Dave looked surprised as his gaze washed over the jungle of animated, almost breathing vegetation that characterized the previously sealed hall.
The hall was big, but not as much as he would have thought, yet the sheer amount of plants and resting creatures—many of which not much unlike those on Earth—and Fays made it look much smaller than it seemed.
Moving forward, inattentive of his steps, he stumbled on a squirming tentacle of wood that moved surreptitiously about his feet.
David stared at the tentacled branch. "This is not mental at all; it's normal alien things. You see these kinds of things in most alien b-films every day, or hentai for what matters. It's fine."
He called to the empty yet lively hall, "So, Ancient-Fay, lady. Will you just manifest yourself already, or are you otherwise committed? I can go back if you are still on the throne? Or using tentacles for a different sort of entertainment?"
A vibrant laugh came from every corner of the hall at the same time.
"Oh, there you are; I thought we were playing a game on who screamed in fear first, know that I'm very good at winning those."
"You are the weirdest-looking Fay that I've ever seen, Trespasser. Staring at you is actually unbearable; little Erin has really made a mess out of you. Let me look at your proper face."
The Source
External forces are modifying your body.
Not defending from it might temporarily or permanently modify your physical Attributes.
"Oh, not this again!"
David felt much less pain than he had felt before when Erin used her magic on him. The transformation was also painless and much faster than it had previously been.
His complexion returned to what it was before, his terrible weird-afro shed away, and he grew an average amount of hair right after. His body thickened anew, and his bone structure, arms, and legs returned to what they were before.
When the process ended, which took only a minute, he was incredibly hungry; he hadn't eaten anything since the honey he had stolen from the dripping bee-hive.
"You could have left the Kravitz. I knew I would have managed to rule it, with a bit of effort," Dave stated, to nobody in particular since the Ancient had made herself heard but had yet to show herself.
"If you meant your hair, then know that you wouldn't have," said the voice. "Besides, your hairline is receding."
"No, it isn't!"
"It is," answered the Ancient, very calmly.
"Aren't you a Biomancer? Can you fix it?" Dave asked, hopeful.
"I could—but I won't, not right now anyway."
"I haven't even seen you and I already know I won't like you," Dave said with a frown.
At those words, the Ancient finally manifested herself. It was a…well, he didn't really have any idea how to define it.
The best word to describe her was that of Chimera.
The Ancient's head was that of a young Fay, yet the rest of her body was an ensemble of things that barely made sense and didn't look practical at all. She had the body of a giant snake for her neck, the chest of something that reminded David of a Turkey. Bat-like wings came out from the thing's back, and although the hind legs were those that a cat or a dog might have, the forelegs, or in this case arms, seemed like those of an insect, pointy-ended and looking very sharp.
"Alright," David said, "I guess I'll be true to my word… and since I'm about to faint, just leave me on the ground or send something that doesn't look… like… that…"
David did indeed faint.
***
A couple of hours earlier.
Cyana and the others had reached the other side of the Fey Breeding Ground, advancing in the sense-nullifying mist had not been easy, and by the time they reached to exit of the compound from which Cyana had seen the culprit leave, it was clear that he had left without any intention of coming back.
"See these right here?" Five said. "These are footprints of someone struggling to wear something," he continued, "if this Human fellow was indeed naked as you described him, then we have somebody helping him, surely a Fay, and most likely the same subject that helped him at first." He rose up from his squatting position, "It remains to be cleared if this Fay has helped him escape, or also helped him in taking down Khrali as well."
Cyana did not answer. She was focusing on other things; she had let their targets escape, maybe she should have just flown over the compound with her powers, and although she couldn't do that because of the mist protecting the compound, she could have augmented her physical abilities to reach him sooner. But none among them did it, for she had communicated to them the target's level, and they had understood that he would have no chance whatsoever of escaping them.
"The autopsy report that came in a little while ago says that he has been killed with a powerful attack that has drilled a hole through his thorax, destroying his lung and damaging his heart to the point of nonrecovery. No blades or other sort of weapon seem to have been used, which leaves us with sheer physical power," said Five.
"Indeed, Survival Token or not, it remains a mystery how the culprit has managed to take down Khrali at his level. He may have indeed received external help," added Virael, "still, we do not know what a Title like that of Trespasser entails, it's a powerful Title, and it may have additional perks than those we already know of."
Five continued, "Anyway, as long as this mist isn't lifted, we will not be able to reach them speedily. Captain, we should go back to that Myst-caller and have him lift its magic entirely, or they will escape us."
"Yes, I shall—" Virael's answer was interrupted by his ringing receiver.
He signaled to them to wait, then turned the other way to answer.
Like many other secretive instruments for communication, his device formed a muffling field around the user so that sound and lips could not be identified. Still, it wasn't enough to fool Cyana, who had been studying Virael's face for years.
When he turned back, there was something different in Virael's face. Something harsh, she had rarely seen him like that, but she didn't like what she saw. It made her uncomfortable. That wasn't the usual Virael.
"I'll convince the Myst-caller, you scout the terrain, I'll join you shortly," Virael said, turning to head back to the main entrance of the Breeding Grounds.
Cyana and Five shared a look; well, they looked at each other through their helmets—couldn't do much more than that.
***
The Myst-caller had gone back to protecting the eggs. He was humming to himself and happy about how they had managed to address the situation. But a feeling of dread from the nearby mistiness made him shuffle about. Something was coming toward him, and it made him uncomfortable.
"Being uncomfortable at my age is disgraceful," he said to himself, getting up.
He unclouded the entrance, and Virael, the Captain, had returned.
An amusing expression rose on Randiallen's lips.
"Captain," he said, opening the barrier to let him in. "Back so soon? Did you manage to catch your culprit?"
The Myst-caller liked to be congenial even when trying to take people for a fool, but it didn't seem to work really well with this Fiend, it wasn't only about that. The Fiend had…something that made him feel unrest. He was different—he acted differently.
As Virael, without answering, closed in on him, the feeling of urgency from the Eye hit him like a truck. It spoke to him to get away, right then if at all possible. But Randiallen was not one to skive on his duties; besides, he had to protect the eggs, and if that wasn't all, he knew he could answer to any threat coming at him, his barrier raised or not, he was a Sentry, and he had made preparations.
"Myst-caller," said Virael, his stance one that wished to communicate physical threat more than a verbal one. "I believed I advised you not to waste our time or lie to us; you did not listen to me."
The Myst-caller tapped with his staff on the floor, which was the first step in activating the emergency Skill he had placed as a trap. The second stance would entail for the intruder to activate a Skill to come in effect properly.
"Captain, I do not remember lying to you; I'm a loyal servant of Arthan and all those that walk its lands. I would never do something to displease it."
"You've done so already, but now, I need you to remove the mist over the whole portion of the jungle or face retribution. Because one way or another, I am going to catch my target. Have I made myself clear, Myst-caller?" Saying, so the Captain brought his hands to the wide-sword at his left.
The Myst-caller knew that the one he had in front of him was not a Fiend to be taken for a fool—at least, if he didn't know before, he knew it now—nor was he a novice. The Rejected Prince was at least his peer in Mastery of his Class and had the advantage of natural levels which Fiends had over the Fey, but that did not take away from the many years of experience Randiallen had over the Captain.
Children, because for him, Fiends were a bunch of overly proactive children that if not helped would eventually reproduce themselves to extinction; they had never been a problem for him and never would. So, he knew when to give in and when to put his foot down.
"Captain, you know that is something I simply cannot do. There are beasts from which even I would have problems defending these Breeding Ground from, if such creatures sniffed the smell of our eggs, it would be a disa—"
"I do not care one bit of your reasons, Myst-Caller. By imperial edict, I command you to lift the mist, now." The Captain's stance shifted to one of drawing; it was not good.
Randiallen's experience spoke to him that he was not dealing with a child, no. He was dealing with a true expert. There were no openings in the Captain's Kva'ri, and he was serious.
"Captain, what are you doing? I don't want to turn this squabble into something that would tarnish our reputation and the relationship between Fey and—"
"You have three seconds to remove your magic Myst-caller; nothing other than that will stay my hand for removing the threat you are posing. I will not repeat myself again."
"Captain Virael, you are making a grave mistake this is—"
"Randiallen, remove the mist!" Said the Eye from a nearby corridor. She looked frantic and had left her position because he had not listened to her. But Randy would not back down; those were his duties.
"Eye, go back inside; this palace isn't—"
"Time's up, Myst-caller. Face the consequences of your rebellion," said the Captain.
Randiallen would have never expected what happened next.
The spell the Myst-caller had prepared triggered in response to a Skill activation.
The whole room's pavement lit with the white energy stemming from a Magic Circle that had been inscribed right below the ground level, on the very basements of the structure.
Tentacles of mist whipped from the ground to latch around the Captain's whole body, stopping him in place and confounding his mind, or at least that was what was supposed to happen. Instead, nothing of the likes took place, for the very moment the whips of haze touched the Captain's body, they were canceled.
"Spell-breaker?" That was the only thing Randiallen managed to say before the Captain slash attack, endowed with who knew how many Skills he had prepared beforehand, unleashed on the naked Myst-caller's body.
The slash didn't even need connecting. The propelled energy blade bisected the Myst-caller in two mismatched parts, even cutting through his ancient staff. Then the power hidden beyond the slash's assault manifested in full.
The blade of propelled energy exploded forward, devastating the whole group of eggs that quietly took in the sun, burning them to cinders and turning them to dust, then it continued forward, exploding the wall beyond the guardian and leaving a scar in the jungle ground that continued for almost fifty feet. The trees that had not been destroyed by the igniting gash soon caught on fire by the following explosion. The air around the site of the impact was hit so powerfully and at such speed that it had combusted and turned into a devastating amount of heat.
The Eye screamed as Captain Virael put his sword back into his scabbard, she screamed because she knew it would have turned like this, and nothing, nothing would have possibly changed the outcome. Randiallen had been her faithful companion for years, and he had to die, and she could do nothing about it.
"Respect the law," said Virael with a vacant gaze—no, that was the gaze of somebody who had enjoyed what he had done. Very much so.
The Eye did not answer; she dropped on her knees. It was meaningless to answer such a Fiend; she knew that what would happen next moment would be much worse than dying at his hands. But she had to bear it because only she could give answers to the poor families for the eggs that had been lost…an entire year of sun caring to hatch, that was what it would take to make them hatch, and five years to get a female Fay to be fertile again. And if that wasn't enough, she would have to be the one bearing the aftermath of that single act of madness.
What the Captain had just done wasn't only outrageous, it was sanctioned by the Pact they had all signed, including herself, and the eggs below could only be unforetold casualties.
Yet she—she knew it had been carefully planned. Something was brewing, and she would be at the center of that scheme that looked so much like a call for war than anything she had ever witnessed in her long life.
***
When the mist, which stopped both sound and sight, lifted, Cyana and Five could finally go on with studying the tracks that had been left on the terrain. Fresh tracks of two individuals. A female Fay, and supposedly the tracks of this thing called Human.
"Alright," said Five, raising his eyes to look at the disappearing mist, "good work, Captain. Let's speed it up."
Cyana nodded, moving forward with him, but then she stopped, "Maybe I should scout ahead?" She suggested.
"Maybe it's useful; I doubt they are that much ahead of us. That is if they didn't take a mount or a speeder. The Fey around here are known to use Varia'ati as mounts. It's not unlikely they have done so, but if they did, your scouting ahead would be meaningless, they move too fast. Let's just go ahead and see what I find first."
"Indeed," said the Captain who had already reached them, "There is no use of you to scout ahead, Three. Let's focus on following those tracks."
"Alright, Captain," Cyana said. Still, she wanted to fix all the points she thought she had lost in Virael's eyes for not having caught the culprit; it would have to wait.
Then, something caught her eyes. Virael was surreptitiously charging Skills and charging his sword. Had he released it? Where? When?
Virael noticed her gaze. "Don't mind me, Three, I'm refreshing my Skills; it's just a habit of mine. We all use something for stress release, and this situation has been turning into something I don't like. If we don't catch this Human in haste, we would have to pass the case to the locals. That's something I don't want to do, it would be a shame for our unit and something I don't want on my personal record; plus, there is no need to alert the whole City if we can catch him before that."
Cyana nodded; it was convincing, there was no reason to be suspicious, it was just that—that it wasn't a habit of his. She had looked at Virael, really looked at him, for a lot of time, and that was definitely not one of his habits.
She mentally shook herself; they were all stressed, she was more than the other two. It was time to catch this Human—this bastard, so she could finally mourn her brother.
***
"Trespasser, wake up," somebody said.
David unwillingly opened his eyes. "No, I'm not going to work today…it's Saturday; if it isn't, I'll just say that you had a stroke, mum…"
"You must not have had a very sympathetic mother if your first excuse to not go to your duties is your mother's death," said the voice.
David slowly opened one eye, "You are not mum; my mother would never admit that."
"Indeed, I'm not your mother, Deviant Son."
"Oh, I can see that…" Sitting up, David came face to face with a much more petite Fay than he was used to. She was not a child but had a Fey child's height. Yet she looked a lot like Erin.
"Are you the Ancient?"
"Indeed, I am."
"Why do you look like a compressed version of Erin now?"
"Well, since you couldn't bear to gaze at my beautiful perfected form, I took one that could have been both in your cords and mines."
Dave arched his brow, "I don't know about you, but I'm a deviant only by name…which isn't even really mine."
The Ancient giggled, "Well, I've known Erinnya ever since she was a little child, and she has always been one of my preferred apprentices. So I took the form in which I hoped she always remained."
David smiled, "A parent always looks at their sons and daughters as children, eh?"
"Something like that," answered the Ancient with a smile, "But enough of that, you have come here for answers, and I have them, though I also have questions. Some of which you could easily understand, others you probably have no knowledge of."
"We've just started, and I'm already confused, so, let's start with my questions; what do you say?" David asked.
"Well, then come, let's take something to drink."
The Ancient led him to the close-by hall. At her passage, the roots that until then looked inanimate moved like tentacles to ease their passage and then opened the doors for them.
What David found in front of him was a balcony looking out on the forest-garden. The forest was insanely big from there.
"Did the forest enlarge when I was out cold?"
"You are just looking at it from another point of view; it's still the same. Please take a seat," said the Ancient.
Still, as much as he looked on top of the Ancient's head, no indication or number was showing its race, or level, or anything at all.
"This is just tea, of my own brewing, it's spectacular, and the water is something at which I've been working ever since—" she smiled, "since ever." She paused for a little, "Before you drink, please, take a look at your Status."
Attributes
Health: 100%
Stamina: 88%
Well: 62.5%
"That's interesting. I wonder what it is," David said, taking a sip.
The tea, if there really was tea inside of that cup, tasted like nothing, but something was different, and he roughly understood what the moment he took a sip of it.
"What the…"
His Well that until a moment prior was around sixty percent and it dropped by a few percentage points, before climbing back up.
"What did just happen?"
The Ancient smiled, "That is my life's work; of course it is…incomplete. But I'll get there, eventually. Since I've unlocked eternal life, I might as well serve a cause."
"You are trying to…fix the Resilience problem?"
The Ancient nodded as she sipped her tea.
"That's very noble of you, but is it even doable?"
"I still don't know, but since I had partial effects, why stop?"
"Indeed. Eternal life must be boring; one has to find something to fill it with, right?"
"That is surely an interesting perspective on it, but now let's speak about you, David; tell me of your questions, let's see if I can answer them."
David nodded, "Well, that's easy." He cleared his throat and rested the mug on the table in front of him, "What in the bloody hell am I doing here, how did I get here, and what should a Trespasser even be!?"
The Ancient smiled, "Well, those are pretty easy questions; I'll answer them in the same order in which you asked them," she cleared her throat as well, "I have no idea! Chance! And…"