Rowing over the floating river is a surreal experience; watching the entire, fog-covered world splayed out below me evoked the all too familiar feeling of holy-smallness. My core bubbles as the profound experience drive up my magic stat again; it’s a sensation I’ve become familiar with over time. The tower that I had set flame to was now a smoldering heap of black smoke currently billowing into the sky.
A watch tower stands watch on the island, overlooking the river. Tendrils of flames within an iron brazier danced in the shadows in the cradle of the watch tower, illuminating the bowman within.
I don’t want to use fire; the fire would alert the rest of the island to my presence and might be seen from the grounds below, and I couldn’t use earth spells as I was currently not standing on anything from which the mana could flow and manipulate, therefore I could only use water or wind spells. Most of my water spells are useless at a distance, and my wind spells aren’t particularly destructive, therefore...
I give the boat one last push against the gel-like substance beneath the water holding up the water toward the largest of the islands that this floating river led to, and slip into Shadow’s form to hide within the shade of the rim of the boat. I hear a slight whistle and a thunk as an arrow sticks into the wooden planks in the middle of the boat. It had a piece of rope attached to it, and soon the boat is yanked and pulled along the airborne current, as it is dragged to shore. I wait in the shadows.
The boat bumps against the ground, and I sense the presence of at least five figures beyond. They whisper among one another about the boat being empty, as I hop out and onto the grass next to the gently running river.
“What is that?”
“It looks like an Ir.”
What’s an Ir? Well, I’m sure I’ll find out eventually.
They approach me with their weapons pointed forward, and when my paws were firmly on the ground I quick cast Earthen Spike five times in quick succession. Needles of earth run the creatures through, and I shift into my human form, to quickly silence their whines of pain with point-blank blasts of aether to their faces.
Already, a contingent of armed ratmen and dogmen were making their way to the source of the noise, coming from what very much looked like a smaller version of the outpost below. This was probably built specifically to separate the peoples of the two worlds. I was probably far enough inland, that I didn’t need to worry about any fire spells being spotted from below.
“A volley, o djinn,” I utter as I point the wand forward.
Six flaming arrows wrapped in wind fly forth and slam into the approaching group. Three fall onto the grass, still and dead. I suppose I’ll limit my use of Earthen Spike, so I can make progress in quick casting my other spells; it would be useful, after all, to be able to use any of my spells at will. I finish off the remainder with Djinn’s Volley as well and check my Shard. I still had about 60 more casts of the spell before I could quick cast it. I suppose I’m not going to be getting it done this dive. Oh well. Could still work towards it.
The bright orange streaks in the dead of night draws the attention of those posted in the smaller outpost up here. Arrows sing their whistling song as they sail through the air toward me.
“Dance for me, o’ daughters of the wind.”
The shell of wind knocks aside the arrows, and I send it forward into a small dervish howling toward the middle of the approaching force. The howling winds temporarily stun them, and I take that time to cast two Djinn’s Volleys and send them forth into the group. 12 arrows now slam into the group. None of them are capable of standing against me as I push my way into the camp.
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A group of twenty or so ragged-strewn creatures of various makes huddles together around a small fire in the middle of a campsite. Catmen were the most numerous, followed by deer, and then by goatmen. There was a solitary creature that didn’t look quite animal. Its skin wasn’t covered in thick fur and was extremely pale as if it drank in the moonlight. Its eyes were a dark black...or blue...or red, they shifted every second, and its ears were long and curved. It was ethereal and took me back for a second. My core began to burn once more. What? It glances towards me, and before I could even blink, it vanishes. What was that? I’ll have to ask Reynard about it when all of this is over.
One of the prisoners; a large deerman with broad antlers that reminded me more of a moose’s than a stag's, approaches me. Red lines cross his arms crossed over his chest. I reach out with my wand, and he flinches as it nears him; though there’s a bit of an upward snarl in his mouth. That snarl quickly fades as healing energy courses through him.
“You are not with Roki?” The deerman speaks.
“I am not.” I answer, “I am from Earth. Roki’s forces are attacking my world from this one.”
“Ah. I fear that.” The deerman said, “How is it that you speak our language?”
“A spell was cast on me earlier today.” I answer, “By one of those...what did they call themselves? A Mori?”
“You mean the invaders?”
“Invaders?”
“Yes. They crossed the Endless Waters to invade our lands in the name of their damned god.”
“Roki.”
“Yes.” The deer uncrossed his arms, “Is...is the war in Efra finished? Did we lose?”
“I have no clue.” I answer honestly, “But if they’re invading our world...”
“I see...yes.” He lets out a shuttering breath, “Then what of us? This world is dead; or about near, anyways. You free us, for what? To die with it? Just kill us now. Perhaps there is still a god out there to take our souls when we part. Once the world falls apart; our souls will be snuffed out.”
“Allvor!” Another voice said in the group. “Don’t speak to our liberator like that.”
A small figure approaches. Feline, in nature, much like those figures that I had seen in the locket. Where was that locket now? It wasn’t with the things that were brought back to the compound. The tips of its pointed, triangular ears reach up to my elbow, and its fur was white and muddy. I see small welts budding over its skin through its fur, so I take time to heal it as well. The creature bows its head in silent thanks.
“It’s true!” The deerman says in protest. “Commander.”
“Commander? Were you military?”
“Aye.” We were the Order of Lyk. From the town below.”
“Town?”
“Well more like an outpost. It was a town centered around the Shrine of Lyk, and the Order.”
I wanted to ask who Lyk was, but all that information could wait until later.
“For now, I freed the humans on the other island that way.” I motion back over the river, “Could your people meet up with them? Ah, some of you are injured. Let me heal you first.”
The large deerman, Allvor mouths the word, ‘human,’ with a confused look on his face.
“Is that a medium?” The cat like being asked as it followed me to the group.
“Yes.”
Its long tail flicked back and forth as I healed the others.
“You are kind, but what are your plans for us?” The creature asked, “This world is dying, and as Allvor said, we will be left to drift in nothingness once it does.”
Its tail stops swishing.
“I wish to take back Efra, eventually, but we can’t do it here...it’s asking a lot, I know, do you...”
The creature keeps pausing in the middle of its sentences and starting a new one beating around a very obvious bush as I try to concentrate on sending the healing mana through the injured of the group. At some point, after ten or so new sentences, it gets frustrating.
“I’ve already decided on taking you guys to Earth. A higher-up in the human military was among one of the captured, and he says he’ll parlay for you once we get back.”
“What of the apostle?”
One of the other prisoners says.
“That Mori? The small one? I’ll kill him.” I answer plainly.
Allvor scoffs.
“You’re strong, no doubt. You wiped out fifteen enemies by yourself here, but that, ‘small,’ Mori has killed hundreds — nay, thousands, by himself. He is perhaps one of the strongest Apostles within our country at the moment.”
“I keep hearing that phrase, ‘apostle,’ but what does it mean?”
“It is one that a god, or one who has attained godhood chose to be their representative in the Physical world. They can use the life force of those that they slay to get stronger, and to learn things instantly.”
Sounds a lot like the Chosen back on Earth.
“Well, if that’s the case, then I’m also an apostle.”
This sentence seems to spark a renewed light of hope in the eyes of the gathered Efrans. They asked questions: which god did I serve, how was Earth, how was Earth holding up to the attacks. The first of these questions I answered left, and when I ultimately tell them that I was chosen by an animal spirit, I watched that light fade from most of their eyes.