– Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Sun, Day 82 –
Matteo looked at Terry with disbelief. “Apex? You’re saying Apex is from the Martial Tower? What makes you believe she would help us? How did you even come by Apex’s talisman?”
That’s a lot of questions.
Terry inhaled deeply, but before he could reply, Isille interrupted: “Later.” The dwarven woman wore a pensive expression. She exchanged glances with Bjorln, Brynn, and Samuel.
“Yeah, if our task has switched from defending a country to conquering one, then we better start putting things into motion,” said Brynn firmly. She looked at Matteo. “When will Amelia be back? I need to pass a message to Mia.”
“Please don’t call it conquering.” Bjorln grimaced. He moved his fingers through his snow-white beard. “Makes it sound like we’re planning to invade. This is different.”
“A coup then?” Brynn shrugged. “We’re challenging their government and planning to replace it. I don’t care what we call it.”
“The Lands of the Four Towers were built on challenges.” Emaldine pointed out. “They consider it a strength that only the best in their disciplines get to rule.” She looked with concern at her accepted brother. When Matteo had turned into a demon, he had laid waste to the country’s capital. The country might respect competence, but she wasn’t sure that they would apply this to the monster from their past that they still used to scare misbehaving children.
“I don’t think being the best elementalist would make me any good at ruling a country,” said Matteo drily. He muttered quietly: “I hope there’s a rule to voluntarily abdicate after the Union gets their ass moving.” He looked at Amelia. “I can pass a message to Amelia and Dargones, even from here. What do you need from Mia?”
“An anchored gate,” said Brynn. “If I have to split my attention two ways, then I want them connected.” Next to her, Samuel gave an approving nod.
“I have trouble believing the Lands would be happy about us placing a gate to this place,” interjected Bjorln, with a troubled expression.
“I’ll buy some land first then,” retorted Brynn. “Nice little house with a well-cloaked gate in the basement. I don’t believe the place is so backwater that they would intrude on my property unless we’re causing problems.”
“Problems like challenging the government?” Bjorln shot back. “Or opening a gate to all the local refugees?”
“Challenging the government by contest is welcomed in the Lands.” Matteo pointed out. “That won’t be a problem.”
“And wasn’t one reason for our current predicament that we couldn’t get the locals to evacuate even if we were to escort them to Arcana’s borders?” added Brynn.
“Fair point,” grumbled Isille. “But unless we’re going to keep the gate a secret, there are bound to be some people trying to flee through it.”
“The idea of hiding a path to safety doesn’t sit right with me,” stressed Bjorln.
“I can’t split myself yet another way to escort everyone,” stressed Brynn. “And even if my funds are considerable, they’re not unlimited. I’m burning through my resources at a rapid pace. I can haggle about the fee with Mia, but if I’m forced to pick a single gate, then I’m going to pick the one that helps me assist Whaka Terry and to get Siling’s sister out of the Kingdom’s clutches.” Her voice was tense.
“Let’s postpone that point for now,” interjected Samuel, who had noticed the increased tension between Brynn and Bjorln. “If we think about it some more, we might figure out another option.”
“What about the Spirit Tower?” asked Emaldine to continue the main topic.
“Daiyu might be able to help with it, but even if her magic barely qualifies, I…” Matteo frowned. “Her skill-set is at a disadvantage. If Siling pretends to be her student, then—” He shook his head. “That would probably not work either. Their magic style is too dissimilar. They might not even believe the teacher-disciple relationship. Even if we pull that off, Siling might be able to win against one disciple, but if it’s just her, then she would have to win twice in a row.”
“What if we ask Ying?” interjected Terry. The mayor of Syn City was the most skilled user of spirit magic he had ever met. “I know it would be a lot to ask of him, but perhaps he would be willing?”
“I doubt he would leave Syn City to rule over a tower,” said Matteo before shrugging. “Which would just put him into the same predicament as us if we’re successful. Can’t hurt to ask, but even if he agrees.” He shook his head. “The Spirit Tower has many divisions that work well together. Unless he’s gotten a lot stronger, I doubt he’d be enough to crush the tower and then we’re back at the disciple challenge. I guess we’ll have to figure something out when we get there.”
“I’ll talk to the others later,” said Isille. She glanced at Bjorln. “Mira and the rest signed up to help us find our son. They didn’t sign up for politics and war. I can’t blame them if they plan to return to Arcana now.”
“I…” Lori grimaced. “I’m not sure if my companions from Tiv will stay, either. Patricia might, but I don’t think—”
“‘Patricia’?” Terry blurted, and his face contorted into a scowl. “The shadow-aspected woman that nearly killed you?” He had already learned that Lori had trained with the dwarven druid Dhruv in the Libra Outpost before they had set out to find him, but he hadn’t known that she teamed up with Patricia, of all people. The woman had held a grudge against Terry for the death of her brother during the battle against Bright Willow. She had taken Lori hostage and demanded Terry to kill himself.
“What?!” Isille and Bjorln frowned and looked at Lori.
Jorg winced at the reactions. This was exactly why he had told Lori to tell Terry sooner rather than later.
“That was before she knew me and before she knew more about Terry,” stammered Lori. She looked at Terry with accusing eyes. “Patricia helped me through…” She took a deep breath. “She knows what it feels like to lose a brother and I thought that…”
Now it was Terry’s turn to wince.
Isille and Bjorln looked at each other while an unspoken conversation appeared to pass between them, after which they decided to not press the topic.
“We should gather everyone later and tell them of our plan,” said Isille.
“We should keep our previous problem in mind when talking to them,” interjected Samuel. “If some of them choose to return to Arcana, they might be willing to provide a proper escort for any refugees choosing to flee the city.”
Isille nodded and then looked at Terry. “I will. But for now, I think it’s time to finally hear Terry’s story.”
Terry found all eyes on him. He stopped himself from speaking while glancing over the people. “We’re still missing some.”
“Terry, depending on what you’ll have to say, this might be better kept among close family,” warned Samuel, while Isille nodded.
“I can leave,” said Elenec next to Matteo. “I don’t have to hear his secrets.”
“It’s okay,” said Terry. “You came here to help me and I don’t—”
“No offense, Terry, but I came here to help Matteo out,” interrupted Elenec. “There’s a difference. You shouldn’t share your secrets with me, because I can’t promise I will keep them.” She nodded at Samuel and then at Matteo and left.
Terry nodded, but he was wearing an unsatisfied expression. “Still. I want Siling, Tiana, Miguel, and Elena here.” They’ve all earned that much.
Definitely not inviting Patricia, no matter what Lori thinks about her.
Calam and Gellath aren’t here, so I’ll have to tell them later.
The picture of his martialists friends surfaced in Terry’s mind and he felt conflicted. On the one hand, both Rafael and Guillermo had come to help him. On the other hand… Well, he couldn’t truthfully say that he had no reservations about opening up to martialists.
Terry remembered how his aunt Sigille had advised him when he was staying in Tiv. Some secrets he should keep closer to heart. He hadn’t shared all the properties of oscillating mana with his companions in Tiv, and given how everything with the battle in the Libra Outpost had turned out, he could only be glad that he hadn’t.
He wanted to share everything with his family and closest friends, but even if he had started to think about Rafael and Guillermo as friends, he didn’t trust them to the same degree yet.
“Alright, we’ll check how Siling is holding up and then either gather everyone right now or switch to having the other talks first,” declared Isille.
***
Even before Terry could start telling his story, he could tell that this felt more serious than his return to Arcana after traveling in Tiv. Samuel had prepared a stack of notebooks and immediately opened one with a pen in his hand. It was obvious that his uncle expected a need to take notes.
Terry started talking about what happened after he had chosen to stay behind in the Wastes to the north of Tiv in order to get the four-leaved blood tulip to save his parents. His friends asked about the mana-corrupted beasts he had to pass to reach the blood tulip. They gasped when he told them of his struggle to flee from the horde and whittle it down by relying on other hostile creatures.
When Terry reached the moment that the horde had clashed into the hellspawn hive, there was no end of questions, especially when he retold how the divine hammer inscription had saved his life. His friends and cousins had many questions, but eventually, Samuel asked Terry to continue.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Terry recounted his arrival at the Valkyrie’s prison dungeon and suddenly, the many questions were drowned out by the quiet scribbling of Samuel’s pen and the obvious signs of worry on the man’s forehead.
Terry had expected his uncle to take notes about the dungeon collapse and tear, but even he had not expected that Samuel would appear to show the most concern for the early parts of his dungeon encounter. He also didn’t expect that Matteo would be the second to grab a notebook and start taking notes.
Terry described his encounter with the lizans, and more notebooks were taken from the prepared pile. For the most part, Terry could tell what the different people were reacting to. The longer he talked, the less willing everyone seemed to interrupt him. By the end of his story, all his older family members had a long list of notes and exhausted expressions.
The following silence was palpable.
“Good to know you didn’t overdo it.” Siling deadpanned before breaking out in a wry smile.
Terry’s expression settled between sheepish and guilty. He appreciated his friend’s attempt to break the ice, but he sure wished some of the others would say something.
“Wastes, man,” whispered Miguel with a shocked expression and a concerned glance at Lori and Jorg.
“You make being possessed sound boring by comparison,” added Tiana.
“You’re lucky you’re still alive,” said Elena. “Otherwise, I would kill you for creating so many worries for Lori.”
At this point Samuel cleared his throat. He looked at Terry and exhaled sharply. “I think we all have a few questions.” He glanced at the other filled notebooks. “I would propose to focus on the more actionable and urgent matters. As much as I’m interested in your discoveries… and as important and historically significant as the story behind the dungeon and the two mana curses might be, I think we heard other points that require more immediate attention.”
Samuel and the others shared a glance, and then they nodded at Bjorln.
“I’ll need a list of all the consumables you still remember eating in the folded space,” said Bjorln with a frown. “Everything you remember. If you don’t remember the names, I’ll take the descriptions. Many of the martialist items I’m familiar with have been created while cutting corners around safety, which can lead to a build-up of medicinal toxins and problematic mana accumulating in the body.”
Bjorln looked over his notes. “I need to acquire a sample of these lizan rations to ensure there won’t be any problems… Not to mention…” He almost glared at Terry before composing himself and shaking his head. “Resistance training in the Elusive Fog of Frost and then the mana from that strange plant… I’ll need to check a few things to best figure out how to account for possible aftereffects and side-effects that could interfere with your healing.”
“Damian, Beatrice, …” Isille spoke up next. “These Thanatos thugs should be easy to track down. Same for the martial sects.” She looked over her notes. “But I’ll need a better description of the lizans.”
“Uhm…” Terry furrowed his brow. He got the impression that his mother had created her own personal shit list. He knew that his mother used to be a bounty hunter. He could see that her demeanor had changed since he had last seen her in Arcana. She had never appeared soft, but this was an entirely new level of resolve and hardness.
Did Ma just create a hit list of potential targets to hunt? All the people hostile to me?
Terry appreciated the sentiment, but he did not like the idea of his mother causing a sequence of international incidents to hunt down the people that had wronged him. He felt he had already caused enough trouble by dragging them into a war.
“I think we should try to acquire the Thanatos notes on the fiendish crystal before considering…” Matteo shrugged. “Further action against people like Damian. That seems more urgent.” His eyes met Samuel’s.
“Before we come to that topic…” Samuel looked at Brynn, who nodded.
“The mana sublimator from your friend in Tiv, one inscribed barrier spear, one replacement glove…” Brynn looked over her own notes. “A means to traverse the shadow plane – easy enough. Spare divine hammer inscriptions – will take longer, especially when preparing for low interference. Re-inscribing your armor pieces for water manipulation and metal shaping. Adding some earth shaping if I can find the right materials. Passive inscriptions and enchantments to protect the mind from influence. I’ll have to check first how much mana throughput and interference Terry can handle now.”
Brynn rattled off all the items that could have helped Terry avoid troubles on his path. Items she intended to prepare to the best of her ability as far as her taxed schedule allowed. The others commented on her notes and added their own opinions.
“Alright that brings us back to the two main points of concern,” said Samuel. “First…” He glanced towards Matteo.
“I can do the proper test with Terry later, but just from talking to him so far, he’s not showing any signs of significant interference,” said Matteo. “It sounds as if an entity connected to the lizan realm was attempting something, but it appears to have been cut off before really getting anywhere.” His gaze became pensive. “Still…”
“There’s still the other matter on that point,” muttered Samuel with a nod.
“What other matter?” asked Terry.
“Do you think Terry was under mind influence?” asked Tiana with a worried glance shared with Siling. The two could attest to the uncomfortable experience of having their minds meddled with or having to share their mind with other minds.
“Inconclusive,” judged Samuel. He looked thoughtfully at Terry. “Tell me, Terry, when you arrived at the dungeon where the Valkyrie had been kept prisoner, why did you decide to enter?”
Terry opened his mouth without saying anything and then paused with a furrowed brow to consider the question. “Not sure. I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I hadn’t slept properly for what felt like forever. I was running at the end of my sanity. Everything was hazy. Then I saw the Tiv soldiers and I just…” He frowned. “Such a large force in the middle of nowhere instead of protecting the Wasters in Tiv. I can hardly describe how furious I was.”
“Fair enough, but…” Samuel made a few notes.
“Terry, you haven’t answered the question.” Matteo pointed out. “You have given a reason why you didn’t hesitate to crash into the soldiers with the hive and horde at your heels, but you could have used the chance to escape instead of diving into the dungeon.”
“That was reckless,” added Jorg with a deep frown for his brother.
“I know,” admitted Terry, while searching his memory to better explain himself. “I just… I don’t know. I thought of everything that had happened at the Libra Outpost and then with the barrier.” He bit his lips. “All the shit that was going on with Willow, Anand, and Kipkoi.” He took a deep breath. “All the shit that could have been prevented if I had paid more attention…”
Looks of concern flashed over the faces of many people present.
“Sheltered Guardians don’t live too long,” muttered Terry.
“That phrase…?” Samuel interrupted. “That doesn’t sound like your words.”
“Sounds like Ma,” said Emaldine.
“Yes, those were Ma Sigille’s words,” agreed Matteo. He searched Terry’s expression for something. “Is that all that went through your head?”
“No, I thought more of Aunt Sigille back then,” said Terry slowly. “About her thoughts on dungeon work…” He forced himself to not avoid the gaze of his uncle and parents. “If the dungeons are the realm’s first line of defense, then shouldn’t we do our part to support them?”
Bjorln groaned with closed eyes. “Big Smelly, seriously…”
In spite of herself, Isille had to smile. That definitely sounded like her elder sister.
“Inconclusive,” said Samuel once more.
“If that was influence, then it was incredibly subtle,” said Matteo. “That’s not even a nudge beyond what he already remembered. An authentic memory. Not a suggestive implant. Nothing that…”
Terry remembered how he felt after the strange dungeon slime absorbed the fiendish crystal and allowed him to act as the dungeon’s defender. There had been a single thought resonating in his mind. A resonance between himself and the dungeon. “That was me.” He said firmly.
“Terry?” Samuel looked at his nephew, who had appeared to space out in his own thoughts for a moment.
“What makes you suspect mind influence?” questioned Terry.
“Perhaps that you acted like a suicidal idiot?” suggested Lori in a grumble.
“I’d say that you made a few choices that appear difficult to follow,” rephrased Samuel. “Entering the prison dungeon that was on the verge of collapsing. Staying behind in the folded space despite everything you knew about the risks. That’s two incidents. Both were related to dungeon presence, or at least in close proximity.”
Terry had learned from Sigille and Matteo how to protect against mind influence. “I… no. That was me.”
“The idiot?” interjected Lori with a scowl.
“Yes, that sounds like me,” said Terry sheepishly. He took a deep breath. “A part of me. I chose to enter the dungeon. I chose to stay behind in the folded space.” I’m the one who chooses from conflicting emotions and competing goals. “I made those choices. That was me.” Who I wanted to be. He searched for the right words. “The memories at the front of my mind we talked about earlier… They simply reminded me.”
Terry creased his brows while talking pensively. “When I was acting with the dungeon’s power, I didn’t feel a foreign mind. I felt myself reaffirmed. Like something resonated with me. Does this make sense?”
Samuel continued writing notes with a slight shrug and a pensive expression.
“As far as mind magic goes, even if it was conscious influence, this would at most qualify as a nudging spell,” said Matteo. “Nothing that would alter a personality. So I’m with Terry, but I still intend to do a proper evaluation later.”
“We can put the topic aside as long as you…” Isille pointed at Terry. “…understand that you’re not getting to play the idiot anymore under my watch. The next time something like that happens, you better make sure I appear next to my sister in your memories so that you remember some common sense along with all the people that care about you.”
Terry swallowed and averted his eyes. He would love to promise his accepted mother to take better care of himself, but he knew better than to give promises he wouldn’t be able to keep. There was still a war going on and he was not resolved to stay out of it.
“That brings us to the second major point of concern,” continued Samuel.
“You mean whatever is going on with Terry’s soul?” asked Brynn and she pursed her lips in thought. “Isn’t that just an extension of the mind influence topic? Can souls even possess a foreign body without overpowering the mind? I always thought of souls as imprints of the mind. If there is no noticeable consciousness in the soul, then wouldn’t we expect Terry’s mind to imprint on it rather than the other way around?”
“I strongly suspect that there is a consciousness in the soul,” stressed Matteo. “And it’s a powerful soul. Otherwise, Soul Fury wouldn’t react to it like it does. I’m not even sure what kind of soul could intimidate the dragon in that way.”
Matteo clicked his tongue while looking at Terry. “That being said, from the examinations we did already, it looks as if the soul remains separate even while being connected. If I had to guess, then I would take Terry’s soulsight as an indicator of there being two connections. Senses and mana.”
“Beyond that, we only have the timing,” said Samuel. “The soulsight first manifested after the battle to defend the dungeon in the folded space, which doesn’t narrow down the potential causes since everything came together there: the dungeon, the fiendish item and the otherrealm entity.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “We can only try to investigate further. Gather more information and pay close attention.”
“Can we now talk about the more uplifting topics?” suggested Bjorln, and the others nodded.
Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that they all had different topics they wanted to talk about first.
“Those discharge variants and combination…” started Bjorln.
“Oscillating mana and veil tears…” started Samuel.
“The Aspiring Soul Curse,” began Brynn.
“That king spear of yours…” began Isille.
“The way you use the divine hammer inscription…” muttered Emaldine.
“You said the reanimated behemoth could change its size…” began Matteo.
“Dalia’s dungeon marks…” muttered Jorg.
“So Rafael tricked you into the trial…” mumbled Lori with a scowl.
“The wyvern…” started Siling.
“That internal disruption discharge…” began Tiana.
“What kind of blood-aspected spell did the vampire use when…” muttered Elena.
“Mana touch and martialist poisons?” Miguel grinned.
Terry could not help but laugh. He loved that his home had come to find him.
***