As daybreak arrives, the duo wakes up and begins their preparation for breakfast before continuing their journey.
"This should be it," Dragbaki said as he organized his luggage and placed the materials for the portal ritual in the same spot for easy access and efficiency.
"Are you ready to go?" Dragbaki asked Lyria.
"Yeah, I've finished preparing much earlier than you," she replied, eager to continue their journey, especially after learning what they would be doing and where they would be heading next.
"Wait, let me use the Gem of Illumination to guide us. This should make things much easier, considering it has a guiding function," Dragbaki said, somewhat annoyed with the gem.
"How do you use that function?" he continued. As he said that, the spirit guide appeared right beside him, causing Lyria to jump back in surprise, still not accustomed to the sudden appearance of the spirit.
"You just have to say the location of where you want to go, young hero, while holding the gem, and it will do as it did yesterday," the spirit answered Dragbaki's inquiry, not paying much attention to Lyria.
"All right, let me try it then. Gem of Illumination, guide me to the Chamber of Celestial Balance," Dragbaki commanded the gem. It began to shine and float, and as it hovered in the air, the light focused in a cone shape, shining in a specific direction.
Then, it began to move towards that direction. Dragbaki and Lyria followed it, moving around the courtyard until it stopped at a large marble door decorated with gold accents. Too weak to open the giant door, he cast Enlarge to double his size, giving him enough strength to push it open. Enlarge could last for only a minute, and after opening the large door, Dragbaki immediately returned to his normal size as the duration of the spell ran out.
After the door opened and Dragbaki returned to normal, the gem continued to guide the duo inside the Way of Ascendance, a spiral flight of stairs leading to the top of the tower where the Chamber of Celestial Balance was located.
"So, how is the ritual performed again?" Lyria asked as they ascended the Way of Ascendance.
"We would need to cast a teleportation magic spell and then add four barrier magic circles at the four cardinal directions of the main circle to provide us protection during the portal travel. For the portal itself, we would need to place about 100 gold coins and the Gem of Illumination to act as a beacon that will redirect the portal to our desired location. Finally, we stand at the center of the circle as I recite the chant from the ancient tome, which is in the language of the dragons," Dragbaki explained as they neared the top of the tower.
Lyria pondered the complexity of the ritual. "I guess this complexity is quite normal, considering we're traveling to the Nexus of Arcanum." As she realized the uses of the different components of the ritual, she became excited and eager to experience it, showing her love for magic.
After a while, the duo finally reached the top floor, the Chamber of Celestial Balance. Before Dragbaki and Lyria began to prepare the ritual, they inspected the room. It was quite large for a normal room, with runes lining the pillars and murals of various gods in their domains adorning the walls. Dragbaki found a wall that intrigued him; it was the one depicting his mother, Mystra, the goddess of magic. Meanwhile, Lyria's attention was caught by another wall mural depicting the god of justice, Tyr. Lyria looked at the depiction of the god with a complicated look while communicating with her hexblade.
"So this is the god that caused your situation, huh?" she murmured to her hexblade. As they finished investigating the room, Dragbaki asked the spirit guide to provide guidance on how to prepare the ritual, as the spirit had witnessed the ritual being performed many times before. The preparation for the ritual went smoothly with the guidance from the spirit.
Dragbaki then asked the spirit guide, "Say, what were you like when you were alive, and have you ever been to the other side?"
The spirit explained, "I was once a knowledge seeker, much like my peers in this sanctuary. All of us were eager to learn, whether it was ancient knowledge or new discoveries. I had attained a high position in the sanctuary, which led to my selection as your guide. I was given the option to move on to the other side to pursue more knowledge, but the prophecy of the young hero intrigued me more than the nexus."
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As Dragbaki and Lyria listened to the spirit guide's story, they made quick work of the preparation. Dragbaki was in charge of drawing the magic circles, while Lyria placed the other materials in their appropriate locations. After carefully checking everything, Dragbaki and Lyria prepared themselves to start the ritual.
Dragbaki began his chant while releasing powerful magic power from his body. Lyria also began releasing her magic power to support Dragbaki in powering the ritual. As the chant continued, the gem behind them began to hover above their heads and emit a brilliant, powerful light with a hint of divine energy.
As they continued with the ritual, the runes on the walls soon began to glow and draw in magic power from the surrounding environment. The tower began to glow with a purple light, creating a magnificent sight from the outside. Dragbaki, still chanting, and the gem focused its light, piercing through the fabric of space to create a portal. The main magic circle stabilized the portal, forming an opening in the fabric of space in front of the duo.
The tower then emitted a magnificent purple light toward the sky, creating a larger version of the portal inside the Chamber of Celestial Balance. Once Dragbaki finished chanting, the four protective magic circles formed a powerful barrier around Dragbaki and Lyria. The gem of illumination also followed them as they entered the portal.
After crossing the portal with the gem of illumination, the portal closed, and the Chamber of Celestial Balance and the tower returned to normal, leaving no trace of the ritual.
Upon entering the new area, the Nexus of Arcanum, they weren't exactly sure of their precise location within the Nexus, but they knew they were there due to the unique construction of the place. The walls were covered in protective runes to shield the interior from the surging magical power from the outside. It was a magnificent sight where magic and reality intertwined.
As they looked ahead, they saw a hallway also constructed with runes, leading to a different location. Although they were eager to continue, they were both exhausted after expending a significant amount of magic power to initiate the ritual. While resting, Dragbaki and Lyria decided to explore what Dragbaki had learned about their current location. Dragbaki consulted the spirit guide, while Lyria delved into the ancient tome.
The duo discovered information about the Nexus. "Although I haven't personally been here before, the sages throughout time have amassed a wealth of information about this place. The Nexus is a location where the boundaries between magic and reality are exceptionally thin. It serves as a conduit for the flow of arcane energies, allowing the convergence of different realities and realms. The Nexus is a place of great power and potential,
capable of shaping the fabric of reality itself. This is why it is constructed with powerful runes that keep the potent raw magic at bay, designed for the purpose of the Nexus. It is a place where seekers, like you two, can come to gain insights, unlock hidden knowledge, and harness the raw power of magic. The Nexus holds the secrets of creation, transformation, and the balance between opposing forces," the spirit guide explained in response to Dragbaki's questions regarding the Nexus.
Since they couldn't find any other places to explore, the duo decided it was time to continue their journey within the Nexus. While walking along the hallway leading to the Nexus, Lyria made a suggestion to Dragbaki, "You know, I just realized, since you're the son of Mystra, and we're in the Nexus of Arcanum, maybe you can try to resonate with the Nexus." Lyria spoke with expectation in her eyes.
"Hmm, you might be right. Let me try," Dragbaki replied. He closed his eyes and began emitting pulses of magic, attempting to resonate with the magic on the other side of the wall made of runes, forming an invisible barrier covered in symbols. The magic, as if alive, started to mimic the frequency of pulses emitted by Dragbaki, recognizing the presence of Mystra within him. The wild magic outside began to calm down, and Dragbaki, in response to the magic, moved his hands as if commanding the powerful magical energy. He recalled the training he had received from his mother. The magic energy then began to form intricate patterns and manipulate the flow of magic, creating a mesmerizing display for Lyria, her hexblade, and the spirit guide. A surreal feeling washed over their senses as Dragbaki successfully resonated with the now smoothly flowing magic outside.
Upon completing the resonance, Dragbaki suddenly heard a whisper, "Very good, my child..." Startled by the whisper, he turned his head around to locate the source and exclaimed, "Mother?!?!" Surprised by Dragbaki's sudden shout, Lyria turned her head as well, asking, "What is it? Why did you suddenly shout?"
Dragbaki turned to her, still emotional, and said, "I heard her, Mother. I heard her praising me." After decades of separation, hearing his mother's words was a powerful and emotional moment.
The spirit guide chimed in, offering his perspective, "Looks like your mother detected your presence, young hero. She must be very pleased with your mastery of the magic arts. However, this also means that the forces of magic may have detected you. Be vigilant, young hero. Although we're safe here in the nexus for now, our journey will become much more challenging once we leave."
Continuing their walk toward the nexus, Lyria asked the spirit, "Is it my fault that we've been detected because of my recommendation?" She expressed guilt over the situation.
The spirit reassured her, saying, "No, it's not your fault, Miss Lyria. Our detection was inevitable as the two of you amass the power to join the war. So don't be too hard on yourself, for you are not at fault in this matter."
Dragbaki chimed in, "Yes, you have no fault. Thanks to you, not only have I managed to resonate with this place, which means I can use this place for the war, but I've also heard the voice of my mother after so many years." He consoled Lyria, recognizing her intelligence and empathy.
Lyria, regaining her confidence, responded cheerfully, "Heh! All right, since I'm not at fault, let's continue our journey!"
"Hey Lyria, do you also want to try to resonate with this place?" Dragbaki offered. "Me and the spirit can guide you, and it might give you or your hexblade a power-up." Persuaded by Dragbaki and reassured by the spirit guide and her hexblade patron, Lyria accepted Dragbaki's offer.
With guidance from Dragbaki and the spirit, while her patron also actively guided, Lyria began to emit pulses of magic and resonate with the magic energy outside the wall made of runes, forming an invisible barrier covered in symbols. As she continued to resonate, a near-similar phenomenon also occurred, though not on the grand scale of what happened with Dragbaki. After finishing, they finally continued their journey, despite the many interruptions in the hallway.