Requiem. The garden of sand.

“{Sorry about the tension and cold shoulder after Axis showed up. We discovered a vulnerability, or perhaps just didn’t quite get the results we wanted from our domain experiment. We’ve been troubled by this city since we entered, and the challenge of it has been eating away at us.}”

Darling lands on one of the lower branches of the corner’s tree. The long day having finally shown that her stamina is not infinite, “^I know you’re more worried for us than about yourself, Requiem, and I appreciate your concern. But I know you can see some of the positive sides as well. We got the [Heraldry]! We’re an officially recognized Clan now, and if you want, we can leave this place behind. We’re all set.^”

Sitting back against the tree, Reginald nods his support, “(It is as Milady says. Even though I’d wish to accomplish a great many things in this city yet. But I am not so foolish to through away another life so soon. We are but a few, and very young at that. My war will likely be a long one, and not all battles can be fought immediately if you seek victory. As I’ve said, my faith is yours.)”

We think about these problems as we once again lounge on the sun rock. There are many things to consider but perhaps the most pertinent of them all isn’t the inconvenience of the city’s pressure, but just the economics of city life itself. Something that came into focus during the negotiations and the talks amongst us afterward was money.

Our shared arcana may allow us to subsist off of channeling and convert magic into sustenance, but the more active we are, the more it cuts into our reserves. If we really want to fatten up our internal storage, we need a different environment than the city can provide. The magic is too stale here to serve as a good source of nutrition, and if we supplement that with actual food consumption our costs will swarm out of control.

Even our lodgings are being paid for by another party right now. And should we desire to try and find our niche market for our honey, our surplus could vanish in a single large purchase with no way to realistically replenish it while we’re here.

As much as solving the problems of the city is something we’re wanting to deal with promptly, just walking away might be the correct choice, “{Other than our stubbornness and pride, do we really have a reason to stay here? If we want to stay healthy and prepared for dealing with adversaries, we don’t really have the currency to support ourselves here. There isn’t enough greenery for you to keep making the honey we’d need to sell to afford living here, either.}”

“(There are options for labor or possibly blade work we could look for, but that just makes more complications. Perhaps, we should focus more on what our actual goals are?)”

“^Our main goal for coming to the city was to see what they were like. Also, to see about working towards the problems of social interactions while we would be out traveling. Both of which we’ve basically solved. Even when my secondary hive is ready to split off, I certainly wouldn’t have it anywhere near the city itself. While not as potent outside the walls, the domain’s oppression of the surroundings would make maintaining the hive much more difficult.^”

“(For my goals… well, yeah. War against a noble isn’t really something I even have any solid steps to take to make progress towards that yet. It’s far different than just dealing with some thugs ambushing you in a bad part of town. Anything that doesn’t just throw me, or us, into a direct confrontation isn’t something I can realistically accomplish on my own.

“(As much as I’d like to just cut through all the red tape, there’s also just the fact that the Master is just plain better than me at the moment. I would lose the duel even if such a thing were possible to get, and I’ve seen what happens to professional assassins that have tried for his life. My skillset just doesn’t lean that way, even if I felt that was an option.)”

We look around at our little group and search ourselves once more, “{So, we’re leaving then?}” At the nods of assent from our party we feel as though a great weight is lifted from our psyche, “{Good. Well then, let’s check out of this place and do one last pass through the markets to make sure nothing catches an eye.}”

Our plan set; we take some time to commit this little garden to memory. We had an epiphany about how our domain skill could function if we put in the effort. With the grafting and ripening of sub-nodes being able to add additional functionality and our own diverse species anatomy. Well, Axis is Guardian of |Tranquil Glades| not |Elysian Fields|, so why not build more? Even as just a project to work on in the background, it feels good to have a tangible thing to strive for while on this adventure.

“{Reginald, as an item to put on your to-do list, might we recommend some [Domain]-work? We’re afraid that our particular method is unlikely to provide you with much help, but Darling has made significant progress with her class and should be able to offer some better guidance. Being unaware of the kind of significant presence and affects you can achieve with a Domain is a significant disadvantage. Especially considering your targets are likely to have those sorts of defenses.

“{Our domain is one largely about easing burdens and funneling macro information to us. Not something especially helpful for a duel, but it’s great as a realm establisher and recruitment tool.}”

We watch Darling directing the swarm to decorate the sands into a mosaic of a stream leading from our rock to the exit, clearly dissatisfied by our lack exuberant care for the artistry sculpted for our stay, “^The [Quest] I have about how to establish a domain has been quite helpful, but I wasn’t able to make any real progress on it until I got my class. Now, I have an imitation of one that’s functional, but actually burrowing down and drawing comb for the full architecture is a lot of work.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“^Though I do agree with Requiem about how useful they are, and I feel that information gathering is likely a base aspect of a domain’s design. Though for me, something that the addition of the froggy passengers we have now made me expand the breadth of the sort of Court and Country I was planning. Even as adaptive as they are, there is definitely a different culture that the frogs have from a proper bee.^”

“(Alright. Sure, that’s a definite path forward- Woah. A [Quest] just popped up. I’ve never had one of those before. You’d hear about them from some of the advance classers, but I’d never seen anything firsthand… Huh. [The Lonely Road]. Yeah, that sounds about right.

“(War on the blade’s edge. The path to crush one’s enemies without falling prey to the abuse of your own power nor blinding yourself to the consequences. A war not of clashing armies, nor one of politics and bureaucracy, but one of a swift blade, a keen eye, and a clear mind. Walk Alone.)”

As he speaks, his voice drifts off at the summary statement. His initial excitement having faded into seriousness, and then a malaise. “{Everyone’s path is their own, Reginald. We are all of us alone, even creatures like us. Yours is not a path you can be carried, pulled or even pushed by another. If you are going to truly make the change you want to see in the world: You are going to have to be the one that does it.

“{But as we’ve said before, so long as our goals align, even as we walk our own path. We’ll be beside you.}”

We watch him closely as we speak. We watch as he hears us, and then later see the changes in him as he begins to listen. There are long moments after we’ve finished speaking that the internal argument is expressed by darting eyes. But we smile to ourselves as we see the resolve swell within him before he straightens his posture and finally meets our gaze.

“(Thank you, milord. Thank you, Requiem.)”

We just chuckle and get to our feet. It’s time to leave this place, as Darling’s sculpture is effectively complete. There are just minor brush strokes being done now, “{That’s the easy part. That feeling, that choice you’ve made. The hard part is yet to come, when you must keep affirming that choice, day after day. Eventually, it too will become easy, but excuses are quick and seductive at the start.}”

He takes a moment to glance around, ensuring he’s not left anything behind before taking a controlled leap to the raised deck around the garden. He doesn’t even notice his deference to Darling’s work, “(Will you support me should I slip up?)”

We make our way carefully across the sands, placing our steps on the marks designed for them, “{All we can do is remind you, and only if you heed us. If we see that you’ve chosen something else, we will not hold you to the conviction you have now, only you can. Life and circumstances can change too radically and too quickly to adhere to a brittle promise made in desperation. But should you put the work in, temper your mettle in the forge of adversity, we can offer comradery and proximity.}”

The trip to leave the city is so much more freeing than we were expecting. We don’t feel nearly the backlog of negativity about the cityscape itself anymore either. Aside from perhaps the first moments, these are the most engaged we are with the surroundings, people and exposing ourselves to the culture around us. Perhaps even more relaxing than even the decision and actions of making our exit came about as we passed through another section of the bazaar.

We could feel the unity and joy at having set a goal and the steps we’ve been taking to achieve it once more when there was a display a magic. A street performance snagged our attention with a gout of flame that soon shifted into mimicking a flickering cityscape. One that was styled far differently than our current location and the performer started telling a story. The enhancement of magic brings it to life with more than imagination served to keep our interest, but also stood out like a beacon of light, as the use of magic was near non-existent since our arrival. Going unnoticed until this art calls our attention to it.

A story of a prosperous city that rose in a desert at the mouth of a mighty river as it poured into the sea. The story spoke of a great hero that was born in a time of prosperity, just as things were beginning to fall. Monsters amassing from the desert and crashing like a tide against the walls. Grand storms disturbing the seas that snarled trade. Each new story beat accented by a marvelously detailed and moving sculpture of animated flame.

We were engrossed in their showmanship, “But the worst enemy of all was their fellow man. A faction stealing and plundering ships anytime the fog rolled in…” I breathed out a whisper, an ambiance, a cloud whose base was soon shaped into the waves of a sea. “And within that fog was the Dread Fleet. Ships with tattered sails and rotten wood, crewed by the damned slaves of those that would fight them, now chained, and changed into the relentless Undead.”

As the backdrop of the thrashing sea and the soft groaning voices of the dead fade away, “But the Hero was favored by the Sun. His blade had been sharpened by the beast tides, and his faith in his Fire tested and tempered by the storms. So, when the two forces clashed!” A smaller, yet faster ship of flaming sails rushes out to meet the larger fleet, “He faced the Dread Pirate in combat. Challenging him alone to a grand duel in the dead of night, binding him from receiving help from his horde of the dead.”

“Yet, even this was almost too much for the Hero. The battle went on for hours, for anytime he thought he had struck his foe down, he rose again. Here, in his seat of power, the heart of his empire, the Dread Pirate called he could not die… But the Hero knew that nothing was invincible, and as the dawn broke on the horizon, he lifted his blazing sword with his one healthy arm and gathered all his might for one finale swing.”

The scene having shifted to the deck of the boat where the two fought back and forth. But we watch as the burning figure doesn’t strike at the Captain, but at a length of chain bound to the helm. There is a bright explosion of flame as the scene becomes just mist for a moment, before the picture forms once more, “He had discovered the Dread Pirate’s weakness. For all his power and control, he did not have loyalty. He had chained the dead men unto his thrall, but now with that chain broken, they could take their revenge.”

The mists fade away as the men swarm and pile on top of the Captain, until there is only the boat of fire and the Hero, “Legend says the Hero never claimed to have sunk the Dread Fleet, merely to have ended their threat. And it was true that the piracy stopped by the time of his return. But there are still tales told, of the nights where the squalls are grand enough to drown a man on deck. That a lucky ship will survive what should have been their finale voyage.

“Her crew will speak only of the sound of drums. Echoing over the thunderous ocean waves.”

[Fog of Breathlessness mesh polyp ripened with Choir, Resonant Mist sub-node Acquired!]

The performer thanks his cheering crowd and collects his coin. Though a shared glance between us serves as an invitation to follow; he heads away from the crowds and out of the city gates. His display having been one of the closest to the entrance, and seemingly allowed only because of his focus on entertainment and not selling wares. He’s friendly with the guards as he leaves, and while our exit takes a bit more time, Reginald’s stand-in as a guard or owner makes the process smooth.