Chapter 15: Foundations 5

As Contia came into view, the weight of the massive crab took its toll. Once seemingly tireless, Elania’s wings ached where they attached to her back from the strain of carrying the heavy burden for so long. It was a new sensation for her.

Her landing nearly turned into a tumble as the crab’s weight fell onto the platform Arlois had led her to, but she managed to recover into a short skid before coming to a stop. “Jeeze,” she puffed.

“This is where large kills must be brought for processing,” Arlois said, gesturing to the surrounding buildings.

Elania wiped the sweat from her brow. The relief was immediate as she dismissed her wings. Was the entire thing psychological? She shook her head and refocused her attention onto her prize. “Is there some standardized procedure for this?”

Arlois laughed, the sound ringing out in the open air. “Yes, for arcane creatures or large ones, the Butcher’s Guild must process them. They take possession, and you get a royalty payment later.”

She pointed to the sky, where an airship floated lazily overhead. “Normal shipments of game and meat come from airships at regular intervals every other day, but things like this require following procedure.”

Of course. Contia loved its procedures.

A man emerged from a nearby building, a ledger tucked under his arm. He approached the two demi-divines, nodding respectfully.

Arlois gestured to Elania. “She’s the one who brought in the crab.”

The man handed Elania a card, its edges crisp and new. “You can bring this to the bank in one week,” he informed her. “Your fee for collecting the creature should be deposited into that account by then.”

Elania turned the card over in her hands, studying it curiously. It was made of the same paper as her scrit and crit.

“There will be a team to measure and take care of it in a moment, so you can leave it here,” he said before heading back inside and leaving Elania and Arlois alone with the massive carcass.

“I’ll be in touch soon,” Arlois said, tone businesslike. “There will be more work for you.”

Elania raised an eyebrow. “More work? What kind of work?”

Arlois smiled, a devious glint in her eyes. “You’ll find out when I contact you. Until then, enjoy your new home.”

With that, the Purple Wing effortlessly took to the sky.

Elania watched her go. What did Arlois really want from her?

She shook her head, too tired to dwell on it. The thought of walking back to the estate made her head ache even more. No, she wouldn’t walk. She’d fly.

Elania leaped into the air, her wings carrying her swiftly towards Arlois. The other demi-divine slowed, hovering in place as she turned to face Elania with a raised eyebrow.

“Fly me to the estate,” Elania said. “I don’t want to walk.”

Arlois scoffed. “And why should I waste my time doing that?”

Elania grinned. “Because if you don’t, I’ll follow you around all day. I won’t leave you alone until you take me home.”

Arlois held back a snort. “Okay, Spark. Mother shall take you home and make sure you’re tucked into bed.”

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She turned, leading the way back towards the district containing the estate. Elania followed with a smile, ignoring the provocation.

As they touched down outside the gate, Elania turned to Arlois. “Thanks for being an excellent host.”

Arlois rolled her eyes, but Elania thought she saw a hint of a smile on her lips. “Don’t get used to it, Spark.”

With that, the other demi-divine took off, her wings carrying her swiftly away.

As Elania stepped inside, Darius greeted her with a bow. “Welcome back, Lady Elania. Several messages have arrived for you during your absence. Lady Yolani has taken them to your room.”

Elania nodded doing her best to suppress her fatigue. “Thank you, Darius. I’m quite tired from the day’s events. I’ll be resting in my room.”

She made her way up the stairs. When she reached the door to her bedroom, she turned the handle and pushed it open, only to freeze in shock.

The room had undergone a complete transformation. Artifice benches and gadgets littered the space, accompanied by discarded projects, books, and various other items strewn about. The sheer volume of objects far exceeded what they had brought from Neftasu. How had it accumulated so quickly?

Yolani hunched over a workbench, deeply engrossed in something involving a round piece of metal and crystal.

“What happened here?” Elania asked.

Yolani quickly shushed her, holding up a hand and went back to focusing intensely on the object, using two long sticks to prod and manipulate it precisely. It came to life with a soft click, floating up into the air and hovering at face level. Elania’s eyes widened as the device emitted a warm, golden glow, illuminating Yolani’s face in the soft light.

Yolani moved her hand, and the floating ball followed her direction, settling in the air above their heads like a miniature sun.

“That took a while,” Yolani muttered.

The artificer turned to Elania, a proud smile on her face, and stepped forward to embrace her. “I’m glad you’re back.”

She froze a few feet away.

Elania blinked and realized Yolani was covered in a layer of oil and grime, most of it concentrated on her hands, but there were also long smears on her cheeks and forehead. That didn’t stop her from grinning. Actually, the disheveled look was sort of… something she was into.

“Maybe we should grab that extra room for you after all,” Elania suggested, gesturing to the cluttered space around them. “If things are going to fill up more, it might be a good idea.”

Yolani laughed weakly, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, maybe I can turn it into a workshop,” she mused, glancing around at the various projects and supplies scattered throughout the room. “It would be nice to have a dedicated space.”

Elania smiled at Yolani, then glanced at the connected master bath. “You should take a bath.”

Yolani wrinkled her nose, a playful glint in her eye. “Maybe you should take a bath first,” she countered, sniffing the air. “Why do you smell like rotten cavefish?”

Elania’s eyes widened, and she lifted her arm, sniffing under her armpit. The pungent odor of rotten fish assaulted her nose, confirming Yolani’s observation. “I had to fight giant crabs,” she explained with a hint of embarrassment.

Yolani blinked, staring with disbelief. “Giant… crabs?”

Elania nodded, recalling the battle with the massive creatures.

Yolani opened her mouth, then hesitated. “Was it bad?”

“It wasn’t,” Elania reassured her with a shake of her head.

She, considering the events of the day. “For some reason, Eziel is hiding himself from the other demi-divines,” she mentioned. “That might be why he’s ‘sleeping’ so much.”

Yolani nodded. “That makes a bit of sense. I won’t mention him again.”

“It’s odd because they should have noticed. It wasn’t like I hid him or anything,” Elania said.

“It might just be a divine skill or Eziel’s own abilities hiding him,” Yolani suggested, eyes narrowing. Her gaze swept over the various artifice items scattered throughout the room.

“I found out a few things, too,” she said, voice filled with anticipation. “For one, it’s possible that a certain new demi-divine can become a Tower in Contia.”

Elania’s eyes widened, heart skipping a beat. “Who?” A sense of unease crept into her voice. “Should we be worried?”

Yolani pointed at Elania. “You!”

Elania stared at her, dumbfounded.

Yolani explained, “Any resident demi-divine that lives in the city long enough and is approved by the current Towers can become one.”

That was a complex piece of information to process. The thought of becoming a Tower was… a bit heavy. Elania shook her head. “I’m not really sure that’s what I want to do.”

Yolani nodded. “It’s something to know and think about long term. We don’t need to rush into it. It might not even be a good idea.”

Elania nodded. She looked around the room, gaze falling upon the bath again.

She turned to Yolani, a playful glint in her eyes. “How about we take a bath together?”

Yolani blinked, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink. “Yes, we could do that,” she stammered. “Nothing abnormal about washing together.”

Elania grinned, leaning in close to whisper something in her partner’s ear, breath warm against the skin.

Yolani’s face turned a deep scarlet, eyes widening as Elania’s words registered.

Elania laughed with delight, voice ringing out in the room.