Chapter 28
Kalex began to depart the confines of Fulrog after leaving an unconscious Captain in a heap. Cheers of genuine thanks from onlookers who were close enough to hear or see what happened with the Captain, followed. A group of people hefted his mass to somewhere beyond the treeline and gave nods to Kalex to show their gratitude. From listening to a few of them, Kalex quickly found out that the Captain had been quite tyrannical towards everyone who wasn’t from the Realm of the Forge. During the Captian’s tirade, many who were in surrounding areas pieced together that he was an invader and promptly began tearing down his tent and pocketing any valuables they found.
Kalex smiled as he turned to a vaguely familiar path to the waves and goodbyes of that last of the settlers that had followed him. Although it would be easy to stay with them for a while to make sure the Captain didn't wake up and retaliate in any way, he needed to figure out what to do with the cryptic quest he was given and try to come to terms with the fact that there was a whole person in his Domain. Lex having a body now was another thing on his ever-growing list of things to figure out.
Throughout his time on Enternia, Kalex was continuously on the move and he felt like it was time to find a place to hunker down and figure out his situation. Thoughts of Elder Tora took over his mind and the need to find out what her memories held was at the forefront. He sent the thoughts over to Lex and was greeted with his new voice which sounded sagely with a jovial edge. “The reward for the quest wouldn’t be a reward if you’re allowed to see it before you’re supposed to. However, once you’re able to find a safe location, I will show you a bit more to help with the oncoming trials that you’ll face.”
Kalex nodded his head and sent out his presence to find somewhere that was out of the way enough to not be bothered, and safe enough that he could defend in the case of attack. Looking around, he could see a few places that seemed fitting and found one that seemed perfect. It was a large hollow tree deep in a forested area that didn’t have any populated areas close by. As he focused on the location and prepared to blink over to it, his brain took on a tepid temperature. Pinging Lex only made the sensation feel colder; he took the hint and decided to look elsewhere.
He engulfed the planet with his presence, making sure to avoid pulling any myst out of anything he was seeing. There were sparks of fairly powerful myst signatures everywhere, but it seemed every place that he deemed safe and out of the way was followed by the sensation of wrongness when he focused deeper on the site. Kalex brought his presence back to himself and decided to focus on the area around him. Thinking back on the quest he was given gave him an idea. He had found the place where he had first seen the power of this world so it seemed he had fulfilled the first part, but how would he find the seat where intangible became reality?
Kalex aimlessly walked down the path while deep in thought. He had been on Enternia for less than a month, how would he know what had become reality in this world? He continued to ponder this issue until he hit something that knocked him back into a seated position. Looking up, he was greeted by a palm-sized gemstone that refracted the light of the two suns in the sky. “Lex, why would you stop me like that? You could’ve just spoke…” It hit him. Physically and metaphorically. Lex was his Lexidex, something that on Diat was just a utility and didn’t have a physical form, but now was a stone that Kalex had created.
“Did you make the quest refer to yourself? You could’ve just told me.” Kalex said as he folded his arms in front of himself. Lex blinked blue a few times then zipped back into the pocket of Kalex’s cloak. Picking himself up with a huff, he set his sights on the place where he’d mined a small tunnel to find the building blocks of his first Enternian creation.
The cave felt calm and familiar in Kalex’s presence sight, but also not completely safe. After Voric’s deadly promise, he had unconsciously marked the area as compromised, but he patted the pocket where Lex resided and prepared to teleport himself over. the cave wasn’t very far from where he had wandered, but now that he’d figured out part of the riddle-like quest, he was excited to see where it would take him. In a small vortex of myst and shuffling of fallen leaves, Kalex disappeared. A small amount of his myst was the only trace of him left as it rose higher with the Axiom sun as its destination.
A bout of nausea threw Kalex to the ground. Luckily the distance traveled was short enough that it didn’t knock him out outright, but he was going to be calling the ground his home for the time being. A moment later, Lex’s voice echoed in his ear with a slight panic in his tone. “I apologize, Mr. Wounder, I tried to tell him not to.” Kalex didn’t retort as he knew he would find out what Lex was referring to soon. With the sound of a breeze, his stomach’s qualms intensified, and he could only close his eyes and weather his internal storm.
“I knew dying was going to be a rough ride, but what even was that? Speaking of which, where are we and why are you curled up in a ball on the ground? Oh wait, I know what this is! You must’ve washed down your beer with a glass of burning tonic! Back in the Anvils, we’d make the new Hammers do that as a sort of initiation. Mine was the worst of all! The old timers went to the best Blender in town and bought the most powerful tonic. The next week was slow going as every hit of the anvil rang my head like you wouldn’t believe! Actually, now that I think about it, it felt like a knife was being stuck in my ears each time…” Kalex didn’t let him finish his ramblings by using a small amount of myst to back up his desire for quiet. Sitting up was a challenge, and at that moment, fighting a Lumen felt like the easier proposition.
Kalex gained his bearings about an hour later and was able to shakily stand upright. Looking around, he noticed the cave had changed slightly, with the greenery mostly stripped from the area around it and loose stones scattered around as if many people had walked around the outside. Moving out of the cave had been a good idea as it seemed it had been frequently visited since he left. Out of nowhere, Kalex sent his myst out in a barrier at a sudden yelp from inside of a nearby thicket.
Heavy, plodding steps followed as Kalex sent his presence out into the area. His tense face quickly transformed into a half smile as a man with dust-colored hair cleared the treeline with one of his fingers firmly grasped in his opposite hand. “Oh hey, little boy who saved my life! Well saved my life twice, I think. Actually, with everything that's going on, I’m not quite sure if I’m dead right now! I partially wish that I was, the thorns on some of those trees in there are brutal! Who could’ve known that they were retractable?”
Kalex was chuckling by the end of Timik’s statement about the vicious trees. “Anyway, do you think you can do your healing energy trick again? This is really painful.” Timik said as he gave Kalex his best look of desperation. Kalex forced a stern look that made the much larger Timik take a step back. “I will heal your wound as long as you answer my question.” Kalex said with a touch of myst enforcement. Timik’s features turned fearful, but he acquiesced. “How do you know about Beers?”
After finding out that a beer was an alcoholic beverage on Enternia, and Timik had no idea there was a race on another planet called a Beer as well, Kalex carefully started towards the first place he was able to call home. He had scanned it with his presence sight and found the cave mostly the way he left it. It had seemed that someone at some point used it as shelter, and the remains of a long cold fire lay strewn across the middle of the main floor.
“Wow, looks like somebody had a good time in here! If that fire would’ve been any hotter, they could’ve started forging right here on this rock!” Timik said enthusiastically as he pointed towards a familiar outcropping beside the mouth of the cave. Timik turned from the entrance and held out his hand towards Kalex with an unnecessary flourish. “I’m Timik by the way. I don’t think we’ve had time to formally introduce ourselves to one another. I already know the fog man that lives in your forge as Lex but he never mentioned your name; he just referred to you as Mr. Wounder. I’ve never been much of an articulate, so even though you saved me and maybe killed me, I’m not calling you Mr. Wounder.” Timik said the last words in a forced impression that reminded Kalex of his caretakers in the Wounder Empire.
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“Call me Kalex, I actually prefer it. I’ve told Lex many times to just call me by my first name, but he refuses.” Kalex mindlessly patted the pocket where Lex was currently in. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, and you’re not dead, if anything, you’re more alive than when I first saw you. The place you call the forge is actually my Domain. From what I understand, it’s like my own world that houses my spark, or core, as Lex calls it. When the Captian’s chains bound me, I picked you up and sent you there so would survive and heal.”
Timik cocked his head to the side in confusion and a small bit of apprehension. “I appreciate the gesture, but I have to ask. Why save me? I'm just a blacksmith. I didn’t even do any fighting, I just repaired weapons and armor for the Captian and his group.” Kalex stepped within the grasp of the man's still outstretched hand. “You needed help and I was in the area. I also like people who think a little differently from others. You wanted to save the people who couldn’t stand up to the force of the Realm of the Forge, so I wanted to do the same for you.”
One of Timik’s eyes grew watery as Kalex finished and he put his hand out in a more sincere manner. “Thank you for helping me live another day. Lex told me that staying in your forge will help both of us grow stronger and the last thing I want is to be thrown around by a bunch of grunts like I was in Fulrog, so consider me your Smith. I’m happy to be aboard!”
Kalex put his arm out to meet Timik’s and as soon as they grasped hands, Timik took on a faraway look. Kalex knew that look and immediately pinged Lex. “Just wait, Mr. Wounder. I’m not sure what will happen next, but I’m excited to see the outcome!” Lex said to Kalex alone. Timik let go of Kalex’s hand and shook his head slightly as if he’d just woken up. “Weird. I’ve never seen glass so clear, and the way it responds to the decisions I make in my mind is something I wish I had words for. Did you see it too or was it just in my vis…” Timik was cut off by a sound that caused their hearing to leave them for a moment. It sounded like the world itself was rent in two.
Kalex sent his myst to form a barrier that clung close to himself and Timik in the case of another deafening raucous. Kalex sat down and sent his presence to cover the planet to see what was happening as he had a feeling that the sound was due to something he had done. He noticed most of the people residing in the Realm of Seeds were outside, and oddly, looking upwards. At the point where all four Realms met, the people in that area were running away as quickly as they could, or moving to underground lodgings. Not a minute later, he saw what they were running and hiding from.
At the intersection of the Realms lived the Cornerstones of Power for each of the Realms. The Cornerstones were slightly larger versions of eclipse moons and were gifted to the leaders of the Realms by their lording Lumen to allow each to rate themselves by testing the power each individual in the realm held collectively. The bi-monthly reading wasn’t to happen for another week, but each of the four Overseers poured their energy into the devices usually reserved to gather the people of Celegail for a reading. The ringing produced was not soft and welcoming as it usually was, but harsh and alarming, and after looking to the sky, each resident knew that this was anything but a drill.
The Axiom sun which gave warmth even as far away as Celegail, was split in twain, with one of the halves falling towards the normally peaceful city. With a crash that sent shockwaves strong enough to topple hardy stone buildings, the half impacted the ground directly in the center of the city. The courtyard that was the home of the four Cornerstones was spacious and used for every big event in the city, but was now filled with the hemisphere of the Axiom sun.
After the mighty rumble that spread through the ground subsided, the city was drenched in a deathly silence. The Overseer representing the Realm of Storms was the first to speak to the cowering residents. “All is well, the danger has passed.” The Overseer said with an empowered voice that reached every ear in Celegail. “The Days of Many have ended, but it has gifted us with a stone. A stone that lies in the center of our Realm’s Cornerstones. Please prepare for an emergency reading to determine the nature of the new stone. Be in the stands in one hour.” The Overseer turned and headed towards the courtyard to meet up with the other Overseers and prepare for the stepped seats surrounding the yard to begin filling up.
As the stands reached their capacity, the Overseers sent their energy towards their Realm’s Cornerstone. At first, everything seemed to be working correctly, but when the Cornerstone for the Realm of Seeds started glowing at a much lower intensity than it did in the last reading, the Overseers knew something was wrong. Gasps came from the seats as the crowd realized a moment later. The gasps turned to a light murmur as the new, much larger stone began glowing with a radiance that dumbfounded everyone gathered.
The intensity was much lower than the others, but the color of the light was different. The Cornerstones radiated a harsh yellow light to indicate the power of each Realm, but the new centerpiece of the courtyard shown with a soothing blue hue that caught the eye instead of deflecting it like the existing Cornerstones did. A second, more unanimous gasp came from the crowd as a figure began to form above the rounded top of the large stone.
“This is much better than expected!” Lex exclaimed from the shiny floating rock that was his physical body. “Mr. Wounder, I am in need of your presence. May I use it for a moment? I need to make a speech.” Kalex turned to face Lex. “Sure, but a speech? Why would you have to make a speech?” Lex rapidly blinked and flew back into Kalex’s pocket. “There’s no time to explain, Mr. Wounder, but I will keep your presence open so you can see how I’m using it.” Before Kalex could respond, Lex started using his presence and sent it directly to where the Sun fell. Kalex looked through eyes that were not his, but the eyes of Lex’s form that he took in his Domain. A gaping crowd filled most of his vision, and soon after, Lex’s voice filled his ears.
"Denizens of Celegail, I come to you today as an informer. A Cornerstone has been added to this hallowed ground to mark the inception of a fifth Realm of Enternia. I am called Lex and will be joining the current Overseers to help manage the new Cornerstone and assist with the upkeep of the others." Lex's voice carried throughout the city in a tone that gently graced the ears, even with its loud volume.
“You may notice the lack of intensity the Cornerstone radiates, but please do not think it weak. The only official inhabitants currently are the founder of the Realm and a blacksmith. The power of two are strong enough to stand only an arm’s length away from the rest, so do not discount this new Realm, as power and sincerity are its key tenets. These qualities are what’s needed to be accepted into the Realm and a test will be performed on all that hope to join the safety the Realm has to offer. To all who hope to take the test and accept the challenge, follow the beacon leading to the south of Fulrog. Once the test is completed and you’ve been accepted, the founder, the Axiom himself, will welcome you to the Realm of the Broken.”
As Lex dissipated from the center of Celegail, the gathered crowd stayed quiet for a moment before the Overseer of the Realm of the Depths cleared his throat to gather the attention of the onlookers. “We Overseers have the same questions as all of you. However, our energy has become entangled with the new Cornerstone, thus we must welcome the Realm of the Broken into Celegail. Although Overseer Lex has left us with knowledge of the Realm's general whereabouts, we have no specific area that we can update the maps with. Preparation will be made in the coming days to add the Realm to our ledgers and announce it to the rest of Enternia. Please stay calm until these preparations can be made.” The Overseer turned to his cohorts who nodded in return. “Until then, we will clean the mess this ordeal has caused and implore you to continue as normal.” The crowds in the stands began to stand up and walk towards the exits as a slight warbling sound met them.
“Lex. Explain.” Kalex said with little emotion as the control of his presence was his again. “With having the ability to make your Domain a place where others can reside, you gained the ability to have claim to a Realm. I wasn’t sure how it would specifically work, but seeing the Lumen Scyris’ Realm and the connection she had with Zilg, gave me an idea. During my transformation caused by absorbing the beam Zilg set upon us, my mental capacity was increased and the ability to use your neural pathways increased along with it. I had hypothesized that becoming the progenitor of a Realm would cause a Cornerstone to be summoned, but I had no idea the enlarged eclipse moon you powered would have turned into one, now that it’s happened, that’s the only reasonable outcome I can conclude.” Lex said as he flew out of Kalex’s pocket and came to rest above the pedestal that stood near the entrance of the cave.
“Please continue with the quest, Mr. Wounder. The people of Enternia need to know where they can find you.” Kalex opened his quest and started to make his way to Lex while Timik sat beside a small flickering flame holding a newly burnt finger.