Oliver groaned as he pushed himself upright, back aching from where he hit the ground. He immediately checked on Willow who was in the process of getting up as well. “Are you okay?!”
“More or less,” Willow touched her temple with a wince. “I smacked my head though, so give a moment to recover.”
“Take your time.” He rubbed her back in a comforting manner. His brown eyes darted around the area, noting the mountainous terrain. The rift left them in an isolated place with no human activity in sight.
Their hiking date was set for next week, but it seemed like they’ll have to move it up the schedule.
----------------------------------------
By the time they reach Fort Kernstone, Elle’s muscles ache from exhaustion. She’s stopped channeling aura into her legs, trying to ration the remainder. Her wrist is still sore, but at least she can move her fingers.
As they enter the fort, Mikell hollers, “H-hey, I’m back!” He sounds nervous for some reason and adds after a pause, “...and I brought another rift-diver!” They walk past six-metre tall concrete walls through a wooden gate.
Arranged in a U-formation, eight structures make up the settlement, surrounding a well. They all look somewhat weathered by the elements but relatively new for buildings. All of them appeared to be concrete, outfitted with glass windows. She wonders if someone here has glass-making powers as she thinks it’d be difficult to transport glass in this terrain.
Closest to them on the left, a middle-aged woman with muscular arms cleans a forge, wiping down her instruments. “Bah, I knew you were too hard-headed to die! Who’s the girlie that had to drag your ass back?”
Elle’s ears warm. “I’m almost nineteen!”
She snorts, “Compared to me, you’re practically a doe.”
As Elle processes the unusual phrase, Mikell steps forward. “Sorry, Marla. Didn’t mean to scare everyone like that.”
Before she can respond, a booming voice interrupts him, “Ah, there you are!” The buffest old man Elle has ever seen hurries towards them. He thrusts squares of something that resembles taffy on a towel into their faces, “No arguing, I can sense your low aura.”
Mikell grimaces but takes a palm-sized square. He scarfs it down with a surprising ferocity that reminds her of some online anecdotes. People on Earth complained about cravings after depleting their aura, but she never experienced it herself.
“You too,” the senior pushes the towel to Elle. “It’ll restore enough of your aura to be safe.”
Not wanting to be rude, she accepts a square and eyes it with suspicion. It looks to be a few shades darker than caramel but with the same texture. Seeing no negative effects on Mikell, she bites into a corner.
It tastes like vegetables with their insides scooped out and replaced with sugar. If someone had made candy out of composted sugar canes and lawn grass clippings, that would come close to this baffling treat.
To the old man’s credit, Elle feels her aura levels slowly rise and continues chewing on the abhorrent dessert. Perhaps the crappy taste also kills everyone’s cravings. She nearly sighs with relief when she has enough aura to heal her wrist.
“Thanks, Flint. It was still disgusting but I appreciate it. Sorry for running off,” Mikell apologises when he finishes his taffy. “Is Mark…?”
Marla sighs, “His team will return before it gets dark. If he doesn’t apologise then, you come talk to me.”
He scratches his head and lets out a weak chuckle, “Thanks, Granny. Once again, sorry about everything.”
Marla waves him off with a rag. “Forgiven. Now remember to use your brain next time.”
“Will do.” Mikell glances at his newest acquaintance with an awkward expression. “Putting that aside… Elle, this is Marla Hearthshore and Annacus Flint. Marla and Flint, this is Elle Kuang.”
She dips her head in a polite greeting, “A pleasure to meet both of you. I hope I’m not imposing upon your hospitality.”
Flint grins, showing his yellowing teeth. “No trouble at all! It’s one of our responsibilities to get rift-divers oriented. Would you like to discuss your situation in a more comfortable place?”
“I’d like that, thank you.”
“Wonderful! Let’s go have a seat at the Main Hall.” He and Mikell start walking towards the largest building behind him.
As she follows behind them, Elle pays closer attention to the structures around them. Directly opposite to the forge, there’s an establishment with a curious-looking generator attached to its side. It sits a fair distance away from the rest of the buildings, and she can see light in the windows. Stretching her senses in that direction, she can feel machinery and lab equipment fill the space inside the building.
Besides the laboratory, Fort Kernstone contains mainly residences protected by a wall with a second-level on the inside. The buildings are plain concrete with a few personal touches like colourful curtains or figurines in the windows.
Flint opens the door to the Main Hall and reveals a dining area with two long tables and benches. It’s currently empty, so they sit at the end of the left one.
Once everyone settles into their seats, Mikell starts to talk, “So Elle, how long have you been in Sinkpoint?”
She checks her phone. “Since about 3 hours ago? I have a lot of questions about this place.”
“Shoot.”
“Where are we? Are there any other cities or settlements nearby?”
Flint pulls a map out of his pocket and unfolds it on the table. Someone clearly inked it by hand because it looks less precisely charted than the ones seen back on Earth. On the west side of the map, Elle observes a mountain range which runs the entire length from north to south and forests covering the lands east of it. The map marks a waterfall running down a mountain’s centre and splitting into two rivers.
Although the map doesn’t use the Latin alphabet, Elle can understand it. She wonders if Equinox is responsible for giving rift-divers fluency in the language.
He clears his throat and points at a smaller mountain range that runs approximately west to east, north of the river. “We’re in Fort Kernstone which sits at the base of Mount Kernstone here. If you follow Vinayre River east, you’ll find a big bridge. Cross that, and you’ll arrive at Vinayre.” Flint taps a city marked next to a glacier known as the Ice Shield.
Elle notices that the distance between Fort Kernstone and Vinayre is more than thrice the distance between her landing spot and the fort. “Is there nothing else closer?”
“No, Fort Kernstone is the only settlement in outskirts of the Western Outlands. Once you go past us, you’re truly in the wilds.”
“Good thing I didn’t walk in the other direction.” She laughs awkwardly at her close brush with death.
Mikell nods, “Yeah, that would’ve been bad. The fog doesn’t look nice, but it’s really the better option. It stays mostly on this side of the Ice Shield though, so once you get north of Vinayre, you’re out of its safety zone.”
“I see, thanks for the warning.” Another mountain stands north of Vinayre, and another river runs off it. Elle follows Aspirash River northeast and spots another mountain range to the west of it. “Wow, there a lot of mountains in this region. Is travelling difficult?”
Flint grimaces, “Yes, you can thank the Calamities for that. Mountains were appearing out of nowhere for awhile, sometimes on top of other mountains. So much was buried underground, and the terrain aboveground became tough to navigate.”
Elle startles. “What do you mean by the Calamities? How did mountains appear out of nowhere?”
The old man’s expression turns grim. “The Calamities refer to the merging of worlds. When Esterra ---the first world--- entered Sinkpoint, the lands didn’t stay in one piece. It was like the gods ripped up paper and sent the scraps scattering in the wind. Some places just got teleported into a new position, but others fell from the sky or got moved underground.”
This seems to support Equinox’s claim about these worlds being destroyed, sent here, and then not be reborn. They’re essentially sitting upon a planet-sized trash heap, but she decides to keep her thoughts quiet.
“That sounds…” Elle nearly says ‘lethal’ but decides not to bring up the likely massive death toll. “...dangerous. How did people survive that?”
Mikell replies, “Aura helped a lot. That’s how the Ice Shield was formed. When the third Calamity happened, a city was going to fall onto Vinayre. Before it hit, they managed to make that giant glacier to protect themselves.”
“That’s amazing.” She can only imagine how terrifying it must have been. “How many Calamities were there?”
“Four. One for each world that got sent here. Luckily, it’s been four months since anything happened.”
Flint grasps his necklace hidden within his shirt and whispers something. Afterwards, he gives Mikell a look. “Best not jinx it.”
“Sorry,” Mikell sheepishly smiles. “Anyway, everyone in Sinkpoint is an aura-user.”
She fights a shiver as she realises that everyone who couldn’t unlock their auras likely perished during the Calamities. “Right. So are these places also safe spots?” Elle points to Danglawan City in the northwest mountains, Fort Nimble in a valley southwest of Danglawan, and Basinoon Harbour in the northernmost point of the map.
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Mikell and Flint exchange a glance, before the elder answers, “They are safe in the way that people there have become good at keeping monsters out. Safe as in there are rangers patrolling the nearby land and culling beasts. And I would say that Fort Nimble is quite similar to here.”
“But Danglawan City has dangerous people?”
“I haven’t been that far up north, so all I know are the rumours. Supposedly, the leadership in Danglawan have different visions for the city, and there’s been some in-fighting. We don’t have that much in the way of recent news since we’re out in the Outlands.”
Crossing his arms, Mikell adds, “It’s also the largest city in the region, so it makes sense that not everyone’s going to agree. The people there are also more impersonal. I haven’t been there in two months though, so my knowledge might be a little outdated.”
“That’s plenty, thank you. Is Vinayre friendlier?”
“Mostly yeah. Maybe don’t mention anything religious though.”
Elle nods, finding that to be an easy task as an agnostic person. “Alright, what about Basinoon Harbour? You mentioned that you landed near there.”
“They’re open to all kinds of people, but it’s faster-paced then here. If you’re looking for a job, they’ll take you. Just know that they usually blunt with their criticism.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She then points to a lake marked about seventy kilometres east of Danglawan, across the Aspirash River. “Does Lake Sincerity have any people living nearby?”
Flint shakes his head, “Not since Lerabell City fell near it.” He taps the place marked as the ‘Lerabell Ruins’ directly south of it. “Even the water spirits have gone quiet.”
“Who used to live there?”
“Before the Calamities, I heard that it was the elves of Rudian Forest alongside nature spirits. It used to be a sacred site, but nobody has seen or heard anything from it since.”
“I see,” Elle feels uneasy at the topic and changes it, “So what about Lerabell City?”
“It used to be a major city in the second world, famous for its university. A shame that the place is crawling with monsters, otherwise we’d be able to retrieve the knowledge stored inside it.”
She plays with her jacket collar in thought. “Huh, does that have anything to do with Lake Sincerity’s silence?”
Flint shrugs, “Nobody knows. Lerabell’s too dangerous to explore, even with teleporters.”
Before Elle can ask her next question, the door to the Main Hall opens. “Mikell, are you okay?!”
He scratches his head with a sheepish grin. “Yeah, sorry for worrying everyone! Elle, this is Edellan. They’re a good friend of mine.”
“Hello, I’m Elle. Nice to meet you, Edellan.” She dips her head to the person who’s walking over to them. Her shoulders relax slightly as she notices the casual usage and acceptance of their pronouns.
Protected by a miner’s helmet, Edellan is about six foot tall and wears a grey jacket and overalls. Their sharp jawline and high cheekbones contrast their gentle demeanour. They reply with a quiet, deep voice, “Nice to meet you too, Elle.”
Mikell adds, “We’re trying to get her up to speed with what’s going on. If you’re tired, I can tell her about Sanabim?”
“No, it’s okay.” They take off their helmet and place it on the table, revealing short black hair parted on the side. “That’s my hometown. Well, metropolis on Kinonn.”
“Kinonn?” Elle blinks at the unfamiliar word that wasn’t translated.
“That’s what we called our planet, but most people call it the fourth world nowadays. Sorry, I’m not used to calling it that.” Edellan averts their blue eyes, and Elle feels bad for bringing up an awkward topic. “Anyway, a part of Sanabim was teleported underground when the Fourth Calamity happened. It took me awhile to get out.”
She studies the map but can’t find Sanabim. “Is it on the map? I don’t see it anywhere.”
“Ah, there’s an entrance to the underground network north of Danglawan, but the tunnels are complicated to navigate. I’m not sure where the city actually is.” They rub their stubbled chin, “I passed by the ruins of a few cities down there, and it’s hard to tell how far the tunnels extend.”
Elle recalls the tunnel running beneath Vinayre River from earlier. “Right, so it is possible to explore underground. What about farther east? I notice that the map ends there.”
Flint sits back in his seat. “There’s a big mountain blocking the way past Lerabell that isn’t covered by forests. We’ve heard that there might be something past there, but I haven’t seen any evidence yet.”
She scans the map, realising that its lack of detail comes from low exploration. “Okay, and then there’s more forests blocking this region’s north. I think I understand the area now, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Flint folds his hands on the table. “Now, what do you want to do from here? You’re a rift-diver, so you got no ties to anywhere in Sinkpoint. If there’s some place you want to go now, we’ll try to help.”
Elle scrutinises him and thinks his expression looks sincere. However, her judgement of people has always been unreliable. “Why would you want to help me? I haven’t done anything for you.” She cringes slightly when her words comes out ruder than intended.
Fortunately, it seems like he’s been asked this before. “Because we’ve been in similar positions before. The Calamities threw everything into disarray, and we had to build things back up ourselves. It makes no sense to let you go wander blindly about when we can make things more orderly.”
“Thank you then. I’m in your debt—” She begins, but Flint cuts her off with a smile.
“No debts. It’s the right thing to do.”
Noticing her uncertain expression, Mikell adds, “Besides, you helped me without asking for anything. It’s really no problem at all for us in comparison.”
Elle swallows back her protests. “Okay then, I guess. Do you know of anyone who’s researching the rifts?”
All three of them frown. Flint clears his throat, “There was some research being done before the Calamities, but I heard nothing came out of it. The researchers either transformed into monsters, went insane, or disappeared. Nowadays, most people are concerned with other things.”
Elle remembers that many people’s homeworlds no longer exist, so the rifts would naturally be a lower priority. She winces at both her unintentionally insensitive words and the increasing probability that Equinox lied to her. “Um, then I want to find Mikell’s friend Van. Is he here?”
Edellan and Flint both sit up in their seats. “What?”
Unperturbed, Mikell replies, “No, he left a few days ago. Do you know where he’s headed, Eddy?”
Edellan stares back in confusion, “Why would he tell me? You’re the one who knows everybody.”
Now Mikell looks worried. “Uh, he definitely didn’t say anything to me.”
Flint smacks his head, “Agh, I bet that lad didn’t tell anyone! As per usual,” he grumbles. “Sorry, lass. You’ll likely have to visit Vinayre and see if anyone’s heard anything there. I’ll write you a letter of introduction, so he won’t run off without you.”
“Thank you, I’ll appreciate it.” Elle does her best to hide her disappointment, but that uneasy feeling won’t leave her heart. “So what kind of currency does Vinayre use?” Considering her questionable melee skills, she wants to pay for a trainer.
Taking out a pouch, Flint places red, yellow, green, and blue crystals on the table. They’re small and shaped like coins, each one larger than the previous. “Vinayre mainly uses Lymm, and I hear that Danglawan and Basinoon are adopting it as well.”
Elle studies the crystals. “I’m guessing red is worth the least?”
“That’s right. Red is one Lymm. Yellow is ten Lymm. Green is 100 Lymm. You get the idea.”
“Easy enough to remember. What kind of jobs are available?”
He plays with a Lymm coin as he thinks. “In Vinayre? Plenty of crafting jobs open, particularly if you can make materials with your powers. Plants are scarce considering the monsters roaming about. Besides that, they’re looking for miners or engineers.”
“And what about hunting monsters? Are there bounties I can pick up?”
Flint’s brow furrows. “...You can check the Hunter’s Guild in Vinayre, if that’s the kind of work you’re looking for. But you need to be in a hunting party of at least three people or they won’t let you take a bounty.”
Elle blinks, “Why’s that? Sounds like they’ll lose people who like to work alone.”
“Because too many people became cocky and paid the price for it,” he answers with a grim expression. “Listen, Elle. The monsters that survived the Calamities survived for a reason. If you decide to take a bounty, don’t underestimate them.”
She swallows, “...I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I’m sure you’ll find work; you were great out there.” Mikell beams, only to wilt when Edellan and Flint glower at him. “Uh, just don’t run off by yourself like me.”
“How did people lose you? There was only one path,” Elle blurts, finally voicing the question on her mind. There’s clearly some sort of drama earlier, but she couldn’t puzzle out how it occurred.
He scratches his head, “Well, I ended up on the main road, but I actually started off in the tunnels. I ran into a great worm, so I had to escape using one of our hidden tunnels.”
“A great worm?”
Mikell shudders. “It’s a worm that likes to tunnel here in the mountains. If you see tunnels about six feet tall, move quickly. ”
Edellan adds with a dry voice, “Yes, use your brain and you’ll be fine. I suggest staying here for the night. We’ll get a party together to leave tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that for me,” she tries to protest.
They shake their head, “It’s standard policy. Besides, we have a few errands to do in Vinayre anyway.”
“Okay thanks, if you’re sure about that.” She looks around the room. “Is there somewhere I can sleep tonight?”
“There’s a spare bed in that cabin for new people.” Flint gestures to the smallest residence outside the window. “Women’s side is on the right. Here’s the key.”
As she gets up to leave, Elle looks at Mikell. “...You said that your sister’s missing, right? Do you have a picture I can see? Maybe I’ll find her on my travels.”
Mikell smiles, “Yeah, I’ll make a copy and give it to you tomorrow before you leave. Thanks for reminding me.”
Outside of his view, Edellan and Flint exchange glances but remain silent. Not knowing how to interpret that, Elle nods. “No problem. Have a good evening.”
She exits the Main Hall and goes to the cabin. There’s not many people wandering around in the fort, so nobody stops her for a chat. Entering the cabin and locking the door behind her, Elle studies the clean but unused room. The sole bunk bed has folded sheets on it and no dust covers the room, so she assumes someone must clean it occasionally.
Once she’s prepared her bed and changed into a fresh set of clothes, Elle flops onto her bed and stares at the plain ceiling. She left the others at the Main Hall, because she wants time to think to herself.
Everyone wants something in life. Elle wants to be safe at home, but more than that, she wants her friends to be safe and happy. This sense of pressure and anxiety isn’t new to her, even if the stakes are much higher. She knows what she wants, but what does Equinox want?
Since she can open and close rifts, the goddess clearly has some relation to the power letting monsters into other worlds. The deity also claimed that something in Sinkpoint is keeping destroyed worlds from being recycled. Does she want it removed because it’s interfering with her powers somehow?
However, that assumes Equinox is being honest. Considering Van’s forced travel to Sinkpoint, Elle can’t rely on the deity’s word.
Still, the situation on Earth is deteriorating, so she doesn’t regret coming to Sinkpoint. Even if her quest is futile, she will at least know she tried her best. Elle will search for answers here while avoiding Equinox’s help or influence.
First goal, find Van and gather intel. Given everyone’s reaction to his name earlier, she suspects this will be a lengthy task. However, Vinayre sounds like a worthwhile visit anyway, and she’s curious about the city which crashed into the Ice Shield.
Second goal, improve her fighting skills. Elle doubts she’ll get all the answers in this area, so she needs to be able to protect herself on her travels.
Third goal, get allies or reliable information sources. She’s the most hesitant about this goal since her social skills aren’t the strongest. However, there’s too much ground to cover for her to be randomly searching the area.
Pulling down her sleeves, Elle pushes aura into the inside of her left wrist. The number reads ‘33.1’. She sits up when she realises that the number has dropped slightly. However, she has no idea why or when it happened.
Without enough data to draw conclusions, she decides to monitor it in private. Elle settles into bed and drifts off to sleep.