Ilea grinned as they approached the colossal tower in the middle of the endless sands. Its dozens of layers each littered with confusing interlinked stone stairwells, rooms, and purely aesthetic creations as far as she could tell. She wondered how exactly the relationship between the Mava and Druned worked, but was quickly distracted from the thought when she saw the first stone golems moving along the side of the tower.
So of them she saw looked vaguely humanoid, with two stone legs and two stone arms, a few of them missing a head, others sporting three. Others had four legs and a single arm coming out of their torso, so yet floated, re silhouettes more like modern Earth drones than anything else she had seen before. They all were various shades of gray, angles, scratches, and sharp edges defining their features. None of them had eyes, at least not any that Ilea could perceive. So of their hands ended in stumps, others with many fingers or different tools.
They moved along the stone surface with their magic, either sliding along the gray surface of the tower or digging into it without leaving any blemishes behind.
Ilea landed with the Mava near her on a floor at least a few hundred ters above the sandy grounds below. She could feel the wind but not a single speck of sand reached this high, not right now. There were pillars and walls keeping the many layers above standing, a single slightly spiraled center coming up from the floor below and going up through the ceiling. The structure was even larger than she had assud from a distance, reaching a near thirty ter diater, though much of it was occupied with strange shapes and pillars.
She watched the Mava walk and float past and through the obstacles, so of them jumping atop the stone while others yet teleported away. Like a massive cat tree. The comparison imdiately made her think back on the ruins she had encountered with Octavia. It made a little more sense now. She smiled when she saw two small Mava shoot spells at each other as they rushed through the maze, jumping atop stairwells before vanishing to the floor above.
You must think us strange creatures, Ren Va spoke as he landed on a nearby stone triangle, sohow balancing atop it with two of his legs. To live in such a place.
Ilea raised her brows and smiled. Why do you think that?
Do you not build walls around your settlents, and square shaped hos to reside in?
I an sure, but you dont seem in need of much shelter, or walls to keep monsters out. If anything that would deter the hunt, she said and laughed. Maybe I should hire so Druned to build a settlent for high level humans.
She thought of the Elves in the Descent, or just Hallowfort itself, neither providing perfectly reasonable living conditions for a low level human.
Ren Va looked at her for a while. I might have to recheck my knowledge on humans. You are quite unlike what I expected.
Not the first to say that, I suppose, Ilea sent as she flew over a few benches and an upside down stairwell that led into the solid floor. Landing, she watched two stone golems ahead of her, each vaguely humanoid. She could feel the earth magic as stone ford from thin air, thin layers added to the floor in a circular shape, intricate patterns with tiny spheres and pillars appearing on the base before another layer ford atop.
Three Mava watched her from behind a set of shapes, their eyes curious and focused on her wings. She let them. Word would surely travel fast and they could ask if they wanted sothing.
Greetings, she said to the Druned in front of her, receiving no reaction. She watched as the second one raised its arms, shapes appearing on the second layer. At least fifty different ones, before once again another circular stone layer less than a centiter thick ford above. She waved at them but got no reaction.
[Earth Mage lvl 300]
Both had the exact sa level and description.
Greetings, she sent instead, targeting both of them with her telepathy.
They each turned her way, stone heads with no eyes, mouths, or noses looking at her as they remained in silence.
I didnt want to interrupt. Im new here, a guest of the Mava. Ilea, its nice to et you, she sent after ten seconds had passed.
The creatures watched her for ten more before they resud whatever they were doing.
No interest? Or do they not understand ?
She watched as the first golem started to use its magic once more, adding to the second layer of the growing structure. Looking through her dominion, she could see Octavia talking to a few Mava, Na Si stacking the snake at chunks, and finally focusing on Myr Iva, who was obviously glancing her way a few tis but tried to act uninterested as she lay atop a stone pillar, her tails moving in lazy patterns. Can you help with sothing? she sent to the fox.
Myr Ivas ears rose up instantly, her eyes opening wider before she turned her head towards Ilea. What do you need help with?
Do the Druned not speak? Ilea asked.
Only sotis, Myr Iva sent.
Sotis with everyone?
Sotis, with so of us. I have spoken to them many tis and only received answer thrice, the fox replied.
Thats curious. Any idea why? Ilea asked.
Ohn Ika says they will listen but dismiss most. You can try to find out if they will answer you, Myr Iva sent and smirked slightly.
Not very helpful. Im sure you know more, Ilea said, furrowing her brows.
I might! the fox said.
She smiled. Very well. So its a challenge.
Ilea sat down near the two golems, using her dominion and spacial perception to see if she could figure sothing out about them. She didnt bother them with talk any longer. As ti went on, the small set of platforms created by the two golems grew, ever upward. Soon they started to increase the diater of the disks set atop the now hundreds of supports below. There were patterns, she noticed. Patterns and inconsistencies. The forr in how the tiny supports between each disk were placed and the latter in the form of less magic used in the creation of so tiny support bits.
She opened her eyes wide and smirked. Its a ga.
The realization ca to her right when the small tower started to topple. The golem to the right had won. They lacked enough discerning features for Ilea to individually recognize them in a crowd. Even the magical feel she got was downright the sa.
So I could try to tell them sothing, or show them my magic. The Mava reacted to my fire.
She burst out in fla, though the only reaction she got ca from the foxes that had been watching, two of them quickly rushing away while the last one opened its eyes wide. The Druned however, did not react.
Instead, they got rid of the toppled bits, not even letting it fall before the stone returned to magic, only the base platform remaining.
Her flas vanished again.
I saw so of you in the domain of Audur, she sent, but again, there was no reaction. This ti the two didnt even look her way.
Hmm.
Im not giving up this easily.
She waited until the ga was reset before summoning ash. A disk ford, about half a ter in diater, including a few dozen tiny supports, all of which floated towards the prepared platform.
May I play? she sent.
This ti the Druned turned her way. They waited. Ten seconds, twenty, then the one on the right answered.
Your turn. It topples. You lose. Its words were spoken deliberately, the voice deep and echoing. As if large drums played in her mind.
Should we bet sothing? she asked, placing her supports with the help of her dominion and spatial awareness.
The Druned watched her, then they turned to the small platform she had placed. Ten seconds later, the sa one answered.
No.
She smiled, sitting with her legs crossed in front of the platform as the one who had won previously created a set of stone supports to place onto her circle of ash.
Amusing, Myr Iva sent.
Did I do sothing culturally unacceptable? Ilea asked.
No. They always play, if you ask, the fox replied.
How is it so amusing then?
Youll learn. In ti, Myr Iva said.
Ilea didnt have to wait long. She took her ti to analyze the supports her opponent had placed and set to add her own. Even before she could place everything, the tower started to collapse. Of course she couldve tried to shift things around or to manipulate her ash to stop it but she had not seen the golems try such a thing before. She had lost. After one single platform.
What did I miss?
She heard the fox laugh into her mind and ignored it.
The adow had presented her with puzzles to train her space awareness and manipulation. And now she was losing in a ga of stacking? She didnt know how the ga was called but stacking seed appropriate.
Again? she asked the golem.
It didnt reply but dissolved its stone, the other golem stepping aside before stone ford around it. Its humanoid shape was added to until a solid and smooth cube remained, sinking slightly into the tower platform before it remained at a slight angle.
Ilea watched the process with wide eyes before she tried to look at the surroundings, using all her senses. There was magic present, but not enough. Then again, the cube itself had changed. Did the golem move through the stone or deactivate sohow?
Is the entire tower here made up of Druned? she asked the remaining golem, not expecting a response.
It looked at her for about ten seconds. No. That is silly.
I suppose it is. I dont know your kind. Apologies, she said. You start this ti.
The golem didnt reply but started forming stone shapes again a mont later, Ilea focusing more this ti, her entire world reduced to the small platform.
She lost again.
Then again. And a fourth ti.
The Druned never stopped playing, never seed annoyed, nor did it offer any advice. It simply ford the supports and placed them.
Her awareness and magic perception helped, but it just wasnt enough. There were too many facets, too many intricacies. At first she had thought it a simple ga of balancing stone but as ti move on, she started to see feints, offenses, defenses, ideas hinted at but yet to be executed. She was taken out of her focus when Ren Va spoke into her mind.
The feast is ready, human.
Let finish this one, she sent, focusing back on the ga. She lost again but the smile didnt leave her face. Four platforms toppled. For the first ti she had managed to keep the base stable, forcing the Druned to add its second platform. Ill have to join the Mava for now, thank you for the gas. If I find ti, Id like to try again.
She waited for the Druned as both ash and stone vanished into mana.
Learning fast, human. I shall be here, the Druned replied.
Aweso. Im Ilea by the way, she said and stood up, bowing lightly to the being. It didnt reciprocate the gesture but she hadnt exactly expected it to do so. Shaking its hand seed a bit too aggressive.
I thought you foolish, but you got to four platforms in the manner of a few hours, the fox said, a wide grin on its face.
She noticed now that there were a few dozen Mava watching her from various spots on the nearby stone. She squinted her eyes as wisps of white fla ford. Many of them rushed away. She didnt feel like being watched like so circus animal.
You say that like its impressive, Ilea said, turning back to Ren Va.
It is. Very much so. I have only managed to reach eight platforms twice. What you accomplished, few Mava have done, though I suppose fewer are interested in learning the ga, the fox spoke.
Ill try again when I find ti. Feast? she asked, sniffing the air but finding little proof of what the fox claid.
Ren Va smiled. Not on this floor, human. We must rise, he said and started flying.
She did the sa, spreading her wings before she glanced to the golem. Do you know its na?
I do not, but I can lead you to this place again. They return to their favorite spots, generally, he said, leading her out of the tower and then up, other foxes rising as well, many of them climbing instead of flying with magic.
Thats good to hear. So what exactly is the deal between you and the Druned? she asked.
They build, and we let them build, Ren Va spoke as they rose.
Ilea started to hear sounds by now and she saw spells firing out into the open. Music. Fast hisses interspersed with growls and the hissing of fire. Thats it? Sounds a little too simple.
I thought the sa, Ilea. We provide protection to them, we admire their work, we live in the hos they provide, rest on the stone they create, we appreciate them and so they appreciate us, but that is what I thought. What many of the Mava think. Though I do not anymore believe that the Druned are the sa. It is not an alliance, a truce, or a treaty. It simply is. They build. And we let them build.
Simple, Ilea sent with a smile. The connection between them seed almost inherent. As natural as the cycle of mists and storms. She wondered when it had started. If there was so ancient Mava that talked to the Druned or if the needs and wants of their species simply happened to align incredibly well. The sll of roasting at started to distract her, the newcors flying up and into the wide open layer of the tower.
The sa obstacles were present, though there were fewer than at the layer farther down. Several hundred Mava lounged about. So were cooking with magic, others performing music on instrunts summoned from their Classes, so were chasing each other, though most were simply watching, perhaps talking with each other through telepathy. There were all kinds of colors, all kinds of magic. Ileas perception was a bright sh of different schools, what she felt suggesting many foxes in the three hundreds and above.
Is that the entire Skal?
Those who felt like coming, Ren Va spoke.
When is the food served?
When it is ready, the fox replied. Enjoy yourself.
Ilea grinned, watching the absolute chaos with delight. So many orderly etings of the Accords. They dont even have chairs here!
She drifted into the commotion with glee, watching the magic until one of them brought her a floating plate with seared at on top, spices decorating the fine cut.
Ilea used her ash to take over, looking at the nearly yellow fox with red eyes. Thank you. Here, sothing in return, she sent and summoned one of the cakes from Popi. Made by my friend Popi, a baker from the city of Ravenhall.
Its beautiful! the fox sent. What do I do with it? she asked a mont later, the cake floating atop a disk of ice.
Its food! Ilea sent and bit into the at, savoring the fatty taste and delightful herbs. The snake at wasnt tender by any ans but it had been prepared perfectly.
Food? the fox asked as curious eyes wandered towards the cake and the ash covered human. He didnt seem convinced.
Trust , try it, Ilea said and used a tendril of ash to carefully cut a piece out of the cake, moving it towards the fox with her space manipulation.
It hesitated but curiosity and perhaps peer pressure won out as a few dozen foxes had started to watch them.
The Mava bit down. Then chewed. Mouth still full, his eyes opened wide, the ice holding up the cake shaking before it vanished. Ilea caught the falling cake with her space magic. The Mava gulped, tears forming on the edges of his eyes before his mouth opened slowly, sharp teeth showing as he floated up and forward, closing his mouth around the rest of the piece. Cheeks bulging, the Mava closed his eyes and cried in silence. He shuddered, then gulped, burning eyes opening before he rushed towards the floating cake.
What followed was a massacre. Tails moving out, ice shards embedding into the floor and ceiling, cake bits flung aside. A twitching fox remained, its movents slow, eyes upturned and whispers uttered.
Silence reigned until so of the Mava started to lick off the bits and pieces that had been flung aside.
Is there more? one voice reached her. Careful. Small.
What is this creation? another voice. Questioning.
What is it? This one was demanding. Aggressive.
My na is Ilea. Let it be known, that Popi of Ravenhall sends his regards, Ilea said, spreading her ashen wings as she ascended before the gathered Mava. White fla engulfed her. And then the cakes appeared.
Reviews
All reviews (0)