Running Away?" Harp asked meekly. "Oh." Sighed Alice in return. "Yeah, that''s because I just told you the sunny sides." "Those were the sunny sides?" The wolf-man''s eyes opened wide in surprise. "Yup. Aside from seasoned adventurer, Liezel as a mortal was also¡­ a debauched crook. Cheating gambler, scammer, escaping jail and other punishments, whoring¡­ he''s done it all without a care and leaving while laughing out loud. Hence the name. Can we skip the rest? It''s getting real dark, we''d better sleep." She finished, trying to change subjects. "And it''s the lack of stories that make people choose other Gods, you say? Yeah right." Thani muttered under her breath. But Alice was right nonetheless, it was time for bed. She didn''t intend to sleep right away though, because she wanted to reflect on divinity a bit while the subject was fresh in her mind. Liezel had called magic the river, and divinity the tool to carve the riverbed; he also mocked her current usage of it as simplistic. If this was really the difference between the two, then he was right: she had only been using divinity as a better ''river'' for now. It was also no wonder why she was unable to dull the pain of morphing her body even slightly. Put into words, it was the difference between [deciding what exists] and [using what exists]. This fact confirmed that she would be able to create a framework for a new healing magic in he future; how much time and divinity that would take however, was another problem entirely. Also, she wasn''t the only one with divinity of her own in the group; Oakbud had some too, surely leftover from the God-Tree when he created his strange offspring. But the little spirit was still just a newborn, barely a few months old. Sure, the God-Tree had somehow managed to have him inherit some knowledge, but everything was still mostly instinctual to him and he was unable to explain how he did things. That meant that he had no way to make any progress with divinity yet, seeing how he was unable to do anything else than mimick magic-related things (to various degrees of success). On the other hand, Thani had the magic usage well under her thumb already, and Liezel had just opened the ''right'' door in front of her instead of letting her open all the ''wrong'' ones first. In the longer term, the shortcut would probably prove to be detrimental, but that would still let her evolve faster overall. Thinking about Liezel''s story that Alice had told everyone, Thani supposed that the then God-Candidate had travelled all over the world to meet the old monsters for exactly the same reason: ask for advice in order to progress. Good thing she was doing the same by helping Oakbud; the little spirit proved to be an invaluable help in the sense that he would be the prior connection preventing the old monsters from attacking them when they came. Thani stayed up a bit longer, struggling to find sleep. The next day would be one of the hardest in her life, when she would need to assemble people and publicly make an oath following Liezel''s recommendation. It meant publicly rejecting her worship of Kali in front of the people she grew up with and who admired her for her dedication to the Goddess, and asking them to support her instead. Despite being the most efficient, this solution had a bitter taste. To make things worse, her skipping a night of sleep due to anxiety wouldn''t even affect her. She''d have to spend the night alone with her thoughts; a most terrifying perspective. Of course, she wouldn''t be saying it with those exact terms, but it was the idea. The actual discourse would be along the line of ''Kali asked this of me to help her directly rather than support her passively in prayer'' and ''don''t worry about Kali, we will hear from her soon from her Child (even though this one was probably a white lie)'', or even the baiting ''you can resume the sacrifices you were anxious to make, only to me instead''. She could even sell the feat of helping a God-Candidate ascend in the future to the most ambitious of the lot. Liezel was right, it wasn''t hard in theory; perhaps the ability to distance herself from those matters was also included in the bearing of a potential Goddess. Her thoughts circled back to the little spirit, who was currently caressing trees all around the camp, repairing their bark and other miscellaneous help he could give the plant life. He''d need to find a good teacher of magic, one with enough patience to help him learn correctly. Otherwise, Oakbud possessing divinity would be a serious danger in the future given its potency and his almost limitless access to it. They were both at the sharp edge between mortality and divinity. ''Home'', Thani thought, ''when has ours changed?'' All it took was one fateful meeting. 72 Home 4 For the first time in fifteen years, Thani felt stage fright. It had happened to her the first few times she had to host ceremonies to Kali in Pilgrim Wood''s temple, but had disappeared quietly over time as she got used to people looking at her. There was always this sensation of not being looked at directly as herself, but as an intermediary to the Goddess. This time was different however. This time, she wasn''t performing rites to Kali with the people she knew since her childhood; she would effectively be severing that profound tie with everyone in the town. Sitting on the edge of the basin in front of the statue, which was covered up with sheets for now, Thani was mulling over what she''d say while waiting for people to get inside the temple for the announcements. Harp had gone back to his duties, and Alice and Oakbud were waiting for her in town too; this mission had place for no other than herself. Karj was standing on her left side, looking just as conflicted as she was. He was the one who taught her at the start and over the years, until she could take the role of managing the cult. And since it had begun when she was still just a child, it felt more like a father-daughter relationship than master and apprentice. When the group came back, she told him about her encounter with Liezel and what the plan would be. It had been hard to hear for him, and just thinking back to it would be enough to give him a few more grey hairs, if they hadn''t already been white. The people following Kali had entered the temple in the first time in a long while now, and their worries weren''t abated by Thani''s presence; after all she had suddenly left a few months ago, a crazy dragon had come, they couldn''t offer prayer in the temple as usual, and now Kali''s statue was covered up. Thani stood up and waved her hand, silencing the finally assembled restless crowd. This was so familiar, and yet. Her thoughts wandered back to Liezel''s story that Alice had recounted before: the then God-Candidate had climbed on top of the Stalwart Oak, and that had been the ''start'' of his story. Surely, this would be the start of hers. Or maybe it had already begun the moment she met Oakbud. "Everyone." She said with her clear, bell like voice. Her gaze washed over the familiar faces in front of her, feeling her throat tighten from the stress and emotion. "I''m back." Among the crowd''s murmurs in response, she could make out some "finally!", "thank Kali" or even "we''re saved now", making her feel even worse for what she was about to tell them. Was her choice of her usual ceremony attire comforting or hurtful? She lifted her hand again, putting an end to the hushed discussions and speculations. "I''ve seen and lived all kinds of things during my absence this time; including the dragon that came to visit." Thani waited until the noise died down again. "And, I also learned that mortals like us are far less estranged from the affairs of Gods than we think. In fact, Nidh?gran the dragon is the Child of Elements. That''s why I would like everyone here to listen to me until I''m done talking. I will also make multiple Oaths to prove the veracity of what I say." The mention of making not one, but multiple Oaths sent people into a hushed frenzy. Perhaps this wasn''t good news after all, people whispered. Even people who didn''t follow a God in particular suffered harsh consequences for breaking one; Thani on the other hand had four blessings, meaning certain death in her case. "Please!" She shouted over the noise. It wasn''t too late to give up, now was the last time she could dodge the thorniest of paths of no return. The relieved gazes had changed to worried and anticipating ones, pushing her to continue. "Let his be my first Oath: I have met with Nature and his Child, with the Child of Elements, with Liezel, with the Ancestor of Granites Repose; all have given me fair advice and knowledge." The way she phrased it showed that the ones she had spoken with weren''t only the Children of Gods, but the Gods themselves. This was extraordinary, but didn''t seem like the main topic. "Let this be the second: following Kali''s wishes, I now officially declare my position as God-candidate of Blood and Life." The reactions were as expected, but tore at her heart nonetheless. The people she was familiar with, listened to, counselled and helped in the name of Kali before were trembling, shouting at her, seemingly losing their minds and ready to jump on her. Some looked at her with hate or disgust, others simply stood there with blank faces, completely stunned; they all knew each other for half of their lives or more, and she had just betrayed their trust and Kali. "¡­" her voice was completely drowned, and her heart hurt. But she wasn''t done quite yet. Preparing for the worst, she took the ritual knife dangling from a belt on her robe and nicked her exposed shoulders. The apparition of her resplendent blood wings silenced everyone, engraving a picture in everyone. The crowd faced the temple''s interior with its pillars on either side of the central alley, with Thani in the centre in front of Kali''s statue and its basin, framed by two encompassing blood wings that filled everything else in their vision. That''s when she pulled the sheets off the marble statue and threw another rock in the pond. Kali''s statue now had Thani''s face, and the tattoos she usually had on her arms and heart were now on the marble instead. "Let this be the third: offer your sacrifices of blood to me, or only pray to Kali; you will not lose anything, and this is both for the Goddess and me." She lifted her hand again before the hubbub could start again, keeping the attention on herself. "I can''t make an oath on that, but Kali will know of what happened today quickly; she probably does already. Whether you choose to support me to help the Goddess more directly, or stick to Kali without sacrificing flesh anymore, you will surely hear from Her and her current Child soon." With nothing to say anymore, Thani could only let the cries and shouting resume. She stood up and started to walk towards the doors, navigating amongst the parting crowd and its varying glares. She had to go now, otherwise she would delay everyone and have the little group miss the fight in the arena. Dabbing the tears she didn''t realize had started flowing before, she only hoped she''d be in a better mood by the time they arrived in Ebb. Pilgrim Woods would have to sleep on her announcements and make their decision, a little revolution called Ascension that last happened three centuries before when Liezel made his debut. ------ Meanwhile, the administrators of Ebb had their own share of dramatic news. An elven messenger had been dispatched in person from the Jagged Heights instead of sending a bird like usual. The people in charge on the island insisted on transmitting this in person. A trail of death had been spotted leaving the Undercity all the way to the south-eastern coast. This could easily be related to some crazy undead acting up, but the elven messenger had another piece of thunderous news. For the first time in a century, the mad Undead King was absent from his throne. A first 15-person exploration team had been sent as a result, and they were asking for support to make a bigger second team. Ever since the Anger, the Jagged Heights were a place of danger and strangeness and some parts were off-limits to exploration. The Undercity was particular in that sense, because it had only changed into a kingdom of death a century before. It had regular trade and contact before that, but the mad King had changed the place into his own laboratory of undeath. And now with his absence, its archives were free to peruse! All the knowledge that genius following Time had accrued was now open, and his secrets could be revealed. The current Undercity was full of forgotten and forbidden knowledge assembled by the mad King, stolen diaries and experiments, and probably even some remnants of history from before the Anger¡­ The problem was that, even with a solid expedition, return wasn''t assured for everyone: Jack being gone only changed the place from ''death wish'' to ''absolute danger zone'' with the presence of other powerful Undead. For people at large, Undead were simply story material. For the more adventurous, they were either something to stray far off, or defend yourself from. But for the residents of the Jagged Heights¡­ Undead and the Undercity are terror incarnate, an abyss that nobody came back from, for the Undead King was ever watchful of the living. Seeing an amazing opportunity, the city''s administration began its preparations to cooperate. It wouldn''t be possible immediately, but an expedition would surely set off after the coming Renewal. ****** I remade the map for the story, it''s available on my discord (i''ll refresh the link on novel front page) since posting links here is such a pain. It''s much, much better looking and precise than the drawing i first made around chapter 5-6. Chapter 73 - The Captain The return to Ebb almost felt like they fled from Pilgrim Woods, but there wasn''t much they could do about it at this point. The ability to travel extremely light without preparing any provisions or the storage for it helped a lot in speeding up the pace too: their only luggage was their clothes and other personal possessions, which weren''t particularly plentiful and simply sagged over one of Oakbud''s golem''s arms. Most notable were their money pouches, Alice''s carving kit and reserve wood, and Thani''s ritual knife she decided to bring with her for nostalgia''s sake. They walked the majority of the time despite Oakbud''s ability to carry everyone and everything with a golem, because it took much of his concentration to keep a good pace and didn''t let him enough freedom to think or discuss things with Alice and Thani. His support was most felt during meals where he could grow fresh food in a matter of minutes, and at night when he was able to sleeplessly keep watch and grow plants to shelter the others. Water wasn''t a concern either with path following the lake all the way, and Thani was even able to get some alcohol or other surprises by fiddling with Eludia''s cup. The most interaction they had before arriving was crossing a group of traders going the opposite way to deliver their goods. Once the group reached its destination, the first stop ended up being Auri''s shop to get their stuff back. True to the man''s word, their whole arsenal was ready. Thani got her armour back, happy to find it lighter than before thanks to Auri''s masterful engravings. Alice on the other hand didn''t appreciate the moment as much despite receiving her armour, bow and freshly made daggers. The reason for that was her learning of the arrangement Thani and Auri had come up with for payment; namely, that there was none needed and that the amount would be left to their own heart and consideration. Even selling all she had and working for years, she wouldn''t be able to afford the true price; she felt like she was leeching benefits off of Oakbud''s quest. After that, they went back to the inn Ebb''s Flow they stayed in before to get a new room. After Oakbud''s help for renovations, the owner had raised his prices a little but let them stay for the original one instead as thanks. Finally, after putting their gear down securely in their room, Oakbud Alice and Thani started their final visit of the day and went to the temple of the Three to greet Talia. As always, the dryad seemed to know exactly when they would arrive and had the dense vegetation around her tree part in front of them to grant them access. She listened with a motherly smile as Oakbud recounted excitedly his return to his dad-tree''s spot and the quick growth of the new Oak, while the other two simply watched. On the other hand, she didn''t react to Liezel''s presence and actions. "And we thought we could surprise you with the fact¡­" lamented Alice¡­ "You would have if he didn''t stop by six days ago and already told me all about your meeting already." Replied Talia with a smug grin while Oakbud played with her hair-leaves. "Wait, six?" Thani and Alice exchanged a perplexed glance. "We did meet him eight days ago, right?" "How fast is he, that''s crazy¡­" "Well, that''s a God for you." Asserted Talia. "He''s not just watching over a Child, he''s taken that crow''s body over completely. Liezel is able to exert much more power as a result. Speaking of which," she beckoned Thani to come closer to her, "if all goes well you should be getting a slight but steady flow of divinity in the near future, so you''ll be able to waste some on trial and error and learn faster. It''ll start relieving pressure on Kali too." "That''s good to hear." Thani sighed in relief, a hand on her chest. After her actions in Pilgrim Woods, if what she did there had no influence at all¡­ she would have been devastated. "But¡­ just like that, I get divinity? Is it really that simple? You''d think people would hear about God-candidates a lot more, no? How come none has been seen or mentioned in the past few centuries?" "Give me a moment before I answer that, please. I''m not sure how much I can or should say. I''m a Child, so I''ll never get higher than this, and I have some knowledge about it thanks to Nature, but there''s a reason." Talia sat down against the trunk behind her and closed her eyes. Oakbud playing on top of her head didn''t seem to bother her while she appeared to try and discuss with Nature himself. He had even plucked one leaf off her head to replace the one serving as his current "hat". A minute or two later, she reopened her eyes. "Well, here we go: there are multiple requirements to get divinity, be able to hold it in, and get on a path of ascension. The first is obviously to tread your own path of magic without following or overlapping with an existing God''s domain; the second is to have become strong and knowledgeable enough to not simply make a fatal mistake as soon as you get some divinity; the third is acknowledgement and can be subdivided between mortals and the other Gods. So, that''s that. You''ll have to think on it yourself for more." "So as long as long as I have support from both parties, I can get some and use it, huh¡­ I''m worried though, wouldn''t the ability to grant Blessings like Gods do necessary? It''s not like I''m going to become a Goddess tomorrow¡­" "You should worry more about completing your framework of power before that. Bestowal of Blessings will wait until your ascension proper." "Didn''t Oakbud do that already though?" Alice cut in from the side. Talia turned her head towards her and shook her head negatively. "He''s a special case¡­ it''s a miracle he hasn''t killed the two people he ''helped''. He needs to stop using divinity and learn magic handling properly, one at a time; also decide what he wishes to pursue." Oakbud wasn''t listening, and was instead busy getting high on the energy of Nature omnipresent in the place, relishing the lively and vivacious greenery that was Talia''s body. Seeing this, Talia was reminded of the other most special case she''d met before, Nidh?gran. She knew he had it in droves, but had never seen him or heard about him use it. Thinking about it more, he should be more than proficient enough to become a God long ago, and was probably able to do whatever he wanted in the mortal world. If he followed the same kind of path of living and going with the flow while seriously learning and training, Oakbud would become a moving God-Tree at this rate. "You look better than last time. And congratulations on your third Blessing." Said Talia to Alice, who was still uncomfortable being in her presence. "Yeah¡­ Thanks?" After the awkward finisher, everyone said their goodbyes and the group returned to the inn for the night. The next day was the start of the arena tournament, and was sure to be full of excitement. - Sunrise. The atmosphere in the preparation room was stifling. Exactly one hundred and thirty-seven contestants were all stuck within arm''s reach of each other or closer, all armed to their teeth and doing their best to not push or get pushed into their neighbour, waiting for the event manager''s speech on rules and settings for what was to come. Among them stood Alice, Thani and Oakbud. The little spirit had fashioned a human-sized clay golem to represent himself. "Alright everyone, welcome again to Ebb''s arena. Some of you might already know the rules after participating once or more, but for others this might be the very first time they have the occasion to stand in the ring, so I''ll have to go over everything once again. You are all about to fight each other in eight rings traced in the dust circus. Each ring will have a King, and everyone else will challenge the King. Unless the announcer gives you a challenge, which you can accept for bonus points or refuse for no consequence, the fights are strictly one-on-one. More on that later. The King is to defend his position, and will score points according to the number of total and successive fights won. When defeated, his challenger takes his place and becomes the King. Only successful defences will grant points, beating a King does not count towards your individual score. All weapons are allowed, as is all magic you have mastered. Winning conditions are as follow: your opponent surrenders, becomes unconscious, or stays out of the circle for more than ten seconds. In case of surrender, the loser must stay out of fights for half an hour; unconscious people may fight again at their own discretion; being thrown out of the circle bans you from challenging that circle again, leaving you with only seven other options to fight for. Recovery time is set to five minutes between fights, only natural recovery is allowed ¨C don''t try to bribe the arena''s healers or attempt to dissimulate alchemical solutions to give yourselves an edge, the latter need time to take effect and you''ll be disqualified on the spot. Attention please, this is most important, killing your opponent is to be avoided at all costs! Only extraordinary accidents will get you out of a hefty penalty and possible prosecution from Ebb''s council. This is not a hunt in the wilds, this is entertainment! On a lighter tone, successful Kings can and will surely be challenged by the announcer, but are also able to set their own challenges for double reward per fight as long as the challenger is agreeable to its rule as well. And finally, I will now announce the skill range of the participants. Lowest is two blessings, and highest is four! I repeat, from two to four Blessings! The first eight Kings have already been selected and will be specially guided by arena personnel when you step beyond the gate. May Eludia guide your blows, and Monte your defense!" With a dramatic clap of his hands, the promoter stood down from the podium he used, which in fact was a simple crate of supplies, and the other arena personnel began guiding the contestants towards the rising metal gate at the end of the corridor. Chapter 74 - The captain (2) "Welcome, dear audience, to the arena! For your viewing p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e today, let us admire a game of Kings where every contestant fights for supremacy in a ring! You may place get details on star contestants and place bets through our personnel throughout the seating areas. And now, please cheer for the entrance of our fighters!" The announcer hyping up the crowd outside and the ovation in response to his cries prevented Thani and Alice from hearing the monetary briefing of the contestants fully, but the general idea was to win consecutive matches. It seemed like people knew the noise would be a problem, so a summary had been put upon an enormous sign close to the opening gate: - POINTS 10 X max streak more blessings - 2 same blessings - 3 less blessings - 5 Top score - 50 gold Popularity vote - 25 gold King at the end - 10 gold Total dominance - 1 gold per fight. max streak - gold total points ¨C silver - As soon as they crossed into the dust floor, Thani was dragged to a ring as one of the first eight Kings of the event while Alice and Oakbud followed the rest of the fighters. Seen from the bottom, the audience seats didn''t seem full but people were still moving around a lot. Everyone''s focus though was on the eight dust rings, each with a diameter of ten metres, and the fighters slowly acc.u.mulating in front of each. Since everyone couldn''t come up at once, each ring had an arena attendant working as both a judge and as a lot-drawer to determine who would fight next. In a matter of minutes, each king had his first opponent, and under the crowd''s cheer the signal to begin was given. Alice and Oakbud hadn''t pulled a number to be in the first round of fights, but Thani immediately cut the top of her back with her dagger in a flourish. With a sigh, the Blood Angel''s wings revealed themselves to the world, far more majestic than they were the last time. In fact, if she didn''t restrain herself they would be covering her whole ring with size to spare. Her first opponent was obviously weaker than her; she could feel the man''s fear and only lament that except maybe one of the other Kings, not one opponent would score her more than two points. In fact, as one of the star contestants, everyone knew her latest recorded status as four blessings while she knew nothing of her opponents. Effectively this deterred the vast majority of contestants, only leaving the more daring ones to rise up to challenge her. But this one looked like he hadn''t done his homework. Thani ended the fight instantly, rushing into the man''s body head-first and tackling him to the ground. His reaction was on the slower side. His half-hearted swing of the sword bounced powerlessly on Thani''s armour and the next second, he was thrown out of the ring. Ten seconds later, he was successfully kept outside by Thani and set on the bench for 30 minutes while she earned her first "total dominance" fight without having to strike with her weapon. Still in perfect shape, she went back to the circle''s centre and signed the judge to send the next challenger. -- It was close to noon and her score was still low. At least she had managed to pull off a surprise knockout on the previous King to steal his place. Alice swore under her breath. Her turn to fight had come late, and now she had just seen her next opponent switch place with someone else. This one had a mace and shield. Luckily for her, the man was as slow as he was strong so the matchup wasn''t the worst. All it took was a couple of misleading materialized shadows in front of his face, and she was at his back with one of her daggers at his throat. During her time waiting, she had observed the other fighters around her and had decided to go full-on speed to fight without minding the exhaustion. She would also materialize some shadows to hide her movements or try to blind her foes and kept her shadow jump as an ace card that would let her score that one more victory before standing down. She was a bit disgruntled at being classified as a three-blessing contestant since [break] couldn''t be used reliably in a head-on fight, but she was not the only one with that kind of trouble. Her foe had to give up, and Alice immediately sat down to recuperate for the five minutes allotted. She gave a regretful glance at her bow in the judge''s care, which was too unwieldy and lethal in such a tight space, and checked her armour over once again. Everything was in place; she c.a.r.e.s.sed her pair of daggers and prepared herself mentally for the next fight. -- Oakbud didn''t care for the tactics of opportunity fights, observation, and score maths that came with the time-out rules. He only waited for his turn to bring his golem in the ring. With Liezel and Talia''s warnings in mind, he would only fight with his magic to control his construct and cast some support magic on the side. He wasn''t sure if Thani held the same reservations, though. She probably wouldn''t need it since she had her dagger serving as a secondary spellcasting nexus already. Since it was his first fight, Oakbud only had the right to build or repair a basic humanoid golem for the sake of fairness. To change its shape and build it further, the rules stated that he could do it in-between matches as a King. The judge had explained the special rule for Oakbud''s loss to the man, but fighting a human and a golem was quite different. The current King wasn''t prepared for the ambling wall of rock and dirt coming at him. His weapon of choice was a sword, close to the worst pick possible against solid rock. If it were normal rock, advanced raw magic manipulation could allow him to cut it anyway, but facing him was Oakbud''s own magic to defend against that possibility. The little spirit dropped his defence long enough to trade one of the golem''s arms to grab the man''s ankle with a spell, and swiftly proceeded to order his golem to end the fight with a clean hit to the face. From a certain point on, brute force was enough to clear away the opposition; his next objective was to build his golem up to a state similar to the time he copied the Granite in Ocean''s Guard. -- "And the unstoppable Blood Angel scores her fifth consecutive win! Will she manage to equal the all-time record of seven? That''s right dear audience, seven! And I''ve been informed that her current score is no less than sixty-one, with two dominations in the mix!" Thani didn''t hear the announcer, too focused on the unconscious woman in front of her to take notice that she''d won. This last fight had been a nightmare for her. Thani''s opponent only wore thin clothes but had goggles and a pair of strange weapons heavily secured to her arms. The dissonance resolved itself once Thani found out that her foe was a follower of Eludia, and that she was one of the other seven first Kings that had come to try to end her win streak; with equally four blessings. Some bands on her armour had snapped, she had tripped, dropped her dagger, been blinded by flying dust or her falling hair¡­ all "by chance", while her opponent was obviously prepared for every possible hazard and could fight at full capacity. The sensation of fighting against the worst odds being real was frightening to say the least. Her healing capabilities couldn''t match the rate at which she received grievous injuries, and if not for her dagger allowing her to double-cast she would be the one laying flat on the ground instead. The most incredible was that contrary to popular belief, luck had not turned its tide during the fight at all, staying securely in favour of the challenger. And now she only had five minutes to fix everything wrong on herself. She wouldn''t be able to and she knew it, instead choosing to use the same stratagem as her last opponent: since she couldn''t continue her own streak, she''d throw the next fight and go end the other Kings'' instead to prevent them from catching up in score! While people shouted in disappointment, Thani finally had enough time to truly rest, fix her equipment and look at other fights. Her next target had a streak of three and was on his way to four already. Oakbud was currently flattening his second challenger as a King. Alice just stood down like she did after giving a last hurrah and ending things with a streak of three. Fighting different people consecutively was hard; winning with enough energy for the next even more so. While Thani had the capacity to get back in fighting shape before the end of the event, Alice didn''t. As time went on, the fights got shorter and bloodier and the most thoughtful contestants were catching on the dynamic shift, ready to try their luck. Oakbud lost by default after his golem destroyed the border of the ring and stepped out too long by accident. The king in Thani''s sights lost, giving her more time to rest and pick another target. Alice tried to fight once more and stood as King again, but got beaten back right away without scoring anymore points. More than half the fighters had retired for good from injury and fatigue, only leaving about fifty people spread over the eight arenas out of the hundred and thirty-seven at the start. Thani was startled when a hand landed on her shoulder. Even with her blessings degenerating, she could still feel instinctual emotions from people around her; but she hadn''t sensed this man''s approach. Either he had a way of shielding himself, or he wasn''t human. At least not a living one, she thought when turning to face the newcomer''s burning blue eyes. "You''re ready again. Fight me now." "Who are you?" Thani asked. "What is an undead doing here?" "Who I am was lost generations ago, but the living refer to me as the Captain these days. You probably haven''t heard of me, but I certainly have heard of you, Thani of the Blood." His voice was calm and composed, but his stance exuded strength and an insatiable will to fight. The strangely rational undead unsheathed his bastard longsword, pointing it straight at her throat. "Now fight me, God-candidate." He whispered to her only, "or is a mere mortal not good enough of an opponent?" Chapter 75 - The Captain (3) "Big words coming from a bag of bones!" Thani answered the undead ''Captain''. He somehow had touched a pride she didn''t know she had, and that irked her. "I''ll take that as you accepting the challenge, then." A moment passed, where none of the two moved. The Captain was perfectly still, the tip of his sword unwaveringly pointing at Thani while she didn''t make an effort to get into a stance. She frowned, thinking that something was wrong here. If he wanted to fight her so much, why hadn''t he made a move yet, only talking her into action? "You are awfully polite and restrained, for an undead who wants to fight." She probed. "Attacking someone without warning during a spar would be awfully rude after all, and us followers of Theomars can''t have that. Fighting and sparring are two very different things, but that is not the subject of today''s meeting. Have you finished getting information from me now?" Thani was surprised by the undead''s wit. Undead were creatures born from strong remnant emotions, grudges and obsessions, which left them very goal-oriented and often stuck in a loop until they grinded themselves to dust or resolved said obsession. But this ''Captain''¡­ Was just as intelligent as other living humans, witty, and also quite sharp. Thani nodded, and taking the cue the skeleton sheathed back his sword. "Only one thing left to do then," he said before completely ignoring her and walking to the announcer. The poor man was unceremoniously grabbed by the shoulder and forced to look in the Captain''s fiery eyes. Despite not exchanging a word, Thani could see recognition then bewilderment slowly creep on the man''s face. He seemed to whisper something to the undead. "YOU! EVEN KNOWING WHO I AM YOU DARE ASK A FOLLOWER OF THEOMARS TO RIG A FIGHT!" There it was, Thani thought while getting goosebumps from the deep anger and hate she felt from this shout. Well, if the man had really suggested that he''d be lucky to keep his professional reputation intact anyway. "You''re not the one I''m interested in right now, otherwise I''d slap some sense into you for a bit. Just do your damn job and let me have my fight." Then he went still again, waiting. The official reason the announcer gave to the audience was an exhibition match while the rewards and popularity vote were tallied, but Thani knew better. The Captain only wanted the space and her undivided attention. He hadn''t gone for any other Kings or owners of four blessings, only to her. "Don''t be so tense." Thani was startled out of her train of thought by the undead. Looking around, they were the only two left in the centre of the arena, and a new, bigger circle had been traced around them. Everyone else had gone to the edges, waiting for the surprise event to begin. "For all my will to die, this is a spar and not a fight. Your life isn''t in danger; your pride, on the other hand¡­ Hohoho." Thani frowned. "Trying to taunt me again?" "You mean you can''t even feel the difference between us?" He paused his speech a bit, looking for the words to hide his disappointment. "I''m only stating facts here. And here I thought there was a chance this time." Could an undead sigh? The Captain certainly did and looked at the sky. "Oh Theomars, hear my prayer and grant my soul strength, for my mission will not end today once more¡­" It seemed like no one would give a signal, so Thani pulled out her dagger, opened the wounds on her back again to let her blood wings free, and took a stance. The undead mirrored her; she couldn''t see his expression under the helmet, but she guessed he was smiling. "Have the first move." He spoke. Not one to be begged, Thani immediately sent a salve of blade-shaped blood projectiles. She was ready to jump in the moment the undead would begin shifting his weight to dodge or parry, but he did¡­ nothing. The Captain simply let the projectiles bounce off his cuirass in the very same stance, only bothering to tilt his head slightly so one didn''t land in his left eye. "No power behind it at all. But that still counts. Dodge." The moment he finished speaking, the undead came into Thani''s arm reach with incredible speed, a wide horizontal slash already coming for her waist. "Duck." After she had stepped back, the Captain released one hand from his sword''s hilt and seamlessly chained his slash with a straight jab. She dropped low and prepared to strike the defenceless arm. "Parry under." A metal-plated knee was already flying at her face, and Thani reflexively used both hands to push it upwards, standing back up and repelling her opponent at the same time. "Acceptable speed and intuition. Again." This time, Thani was the one with the initiative and pushed forward before he could get his balance back fully. The Captain was wearing heavy, full metal-plate armour, and the only visible gap was his eyes. Every joint on his body was protected by supplementary parts. The resulting suit of armour had to be excessively heavy, but she knew the adepts of Theomars often had superhuman strength and endurance. She decided against going for the eyes. It was the only visible weak point, an obvious bait with a single way to attack it considering the size of the target. Instead, she went to grab his sword-arm with both her wings turned to arms and delivered an overhead swing on his elbow with her weapon. Thanks to the double cast, she was able to manipulate her wings and use the dagger''s augmentations at the same time to deliver a powerful enough strike. "Good choice. endure." Her blade hit its mark at the same time the Captain''s free hand landed on her kidney, sending her away. The blow was reduced by her own armour, but its force was still enough to shake Thani off easily. Without her ability to dull the pain, she would probably be rolling on the ground already. As expected from him, the undead wasn''t hurt at all. While Thani had to rely on her double cast to get a hit in, he simply countered her strike''s augmentation with his own raw magic for defence. Chipped elbow plate against bruised armour, a weak draw for both fighters at best. Thani was troubled. Usually, she''d wear down her opponent, but this time she was the one on the clock. Her magic could help her regenerate extremely fast, but it would still run out. The undead however, was already dead. Only a crippling injury to his skeleton would restrain his movement or kill him, anything else was irrelevant. She couldn''t force a heavy trade either, for the same reason. He was angry at the announcer for suggesting rigging the fight, but here the undead was, telling her how to fight him. He was truthful while doing it too, not even trying to throw her off. It made no sense to her. She had to admit though, that she would have had trouble if not for his warnings. He was very fast. "You think too much, focus on striking harder. Counter." The Captain stabbed at her one-handed, aiming for the t.h.i.g.h. Thani dodged to the side and slashed at his elbow again. The undead reacted by taking one more step to a shoulder bash straight into her core and shoved her to the ground, breathless. "I said counter, not dodge and strike. It means parrying and hitting back at the same time." The Captain had reset his basic stance and was waiting for her to get up. "What''s wrong with you?" Thani spat at him. "Are you fighting for the both of us now? Is this some kind of performance?" "Interpret it however you wish. Dodge." She hated how he had been looking down on her from the beginning. The Captain was coming at her with the very same horizontal slash he''d made first, and she chose not to follow his advice. As reckless as it was, she tried to block the hit. The bastard sword struck her dagger''s blade, pushed it against her arm and pushed her arm against her hip; it crushed the armour''s scales, and bloody splinters embedded themselves in her flesh. The blow finished shoving her to the side, and she tasted the arena''s dust again. "What are you doing?" The Captain spoke. You could hear the annoyance in his ranting tone: "Why would you try to block a hit when I''m so much stronger than you? Are you giving up? We''ve barely had a couple of exchanges." "Then stop treating me like some f.u.c.k.i.n.g kid!" Thani shouted. "And fight me for real, as you said!" The wound had already closed up, but the armour would have to be repaired at this spot. However, considering the undead''s raw strength, without it she''d have been cut in half. She shook off the numbness in her arms and threw herself back at her opponent, releasing all the stops and using some of her divinity to boost her performance. "I said we''d spar, not fight. You''re not worth fighting." Thani was using everything she had, transforming her blood wings into more weapons to strike with, her dagger, and even a fistful of dust she had grabbed when standing back up. Alas, the Captain was able to block the strongest hits and ignore the others. His armour took a few more dents, but Thani was unable to land a blow that would turn the tables or press the attack further. Worse, he was casually talking her down all the while. "And Talia told me you weren''t a fool." He put her off-balance by parrying her dagger with his gauntlet. "You must be truly special for her to ask the favour of teaching you from me." He cut both blood arms in one swift motion, wasting her energy and giving himself more room for a few seconds. "You thought you were the one holding back?" He sidestepped another stab. "I could knock you out the next second and you wouldn''t know what hit you." Thanks to his side stance, Thani''s weapon and blood arms got in the way of each other. "You''re just a snotty brat whose little power went to her head. You''re clearly not a fighter." He ducked under a wild swing and swiped her front leg with his own, forcing her to step back. "Your magic''s strength is a joke, your fighting is sloppy, you''re happy you can bully weak mortals with a bit of divinity. Look at me, damn prideful idiot! You want to become a God and bestow blessings because you''ve managed to change your body a bit? You can''t even bless yourself to compete in strength with a mortal like me! Your only strong point right now is your control." The Captain countered Thani''s next blow with a headbutt and rattled her brain, stopping her barrage of attacks in its tracks. Elder Repose, the mad undead time mage, the giant dragon, Talia, even the lake pixie¡­ Thani had been and felt outclassed before, but those were all unstoppable forces far above her own ability. This time however, she was being crushed by someone she considered at her own level. He was right, and she hated him for that. Yes, she had gotten stronger, but not much better. She was far from being a trained fighter and relied on brute force to win her matches. Thani had only learned the basics a decade before, and practiced a bit with Alice for a couple of months recently. Like he said, she was only good at control, her body''s and her magic''s: after all she was managing two spellcasts and her divinity just fine. "Now, try to take a hint, follow my lead, lose like a good pupil so you can at least keep your reputation, and we''ll speak more back in my cell." Chapter 76 - The Captain (4) Far from the hustle and bustle of the crowd, Thani, Alice and Oakbud were following the Captain down the underground cells of the arena. Most were human-sized and unused, but they saw a couple that had some living amenities for humans along the way. Further down, cells got less numerous as their size increased. Thani guessed that one of those had to host the wind drake they fought earlier. The occupied ones at this level were more common, and they crossed paths with some arena personnel dedicated to the care of the wild monsters held here. Two packs of goblins, one of wolves, a young drake, a flock of notoriously carnivorous birds were among those easily recognised. Finally, the group entered the third underground floor. The stairs led directly to a well-lit, circular pit that still reeked of blood and death. The monochrome lighting of the alchemical lamps only added to the bleak sight. Directly above them around the pit, in a twisted kind of irony, a narrow walkway gave access to more cells. As soon as they took their first step on the sand, Thani felt like a cold hand rested on her heart, ready to close and end her life, and missed a step. Alice and Oakbud were apparently fine. "So, you can feel it. That''ll save me time." The Captain said his first words since they entered the tunnels, but his voice was almost completely absorbed by the sand instead of reverberation along the stone walls. "Welcome to the real arena, where true combat is held. My domain and obsession in undeath. There is no glory to be earned in a fight here, only your own life." With those ominous words, the man jumped up to one of the cells, his own, and turned around to motion them to come up after him. It was almost completely b.a.r.e, only containing weapon and armour caring supplies, an armour stand, a basin of water, and a hard stone bench. "It''s not like I need sleep anyway, undeath has its perks. Sit wherever you like and let''s start with a round of proper presentations." He removed his helmet, and his polished skull was revealed. There wasn''t a speck of skin or flesh left, only carefully sanded white bone. "Well, I say that, but by now you know me as the Captain and you can assume that I know everything happening in the arena, and everything that Talia and Ebb''s council know. Including all your names and recent activities of course. Our relationship is of mutual benefit. They''re the judge, I the executioner; I get fights, they get closure on problematic matters... or people." If Alice and Oakbud were worried after seeing Thani lose badly to this mysterious undead, the ambiance now was downright scary. "Cat''s got your tongues? I know you must be¡­ dying to know more about me. Ha-ha." Since Thani looked a bit disturbed, Alice was the one to start: "I know it might be rude, but¡­ why am I here too? And how can you even speak?" "Well, you''re too weak to spar with me, but you''re still part of the group, aren''t you? If I teach your partners here something, might as well include you; second-hand lessons are¡­ usually incomplete." He answered without mincing words. A moment passed where everyone just looked at each other. "As for how I speak, that''s none of your concern. At least your current ones." "¡­" "Bah. Let''s get to it since you don''t want to talk." The Captain unbuckled his sheathed sword and hung it on the armour stand. "You''re here because knowing you''d be here today, Talia asked a favour of me. She told me about you three and your endeavours, and she''s worried about your future; enough to do this against her God''s wishes. Don''t worry though, Nature will just sigh about it and nothing will happen. Wouldn''t be the first time, surely isn''t the last either." This finally got a reaction out of Oakbud, who squeaked once and started a strange eyeball-less staring contest with the undead''s flames. "What? I may not look like it, but I''m here to help. I''m also one of the very select few who could actually hurt you. You know it''s possible, I can feel that obscure terror deep down. You can feel the Pit too, can''t you, little spirit?" With these words, the Captain won the contest and Oakbud sought refuge upon Thani''s head. "Which touches upon the very point I brought you here to make: get off your high f.u.c.k.i.n.g horses. You''re only strong among humans, let me put this into perspective for you: about two-thirds of people never receive a God''s Blessing. Those that do don''t even know it half the time as it''s usually something very minor. If you want to count people with a second blessing or more, you''ll be left with less than five percent of humans already; three, less than one percent. You probably had an idea of the numbers already, making you think you''re strong." The Captain stared everyone down for a moment to hammer in his next words: "You''re not. Your rise to power has been way too fast, you don''t have a solid foundation yet. Neither of knowledge, nor of ability. Get far out from Ebb''s region and civilization in general, to the central chain of mountains of the Primal, or to its south-east, or even to the Jagged Heights; not even mentioning the Third, you wouldn''t be able to take a step on it in your current condition." "You''ve been there!?" Thani exclaimed. "Yes." He waved his hand to silence her before she could continue. "But that''s not the subject. I believe you''ve gotten a taste of the human species'' weakness compared to others¡­ a boringly standard a.d.u.l.t Granite, was it? And that wasn''t a Blessed one either. Humanity is close to the bottom in innate strength, what distinguishes it from others it is its intelligence and adaptability which created civilization. However, we''re not the only ones to receive the Gods'' Blessings¡­ Think of the implication of a species already naturally strong, give it a human''s intelligence, and add on the Gods'' Blessing. Do you see how weak you are now? A bit of divinity will not bridge that abysmal gap. Luckily for humans, that kind of beast is exceptionally rare and will often case be a loner. If I had to measure your ability to fight right now¡­ Let''s go simple, 1 to 100. For reference, an average human with no blessing would be around 6 or 7." He pointed at Alice: "Twenty, because you can run well and you''ve learned to fight from someone who knew what he was doing. Considering your God is Liezel, that''s a compliment." Then at Oakbud: "You''re a bit of a special case¡­ a bit hard to evaluate¡­ twenty to twenty-five, fifty to sixty considering your relative invulnerability¡­ and zero if you meet someone who''s able to hurt you, because anyone who can is far above your current level and you wouldn''t be able to do anything about it." At Thani: "No divinity usage, thirty points; you''re bad at it, but you''re still a well-rounded fighter. Add divinity, thirty-five at best. You''re only using it to boost your strength a bit, which is laughable." And finally, at himself: "About seventy-five. But every single next point is harder to score after a watershed at about fifty, make no mistake. It will also come at a price. Just look at me, I''m dead already and I''d run for my unlife if I met anything I could rate over 80." He shrugged. "And how do you suppose belittling us like this will help us?" Thani asked, annoyed. "I get it, we need to be more careful. Talia told us already, Nature hinted at it, Nidh?gran crushed us completely, Repose made sure to humble us quite a bit too, Time''s Child almost killed us all, Liezel made fun of us¡­ Is everyone we''re meeting going to remind us that we''re weak without doing anything more about it? Enough already!" "Your annoyance at being here listening to me is enough reason for me to say it again." The Captain countered. "You want to climb and carve your own path?" He laughed, "Then learn everything you can, from everyone you meet. Your mindset is much too arrogant and whatever help you think you''re going to provide Kali like this is but smoke and mirrors. Little Oakbud on your head by comparison, is too reserved: listening and learning is good, but you won''t progress if you don''t do anything with it. Other people''s help will only get you so far." "Is this really alright for me to be here listening to this...?" Alice whispered to herself. Once again, they were meeting with some¡­one? Far above their own status, this much she could tell easily. Following Oakbud and Thani really wasn''t good for her nerves. "Bah, a few secrets are nothing much to be shy about." The skeleton said. "I haven''t even started teaching anything yet, though. Stay all you like, but I''d be disappointed if you ran away. Not to boast, but few live and tell the tale of meeting me in this place. Let''s start with a little story, if you would:" Thus began the tale of a man born in a coastal village of the Primal, who grew up happy with his family and learned a trade. A few years after his a.d.u.l.thood, the man learned to defend himself and began travelling with merchants, changing his own set of skills along the way and bringing him wealth. When he settled down in Ebb, it wasn''t as big as it was today, but it was still much bigger than his birthplace. There, he found his own love and happiness, as well as a passion for teaching. His dedication to the art and results attracted Theomars'' attention, and the God of Warriors granted him a blessing in recompense. At this point, the man decided to respond to the God and prayed to him in thanks, before going back to learning to fight properly; soon, he stopped teaching the trade of a merchant and only stayed where the smell of iron was present. He soon got a second Blessing, and then a third, and celebration followed. But all good stories had an end, and one day when he had become the one teaching how to wield a weapon to the younger ones, he made a mistake. A singular strike he lost control of crippled the teenager he was sparring with in front of others, and his retribution was both swift and divine. Theomars set his curse upon him, and the man lost his sight forever. Now crippled himself, the man wallowed in despair for a while, before re-igniting his will to atone. In order to lose a fight in which he went all out as the ritual dictated, he had to learn to fight again; but none could teach a blind man, and none would teach someone a God cursed. So, he left to learn by himself again. The blind man travelled the Primal, and was humbled when the strength he was so proud of meant nothing without his sight. When he came back an old man, it was too late; even though he had learned how to fight without his eyes, his peak was already gone and his curse eternal. His wife had returned to the earth already, and his kids had left Ebb to unknown destinations. There he lived the remainder of his days, before dying of sickness. On his deathbed, the man felt humiliated, but did not regret his life; he had only wanted the best for those around him, and his mistake had been to show a moment of weakness. When the man drew his last breath, soul flames ignited in his skull as his will to atone to his God took hold. Awed by the man''s determination, Theomars'' curse remained but the God made him one of his heralds. He granted him strength far above anyone; senses so sharp he could hear a fly through the window; magic so potent he could rival a Child. And a mission to spread his knowledge. The man accepted it, and bore the pain of stripping his dead flesh off his own bones. Then, he wore his suit of armour loosely, and shredded his bed to stuff the plate with. He took his sword, put on his helmet, and went back to Ebb''s arena where he had been teaching years before. People''s faces had changed, and so had he. He left his old name behind, and became known as the Captain after beating every instructor present. But he still wanted to atone, and when he did, he would die with his obsession. As he taught, he fought again without a fault. He also made his newfound strength his, bringing him further and further from his redemption, making him a better herald than his God could hope from his own Child. When his hope was gone, the man had fought for decades already, and he changed his method. Instead of teaching, he would be bringing the fight to those he found worthy. He left Ebb once again, in search of the Children of the Gods. He went to the Jagged Heights, Sorrow''s pass, Ocean''s Guard, the Roof of the World, Wanderer''s Folly, the Forest of Creation, to the Cursed Third. He found them, he fought them, and he killed them. The man learned that Children were only as strong as their God needed or wanted them to be, and that he was stronger still. That he would only lose to the strongest of all. When he was on the Third, the man met many strong creatures, as humans were absent from this land. There, he met some of the Elders of this world, but their strength was so far above his that it couldn''t be considered a fight; he was a mild annoyance at best. So, he came back to Ebb, where his story continued. He found an arrangement with the city''s council, met Nature''s current Child, and buried himself under the arena. His next opponent would be human or close enough to it, he could feel it. So he watched, and worked, and fought. Those too weak, he would teach. Those strong, he would beat, but none could be his match. His reputation never took off to the public because he appeared rarely and never for long. And he waited. For every close victory along the way, he carved another notch in his sword''s leather and wood handle. And today, after more than a century, the man was telling his story to those he would teach once again, when his weapon''s handle was no more than b.a.r.e scratched metal. When he was alive, the man was dying to fight but couldn''t; and now that he was dead, he fought to die but couldn''t. Chapter 77 - The Captain (5) Nobody spoke for some time, too busy to digest the condensed story of the former man in front of them. Then as if it weren''t enough, the Captain simply continued as if nothing important happened and clapped his gauntlets to pull their attention to him again. "Time for the real lessons then! Even though no real magical education exists because of the scarcity of its users beyond the very basics, it''s easy to distinguish mastery by feeling alone. At the very bottom is feeling its existence and moving it around your body, that everyone should be able to do. Then, either you have a bit of instinct about it, or maybe you rely on a blessing to achieve a specific effect; that''s when the first big step-up comes, and that''s learning what you''re doing consciously. If you''re able to get that far, trying to alter your spell casts to experiment is the next logical step. If I''m not wrong, that''s where you''re currently at." He winked at Alice. Or perhaps tried to but seeing one of his soul flames go out for a second was only scarier. "Not you, because you follow a God instead of your own path, but you can still get there with a bit of effort. And then it''s work, work and even more work until you know enough that your magic simply bends to your very thoughts to produce the result you d.e.s.i.r.e; that, is true mastery of magic. Of yours, at least. Any questions for now?" "Yes." Thani spoke, "What was that last sentence? Of ''your magic''? You said you don''t have divinity yourself, but then what are you talking about?" "Aaaaah, good insight, that''s exactly what I was coming to. I''m happy when I get good students like you." This only made her glare murderously at the Captain, who chuckled in response. "You''re still not worth fighting. Remember that feeling you got when you entered the Pit? That''s what I''m talking about, you''re feeling the ambient magic of the world around you. In this case, it''s an area so charged with my own presence and death that it makes you shiver instinctively. That''s the next watershed in mastery of magic, that no one will ever teach you about, but that every God and Elder of this world has crossed. That''s what makes us old monsters so scary. It''s dangerous, it can lead to catastrophe-scale destruction. If you want examples, here''s two: Sorrow''s Pass¡­ and the Anger." While the Anger''s history had been wiped clean, only leaving the name of the continent-shattering event to scare children, Sorrow''s Pass was marked clearly on maps of the Jagged Heights. It would be hard to miss in fact, since it cleaved the island cleanly in two to the ocean''s floor, leaving a chaotic strait un-navigable and filled with broken boulders. "You''re telling me no divinity was involved in this?" Alice exclaimed. "And you expect me to believe that? It''s common knowledge that Gods were involved for both events!" "Gods? During the Anger yes, certainly, since¡­" The Captain hit himself on the side of the head. "Almost had me talk here. No second-hand history allowed, ask Gods and survivors about it, not me. Sorrow''s Pass on the other hand I can speak about freely, as I''ve spoken with some of the involved parties on my travels. No Gods were involved here, only an Elder and two Children." Once again, there wasn''t much to say for Oakbud, Thani and Alice. They knew better than to question monsters like the Captain after their successive encounters with that kind of entity. Following all this presentation about how strong he was, Oakbud was a bit disappointed that the Captain wasn''t the Child of Theomars, but he was already growing past that setback and more determined than ever to become worthy of meeting his Dad-tree''s friends. "What I''m coming to is that feeling the ambient magic is only the first step towards using it instead of, or on top of your own. How do you get your magic back after exhausting yourself in the first place, since it''s not a tangible thing your body can produce? How else would it be present in everything? Once that door opens to you, either you learn, or you die. The Gods watch over those in the know very, very closely and will not hesitate to erase you if you go on a rampage. No one wants another map-altering catastrophe. And since you spoke about divinity¡­ when you can manipulate ambient magic, and you''ve understood what magic is at its root¡­ then, then! You can think about using it properly. You''re probably better off stockpiling it for now, instead of risking committing suicide each time you tap into it. The longer you live the better." By now, Alice was seriously thinking of plugging her ears to avoid hearing any more history-breaking secrets. She had no idea what they were talking about since the topic breached into advanced magical stuff, but that last part was too much. "Ah, and a word of personal advice before you go on your way. You''ll probably hear of an expedition to the Undercity soon, since its King has disappeared; might as well tell you he was the Child of Time you met. Don''t glorify undeath, don''t think it is normal or a good thing. You have only met stray, weak undead at best, or those so overly Blessed like me that have nothing to do with it anymore. True undeath is found best in the Undercity of the Heights, and if it weren''t for undead having Time''s favour, they should be eradicated as swiftly as possible. It is a scarier place than the Cursed Third in some respects. The whole place is saturated with the same magic you find in my Pit here. You can only stay there if you don''t use magic, otherwise you''ll absorb the ambient one that''s toxic to the living and it''s going to make you sick. You''ll feel weak at first, drained of energy, then fall ill, and finally die all in a couple of days. Who knows, maybe you''ll become worthy of a fight someday, and I''d hate to lose a potential opponent to such an idiotic death. The expedition is all political talk, it will never go far in the Undercity so you can avoid it safely and not miss anything important." Seeing them speechless again, the undead decided they would be best on their way now. He had already gone above and beyond what Talia had asked of him anyway, and they had earned their gold. Call it a divine intervention, but he didn''t feel the same irrepressible urge to fight Thani like others who could feel the Pit before, and he was able to speak a lot more leisurely than usual for him. Then he''d go back to his slumber, until the next opponent showed up. Like always, still hoping for that one last fight to come. "And don''t forget your money on the way up!" His voice reached the group one last time as they climbed up the stairs. He was right and it was a welcome distraction from the heavy topics. Oakbud, Thani and Alice would have all the time to think about it in the comfort of their room at the inn. In the meanwhile, they could always count their gold. For making the Captain come out, Thani earned a flat hundred gold instead of her calculated prize of 42 and a few silvers. Oakbud attracted so much attention with his unusual way of fighting through a golem that he won the audience favourite poll, bringing in 27 gold and some silver for himself. Finally Alice, as the most normal person of the group got herself a satisfying 3 gold and some silver with her score. On top of that the previous arrangement between Thani and the arena management still stood, and their share of profits on the betting pool amounted to 247 gold and 58 silvers, for a grand total of about 380 gold when combining all their earnings. For any regular person, this would be enough to live comfortably until the end of their days multiple times over. For Thani and Alice though, it only brought consideration of how much to pay the master blacksmith honourably with, how much to keep for their incoming travels, and if perhaps it was worth staying longer to earn more instead of travelling during the incoming cold season. ----- "Hey, Jacques, that''s really Ebb this time, right?" The giant nereid''s tail was swatting the air nervously behind her back. She had gotten it wrong once before, and she had to walk through another forest because of it. Ashirijen really hoped this was the anticipated destination this time. "Yes, it is. The captain of the ship said we''d arrive at the docks about mid-afternoon, so we''ll even have enough time to visit the temple of the Three before we have to find a place to sleep. We should still apply another coat of the anti-mucus salve on you before that, just in case." After two weeks of cruise, the old man had continued getting younger, and did in fact not look that old anymore. He only had a few grey hairs left, his wrinkles were gone, and he had grown tall enough that his clothes didn''t fit perfectly. He''d feel great if it weren''t for Ashirijen''s growing attentions towards him. The 2.5 metres tall nereid had been a real slavedriver since their first meeting, not hesitating to threaten him verbally and physically to get her way. Yes, she''d warmed up to him enough along the way that he caught her off-guard once and almost died for it, but her attitude had taken a more radical turn after his nightmarish episodes with the God of Time had come to an end. In fact, that moment was the first time she''d ever called him by name in close to two months of living together! She spent more time observing him behind his back, didn''t push as hard when she wanted something, and teased him less overall. Jacques deduced that she''d finally recognised his worth and treated him as more of an equal than a useful pawn. With a sigh, Jacques went down to his cabin to finish packing his belongings. Getting their feet back on proper soil again was less eventful than he''d initially expected. The Primal was populated entirely by humans, with only a handful of elves facing the Jagged Heights in the north-west, and it could be felt from people''s reactions. Thanks to Talia''s presence in Ebb, the ambient xenophobia was kept relatively low, but non-humans were still generally unwelcome if not hunted on sight. Ashirijen begrudgingly accepted to wear a wide cloak to hide her body, so her presence didn''t stick out as much in the middle of humans. Her face and sheer height were impossible to hide though, and her voice would still cause as many problems as before. But, even though she''d been left trembling in rage by passing behind-the-back comments while they crossed the city towards the temples, the nereid had not acted on her anger. Kali had probably exerted some of her godly influence on her for that, he thought; otherwise, with how hard she was clutching the shaft of her spear, it would have been a bloodbath. "That¡­" Ashirijen spoke when crossing the threshold of the temple of the Three, "that''s one big f.u.c.k.i.n.g tree." Her hand was contracting around her spear''s shaft, probably wondering how hard she''d have to hit it to cut this one down. "And I''m glad to see some things above the water can impress you." Jacques answered to the slack-jawed nereid. Talia''s tree was visible from anywhere in Ebb with how tall it was, but approaching its base gave it a whole other order of magnitude. "This is Nature''s Child''s tree, Talia the dryad; but I''m sure you knew that." Still, she stood there. Ashirijen had steeled herself for so much more. Every passing day above the water was uncomfortable torture, feeling the full weight of her body on her legs, feeling her exposed gills dry and almost bleed to the air, the sharp stones she walked on, the direct sting of the sun on her body and the limits of terrestrial movement. She was ready to endure; but in the end, that was it. No one stood up in her path, no obstacle was in her way; she never had to fight. Now that she had made it here, everything after would be trivial in comparison. She could feel the tension evaporating from her tired body. Jacques was walking ahead of her already, so she stopped thinking and stepped forward. She had Children and Gods to talk to. Chapter 78 - Summit Jacques was walking forward calmly, not paying attention to the vegetation parting itself in front of them. Knowing that Talia was a dryad, and Nature''s Child to boot, this much control over the surrounding plant life was expected. Ashirijen on the other hand, had a completely different perception of this simple action; she had long been able to feel ambient magic, and was working her way up to manipulating it for her own use. For now water was the most comfortable for her to influence, but a small space of air around her was still doable. However, even though her accomplishments in that field were enough to put her among the top living beings, she couldn''t help but feel stifled by Talia''s mastery of her environment. The whole temple felt subtly different to her, like someone else had already taken the place for himself. Maybe it was a natural ability of dryads, but she doubted it could be so strong naturally. Lost in thoughts, she kept following Jacques in front of her until they arrived to a small clearing at the foot of the gigantic tree. Maybe five of the both of them each wouldn''t be enough to circle the stump. The dryad was waiting for them, sitting with her back against her tree. She looked like a carving of a human female, her image only slightly warped by her body made from wood, leaves and mosses. "You''re finally here." Talia greeted Ashirijen and Jacques with a voice too deep to truly be hers. They lost consciousness. -- Jacques had barely begun dissecting the dryad in front of him with his gaze when his vision turned black and he fell head first to the ground. When he came to, he was lounging in a cosy hammock made of woven vines with a giant leaf fanning his face. His current accommodation looked like an emptied out tree with a man-made door in one side. A small desk and a chair pointed their back to the door, and the leftover space was empty except for a small cupboard. Looking closer, the furniture was all made from a single piece of wood, as if the materials had grown into their shapes by themselves. "Magic. Unexpected, but still magic." He thought, and got up energetically. He had a slight headache, but that much was of no concern. The door gave way to the clearing he had just arrived at before, and judging from the lighting not much time had passed after he''d fainted; half an hour at most, his experience told him. Looking around once more, Talia hadn''t moved from her place, except she seemed unconscious as well. Ashirijen was floating face down in a nearby pond that he didn''t remember being there before, also unmoving. He reflexively started running towards her to pull her from the water, until he remembered that drowning a nereid was impossible. If anything, she was more comfortable like this, and he decided to let her head and dorsal fin bob up and down quietly. Nothing else in his surroundings seemed to warrant his immediate attention, and the man resolved himself to simply wait. Luckily enough, whatever knocked them all out appeared to affect them the same way, because Talia and Ashirijen woke up in a couple of minutes later. If he was reading their faces correctly, the dryad was exhausted; the nereid on the other hand was fidgety, and kept throwing weird looks between him and herself. The first to speak was their host, Talia. "It seems like Nature, Time and Kali wished to speak between themselves directly for a bit and took our bodies over for a short while." Since Ashirijen was still looking herself over and Jacques simply listened curiously, she continued: "We won''t know what it was about unless they choose to tell us, so let''s not dwell on it. I see they have prepared some living space for you to stay, though, and I won''t dispute them on that; anything you need during your stay I''ll provide, don''t worry, and sorry for the poor reception." That being said, after a round of late presentations, the group was finally able to start discussing the reason of their visit. "I need your help with the people in Kali''s temple. Humans here¡­" Ashirijen clenched her fist in frustration, remembering the simple trip from the harbour to the temple, "don''t look like they''re ready to accept me, Child of their Goddess or not. Changes are coming for Kali''s worship, and I can''t do it alone." "In this case, I could simply summon them to meet with us here, it''s nothing major. Maybe asking for all the higher-ups of the temple at once will rise a few questions among the more stubborn ones, but with reality in front of their eyes there''s nothing they can do about it but reform." Talia said, before exclaiming: "Oh! And before that, there''s someone you should meet and talk things through with. You may not know, but Kali''s chosen successor is here in Ebb right now, along with a couple other interesting personalities." She could have told the nereid more, but Talia wanted the meeting to keep some surprise to it and see Ashirijen''s reaction to Thani, but also and foremost to Oakbud. That encounter should be quite lively. After deflecting a few questions from the nereid to keep the mystery, Talia concluded on the topic to focus on Jacques'' presence instead. "Just keep in mind that whatever we start here will only be the beginning, and that it''ll take years, if not decades, before any real change can be felt. How about you, Jacques?" "Well¡­ my presence here has mostly been forced upon me by Ashirijen in the hope that it would bring more weight to her arguments. Which is apparently redundantly inefficient compared to your political power here." He shot a side glance at the nereid. "I must say I am still quite bitter about losing my previous accommodations on such short notice, so I would appreciate the opportunity to resume some of my work. A simple mirror would suffice to assuage my immediate concerns, as I feel my body has changed drastically during the short time the Gods spoke between themselves." When he received a negative response, he immediately made his way to the pond to look himself up however he could, to Talia''s surprise and Ashirijen''s exasperation. At least he''s not playing with tweezers or cutting himself up this time, the nereid thought. "Don''t worry about him, he''s always like this", she said while rubbing her temples to chase the last after-effects of Kali''s takeover. "He may be Time''s Child, but it''s barely been a month and it''s like he''s never known magic before. He was unaware of it too, and even denied it until Time himself put him against a little trial of his. Also, before he asks, how''d you know we were coming?" "Nothing great would come out of poking at Time''s Child anyway, I guess¡­" Talia sighed. Without a doubt, that man felt weird. She wondered if the lively encounter between the nereid, Thani and Oakbud would still happen, or if this odd person would somehow interrupt it. "As for why I was awaiting you, my tree''s roots extend far enough that I can communicate with the lake." Seing the nereid''s expression change, she knew that the other had met with the lake''s incarnation. "In fact, I could follow you easily anywhere in Ebb if I really put my mind to it; it''s just that I rarely do so as it''s quite taxing on my mind." They exchanged another glance before waiting quietly for the ''old'' man to be back from his sudden obsession with his reflection. Ashirijen picked up her spear and began filing the tip of her claws while the dryad watched with curiosity. She had only begun to do so recently for practical reasons of above-water life. At sea, she could move her whole body freely, and she was a lot less reliant on her extremities'' dexterity. On land however, she had to stay balanced on her two legs and use her hands to manipulate things a lot more, and the sharpness of her claws had been the cause of some lamentations multiple times. Flooring, doors, bed sheets¡­flesh. She was far from feeling guilt about those, it was simply a bit more practical this way; they''d grow longer again in no time anyway, or she could always sharpen them back herself if the need arose. "So, how is it now?" Ashirijen asked as Jacques came back mumbling. She was just finishing her second hand. "I''d say I''m close to my prime again. Somewhere in my early thirties as of now, if my reappearing hairline and disappearing belly flab are any indication. The real question is, ''when'' will it stop?" He answered while air quoting the word. "You know where we are right now, no? Just go to Time''s part of the temple and ask, you might get your answers there. Or, you know, stop being stubborn and start learning magic already." The nereid jabbed verbally. "I wonder how insufferable you''d be as a kid again. I''ll happily drown you the moment you start crying." -- The rest of the afternoon passed by quickly with Talia dumping loads of information about the city on them. First was the layout of the city so they could go where they needed to without getting lost; of course they could ask passersby or refer to drawn maps, but removing that reliance early was for the best if they were to stay in Ebb for an extended period of time. Second was the precise location of the higher-end blacksmithing and glassblowing workshops: the first to find a utility for the monstrous mantis'' scythes taken as a trophy by Ashirijen, the second to placate Jacques'' cravings for proper glasswork utilities for his experiments. And third, a quick summary of recent or interesting events like the day''s arena tournament, and a stern reminder to not go to the lower levels of the aforementioned building. Talia knew that the Captain would learn very soon that two Children had just come into the city, and she''d rather spare him the effort of restraining his instincts to fight by making sure they wouldn''t give him a chance for that in the first place. Of course, in order to live their life they''d need money, and Jacques was not a rich man. In fact, what little he had was almost all gone from the trip from his coastal residence to Ebb, and that was with abusing Ashirijen''s voice and intimidation factor. He had intended to live quietly in that little town, and as a result didn''t prepare sizeable reserves. At least they could count on the temple''s hospitality for now, but Ashirijen and Jacques knew better than to abuse it for too long. Discussing this plight with the dryad, she conferred them with a personal token that would serve as guarantee for them in case they encountered difficulty to find some employ and earn a living or other. With the general hostility against non-humans, this little piece of wood would also brand the nereid as untouchable, and even the city guard would have to report to her before doing anything rash. Best of all, it would let them keep their status as Children under wraps for as long as they wished. By the time the three were finished talking, night had fallen and Talia had some food brought to the two travel-weary Children, and they retired to their respective resting places soon after. Chapter 79 - Summit (2) To Ashirijen''s dismay, breakfast was only composed from fruit, berries, bread and fresh water. Of course, it tasted better and more varied than some of the algae she was used to, but her preferred diet was still closer to carnivorous than what was available. On the one hand it wasn''t surprising, Talia being a dryad and all; on the other hand, the dryad in question didn''t need to eat, so she could have brought them fish or meat since she wasn''t partaking. A bit disgruntled, the nereid just added another point to her to-do list and decided to bully Jacques to vent. "So, what are you going to do? Talia already sent a runner to find the people she wants us to meet before summoning the temple guys, and I don''t believe for a second that you''ll be able to stay here waiting." "As if you''d stay put yourself!" The man answered. His transformation had continued during the night, and he now looked like someone in their late twenties. That is, if you ignored his old, tattered, dusty clothes and piercing eyes. "In case you''d forgotten, we''re in the middle of a HUMAN city, filled with HUMANS that don''t like people that are not HUMAN." She picked up her spear to wave its sharp tip right under his nose. "I might be overwhelmingly strong, but I''m not going anywhere without a capable escort if we don''t wanna see blood. Not the best first impression I could give, you know; it''s not like that curtain-sized cloak helps much for anyone closer than a couple of metres, and there''s also the problem of my voice." "That''s true as well." Lost in thought, Jacques twirled his pair of tweezers absent-mindedly for a bit. "No harm sticking together I suppose. We don''t have that many things to do anyway. How about I drop you at one of the smithies while I look for some glassworks nearby? If what Talia said was true, your voice won''t be a bother there; anyone who falls under its influence would probably be unable to work with the mantis'' scythes anyway. After that I can drop you back here while I go to the central administration to look for a bit of work, unless there''s something else you want to do?" "Yeah, just drop me by the river crossing the city, I''ll go and get myself some fresh catch in the lake. There''s another thing I want to try there anyway; if it goes well I''ll get back here by myself without trouble." No trouble for herself, that is, but she wasn''t about to tell him that. "And when do you plan on speaking with your hourglass fanatics through all that?" The grimace on the "old" man''s face made the start of the day just a bit better. The streets bustling with people early in the morning made it just a bit worse. An excessively tall, cloaked, with bumps in the hood, spear-wielding figure was far from inconspicuous, but revealing the nereid''s head would be even worse. Still, Ashirijen was ready to explode by the time they made it to the Twin Bellows smithy, the famous rival of the Twin Hammers. The name of the shops had become a running joke over the years of friendly competition between the two artisans. According to Talia, they''d better go to the Hammers to get the mantis'' parts worked on, but the other shop was closer. Jacques was glad they didn''t follow the dryad''s advice this time, because he knew he had very little power to stop his companion if she went on a rampage. "Welcome to the twin bellows, how may I help you today?" Their gawking among the noise was interrupted by a mundane-looking woman with a thick stature and arms at the counter. Covered hair, heated face, sharp eyes, thick leather apron with scorch marks and metal dust on the rest of the exposed clothes, she looked just like the stereotypical blacksmithing artisan. The more surprising part was her nonplussed reaction to the nereid''s appearance up close. "Tourists, huh? Locals don''t stare that long the first time. Not human either, but hey, part of the job too." "Oi, master! I know the youngest isn''t there today but greet customers properly!" a voice rang out from the middle of the room. "Shut up and focus on your hammering, you''re going to f.u.c.k up the folding on that piece of crap you''re calling a blade!" The woman yelled back before turning back to the newcomers. "Damn apprentice burning himself. Cretin left his tongs on the edge of the lit forge for an hour and picked them up bare-handed. Coulda just told me he was tired if he wanted to skip work... So, hey, I''m Elise, best blacksmith in Ebb, and don''t let that copperhead Auri tell you otherwise. No refunds." -- "I''m surprised that woman could speak with me just fine. She doesn''t have any Blessings, right?" Ashirijen asked the ever-present Goddess at the back of her mind. She was currently swimming through the river crossing Ebb towards the lake to relax while Jacques left to the central building in search of a job. "You can''t rise to become a prominent figure in the biggest human settlement without a strong mind." "¡­ At least I''ll get something proper to cut things with in half a week." With the size of the pair of blade-like chitinous limbs from the mantis monster, it was enough to pay with one and use the other for her needs. What was the weapon called again? She didn''t care, it was just a long stick with a blade instead of a point. No reason to pick something like a sword since she was used to the spear already. The nereid smirked in the muddy water concealing her from prying eyes above. She could already anticipate how much easier it''d be to mow down trees with a proper cutting tool. If the water had been clear, going in the water would have been much more troubling. Maybe she''d been wrong after all, Ashirijen thought to herself; maybe the hardest part wasn''t done yet. She still had to endure living in that human city for a while. She was almost at the lake now, having swam in silence for a while. "Hey". "¡­" As if the Goddess in her head would answer to that. She felt extremely proud of being chosen as Kali''s Child, and she enjoyed some amazing benefits from that, but the drawbacks were clear as well. She wasn''t always ''alone'' in her head. Sometimes it was like a sweet whisper behind her ears, sometimes Kali had a proper voice, sometimes her own thoughts would transform to bring her an answer. She wondered what it was like for other Children sometimes, how maddening it would be without a mind and individuality as strong as hers. "Short lives, irrational actions, sometimes suicide. It''s one of the reasons we Gods don''t always take sapient species as Children, there''s no destructive cohabitation of the mind." Just another day in the water. Kali was talking to her more often since the start of this adventure, and she was sure that she could read her mind somehow. It was more unsettling than terrifying for Ashirijen though; no point being scared of a God that could kill you with a breath, no point being scared of a God that only wanted you to be your best. "About that, is there a way for you to stop messing with my mind after taking over?" She felt angry, thinking about the day before. Every time Kali had taken her body over to do something, she''d have no memory of the time, and all sorts of weird stray thoughts and impulses would follow for a while after that. "Still dishonest with yourself, huh. I''ve already explained that those are your own thoughts. When I step back and give you back control, your mind is kind of¡­reset? It would be a good way of training the mind if it didn''t require one being a Child and there wasn''t a risk of injuring you each time. So whatever you feel or want deeply, instinctively or not, will surface more strongly." "WHAT THE¡­ YOU! I..! F.u.c.k!" Luckily her angry shout was muffled by the lake she just reached. "Come on, just look at the guy, he''s completely smitten by you too. Your attitude and teasing didn''t help, but he''s not as immune to exposure to your voice as he thinks he is either." "I. Am. A. Nereid. One of the most fearsome sea-dwelling predators in the world! I''m YOUR CHILD! And you''re saying I''m the one who wants to push down that old bag of bones?" "Absolutely. But so what? In my time, I did it with a dragon."