Day 26
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Name: Phoenix
Attributes: 1 points
Strength: 7, Constitution: 14, Coordination: 13, Mentality: 23, Will: 17.1, Charisma: 18, Luck: 13
Magic: Magic
Skills: Meditate 44%->50%
Magic Pool: 28.6
—
In the morning, after chores and breakfast, Tiana sent Phoenix off with Chepi to practice Spiritual Combat while she redid the Glyph on the roof for Spirit. “It’s going to take me most of the day to get this changed over, so head off a little ways so your screaming doesn’t bother the chickens and such.” was what she said, which did not make Phoenix more eager to go about doing this. He remembered that gaping mouth and the feeling of his soul being tossed about all too well.
Chepi led him off into the plains, far enough that the house was a dim blur in the distance and they were surrounded by nothing but tall green grass. Chepi was quite adept at disappearing in that lush verdancy, and seemed to have a wealth of energy in her, running to and fro and chasing him harmlessly when she felt he was moving too slow or getting lost in thought. Finally, they arrived at a location that she felt was suitable, which she signaled by flopping onto the ground and wagging her tail vigorously while he sat himself down near her.
“So what is the plan here?” He asked, looking about for any possible lions or wolves or whatever might be hiding nearby.
“I am going to attack you in Spiritual Combat. If I win, I am going to tickle your soul mercilessly for one minute, you are then going to rest up and we will try again. If you win… well, if you win we will just see about a reward for you ok?” Chepi laughed her wheezy barking laugh, rolling on to her back and wiggling across the grass to stare at him upside down.
He laughed at that, as well as her antics, and nodded. “Ok, that sounds fine, let's do this.”
The first thing that happened is the Chepi seemed to grow larger, but also more translucent. Then, once she was about his size, she leapt at him. Hurriedly he dodge to the side, only for her to snatch him by the foot and start to tickle him with the tip of her tail, ribs and feet and back of his neck.
“No you silly, don’t react physically. Remember what happened last time! You want to force me away with your personal strength, what you believe about yourself!” She was true to her word though, it was a very long minute of him laughing and twisting about in her grasp before she finally relented.
“Oh goddess help me, I’m gonna pass out if you do that too many times.” He said, panting to regain his breath.
“Don’t do that! Ok, you ready? Here I come!” and she lunged at him again.
This time he held still and tried to ward her off through will alone, to much the same result. Laying on his back, gasping for air, this fiendish fox sitting on his chest, he shook his head. “Ok, what the hell am I doing wrong?”
“You are reacting like a Magus. You need to react like a spirit. That you are you and no one can take that from you! No one can impinge on yourself! Proud and tall and strong!” Chepi got up and strutted around, arrogance itself.
“Seems, I don’t know, self centered?” He said, sitting back up.
“No no, self centered is fragile. Easy to push over, easy to upset. You want to be self confident. Know who you are, what your value is, and not let anyone impinge on that, least of all… me!” and she dove at him again, tongue lolling out and laughing.
They repeated this dynamic for several hours, and he started to get the basic sense of what to do. It had both a strength of will component, and a sense of self component, as well as properly timing when he could be ‘strong’ and when he should be ‘pliant’. Overall it was extremely complicated, but Chepi assured him that he was making good progress, although he never did win against her. Unfortunately even with as gentle and careful as she was being, constantly having his spirit mauled (plus the tickling!) was taking its toll on him, and Chepi called it good enough for the day before lunchtime.
When they got back to the house, Tiana was still up on the roof, and gave them a wave. Phoenix went inside and made a lunch basket for two, and brought it to the roof to share with her. Sitting down, he could see she was done with the Glyph itself, and was instead working on repairing the circle around the edge, which needed some touch up.
“I wonder. Think I could resonate this by tonight?” He asked, half joking.
“Hah, don’t push yourself. Let’s work on the Journey tier first. You, of course, are halfway there already. By bonding with the crystals to resonate with the Magic Glyph, you completed the first step. The second step is to successfully bond a Spirit. Don’t go thinking you can just steal anyone’s spirit you happen to see. For one thing, bound spirits are usually in a fetch of some kind, and protected from casual attack. For another, a Witch, like myself, could easily notice your attempt and fight back in the spirit’s stead, which would result in you tussling with a powerful Master and not some vulnerable spirit.” She stood and brushed herself off. “Now, all four of the magical styles can bind spirits, but spiritualists are the best at it. Mystics, for reasons that are unclear to me, are the worst, or maybe they just choose not to get entangled in even spiritual affairs. I am going to walk you through this, and then send you into the woods to get your own spirit.”
Tiana led him down to the garden, and cupped her hands over one of the flowers. “So here, this is Gedendry. She is a flower spirit, she helps me with the garden. Quite peaceful and kind, so you won’t have any problems. I want you to bring out one of your threads, whichever you feel most comfortable with.” She paused to wait for him to comply. Choosing to touch his forehead, he drew the golden thread forth just as he remembered her doing so yesterday, and held it between his fingers.
“Perfect. Now, all you need do is attach it to Gedendry here. Don’t worry, you can’t hurt her, but it is a little tricky to get your first time.” Tiana held the flower out to him.
Shrugging, he brought the golden thread to the stem of the flower, resting it against the surface. He was startled by the sensation that bloomed in his head, he could feel the flower through the thread itself, and it became immediately obvious what to do to attach, just spread the tip and… done.
Tiana smiled. “Excellent! Done in your first try. Now go ahead and release her, and I will bind her back.” Releasing Gedendry was just as simple as binding her, letting that sticky end of his thread relax and let her go. With practiced ease, Tiana bound her back to the garden, a process that seemed to involve more than just her own threads, which he tried to watch as closely as he could. Then the flower disappeared back to wherever it was that Tiana had brought her forth from.
“Well, I never doubted that it would be easy for you. Maybe not quite this easy, mind, but you won’t find me complaining. A flower spirit makes for a good first spirit. They are gentle and have several useful powers, such as preserving food and helping plants grow. Find a group of flowers in the woods, open your mind to the feeling of withdrawing your binding thread, and you should sense if a spirit is near. Chepi will go with you, just to make sure nothing goes wrong.”
Chepi led him out into the light woods, away from the plain to the east. The sun was descending in the sky, and Phoenix didn’t want to spend too much time searching and end up walking back at night, so he asked “Any particular place we will have a better chance finding an appropriate spirit?”
Chepi rolled her head, apparently in thought, then bounded through the brush and tangles, slippery as an eel and fast as a rabbit. Phoenix on the other hand, had to force his way through, clothes caught on thorns, arms scratched by branches, and in general having a hard time making his way through it all. Eventually they made their way through to a small stream of water, small enough to step across, driving south towards the river. Surrounding it was a vast array of bushes, with dark green leaves but no flowers. Phoenix started picking some thorns out of his clothing. “We were supposed to find flowers, Chepi.”
She just gave a sharp yip and lay down, looking at the bushes. Deciding that Chepi probably knew best, Phoenix touched his forehead, letting his mind settle into the frame of reference that binding a spirit required. It became clear then that this was indeed a hive of spirits, five smaller ones tending to the bushes, and a larger one resting quietly in a large pine tree. A miniature spirit court was his first thought. Three of the smaller spirits were hovering near him, gently orbiting his and Chepi’s position.
Withdrawing the golden spiritual thread from his forehead, he let the end grow sticky, and held it out in his hand towards one of the spirits. It immediately backed out of reach, and startled, he withdrew his hand. Guess it made sense that not every spirit wanted to be bound to a human. Was there something he was supposed to offer in trade or…?
Chepi broke him out of his concentration by leaping to her feet and growling. Quickly he stood up, looking around anxiously for whatever could cause such a reaction. On the opposite edge of the grove, head down, was a deer, a stag by the rack of antlers. He almost relaxed when the details of the stag’s appearance started to impinge. The antlers were covered in tatters of flesh, dripping blood. At first he thought maybe it was shedding velvet, but it was way too early in the year for that. In fact, in spring like this, he should be shedding the antlers themselves! Then the thing raised its head.
Two gaping eye sockets stared at him across the bushes, the flesh around the buck’s teeth equally rotted and dangling as that on the antlers. Phoenix’s mouth dropped open, and Chepi went wild, yipping and tugging at his pants.
The buck charged.
Phoenix scrambled backward, concentrating quickly and bringing up his Death Ward just in time for the thing to plow into him and toss him aside. He could feel the pressure of the sharp points of the antlers as they struck, but they slid harmlessly off his Death Ward and all that was hurt was his pride. Immediately Chepi was attacking the beast's hamstrings, her sharp teeth tearing into the rotten flesh but having no particular effect other than to leave still more bloody chunks scattered about. It kicked out, and then twirled to try and gore the vulpine familiar, but Chepi was far too agile for that, dodging back out of the way and scampering up a nearby tree.
—
Magic Pool: 15 (28) [respiration, 7.4 hours remaining]
—
Her bit of distraction however gave Phoenix time to get his Conjure Light up. Properly armed, he pointed at the stag only to be struck again by its charge, slammed up against the tree trunk and pinned this time. Still no pain, the Death Ward sparking and glowing around the points of the antlers. The thing's smell was horrific, rotten and foul, yet it still somehow breathed, great snorting bursts of cancerous moisture that engulfed him. Gagging, he put his hand on the things shoulder, aiming inward, and fired his Lance. A sizzling hiss greeted the discharge, and the buck staggered back two steps, unsteady and shaking.
—
Magic Pool: 5 (28.6) [respiration, 13.1 hours remaining]
—
Taking advantage of its stunned state, Phoenix got out of the path between it and the tree, not wanting to risk being pinned again, and pulled in a clean fresh Draw Air, starting to recharge his Magic Pool. Lesson learned, getting recharged in a fight might be fatal. Chepi was barking at him, jumping from branch to branch in the tree she had climbed, and he took the hint. He started climbing the tree only to feel the collision of the stags antlers again, pinning his left leg painlessly against the tree trunk. Kicking wildly with his right, he managed to dislodge himself from the thing’s attacks and climb high enough that it couldn’t reach him. Panting, he checked his Magic Pool reserves.
—
Magic Pool: 15 (28.6) [respiration paused, draw breath 7 per activation]
—
He charged up a powerful Lance, and aiming carefully sheared the buck’s head in half, from side to side, and watched with grim satisfaction as its antlered skull fell to the ground, followed shortly by the rest of the rotting corpse.
—
Magic Pool: 8 (28.6) [respiration paused, draw breath 7 per activation]
—
His smug expression lasted only a few seconds, for out of the corpse formed a red and black shade, like a shadow covered in those weird strips of torn bloody meat. It turned its eyeless face up to stare at him, and began to climb the tree.
“Oh mother fu-” he shouted as he raced to climb higher. The thing was fast, and could fly, so he had no chance and he shouted out as its icy hand wrapped around his ankle, seeming to drain the power out of him. He tried to focus on the Spiritual Combat that he had been taught just that morning, but it easily brushed him aside and its howl sucked his Magic Pool lower.
—
Magic Pool: 1 (28.6) [respiration paused, draw breath 7 per activation]
—
However, just then Chepi intervened, diving from the branches above him and slamming into the evil spirit. They both turned into a blur of features, claws and teeth and fur, with the things horrifying screams and Chepi’s growls all mixed together. It didn’t take long for Chepi to clearly be on the winning side of the conflict, and by the time his Magic Pool was fully refreshed she had pinned the thing to the ground. Then Chepi touched her tail to its form, drawing a tendril of golden light forth, and it was over, the spirit bound and gone.
Phoenix wiped the sweat from his forehead and out of his eyes, and shifted his Draw Air to just bringing in something cleaner to breath than the horrible stench of the dead buck. Chepi shook herself, and smiled up at him in the tree, looking proud and satisfied.
“Well, I guess it all worked out. Is this like, a common occurrence, out in the wilds?” Phoenix made his descent, jumping down on the opposite side of the trunk from the dead thing to keep some distance between them.
“No, this is a place of power. It attracts all kinds of spirit, fair and foul alike. You were just here at the right time.” Chepi said, in her soft voice.
“Lucky me.” Phoenix muttered.
“Be careful in the future, if an evil spirit such as that can completely drain your Magic Pool, it can use you as a host, just as it was using that deer as a host.” Chepi seemed sanguine in the face of his near possession, but Phoenix certainly felt the chill of it, the icy grip on his ankle a deadly reminder.
Sighing, he looked over the other spirits and asked. “So, what would entice one to be bound?”
“Most of the smaller ones are not intelligent beings. Just the idea of the plant life here, coalescing around the point of power. Focus some of your Magic Pool points at the tip of your binding thread, and one will take the bait, like a fish to a hook.” Chepi explained.
Phoenix did as instructed, and eventually one of the smaller ones floated close and attached itself to the thread. He received that brief sensation of its feelings again, a vague sense of life and growth and peace, before it sank into his forehead and disappeared.
—
Tier advancement
Inscriptions Available
Boon Available
Bound Spirits: 1 of 4
Bound Crystals: 0 of 1
Magical Skills: Magical Theory 50%->55%, Intensity 50%-> 55%, Passivity 50%->55%, Spiritual Combat 18%->24%
—
Once they returned home, it was time for the ritual payment, and after that he easily drifted into the next day.
Day 27
—
Name: Phoenix
Journey Tier
Attributes: 1 points
Strength: 7, Constitution: 14, Coordination: 13, Mentality: 23, Will: 17.2, Charisma: 18, Luck: 13
Magic Pool: 29
—
Whatever it was that Tiana was doing with these meditative trances at night, it was accelerating his Magic Pool growth like gangbusters, Phoenix thought as he woke from his sleep-trance. If this was the result of being used for her purposes, he would happily sign up again.
Over breakfast, Tiana examined his new bound spirit, and judged it ‘mid-tier, but useful’. He figured that for a win, given that this was from someone who bound spirits for a living. Apparently his little flower spirit could both preserve food (he had wondered how Tiana kept her bread and meat from rotting without refrigeration) and once a week or so greatly accelerate the growth of fruit bearing plants. A little specific for that last one, but Tiana explained that getting a full grown raspberry bush or taking an apple tree from sapling to mature in an hour could be quite handy if he was hungry in the wild.
“So, good day all around I think! You have a new boon available, and we can carry on with resonating the Spirit Glyph!” Tiana bounded to her feet, pleased with herself.
Phoenix groaned at that, another full day of mental discipline and boredom. Well, it would be worth it in the end.
“Chepi told me about your little encounter in the woods. You are going to need the Spirit Glyph to defend, I don’t think I have enough time to teach you enough Spiritual Combat to be effective, and frankly, it is not really a sorcerer's strong suit. Better to spend your time on spells and your other magical skills. Eat well, then get to the roof, I’ll be out back in the garden while you meditate.”
He finished up breakfast and went to sit in the dawn sunlight. The early dawn of this day was actually fairly warm, for once, a far cry from the almost cold of his original entry into this world, and he feared the bright light and warmth of the full day would be oppressive enough that he changed into his silk clothing, which was very light and blessedly allowed every breeze to whisk the heat away from his body. Thus prepared, he began his mediation on the Spirit Glyph.
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The second try at this task went better than the first, experience let him keep focused for longer, take shorter breaks, and proceed at a much faster pace. Before evening, he could feel the Spirit Glyph resonate with him, ethereal and mysterious, quite different in kind from the other Glyphs.
—
Magic: Spirit
Magic Pool: 28
—
Tiana joined him on the roof, made aware of his success by his waving at her. “Well, a bit over thirteen hours this time, quite the learning curve! Can’t ask for faster than that! How do you feel?”
Phoenix smiled up at her, feeling proud that he had managed to do something well for once. “Not bad, a little spacy, which is worse than I felt after the Magic Glyph.” he said.
Tiana nodded along. “No doubt that is your hard limit again. Why should I not be surprised that you are a one to one ratio? Keep that in mind for the future. If I was a betting woman, I would say your current Mentality will max out at the next breakpoint, twenty five, so you have two more Glyphs to decide on before you expend more Hero Soul points on mentality. Going to be your magical set for quite a while, so approach those last two Glyphs with care and due deliberation.” She turned to head down again. He was very pleased but his smile faded when he saw her expression. She was staring out into the distance, frowning deeply.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, looking out the way she was staring.
“I… don’t know. Some group is on the horizon, but I can’t tell what they are from this distance.” Her worried frown didn’t alter, and she looked around the roof. “I think… I think it is best if we hide you.”
Her worry was contagious and he stood up, casting about for somewhere that wasn’t immediately obvious as a hiding spot. The entire inside of the house was one big open room, he would be discovered in at most minutes by a dedicated search, and the trees nearby were nowhere near dense enough to hide him, not if they were coming over the horizon already. His eyes lit on the water tank for the plumbing, and he pointed to it.
“Yes, excellent idea. Get in there, and don’t come out until Chepi comes to get you, I don’t care what you hear, you understand? If I am lying dying on the ground, you stay in there unless you are actually discovered, that is a command, is that clear?” She looked at him, deadly serious.
“Clear, mistress.” He swallowed his fear back and made his way over to the tank, and crawled up to the maintenance hatch on the top. Here he came up against a flaw in his brilliant plan- he was too big. Squeeze as he might, he couldn’t quite slip in. Chepi leapt up to watch him, then put her paw on his shoulder.
“Relax and let me in for a moment.” Chepi said, so he tried to do just that, lowering his defenses that he had just developed in their mock fights earlier in the day. Chepi whispered something sibilant and harsh, and he felt himself change, suddenly shrinking to half his size, and with a yelp and a splash he fell into the water tank. Spluttering and thrashing, he quickly got out of his suddenly far to large silk clothes, which Chepi grabbed and dragged away to hide separately. He then swam over to a slight lip in the construction as she closed the hatch. He could hang on without having to tread water the entire time, and calmed his breathing to try and be as quiet as possible, and strained to listen.
He could hear Tiana get down from the roof, and then what sounded like the approach of a dozen or more four footed things. Huffing and growling, they sounded like very large dogs or wolves, and they stopped some distance away from the house.
“Wicked Tselyth, what causes your foul features to darken my doorway?” Tiana called out.
“Oooh sweetums, you know how things are. How could I leave my favorite sister alone for so long without checking up on her hmmm?” The voice was hoarse and raspy, high pitched and simpering at the end.
“I am not your sister. I didn’t accept that offer, in case your dim eyes couldn’t see.” Tiana replied.
“Oh fer sure, yes that is the case then. Time changes all things doesn’t it hmm? Speaking of time, you look positively stunning dear, do something with your hair did you? You must tell me what you have done to get the wrinkles out of your skin!” the voice, Wicked Tselyth presumably, carried on, getting closer.
“I have a pie in the oven, Tselyth, and no time to banter words with you. Especially when you bring a dozen orc war maids on wargs to my domain. How am I supposed to feel about that, I wonder?” Tiana sounded vaguely threatening.
“Now now dearie, don’t fret. We were just searching for someone, one of ours that got away, you might say. Would you know anything about that? Escaped prisoner. A boy, tall fellow, black hair and blue eyes, skin that is like never seen the sun or an honest day's work in his life. Ring any bells?” Tselyth must be standing right in front of Tiana now.
“You are telling me a hag lost a boy out of her prison?” Tiana’s words struck an icicle of pure terror into his heart, and he clamped down on it hard. Screw admonishments of not suppressing his emotions! This was not the time to give in to them.
“Oh no no no, no of course not. Vuiloa! Get your scabby ass up here.” there was a scramble and sounds of someone coming forward. “No, Vuiloa here, oh, she has been naughty, I’ll tell you. Made promises, she did, to deliver a boy to our hands, and then poof! Let him get away.” Tselyth’s voice was filled with cruel amusement.
“Wicked Tselyth, I beg you, he was nothing like I have ever seen! Set fire magics about my fort through the protections of Kan-Tal-Yek! I swear, if you just give me leave… aaaahhhgh!” the last being a gurgling cry torn from the throat of Vuiloa.
“When I want to hear your words, little Vuiloa, I'll tear them out of you black, lying tongue I will. Now shut it! The grown ups are talking.” Tselyth growled. “Dearie, you hear how it is. Have had quite a trial of it lately, I won’t lie. Melite has been making waves off east, managed to kill herself a lot of goblins, and derail a lot of plans. I know you and Melite don’t get on too well, so I thought to myself, that Tiana could find a lost lonely boy in all the shrubbery and grass around here, lickety split! Why, if she were to do me this favor, I would even let her have a taste or three before we moved on, what do you think of that hmmm? Your own child, from your own womb!” The hag cackled, crude and loud. “You can still have children, right dearie? Well, don’t you worry yourself about that, I have some potions that will fix you right up they will, no matter how dried and dusty everything has gotten.”
“As tempting as such an offer might be, I am quite sure I haven’t seen even a hint of any boy wandering in my domain. Believe me, I would know too.” Tiana’s voice was dripping with scorn.
“Well, I suppose that is so. Couldn’t hurt to ask, us being almost family and all. And of course, us being family, pardon, almost family, you don’t mind my girls taking a look around do you?” Tylethy was oozing insincerity.
“Don’t make a mess, you break anything. I am taking it out in leather, from the nearest available source.” Tiana growled.
Shit. They make a concerted effort to search, will I be safe here? From a hag? Ok, what can I do to improve my chances…
Phoenix hit on it then. Carefully, he pulled forth an Illusory Earth wall above him in the water, then colored it the same as the water itself. Now, if someone were to look into the water tower, they would see exactly what they expected to see, still black water and nothing more.
—
Magic Pool: 21 (28) [respiration, 4 hours remaining]
—
He could hear the orcs down in the house, opening various cupboards and boxes. One climbed the roof then, and stopped outside the water tower. Phoenix held his breath…
“Faugh, what is that foul reek!” The voice was practically right next to him, a deep contralto feminine voice. He could then here Chepi’s laughter and the sound of her footsteps as she dashed past. The orc quickly left the roof in a hurry, gaging and cursing the whole way.
When he dared breathe again, Phoenix instantly regretted it. A heavy, musky odor not at all unlike a skunk assaulted his nostrils, and he quickly went to shallowly breathing through his mouth in an effort to not make any noise. Foul reek indeed!
“Can’t control your pet there, sweetums?” Tselyth could be heard down below.
“She is just upset with all the strangers. You know how things are.” Tiana said, sounding calm as a winter pond and just as cold.
The people down below eventually finished their search, returning to around Tselyth. “Well dearie, as unpleasant as it has been to catch up, we have more ground to cover before nightfall. You just think about my offer, will you? Won’t get another chance like this, not in your remaining days I think! But then, maybe you take us up on becoming a sister, and then your days stretch on forever. Think about that too. Toodles!” Tselyth laughed, and he could hear the group move off at lope.
Still he didn’t move, mindful of what he had been commanded and not at all trusting that the hag was out of visual range. The reeking odor disappeared all of a sudden, as if it never had been, but Chepi didn’t show, so he hung tight there, shriveled and cold in the water, maintaining the illusion above him. He heard Tiana enter the house down below, and he was wondering what she was up to when the hatch opened above him.
Silhouetted in the light was by far the ugliest woman he had ever seen. Grey, stringy hair matted and patchy covered her head, an enormous hooked nose covered in hair-ridden warts made the centerpiece of her face. Sea green skin, scabby and scarred, with thin red lips surrounded a mouth full of pointed, crooked teeth. Two beady, hateful black eyes stared down, and she grinned into the darkness of his hideaway. The grin slowly faded however, as Wicked Tselyth, for that was who it had to be, cast her gaze back and forth over his illusion. Frowning, she finally closed the hatch, and he heard the flutter of wings take off into the sky.
Phoenix let his breath out oh so slowly, sparkles of light from holding it too long dancing at the corner of his vision. He dared not make any noise, and his inhale was slow and controlled as he could make it, through his nose and quiet. That was too close, too damn close by far.
Still he didn’t move.
What seemed like hours, but was probably only thirty of forty minutes, passed. Finally, Chepi opened the hatch up. He watched her carefully, paranoid fantasies that somehow the Hag had shapechanged into a copy of the fox, freezing him in place. Chepi was tilting her head from side to side, curiously, at his illusion, and then he felt her presence reach down and wrap itself around him, like in the field as they play-fought.
“Oh it is you.” he sighed, and released the illusion. Chepi burst into laughter at that, and he heard a thump as she fell off the water tank. Worried, he swam over to the hatch and made his way up and out, still shrunk to half his size and naked, dripping wet and cold. Chepi was on her back fluttering her legs in the air, laughing loudly.
He sat on the edge of the water tower, unsure he could make the jump down at his present size, when Tiana came up to the roof to investigate all the noise. She looked tired and scared, and gave Chepi a cross glare. “What the hell is so funny you silly ball of fluff. Get inside before that hag gets it in her head to come back. Phoenix… why… why are you naked and tiny?”
Blushing to the roots of his hair, he covered up as best he could. “I couldn’t fit through the hatch, so Chepi shrank me. The hag was back once already, but I covered myself in an illusion and she didn’t see me when she looked in the tank.”
Tiana’s eyes got very wide at that, and she hastily reached up and grabbed him, shrunken as he was, and carried him down to the house. Chepi cheerfully followed, tail wagging and tongue out, looking quite proud of herself.
“Nearly a disaster after all. Good thinking, using an illusion. The wolves almost caught your scent, but Chepi… distracted them.” This caused another round of laughter from Chepi and Tiana frowned at her. “Chepi, if you are done gloating, will you please put him back to his right size? We have to move quickly.”
Tiana set him down and Chepi gave a long warm lick across the side of his face, and he felt himself change once again, growing back to his usual size in a few moments. Tiana threw his cowl to him and he hurriedly dressed himself while she talked.
“You aren’t safe here anymore, we will have to try to send you south or maybe west…” Tiana was getting out food and other supplies while she talked.
“The hag, Tselyth right? She shapechanged into a bird.” Phoenix added.
Tiana paused in her packing. “A vulture, no doubt. If she can fly… if she is flying around now…” she gave a heavy sigh, and sat down. “You can’t leave yet. You are not safe here, but if she is searching from the sky, she will find you in hours, if not minutes.”
“You two know each other well?” He asked, concern and curiosity warring with tact and delicacy.
Tiana gave him a sharp look, and then put her hands over her eyes, holding her head. “Do I know Wicked Tselyth well? No I wouldn’t say so.” Her voice sounded so tired, distant, worn down. “She made me an offer. I am not as young as I look, you see.” Her laugh was filled with pain. “Don’t judge me! I am allowed a little vanity when a young man comes along, for the first time in sixty years. Fine, cards on the table.”
She put her hands down then, looking at him, and he was shocked to see tears there. “I have been a mentor and confidant of the Free Elves and the Empire for almost one hundred years now. Six apprentices, each going on to do great things in their realms. I have reached the very pinnacle of Glyph tier, but that one, tiny step, that one infinitely wide step, I just can’t bridge the gap. A Hero Soul. Oh and the hero soul power to buy one boon. If I had that, I wouldn’t care about my age, about how any morning now I could just… not wake up.”
Her eyes turned pleading. “It’s terribly petty I know. I have never gotten along with Melite, but I have never fought against her either. Coldly neutral is how I would describe our relationship, in her endless war with Kan-Tal-Yek, here in the north. The hags noticed of course. A Glyph tier practically on their doorstep, all by herself, but not fighting them and not helping them. So they wanted my help. The usual betrayals, you can imagine. Send any boys that Melite was sending to the Free Elves to the hags instead. Use my powers to spy out the faerie court. Maybe even get some intel on the Empire while I was at it. And for that little price, they would make me a hag, and I would have my immortality.” She shook her head.
“I said no of course. And condemned myself to dying alone of old age, here in the wilds. Given up, basically. A lot of dark thoughts come to you, out here by yourself. But! It was the right thing to do. Then, oh then Arachnae sent me a sign! Eighty years of worship and she sent me a sign, directly! I was overjoyed and terrified at the same time. Another apprentice? Did that mean she expected me to live at least that long? Maybe my hopes were not dashed after all.”
Phoenix held himself very still, just trying to let her get it all out. The outline of this tragedy, or farce, was all too clear.
“Yes, you see it. Instead of a young woman, full of promise, who I could apprentice, I got a young man! And a sorcerer at that! And what does he have? A. Hero. Soul.” She wiped the tears from under eyes. “Was Arachnae mocking me? I can’t even tell anymore.”
“I’m sorry.” He said, lamely.
“For what? Being beautiful and vibrant and alive? For talking to my Goddess like it's no big deal? For tripping your way into more power than most sorcerers will see in their entire lives?” Phoenix couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying now.
“No, I’m sorry I was the vehicle for such pain to enter your life, even if it was entirely inadvertently.” He shrugged. “You don’t deserve that.”
“You are right. I don’t. But I’m just a foolish old woman who let herself be seduced by hope again.” She clasped her hands tight, and seemed to be mastering her tears by sheer force of will.
“A woman who, when confronted with the choice between what was right and what you most desired, chose to do the right thing. Not once, but twice now.” He then added “I don’t know how this world counts things, but doing the right thing, despite great personal cost? Sounds pretty heroic to me.”
She sat there, quiet now, clenching and unclenching her hands. Chepi was staring at her, and suddenly bounded over and stuck her snout under arm, giving a worried whine.
“If that hag is patrolling in the air, you have no chance. Even if she isn’t, you are going to have to run far and run fast. South, I think, across the river and towards the Empire. More hills, more woods. This flat open plain to the west, you will never make it across.” She seemed to be planning something.
“I have something I can do about that, I think. I was close before, but if I am careful about exactly how much I carry, I can ride on top of my magical wall, and move it mentally. Fast as a horse, and for longer since the only strain is my concentration.” He grinned at her “Which, conveniently, has just been tested to destruction yesterday.”
Tiana stood, walking in a half daze it seemed like, with Chepi clinging to her closely, still whining. Phoenix was beginning to become concerned.
“Excellent, yes, this can work. Still not exactly safe, but safer than waiting here for a full coven to show up. Get… get your things together, I am going to draw you a map of where you need to go.” and she rummaged around in the cupboard, pulling out parchment and ink once more. “Chepi, if you are that worried, help Phoenix pack. Get the water skins out, he can have both of them.”
While Tiana drew the map, Phoenix put all his belongings into his travel box. Chepi showed him where the water skins were, as well as where the dried meat, trail mix, and hard tack were stored for long journeys. He put everything he could stuff into the box down on the floor, and tested the weight. He then removed the bedroll and pillow he had been sleeping on, and tried again. The rose water and soaps, and the cowl and silk underwear. He could feel the strain of lifting all of that along with himself, but he could do it.
He headed over to the table and looked at the map Tiana was drawing. She was doing a very basic design, just points of interest with arrows between them annotated with travel times. The hardest bit would be going south after the river he had been following, in order to meet up with the second river. Melite had said that it would take a week on foot to make the crossing, he could probably do it in half that time, maybe less. He returned to his bathtub shaped floating sled and started by adding one water skin and the leftover food from his original trip. When he sat down on it, the makeshift vessel slowly sank to the ground. Frustrated, he considered his options.
He knew the limits of how much power he could put into any given spell were tied closely to both his Mentality and his skill level. He needed three days of water, minimum, to make the trip at speed between the rivers. And then as much food as he could manage. Twelve liters of water, two kilograms of trail mix. Three, maybe four days of water and food.
He couldn’t lift it. Not with him, and he couldn’t afford to abandon anything else.
Reluctantly, not looking at Tiana who was still distracted by making the map and whatever her own issue was, he opened his panel and stared at that one attribute point.
Needs must. I am sure there are worse ways to spend it. He selected Mentality and hit confirm. Then, his heart in his throat, he tried again. He could feel the surge of power, that little bit of extra strength, and slowly he lifted off the ground.
He almost cheered. It was going to stretch his magical muscles, but he didn’t care, it worked and it was sufficient. A day of fast riding to Melite’s South-of-Home river, refill his waterskins, hunt something, then as fast as he could managed south to the second river. Another brief pause to hunt up some more food, but water would stop being an issue from that point. He couldn’t kill a deer and bring it with him, he couldn’t carry that much meat. But if he kept to birds, rabbits, and squirrels… well it wouldn’t be healthy, but it would keep him alive. Maybe if he spooked a quail or something out of hiding while he was driving south, he could save some of the trail mix for emergencies. It was going to work. It had to work.
That just left Wicked Tselyth. He sat down at the table, where Tiana had finished her map and was petting Chepi. He didn’t like the feeling in the air.
“You are planning something rash.” He said, flatly.
“Oh yes. Rash, stupid, possibly fatal. But the right thing to do.” She looked at him, and her eyes were practically feverish. “Arachnae is giving me a chance, a hope. And you as well. Don’t waste it! Once you get outside, you ride like the wind and do not look back. My last command to you.”
Phoenix was grinding his teeth. “I am getting real sick of other people fighting my battles, frankly.”
Tiana barked out a laugh at that. “Get used to it! Going to be a theme for your life from now on, I am sure. Got everything you need?” she stood and moved to the door, Chepi following with her tail held low and ears back.
He wanted to tell her not to do this. He wanted to think that, together, they could fight off a hag, a Witch, and a dozen orcs on wargs. Or more, as that was assuming only one pack out looking for him. But he didn’t believe it, and Arachnae’s orders resonated in his mind, through the contract. Avoid capture, at any and all costs.
“Don’t look so glum. I’m not literally trying to commit suicide here. Just going to mess with that flying hag so she will have better things to do than look for you. Almost certainly, they won’t bother to gather all their forces for revenge on me, not if they want any chance of finding you. So I’ll get in the hag’s face, give you a few hours to gain some distance, then pack up my things and head for the Free Elves. They will have to figure that I am taking you with me, so they will give chase, but they will also have to figure that you might have gone towards the Empire, so they will have to split their forces. A half dozen Journey tier orcs are not going to make any difference at all in a fight between me and a hag, so you worry more about yourself.” She motioned him towards the door. “Hurry up before I lose my nerve.”
“All right.” He knelt down and hugged Chepi close, who rewarded him with a few licks to the face. Then he turned and offered Tiana a hand. Solemnly, she took it and shook, then they both went outside, Phoenix trailing his floating craft behind him.
He immediately felt the compulsion of her order on him, so without further ado he got in and took off, skimming along the ground around waist high, keeping to the edges of the tree line as much as possible to obscure his flight from any overhead watcher. The late afternoon sunlight cast long shadows from the trees, hiding dips and bumps in the terrain, but he was headed south and the light wasn’t blinding him, so he was making very good time. He heard what he thought was the cry of a hawk, back towards the cabin, but he didn’t look back.
Compared to the memories of driving a car from his former life, he wasn’t really going that fast. Compared to hiking over rough terrain without a road or map, he was positively blazing his way. He estimated he was doing better even than a horse would be able to do, with no worry about breaking a leg in poor light, no fatigue (other than the continual mental strain of concentrating on moving), and no stopping to eat. Before the sun had fully set, he found himself at the South-of-Home river.
Here, he pulled up short. The river was far too broad to jump, and both swift and deep. Deeper than he was tall, certainly, which brought up the question of if his little trick with Illusory Earth was going to work on top of water. With nothing to go on, he started with experiments. His first hypothesis was that he could glide across the water just like he did the earth, perhaps a little bumpy but easy and straightforward.
No of course not, nothing could be that easy. The Illusory Earth followed the contour of the Earth, funnily enough, and where the water wasn’t too deep he could stay above the surface, as it got deeper it was clear that he was going to have to go underwater to get across. Could the wall survive the water pressure? Or would be he better off hunting downstream for a ford? Of course, the orcs would very likely know exactly where a ford was, and be waiting for him there. He considered blasting a tree down with lightning to provide a kind of bridge, but that would be quite obvious and noisy to any observers in the sky and thus pinpoint his location for the hag. Same problem with the halo and cutting it down with Lances, the light would be obvious for kilometers in every direction.
While he was thinking, he became aware of quiet pops and crackles in the sky behind him. Dreading what he would see, he squinted up into the sky, where he could see brief flashes of light high up near the clouds. Tiana and Tselyn fighting. He clenched his fists. Fine, no risk no reward right? He sealed up the bathtub into a bubble, and dove it into the water.
The good news was that the Illusory Earth wall that this thing was made of easily withstood the pressure of a few meters of depth. The bad news was he struggled to force it forward against the movement of the water itself, and eventually gave up entirely, instead steering it vaguely towards the other shore while being swept downriver by the current. It was getting kind of musty indeed inside his bubble by the time he managed to breach the surface again, and he added future experiments with Conjure Air and trying to make valved gates or something like that in his craft…
Off he took again, determined to drive until the light failed him. Within half an hour, the sun was completely set and it was far too dark to move safely. He pulled in under the trees and set up camp, noting in passing that the noises and flashes of light from the conflict had ceased some time back. He dearly hoped Tiana was ok. He dearly hoped he would see her again, but just like Annirith, he felt like that was going to be never. He keenly felt the loss, again, and spent a dark glum night in a restless trance, forcing order and calm on his mind.