Amdirlain’s PoV - Ijmti

This time, Silpar's arrival point set them a few hundred metres from the fortifications.

"Just to mix things up," said Amdirlain as they waited for instructions to approach.

"I only go there when I feel I need a reminder. Though I try not to arrive outside the wards at the same location twice, just in case someone has placed a trap for one of us."

Amdirlain winced. "Being so close to the ward's edge, I hadn't considered that risk."

"It's a remote risk, but all it takes is someone better at concealment than I am at detection to cause an issue," clarified Silpar.

The directions they received split them up to approach from different angles, and Amdirlain could see Silpar's gaze narrow. Amdirlain was directed towards a four-armed, grey-skinned humanoid standing on the fortress' lowest tier. Despite his reservations, Silpar followed the instructions, and his theme remained on a razor's edge during their slow approach. Before they got to where they needed to fly up to the parapet, Helch tapped the back of the Fallen, who waited for her and motioned for him to step aside. Both their gazes widened as Amdirlain's aura touched the battlements.

A sour edge of frustration sounded in the Fallen's song, but they stepped clear to allow Helch to greet her with a casual nod. "Am."

"Helch," returned Amdirlain, nodding in reply. "I understand you've got a lot of books gathered. I appreciate all the help you've given me."

"While we're not sure we've found all of them, we've gathered over three hundred texts. About half of those are in primordial script, so you might find it takes some time to get through them," cautioned Helch. "Also, Te has gathered some general arcane texts since you told her you were still developing your Mana Finesse."

"Plenty to read," agreed Amdirlain, and she gave the other Fallen a smile. "We found a world needing help while we were out."

It is an excuse to spend time in the library and work on stressing Resonance.

"Silpar's work," grumbled the multi-armed Fallen. "You're disgusting. What have you been up to?"

Amdirlain bit her tongue and fixed the distorted humanoid figure with a smile. "Indeed, he spent months monitoring them, seeing if their tribal groups were suitable to assist. I've insufficient experience to assess any group according to the cloister rules. My auras have gotten out of hand lately, so I can't keep them contained."

"You murdered an Angel," spat the Fallen.

"I killed her so she could escape imprisonment and the Abyss," corrected Amdirlain. "If you'd like, we could meet up with her to talk. I released her from her Planar Lock within an hour of her death."

"And the thousands of innocents whose blood is on your hands," spat the Fallen. "You didn't have that massacre aura about you before."

Amdirlain raised an eyebrow and tapped the red and black pendant that hung from her necklace. "I didn't know they were there, but it freed them from the Abyss. Unfortunately, the path doesn't judge the positive before assessment. As I just told you, I increased my strength since I was last here, and the auras are no longer containable as they once were."

'Well played,' projected Helch, and he turned to the Fallen. "As the Eldest reminded Rahka, it is not our place to judge. Perhaps you should spend some time contemplating your journey on the path. Am is not the only one you've tried to cause trouble for lately."

"Yes, Elder," huffed the Fallen.

Helch fixed him with a disappointed look before addressing Amdirlain. "Am, why don't you accompany me? I'll ensure you meet up with Silpar without further bother."

Amdirlain nodded and followed Helch along the battlement.

'It has been getting ridiculous of late. I'm glad the two of you were absent these months,' shared Helch through the pendant. 'Am, please don't journey anywhere here without at least one senior escort.'

'I seem to be a trouble magnet,' sighed Amdirlain.

Helch shrugged. 'It is easier to blame someone else than look within ourselves. It's not the first unsettled time, and we shall face them again. Will you be here for long?'

'I had intended to read the collection works and train,' replied Amdirlain.

'If you wish, I can teach you how to control your auras while you are here,' offered Helch.

Amdirlain frowned in confusion. 'Silpar said there were consequences to it.'

'There are,' admitted Helch. 'I suppose it depends if you plan to work with any of the cloister's members on Mortal worlds. If that is not in your plans, it is easy enough to contain them as you did previously.'

'I'll consider the offer, but unexpected consequences have burnt me previously. For now, I'll hold off on exploring that option,' said Amdirlain.

Helch gave her an understanding nod. 'Look to push your Angelic Aura Power. If you wish to control them later, strengthening it will be key.'

'I don't have that Power any longer. It merged into another one,' explained Amdirlain.

'That puts paid to that option then unless it kept the capability,' said Helch.

Helch continued walking with Amdirlain until they found Silpar waiting in the main shaft.

"Silpar," greeted Helch. "If someone's security instructions split the pair of you again, withdraw and contact me or another Elder. I'm glad you promptly contacted me. You should know I spoke to the party involved, so there hopefully won't be need to chastise them yourself."

"Appreciated, Elder," replied Silpar.

With a last nod, Helch turned and returned to the surface. The trip to the library was uneventful, but they found the tables that had been present on her last visit were absent.

Xarlon gave them a wide grin that would have seemed menacing with his fanged maw but for his enthusiastic excitement. He beckoned to them repeatedly from where he stood before an archway at the outer edge of the library that hadn't existed previously. "Helch set up a storage and study room here for what we've gathered."

"I hope someone uses it beside me," said Amdirlain, and she took note of the contents in one of the rooms beyond. There were hundreds of works, and at least half of them seemed recently scribed.

"Eldest is going to carve a second section of the library, made up of rooms for specific subjects," clarified Xarlon. "They've already created some other rooms to go along with the one for the primordial planes."

Amdirlain nodded at the open archway. "Is the lack of a door a safety measure?"

"Without a door, the library's wards extend into newly opened spaces. Eldest expected it since they originally had a much smaller library," said Xarlon. "I hope you'll use it well."

"Since I'm finally back, I'd best get busy studying," replied Amdirlain, hiding the surprise she felt from the packed shelves she could hear beyond.

"You've hardly been away long," snickered Xarlon softly.

Silpar patted Xarlon on the shoulder. "I'll keep watch if you've other things to do."

"I'll be nearby," reassured Xarlon. "I can help the others gather materials for the other rooms. Works that we thought might be particularly useful we put immediately to the left of the entrance."

Through the archway, there wasn't a single room but a corridor that provided an archway into a room on either side. Each was twenty metres long and eight metres wide, though only the one on the left had racks in place. The furnishings seemed magically fashioned, unlike the carefully carved shelves in the library. Scrolls, various tablets, and books made up most of the collection, but there were a few of the stone cylinders covered in ideograms. Those were like the one Helch had been examining when Amdirlain had first met him, but none of them had the same styling of inscription. They'd positioned a long table in the middle of the chamber, with just enough room to move around to get at all the racks.

Xarlon led the way down the corridor and waved Amdirlain inside.

When Amdirlain took in the regularity of many books packed onto the shelves, she looked at Xarlon. "Many smell recently scribed. Did someone go on a spending spree?"

"Dagrastûr contacted servants of a God of Knowledge that dwells on Mechanus," explained Xarlon. "Given its source, it should be as accurate as anything written in the Abyss. However, I’d want you to expect some bias about the subject matter, given their orderly nature and the chaos of the Abyss."

Amdirlain nodded. "I'll keep that in consideration."

If nothing else, it gives me fodder to try Analysis against.

Checking a dozen books among the new works, Amdirlain found that no two were written in the same language. Even worse, she didn't have any familiarity with them, so she returned them to the shelves.

How many languages will I need to learn? I have plenty of knowledge points to ensure there isn't a misunderstanding from translation spells.

Claiming a scroll from the shelf beside the entry, Amdirlain found the author had scribed it in abyssal. It didn't take long for the potential usefulness of the scroll to show itself, as it detailed navigating a Plane deeper than where Silpar had lost the sisterhood members. Settling in to read, she focused Resonance on the crystal dome that held the plinth and studied the whispers in the pit beneath. Though she'd gotten beneath the first layer of them last time, Amdirlain concentrated on the upper melodies and tried to make out more of the songs' nuances.

Orhêthurin's memory of the plinth's creation had indicated her awareness of the entity whose death cries lingered here, but she hadn't dwelt on them in that memory. Looking to force Resonance's growth, Amdirlain sought to draw out all the details she could. Its theme might have been drowned in the cries of other residue within the pit, but that made it a challenge rather than a deterrent. Four hours into her studies, the strain of her efforts gave some results.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

[Resonance [G] (16->17)

Perception [S] (26->27)]

I wonder if I'd find its remains on the Astral Plane? Or if it would even be worth it. What weapons might a Grandmaster make from the ligaments and bones taken from a God's corpse?

The idle thought drew forth a memory of wandering a dead god's body in a computer game and got a snort from Amdirlain. If someone else hadn't claimed them, she had a way to find who knows how many remains. It was a dreadful thought, but one her arcane knowledge applauded. The potential materials within them should vary by the nature of the deity whose petrified essence the 'corpses' represented.

I can imagine how Silpar and the others would react. Yeah, I'm just going to mine the bodies of fallen gods.

Analysis let Amdirlain determine the languages of the various works without even opening them. In her initial studies, she stuck with working through those written in the languages she knew. She'd been at it for ten hours before Silpar prompted Amdirlain to leave the room and escorted her to the training hall. The progression of Devouring Cacophony was tantalisingly close but stayed elusive during that training session and more that followed. The more Silpar and the others pushed, the further it seemed away. Fortunately, Agile and Dance continued to progress, challenged as they were through Amdirlain's efforts to flow in time to those who sparred with her. The only outside contacts she risked were the occasional messages to Sarah in case someone had a way to trace them.

When not sparring with her, Silpar never moved from the side of the chamber, keeping alert for those around them. However, he wasn't the only one, as Tinco, Xarlon, and other Fallen with clear pendants frequently seemed to have a reason to be close at hand. In comparison, some Fallen made a point to introduce themselves and then keep their distance, loathe to converse about more than the most idle topics. It was an alienness and isolation that showed up in more than just their approach to her. More than once, Amdirlain was sure that Helch didn't even flex a muscle while standing outside the archway that led into the study room. He wasn't alone in that regard, as often those standing watch on the fortress' parapets might as well have been statues, even when there were arrivals.

While Amdirlain caught stray thoughts that made it clear that Rahka wasn't the only one who thought she might be Ori, that common ground didn't translate to the same hostility. Some stayed as far from her as possible or merely allowed their gazes to weigh on her when their paths crossed. Unlike her confrontation with Rahka, the interaction among the Fallen was usually a delicate dance. A glance that stayed a moment too long or hurrying off to tasks elsewhere. Rage seethed beneath the surface of many of them, but more often than not the target was themselves.

When she ran out of books whose languages she knew, Amdirlain slowly added one language at a time and worked through all the books in each as she did. A notice took her by surprise during the addition of the sixth language.

[Polyglot has evolved to Universal Communication.]

What?

[Universal Communication

Details: This allows the possessor to communicate through any means their form provides them access to: spoken, written, thermal, visual, pheromone, etc. While the initial exchanges will be flawed, the possessor will quickly assimilate the new language and adapt. Perfect fluency in a new language is achievable after an hour of practice.

Note: You finally unlocked that part of your brain again. *golf clap*]

It's not like you even hinted about a large variety of languages helping with anything, Gideon.

Amdirlain grunted in frustration and started on the text she'd selected. It was the first in a series of works written in a dwarven dialect. It chronicled the endeavours of a group of planar explorers who'd sought a fabled entity in the Abyss's depths. The biggest surprise after reading it wasn't that it cut off mid-way through an entry but that it had gotten to be seen by anyone. The expedition had gone from thirty high-level wizards and combatants to a mere six by the third Plane. The Mortal perspective in the journal provided her with valuable context that let her put pieces she hadn't considered into place. Partway through reading it, she received yet another notice of progress in her studies.

[Abyssal Lore [S] (94->95)

Arcane [S] (8->9)]

As she returned the book to the shelf, she acknowledged her restlessness had grown towards the need for a bit of exploring of her own.

"Silpar, I think I will get out of here for a bit and apply my combat skills," said Amdirlain.

Not even looking into the room, Silpar snorted in amusement. "You're still short on the insight to break into Grandmaster."

"I've been at this months. While I've pushed my academic knowledge, I need a break from study and training," argued Amdirlain. "I've put too much expectation on progress and hit a roadblock instead."

"I've seen you progress," countered Silpar. "Perhaps when your ability to move with others matches your fighting skill, you'll get the insight you need."

"Alright. Well, I'm going out to punch some demons. Are you going to come with me, or should I contact you before I return?" asked Amdirlain.

Silpar nodded. "I'll come with you."

As they descended towards the library's exit, Amdirlain felt a few gazes weigh on her; the silent judgement carried a sense of scorn rather than hostility. The only figures nearby were a pair of elven Fallen who—though their pendants were transparent—had opted to keep their distance and hadn't even introduced themselves when she'd seen them about.

'Impatience won't help you improve, child. You should keep your routine and not ask Silpar to indulge you.'

'He decided I needed a bodyguard. You might consider the possibility I learn differently from you. Or do you think an oak should grow like a willow?' responded Amdirlain. Though she projected towards the contact she felt through the pendant, there was no verbal response, just a sense of disdain.

They're so oblivious to time's passage. Is that part of why the outsiders level slower? Is my mindset as alien to them as they are to me?

After they passed the lower valley wards, Amdirlain opened a Gate to Jinamizi to avoid a direct trail to Culerzic. Silpar looked over the desolate mist-shrouded plain they arrived on and waited for the Gate to close.

'I was planning to destroy another town or three and then get some sunshine,' advised Amdirlain.

Her plans drew a smile from Silpar before his expression turned puzzled. 'I had expected you to hit another Demon Lord. Didn't you gain more names from Zozzuth?'

Amdirlain shrugged. 'I have some names of weaker demon lords, but I wanted to hurt Moloch's trade routes to other planes along with them. He makes a lot of funds and favours through hiring mercenary armies. Hence why I thought I'd destroy some of those as well.'

'I think your former Mortal perspective is showing,' advised Silpar. 'The scope of the Abyss is so vast his military isn't like a nation. Rather, he has untold trillions at his command. Hurting his lower-ranked troops is like yelling into a hurricane. To hurt him, you must destroy the leadership as they'll take far longer to replace.'

'That gives me a direction to work towards,' acknowledged Amdirlain.

Silpar's talons flexed eagerly out from his fingers. 'That sounds like a good hunt. You might find more mortals to save going between their towns and cities. Though my inexperience with the latter might hamper you.'

Amdirlain sighed and stretched Resonance out through the mist and into the ground. The barren plains had concealed thousands of living creatures tunnelling beneath its surface, but there was nothing within reach above ground. 'There were thousands of slaves in Zozzuth's city, so I need to expand my net, scanning for mortals to rescue. The Lómë have taken over expanding it, but it's like pushing the tide back with a shovel.'

'Improving sometimes requires a constant effort with no perceptible gains in sight. Yet if you look back at where you've come from and compare it to where you stand now, then the difference is obvious,' replied Silpar. 'You have a mechanism that has allowed both the Celestial and Fallen forces to rescue many mortals safely. To hear you talk of it, you see only what you've not yet achieved.'

Amdirlain tilted her head. ‘How do you view something like the detection net or getting into Grandmaster?'

Silpar smiled slightly. 'These planes are infinite, and what you’ve achieved isn’t something to simply ignore. As for your Grandmaster rank, when was the last time you taught another? You should stabilise what you’ve achieved by reviewing it. Teaching another helps with that as you find a way to explain what you’ve learnt.’

'I spent some time doing so while I was chasing after the Eldritch horrors on Qil Tris,' replied Amdirlain, and she grimaced. 'The plan to teach regularly for a while was distracted by hunting them. Though I can't say I was teaching my style, it was more turning their people's dances back into their fighting style.'

'Had your students reached the point of challenging you?' questioned Silpar.

Amdirlain shook her head.

'Regardless of rank in the ability, true mastery comes when you're able to show someone far different to yourself how to master the lessons you've learnt,' offered Silpar.

'Then I'm out of luck. The only things I seem capable of mastering aren't powers or skills I can easily teach another without years I don't have, or at all,' replied Amdirlain. She confirmed the last residue of the Gate Silpar had used had faded before she opened a Gate to Culerzic. 'Let's get on with killing Moloch's demons.'

They arrived atop a mountain-sized slag heap near an industrial town whose size was limited only due to the few buildings that demons needed. Beyond the town, hundreds of thousands of low-level demons formed lines that ran down into a growing strip mine that already plunged kilometres into the ground. While most common were the Dretch, there were also Schir, Skell, and other demons passing materials up from the depths. Spaced out among the masses, Amdirlain sensed hundreds of demons with the Dominator Class, only their growth exceeding level ten.

Amdirlain set a concealed spire over the mines to scan for mortals, but it didn't find any present in the mine or township.

They didn't even set up a simple rail system to haul large loads out wholesale.

'No mortals here,' projected Amdirlain.

Silpar stepped through and stood next to her. 'If you find many places with mortals, you might have to put the dragons on retainer. The effort before you is to keep a foot on the necks of potential rivals. Once conscripted into such tedious labour, they cannot grow stronger.'

'Fly upwards,' instructed Amdirlain, and she flew a hundred metres above the peak.

Pulling the Plane's energy into the years of ore processing, Amdirlain energised the slag heap's contents and threw her hands forward. The suddenly glowing mountain rushed over the town, crushing the buildings and demons beneath millions of tonnes that didn't just smother, but burned. No Demon had the chance to draw breath for a scream or blink away before the mass impacted the pit's depths.

Silpar blinked. 'No wonder legends compared the powers of the Anar and Lómë to gods. There was a mountain beneath us, and now there isn't a sign it was ever there.'

'Why is it more impressive to move a few million tonnes of excavated material than create a demi-plane?' huffed Amdirlain.

Silpar waved his hands at the flattened ground where the mountain had been. 'That was far more than a few. The demi-plane was a wave of golden light flowing out further than I can see, but this-'

Beneath the energised slag, Amdirlain could hear the struggles of demons, and she caused it to erupt into primordial flames.

[Combat Summary

Demons by Tier:

Least x 291,467

Lesser x 86,743

Standard x 2,376

Total experience gained: 404,764,055

Ostimë: +202,382,027

Ontãlin: +202,382,027]

'Destruction is easier than creation, but I didn't need to destroy anything. I just energised and shifted,' replied Amdirlain. 'Despite the volume of material involved, it didn't earn a single power increase. There weren't any named demons in town, so let's go somewhere more important.'

Silpar gestured to the flattened earth. 'If you can do this, why progress any combat style?'

Amdirlain smiled. 'This depends upon the energy I can channel, and it can be resisted. Also, not every place has tonnes of easily moved soil just laying about.'

'Easily?' questioned Silpar.

'I've come far after all,' replied Amdirlain. Despite the lightness in her tone, Amdirlain's smile didn't reach her eyes.

Amdirlain's memories of her family weren't the fragmented pieces of Ori's life, and regret persisted.