“We were sent earlier than scheduled to ask you about the nightmarish cry we all heard. What was this?”
“Mordred, Halk has their own problems I believe. It might be something dangerous living in the Steppe or out in the Death Peaks. If they want to find it, they might look there for it.”
He seems not really convinced, but that is my answer, and I keep it that way. The whole selling of the Produce is still ongoing, even if the City of Halk is right now again quarantined to be searched for possible leads and for the new Caste to settle in. I wonder which Caste this time will mess with me and be killed by...
Still working on my mood. At first I thought the Miasma made it, but it was more the Fight. The thing invaded my mind and tried to destroy me internally. Luckily, it did not succeed but shows how vulnerable I still am, if something can travel through my taken over bodies to my… Soul?
The reason I believe it tried to attack my Soul is the mood swings and piercing pain in my thoughts. Also I feel where it’s presence were before. Like a tunnel it burrowed through Prototype One into my Consciousness. The positive thing about it is, I now have a further lead to know what I really am.
Meditating about this way into my Consciousness gave me some insights of me being more than just that Realm and strewn thoughts. Just what really, I have to find out through the way it showed me accidentally.
After Mordred is gone I will try again and see what is on the other side. Dang, that sounds ominous...
…
Darkness… I feel like I am falling deeper and deeper. My vision is filled by nothing but darkness. Where am I? Is this where my Soul resides?
Deeper and deeper I fall into what I can only suspect is myself and I have no way to perceive anything.
I am alone…
Suddenly I hear something. It sounds like… an Ocean? Waves but they sound off, like they are not made by Water, but by something more vile…
Hovering over it it is a black Ocean out of… What is this? Miasma? Liquid Miasma and whatever the Void was made out of mixed in?
The Sky is dark… I perceive silver grey clouds looking like made out of razor sharp blades. Lightning sometimes illuminates the place. I am somewhere… somewhere broken.
The lightning brings the rumble of thunder, which sounds like a beast growling through the whole infinite Ocean, but I can see something far far away in the slight shimmers of those multicoloured flashes.
What is this? Travelling further I see a dark dome shaped piece on the horizon, but it looks wrong. Closer and closer I can make out the gigantic spherical thing embedded in the only piece of Land there is. This Land… I know that Feeling! It is the Former World, that banished me! What is making a piece of Land here right next to my… Wait… That is my Soul!
…
“NULL! WHERE ARE YOU?!”
“Ahh! Snow? What is wrong?”
“Everyone heard your Voice in the Crater! You just cried out and shouted about something Broken, over and over!”
Back in Beta, I remember. Meditating the place where it invaded me brought me to where I was… That Dome… It was… Broken… My Soul is broken! I am not only damaged, I am broken beyond repair!
“Null! You look like you have seen a Ghost!”
“Ah! Damn it! I have seen my own Soul. It is not damaged, it is broken. Some parts of Crystals lay around the Island of the former World, but the Entity was not the reason for the Damage… It was broken by the Void. I am…”
“What are you talking about? Null is Null, and even if there is something broken, you are still here!”
I am… still here? Yes, I am broken but not fully destroyed. The pieces of crystal were attacks by the thing, but could not get near my Soul… Not only is it broken it is filled with Void. Like an overflowing chalice, I brought with me my own Void, but what does this mean?
…
“Ninety seven?
“Check!
“Ninety eight?”
“Check!”
“Ninety nine?”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“…”
“Ninety nine?”
“A small derivation, but now it is working right. Check!”
“One Hundred?”
“And… Check! All Wards are working. You can work me to the bone you know that?”
“Elane, you are studying the Runes like a Maniac. In only one Month you had learned not only every Rune, you even found some synergies I did not notice.”
“Of course I could learn them. The way you could show the flow lines and even how the Mana is reacting to each and every Rune is cheating!”
“...and just fusing those Runes in new Runes like it is nothing is not cheating?”
“No, as it is a logical conclusion for the overlaying Runes to be in a dual flow Synergy, by connecting their nodes right where they surge in the same direction. This makes a heteronymic Mana synergy between those two, to enhance and fuse the meanings of the runes into one for a multiplied outcome. It is basic Runic Knowledge!”
What is basic on what you just said?!
“To be honest I did not understand anything after the word ‘logical’ Elane. Is the Bastard sealed?”
“By the overeagerness of your hundred seals… Yes, it is sealed. The cries still pass through, but nothing damaging can escape. It even charges the runes, by trying to break the seals.”
“Do not be so sure. That thing is a professional in exquisite and precise Miasma control. It might break out when we do not monitor it.”
“...To be honest, this thing scares me thoroughly, but it is still an Outsider. It has no knowledge of our Runic Systems and should not be able to use them or break them.”
“I am an Outsider too. I could do it.”
“By using your Mana or Miasma invading it. All main sources of Energy that are manipulating the workings are outside and can only have your own messed up wavelength.”
“Messed up… Thank you.”
“Kuhuhu… You are welcome!”
Since the transformation into a true Witch Elane is like a different Person. Outgoing and carefree. It has to do with the side effect of Miasma, as it normally overwrites the mood into what the Miasma carries. My Miasma carries next to nothing of this and she gets flushed of the guarded Personality of her Mana. Now she is… Flighty. Her compensating her whole life against the guarding feeling now slings her into the other extreme, but she will get the hang of it, hopefully.
Also she is now the Teacher of the four Children who have magical aptitude. She creates out of them three Witches and one Warlock. Well it is her talking, but when they have learned all of the Mage knowledge I might infuse them with Miasma too. Only if they want to, though…
“Can I now go back to the Pillars in the Filter Room?”
“...Sure, but remember to take breaks once in a while.”
“Look who is talking.” giggle “I will be careful, but those Runes are so fascinating!”
Yeah, she tries to decipher the 3D Runes right now. Nothing I can say against it. She has that hobby since she was an apprentice. That is why she learned Shield Magic to begin with.
…
“You can go to the Root and tell them the Entity is fully sealed for now. Right now it can not harm anyone, but I will have to find a way to end it somehow. For now we are in a short respite phase.”
“And why do I have to go? I do not like them that much any more, you know?”
Well I understand Leafy in a way, but she is the best person to send.
“Multiple reasons. First you are now what they call a Woodwalker, and can prance around however you like, while they regret to have you and your loved one exiled.”
“...true, that might be fun, but I do not understand why it has to be out of vanity.”
“No, the true reason is, you need seeds to create a Forest inside the Crater, no? We have some on hand, but would need way too much time, if you start with only these. This is the best way to ask the Trees for their Seeds, as you can talk with every single one of them. I know that you will be able to ask them, as I remember them never stopping to talk.”
“Yes, that would be a great way to get the best seeds for a pristine and healthy Forest. Now I understand, leave it to me.”
“Don’t you mean ‘le…”
“End that sentence and I wrap you in vines so fast, you might not be able to escape your body in time.”
“Sure. Well your humour is not being grown that time you were in your little cabbage.”
And with that the Root should be less stressed. Also maybe Leafy can ask how the Elders are. They have gotten a really hard trauma through the scream. The Guards nearly attacked me after we came back. Sadly they didn’t. It would have been a nice way to have more to experiment on. Well I was incensed that time, so maybe I should see the whole thing out a more passive direction.
The next visit I expect might be Ivory Tower again. Angie has called me as she noticed a high influx of Guards with shiny Armour.
Christine has more juicy Information, as she found remnants of Tilean in the Abyssal Ruins. The Ruins itself are albeit magical not really dangerous, at least not for her. Going deeper she found some old pens, which lets me suspect that was a Meat production Facility for Monster Meat. As the Meat of the Earthen Ox is rather tasty, it might be true.
The place itself shows how Tilean was able to tame Monster. The People right now have not even an inkling about it. They just chain their wild trophies and keep them, even if it is forbidden officially as an outbreak might kill innocent people.
Betty is hearing much gossip. Halk is a Footnote to it, but as it is the transportation route for the tasty Vegetables and spicy eggs, the rumour mill is working hard.
Most people do not care who owns the Farms as long as they get the good Food, but some think it would be nice if an ambitious Leader would take over. Interestingly nearly no one knows where my Domain is. They just know, the Food goes through Telk and that is it. Ivory Tower seems to have put a gag order on the Information.
...Always me with the rambling. Back to the topic.
If Edgar visits again it would be nice to trick him again. But I do not believe they would really just visit again, as last time they just rudely insinuated something about an Army attacking me.