Chapter 72 One Small Step
“That was an interesting discussion. I’m not sure how helpful it actually was but it was interesting.” Isaac commented while he and Lenna left to resume their music practice in the orchestral hall.
“Jala said that there are drow libraries and sorcerers who have dedicated their lives to the study of black mana.” Lenna reminded him. “Maybe she will know something else.”
Isaac shrugged. “Maybe.” He replied. “But more likely than not they are focusing on where their high density of black mana is coming from in order to get more of it. We actually know that it comes from the plane of order and darkness, death and shadows. Fen mentioned it before and how he has a connection to it. I believe the boundary between this plane of existence and that one is thinner the further down we go.”
“Yes.” Lenna agreed. “They might still have some knowledge that the humans don’t.”
“That would require us to somehow be able to retrieve the information.” Isaac commented.
“I am sure that we will find the opportunity to look inside one of those libraries at some point.” She assured him. “This corner of the world is changing and there is a drow city that is run by sorcerers not very far from here.”
“That is true.” Isaac agreed. “I guess we will have to wait and see. Speaking of sorcerers, we haven’t heard anything back from the Fatebreaker.”
Lenna shook her head with a frown. “No, we have not.” She replied. “Maybe… maybe we could, make a trip to him?” She offered tentatively.
Isaac shrugged. “I would like to actually experience the outside world at some point. It would have to wait until after the wedding but I am not opposed to stopping by wherever he is on our travels.”
Lenna sighed partly in relief and partly in resignation at Isaac’s response. “Sometime in the future.” She agreed. “But for certain.”
“Nothing is truly for certain, my dear. Out of everyone here, there are few that know that lesson better than us. Death isn’t for certain but neither is life, hells, the end of today isn’t even certain. I cannot tell you with one hundred percent certainty that the sun will rise tomorrow or that I will live to breathe my next breath.” Isaac replied. “That is why I do not like to promise things if I can help it. Usually if I promise something it is because the breaking of the promise won’t be that big of a problem but making it will placate everyone else involved. There are a few notable exceptions however.”
“I should hope so.” Lenna replied. “Because I won’t stand for any promises made between us to be broken.”
“I know.” Isaac told her with a smile. “And I love you for it.”
“That better not be the only reason.” Lenna shot back with a straight face. The slight tightening of her facial muscles that tipped off anyone observant enough that she was teasing him and not being entirely serious could only be noticed by someone who spent a lot of time watching her every expression.
Isaac and Lenna spent the rest of the day playing music. They picked up Shamesh from ‘retainer school’ and ate dinner. They then headed out for the dwarven fortress. Shamesh cast levitation magic on both of them and flight magic on himself. He then towed them towards the fortress in a straight line that was able to completely bypass the switch back in the road that connected the two bastions against the drow empire. Once they were a short ways out from the fortress Shamesh set them down and bowed out back into Isaac’s shadow.
As Isaac and Lenna approached the massive iron gate and one of the guards walked out to meet them. They stopped a dozen paces from the gate and the other guard clearly had his hand ready to do something, it was unclear what exactly as it was simply held a few inches out from the rest of his body with his elbow bent.
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“Bit late innit?” The dwarven guard said to the pair.
“That is the point.” Isaac replied. “We need to see the moon at midnight.” Isaac explained. “I am Isaac Wexler, the Lord of Darkness. Many people refer to me as the legend slayer but I prefer my other titles over that one.” Isaac explained. “After we are done talking to Lua we will be headed back, so, if you would be so kind, let us through.”
The guard seemed to take a moment to process what Isaac had said. He then hesitated a moment before he finally settled on what to do. “S’it true? Didja really tear ‘im in half an’ throw ‘is bits at the rest o’ the army?” The guard asked.
Isaac chuckled. “They get better and better every time I hear them.” He told Lenna with obvious humor. “No. I did throw him through a warwagon and hit the ceiling of the cavern with his face though. The best was definitely the impact with the ground afterwards. You can still see the depression in the stone where the ground couldn’t hold up from the impact.” Isaac replied, only exaggerating his own story a little. “That was probably my most climactic fight but the one I had most recently might’ve been the hardest. At least Jallen could be injured. Ancient liches are full of tricks that make them a nightmare to put down. I was able to just beat on Jallen until he stayed down, which was nice.” He went on. “So? Can we go through now?”
The guard shared a look with the other that Isaac and Lenna couldn’t see. The other one flashed a massive grin. “Aye, ya just lost me ‘ive gol’ but yer free ta pass.” The first guard replied and started walking back over to his post.
The other guard waved them through. “We usually require a toll but as long as yer just headin’ out and right back in we can overlook it, this time, just don’t tell the boss, aye?” The second guard told them with a less heavy accent.
Isaac nodded to him. “Thanks.” He replied. “And you don’t have to worry about us snitching on you for doing us a favor. You guys were a great help a little while ago.”
The dwarf’s bright smile only seemed to widen. “Thank ya. I’twas fun.” He then waved them through and the duo walked under the massive gate.
Passing through the gate was an entirely foreign feeling for both Isaac and Lenna. To the pair, it felt like they were crossing into the space between planes and the large open area between the two gates seemed to stretch on for forever and no distance at all at the same time. This was obviously just in their heads but it was a giant step for the pair. Neither of them had truly been outside into the Outerworld even if they had both seen it at least once.
The feeling of being exposed set in as the familiarity of the Innerworld left them and the foreign expanse of the surface replaced it. There was a feeling of freedom that came with the anxiety but neither of them would be able to decide if it was worth the vulnerability in that moment. Some of the guards around them, there were eight in all, shared some words but neither of the pair paid them any heed.
The gate guards were broken up into four pairs. The first pair had been the ones that they had talked to. The second and third pairs were stationed opposite each other on either sides of the space between worlds and between the gates to guard their respective entrances into the fortress itself. The fourth was stationed outside of the outside gate much like their counterparts in the Innerworld. All of the guards let them go unmolested. Perhaps it was the experience that the dwarves had seen play out countless times that caused them to let the duo go without even a word or perhaps it was who the duo were. Neither of those things really mattered to the outcome however and soon enough the pair were standing just inside of the last gate that would lead into the outside world. The world that the drow had been cast down from. The world where daylight reigned. The world Judgment had come from.
Isaac took a deep breath. “One small step fo-” He winced in pain. “Ouch, damn it, that felt really profound too.” He swore under his breath.
The nostalgia of the interaction that Isaac had just had with himself next to her caused Lenna to chuckle slightly. With that act much of the trepidation and tension left her and she started laughing at the sudden lightness and humor in her-of-all-people being afraid of taking a step into the unknown. Without any further hesitation she took a step out into the Outerworld.
Isaac smiled at Lenna fondly as she plowed ahead without any further hesitation and he quickly followed her. As soon as he had taken a step out into the open he looked away from his feet and Lenna to truly take in the wider world. Together the two of them took in the surface in the brilliant moonlight of near midnight.
The clearing was cast in a pale blue-white that cast dark shadows under each blade of grass and the forest behind it was a mask of total darkness. The pair could see through it clearly enough but even so they couldn’t see more than a few dozen feet deep until the density of the foliage made it impossible to see further. The road was well traveled and worn down from thousands of wagons going back and forth over the centuries. In unison they looked to the sky and what they saw took their breaths away.
The sky opened up into an ocean of dark blue that spoke of untold secrets, adventure, exposure, horror, emptiness, and power beyond their imaginations. Scattered across the massive ocean of outer space were billions of stars that painted the sky in strokes of muted color. The stars may have been their own colors but it was hard to see the difference between them when they were so densely packed together. A few of them clearly stood out and there was no doubt in Isaac’s mind that they would be used for navigating at night. As incredible as the sky and its countless stars were, they all paled in comparison to the reason for their excursion.
High above them hung an orb of brilliant imperfection. Craters, mountains, valley’s, peaks, and divots marked her surface but each change of color that came with them only served to highlight how massive and far above them all she was. She watched over them all for half of every day without a complaint and with nothing but love in her heart. The feeling of comfort and love that came from gazing upon her beautiful glistening form threatened to bring a tear to Isaac’s eye. Tears were already streaming down Lenna’s face as she gazed upon her goddess. A sweet and melodic, warm and gentle, cool and kind voice bathed them in its tender symphony: “Usually I would not interrupt those so moved by my visage, but my time at the apex of my monthly power is approaching.”