I paused in surprise at hearing those words and felt around my domain with a quick flex of will. Yet, I couldn't find the physical presence of my daughter, but an awareness of her was flickering in my thoughts. The mana was so tranquil within my realm now it was easy to spot the ripples in the flows. With one leading far off into the distance, quickly becoming rough as it travelled out of my domain and to the north-east.
"Pyra?" I sent along the link, and felt a note of surprise from it. Clearly it wasn't just a one way connection, but why had it suddenly shown up now?
"Mother? Is it really you?" I could feel the joy in those words play across the mana, but also the feeling that it wouldn't last. Straining I checked all around, but the mana here remained the same. Which meant it must be on her end of the connection. Perhaps the System wasn't happy about what happened here, or such communication wasn't allowed for some reason?
"Yes, Pyra, some things have happened here, and our connection is back. Though only for a short time, so tell me about what you have been doing!" It had been so long since I had spoken to her, and I didn't know why she had decided to continue into the world after we couldn't contact one another. Though I had a theory on it, I had hoped she would come home after my transformation. Since it meant that I wouldn't have felt that murderous rage towards her anymore. Though, considering I hadn't tested, it might have still been there. The line vibrated suddenly and I was afraid it was going to break, but instead it was because of the amount of emotion flowing through it. She seemed to be crying, and I felt that pain as I tried to reach for her. All it did was make the tension in the thread worse, and I pulled back to prevent an early termination.
Even if I didn't get her story and adventure so far, I was beginning to realize just how much I wanted to protect those under me again. This time it wasn't some mindless instincts to kill and control. It was my love for my creations, and Pyra was one of the greatest of those. Even if I had only gotten to spend a short time as her mother, I wanted her to come home so I could do more. Wrap her up in safety and just shut out the world around us.
"It...its been..." She laughed, a short and hard laugh, "It's been more than I thought, but I want it to be easier..." Her voice faded for a moment, before she returned with a measure of calm to herself, "Mother, I am going to find the System. It needs to pay for what it did, and I will search until I find it." I found myself amused at her confidence, my worry for her melting a bit. Fire didn't think ahead much, it just blazed forward.
"Well, I think you best wait for your brother then." Trying to send amusement through the connection, though I had no idea how it really worked. Surprise was returned to me a second later, and I couldn't help but laugh internally.
"Brother?" Came the reply, soft and in wonder, "I have a brother now?!" I gave it a moment and then tried to send a mental image across the link. From the note of surprise again I had to assume it worked in some degree.
"He is prettier than me..." and this time I let my amusement travel across the distance to her, and I could feel the pout. The thread seemed to tear at this point, but it wasn't gone.
"Just wait where you are as long as you can, Yana will find you. Can you tell me where you are?" I sent back in a hurry, the line wouldn't stay much longer. Pyra seemed to talk to someone else, I hoped it was Marshall still. Otherwise I would have to find what counted for his soul and make him suffer.
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"It is a place called Ester to the north of Amalyn. We should be able to stay here for a week or two." She answered, finally. The line threatened to break once again.
"Good, I will try to get it to him if I can. And, Pyra... Know that... I love you my daughter. Don't think you cannot just come home." Like it had been waiting for those words, the mana unraveled and tore once more. The connection broken to my wayward child again, and I felt the rage burning so quickly I just struck down. A gathering of liquid mana from the Well around my core suddenly became a bright, beam of rainbow light that pushed it's way down. Then the whole domain and dungeon trembled as the beam kept going past the barrier of my domain and it expanded. I knew I could go into at least a couple more floors from my own efforts, but in my rage I didn't understand just how deep I was pushing myself. Feet became miles as the beam traveled and I fed it my anger, my frustration at everything. It was supposed to be constant and mine, but instead it was all being taken from me because I couldn't leave this place. Old fears of being stuck forever in one place merged with my anger at the System for it's interference, and the beam thickened until it filled the narrow walls of the Well.
Then, I suddenly felt drained. All the energy in me just flickered out along with a gnawing hunger right before the darkness claimed my consciousness. Yet, before I faded I could feel the edges of my domain now stretching over the Hold to the north, and the mind of my son beneath it.
----
Yana is sitting in the darkness, now able to see easily as if he had cast a light spell or something, thanks to his draconic eyes. After a series of spells and scripts he was pretty sure of his new form, but also still sure that he was still an [Elemental] of some kind. Though, he had a feeling it was of a level far beyond Greater now. Recalling the levels of the race, he had a feeling that it was even beyond the highest level of [Imperial] just due to some instinct on the matter. Clearly the blood he had been drawn into was some kind of dragon's blood, and his nature had done something with it to change forms. Which made him wonder if this was a unique property of the blood, or if it would work with any blood. Though he wouldn't be able to find out until he got out of here. Which seemed like a challenge considering his size compared to the doors.
He had thought about just breaking his way out, since he was, almost, certain that the basement he entered from wouldn't be able to fit him. Yet, he remembered some warehouses that would probably do the job, or he could dig to the surface outside of town. The latter being the best idea in his mind since it limited discovery by a lot. Hard to hide being a creature almost twenty feet long and as wide as a tall man. Not to mention the pair of horns, wings, or the glowing set of four eyes he now sported. Which, granted, had been the hardest thing to get used to.
Then, a wave of energy passes across his scales, and he can feel the presence of his Mother's domain again. It's energy making him feel at home after all the recent events, and even bringing a few tears to his eyes as they look around for a sign. No sign presents itself, and so he starts digging towards the surge of energy. Which just so happened to be where the big metal construct had been. Though now it holds no interest for the dragon, more concerned with its own body, and the now inert orb still floating near him. It seems to be changing though he is not sure into what, the orb had already been a mystery before. So it was just normal for it to be enigmatic at this point.
With his new body it only took a few minutes to dig his way through the ruins and into solid rock. Yet, even the hard granite of the land gave way to his claws like paper before scissors. Not even slowing his progress save by the degree of constant digging. Uncertain of where he is, he creates a spell script to drill a small hole to the surface, and another spell to be his eyes above the ground. To his surprise, he was into the forest and clear of the walls. It was also night, so he digs his way to the surface and heads back to the dungeon. Likely, she will have some ideas on how to change forms if he could, and right now he wanted to be back home.