They spent an entire day in orbit, analyzing survey data before narrowing down their selection to one location. This location was a mountain range containing multiple dragon veins, including one of the largest on the planet. This had initially caught their eye and had only become more appealing as its geographic location proved almost ideal, requiring only moderate terraforming to meet their needs. The mountain range, situated just above the equator, stretched into the nearby ocean and the north. It was also the source of several major rivers and, with their springs near the dragon veins, had turned large portions of the rivers' paths into spirit soil. These rivers flowed from mountain lakes down through the hills and plains, accumulating into multiple larger and smaller lakes that covered a good portion of the planet's landscape before eventually reaching the ocean. The peak with the strongest dragon vein was relatively close to the ocean, offering a commanding view of the valleys and fields of flowers below.
Terraforming that peak to house Alistair's Heavenly Purity Ginkgo would be an intensive project, but the rewards were bound to be significant. The location featured a large mountain lake thoroughly infused by the dragon vein. Instead of directly flowing off into a creek or river like many other springs, the lake eventually overflowed after accumulating enough water, cascading down in a waterfall and creating a smaller lake downhill connected to a creek. Based on their scans, the mana concentration was high enough that drinking its water could be compared to consuming a mana potion of their grade, making it dangerous for lower-grade individuals. This high mana concentration had attracted a powerful beast that made its lair in the lake's depths, but their sensors lacked the functionality to give them more information. The local peaks themselves were home to several wyvern species that needed to be captured or slain before they could claim the land.
The planet hosted a wide variety of species, many high tier, with the most powerful ones already at early to mid Grade 8. So far, they had only observed these beasts from orbit. Alistair and the rest of the crew were eager to explore the planet and claim the location for their clan.
They had found the perfect spot to settle, but its surroundings were teeming with powerful beasts that could potentially endanger the Artemis. They debated disembarking mid-air and fighting off whatever came their way but deemed it too dangerous. Instead, they decided to land near a lake on the flowery plain at the foot of the mountain. By the time they had made their decision and were ready to land at the location, the sun was already settling at their landing site.
When Alistair stepped out of the Artemis, he was greeted by a stunning sight. They had landed in a field of flowers in deep magenta, blue, and purple hues. The nearby lake had a beautiful jade coloration, reflecting the breathtaking sunset that was almost overshadowed by the splendor of the nebula above. The scene was framed by somewhat familiar-looking green trees, and he could see spirit soil on the north side of the lake, closer to the source of the river that flowed down the nearby mountainside. Incredibly beautiful Butterfly-like creatures fluttered idly about, and magic dust visibly dispersed from their wings as they mingled among the flowers.
They stood there in stunned silence for a moment, and Alistair reached out to Riseth. They held hands, watching the sun slowly descend behind the mountain chains that they would transform into their home. Deep down, they knew they had found the place they wished to settle, no matter the cost. Alistair sent the others a request to keep quiet for a moment as he took out a small, richly decorated chest and took a knee before offering the chest toward Riseth, who looked at the box and his actions curiously. Simon, who had caught on to what he was about to do, caught Desily as she approached, and Alistair had to suppress a chuckle as his friend desperately tried to keep the other two bystanders quiet.
When Riseth opened the chest, she was greeted by an intricately woven choker featuring a serpent and a wyrm entwined around each other with a beautiful spherical cosmic gem. Their maws clutched the gem as if about to consume it, whereas the gem looked to contain the cosmos within. It was a treasure Alistair had acquired a while ago and he had been taken by the incredibly beautiful visuals contained within the gem. Seeking Resni's expertise, he had entrusted her with crafting it into a masterpiece. Knowing Riseth's preferences, he had aimed for a sleek, elegant look, not an overly ornate design. Alistair had read up on the cultural norms for Neshan courtship, which were much more restrained and usually did not take location or gestures into account; all that was required was the offering of an item depending on the partner' subrace, a large celebration, and a simple question.
"Riseth, would you do me the honor to be mine?"
Riseth stood frozen, staring at the choker, her mind reeling with happiness. The choker was stunning, far beyond any design she could have imagined for herself. She marveled at how she deserved such a sweet and insightful man, savoring the moment she had longed for. Courtship in Neshan was usually much shorter, and she had been tempted to put a choker on Alistair herself to make a point. But Nessyra had convinced her to wait a little longer, assuring her that Alistair would make it worth the wait. And he hadn't disappointed.
With somewhat shaky hands, she took out the choker and stored the small chest. She gazed at the beautiful gem in its center, which seemed to reflect the star-filled sky above them. She looked at Alistair, and despite his attempts to maintain a cool facade, she could sense his intense nervousness through their resonance. It was endearing, and it made her smile. This prompted him to step closer, and they embraced in a kiss.
"Yes, I shall be yours, and you shall be mine." She replied as they seperated.
Stolen story; please report.
Alistair had been worried at her frozen demeanor and lack of sensory feedback until he felt the happiness overwhelm Riseth, and she turned to smile at him. Separating from the kiss and hearing her response, he took the choker from her hands and put it around her slender neck. Stepping aside, he inspected her before he heard whistling, clapping and hollering from their other companions who had observed the exchange. He smiled at them as he reached out for Riseth's hand, and they walked toward the others, who eagerly congratulated them.
Simon embraced Alistair in a hug, congratulating him. "Good thing I’d even kill Cave Wendigoes for this planet," he added with a grin.
Alistair snorted in amusement. "I'll be sure to remind you of it if we find some."
They continued talking until the sun finally set, at which point Simon and Braxik began working on their temporary shelter. The odd butterflies stood out even more in the darkness, their thoraxes glowing with a wide array of colors. Alistair noticed they were brimming with a particular essence and wondered if there was some application for it. Being only mid-Grade 10, they posed no threat to even the weakest in their clan. They seemed quiet, impassive, and mindlessly flying about rather than behaving like actual beasts.
Alistair took the chance to take out King and have him fly patrol to see if his presence would aggravate any nearby wyverns. While both Alistair and Riseth wanted to keep enjoying the moment, they knew they should get back into gear and make sure the surroundings were safe before relaxing too much, as there were quite a few powerful beasts out and about. They enjoyed the sun settling together before they went into the air to check on their surroundings.
After a few minutes of flying, they spotted what Alistair thought were deer, but upon closer inspection, he realized that they were covered in dark green and brown feathers, not fur. He used Identify to reveal that they were [Linin - lvl 53]. Teleporting next to one of the beasts and restraining it with his telekinesis. As he inspected the Linlin he was reminiscing how he had hunted Lomies and how he had not even thought of using Telekinesis instead of his blasts. When Alistair looked closer, he saw that what he had thought were small horns turned out to be four sets of ears covered in brown and black feathers, and their snout ended in a beak. Even their short tail turned out to be made of feathers. They had four ostrich-like legs that propelled the rest of the herd away at impressive speeds for their level. The Linin let out chirps, and sensing the beast's panic, he stored it within his storage. It was necessary as they needed to see if they were worth hunting or farming for in the future.
"I think this is the first time I saw a bird running on four limbs," She mused aloud before looking the nearby trees over.
Alistair checked them himself. They looked like pine trees, though their bark was a little strange and rubbery; however, they felt rather mundane compared to the trees closer to the spirit soil further north, and he wasn't sure they had a real purpose for them as they had found plenty of other wood sources on other planets that would be much superior quality though these trees were pretty enough to use for decorative purposes and their strange triangular fruits seemed to be a source of food for the Linlin and other beasts.
"We should fetch at least a few of these fruits. They are quite abundant, and they might taste alright," Alistair suggested before they flew up and gathered some of what they suspected were riper fruits.
"Maybe we should turn invisible and reign in our presence a little more. This way, we probably find a few more obscure beasts," Riseth suggested before turning invisible.
Alistair joined her and turned invisible himself as they continued to scour the nearby forests, lakes, and hills. During their search, they mostly encountered small critters. One was a Zerster, a small levitating weasel capable of manipulating nature and hunting by growing vines that ensnared its prey. They also found a six-legged toad called a Vossugan, which could change its skin to mimic anything it touched. At first, they thought it was a rock toad, but when it jumped into the grass, its body transformed into leaves and compacted dirt. When it leaped into the water, its camouflage was so effective they almost lost track of it. Unfortunately, these creatures were low-grade, and unless left to grow, they wouldn't consistently provide useful cores. However, they added them to a list for Melissa and their crafters to experiment with, as the toads were just an intense bundle of the adaptation concept. They also found a one-and-a-half-meter tall three-headed goose called a Trigander at the shore of one of the lakes. Once they revealed themselves, the goose attacked them, fearless of the difference in grade as it was only level 75 itself. Alistair quickly dispatched the animal and added it to their slowly growing selection of beasts they could potentially hunt or farm.
The only strong monster they encountered was a three-meter-tall Rixoron, a beast resembling a Triceratops but walking on muscular hind legs and balancing itself with a thick, spiked tail that dragged along the forest floor. It had a set of arms with long, sharp claws and was covered in dirt and moss, allowing the lumbering giant to blend into its environment. Its thick, robust armor plating and skin made it a formidable sight. After flying around for a bit, they spotted multiple Rixorons averaging around level 85, but the creatures seemed smart enough to avoid confrontation with them when they revealed themselves and retreated into the forest.
Satisfied that their surroundings were safe, they returned to their campsite, where King was tearing into what looked like a torn-up Trigander. Alistair landed next to the large wyvern, patting his muscular winged forelimb.
"Did any of the wyverns take offense to your presence?" Alistair inquired.
"No, based on what I sensed, they soiled themselves when they noticed me," King replied. After tearing out another chunk, he added, "There was one presence that contested me, but I don't think whatever it was can fly."
Alistair was proud of the wyvern and let the emotion show through his veil. He knew it must have taken King restraint not to rise to the challenge and stick to his mission. He would give his wyvern the chance to live up to the challenge tomorrow. He sorted through the images the wyvern had sent and found many of the same beasts they had already found, along with a few additional ones.
"Tomorrow, you get your chance if you'd like to respond to the challenge," Alistair said with a casual smile, which was met with an appreciative huff of the wyvern as Alistair sensed mild bloodlust radiate from King.
Alistair chuckled and headed for Riseth, holding the very last pair of spirit orchid wine bottles he had saved for this occasion. He was intent on spending a pleasant evening under the bright, beautiful sky.