Flap, kick, peck. A whirlwind of motion, she darted and spun, her figure a blur as she performed her training routine. Mister Spirit kept recommending introspective meditation, but she much preferred using her Qi to incinerate all her worries and uncertainties as she moved. The sweet, burning energy coursed through her veins, expelling any lingering doubts and fears with each release.
“You don’t have to do this, you know. Assuming you are correct, you are trying to make contact with some very dangerous individuals.”
Audrey looked up to see Vincent walking in with his usual immaculate bearing, having finished his morning graze. Hunger was
“And you don’t have to come. You already let me build a nest in your glade, you don't need to watch over me all the time.”
The stag just gave her another deep, penetrating look, as if attempting to peer directly into her soul.
“Yes, I do. I swore to protect the city and everyone in it, and right now that means staying close to you.”
Audrey bristled momentarily, feeling insulted. She wasn’t some fragile, delicate creature in need of protection. It took some effort to calm down, and offer her thanks instead.
If that was possible, Vincent’s look became deeper still, clearly aware of her emotional shift.
“Why are you so interested in cultists, anyway? When you find yourself alone in a foreign city, is your first priority really to find a group that most people would do their best to avoid at all costs?”
Audrey could only shrug in response. She wasn’t interested; Mister Spirit was. He was the reason she even knew where the cultists were, and he had promised he would handle it if anything went awry. She didn’t know why she trusted him to take care of her, but even her new instincts, frustrating as they could be, easily accepted his protection.
After finishing her martial arts dance and ignoring his last attempt to discourage her, she set out towards the city’s periphery. She had no clue what to expect - Mister Spirit’s explanations had been tremendously unhelpful, as usual - but perhaps that was why she was so excited.
Less than a moon’s turn ago, she was the crippled child of an unimportant family. Now, she was a powerful dragon cultivator on the nearing her second transformation, about to jump headfirst into a world of mysteries and legends. Uncovering a cabal of fanatics desperate to resurrect an ancient evil sounded like a magnificent way to start, did it not?
Besides, Mister Spirit had promised to give her a technique that would make her wings stronger and prettier, and that was worth risking her life for.
She wove her way through the busy city, with Vincent following close behind. He didn’t have wings, so they had to walk, but she would have done so anyway. Flying was special, she refused to reduce it to a mere transportation method. It was a goal in itself, an experience worthy of being pursued for its own sake. Her legs would bring her places, but her wings were only tasked with bringing her joy.
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“This is your last chance to turn back, and leave this to the Hunters. There is no need for a young lady like you to get involved in such dangerous matters."
Disregarding the advice, Audrey pecked the hollow wooden block by the den’s entrance and waited for permission to enter.
For a while nothing happened, then unsettling squelching sounds came from deep within the earth. Something was coming closer, only stopping a few wingspans before reaching the entrance.
Her powerful eyes let her see the alleged cultist in spite of the dim light, but it was of little use. He was wearing a cloak that completely masked his features. Even his body shape was difficult to distinguish. She could only say that he was about thrice as tall as he was wide, and his overall proportions were many times bigger than herself. She guessed that this was by design, as she had never seen such clothing before. Clothes were usually small and delicate, accessories that represented wealth and status instead of hiding oneself.
“I smell a light-bringer, and an adventurous spirit. What business do these troublesome folks have with our peaceful sanctuary, I wonder?
Audrey cleared her throat, unsure how to respond, especially with the sudden hostility Vincent showed. In the end she just faithfully repeated Mister Spirit’s words.
“The pursuit of truth. I seek answers, ones I believe you can provide.”
The cloaked figure let out a low, rumbling laugh, sending shivers down Audrey’s spine. She could not quite put her feather on what she found so unsettling, but the sensation was unpleasant.
“A seeker of knowledge, even worse. What a unique blend of bothersome matters fate has served us today.”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Audrey shuffled around, trying to get a better look at the cultist and see through the cloak's concealment. Almost blurting out Mister Spirit’s question before realizing it was addressed to her. With no hesitation, she sent back her agreement, allowing him to control her tongue and speak directly.
“I happened to be studying the Trenam Nexus, and don’t quite understand why you need such a huge containment matrix. Instead of gathering energy to use all at once, would it not be preferable to process the sacrifices in small batches, leveraging the natural rebound to power the system more efficiently?”
The creature paused for a moment, his displeasure evident as she suddenly felt a huge presence weigh on her. Then he turned around and disappeared into the depths of the den. Audrey hesitated for a moment, but under Mister Spirit’s reassurance this was meant as an invitation to discuss in private, she followed the cultist into the cavernous chamber.
They emerged into a large chamber, lit by a dozen crystal spars. In the center of the room was a large black stone altar that made Vincent gasp when he saw it.
“And they study the Ancient Gods as well, this just keeps getting worse and worse. In any case, these things are not for them to question. Such rituals are gifts to be cherished, not scrutinized by ignorant mortals incapable of grasping their depth.”
Listening to the cultist’s words, Audrey felt a strange sensation wash over her - a mixture of wonder and unease. She had no idea what the Trenam Nexus was, or what Mister Spirit was trying to do, but she could tell it was something important, and probably dangerous. But despite her misgivings, she couldn’t shake off the thrill of excitement at this adventure.
“Don’t play dumb with me. This ritual’s design is terribly inefficient, obviously the work of an amateur. I don’t know who designed this, but it isn’t anyone worthy of worship.”
Despite its apparent importance, Audrey quickly lost interest in this discussion as it quickly became overly technical and completely unintelligible. Glancing around at the stone chapel in boredom, she used her inner voice to talk to Mister Spirit.
“Don’t cultists fear the light? Why is this room so well lit?”
She could feel Mister Spirit’s laughter, though it did not seem to be directed at her.
“Of course they don’t hate the light, they believe the Old Ones originate from the sun. On the contrary, they worship pure light. What they hate is starlight and the “new sunlight”, since the myths claim the stars and void threw all the Old Ones back into the sun before sealed its power forever.”
Audrey nodded to herself, this did line up with the stories she remembered. Finding this topic much more interesting than the technicalities of the ritual, she asked Mister Spirit more about the cultists and their beliefs, not surprised he could hold two conversations at once.
At some point the cultist got rid of his cloak to better experiment and test Mister Spirit’s theories, revealing an elongated body, spindly light green limbs and bulbous eyes that sat atop an angular, triangular head. Audrey had never seen such a creature, but judging by the armored beetle-like skin, and spindly limbs, she did not think it would be very tasty.
She was happy to spend the rest of the day imagining all the cool things she would do if she had bladed forearms like that, keeping herself occupied until the cultist got tired of Mister Spirit’s lectures and shooed her away with one last remark.
“You are not what you seem, light-bringer. There is something different about you, something...unsettling. Be careful in your search for knowledge, for there are many secrets that are better left forgotten.”
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As was customary, Vincent bowed low, but he raised his head quickly. He knew Owen thought all of this to be a useless waste of time, but others would still criticize him if he failed to maintain the proper decorum.
“That suspicious hawk I told you about, she met with a cultist today. One that had access to a void shard. I have already alerted the hunters, but have told them to wait for your order before taking action.”
His voice echoed in the huge cavern, rousing the third regent from his slumber. He usually waited for nightime to issue his report, but knew this would be of particular interest to the firefly.
Cultists were getting more and more out of hand, and while their city had yet to suffer any direct damage, many caravans had disappeared mysteriously.
As expected, light flashed as the firefly lord woke up, immense power gathering in his tiny body.
“Have you found who sent her? What are they planning?”
Vincent hesitated for a moment before answering, sorting facts from theories and guesses.
“I don’t know. It is quite clear she is being manipulated, by someone who can communicate with her without detection, even in my presence. As far as I can tell she is completely in the dark, and is just helping a friend who taught her cultivation and healed her wing.”
Vincent paced around in a circle, unsatisfied by the little he had discovered.
“As for what they are planning, I don’t have anything concrete. Audrey - that’s her name, my lord - helped improve a magic circle called the Trenam Nexus. She spoke differently when mentioning it, and I suspect the mastermind was talking through her at the time, but I don’t get why this was so important.”
He felt the weight of the firefly lord’s gaze upon him. He knew the importance of his next words, as any action taken would have far-reaching consequences for their people and the city.
“I asked the Hunters, they claim it is used in a small transmission ritual, to send offerings to the Cursed Ones. The modifications only lower the sacrificial requirements, so in theory it is good for us. However, each time I think about it, I feel that I missed half of the conversation.”
Vincent shared every detail he could remember, gravely concerned about this potential threat. The regent fell silent for a few moments, the light within his body flickering and swirling as he weighed the information and contemplated their next course of action. Finally, he spoke in a low, resolute voice.
“Continue to monitor Audrey and the cultist’s activities, but do not engage them. I want every detail of their meetings, every word and action brought to me. Then I will find a Dreamer to lay a trap for whoever is pulling the strings from the shadows. Whoever he is, he will learn that Cenara is not somewhere he can stir up trouble without consequences.”