'That's odd,' Daz thought as he neared the cause of the endless shaking.
He had crossed so sort of threshold from the looks of things because just behind him, the walls, ceiling, and floor, were splintering from the tremors.
However, where he stood the hallway was completely unaffected, almost as if there was an invisible line that, when crossed, all strange quakes ceased entirely.
"Well, I've lost my tracking thod now," Daz said aloud.
He was certain he was in the right area of the palace he just didn't know where to go from here. "System, any hints?"
In response, he got a quest.
Quest Title: Stop The ShakingQuest Type:SideQuest Difficulty:C-rankQuest GoalStop the shaking that threatens to level all of Lian'Wa'Runda.Quest RewardsThe acknowledgent of Lian'Wa'Runda's core.
Daz nodded lightly in surprise. "Not overly helpful but also not unwelco. Easy too, judging solely by the difficulty rating."
He looked around a bit before choosing to simply scour the place with his Soul Vision. It was as good a thod as any other he could think of to find Ellie or the source.
His grey eyes began glowing though he saw nothing new with them, leaving him at even more of a loss.
"Further in, then," he decided as he got moving.
A few hallways down he spotted two souls, one of which he recognised. "Ellie..."
The other was massive. It was less a soul and more a powerful entity of enormous size. At least, based solely on its soul which was a bit rhombus-shaped and about the size of a person.
Ellie's soul, in comparison, was completely ordinary except for the smaller soul linked to it, her mother. It was just a floated orb like any other person's soul.
He frowned but kept his thoughts in his head for now. He instead chose to charge towards her location.
At the end of the hall, a big tal door that appeared to have been frozen over not long ago was slightly ajar. Just enough for a person to slip through.
Ellie and the owner of that strange second soul were in there and he could faintly hear yelling. It wasn't eligible enough to make out though.
'An argunt? I wonder what about,' Daz thought as he slowly and carefully stepped through the crack in the large set of tal doors.
What he had entered was a spherical room of pure white. A single bridge spanned from the tal doors he had co in through towards the centre of the room.
Below the bridge was a flowing liquid that was snow in colour but frozen in texture. It flowed endlessly and emitted steam-like vapours. 'Almost looks like molten ice, if that's even possible.'
At the end of the bridge and the heart of the room, Ellie was screaming at a large man-sized icicle that Daz imdiately felt a connection to.
Clearly, this was the owner of the soul and its body was the exact sa size as its astral form. Ellie's robots also had the thing surrounded, weapons drawn and were threatening to destroy it.
"I'm telling you to stop it!" Ellie yelled sternly. "Don't think I won't break you, because I will!"
"You are not my master. You people killed my master. So I, too, shall die with him. Do it. Destroy . It'll make the process that much faster," a low humming from the icicle replied.
Its voice was feminine and domineering. Daz didn't doubt for a mont that it would do as it had said. Mostly because of his Eyes of Truth, but there was also a firm conviction in its voice.
It humd again and then address Daz directly. "Another cos to claim . I will not allow yo- ... You seem familiar... You are the one who killed my master yet you seem so... friendly."
"Daz?" Ellie called in shock. "I, uh, t-this isn't what it looks like."
He nodded as he approached. "I believe you. I don't imagine you wanted to destroy the palace and endanger everyone inside of it, did you?"
Ellie paled before she turned back towards the icicle in fury. "I told you to stop it! You're going to kill hundreds of innocent people!"
"No one is free of sin. Besides, I do not care. You are free to leave though I doubt my storms will subside even after my destruction," the icicle said in an uncaring manner.
It then focused on Daz. "You. Why do I feel like I can trust you? Why do you wear the guise of a friend when you have killed my master?"
"I will answer any questions you may have for provided you stop whatever it is you are doing. I promise you we shall not do anything to you, not nor Ellie here. That includes her robots," Daz offered with open hands in a show of peace.
'This thing isn't made of ice. It's probably a crystal of so sort, hence the desire to befriend . I can use this. It's the core of this entire mythical city, isn't it? What an opportunity,' Daz thought.
"If my answers don't satisfy you or even if they do and you still wish to be destroyed as your master was, I will not stand in your way," Daz said.
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It seed to hesitate for a mont before asking, "Do you speak in good faith?"
"I am a being known as an Archreaper who evolved from a Justice Reaper, a creature whose very existence revolves around the truth and doing that which is right. Even if I had a reason to lie to you, I wouldn't. It goes against my very nature," Daz explained.
That was true in most regards. He could lie if he needed to but it felt unnatural to him when doing so. That was one of the primary reasons he had reservations about manipulating the dia.
It made him feel wrong to not be honest and forthcoming. Not a pleasant sensation, to be certain. Evolving wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. It altered one's very being down to their core.
Ellie wore a sceptical gaze upon hearing Daz's words but kept her mouth shut. A wise move in his opinion.
"... Very well. Good faith must be returned with good faith. I will stop my self-destruction process. For now, at least. Answer my questions. All of them," it demanded.
"Of course, but only if you agree to answer so of mine. That is only fair, is it not?" Daz requested.
"Okay. I can agree to this. I wish for that one to leave though," the icicle said, pointing one of its edges at Ellie. "Its presence unsettles ."
"Hey! I was just tryin-"
"Ellie," Daz interrupted, "It's okay. Icicle..." he left his sentence hanging, hoping to get a na.
"Icicle is enough. You need not know my na," it replied.
"Fair enough. Icicle, Ellie here is a valued friend of mine. Let us compromise. Ellie, can you have your robots leave?" Daz asked.
Ellie wore a complex look on her face as she stared at Daz. Ultimately, she nodded and raised a palm.
All of her robots flew into her outstretched hand and turned into marbles which she then stuffed into a satchel at her waist.
'That's new. What a useful and versatile talent. I wonder if it's a similar technology to what Crusher's hamr uses or perhaps it's magic. She is a witch, after all,' Daz thought as he got a bit closer to the icicle.
Congratulations! You have successfully completed the side quest [Stop the Shaking].Quest RewardThe acknowledgent of Lian'Wa'Runda's core.
He reached out a hand and said, "Do you mind if I touch you? You give off a comforting aura."
That was true but it also emitted strong feelings of curiosity towards him. He couldn't bla it. GriD CrosS and the gems he kept with him from the Astral Crystal Plane were similar.
It likely had never t soone who was so naturally disposed towards sentient crystals like he was.
"You may," it answered.
"Unbelievable," Ellie muttered. "It wouldn't let get within even two tres of distance from it. It said it would imdiately detonate if I did."
Daz turned and gave her a bit of a wry smile, trying to show so helplessness at the scenario. He had no idea if he conveyed his aning well.
It wasn't an emotion he truly felt. If anything, he was much like Lord Lit'ur here; completely in control. At least, his status as a Crystal Digger made him feel that way.
Should he so will it, he could move this icicle as he wished and he could even crush it with so much as a thought. 'Good thing destruction isn't my hobby, creation is.'
"Please, Icicle, ask your questions," Daz said in a kind, warm tone while he felt the chill of the city's core et with his flesh.
Advanced Cold Resistance has reached Level 6.
"Why did you kill my master?" was its first question.
Daz nodded. "I did not intend to. You can see the shovel behind , yes?"
"Indeed. You used it to end my master's life, destroying his body entirely in the process," Icicle replied coldly. "It confuses why I feel the urge to forgive you and listen to what you want to say unconditionally. It is similar to my master but... different."
'It's sowhat naive, not unlike Grid. That makes two sentient crystals with the ability to talk that are sowhat childlike despite being presud ancient beings. Odd. Rimmy isn't like this,' Daz thought as he readied his response.
"My shovel is very special. It can only be used by . I had no plans to kill Lord Lit'ur. He, however, grabbed my shovel, Hamson. I had no control over this. Any who grab him will be consud, effectively killing them. Any bar ," Daz explained.
"I... I see. And you speak no falsehoods?" Daz nodded imdiately. "Oh... How... how tragic. Why were you fighting if you did not wish to kill my master?"
"I wanted to learn more. About him, about this place, about you. I wanted to add this entire place, all of Lian'Wa'Runda to my great kingdom. I have a deep respect for mythical cities like this place," Daz confessed. "I already own two, both of which are ancient and were abandoned. I am working to fix them; to make them whole again."
"Lian'Wa'Runda... That is my true na... How do you know of it? Is what you said true? You value places such as this? You do not seek to destroy it or control it? To destroy or control ?" the icicle asked, a deep sense of hope in its voice.
"The system told ," Daz replied before he tackled the second end of its questions, "And no, I would never destroy such a beautiful and mystical place as this. Perhaps I would lessen the storms, but no. As for controlling... would I need to? I think not. You know... I am the ruler of a city quite like this one."
He smiled softly before asking, "Can this place move, Icicle? I could not help but notice the system calling this place a globe. I can only assu it's a dinsion within an item, perhaps?"
"... You are correct," the shard of man-sized ice answered. "Tell of this other place, the one that reminds you of here."
"It's an entire world," Daz said grandly, infusing his Ember of Majesty into his words. "It was destroyed a long, long ti ago. A re fragnt remains but it still holds the core of its planet at its heart. It's a flying city that can move. I call it Fort Sky and its core is a sentient crystal that can control gravity. He calls himself Grid Cross." His smile widened. "I'd love for you two to et."
"That... that does sound nice. I admit, you have drawn in. I... can I entrust myself to you? To et this 'Grid Cross'? I have never seen anything like myself in... well, ever. I awakened in this globe on this planet. The family my forr master belonged to spoke of more like where their ancestors ca from." Daz didn't fail to recognise the eagerness and raw desire that his Ember of Empathy could sense coming from the crystal.
It sighed longingly. "Fanciful stories I told myself. They had to be. However, to perhaps see soone similar to , even if not quite the sa as , the allure is too much to not cast aside my pain. Please, beco my new master, even if only to allow this eting."
Daz shook his head. "I have no desire to own you. I do not own Grid Cross. He helps and I help restore him to his forr glory as the core of a planet. Beco a part of my kingdom, Lian'Wa'Runda. As a citizen, not as a re object to be controlled and ordered."
"... I would like that. Tell , what is your na?" it requested of him.
Daz grinned a little. "High King Daz Crowthorne, but please, just Daz is fine. I'd like to consider us as friends."
"Friends..." A peculiar warmth spread from the spot Daz was touching. "I like that. I do not forgive you for accidentally killing my forr master. He was not a cruel man. Not to , at least. However, I can see the pureness within you. I will happily join this 'kingdom' of yours. Please, take to this 'Grid Cross'."
Daz nodded. "I will. Not imdiately but very soon. Can you stop the storms?"
Advanced Cold Resistance has reached Level 7.
"Yes, I can. Although, there is an issue..." it claid a little bit ominously.
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