With the benefit of understanding what we were up against, the three of us began to rush through the air region with ease. Each new island proved to be fairly similar to the first, with an aerial gem hidden away and an ensuing fight to charge it.
In terms of finding the gems, Verin’s previous victory turned out to be a bit of a fluke. To start, the gems often were not found in high places. On a few islands, we found long-abandoned structures, usually ruins of small stone huts. Whenever present, the gem almost always seemed to be inside. On top of that, now that I knew the trees were fair game, I’d started climbing them as well. It was a hassle, but I managed far more easily than Verin had.
Presently, I was in the lead with six finds. Cal was at three. Verin had fallen behind to two.
Naturally, she was not thrilled with this development. Not that she would admit it, but especially with her Etiquette penalty, it was plain to see.
On the flip side, Verin continued to prove invaluable when it came to our fights. In fact, with more forewarning, her class skills shined even brighter. We made sure to only touch each gem after giving her the chance to expand her Advancing Glacier. With each elemental immediately spawning in her Glacial Zone, they were slowed from the start.
Cal continued much as before, though she would charge her weapon up and disappear before the fight began. Whenever there was only a single greater elemental, she would often cleave it down within the span of seconds. When multiple appeared, I made sure to help out.
For my part, once I stopped being stupid, I ended up contributing much more to our fights. Most of the time, the lesser elementals didn’t even get the chance to pick me off my feet, but on the rare occasions that they did, I was ready. If Jet Step wasn’t enough to free me from their clutches in the air, then I just needed to be too heavy for them to move.
Heavy Step and my earth armor were a good start, but I needed to go one step further. I cast Encumber on myself a few times before summoning my hammer, and the combined weight invariably proved too much for the chaotic winds. Once on the ground, nothing kept me from using Spatial Step, and I assisted Cal in tearing through the standard and greater elementals.
Like this, our journey continued largely uninterrupted, with our only upset occurring when we reached an island without any obelisks to let us move further. It still had a gem, however, which meant we were able to backtrack and choose one of the directions we’d previously skipped over.
There was a decent amount of grumbling at this discovery, as it essentially meant that we were in another maze region. Still, the air biome was a walk in the park compared to the dark labyrinth, and our audible displeasure was half-hearted at best.
Perhaps the singular mark against the region was the lack of good secrets. We’d found no hidden treasure troves or buried lucre. No magic herbs or mineral deposits. Nothing. Of course, it was possible that there were a bunch and we just hadn’t found them, but with how thoroughly we were forced to comb each island to find the gem, I doubted it.
I put those thoughts on hold as Cal placed another gem into one of the obelisks, emptying my mind as I watched the arrival of the newest floating island. One might imagine that we’d grown inured to the process by now, but if anything, it was the opposite. We stood enrapt as the specs of green pierced through the barrier of clouds, the sheer scale of the magic involved not allowing us to look away.
I’d never been one to buy much art, but at that moment, I considered trying to commission Verin to recreate the scene at some point. Even with all the gods and monsters and fantasy races, I couldn’t recall ever witnessing something that so clearly shouted magic, and I knew it was the sort of sight that would stick with me.
It was precisely because of my close attention that I spotted something strange.
As the island floated higher, rising above our current position, I had the odd sense that something was off. Not on the surface of the island, where I’d largely been focused on before, but underneath. The mass of dirt was bland on a good day, but as I swept my gaze over it, I was startled to notice something new.
A hole.
Just because there was nothing to find atop the islands didn’t mean we’d searched everywhere.
“I see something,” I dutifully explained. “I’m going to check it out.” Having made my intentions clear, I jumped off the side of the island.
For whatever reason, there was some amount of shouting behind me, but I did my best to ignore it. I let myself fall through the air for a moment before activating my class skills, Featherfoot slowing my descent as Jet Step pushed me forward. Bursts of fire propelled me unerringly to my target, and in short order, I reached the small section of the island’s underside that I’d spotted before.
Just as I’d thought, there was a hole there.
It would be an awkward fit, but there was no doubt that I could make it inside if I crouched. Positioning myself above it, I used featherfoot to gently drift inside. A short tunnel greeted me, and for a moment I had the fleeting thought that what I was doing might be dangerous before dismissing it. If there was a trap, I’d have spotted it. Out of an abundance of caution, I overcharged my armor anyway.
An uncomfortably long crawl later, and I was spit out into a tiny chamber. I’d been expecting something similar to the labyrinth, maybe a few herbs or some ore. It thus came as something of a shock when the only thing greeting me was a stone pedestal, atop which sat an object which glowed fiercely with mana.
Rather than a gold idol or some other equally gaudy treasure, what sat there was a single feather. White, with dizzying swirls of light green, it was mesmerizing, and I immediately identified it.
Sacred Feather of the Roc Lord
One of the Roc Lord’s many wing feathers, secreted away before the usurpation. When worn in the Roc Lord’s domain, this object grants the wearer partial domain over the skies. Slightly increases aerial maneuverability. Grants minor resistance to adverse winds and offensive air effects. This effect stacks with other Roc Lord feathers.
Instinctively, I reached for it, and as if waiting to be worn, the feather flew to my waist and attached itself to my armor. Already, I felt a touch lighter on my feet.
Wonder what’s up with the description, though. Is there some sort of giant bird in this region? If he was the boss of the area, hopefully the fight wouldn’t be too hard with him missing a bunch of his feathers.
Right as I thought that, a massive wave of mana flew out from the now-empty pedestal. I froze, expecting some kind of attack or trap. When nothing happened, I gradually released my tension and started the short crawl back. Just as I was about to exit the tunnel and return to the others, I noticed a few rocky protrusions to my side, blending in with the rest of the dirt. Following them upwards, I realized that they formed a series of handholds, of sorts, leading all the way up the side of the island. Apparently it was possible to find the feather even if you couldn’t fly.
But then again, why bother? I jumped out into the open air. Shooting upwards with Jet Step, I quickly rejoined Cal and Verin.
For some reason, my short trip seemed to have confused and distressed them. Hoping to answer their questions in one fell swoop, I pointed down at the feather now attached to me.
“I saw something. It turned out to be a magic feather.” Having said my piece, I wandered off with a nod, intent on being the first to find the next gem.
----------------------------------------
For the next two islands, things continued as per usual, save for a singular change. Now aware that the underside of each island could hold treasure, I made sure to do a once-around under each new landmass we encountered.
As a pleasant surprise, it turned out that the feather was the norm rather than the exception. Two more islands held two more pedestals, each with another feather. I added them to my quickly growing skirt as the stone pillars continued to release their ominous waves of mana.
On a whim, I tried to identify the third pedestal itself, surprised to receive an actually useful result.
Mana-masking Plinth
Obscures the mana signature of whatever object it contains. May malfunction if the held object is forcibly removed, broadcasting the previously hidden signature instead.
Possibly some sort of challenge to make the feathers harder for us to track down? The line about “broadcasting” made me nervous, and I decided to bring it up with the others. I had no idea who might be listening to such a broadcast, but I wasn’t sure if the feathers were worth whatever attention we might be attracting.
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I quickly rejoined the others, my plans to explain what I’d found waylaid by a curious sight. The two were leaning against one of the many stone structures we’d found on our journey. This one, however, was a bit more interesting than a ruined stone hut.
“Tess! We found a well.” As if to emphasize her words, Cal leaned over the small stone well, peering into the depths below. “I wanted to jump in, but Verin made me wait until you got here. But now you’re here!” Without waiting for a response, the warrior took the opportunity to vault over and into the well, disappearing from view in the span of a second.
Verin responded with a beleaguered sigh. “Lady Tess. I admit to having little desire to wade into whatever might wait below. I will await your return and entreat you to make sure she does nothing overly foolish in the meantime.” The high noble backed away to sit against a nearby tree.
With a shrug, I accepted my role in all this, hopping into the well.
The fall was longer than I’d expected, forcing me to activate Featherfoot. I drifted down into a small cavern, a puddle of muddy water lying off to the side. Cal had already run off ahead, skirting the puddle while holding a rusty, old bucket.
“Tess! See anything? Not going to lie, I’m kind of missing my old class skills. Something feels weird about this place, but I can’t see anything cool except for this bucket.” She ran her fingers along the wall as if to search for any hidden mechanisms, earning herself nothing but a dirt-covered hand.
Rapidly cycling through my Arcane Vision variants, I was disappointed to see nothing of interest. I waded into the water and started sifting through the mud beneath it, but to no avail. I even took a few sips just to make sure there weren’t any restorative effects. There were not, and all I earned for my efforts was the taste of dirt on my tongue.
“Anything?” Cal inquired. As much as I hated to dash her hopes, I shook my head.
Maybe God’s Eye? I was solid at identifying people and monsters, but I’d long been in the habit of underusing the Epic skill when it came to examining objects. With the recent mana-masking plinth as a wake-up call, I tried to rectify that, aiming the skill in every direction I could conceive of.
Rock Wall
Rock Wall
Dirt
Bucket (Uncommon)
Rock Wa-
I paused, backing up. I hadn’t received any descriptions, but the bucket was still an odd find. What made a rusty bucket Uncommon? I beckoned for Cal to pass it to me, and though she arched a brow, she complied. Still, no matter how closely I examined the simple metal pail, I found nothing worth commenting on. With a frown, I resumed my previous identification spree.
Rock Wall
Dirt
Muddy Water (Uncommon)
The water having an Uncommon rarity was even stranger than the bucket, especially after having tasted it. Although, I probably should get into the habit of identifying things before I consume them. Oh well.
Hoping to understand what the rarities could mean, I glanced between the puddle and the bucket.
It’s not… It can’t be that easy, can it?
In one smooth motion, I bent down and ran the bucket through the water, filling it up to the brim. Hoisting it out of the water, nothing happened. Feeling foolish, I was just about to dump the water back into the puddle when a flash of mana in my hands grabbed my attention.
Where once there had been a rusty pail and some muddy water, now there was only pristine, shining metal and pure, glimmering liquid. Better yet, God’s Eye claimed the change wasn’t just aesthetic, either.
Cleansing Well Water
When imbibed, grants the drinker a temporary resistance to mud magic and physical restrictions. Alternatively, on contact, washes away all traces of dirt and mud. Can only be refilled with well water from the Roc Lord’s domain.
Undeniably not what I’d been expecting, but it was neat. As a test, I poured some of the water back into the puddle, and it went to work immediately. All the mud within vanished, leaving us with a perfectly clear pond. A fair bit of the underlying dirt dissolved as well, eventually revealing a flash of light green. This time, there was no need to identify what we’d found.
“Aerial gem! Nice. Are we counting this one as your find? Because I feel like I should get at least half credit for-”
Whatever Cal had been about to say was abruptly cut off by a fierce blast of wind which rocketed down the well and crashed into us. Even with Force Dispersal, I was pulled off of my feet, sent slamming into the rock behind me.
An air elemental? We haven’t touched the gem yet, but we did find it. Maybe the attack has already started? That notion was quickly dismissed as the air attacked us once more, though this time with a barrage of noise. Loud cracks and rustling sounds joined the intense whirring of the wind, all of which were punctuated by a horrid, ear-shattering cry.
CAW!
A high-pitched shriek from Verin immediately followed, and before my mind was able to catch up, my body was already moving. A quick glance behind me verified that Cal was fine, if a bit dazed, allowing me to apply my full focus to helping Verin. I shot up the well with a burst of fire, expecting to find her right outside.
Instead, the scene I arrived at was barely recognizable.
A raging tempest was even now flattening the island, uprooting bushes and grass from the earth even as it tore entire tree trunks in half. The wind stung my eyes as it attempted to bowl me over, and all manner of dirt and detritus filled the air, obscuring my vision. Without pause, I activated Heavy Step and cast Encumber while summoning my armor and hammer, sending me crashing downwards. Immovable, I frantically scanned my surroundings for Verin.
Not here.
Just as I had in the desert, I activated Vitality Sight, but the many plants around me lit up green, blocking my sight. Think. Quickly. How else can you find her? What would she have done in a situation like this? Used a defensive skill? Ice. She’ll be in ice. Heart hammering, I swapped to Frost Vision, whipping my head about fast enough that only my Constitution protected me from whiplash.
There! A singular spot in the distance, colder than the others.
Not paying the slightest attention to my mana reserves, I bolted forward. The ever-present dust made it difficult to see far into the distance, stymying my Spatial Step, but my Dexterity paired with Flash Feet made me a force to be reckoned with. As stones and branches thudded into my armor, I sprinted forth, tearing up the ground beneath me. The speck of blue grew closer and closer in my vision.
Even with my inhuman speed, it wasn’t enough. With my next step, I finally saw Verin through the deluge of debris, thankfully heavily covered in her glacier’s ice.
Unfortunately, however, I also saw the island’s edge. Even as I bolted forward, I was forced to watch as Verin was sent hurtling over the last bit of land.
As she began to plummet down towards the clouds, I threw myself after her. I wasn’t sure if her glacier would be enough to survive the fall, and I didn’t intend to find out. Over the edge I went, rapidly activating Jet Step over and over again to propel myself ever downward. The choppy winds sent me veering off course again and again, but I persisted, the three feathers at my side helping me cut through the air. Rapidly, I gained on the glacier.
Twenty meters. Then ten. Five. I dismissed my hammer and crashed directly into the ice, only for us to drift apart as my fingers slipped off the unwieldy glacier. I panicked, the fast-approaching clouds only more likely to make me lose sight of her. One more Jet Step brought us back together, and I summoned twin daggers. With all my Strength, I dug into the ice to secure a firm grip, not willing to slip off again.
Safe. I shot Verin the most reassuring look I could muster, gazing at her through the thick layer of clear frost. “It’s okay. I caught you.” For whatever reason, neither my expression nor my words seemed to calm her down.
A moment later, I recalled why.
CAW!
Having been so focused on saving Verin, I hadn’t stopped to consider what exactly I was saving her from. In the open air, however, there was no longer any dust to block my vision. Turning back, I spotted the origin of the catastrophic winds.
Immediately, I wished I hadn’t.
Large enough to swallow the two of us in one gulp, a massive creature shot through the air roughly 200 meters above us. While it was undeniably covered in feathers — remarkably familiar ones, at that — I hesitated to call it a bird, if for no other reason than that it looked wrong.
The main features were there: a cruel beak sitting in front of two hawk-like eyes; two wings long enough to span an entire island; talons large enough to grip the trunks of trees; and a grand tail at its back to match.
Past the broad resemblance, however, things grew stranger. Its body was an alien mass of brown and black, misshapen and undulating. Parts of it seemed dried and desiccated while others flowed like liquid, neither of its wings quite the same size. Even the feathers were off. Patchy and sparse to begin with, many of them were backwards, while some were even sticking out at strange angles.
It was as if a child in need of an exorcist had tried to draw a bird from memory. In another setting, I might have even found the sight comedic, in a way.
Much of that comedy was diminished, however, by the fact that the creature was headed directly towards us. And whatever there was to say about its form, there was no denying that the beast was fast.
Run away or fight? It was massive, but I’d dealt with some freakishly large enemies by now, right? Even as it honed in on us, I activated God’s Eye. I was met with a name and a full description, but at the moment, only one piece of information made its way to my brain: Level 48.
Jet Step, Jet Step, Jet Step. My only goal was to get as far away as possible. What the hell is something that high-leveled doing here? I was under no illusions. If that thing caught us, we were dead.
Despite my best efforts, though, I might as well have been stationary compared to the raging avian. In a matter of seconds, it halved the distance between us before halving it once again.
If there was one small mercy, it seemed that the two of us wouldn’t be forced to watch our final moments. As the misshapen predator opened its beak wide, now close enough for us to peer into its dark depths, we were swallowed by something else entirely.
Moments away from death, Verin and I fell into the clouds.