M.D.Syl
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Chapter 111 colorless
🕑 Added 2023-09-02 16:52:09 +0000 UTCChapter 111 A Clue.
I’m a clue, a hint for greatness.
Forward I lead, despite the madness
I light the dark, I’m a small mark, a spark.
Yet, everyone think they understand me,
in their own way.
Mayan, the Ocean Fairy.
I’m getting dragged by the weird man, and notice the dumbfounded faces of Salik’s men around the camp. This is embarrassing… how the hell am I going to explain this? Salik should be the one doing the explanations of what he’s doing in his snaking tent right now!
The men’s eyes fall out of their sockets when the naked man who drags me. The man's back bulges and grows in size, he leans forward dragging me with his head, my chest pressing against his massive back as he runs on four. The creature grows in size and turns into a massive black horse. His hair turns into his mane, and I am pulled by it to sit on his back. The horse bolts forward making his way between tents into the dark forest.
“Loyal?!”
“Niiighhh!”
Great… now they’re going to tell stories about how I’m snaking with my horse… this is just great! “What are you doing? Where are you taking me?”
“Niggghhhhehe!!” His speed only increases.
Where the hell is he taking me? What is he going to do?
Ok, calm down, panicking won’t help… if he’s intelligent, he knows what he’s doing… “I trust you can find the way back?”
“Nigghhhhe!”
I really hope that was a yes… “Good! Then I’m waiting for whatever it is you want to show me…”
We ride through the darkness. The dark forest turns into a swamp, but Loyal rides on the muddy water like it’s solid earth.
An armored humanoid surrounded by an aura of dark energy exits from behind one of the nearby trees. He stands in our way in the middle of the path, aiming a spiky spear toward Loyal’s chest.
“Loyal!” I call out in alarm. I can't even aim my hand to cast spells, my hands are stuck my horse's mane. I struggle, trying to release my hands, but the horse ignores me and gallops through the figure as if he isn’t even there.
I look back in confusion. The armored humanoid turns and scratches his head, looking at his spear as if it’s defective.
My horse keeps thundering through the swamps. He doesn’t falter even when a large black monster seeps up from the ground, blooming like an explosion until it almost equals Loyal in height. It leers towards us, movements strangely jerky, disjointed arms reaching towards us to present wicked claws that could disembowel me with barely a flick.
I recoil, trying to release my hand for a spell, but again, Loyal sprints through the creature, and the monster dissipates like it was never there to begin with.
I can’t help but laugh, this swamp is clearly magical, and I am beginning to enjoy this weird adventure. Where is he taking me?
Wherever it is, someone doesn’t want me to get there, otherwise why put these obstacles in my path… And that someone isn’t powerful enough to stop me by themselves, they have to use illusions to keep me away…
That… or my horse is way more powerful than I give him credit for…
“Neighhhh.” Loyal stops near a miniature hut on the swamp's shore. The little structure seems to be made out of shiny black leathers that I can't associate with any known beast. The adhesive mane of my horse lets my hands go and I can finally get off his back.
“Soli ma! Ma kuar loinma kuar!” A small black humanoid comes out of the hut. Like an Elfling, he’s about 10 cm tall, unlike an elfling, he has no facial feature. He’s only a mass of liquid blackness with humanoid limbs. “Ah! dulaim! Swii to dulaim kree?” the creature asks the horse.
“Um… do you speak Sinteo? <Speech>“ I ask, crouching down to stare at the faceless creature.
“Lo zare sinteo! Dulaim bali!”
I’ll take that as a no… “Toml’a maybe?” I switch to my native tongue.
Dulaim-bali! Dulaim-bali! Swii toril!
Guess that’s a no as well… “Lah sorer myrsha?” <You speak myrsha?>
The creature stops his chatter in the unknown language and looks at me, or at least I think he does, his face is simply a mass of blackness. “Nia sorer myrsha. Manus! Mia lah ossi bach niai mirs? Nia tsaf lah le sorer!” <I speak myrsha. Mortal! What are you doing in my territory? I command you to speak!>
Finally, we’re getting somewhere! I really need to learn more languages, I should’ve brought Sharla with me…
One thing at a time, Orcish and the magical languages first...
“Z’ill myr, nia lu ilema’ak. Ke shafi niai hala ta’adii ni yin, myr yas zoro ma’akisi. Lah ilema’ak mia ke ma’akisi?”
<Apologies, I don’t know. The horse-my has brought me here, must’ve had him a reason. You know what the reason?>
“Manus! Lu? Lah lu manus! Shonil? Lah lu shonil! Manus! Lu manus! Lu lu lu! Leri korma’au manus shil niko shonil? Karitsa nia sor! Karitsa! Hafla. Manus o lu manus, lah nayin ke tamishon, hafla hafty, lah rodaf.”
<Mortal! No? You are no mortal! Fae? You are not fae! Mortal! No mortal! No no no! Who creates mortal that she is fae? Wrong I say! Wrong! Come on in. Mortal or no mortal, you are from the faeblood, welcome, you are a guest.>
He says and enters his house, gesturing for me to follow him.
“Iyak nia amuft le dahafy lahi leyis?” <How am I supposed to enter your house?> I ask, looking at the hut that barely reaches my waist.
“Ah se?” <Ah that?> he asks in a sheepish voice. A wave of dark particles floods my vision, both the odd creature and the hut grow in size. He opens the door and gestures for me to enter.
I look back at Loyal. No, I look up at him. Up and up and up. He looms over me, larger than a mountain, more total than the sky itself .He’s not big. I’m small. Tiny, in fact. No larger than the featureless creature who inhabits the minuscule hut. I sway where I stand, he can squish me like a bug if he just moves his leg. I hope I’m not walking into my death here… I follow the strange creature into his hut.
The moment I pass the hut’s threshold, the door behind me shuts and bars itself with thick metallic bars. As if to confirm my paranoid thoughts, odd weapons from metals I do not recognize float from the ground. There are swords, axes, daggers, sickles, scythes, and all sort of other sharp weapons I can’t identify. They fly toward me gleaming blades aimed at my body.
“Ritsa!” <Repulse!> my duplicated cantrip pushes away the first pair of weapons, but more of them keep coming to life, this hut is packed with them. “Myrsha samir!” <Gravity protects!> “Ritsa!” <Repulse!>
“Ah!!! Dulaim bali Dulaim bali! dul irh’a lun! Dul irh’a lun! Dulaim bali!” The black fae shouts with clear panic in his voice as he dodges some of the flying weapon. It’s not his doing? What the hell is going on here?!
The ceiling crumbles and a massive white hand opens it from above. A gigantic face looks into the hut, the smile on its face is full of sharp teeth. “Kroska luro othiatas,” it declares in a victorious tone, although I don't understand the words I can roughly guess that it meant to say "I finally found you," or something of that sort. All of the weapons I just pushed away rise from the ground again to attack us.
*Clack*
A massive pillar forms in the middle of the room, dispersing the monster. All the weapons fall to the ground in an instant. No, not a pillar, this is a horse’s leg, Loyal’s leg. The leg sweeps the room and touches me gently. A moment later I grow back to the height I was used to, breaking the tiny hut in the process.
The black fae exits his ruined hut, shouting. “Ssnake thiiss rotten Kelpiiar! Can’t he let a good boggart have hisss feeed?!” The black fae shouts in ‘sinteo’ <speech>. “Go away! Shoo! Shoo! Let me have fun with your massster!” He looks at me and scratches his head sheepishly. “Oopssssy.”
I catch the little creature with my mind and make him float in front of me. “Explain yourself or I will kill you.”
“Ah, ah, you ssee, I was hungry and I neeeded to feeed yesssss feeed! But thiisss rotten Kelpiiar don’t let you get sssscared and I couldn’t feeed!” his accent is weird, he elongates every ‘i’ and ‘s’, but he didn't do so earlier when he spoke Myrsha or his weird tongue. Does it mean he didn’t actually talk earlier? Or did he simply let his accent show once he panicked?
Doesn't matter. Why did Loyal brought me here? I should get to the bottom of this. “You don’t make much sense, try again?”
“I-I will give you what you want! I will! Heere!” he moves his hand into his black liquid-like chest and takes out a tiny bottle. “Disstiilled feear, yessss, disstiilled feear! All yourssss, if you let mee go-o!”
I frown. “I don’t want your distilled fear, I want answers!”
“Ansswerssss?” it asks, still struggling against my magical hold.
“Yes! You recognized I’m a part fae, can you tell me what type of fae I am?”
“Ah, no-o! no no no no no-o-o-o!” he shakes his head repeatedly.
He obviously knows! Finally! Someone that can shed light on that blank! “Why not?”
“You’ll kiill mee if I tell you! When your kind learn what they are, they kiill everythssing iin ssight! Everythssing! I can’t!” The creature keeps shaking his solid-liquid head as it speaks.
“I’ll kill you if you won’t tell me, Loyal here will be happy to eliminate you. If you tell me, at least you have a chance to survive.”
“Ah no-o! No-o!”
Argh, stupid creature! Focus. Let’s keep him talking. “What kind of fae are you?”
“I’m boggart! Boggart! I eat gnomeniod’s feear! Yess”
“What court?”
“No court! No court!”
I give him a blank look; every fae has a court.
“Sspring court! Yessss.”
Is he lying? I went through existing dark spring fae in those books but I don’t remember this little thing… Still, there were a thousand of them or so… I can’t remember them all… and he may be light spring… though I doubt it… I’m still not sure what these courts even mean… Regardless, this is the first dark spring fae I’ve met… and we have nothing in common other than having dark spring fae blood… “What’s so scary about my bloodline?”
“Sscary! Sssscary!”
I raise an eyebrow. “You just want me to fear my own bloodline so you can feed on my fear. I don’t fear myself, I like power, and if my bloodline is that scary I’ll love it. You have one minute to tell me what bloodline I belong to, or I kill you!”
“You won’t! You want ansswerss! I will leeeave and feeed, yess!”
“Fifty five seconds!” Just in case you’re reading my mind, I will kill you! And blow up my only chance at figuring out what my bloodline is? Yeah right!
Can I even take him at his word? He can tell me anything and try to scare me off with it, he feeds on fear. He may not even know what kind of bloodline I possess, and just say things to scare me. I shouldn’t make idle threats, it’s a bad habit. If he isn’t telling me, I’ll assume he doesn’t know and I’m killing him, slowly, just in case he suddenly remembers…
The dark fae drinks his bottle of distilled fear and explodes into a mass of dark fog. His voice comes out from within the fog. “Dulaim-bali-Dulaim-bali-Rakshasa-ubrih’silo-bali” For some reason I understand every word in that sentence. <Human-stupid-human-stupid-Rakshasa-baby-stupid>
Loyal runs into the dark mass and it dissipates, there is no sign of the creature or his ruined hut. “Nighhhh.”
A Rakshasa? That’s a nasty one… they’re responsible for some mass genocides if I remember correctly… it’s indeed a dark spring fae… but it doesn’t make sense, a rakshasa wouldn’t mate with an elf… I’ll need to look into them, whether this creature is lying or not, it’s a potential clue, and I cannot afford to overlook it.
I climb on Loyal’s back and he gallops toward the camp, my hands stuck to his lush green mane. I watch in awe as Loyal rans on the murky water without sinking in.
I pat his neck and the lush green hair that's no longer as sticky as before. “You’ve grown Loyal… You’ve got stronger too, huh? I didn't even notice...”
“Neiiighhhe!!” He lifts his head, neighs and snorts.
I chuckle. “You’re one amazing horse! Turning into a human? How did you do it? Were you trying to talk to me?”
“Nigghhhee!” my horse stops sharply.
The sudden stop throws me forward off his back, I hang from his mane holding onto his curly hair that turns all sticky in an instant. If not for this adhesive mane I would’ve fallen into the swamp. “Loyal!!!” I shout angrily.
He neighs and lifts his head pulling me up. I hold onto his neck and attempt to climb back. My heart stops when a pair of rough wet hands pulls my feet down, my hands almost get torn off their socket with the sharp pull. I look down to meet a pair of green glowing eyes from the depths of the swamp.
*~*~*
Interlude 111.1
Berthold.
Berthold uses the thin moonlight to find his way in the dark forest.
They've been walking for hours now, through woodland and swamps. Berthold can find his way back, but it'll take him a long while to reach the camp, and it'll probably be dawning when they're back.
Sharla walks ahead of him, hugging a giant bone from the Marili serpent to her chest. Berthold offered, but she refused to let him carry the object. Despite the heavy weight she's carrying, Sharla impresses him with her ability to move quietly in the woods, but he should've expected as much from a fairy, the forest is supposed to be her home.
They reach an empty clearing, and the thin moonlight rays shine on a black stone monolith in the middle of it. "Wait here, Sunayaknash..." Sharla stops him from stepping into the clearing. Berthold nods, and the fairy steps forward raising the bone she carried above her head.
The moon winks out. It disappears entirely from the sky. The starry heaven above are replaced by an unnatural darkness. For a moment, Berthold can't see a single thing, a blink, and purple veins spread in the void above their heads, taking the shape of odd roots or lightning bolts. The odd veins create a dome above their heads, and the forest behind him turn into dark blackish roots that bar passage. He cannot go back.
One of these dark veins stretch down to the monolith in front of them, shifting into a blurry feminine form.
Berthold gulps, unable to shake the ominous feeling in his heart.
Sharla kneels in front of the blurry fairy, raising the serpent's bone above her head as an offering.
The bone disappears like it was never there. The fairy queen says something but Berthold cannot hear her words. The fairy queen caresses Sharla's cheek and Sharla gets up. The two hug and Berthold can hear the faint echoes of giggles. The purple veins above and behind him pulse in rhythm with the black monolith, shaking ever so slightly as if they're leaving breathing creatures.
The pair break their hug and turn toward him. Berthold gulps. Can he really renounce Tonisha for this fairy of darkness? She's clearly evil.
"Approach, dear." Berthold still can't see her features clearly, he can't even determine the color of her skin, one second it's dark the other it's silvery, her voice however is rich and low.
Berthold takes a few hesitant steps into the clearing. "H-hello?"
The blurred fairy chuckles. "You're such a treat! I see why you've brought him here, Sharlafynwynyeslun."
Sharla giggles. "He can see moonlight too, and he saw this." The silvery key flickers in her hands.
"Did he now? Tsk, that won't do. What do you say, boy? Will you renounce your scaly goddess for me?"
Berthold gulps, was he not supposed to see the key? Will they kill him if he says no? Did Sharla trick him into coming here? Who is this fairy queen? "I-I don't know?"
The blurred fairy floats closer to him, her back connected to the purplish veins from the monolith. "You're afraid of me, boy. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm sure you have many questions. Ask. Ask freely. I'll answer all the questions you have as long as they are not secrets to be kept in darkness."
"W-will you kill me if I say no?"
The blurred fairy freezes on the spot before answering. "No. I'm not in a habit of killing clueless humans. Unlike your goddess who throws monsters at humans for her so called 'challenges'." The last word is said with sheer hatred.
"So... if I say no. I'm allowed to walk out of here alive?"
"Indeed. But you may never come here again." There's warmth in her voice, as if she cares, or maybe she just wants him to think she cares.
"I... I see."
"Is no your answer then?" The low voice turns sharp, conclusive.
"No. I mean! Not my answer. I'm still thinking. I have more questions." Berthold's heart pounds violently in his chest.
The blurred fairy chuckles and Sharla giggles behind her. "Very well. Ask your questions, boy."
"What's your name?"
"My name is a secret, boy. You may address me as the faceless queen. Your traitorous goddess had harmed me greatly in the past. Betrayed my trust in the worst way possible. I do not hold any love for her, and I am in a habit of recruiting any follower who wishes to leave her worship. Even if you do not want to worship me, renouncing her would earn you my favor. I know you are not fiercely loyal to her. I know you merely picked her as a goddess so you can read books about beasts."
Berthold flinches. She knows way too much about him for comfort. "Your favor?"
She hums with a musical deep voice, the deepest voice Berthold had ever heard that was clearly feminine. "One favor from me through Sharlafynwynyeslun should you renounce Tonisha. Should you follow me, my first gift to you will be the ability to see the weakness in any beast mortal or fae you look at. You'll be able to spot the exact spot where an arrow would kill or maim the creature you look at, and you will be able to tell the difference between killing and maiming. I imagine such a gift will be quite valuable for you, no?"
Berthold gulps, he can't imagine something like that would be free. "A-and what do I have to do in return?"
Even if he can't see her face, Berthold can tell she's smiling. "Renounce your scaled goddess and worship me. Offer a quite prayer to me before a hunt. Bring me some bones of my choosing. I might have tasks for you in the future, but these aren't obligatory. Unlike the gods, I do not force my followers to do my biddings. I offer incentives instead."
"Are y-you... are you evil?" Berthold regrets the words the moment they leave his mouth.
To his surprise the blurred fairy roars in laughter. The dark forest around them awaken with crickets, owls, and other nightly residents. It dies down when her laughter dies. "Evil is a matter of perspective and sides, boy. Your scaled goddess will call me evil. The Ocean Fairy will call me good. While the Lord of Knowledge will view me as natural. Evil and good is simply how the gods paint targets for their worshipers. The world is more complicated than good and evil. Is darkness evil? Good? No. Darkness hides. Darkness covers. Without darkness you cannot sleep and regain energy. Without darkness you cannot close your eyes and see nothing. Without darkness you cannot let your guard down and relax. Yet, without darkness you can't hide your misdeeds. Regardless, darkness is needed. It is just there. I am simply here and there, for I am darkness."
"And what is Ton..."
He doesn't finish the name of his goddess, Sharla covers his mouth, her arm turning into a long unnatural limb. "Don't mention her name unless you renounce her!" she hisses and lets go of his mouth.
"I'm sorry." Berthold gulps and eyes the blurred fairy queen, but she doesn't seem to mind.
"It is alright, boy. You are clueless and in the darkness about these matters. I do not blame you. Ask your questions."
"If you are darkness, what is the Lady of Venture then?"
"She is struggle. The survivor's strength, and the victim's weakness. The predator and the prey. The huntress. It is darkness that hides the weak, it is darkness that hides the predator. We used to be friends... Sisters if you may, but no more. She turned her back on the fae. She turned her back on me."
"What did she actually do? In-in laymen terms." Berthold dares another question.
"Stabbed me in the back."
Berthold holds his breath. "Are you going to kill her?"
"Yes."
Berthold releases his breath. The simple way this creature said she is going to kill a goddess suggested she is capable of doing so, or close to being capable of doing so. What has he gotten himself into? "Why me?"
The blurred fairy flickers her long dark hair. "I have already told you, my boy. I recruit your Lady's followers. My little petty vengeance for now... Now, I tire of your questions. I know she did not gift you with anything. You are not her chosen, merely another worshiper amongst millions. Will you abandon her for my gifts or not?"
*~*~*
Power level: 3rd stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10: connected: 1 gem replenished per minute.
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 79
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5: formed: 16 gems. Conversion ratio: 6:1
Air: Affinity 4: formed: 26 gems
Fire: Affinity 2: formed: 13 gems
Light: Affinity 3: formed: 19/20 gems
Water: Affinity 6: formed: 39 gems
Earth: Affinity 1: formed: 6 gems
Wood: Affinity 2: formed: 13 gems
Gravity: Affinity 9: connected: 91/95 gems
Cantrip known:
Air: Shavi’s Breeze, Shavi’s Sword. Shavi’s Hair Dryer, Aria’s Enhanced Hearing. Aria’s Sonic Scream.
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame. Effrat’s Firefly, Effrat’s Fire Breath. Sorladika's Lesser Heating. Nuriss’ Ignite. Oniga's Soap Creation.
Light: Noxi’s Light. Lako’s Blinding Light. Rika’s energy hand.
Water: Water Evocation, Water to Ice, Ice to Water, Water to Vapor, Vapor to Water, Mayan’s Icy Spike, Ayla’s Water Jet. Ayla’s instant freeze. Ayla's Flowing Shield. Ayla’s Freezing Vapors.
Earth: Alice’s Oil Summoning, Reiko’s Acid Spray. Alf's Copper Bolt
Wood: Arigor’s Lesser Vines. Kolosu’s Vegetable Summoning.
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burst. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s Lesser Shield II. Imari’s Minor Telekinesis. Imari’s Jump. Leo’s Pull. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light Body. Alino’s Heavy Body. Alino's Orbiter.
Transmutation: Oniga's Laundry.
Spells known:
Light: Rika's Electric Channelb1
Gravity: Alino’s Weightless Bodyb1x2. Imari’s Lesser Flightb2.
Life: Brigit’s Lesser Cure Poison. Brigit’s Skin Restoration.
Focus capability: 18 patterns.
Social status: The Queen of Red Cedar City. Shaman of the Twin Moon Tribe. Inara, Daughter of Mysteries. Apprentice to the Maven of Mysteries. Sorceress.
Personal Wealth: 1465 Magic Gems. 1420 Golden Peas, 45 Silver Scales, 32 Copper Bits.
Personal Items:
Magical necklace. Contains 100 gems of general mana, can be drained like a mana pool. It’ll recharge by itself at the rate of five gems an hour.
1 potion of glitter.
1 potion of lightning body.
1 potion of mana, medium grade.
5 potions of Lesser Healing.
5 potions of Pain Tolerance.
An enchanted belt with eight pouches, the enchantment keeps the pouches’ content fresh. Each pouch may contain 10g of petals or six potion flasks.
Glitter ingredients. (1 bag)
Fresh rose petals, 37g
Fresh lavender petals, 7g
1 empty soul bottle. 6.5 Marili Serpent Soul shards. 2 Luard's soul shards. Glass with a diamond stopper, put in scaled leather wrapping.
The Great White Egret grimoire. Dedicated by the Maven of mysteries to Inara. 27/100
Present Companions:
Loyal
Languages:
Toml’a <People’s tongue> Fluent
Sinteo <Speech> Fluent
Myrsha <Gravity> 8/10
Felul <Wind> 1/10
Nim <Water> 1/10
A'arkalu <Wolf Tongue> 2/10
Injuries and scars:
Curses:
-
Kingdom’s treasury: 3836 gold coins. 123 magical gems.
Kingdom’s citizen: 3,881 humans, 1,836 human children. Twin Moon Tribe: 1,158 orcs. 293 orc children. 529 sheep-slaves.
Kingdom's army: 1,1156 Orc Warriors. 324 Footmen. 49 Peacekeeper Knights.
Notables at Court:
Tasiya Keyholder.
Jolla SilverQuill.
Talbot Bookkeeper.
Marasi Chef extraordinaire (spymaster.)
Old Gardner Tiom.
Balgrum Orc Chieftain.
