Dei explained to Clever how water might sap the heat from him, and Clever understood to be careful where they were going. Initially, Dei wanted to explore around a bit, but he decided that this one was perhaps going to be skipped.
He didn’t really know what to expect from it, as the rushing water completely blinded his [Tremor Sense] when he was in his physical body, but Dei didn’t think it was too dangerous. Many creatures, big and small, visited the area every day. When he watched them with his [Tremor Sense], most came back out eventually.
Dei suspected that there was aquatic life, though, and those animals that didn’t come out were probably snatched up by something they didn’t expect or see.
He wanted to take more precautions as well, so Dei communicated back with his physical self.
‘Hey” Projection opened a link to Physical.
“Yea?” Physical responded.
“Could you use Tremor Sense on the area around checkpoint two and see if any large monsters will be approaching any time soon? Me and Clever are about to get there, and I want an eye in the sky. Or ground. Whatever.”
“Already watching, I’ve been watching for a while. Not really much else to do here, so I’m keeping updated on your journey. I started watching Checkpoint Two an hour ago, and no big animals have gone in or out. I think the coast is clear, but there should be a few smaller creatures in there. By smaller, I mean knee-height by the way, so watch out. Your first batch of Null mana is ready too, by the way. A clean one hundred Null mana, easy to use.”
“Got it, thanks.”
Better assured with a watcher to inform him of any incoming threats and Null mana to block any spells, Dei continued closer to the cave.
He started hearing the roaring sound of a waterfall from ahead, and slowed. As soon as he entered the intersection between the two cave systems, Physical would lose eyes on them as the loud tremors blinded him.
“Hey, there are going to be monsters here that are potentially hostile. If we run into something that we can’t fight and is faster than us, I need you to run while I distract it. I can get away easily by going into the Spirit World, but I can't take you with me, okay?”
Clever nodded to him, and they started creeping forward together.
Dei carefully peeked around every corner, until he was finally able to see what he was working with.
A cavern, smaller than the bog, opened before him. Walls of water fell from the ceiling, hitting the ground with enough force to shake everything in the area. Boardwalks made of stone ran between each of the waterfalls, glowing blue mushrooms providing an eerie lighting.
It was beautiful, but he noticed several issues. The stone boardwalks were not perfectly flat, instead they curved slightly and went up or down at angles. They were wide, around twenty to thirty feet each, but it would be in their best interest to not go anywhere near the edges, for fear of slipping on the wet stone.
On top of this, multiple monsters prowled the stone platforms, eyeing each other, but not attacking. Dei figured it was “watering hole rules,” like he’d seen in a nature documentary. If they didn’t attack, and stayed away from the others, he thought they’d be fairly safe. He didn’t bother trying to [Identify] any of the monsters though, as he didn’t want to draw attention to him and Clever.
“What do you think Clever, should we leave it behind without looking around, or explore to see what's in the area?” he asked his new companion. Clever would be taking most of the risk, so it was only fair to give him the final say in whether to explore or not.
Clever thought on it for a while, looking between Dei and the misty room, before sending through their link that he wanted to go see.
Clever said that he would test whether the water could take his heat away, and if it could, then they would leave. Otherwise, he was very curious, saying that the place was both beautiful and wildly different than anything he’d ever seen.
Dei likened it to a human from earth visiting a dangerous alien world. Sure, it might kill them, but even human curiosity took them places they were better kept out of.
Dei felt an excitement bleeding through his [Identify] with Clever, and acquiesced to carefully test the waters.
He set Clever down on the ground and told him to stay close behind, then led them both forward. Inching forward, Dei kept a close eye on Clever as the environment became more and more frigid from the icy mist.
Through the link, Dei felt Clever focus on retaining the heat in his body. Slowly, the glowing cracks began to dim along the little salamander.
When they finally crossed into the open cavern, the glow along Clever was all but gone. Instead, it looked like a beautiful red pattern all along his skin, without the magical aspect to back it up.
“Are you okay? Still want to keep going?” he asked.
Clever responded with a feeling of determination and wonder, as one of his Skills worked together with one of his Racial abilities to trap every speck of heat in his body. Clever was already glad he’d come here, as he now knew that Korgonda’s had a natural resistance to cold and other environmental factors. He wanted to see if there was some secret to be found by facing lower temperatures.
Nodding to him, Dei continued leading them forward along the boardwalks. Some animals glanced at them, but none made any moves to kill them. Dei saw many different walks of life, such as furry four legged animals or shelled beasts that looked like armadillos on stilts. Other times there were creatures he’d never seen before, like purple feathered birds who walked on their wings, akin to small wyverns. In one instance, he saw a tumbleweed looking plant, except it was very clearly steering where it wanted to go as it avoided the edges of the stone pathway.
Eventually, they came upon a crossroads. One leading up, the other down.
“Where to?” he asked Clever.
Clever sent feelings of wanting to go downwards, as that was where the more powerful Korgonda went, and Dei smiled before continuing their descent.
Carefully making their way deeper, they came upon many crossroads, always taking the way further down. Closer and closer they moved to the floor of the caves, the roaring growing louder with each step. Dei cautiously watched every angle, afraid of anything that might jump out of the murky water.
At the same time, he was enamored by the beauty of it all. While his Darkvision in his Spiritual form didn’t need to use light to see, Dei allowed himself to fall back into his usual vision, appreciating the azure glow released by the mushrooms everywhere.
As they got lower, the mushrooms began to become less frequent, but the glow never abated. Instead, he noticed the water taking on a light blue hue, creating a more evenly lit environment.
Clever kept his head on a swivel, but Dei had the feeling that it was less “caution” and more “appreciation.” The wild animals became more and more scarce, before disappearing almost entirely. Occasionally, they would see one or two, but they were as neutral as the animals further up.
Dei also noticed other vegetation growing in place of the mushrooms, a sparse green grass broken up by taller green flowers. Normally, a green flower wouldn’t stand out on a green plant, but the neon coloration against the blue ambience drew the eye.
When next they reached the typical crossroads, Dei noticed one path going further down, while the other stretched into a more narrow tunnel in the wall, multiple streams of glowing liquid running down the walls to join the falling rivers.
Clever wanted to go further down, but Dei said they’d gone far enough already. The cave was beginning to curve, leading him to believe it ran as an underground river with half aboveground and half below. If they reached a plateau, Dei worried that river monsters would soon begin jumping at them. Instead, he wanted to explore the passage to the side. He wanted to see whether it would link back to the dry cave systems, or if it was a closed pocket only accessible through this one passageway.
Clever was a little sad that they’d gone as far as they were going to go, but relented nonetheless.
As they began walking down the side pathway, Dei almost lost his footing as he was so used to the gradual slope, but he quickly regained it and continued forward.
The grass underfoot felt soft to him, and he wondered how it was able to pierce through solid stone. He hadn’t Identified anything though, as he didn’t want to let his guard down in such an unfamiliar place far deeper down than he’d been. He didn’t forget that monsters became stronger when he and his mom journeyed through the earth.
Nothing attacked them, though. No matter how far they walked, nothing halted their progress,
The hard boardwalk ended at the mouth of a tunnel, the green grass becoming even more abundant. When he took a step over the lip of the cave, he noticed that the earth softened as well, and the ground of the corridor was made from dirt instead of stone. Dei lamented that he couldn’t feel sensations in this Projection, and promised to return here with his Physical body at a later date.
A small distance into the cave, Dei bent down to one of the glowing streams that ran along the sides of the cave, slowly sticking a finger in. No damage came to his body, and he didn’t sense anything enter his projection, so he carefully cupped his hands, letting the water run into it before lifting it out and looking closely at it.
Dei remembered a phenomena in his last world where algae would saturate waves in the ocean, and release a short burst of glowing light anytime it would be disturbed by either currents or creatures moving through them. When he saw the water glowing, that's what he assumed was happening here as well.
Looking at the water though, it continued to glow, even while it was still. The light caused the water to blur slightly, not giving him a clear view of what caused it. When he let the water slip through his fingers back into the stream, no sign of the glow remained on his hands.
Dei would think it was the water itself that glowed, except for the fact that the residue left on his body looked as clear as any other generic water source. When he let it drip from his fingertips, it was crystal clear.
Standing back up and reassessing the cave again, just to make sure nothing was sneaking up on them, Dei saw that Clever, too, was messing with the water. Dipping his tiny hands in before bringing it out and inspecting it.
Dei’s attention was brought to the fact that Clever looked closer to a lizard than a salamander, his body now far more rigid than it was before. To Dei, it looked like an armor of scales across Clevers body, while before he was shiny and smooth in the Convection biosphere. It was such a drastic change that he was genuinely surprised he hadn’t noticed before, but guessed it was very gradual.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“Lets go buddy, we still have a distance to travel, not to mention the journey back.”
Clever looked up at him, then backed away from the water and positioned himself behind Dei again. ‘Even his gait is different. He doesn't scurry from side to side, he runs in a straight line now, closer to a gallop.’
He kept in mind to watch for future changes in his Korgonda friend, before continuing to lead the way.
For minutes they traveled in silence, the foliage becoming more diverse along the way. Rather than only grass, gangly shrubs and thin sprouts began to block their view. Dei had to pick up Clever at some point, as the grass grew up to Dei’s shins, and Clever was too short to travel any further on his own.
The roar of the waterfall was long behind them, replaced by a tinkling as the small creeks carved their way through the stone.
Twenty minutes later, Dei saw that the foliage was growing more sparse, and raised his guard yet again. The grass grew low and thin plants disappeared.
From ahead, Dei once again heard the roar of a waterfall. ‘Did we somehow turn around? I thought we were walking in a straight line this whole time…’
Except it sounded different from before. Rather than a deafening, earth-shattering force, this was closer to what river rapids would sound like.
The cave began to widen again, and the grass was barely above his toes. Dei let Clever down, telling him to stay careful as they went forward. Along with the change in plants, Dei saw that the blue light was fading away, replaced by a white light from further in. An abrupt angle let the area open fully, and Dei saw the new enclosed space he was in. It reminded him of his garden, if it was the size of a house and didn’t have a cloaking sphere.
Dei couldn’t see any animals, only a few insects. The short, uniform red grass barely broke the monotony, and the gray uneven walls were completely unnoteworthy. There was a single bright stone in the middle of the ceiling, the type he’d seen in many other caves to give them light. The only feature that drew the eye was to his right, a crystal clear pond with a column of water pushing through the stone ceiling.
In the pond, there was diversity and life. A layer of seagrass and several types of small fish darted around the space. He could see a gentle lapping along where the water met shore, and saw how one indent was filled with calm, clear water.
He moved closer, curious to see what this even smaller body of water held, but nothing popped out at him.
The entire time, he was watching for any large soul signatures, but couldn’t see anything. Even with [Fine-Tooth Comb], nothing was obvious. Instead, he assumed he would have to watch out for venomous animals, like snakes, but couldn’t see any of those either.
It was just a pond. A regular, harmless pond, deep under the earth.
He neared the calm puddle, seeing nothing in it except the reflection of the ceiling, when a strange thought occurred to him…
‘I’ve never seen my own face.’
He stopped walking, and Clever sent a feeling of curiosity towards him, asking if there was any danger. He sent back a negative, and told Clever that the area was safe, just that he didn’t want to go further.
Clever, far braver, went around him and continued forward. Dei kept a close watch on him as he went to the puddle, looking at himself. Clever inspected his own face for a while, feelings of elation coming through to Dei.
He wanted Dei to see himself, to inspect his face too, but Dei couldn’t bring himself to take another step.
A sense of dread filled him, and a maddening thought whispered into his ear.
‘Who are you? Who are you? Who are you?’
He gulped, steeling his mind as his Fortitude affinity worked to quiet the voice, but it merely changed shape.
‘What are you? Are you a child? An adult? Are you really a human with how fast you’re growing, or are you an imposter?’
Insecurities bubbled from deep within him. He didn’t know who he was anymore.
His body grew quickly, too quickly, but his mind still hadn’t adjusted. When he was first born into this world, his consciousness coalesced much faster than natural to fit his soul, but stopped its rapid advancement when the pain did. It still felt malleable though, easily manipulated by the environment.
How tall was he? Too tall. He had to at least be the height of a teenager at this point, but in his mind, he was so young. Looking at his hand, Dei felt a weight settle on his shoulders as he realized it was just too big.
He fell to his knees, holding his head as static drowned out the noise. His physical self back in the Garden was trying to tell him something, and Clever was sending waves of fear through their connection, asking what was happening.
Dei’s ragged breaths broke the peace of the cave as his mind continued to spiral, until a sense of stability began to force itself onto him.
A connection strengthened, and his Presence grew. He calmed, and realized that his Physical self was trying to meditate fitfully, but the chaos bled through to the rest of the soul. Spiritual Dei used the grip he now had on sanity to meditate as well, synchronizing with Physical, and working together to quiet his mind.
His Fortitude affinity began weaving between his two bodies, tying them together in a stable union that provided security to both.
The sense of dysmorphia lessened greatly, and he felt his projection firm into a more rigid figure.
The whispers quieted, the shaking calmed, and Dei felt control over his body return once again.
[Skill Gained: Solidity]
[Solidity - Level 1 - Fortitude Affinity - Passive
Soul, Mind, and Body walk parallel paths, yet are interconnected impossibly. When one is thrown out of balance of the others, the knots that tie them together seem to be impossibly thin, far too fragile for such paramount facets of one's life. By strengthening these bonds, you repair the rifts found between them.
Creates a bond between your Mind, Body, and Soul that draws them towards one another. Strength of bond increases with each successive level]
* * *
POV: Justin Tabrey
Justin was pissed. Again, Oura blew off the meeting he’d set up between them. Again, Oura refused to explain himself any further.
Justin was the newest member of the Shamanic Council, having ascended to his position only five years ago after the previous holder of his spot stepped down. He was sixty, practically a baby compared to the other Council members, all centuries-old wise men.
Because he was so much younger than them, and he was not of the [Gem Dweller] variant, they underestimated him. Growing up, Justin always wanted to be a Shaman, but quickly found during the training that preferential treatment was given to those who were not the Prime variant. He fought tooth and nail, every step of the way, and finally received his own Shamanic staff. It was the worst they could find, the very lowest tier staff stored, but he was immensely proud that he was finally recognized.
Years went by, and he proved his own competence time and time again. Underestimated and judged by his peers, he forced them to recognize how great he was at his job before he could find even the slightest respect in their eyes. But respect him they did! Over time, people came to learn that he couldn’t be matched in his assessment capabilities. Nobody was even shocked when finally it was leaked that he’d gained a Foresight affinity, his supernatural ability to plan ahead manifesting itself.
After decades of effort he was finally promoted to the Shamanic Council, only to find that he was right back at the start of his career! They did not respect his words, did not listen to his voice. During the council meeting, it felt like he screamed into an empty room as they made ridiculous decision after RIDICULOUS decision!
To top it all off, the most recent council meeting was the crowning jewel of insanity! Almost five months ago, Oura called the meeting to frantically tell everyone that a new threat was on the horizon, in the shape of a one year old boy. He stated that the boy must be found and killed immediately.
Why, one might ask? Justin's blood still boiled at the answer given: “I cannot explain, he simply must die.”
And the other members all accepted it! Just like that. He’d done everything he could to get an answer, but none was forthcoming. Oura blew him off every time, so he tried getting the other council members to stand with him. They deserved to know why Oura was so adamant about the death of a child. Yet, the answers they gave were equally as unsatisfying.
“Just trust his judgment. Oura is the oldest of us all, born before even the Fall. His experience is unmatched. If he says it is for the greater good, then it is.”
They played up their task as though they were forced to take the moral high ground. They hemmed and hawed, pretending to debate the issue of whether they should listen to Oura before “deciding it would be wise,” ignoring his further pleas.
They played their parts well, seeming to fall into inaction against Oura “for the greater good.” Justin saw their inaction for what it really was.
Laziness.
So set in their ways, the old giants never considered secondary options. Justin did not doubt that, over the centuries, Oura had diverted many crises. He’d most likely seen visions Justin could never fathom, but this led to the typical issues that came with the old powers: a disconnect.
Old powers always drew upon their experience rather than their logic. For this reason, many surrounded themselves with advisors, to point out the obvious solutions to problems they’d never considered.
It was the Shamanic Council for a reason. It wasn’t called “Oura’s Little Followers!”
Yet, despite his advice being the purpose of his membership in the council, he was ignored.
Oura was free to mobilize every Shaman he wanted with eight council members behind him. He was free to use the Seer’s Rest, a rare artifact, to conduct his search. He drew upon every resource, funneling public funds into this project, and nobody said a word.
Every time he thought of the situation, Justin turned red in the face with how angry it made him.
While it would be easier to simply allow the slight to pass, Justin couldn’t find it in him to do so. He needed to get to the bottom of it all, even if he had to go against the council to do so.
He began forming a plan in his head. The first stop would be the parents. If he could get the Grrata’s to tell him their side, he might be able to figure out what the next step would be. If he drew on his own resources and connections, Justin might be able to find Dei before the rest of the council.
It was not his own hubris that gave him the thought, but the nature of the world.
The Seer’s Rest artifact read the karmic bonds of the world, tracing the pathways to give its user knowledge. This reading of karma was not unique to the one artifact, but the artifact greatly amplified the effectiveness of this method.
There was a massive flaw in this though: karmic bonds were elusive when they wanted to be. If Dei did not want to be found by his killers, and his parents did not want him to be found, then the karmic bond between the parents and Dei would try to evade all attempts at scrying it.
The opposite, however, was true. If Justin truly wanted to help Dei, Dei wanted help, and he got the permission of Dei’s parents to search for him, the karmic bond would almost throw itself at Justin.
It wouldn’t be easy, but if Justin spent months getting the right tools and reading karmic bonds, he would be able to find Dei. That wasn’t where the main issue in such a plan would be found though.
First, he didn’t know when Oura would have a breakthrough using the Seer’s Rest. Even if the karmic bonds wanted to be elusive, such powerful attempts at finding it would eventually bear fruit. Second, while Justin couldn’t sense anyone watching him, he didn’t doubt spies could be found in every nook and cranny in the area around him. He sat in his home, stewing over the issues, but he could almost feel the gazes on him.
Oura and the other council members knew how karma worked as well, they wanted Justin to look for Dei, so they could find him as well.
Justin wouldn’t be able to do this alone. He needed someone else. Someone more powerful than him, with more skill, and who wanted to help Dei. It would need to be someone who could evade the council spies, taking Justin along as well, and help him search for Dei before their invisible deadline of Oura catching the right scent of karma came to pass.
He grinned, realizing that he knew the perfect person to contact.
She was high leveled, elusive, amazing at tracking, and best of all?
She was a Slaughterer.