One day, I decided that I should see the world. The tales he told me were wonderfully fantastical ‒ of great cities that hid below lakes and oceans, of floating palaces built out of aged living wood, to hidden valleys where flowers sprouted from stone. All of these… I had hoped to see for myself.
He did not come with me, but his words and teachings followed me. On my journey, it was as if his spirit walked beside me as I met new friends and companions.
Teacher always said- 'if you want to travel quickly, travel alone. But if you want to travel far, travel with others.'
-???
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"...This creature tastes like rotten slime." Yuelei growled as she tossed away the skewered morsel she was holding back into the fire. The sudden addition to the flames caused the flames to cackle as if in complaint.
Yuelei and Liur had carefully descended the papilated dungeon that seemed to have once been an underground great shaft, littered with various rooms that laid off to the side.
I didn't know you to complain about food. Liur, who was perched nearby on a stone table, looked up from her meal of Notresnak. They were disgusting creatures, resembling a slimy eel-like earthworm that fed on dirt and took nutrients from the carcasses of the most miniscule of creatures.
If properly prepared, it would no doubt be a delicacy, but Yuelei did not have those skills.
“I’m not being picky, it’s just that the taste is repulsive.” Yuelei snorted as she reached in and pulled back out the half-burnt meat. Without a word she started to chow down on the more blackened parts, forcing the bland and squishy meat down her throat.
“I should have picked up some all-spice.” Yuelei lamented, but quickly chased the thought away. It was ‘nice to have’ but not a necessity.
The food your kind makes is indeed better. We should pick up some if it is not a hassle. Liur was the one that spoke up, agreeing with Yuelei’s unspoken opinion.
“We can certainly afford it.” Yuelei opened one of the zippers on her Palian Satchel, revealing the masses of coins and money that she had made or claimed as a spoil of combat. “But I am not inclined to walk among humans anytime soon, even if it is unavoidable.”
It is an inevitability in this age. Liur agreed.
“Let’s continue travelling. There is much ground to cover and we can’t use flight to speed it up..” Yuelei waved a hand, and a gust of powerful wind deftly put out the small fire. If not to cook the meat, Yuelei would have preferred not to host a flame.
As they left the room that they had taken refuge in, they returned to the main shaft that had an endless spiral of stairs. In the center was a gaping hole with pitch blackness.
Yuelei had tossed a few pebbles in the center of that spiraling room, but she had not heard the sound of something hitting the bottom. Liur had commented that they could rapidly descend via flight, but it was quickly reconsidered as it would be easy to get ambushed.
"..." Yuelei took out the Four-Chambered Vial that was gifted to her and gave it a hard shake. In the past, each of the chambers were filled with expensive and rare concoctions and essences, but nowadays it merely served as a portable light.
Dim, pale green emanated from the heart-shaped vial, barely illuminating the descending stairs in front of them.
There is not much life in this dungeon. Liur commented quietly while carefully surveying the surroundings atop Yuelei's shoulder as she descended.
"There are no plants and no water." Yuelei nodded. "Perhaps that will change when we reach this 'Underdark'.
My ancestor’s memories tell of great tunnels beneath the lands, but there is nothing about what they are like. Liur replied.
"And what did the stories say?" Yuelei asked. They had made decent progress,and the lack of danger made the silence deafening.
It was the place great cities went to lie. They said that great elemental titans walked the earth, and wherever they clashed, lone cities and towns would be buried underneath the ground or sea. Liur replied. Of course these are all just words spoken, there are no memories of such places.
"Hmm…I suppose if a Great Spirit like Lumnieve or a Divine Being like Grendel would be able to accomplish such a deed.” Yuelei nodded in response. “I wonder how the war is going. I’m sure that it would have been a sight to behold if Ellivita is encased entirely in ice, or buried into the ground.”
You speak of grim things. Thousands of lives will be lost. Liur admonished, but did not deny that possibility. If any of the Great Spirits intend to do such a thing, they must have a reason, or the Spirit Walker will stop them.
“Lin would?” Yuelei was surprised. Did Lin really have that much influence?
Indeed he would. Liur did not meet Yuelei’s questioning gaze. It is not a story I know well enough to tell, and best heard from your mentor himself.
What I can tell you is that he rebelled against his fate that had been plotted for him, but who could really blame him?
“Now, you are making me ever more curious.” Yuelei snorted but let the matter lie. Even though she had spent over a year under Lin’s tutelage, he was still as mysterious as ever.
Over there. Liur suddenly halted, and pointed a wing down the spiraling corridor. There were occasionally doorways standing opposite of the gaping abyss in the center of the shaft, leading to small side rooms that held sparsely anything of interest.
What Liur pointed at however, was a pair of what appeared to be bodies that were nested away in a corner of one closer room. Yuelei crept closer with a Frost Edge at the ready, in case the dead decided to reanimate and come back to haunt the living.
"This has been here for a while." Yuelei commented upon seeing the state of the skeletons. The makeshift armor was in a state of decay, hiding bones that had been cracked open and gnawed on, probably for the marrow within.
"It looks like a group of Uthrak followers died here trying to kill each other." Yuelei murmured to herself after seeing how the skeletons faced each other with weapons in their hands.
There's a strange stillness to the air here. Liur flapped her wings. It makes me uneasy.
"They're just skeletons. What's so strange about them?" Despite Yuelei's words, she conjured up a thin rod of ice that she used to ruffle through the remains
Traces of old magic linger here. These people did not kill each other willingly. Liur cautioned as her talons dug into Yuelei's shoulder in warning. Can you not sense it?
"I don't feel anything." Yuelei replied, but she quickly backed off. Liur's instincts were many times sharper, and their bond allowed them a sense of what the other was feeling.
"Let's keep going." Yuelei shook her head and they continued to descend the ancient steps.
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"...I had not expected this place to be so intricately beautiful." Yuelei commented as she stepped out of a doorway at the bottom of the stairwell.
She felt it was a bit ironic that every time she ascended or descended a long path of stairs, it was always something spectacular she would witness at the other end. Perhaps it was one of the unspoken rules that dictated what is considered ‘grandiose’.
Yuelei had expected dark caverns and treacherous cave tunnels, but it was exactly the opposite. The tunnel was not straight, but the ground was roughly paved with stones, forming a road that delved into the beyond. Fluorescent mushrooms and fauna lined the sides of the road from pots or hanging from the ceiling, shedding trace amounts of light that even human eyes would be able to make out the surroundings.
“I had not thought that the Underdark would be so... “ Yuelei struggled to find the correct word. “- bright? It’s like an entirely different world.”
Not all beasts are uncivilized. Liur clicked her beak, as if slightly offended. In a different age, magical beasts ruled the world.
“Oh, I’m sure.” Yuelei chuckled as she teased Liur.
Some tribes probably took this place as their home. Liur ignored Yuelei and continued explaining. If the stories that woman said were true, then the denizens of this place will not look kindly to humans.
“Then we’d best be prepared.” Yuelei adjusted her satchel, moving it into a position that was less comfortable but less likely to get in the way of a fight.
We will have to see if they are still able to be reasoned with. But i doubt it, especially if adventurers came along. Liur said in an annoyed tone. They are the best at destroying homes.
“I didn’t know you had such thoughts towards other humans, especially since you were so docile back when we were with Eullina and at the Royal Knight Academy.”
It is not so different between humans and beasts when it comes to hatred. Liur shrugged. Much like there are certain types of beasts I detest, there are certain types of humans that I would gladly crush beneath my talons.
“That is reasonable...” Yuelei agreed.
Magical beasts are reasonable. Only you humans plot. Liur clicked her beak in annoyance, but soon quietened down. She knew it was partially her ancestor’s memories that influenced her to think this way.
However, the reason Yuelei agreed was due to Lin’s teachings.
Let’s keep moving.. Do you have the map?
“We should take a right here, and it’ll lead us past the fallen city.” Yuelei pointed.
…
There is something on the road ahead of us. Liur was the first to catch notice of the sound of something moving ahead of them. I don't hear steps, so it must be a creature without legs.
They're moving quite rapidly. We only have about ten seconds before they arrive here.
"We will ascertain if they are friends or foe." Yuelei drew her blade and started to conjure up several Winter Moons. A creature moving swiftly meant two things, either they were fleeing from something, or they were hunting and chasing prey.
"That's a…" Yuelei was slightly taken a back after seeing what came slithering down the corridor. The long reptilian scale embedded with green, the contoured upper body as if it was humanoid, a pair of claws clutching what appeared to a bundle of mossy green fabric, and a pouch seemingly woven from unknown glowing fiber… that was Yuelei's first encounter with a naga.
From the way the creature’s chest looked, it seemed to be a female. When it saw Yuelei in the middle of the path, it seemed to hiss with a deep hatred and fear. Releasing one hand from its bundle, it brandished a jagged blade as it continued to charge at Yuelei.
“Ssseteth vim lorss!” A forked tongue between a fanged jaw hissed indecipherable words at Yuelei, but Yuelei paid it no heed. The Winter Moons behind her shimmered briefly for a moment as they were about to be launched at the frenzied naga.
However, the first to react was Liur. She held up a wing at Yuelei as if to stop her, but in the next moment, a wall of ice was suddenly conjured in front of Yuelei. Not a split second afterward, Yuelei could hear the twang of two bowstrings.
One sound rang out with an arrow shattering against ice, and the other one was one of metal digging into scaled flesh. There was the sound of something toppling, and the naga toppled on the ground next to Yuelei’s side. Based on the way it fell, it clearly just wanted to sprint past Yuelei and flee those that were pursuing it.
"Finally got you, little… eh?" A pair of figures caught sight of Yuelei as the protective wall of ice disappeared.
"A woman?" The older of the two, a figure cladded in dark green leather called out towards Yuelei while eyeing Liur. In their hands were gnarled grey composite bows, and their attire made them appear like assailants in the night.
"It's not often we see newcomers down here." The other individual, a young male classed in similar camouflage attire held up a hand in greeting as he strode towards Yuelei.
Be careful, Yuelei. Liur's cautionary words caused Yuelei to take a step back. These two don’t seem like adventurers to me.
"Keep your distance!" Yuelei shot back, her icy tone and shimmering Frost Edge causing the two to falter.
"We are just fellow adventurers!" The older of the two gestured for the younger one to stop. "Let us gather our prey and we will leave…"
"Show me your card. Otherwise, come closer and you will die." Yuelei replied icily as she eyed the fallen naga on the ground. The arrow seemed to have burrowed into the creature's nape, and the creature was clearly conscious. The injury seemed to affect its sense of balance, yet it still cradled the bundle in its hands as if protecting it.
"Fine, fine." The closer and younger of the two reached into his clothing and a card of silver metal flew through the air at Yuelei's feet.
In the moment that Yuelei took her eyes off the two figures to look at the card, there was the sound of two twangs as two arrows whistled through the air.
The charged arrow that was fired at Liur was deftly slapped out of the air with a wave of a wing. The other, a sneaky arrow fired from a hand crossbow beneath the younger man's cloak was blocked by a giant claw of ice that had formed over Yuelei's non-dominant hand.
“Tch. I knew it wouldn’t work.” Their sneak attack thwarted, the two disguised assailants quickly turned around and tried to retreat.
“Did I say you could leave?” Yuelei was a step ahead of her and Liur had disappeared from her shoulder. THe two that turned their way to return from the tunnel from whence they came suddenly found themselves face to face with a menacing Frost Phoenix.
They had initially thought the creature on Yuelei’s shoulder was a hawk of some sorts in the gloom, but they quickly realized how wrong they were.
Before they could even decide which of the two were the lesser evil to try and break through, Yuelei’s five Winter Moons darted towards them in quick succession.
The sound of flayed flesh and splintered bone was quickly engulfed by the sound of consecutive explosions akin to the sound of a chorus of a thousand snowballs being pelted against the wall.
The older of the two, and perhaps the wiser, was the first to quickly realize how exactly they had messed up. In the thin veil of snow that blanketed the area, he tried to dart away into one of the caverns that was separated from the stone-embedded main road.
He did not take two steps until he felt a deep burning sensation at his chest. Looking down in time just to see three lances of ice jut out from his chest, his life was quickly ended as another one impaled him through the skull.
Yuelei had much more explosive capabilities, but Liur had unerring precision and zero hesitancy to strike.
The naga watched with fearful eyes as Yuelei and Liur showed no mercy, striking again at the two fallen followers' heads and ruthlessly executing them.
"That was a good call." Yuelei applauded Liur as she ruffled through the belongings of the dead. As soon as she peeled back the camouflage cloak, she was met with the sight of various tribal tattoos, confirming Liur's analysis.
That clothing of theirs was probably taken from someone. And an adventurer without any sort of traveler’s pack either meant they have a great and valuable artifact that warped space, or their camp is nearby. Liur replied haughtily. They are hundreds of years too early to try and fool me.
“...They have absolutely nothing on their bodies. They definitely came from somewhere nearby.” Yuelei sifted through the corpses impaled with spears of ice with her Frost Edge.
You. Do you know where they came from? Yuelei looked over to Liur, but her voice was not directed at her. She was looking at the naga that was still struggling to stand up.
“Ssseteh ssbu” The naga replied in a tongue that sounded like hissing and spitting in Yuelei’s ears, but Liur perked up, clearly understanding the tongue of magical beasts.
She doesn’t know. The group of ‘uncivilized savages’ suddenly showed up one day in numbers and overpowered their camp.. Liur translated for Yuelei. She said, as they were fleeing, that there were people dragging sleds filled with all manner of items, as if they were hauling around luggage.
Before Liur finished, the naga again spoke up in a series of hisses.
She’s asking what we are going to do to her since she knows we didn’t intend to help her in the first place. Liur’s beak curled up in a smirk. It’s much easier dealing with an intelligent race.
“Tell her that we want information, and then she can go. I’ll even spare a bandage for her.” Yuelei said bluntly, pointing her Frost Edge at the naga and causing it to hesitate and wince for a second, not understanding her words. The arrow embedded in its tail had clearly been caught in a sensitive spot. “For one thing, what is that bundle she’s holding? Is it why she was being chased?”
Liur relayed the words and the naga seemed a bit hesitant before forcing herself up by pressing against the wall. She carefully unwrapped the wrapping that upon closer look, seemed to be made from shed snakeskin, revealing a clutch of long, thin, reptilian eggs within.
"I see." Yuelei nodded her head. "Tell her we want to know about all the humans that have gone through these parts. Even if it’s a whisper of a rumor, I want to know it all.."
She says that the last season below in the night has seen quite a lot of humans. Liur seemed to be struggling to translate the intricacies of the tongue of magical beasts. “There has been a camp…. No.. .home, set up for the humans at the edge of the ruined hall. The cursed city has humans going through it although they have no idea what they are doing.”
“She is telling us that we should avoid that place if we know what is good for us.” Liur’s eyes sparkled. “A great many of her kind has gone missing in that place, even before the humans cometh. A tale told by her clutch-mother says that when the first humans came and went into the dark city, they returned a crushed and mindless group, as if they have become mad. They carved tattoos on each other with daggers while screaming at nothingness, as if worshiping a great monster.”
“Hmm…” Yuelei took a few moments to digest the flurry of information that was just presented to her. She did have half a mind to check out this long-lost city, but the naga’s words dismayed her. However, before she could make up her mind on a tactical plan of action, Liur continued to translate the naga’s continuous hissing.
Three heroes came. We took note of them, and kept out of their way. They were the ones that chased the lost out of the fallen city, and the lost chased us away from our home. Even the denizens of the lake returned to the depths, and with them gone, none are tilling the algae farms.
“It must be the three that Viffe mentioned.” Yuelei realized whom the naga was talking about. At that point Liur gave Yuelei a look that she quickly understood. After considering it for a brief moment and taking another look at the bundle of eggs, Yuelei shook her head slowly. She did not hesitate to kill, but she was not a monster to take advantage of someone and then kill them.
Yuelei walked over to the naga, who shrunk back as she approached. Her jagged blade had slid away when she first fell, so it was unarmed. Yuelei slowly took out a Homeostasis Potion and placed it on the ground in front of her.
“Tell her how to use it.” Yuelei told Liur before she walked over to where the identification card was on the ground. Liur did not seem too happy about it, but she did as Yuelei asked. THe creature gingerly pulled down the bundle she was holding so she could pull out the stopper on the potion. After eyeing the pink mixture in the bottle suspiciously, it dabbed a few drops on the wound before pouring the rest after seeing the results.
Was that wise? Liur eyed the naga as it gave Liur and Yuelei a grateful bob of her head and started to slither away down the path. Royal naga eggs are quite tasty, and I’m sure she is escaping to a different tribe. A few generations down the line, that clan would grow strong. Magical beasts have long memories, and they will seek revenge.
“That is not our concern.” Yuelei replied coldly. “They may look like humans, sound like humans, but they are incapable of being anything but our enemies.”
And that one’s warnings about this fallen city?
“The map said that the fastest way to go through the Underdark is through the city.” Yuelei pondered to herself. “...We’ll travel closer along the edges, and hopefully the three VIffie mentioned are making enough of a commotion that we can go by unnoticed.”
Although I am certainly interested in what is in the heart of the city. Yuelei did not finish saying the thoughts on her mind. Curiosity was a dangerous thought, especially in strange and unfamiliar places like the Underdark.
“Let’s keep moving. We’ll need to find a place to make camp soon.” It was hard to tell in the Underdark the passing of time, but it was better to take a rest prematurely then wait until one was tired.
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…
“Have you heard anything about how the war is going?” Yuelei asked as they were setting up camp. Liur was usually the one that spotted good places to rest, but without being able to fly and gain a vantage point, it was Yuelei that decided to make camp by digging a ledge that overlooked the main underground road.
Currently, Yuelei was digging through her Palian Satchel for her supply of rations, mainly consisting of hard bread that she had acquired from the Papalis Marketplace, as well as dried and cured meats that she made on her own or with June’s assistance.
Did you guess that I went to see the scenery when I wasn’t with you? Liur clicked her beak together in annoyance. Yuelei grinned but did not say anything as she placed a small cube of salted meat in her mouth and tossed another at Liur.
“Where else would you go?” Yuelei replied as she stared into her pouch. She had allocated one of her four separate pouches on the Palian Satchel for food supplies, another for alchemy, another for tools, and the last one as her storage for money and other miscellaneous things she picked up.
There’s still a week before Lady Lumniueve will arrive at Ellivita. Liur replied. Many in her path have already been evacuated, but there seems to be some adventurers that have risen to the occasion to try and stand against her. As such, her advance is being delayed by fools seeking death.
“Huh, there are adventurers that would stand against Lumnieve?”
I would not say that they are ‘standing’ against her. Rather they are merely finding ways to deter her advance. Telif said that a great mass of people are gathering near the Royal Knight Academy, so it seems like they are going to try to make a stand against her.
“They haven’t learned from when Lumnieve sailed past the first camp?” Yuelei frowned.
Your kind is ingenious to a fault. No doubt they think that they have come up with some sort of idea to prevent them from freezing to death. Liur scoffed, before changing the topic.
Lady Nenhym is currently engaging in battle on the northern front, at the edge of a great fortress. She is one of the elder Great Spirits, but there seems to be quite a number of talented individuals battling against her legions and the Shadeless. She has still yet to enter the fray.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
”Is she intentionally drawing things out?” Yuelei asked. “If she is as strong as Lumnieve then-”
Lady Nenhym can’t get serious without a dire reason.. Liur replied. If she does, then your teacher would step in to stop her since it would mean the loss of a great number of lives. Even more than what Lumnieve can wrought.
“Those with power hold great responsibility… and make great compromises, was it?” Yuelei recalled her teacher’s words.
Your teacher has a lot of history. My great-grandmother’s memories speak of him as many things. Liur shrugged. He went by a different name, before the change.
And no, I can’t tell you about it. Liur shut Yuelei down as soon as she opened her mouth.
“Tch, then why tell me just enough to leave me curious?”
Because the unknown is what keeps you on your toes. Liur said quietly. There are very few creatures that have lived centuries or more, and yet maintain a constant vigilance.
But enough chatter, get some sleep and I will take the first shift.
Yuelei nodded in response and wrapped the Sheive Cloak around herself, taking comfort in Liur’s presence and soon dozing off. In many ways, her conversation and Liur’s companionship was how she was able to survive in this world.
A few minutes after she fell asleep, Liur took her eyes off Yuelei’s sleeping form and turned her eyes toward the dimly lit Underdark road, her own thoughts wandering in the darkness.
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"Should we go out?" Yuelei spoke quietly to Liur as they peered out from behind a large boulder. In the distance, they could see orange and red lights, the signs of a camp. The twisting cavern that Yuelei and Liur traveled down had come to an end, but the lights at the end of the tunnel made them hesitate.
They had traveled for another day in the Underdark, battling against a Hookbrute, a monstrous horror akin to that of a crab with its chitin exoskeleton and a Nezyul, a meat-eating plant that had hundreds of vines with mouths akin to a venus-fly-trap.
Neither of the two were truly menaces against Yuelei and Liur's combined might, but fighting one enemy is not the same as fighting an entire tribe?
Can you make out if they are those savages?
"If they are wearing the clothing that was stolen from the dead, then we wouldn't be able to tell either. There's enough of them that they would give it to whomever it fits."
Why don’t you just meet them? It’s one thing if I make an entrance, but with you, they might be a bit more wary. We can see their reactions and after that we can decide if we want to retreat. Even if there are a few powerful individuals among them, we should still be able to get away.
“Just like in the old days.” Yuelei nodded, recalling a certain maneuver they had performed against a pack of elks. “Fine, let’s give that a try.”
One of the patrolling sentries pointed at Yuelei’s figure as she walked out of the cave, and the other quickly put two fingers to her mouth and let out a high-pitched whistle. Yuelei flinched, but kept walking forward, with Liur remaining and watching in the shadows of the cavern.
“Come no closer until you’ve identified yourself!” One of the sentries called out to Yuelei, telling her to stop. Yuelei quickly heeded his words as she noticed several more adventurers arrived, each one with hands on the hilt of their weapons or on their quivers. However, they soon quickly relaxed as their eyes wandered past Yuelei and looked behind her.
“I was wondering when you would finally muster the courage to show up.” Yuelei nearly jumped as a voice called out from behind her. She quickly turned around to see a slender female seated on a small outcropping of rocks.
Yuelei quickly realized that she had walked past that woman cladded in a shimmering dark-green leather attire without even noticing her.
“We’re not savages, if that’s what you’re worried about.” The woman smiled, and despite her attire, it was a rather warm smile. “I was listening to your conversation. Were you talking to someone or something?”
“My companion.” Yuelei replied curtly. “How would I know if you’re not one of those… cultists?”
“Do you think a beautiful woman like me would be out here if they were cultists?” The woman fingered her dark greenish hair and jerked a finger at the sentries. “Mind you, the way they stare at me might as well be. It’s like they’ve never met someone with dryad blood before.”
The woman’s words caused some of the sentries to give a hearty chuckle, followed by an awkward laugh.
“But one woman to another, here’s your proof.” The woman started to undo the buttons on the front of her vambrace, causing some of the sentries to stare. However, they were clearly unlucky as the woman suddenly walked in front of Yuelei with her back to the sentries, and pulled apart her clothing to reveal the skin below.
“See? No tattoos, no marks of any kind. Pure unblemished skin.” The woman winked at Yuelei. “Believe me now?”
“Yes.” Yuelei felt that this woman was either quite playful, or just a bit shameless.
“Eithne, will you stop playing around?” A gruff voice shouted out from the crowd, and the woman in front of Yuelei twirled around and stuck her tongue out.
“Alright. Your turn.” Without warning, EIthne grabbed Yuelei’s wrist without her reacting in time. “Tell your friend to come along too, before they accidentally get shot by an arrow.”
“Where are we going?” Yuelei asked as she sent a message to Liur to come along.
“Why, to strip you down inside a tent of course.” EIthne flashed Yuelei a smile, but it only caused Yuelei to frown in response. “It’s only fair right? I show you mine, you show me yours!”
Yuelei wasn’t sure if it was better to escape with Liur or not, but Liur’s sudden appearance and landing on her shoulder put the nail in the coffin.
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Half-breeds are always the strangest of humans. Liur complained. And the dryad races are known to be particularly fussy and lively.
"Skin the color of fresh-fallen snow." Eithne tutted in admiral as Yuelei redressed. "Ahh, I'm jealous! Was your mother an artic fox or something, Alia?"
"I've never met her, so I wouldn't know." Yuelei replied curtly, trying to get accustomed to the name she had given the woman.. "She died when I was young."
"Ah. Mine too! It seems like it's the fate of the parents of half-bloods to go through misfortune." Eithne nodded as if agreeing with herself.
"I'm not a half-blood."
"Eh? Let me see!" At Yuelei's denial, Eithne quickly jumped up from her seat. Before Yuelei could react, she had leaned in close and took a deep whiff of Yuelei's scent.
"...I really can't tell. There's too much intermixed scent between human and magical beasts." Eithne shook her head. "And here I thought that I was good at scents as well as hearing."
Is she insulting me? Liur, who was perched atop of the tent's support pillars, leered at Eithne. Although Yuelei was surprised Liur would tolerate her, she was far from friendly.
"But enough about that. Let's get some food. It'll be on me!" Without waiting for Yuelei to reply, she had disappeared from where she stood. In the next moment, both Yuelei and Liur found themselves being dragged out.
The only other person in the small cookery was the chef, who was cleaning off plates was a middle-aged man. It was blatantly obvious he was looking over at their direction in curiosity, but he did not say anything behind the counter from which he stood.
“So what’s a young flower like you doing down here? Run away from home?” Eithne teased as she sprinkled handfuls of what looked like black pepper onto her mushroom stew.
“Just looking to pass through without any problems.” Yuelei replied. She had not warmed up to this strange person who insisted others strip and be searched. Although Yuelei understood the need to, it was still an uncomfortable experience.
“I’d think you would be a cadet, but it seems like you were an established knight.” Eithne replied. “Such a young one too. I don’t suppose that emblem on your card was for show after all. Once you grow up, I’m sure the League will pay much attention to you.”
“Good for them.” Yuelei said coldly as she ate her food. The taste was mediocre, but at the very least, it was a hot meal along with a flavored drink. If there was anything that Yuelei missed, it was the taste of spice, and Liur shared the same sentiment as she tore into a monster steak nearby.
“But to have a companion that’s a phoenix, it’s like that other man I met before.” Eithne patted a finger against her chin as she tried to remember that person’s name, “...Don’t recall his name, but he had a phoenix companion too. But it was the normal red one and not blue.”
So that ‘prestigious’ family line is still kicking. At Eithne’s words, a puff of cold air flew out of Liur’s nostrils. Of course, Yuelei was the only one that heard Liur’s words.
“He was an insufferable arrogant prick. Him and that phoenix.” Eithne rolled her eyes. “You’d offer it food and it would just glare at you. I heard phoenixes were prideful creatures, but come on! That was a good meal!”
“No offense, of course.” Eithne flashed Liur a smile, and Yuelei almost let out a laugh at Liur’s look that she shot back. It was a mix between petty amusement and indignant accusation.
I dislike those of the Fey-kind. Liur snorted before returning to her meal. They have no restraint, find humor on the most foolish of things and-
"But yes, if you are looking to reach the city and to the other side, your best bet is come with us." Eithne nodded to herself as she pointed a fork at Yuelei. "It must be fate that you managed to find us here on the last day before we move camp."
-and they tote around the word 'fate' at every chance encounter. They'll twist stories in ways to make it seem like it was destined.
"I will have to politely decline." Yuelei said quietly, but firmly. The naga's warning was still relatively fresh on her mind.
"It's too dangerous to go out alone!" Eithne stood up and slammed her hands on the table. "Especially near the city if you don't have a Reliquary!!"
"...A Reliquary?" Yuelei was not familiar with the word, and the way Eithne talked about it made it seem like an item of great importance.
"You don't know? There is a dangerous beholder that appeared in that city a few weeks ago." Eithne sat down after seeing Yuelei's reaction. "Nobody knows where it came from, but it announced that all who approached the center of the city shall be slain. There is a deep miasma that has settled in the city, and the only way to navigate the miasma is with a Reliquary."
"It's something we found after wandering in the fog for who knows how long." Eithne explained. "It's an old golden box with runes that we cannot read or open, but it seems to emit an aura that keeps the miasma at bay."
"It's the only way to navigate the city now until we find a way to deal with that Beholder. That miasma is some dark magic that drives people insane if you are there for too long. We had one poor soul that just seemed to age fifty years and he kept screaming about some gibberish that he keeps hearing 'some sort of song, some forsaken melody’."
“Can’t I just go back, and take a different path through the caverns?” Yuelei pointed out.
“You can’t. The miasma has been spreading, so you’ll still run the risk of encountering it” Eithne shook her head. “The reason three S-ranked adventurers were sent here is to deal with this miasma, and that’s by dealing with the Beholder.”
“What you can do is turn back and travel above. Although you’ll likely run into the Followers of Uthrak since they’ve been chased out from the underground. All other alternatives would mean you will have to make a lot of detours. You’ll be safer and faster sticking with us”
“On your quest to kill a Beholder? What if your team isn’t its match?”
“Two of us is all we need to deal with it. Although it is strong, it has not entered the realm of a Divine Beast. Lugh was sent just as a security measure in case things go wrong, but Nuadha and I are enough to deal with it.” Eithne said confidently with both her arms folded.
“...You’re saying this like I have a choice.” Yuelei sighed. “Either I go with you, or I end up having to walk around the Ona Chaparral.”
“That’s right, and the other option is to return to the camp and wait for the good news, but who knows how long that’ll take when we are just wandering blind until we can encounter the Beholder.”
Yuelei didn’t say anything, instead looking over at Liur. She was more familiar with the actions and motivations of magical beasts than Yuelei was, so she would defer to her opinion.
Beholders… they are a line that was thought to have been lost or died off aeons ago. Liur replied. They are often spoken in legends among your kind, but among magical beasts, they are known to be highly intelligent and knowledgeable. It’s said they could see through everything and their observation skills were second to none. Liur recalled the stories from her memories.
They are reasonable creatures. Worse case, as long as I am with you and we don’t attack, they will leave us alone in regards to our contract. Liur bobbed her head as if coming to a conclusion. We can use the humans, and I am curious what this ‘Reliquary’ is as it clearly has significant meaning.
“We’ll travel with you for now.” Yuelei replied after getting Liur’s affirmation. If there was anyone that was more cautious of the naga’s warning, it would be Liur.
“Perfect! Once Lugh and Nuadha gets back, I’ll introduce you. I’m sure they’ll be happy to meet you as well!”
“Eithne, are you insane!? You’re going to take a young girl like her into the city!?” Yuelei stood awkwardly to the side as a man with flowing-black hair and dressed in sparkling white armor pointed a finger at her without even looking at her.
“You don’t get to speak! What are you even thinking?” When Eithne tried to speak up, Lugh simply clapped both of his hands on her shoulders and picked her up. He started to shake her back and forth as if he could shake some sense into her.
“Lugh, she can’t speak if you keep rattling her. Her mind is already missing a few pieces as is, so take care not to make her dumber than she is now.” A man dressed in a wizard’s robe and toting around a grimoire sighed as he tried to mediate the matter.
“Nuadha, you know I’m right here! It’s not right for us to take a young child into that place!” Lugh released Eithne, who tumbled onto her bottom due to the difference in height.
“But she needs to get through the Ona Chaparral, and this is the best course of action.” Eithne scowled, as she picked herself up. “Would you have her travel alone above now that the Followers of Uthrak were forced to evacuate?”
“She does have a point.” Nuadha rubbed his chin as he weighed the pros and cons.
“I already explained it to Yuelei.” Eithne stuck her tongue at Lugh. “You’re just a big buffoon that doesn’t understand the situation!”
“I may have a few pieces missing, but I’m not an idiot that acts without thinking like this buffoon here.” Eithne rolled her eyes at Nuadha. “And are you telling me the ‘Alphascape Surveyor’ can’t even keep an eye on one little girl? Some Divine Being you are.”
“That’s not supposed to be public knowledge.” Nuadha sighed, but did not deny it. “Well I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to let Miss Alia know prematurely. Mayhaps one day far in the future I may come ask her for a favor in return.”
“Out of the question. I would rather leave then owe a stranger a favor.” Yuelei replied coldly, and Liur glared over at Nuadha.
“This is partially our fault, so it’s only fair if we take her across.” Eithne interjected, and it looked like she wanted to say more but Lugh had clamped a hand on her mouth.
“Shut up and contemplate on your actions!” Lugh scowled. “Why must you always be so willful?”
Eithne rolled her eyes as if saying Oh, so I’m the willful one around here.
“Don’t worry about them. We’ve known each other for years.” Nuadha nodded at Yuelei as she watched the two of them fight. “It’s the same old scenery, but it is enjoyable to see something so familiar far from home.”
“I suppose fighting is a form of love too.” Yuelei commented as she watched Eithne pull on Lugh’s hair.
“I see that you have a beast companion of your own.” Nuadha gave a slight bow to Liur, to Yuelei’s surprise. “They say that the life of a phoenix lasts forever, and is bound to bring good luck to its bearers. Is it true?”
“Nothing lives forever.” Yuelei shook her head. “But it you can say that it’s kept me preserve my youth a bit.”
Such a teller of lies. Liur’s beak curled up into a smirk, but she clearly understood Yuelei’s intentions.
“That was something I didn’t know. It seems like magical beasts still have as many mysteries as there are stars in the night sky.” Nuadha shook his head before turning over and telling EIthne off. It seemed that at some point she had gained the upper advantage and clambered on top of Lugh’s shoulders.
“Enough. Eithne, since you vouched for her and we have very few women in this camp, she’ll be staying with you. It’s about time you shared that tent of yours.” Nuadha gave out the order as Eithne clambered down to the ground.
“You’ll still have to earn your keep.” Nuadha nodded at Yuelei as he made his way out of the tent. “Lugh, let’s go. We need to prepare the Reliquary, and prepare to leave as well.”
The camp was quickly deconstructed in a matter of hours. Yuelei was forced to help out EIthne with dismantling and dismantling her tent, and even after everyone else was finished, she and Eithne weren’t even remotely done.
Part of the problem was that Eithne was focused on chattering and avoiding work, so it ended up with Yuelei doing most of the work with wind magic. At the very least, it was a training opportunity for her.
“Usually Lugh helps out.” Eithne grumbled as she carefully packed the items into her backpack. It seemed to have similar properties to Yuelei’s Palian Satchel, but it was capable of storing much more. Yuelei did not know it, but it was an item given to high-ranked adventurers and crafted by one of the League of Adventurer’s own enchanters.
After two hours with all the supplies of the camp loaded and condensed into backpacks, Eithne and Yuelei went to meet up with the others.
The camp seemed to consist of twenty-four people, but Yuelei paid them no heed as her eyes were drawn to the item that was being held in Lugh’s hand. The ‘Reliquary’ was a strange monk’s staff that was wrought from silver and gold. It was embedded with jewels on the ornament at the top, with runes carved into the gemstones themselves, and there were faint traces of magic that seemed to emanate from it.
Despite the relic looking like something that belonged in a museum, it was also clearly a container of some short, with a bizarrely-shaped keyhole in the center of the orb on the top of the monk’s staff. Whatever contained within was clearly something of either great value, or contained immense power to release lingering magical traces into the air.
"All packed? Let's go, and make sure to stay within fifty meters of the Reliquary." Lugh nodded politely at Yuelei. His behavior, attitude and attire made him appear like one of the fabled knights spoken of in the Holy Land of Ecclisa, and if not for the quarrel earlier, Yuelei may have had the same misrepresentation.
There were several glances tossed in Yuelei's direction, partially because of her age, and partially because of Liur. However the majority of them were seasoned adventurers that were handpicked for this expedition, so they were not looks of greed or spite.
"What's your specialty? Sword or sorcery?" As the doom-driven merry band began to move, one of the adventurers, a middle-aged man walked up behind Yuelei and posed a question.
"Sorcery." Yuelei replied hastily, and he pointed to the center of the group. It was then Yuelei realized that the people of the camp had assembled into Pentagon-shaped formation, with the melee-oriented fighters at the edges, followed by a circular arrangement of mid-range archer, and the mages in the center.
"I had you figured for a mage." Nuadha nodded at Yuelei as she fell into stride with the other adventurers. Despite the orientation of the firepower, it seemed like the very core of the formation was actually the Reliquary, held by Lugh, which was strange since his apparel clearly marked him as a swordsman.
"Based on our estimates, we will arrive at the ruined city end of today, and then it'll take us four days to navigate through the city." Lugh informed Yuelei nonchalantly. It was gut instinct, but out of the three leaders, Yuelei felt Lugh was the most trustworthy
“I’m Lugh of Lorresta. We never actually introduced ourselves, did we?” Lugh smiled. “It’s a small village to the far north-east, where it is a land of forested hills. That old place is full of traditions of heroes and villains, and it’s custom for one to go traveling the world and only return after they’ve completed ten thousand tasks.”
Ah, I have heard tales of that respectable land in my memories. Liur pitched in. It is said that those that come from that land are written into legend, and there are even some that have conquered great evils without anyone else knowing.
“And how many tasks have you completed?” Yuelei asked, bemused.
“Only sixty-four.” Lugh shrugged. “I have decided to tackle the hardest ones first. Hopefully on this quest, I will complete another three.”
“They say in my land that magical beasts are as wise as any sage. Would you not help me convince this young girl to turn back? Where we are going is no place for someone such as her.” Lugh nodded at Liur before bowing his head to Yuelei. “No offense, but it would be significantly safer if you waited.”
"We will manage ourselves." Yuelei replied curtly. "I will not sit back and let time make the decision for me."
"You may have involved yourself in something horrible." Lugh sighed. "You will get a second chance later to turn back after you see it for yourself."
"We have company!" Before Yuelei could reply a warning shout jolted the others into action. Yuelei turned in the direction from where the shout came and she could see a group of naga warriors rapidly approaching.
Their eyes do not have any light. Liur’s words drew Yuelei’s gaze at the group to focus on the forefront naga.
“Their eyes…” Yuelei tore her eyes away from the creature’s face. It was as if she was peering into an empty void, or an endless abyss. Their irises were obsidian black and black veins seemed to run alongside the side of their faces towards their ears, and traces of black mist could be seen wafting away whenever they blinked.
I’ll keep an eye out. Liur took off from Liur’s shoulder and hovered above the center of the pentagon formation.
“Formation A.” Nuadha calmy called out, but the adventuring group was already moving before he gave the command. The middle line of the pentagon stepped forward, and the archers and other mid-ranged fighters released their arrays of projectiles into the frenzied horde.
The way the group moved was closer to an elite military unit than a band of adventurers and it showed even more as the rangers each took a new position, a step behind the front end melee specialists. With the new gap in the formation, the five mages in the center released an array of long range spells down the newly opened gap.
Coupled with the skillful accuracy of the rangers, the group of 20 or so nagas was reduced to only six when they arrived at the frontline, and even then they were quickly executed by the melee specialists.
That woman… Eithne, she managed to get three with a single arrow. And although Nuadha’s Implosion spell didn't kill any of them, it eradicated their charging momentum and led to the death of those that remained. Liur’s eyes scrunched up as she relayed the situation to Yuelei from above.
“You all seem accustomed to this.” Yuelei commented to Lugh, who had not moved at all since the confrontation.
“We were all part of the same mercenary corp for several years.” Lugh replied before starting to complain. “If anything, I’m not the one accustomed to this. Why do I have to tote around this ugly-looking thing? Usually I lead the outer-ring….”
“That’s because chief, you’re the chosen one!” A shout out from one of the warriors at the back of the formation that did not see combat caused a couple of good-natured laughs to ring out. Yuelei didn’t find the humor in it, but based on the smiles it was clearly some sort of internal joke within the group.
“Keep your eyes out if you have time to be cracking jokes.” Lugh snorted, but did not retort. “We must be getting close to the miasma if we see maddened creatures.”
…
I see it. I have never seen such a thing before. Liur was the first to spot the miasma in the distance, and within three minutes, Yuelei and the rest of the group also caught sight of the teething ‘miasma’.
“...It expanded from the city again,” Nuadha commented as he checked his map. “Before, the edge of the darkness was much further away from here. This rate of progression is not good..”
“This darkness…” Yuelei looked into the endless darkness and felt a very powerful sense of unease. The seething, writhing blackness looked like the lightness night, but there was a consistency, a life, to it that caused Yuelei’s senses to go haywire.
For a brief moment, Yuelei felt like she saw tendrils of darkness wriggling in that black abyss, and a series of strange sounds in her ear, like a melody.
“Do not focus on it.” Lugh was the first to react, holding one hand across from Yuelei’s eyes and cutting her vision off. Almost instantly the things Yuelei was seeing and hearing disappeared. “There is a strange magic in that smog. What you just experienced is just a small percentage of the full effects if you were to breathe it in or let it touch you.”
“Lugh, go check if the Reliquary’s effects are still effective” Nuadha gave the order. “The rest of you, get ready. Alia, stay here and wait for Annerose to come by.”
“What do you think?” Yuelei asked Liur as she returned to perching on Yuelei’s shoulder. It’s like an aura of sorts, much like the Winter’s Breath we maintain around our bodies. But this is almost on the same level as Lady Lumnieve’s Winter’s Breath in scale. I cannot tell if it’s natural or the result of a spell. Liur glanced over at the darkness. At the very least, the effects it had on you doesn’t seem to have any effect on me by sight alone.
“You’re Yuelei, right? A woman walked up to Yuelei and her attire made her look like one of the clerics from the Holy land of Ecclisa. “Hold still a moment, please.”
“Knight’s Blessing. Feather steps. Greater Vitality. Heighten Senses. Mageguard.” The petite girl pointed a wooden staff at Yuelei and rattled off a series of spells before doing the same for Liur.
"Enchantment spells are truly wonderful things." Yuelei noted how her body was lighter and even her unease from earlier had disappeared. "If only I could learn a few, but I don't have the capacity for light magic."
"Annerose is indeed a talented light magic user. It was quite the struggle to poach and take her when she was a cadet." Overhearing Yuelei, Nuadha slipped into the conversation.
"We certainly wouldn't mind having a Divine Element user in our group either."
"I will have to decline. My magic does not function well in groups." Yuelei replies curtly. Divine Being or not, she would not be pulled into any factions.
"Is that so? Out of curiosity, can you show me?" Nuadha pressed on, but halted after seeing Liur's glare. "I am not trying to recruit you, merely access your abilities for this journey."
"Fine." Yuelei held up a hand and a Winter Moon quickly formed. She lazily tossed it in the distance, where it exploded into a cloud of icy shards and consecutive blasts.
"Is that your signature move?" Nuadha rubbed his chin after seeing the devastating effects. "How many of those can you throw out?"
"Yes, and several hundreds before I can feel the drain." Yuelei shrugged.
"Hmm…" Nuadha looked at Yuelei strangely, and her sense of unease shot up briefly.
"No, it couldn't be." He shook his head. "You"ll stay by Lugh and take instructions from him. Despite how he looks, he has very good instincts."
"...It looks like the Reliquary still works." Lugh commented as he returned, but his comment was needless. Everyone had seen how the miasma seemed to part when the Reliquary approached. The diameter was a hundred meters, and it was like a clear sphere was carved into the miasma when Lugh approached.
"Are you still going, Alia?" Lugh looked at Yuelei. "I cannot promise you will make it to the other side."
"At some point, questioning my commitment will become rude." Yuelei said coolly. "I will not turn back, and I will take care of myself."
"Then I won't question your conviction any longer." Lugh nodded. "Nua said that you will be under my instructions, so you will have two tasks."
"The first is more for you companion. When we are in that miasma, we will be maintaining the same formation, but anything coming from above we won't see about. The job is to be a lookout."
"The second is for you Alia. You must guard me against all odds." Lugh's eyes narrowed. "Or rather, you must protect the Reliquary against all odds. One of my hands will be used to hold it, so I am only able to guard it with reduced efficiency."
"Well, it shouldn't be a problem and as long as Nuadha is around." Lugh rubbed his head.
"Last call for preparations!" Nuadha’s voice range out magically. “If there are any objections, speak up now!”
“No? Then we move forward!” Without any pomp and circumstance, the declaration was the signal to go begin the expedition into the abyss.
With ceaseless vigilance and cautious diligence, the formation slowly moved towards the miasma as one. As Lugh approached, the enchanted smog seemed to shrink back, and thus began the slow and tedious trek.
"We will take a quarter's day march to the last location we had made camp, at the edge of the city." Nuadha informed Yuelei of their plans. "We abandoned some supplies when the miasma first was released, so now is a good time to recuperate them. At the same time, we will be able to assess and monitor the situation."
The formation compared to earlier was much more closely knit, and there was only a few meters between each layer of the pentagon formation. There also seemed to be some adjustments, and Eithne was now standing to their right.
"Heyyy Annerose, can you cast a Light's Warmth on me?" Eithne grumbled.
"Just because you are part dryad doesn't mean you need light all the time. Deal with it." Annerose turned her down curtly.
"Ah, tsk tsk. Never works on you. Alia, did Nuadha ask you yet?"
"I turned down the offer. I have all the companionship I need here." Yuelei reached up and rubbed Liur's back.
"Ahhh, well it was a long shot. I doubt that he could pull someone like you in the first place." Eithne shrugged.
"Less chatter. We need to be on guard." Lugh admonished them and Eithne stuck a tongue out in response.
Something's coming. Liur suddenly jerked her towards above, and Yuelei quickly took action.
"Above!" Yuelei shouted and the formation faltered for a moment as they heard the unfamiliar voice, but in the next second a flurry of activity took place.
The melee specialist quickly stepped back until they were side by side with the mages. At the same time all the mages started chanting spells and the rangers knocked several arrows on their bows, or prepared throwing weapons.
In the next instant, several gigantic Pivlocs, oversized dragonewts appeared from the miasma from above, bearing the same symptoms as the nagas encountered previously.
Still, with the early warning, they were swiftly shot down by an array of projectiles. Pivlocs were only dangerous in groups against weaker adventuring parties, but this was the elite of the elite. In a manner of seconds, the battle was over and bodies fell on the ground all around them.
"That phoenix told you?" Nuadha asked as he retracted a shield of yellow light. When the bodies fell, he had covered the group in a thin barrier that repelled the blood and guts.
"She has a name, but I cannot tell you." Yuelei replied.
"That's fine. She has some extraordinary senses if she can sense things in the fog. Even I can't see beyond that dark veil." Nuadha nodded.
"Let's keep moving."
The journey to the remnant camp was slow and arduous. The Reliquary seemed to attract monsters and humans alike. The battles were swift and one-sided, but there was a skirmish every ten minutes and that was enough to slow their trip.
Finally after half a day, the remains of old buildings came into view, and one of them flew the symbol of the League of Adventurers.
"Looks like we've arrived. We will make camp here tonight. I want sentries on the roof and at each entrance in pairs. Keep an eye out in each direction." Nuadha was swift to bark out orders that were followed by a flurry of movement.
Unsure of what to do Yuelei took a look in the distance. She could barely make out the edge of a lake, but it was obscured by the darkness. The underground cavern that they were in was humongous, and even Liur could not estimate how far the ceiling was. The few buildings that were visible thanks to the Reliquary boasted beautiful curved architecture that was made from strange greens and blue stone. As Yuelei took in the sights, Eithne had taken up a spot next to her.
"Welcome to Nolg’ona. The Forgotten City On the Reservoir."