After another day of east travel we cut off he main road into the edge of the wilds. It was a half day of rough travel along a path that only went to and from the cottage, there was nothing else along the way. It was another oddity that peaked my curiosity about this cottage and the land that was attached to it.
Once we cleared the view from the road I kept into the trees and started moving through the branches. My heart sang at moving though the trees again, there was something freeing about this method of travel. Nothing interferes with my joy, no beast or creature came near me as I traveled through the trees. Badb flew next to me laughing at our speed.
Before lunch our increased speed of travel had us arriving at the edge of the property well before lunch. I stopped my approach when I felt the barrier in front of me. The entire area was surrounded by a barrier, a powerful on at that. Why would there be a barrrier around a cottage? Something didn’t make sense, especially not when he felt the power of the barrier, it would easily repel a king beast. Not just repel it but repel it for days. Why was this here? Badb was staring back at me, just as confused. He had no ideas either, which didn’t bode well for me trying to understand it. He did finally speak, giving voice to the question we both had.
“How will we get into that?”
“I don’t know, it doesn’t feel like it repelling me, you?” I was slowly walking toward the barrier my senses fully extended.
“No it’s no repelling me but I don’t feel very welcome.” Badb sat on my shoulder but I could feel the nervious energy radiating from him.
I slowly walked forward until my hand almost touched the barrier, then suddenly the magic parted. A doorway opened in front of me, just a break big enough for me to walk through. Well if that wasn’t a welcome I didn’t know what was, I walked carefully through the barrier which immediately closed behind me. While it didn’t feel aggressive my first impulse was to escape, and I stepped backward on instinct. My back bumped into the hard shell of the barrier.
So I was staying? The bad thing was my senses already told me that this ward, unlike the other larger wards, was a solid circle. No weakness underground to sneak out through. I closed my eyes and just breathed for a minute, calming my nerves. I spent a good thirty seconds just standing there breathing in a smooth rhythm, in and out. Inevitably my mind calmed down and my body followed. When I opened my eyes again my mind had calmed down letting me truly take in the area around me.
The landscape had been transformed, there were fields of vegetables, herbs and alchemical ingredients lined with fruit trees on one side and berry bushes on the other. All of it gave off a palpable feeling of magic, like every plant was infused. They covered at least ten acres of land that rolled out in front of me. To my left a deep water stream lead toward a simple white cottage centered in the dome shaped barrier. I could just make out a bridge that crossed it to approach the front door. The whole scene was picturesque.
There was a peaceful feeling the permitted the air, even as I inhaled the scent of fresh fruit and herbs. Than my eyes caught on movement in the fields. Giant crystalline spiders worked the fields, harvesting and tending to their needs. Each one stood twenty feet at least, smaller shapes swarmed up and down their forms tending the lower plants. They seemed to pay me no mind as I started following the path toward the cottage. I was in awe of what I saw going on around me.
As I crossed the bridge to the cottage proper I noticed the shimmer of fish swimming in the stream, trout the size of my forearm shot out from the shadow under the bridge as I stepped on it. The scene made me pause to take it all in again. I didn’t know whose sanctuary this was but whoever it was they lived an idealic life.
Turning to the door I was amazed at what I saw engraved there. The intricate knot work carved into the deep browns of the wood took my breath away, no mortal craftsman could do work so involved. A giant serpent wound in and out of a cliff top keep surrounded my fields of crops. Animals of all shapes and sizes were represented across the carving, giant boar, deer, even bees decorated the pattern all while the serpents body wove throughout. The knocker was the finishing touch, held in the fangs of the serpent. It eyes seemed to gaze at me, examining me for my right to be there.
Reaching for the knocker with a bit of trepidation the door swung in, opening to reveal an immaculate cottage. The simple furnishings that I could see look beautiful and comfortable. The door opened into a small living room from the porch, which looked over the expansive fields complete with two chairs. The interior was no less welcoming, a couch faced out the window in a comfortable living area flanked by a lone chair that faced a river stone fireplace. Beautiful carved tables offered easy use.
“Hello?” I called into the cottage, unwilling to walk into what was obviously someone’s home. “Anyone here?”
In answer there was a shimmer that started at the floor and began to grow, slowly forming a shape that filled out into an elf. No they were to big for an elf, the the face wasn’t angular enough. It was a half elf with cool grey eyes and long black hair, he was dressed in antiquated travelers clothes with two dark metal heavy brackets. The cocky smirk on his face gave the appearance of amusement.
“Well you’re not what I expected, I honestly thought you’d be human.” The voice was light almost ethereal.
“Ummmm why?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Odds, they are just the more successful breeders.” His ghostly shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “Really no other reason, though a half elf is somewhat fitting.”
“Wait you knew I was coming?”
“Well not you specifically but I figured eventually the right person would show up.”
“At the cottage?” I was still pretty confused by this, why was this cottage so important.
“Well yeah, and for the dragons.” He seemed to be amused by my confusion. “Perhaps I should introduce myself, my name is Arawn Morna, a pleasure to meet you.”
“Syn.” I said still not making the connection as I stuck out my hand, then my mind finally caught up. “Wait your A.M.?”
“Got it in one!” The ghost laughed.
“But how? Why? I mean I didn’t ever know…wait what is this place?”
“All in good time, for now why don’t you and Badb come it, he can stop asking like a raven and be himself. I am well aware of who and what he is.” His laughter filled the air as he shimmered into nothing.
With no other choice I walked inside, Badb launched himself in ahead of me flying into the kitchen that appeared as I came all the way in. He landed on a decorative kettle of some sort, one I didn’t recognize.
“Coffee.” Was the first words that he spoke after landing. “Make some Syn.”
It was the first time I’d ever heard him excited about something food related. Sadly I had no clue how to use the contraption he was parked on. Thankfully Arawn did and he instructed me in how to properly make coffee in the French press. The smell was intoxicating, deep rich aroma filled the air and Badb danced from foot to foot in anticipation. I tried several times to ask questions during the process but the infuriating ghost waved me off everytime, insisting that the act of making the sacred brew required all of one’s focus. If I had any idea how to hit a spirit I would have.
Finally the coffee was done and Badb was wholly focused on his cup, I finally starts to ask questions but was completely stalled by the explosion of flavor as I sipped the brew. Everything I had been about to ask simply disappeared from my mind as I sank back into the couch cradling the cup.
“Now you understand.” Arawn said with a self satisfied grin.
“Yeah.” I sighed then remembered where I was and what was going on. “Wait how are you here? Where is this place? What’s going on?”
“One at a time my young friend. Let’s start with how am I here, the short answer is I’m not, can’t be actually, this isn’t my domain. I did kinda skirt around some rules to do what I have, but I’ve never truly been here. That would be bad, well probably bad I’m not really sure. Maybe I could pull it off since no one owns this domain. You never I never considered it honestly.” He looked off thinking about something, after a few minutes he seemed to come back to himself. “Sorry sidetracking a bit, it’s a bad habit I’ve never been able to break. Hell when the system had me killed I spent time debating what kind of blade was stabbing me. Pretty sure it was a dagger.”
“System killed you?” I asked, completely lost by everything he had said.
“Unimportant, forget I mentioned it. Your question was how am I here. The answer isn’t simple but the short version is I’m not, this is a casting I left behind to help fix the fucked up situation here.”
“You’re a god than?”
“Absolutely fucking not, let’s not even start on the whole religion thing. It’ll just make this more confusing. Trust me.”
“Okay so you’re not here, for some reason I can’t understand and you’re not a god. Then what is going on?”
“Better question, mostly because I can answer it.” He had that amused smirk again that made me nervous. “You’re here to save the world! Muhahahahaha!”
“Was that supposed to be an evil laugh?” It hadn’t been, maybe insane but mostly it had been just weird.
“Sort of? Anyway that’s why you’re here and why I created this hmmmmmm quest? Sure we’ll go with that. Anyway this quest is for you to save the world, because it needs it and I can’t. You just need to do what you’ve been doing and then release the dragons. Getting rid of those rings is a good call too, make sure some other asshole doesn’t just come along and re do all this dumb shit.”
“Why don’t you just do it?” I had to ask. I mean if he could do all this shouldn’t he be able to just fix it.
“Oh not me, not a hero. I hate people and again this isn’t technically my problem. If I’m being honest I’m still not sure why I even got involved.” He looked off to the side at nothing and spoke to something I couldn’t see. “Yeah I know I know, fucking cat!”
“Ummmmmm.” Okay maybe this guy really was insane, talking to imaginary cats wasn’t a normal thing.
“Syn, my young friend of you ever find a figurine that offers to summon you a cat but doesn’t tell you exactly what it is. Do not use it, leave it were you found it and run. Fucking annoying.” He looked at me like that all somehow made sense before continuing. “Anyway I can’t and have no interest in it, yeah I know that sounds bad but trust me when I say that this really ain’t a problem I can fix beyond what I have done. Even doing this much had its risks, if the wrong person had started this it would have been a huge mess. You seem to be doing pretty well though.”
“I’ve destroyed two cities.”
“Exactly! A damn fine job.”
“You know that’s not normal right?”
“So I’ve been told, but that neither here nor there. What matters is your saving the magic of this domain, that’s going to break some things. I would guess you’ll destroy a kingdom or two before you’re done.” He said it so casually, like he was talking about a small summer storm.
“Again not normal.” I couldn’t really find a way to express how it sounded.
“Okay fine I’ll be all serious and knowing.” He sighed heavily, like the idea was a hardship. “The ass who made this domain was a dick, yes was past tense. I killed him, don’t ask you wouldn’t understand. When I did so this domain, rather than falling under my influence like it should have, broke free becoming independent for some reason. I was going to let it just fade out but the damn cat said I couldn’t, something about it being a good domain just poorly managed.”
“But…” I tried to ask but he cut me off.
“No if you want me to be serious just listen.” He didn’t sound upset but more affronted by the requirement to be serious. “So the guy was an ass and his personality influenced the people here. It’s why the races are divided and it also allowed those rings to be created. It all led to the situation your in now, the magic of his domain is dependent on the magic created by the dragon. Not a bad plan, if he hadn’t built in the assholes he did.”
“Overtime those assholes realized they could control the strength of this domain by controlling the magic, that meant controlling the dragons. Now they have done it to such a point that the domain is unbalanced, the very thing they want to harness is needed to maintain the domain. By slowly removing the magic from the population they weakened the barriers that hold this place together.”
“Won’t this all just happen again if that’s the way things are here?” I didn’t understand everything he said but I got the problem with the nobility.
“No, by the time you’re done this domain will be balanced by a different force and since that guy isn’t around anymore it should stay that way.” He had a smug look on his face, like by doing this he was somehow pissing off someone, probably the dead guy. “That’s the idea anyway. The rest of it is stuff you don’t actually need to know. Your part is simple, do the thing with the dragons or your domain fails. The mechanics behind that don’t really concern you.”
“What’s this place?” I gestured around the cottage.
“A cottage.” His tone was dripping with sarcasm. Thankfully before I could argue he continued. “It’s more than that, to be fair you weren’t supposed to be here yet, this is for you after you’ve returned the dragons. Come back then and I’ll give you more information. For not it’s a cottage.”
“With giant spiders?”
“Oh those, yeah the glimmer spiders are good for farming. I brought those, though they weren’t giant then, the stooges gave them to me. When I brought them here they were only a few inches tall, they’ve grown?”
“Yeah you could say that.” I laughed.
“Once you’re done they make sense don’t worry, for now just let them do their thing. Honestly even after that just let them do their thing, they’ll be good for the land. Oh don’t pick their plants, they get funny about it. When something is ready to harvest they’ll put it in storage.” He waved off toward the kitchen as an after thought.
“Storage?” I was getting used to feeling confused at this point, I had already decided to just go with it concerning the spiders.
“Yeah, the pantry and fridge are spacial storage.” He said it like of course that made sense, never mind that it was impossible. Once again deciding to just roll with yet another impossibility I moved on.
“So until I finish the…what did you call it…quest I can’t know what all this is for but I’m allowed to be here.” I said with confidence.
“You’re a quick one.” He smirked. “So about dinner?”
“Do you even eat?”
“No.”
“Then….nevermind.” I was actually hungry so why bother. “Right dinner.”