Finding the proper words to apologize for a friendly fire attack was never easy, especially after doing a few hundred of them. Dallion kept on flying alongside the jellyfish, keeping his hands clearly in view. He had no idea how the creature was able to see, but given that it had a perception trait, it had its ways. Furthermore, the way it changed direction to deliberately avoid him only confird his suspicions.
Learning to communicate with it was no joke eater. In the past, Dallion had grasped animal languages by combining his zoology and scholar skills. Sounds, body movent, even slls were transford into a series of symbols which he then deciphered, forming the basic ans of communication. Since aetherfish was a new species, Dallion decided to take what he had learned from sea creatures as a basis. After a few minutes of observation, he finally decided to have a go.
Hello, he said, combining music, magic, and zoology.
Once the vibrations reached the surface of the creatures body, it suddenly paused. A huge blob of curiosity appeared, filling the aetherfishs body entirely. Apparently, curiosity in this realm was ridiculously high, even after receiving all those attacks.
Can you understand ? Dallion used his magic skill to add a bit more calm and understanding into the creature. The attempt was successful, though even those were thrown out by the massive curiosity it held.
You can speak, the creature noted in an echoy, its thod of communication very similar to Harps.
Yes, I can speak. Dallion nodded out of habit. Sorry for hurting you a while back. I thought you were going to attack .
Hurt? A small blob of confusion erged within the atherfish.
This was an unexpected opportunity. Dallion could easily pretend that the attacks never happened. Alternatively, he could combat split in case that annoyed the creature. With a mind trait of 20, the creature risked seeing through the deception, though.
Didnt you feel pain up to now? Dallion focused on the aetherfishs point of confusion.
It was very annoying, and it stung, the creature agreed. Its good that you stopped.
The last sounded sowhat of a threat. Still, it didnt make sense. The attacks were real, Dallion used spark although, co to think of it, there never was a rectangle announcing the start of combat. Not only that, but the attacks didnt cause any damage, either. Dallion could see how from the point of view of the creature this wasnt a fight, but so jerk tearing up its clothes, in a manner of speaking.
I guess that when one doesnt have a body it doesnt get damage? He wondered.
Based on its skills, the creature wasnt able to attack either, just use spells, which it hadnt so far.
Yes, that was my mistake, Dallion continued along that line. His first reaction was to offer so of his magic to make up for the fact. However, quickly he rembered that was the fastest way to lose a magic level. For next ti, though, he was going to make a habit of carrying a magic filled artifact to use instead. Truth is, I just wanted to get the piece of stone inside you.
Huh? The creatures confusion grew. Why would you want that? Sure, it looks tasty, but its bitter and impossible to digest. Id stay as far away from it as possible.
Yet another misconception. There was no telling whether this was orchestrated by the Purple Moon, or the creatures had really attacked the obelisk on instinct. Knowing the deities of the awakened world, Dallion assud the latter.
They you dont mind giving it?
Cant. Been trying to spit it out for eternity, but its stuck. One of the others managed to get it out once, sohow, but even then it flew back in. Really nasty things.
Let try. Dallion extended his hand towards the creature. Anyone else would have instinctively moved away, but the combination of creature naivety and Dallions advanced level of music convinced it to remain put.
Careful, dear boy, Nil warned. Even docile magic creatures could be dangerous.
Bringing his internal magic to his fingertips, Dallion grabbed hold of the thread connecting to the chunk of rock and gently pulled. The resistance was such that rock refused to move. So much for the principle of pulling. It was tempting to try and stick his hand into the aetherfish, but the thought that I might get stuck there too quickly made Dallion rethink his strategy.
The solution had to be simple. Using combat magic to lt the aetherfish off the prize, no doubt, was one option. Part of Dallion urged him to do just that and get it over with. The calr him, though, decided to persist and find a better solution to the riddle.
Maybe the answer was to get the fish to swallow the monunt base and have the pieces assemble within it. It was a crazy idea, but given everything else
Can you rge with other aetherfish? Dallion asked.
Of course. The creature replied. Cant you?
No. Dallion laughed. Im different.
Youre strange.
If all of you rge, maybe the pieces will rge together? You said that you cant get them out, but what if you get them all in?
Only soone twisted would co up with such a solution. In truth, Dallion doubted that the Moon had deliberately done so. Yet, as long as the rules of the realm were followed, there was nothing to prevent it from happening.
A cluster of hesitation blobs appeared within the aetherfish, but they were small and with a few kind and reassuring words, Dallion was able to make them fade away. Not much later, he and the aetherfish were flying through the sky on their way to try out the strangest experint Dallion had had thought of. One would never guess that less than a minute ago Dallion was actively trying to kill the creature.
It didnt take long for them to reach the next aetherfish. Dallion had gone through his mories and chosen one, which had a chunk of the obelisk that would fit with the one they already had. Once that was decided, the creature cast a spell using its secondary tentacles and zipped through the air like a bullet. Thanks to Lux, Dallion followed soon after.
Without a doubt, it was lucky that Dallion hadnt irritated the creature to the point of using spells, because it was quite good at it.
Okay, Dallion said as both of them stopped. Ill explain the situation and
Before he could finish, the first aetherfish flew into the second, rging into one fifty percent larger. As all realm creatures, it didnt consider rging an issue or even a topic of discussion. That was good. What was even better was the sight of the obelisk chunks sticking to one another like magnets.
It worked. The large aetherfish sounded just as surprised as Dallion.
Yes! Great! Dallion felt a sudden rush of euphoria, one he hadnt felt for so long that he could barely rember. Thisll work.
Ill go to the
No! Dallion said quickly. Wait here! When I call you, just do as I say.
Sure. Once again, the creature was confused, but more than happy to oblige.
As for Dallion, though. That wasnt the case. Monts after the euphoria had appeared, it was quickly replaced by fearfear that the rest of the group might have done sothing rather rash. Unlike Dallion, they were adept in attack spells and just as likely to attack first and ask questions later, especially since they didnt have the skills to ask those questions.
Lux, get back to the obelisk! Dallion ordered.
The firebird complied, ripping through the air at speeds that in the past had made Dallion vomit.
No sooner had Dallion arrived than he split into instances, ready to set off in all directions. However, he didnt have to. All four mbers of the group remained near the obelisk, just as they ahd been prior to his departure. What was more, none of them appeared to have any intention of setting off hunting creatures.
All but one of Dallions instances faded away. Youre still here? he asked in a forcefully calm voice. I thought youd be off hunting creatures
Yeah, right, Phoil laughed. Youre the hunter. Thats your job.
There was no way one wouldnt be angered by such a response, even if in this particular case Dallion was also glad that they hadnt. Clutching a fist, he counted to ten, then exhaled slowly.
Did you find any creatures? Cheska asked.
Yeah, I found them, Dallion replied. I also found an answer to the realms riddle.
Oh? Raven took a few steps in Dallions direction. Tell .
Ill show you. Before that, have a barrier ready.
All four of the children looked at Dallion, then at each other. A barrier was soon cast, covering them like a transparent do of light.
So far, so good, Dallion thought. Now it was his turn.
Still in the air, he moved twenty feet from the obelisk. After so consideration, he retreated another twenty feet still.
You sure well be safe this close? Raven asked.
Youll be fine. Dallion waved at them. Youve got a magic barrier.
His reassurance must have not gone down too well, for two more barriers erged within it.
Dallion summoned his shield, then cast a volu spell. Back when he was learning spells at the Academy, this was one he had sought out specifically to make better use of his music skills. Now it was going to co into use in more ways than one.
Aetherfish, he shouted in their own tongue. The sounds were completely unintelligible to the rest of the group. For the creatures of the realm, though, they were the first instance of anyone addressing them. Curiosity emanated from all directions, telling Dallion that he had caught their attention. If you want to get rid of the rock chunks inside of you, you need to fly to the remains of the obelisk and rge into one. He added with as much calm and allure through his music skills as he could. Do that and the chunks will stick together.
Pausing for a mont, Dallion was about to continue with further explanations, when aetherish started to appear in the surrounding area like spaceships coming out of hyperspace. Even with his level of reaction, he was barely able to move back as the creatures rged with one another, growing in the process. A monstrous jellyfish of magic ford, the pieces of stone within its belly moving about like marbles in a washing machine.
Whoa, Dallion managed to say. He had seen a city be swallowed into the wilderness, dragons, the origins of the Star, even the worlds mythical city of the distant past. Yet, there was sothing inexplicably beautiful in watching aetherfish rge as the solution of a riddle.
Within seconds, the entire tip of the obelisk was fordone large piece that would fit perfectly onto the base. However, it refused to budge from inside the creature it was in.
Go into the monunt! Dallion shouted. Dont try to eat it or break it, just land on it!
Dozens of blobs of enthusiasm ford within the aethfish, followed by it slamming into the ground, over the monunt, Ravens group and all. Dallion himself had to pull back to be safe from the expanding magic jelly.
The obelisk piece turned around with the tip up, then slamd down, restoring the structure.
RIDDLE SOLVED
A huge red rectangle erged. That was far from all, though. The obelisk lit up again, shooting up a single ray of light up to the sky. Magic stread from the giant jellyfish, increasing its power to the point that it burned an opening through the aetherfish and reality itself, marking the path to the next realm.
Thats it, Dallion thought. The solution.
The energy of the obelisk was so intense that it created a layer of heated air between it and the realm creature. As if waiting for that, the giant aetherish burst, breaking up into a shoal of aetherish that started swimming around the monunt like fish in an aquarium.
MAGIC TALKER
( 2 Empathy)
There are more solutions to what is obvious. Its good that youve started to rember who you were. Dont forget that strength is still needed, though.
Well done, dear boy, Nil said. Two realms down!
Yes, two down But how many more to go?
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