Part 1
It was dark. Utterly so. Even the dull light that permeated the cavern so far had faded, leaving the girl dazed and confused. The bioluminescent glow of the plants that grew underneath the river, or the faint light that was let off by various others on the walls. It was all gone. She wasn’t wrong in thinking there used to be light around her, right?
Worse yet, as her mind fought unconsciousness, she became aware of a horrid, gnawing feeling, deep in her chest. She… she was supposed to have been waiting on someone.
Oh…
No sooner did that vague realization come to her, when another horrible feeling washed over her. She had done… something, and made someone important to her upset, but her mind… As much as she tried, it refused to co-operate within the deep haze she was in. What had happened?
Need to… In a sudden, pained movement, she twisted her body against whatever was restraining her, only to feel herself sinking again.
Ah… why… That brief moment of effort ended just as quickly as it began, as she felt herself weaken. She couldn’t push through it, and her body felt responded in just the same manner, frozen in place, no matter how she tried to move.
Her mind drifted deeper, exhausted. That brief token of resistance was too great on her weakened mind, and she fell deeper into herself, trapped within the crimson crystal surrounding her.
Sadness. She had failed, again. Worse, there was this horrid feeling that she had gotten here by becoming complacent with the unknown. That was unlike her.
Clink.
She felt herself twitch, only barely acknowledging the noise as her dazed mind continued.
What else should she have done though? The ones she spoke with were inviting, kind, and so eager to learn. Excited to hear about the life outside of this wet and dreary darkness. People who were eager to learn about her, and what she knew.
Clink.
Another twitch.
She… She had made a mistake, however. It was small, and ever-so innocuous. A ritual… a gathering…
All she remembered was that it was pleasant. Overwhelmingly so. To feel as if all of yourself became one with many, and to let go of all the worries that one had. It was so reassuring. So much so, that she had let down her guard. As for what had happened after that… she couldn’t remember. There was nothing but an inky abyss after that moment. What else could she have done?
Clink. Clink.
Only…
Clink.
Dammit!
Her consciousness flared to the surface, anger set within her eyes. Could she not even wallow in self-pity for a moment?!
Oh. She sat motionless, her vision fixating on the figure in front of her.
Her vision was hazy, recovering from whatever condition she was under. Still, she could make out the rough form in front of her. Whatever it was, it was… small, though.
Ah. Nevermind… That brief anger felt as if it was all she could manage, and just as quickly, she could feel herself begin to fade again into herself. Only…
Clink. Clink.
That insufferable noise! Her anger flared again, working as a well of strength slowly building up within her.
Whoever was disturbing her was actually beginning to scrape against the exterior as well now, resulting in a grating noise that reverberated throughout the crystal. Combined with the ‘Clink’ being the equivalent of someone continually poking her in the side, it was extremely unpleasant.
Go away already. I have to wait for him. I have to be ready. She thought hazily.
Who she was waiting for though?
It doesn’t matter. She would shake her head if she could. It’s just important.
[Maybe if…] A brief emotion came across to Yami. Curiosity, and a sense that she needed to help. Strange. Why did she feel that she needed to help someone?
No… it wasn’t just strange. This was a familiar feeling. It wasn’t that she needed to help someone, it was that someone else was sharing that emotion. Could it be that a Myconid was outside?
A Myconid?
That errant thought began to drum up more of herself, as Yami’s blurred vision began to clear, second by second. Yes, the Myconids. That was the being that lay in front of her. The race that shared memories and thoughts as they spoke. But… that was impossible. They required the use of spores to communicate, and those were required to physically touch those who they needed to speak with, something that was outright improbable given her imprisonment. Well, disregarding the Sovereign. Still, how…
[Oh! The pretty lady seems she is finally waking up. Only… Why does her eyes seem angry all of a sudden…?]
It was just a flow of thought, with no real intent to communicate with her at all behind it. Even more confusingly, through the red sheen that colored her vision, the small, mushroom-like creature looked different. It seemed as if it was one of the younger members of the species, one of the few she recognized in the underground cavern, but even then, it was as if red speckles were coloring pieces of its body.
[Hm. Maybe…] Ignoring the errant strain of thought from the sprout, she could see the young creature was holding a small shard in its hand.
Drake. Her mind raced to the surface, the emotion stirring her on even further.
She remembered now. Rather, how could she forget?
Moreover, it looked as if the sprout held one of the shards he liked to make, although she was unsure why it would have obtained one. He wouldn’t have given one to this Myconid, would he? It was well known to her how careful he was about his ‘corrupting’ of the environment, although it made little sense to her to let one of the Myconid carry one around.
He wouldn’t have wanted one of them to have it, given it may mutate as well, so why…
Through the crystal, Yami could see her vision of the Myconid began to warp ever so slightly… as if a sheen of crystal had suddenly disappeared where the small sprout’s hand was. She wasn’t falling unconscious again, so it wasn’t as if her eyes were playing tricks on her.
[Oh! Did I do that?]
A brief feeling of joy passed through her, as she could see the small sprout place the crystal back into a small, ragged bag, before placing both hands on the crystal prison surrounding her.
No… she understood what happened. The Myconid were inherently a plant species, and the young were most susceptible to change.
Heh. Therion would be upset to learn it happened again. Although, it seemed this one had a choice in the matter, even if it was unintentional. She laughed at the thought.
Regardless, it was interesting. The lack of exposure to the winding root of Aesir that had permeated their living space left the sprouts more open than most to Drake’s influence, but to see this.
The small sprout had both hands placed on the crystal now, straining against the exterior. To it’s surprise, the crystal stayed static, merely leaving Yami to contemplate her surroundings more closely.
Could she free herself? Rather, did she even have control over the mana surrounding her? While she had certainly grown, both physically and in ability, she still needed at least some semblance of motion to control her mana. Her control was still eclipsed greatly by that of Drake’s.
[Oh, got it!]
Another errant thought by the sprout, only this time the sprout was holding the crystal in its hand again. The crystal seemed to shimmer as a layer of Yami’s prison simply turned to latent mana, leaving her shocked at the amount of control the small sprout could exert with so little practice. Did the small crystal it held really amplify its control that greatly?
No, it’s obvious that the crystal isn’t doing all of it. Yami thought skeptically. The little sprout has been changed somewhat. But are the Myconid’s really a race that could be…
Drake certainly wouldn’t appreciate it, given his dislike of the way the species communicated, but he even he could be brought around to the sprout in front of her, if given the time. Still…
His dislike of the species aside, Yami’s own qualifications were strict, and quite extreme. Therion could be accepted given that he was already a part of their circle, but a species like the Lamia, while long-lived, most certainly didn’t meet them.
The only reason she had even accepted the two snake-women was because of Drake’s weakness to ‘damsels’, so to speak. They needed both help, and he liked to feel needed. It was sweet in a way, although it didn’t take her too long to feel out that he certainly had an ulterior motive, given Aleria’s… physique.
The fact that he seemed to be innately drawn to their scales didn’t help either. Well, regardless of the Lamia, even she only knew of a few races that qualified for what she wanted, while the Myconid…
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The sprout began to bob from side to side, almost as if it was in song, as the smallest sliver began to simply dissipate from the exterior of the crystal, one after the other.
It was settled. A member of this race could fit into her goals, but it would take time. That the sprout had a semblance of control at such an early stage made it even better suited than most. Although…
[Can you… hear me?] Yami let out a faint signal, hoping not to scare away the young sprout. Given it seemed intent on helping her escape, she hoped for the best.
[Hoh. The crystal can speak?] It replied cutely, hearing the tentative voice emerge from the small shard in its hand. Despite her signal, the Myconid didn’t turn to her at all, and instead lifted the small crystal in its hand to its eyes. Did her telepathy not transmit to the sprout as normal? That was troubling. Still, it didn’t matter for now.
[Not quite.] A light laugh emerged from the crystal. [Although, it’s nice to meet such a talented member of your race. So young too.]
Sure, maybe she was laying the flattery on a bit thick, but first impressions were most certainly a thing.
[Oh, you’re the lady, then!] As if a thought suddenly occurred to it, the sprout turned to Yami, and bobbed up and down, in a motion she could describe as only… happy?
Regardless, she couldn’t help but smile inwardly at the response. Was this how Drake felt with her at first? No matter, on to more pressing matters.
[Listen, wearing away at the outer layers will take too long. Try to control the inner portion, so you can free a part of my body, preferable one of my hands. Even if you can’t do it all at once, it will be child’s play to remove the rest myself when that’s done.]
It was rudimentary, but it would work. That was all she needed.
[Un!] The small sprout gave a strong nod, before the crystal in its other hand began to let off a faint glow, and the mana on the exterior of her prison began to wear away. Despite the child-like manner of the sprout, it was quite intent on the task.
Yami looked on, pleased. The sprout immediately began to focus on forming a depression in the crystal, with a slow stream of the solid mana transforming into vapor soon after, as the sprout continued. It was working well, with the sprout tearing away almost a full foot of circular mass off the crystal, until she saw the small creature stop altogether, it’s body shuddering suddenly.
Strange… Surely it can…
As if bracing itself, she could see the small sprout continue again, the crimson stone in its hand shining even brighter, only for it to stop even sooner than it did previously, a powerful movement shaking the sprout to its core as it rested.
No. It’s too soon. She grimaced inwardly. In her desperation, she had discounted several factors. Drake’s mana was powerful, especially now that he had fully formed his core. This sprout was also clearly still a child, let alone considering how far along it was with its own mutation due to its exposure to the crystal. While it had a semblance of control over the mana, it wasn’t near enough to finish quickly.
Something like freeing her from the crystal would take time, only, that was a resource that even she was unaware of how much she had left. It had been a miracle that she had summoned up enough inner fortitude to stay awake this long. Once she fell back into that muddled state from before, it was unlikely she could free herself within any sensible time frame.
[Oh!] The sprout inadvertently sent across a strong sense of worry to Yami, as it quickly looked to a nearby area with a somewhat troubled expression. Did it sense something that was out of sight?
Just as she began to think of what to ask the Myconid, the sprout seemed to jump to the side with a panicked expression, before hurrying off out of sight altogether from Yami’s stationary position.
[Wait!] She called out towards the sprout in vain, as the brief feeling of connection she felt towards the sprout ceased completely. She sat in worry for only a brief moment, before a deep sense of exhaustion began to overcome her, a sick amusement flowing her in that moment.
Ahh… She thought dejectedly, as she felt her mind begin to fade. So that’s what it was.
The sprout… the shard it carried…
It would be the only way she would be free of this prison.
******
The Nymph that Drake had come upon in the clearing was of a particular sort. Young, and somewhat flighty, the moment she caught sight of not one, but two potential life-ending threats, she and her guards made her way deep into the southern part of the cavern as quickly as she could, given the circumstances. It was disturbing enough that her barrier was disrupted without her even knowing it occurred, and even more so how a demonic creature entered the dungeon and tracked her down without her so much as knowing it was thirty feet away from her. Regardless, something like this would need to be spread immediately, so that her sisters wouldn’t be put in danger like her.
Well, that was the plan at least.
It started, as most things did, rather suddenly. A muffled sound that echoed off the trees, or the sudden snap of something that was much larger than a mere twig. There was even a pained cry out in the distance, which was significantly more ominous given the deep, bellowing tone that was unmistakably from the Troll she had escaped not three minutes ago.
So, when what had started as nothing more than a horrid feeling deep in her stomach began to shift ever-so ominously, she recognized that it was demonic mana making itself known to her.
“Titri,” the Nymph muttered. “Take your brothers and run. I’ll hold the beast off.”
“My Lady!” The small Satyr shook his head in horror, as he and the two other goat-men hardened their gazes. “It is our task to die for you. Our duty-”
“I know!” The Nymph didn’t waste another second. The trio were loyal, but intensely caring. She knew that it must have broke each one of them being ordered away in such a manner.
“My sisters must learn of him.” She said simply. If such a beast was allowed to go unchecked, the entire ecosystem in the cavern would collapse, if worst came to worst. Such a possibility would very easily lead to the end for all of them.
“So, go. Now! If you wait any longer, then-”
[I see you learned your flair for the dramatic from your creator. Although, it is a tad over the top, in my opinion.] A voice chuckled forebodingly in her mind.
What? The Nymph froze in place, her eyes darting from place to place in the wood-line. That was no normal magic. Telepathy? How would a creature like that even acquire such a thing? No, the better question would be where it was even coming from?
Although it differed from creature to creature, those without a legitimate, magical bond were almost exclusively forced to use direct-eye contact as a means of directing their thoughts through telepathy. Which could only mean, that she was already well within the monster’s sights.
[Ha. Did I really cause the mood to drop that badly? Well, you can tell your lackies to run if you want. It doesn’t matter to me at all if they get away or not.]
Feeling a sudden surge of demonic energy behind her, she whipped around in place, only to hear another pained cry as the monster stepped out from the tree-line in front of her, only…
“What in Aesir’s name…”
Wrapped in a monstrous gauntlet of demonic energy stood the same Troll she had seen earlier, only now, it was all too obvious she had underestimated the creature in front of her.
The Troll itself looked to be almost… half-dead, a horrifying realization given the sheer amount of energy that must have flowed in such a body. What it must have gone through to even reach that point would have killed any other creature several times over.
The reptilian creature merely smiled in an evil manner at her reaction, before planting the Troll firmly against the ground with that crimson gauntlet of mana, before slowly approaching the Troll itself, the creature’s entire arm wreathed in a glow of red mana. As it did, the reptilian creature touched the back of the Troll. Not seconds after, a strange, red crystal surrounded the Troll completely, cementing it to the ground as the crystal dug into the ground around it.
[There. Now I can finally get around to asking a few questions.] The voice laughed.
She blinked, and there stood a man, a demi-human of a sort, covered in a red cloak, with only the faintest strands of mana surrounding his form. That strange gauntlet that he wore had disappeared altogether, and the man had a rather amused expression plastered across his face.
“Still, I’m surprised that Satyr of yours actually has a name, or is that something that’s only rare among demons?” Drake asked rhetorically.
“Well, in the end, I suppose it doesn’t matter. All I need, is for you to answer a few questions for me. I may get you to join me for a bit as well, if you don’t mind.”
Drake glanced towards the Nymph, secretly enjoying the expressions she and her small group of Satyr’s were giving him. They were acting like he was some sort of ultimate evil, although even he could admit that his carrying the half-dead Troll to them definitely had more of an impact than he had intended. It wasn’t as if he meant anything by it, though. The damned thing just wouldn’t stop struggling until Drake had almost squeezed it to death half a dozen times over the course of their short journey.
“What do you desire of me?” The nymph tentatively stated.
“Well, the first thing might as well be if you want anything from this guy.” Drake tapped the Troll on its head. “You guys seemed like enemies, so how about it?”
“You can’t be-” the Nymph interjected for only a moment, before she quickly shook her head. Did he truly bring such a creature here to simply barter with her?
“No. I don’t need him for anything.”
“You’re serious.” Drake’s expression fell from his somewhat playing demeanor. “Well, that was a waste of time,” he muttered, annoyed.
Drake placed his hand on the crystal that held the Troll, only for a series of sickening thud’s to be heard with the following seconds. The Troll let out a low, gurgle as its head fell to the ground, completely slack and dead-eyed.
“That was dumb.” Drake chastised himself, before rooting around in the corpse of the Troll for a moment. It had been quite a long time, but the core of a creature like this would at least put him in a little better mood.
“There.” Drake felt a small bit of resistance in the center of the Troll’s chest, as he motioned his mana to drag it out in into his hand. Dissipating the crystal mana surrounding the Troll in the next second, he took the freshly retrieved core in between his fingers, and popped it into his mouth with not a second to spare, savoring the brief welling of power in his chest, before he turned back to the Nymph.
“Next on the list, I guess,” he sighed. “Tell me, how do you use your mana, and what would be the easiest way to beat this place?”
“A-ah… what?”
“You heard me the first time around.” Drake waved his hand with an angry expression. “I just want to get out of here as soon as possible. For that, I want the quick and dirty way to get out, and for my friend to get strong, and quick. You see, he’s similar to you, and while I may be able to help him use his power, that’s it. I’m useless from that point on.”
He didn’t have any patience for talking around a solution. In his opinion, the scant few hours he had spent in this cavern already was too long. In any other situation, he might have even been happy to explore this cavern for a week or so. Certainly, it would be interesting. However-
Someone is waiting on me… and without her…
That thought dominated his actions. He felt empty. The bond he had with her just felt like a hole inside him, one that he couldn’t fill. It was wearing on him, and he knew it. Simply finishing off a dangerous monster like the Troll, who didn’t give a thought to attacking him, never would have bothered him otherwise.
“Just tell me.”
“That… I can’t.” The Nymph shook her head reluctantly.
“What you do mean-”
“I just can’t!” She stammered. “The One-eyed Giant of the Golden Tree, he isn’t one to be easily killed, especially by one such as me. He’s a brute, and one that has claimed his region by force and might. There’s no easy solution. I can’t give you the answer you want.” She pleaded with him.
That giant… it was reasoned he was put in charge of the Golden Tree due to his considerable power, but that was just circular thinking. In truth, he claimed his position just as the Nymph had hers; through their respective abilities. Despite what she thought of such a disgusting creature, it was his right to be there, without Aesir’s interference. It was survival of the fittest, in a way. That kind of power didn’t have any blatant weaknesses that could be used.
“…Fine.” Drake growled. “If that’s how it is, you’re leaving with me, now.”
Drake raised his hand as a crimson gauntlet re-emerged. In a sudden tearing motion, a claw-like force of mana launched toward the Nymph, pulling her into Drake’s arms in a blink of an eye, much to the horror of her guards.
“Lady Emeria” The trio of Satyr’s called out to the Nymph, only for her to ward them off with a short gaze.
She breathed out slowly, as she nervously swallowed to calm herself from the sudden rush. He was able to reach her with so little effort. He could have killed her just like that, which meant that even her friends could…
“I’ll go with you,” she breathed. “Titri, take your brothers and do as you were told.” She stated nervously.
She was their purpose for their existence, but they were her friends. She couldn’t let them just die to buy her no more than a few extra seconds. They were just as important as she was, if only to her.
“I’ll go,” she murmured. “So, let us leave.”
Drake looked on, his mood improving only slightly. She was more like him than he would have cared to admit, after all.
“Hold on, I won’t be going slowly, and I need to pick up something on the way.”
He wasn’t sure how much Peter would appreciate being given a Troll to eat, after all.