Three days had passed.
He sat next to a table and wrote. Accompanied with a sprinkle of light, from the ceiling's hole that brought the surface's warm air, that the dwellers could breathe.
His pen was from the feather of the Winged-Ear Rabbit, and his ink was from the mixture of animal blood, and Origin Slime's goo— the most common type of wild slime with no peculiar properties.
The last letter was stroked to the paper, made from the pulp of bamboo, the same bamboo they had used as a water canteen, during their first journey.
He looked down at the papers, findings from the soul experiments were laid out:
1. The unnamed leader, who had lost his name, but not his companion's name;
2. Faith and Faye, the sisters, had become the embodiment of unfeeling, while the other was the empathic of feeling;
3. Claudio and the young man Temmi, both had permanently lost all their memories; and
4. The bagger, the ranger, and the mage had gone dangerously insane, they had to be put on their deathbeds.
On the next page of the paper, he wrote about his and his Darling's growth per soul eaten, and named their abilities.
Their first abilities after 10 souls were absorbed:
Soul Disruption - he could disrupt the soul's connection to its body briefly and could cause a daze or stun effect, depending on the target's mental power; and her
Soul Exhorter- she could command a bodyless soul, to possess a humanoid vessel of any material to do her bidding.
Thereafter, he had parted two unique pieces of information, once was for his profile and the other was for his Darling.
Melantha Gnukwyn:
1. Blessed by Kerleun, The Neophyte Giftor Fairy Of Earth, due to strong compatibility, she had jumped to Tier 2, an Earthen Invigorator;
2. Every 30 souls, increased her summons by 1, she had named them The Exhorted; and
3. As of the time this journal entry was written, the 44th day since they had stepped on this world, she had absorbed 173 souls and could control 5 of The Exhorted.
Her Utilities:
1. Soul Herding - could constrict and herd a bundle of souls in the space, of any container.
2. Share Soul Senses - could share vision with the herded soul or The Exhorted's, and could even add an additional connection with her husband, Mordred Gnukwyn.
3. Espousal's Synergy - required further study, when the couple was together, abilities' effect were more effective.
Mordred Gnukwyn:
1. Soul Disruption's effectiveness and range increased per soul absorbed;
2. When 100 souls absorbed was met, he unlocked Soul Astral Flight— he could tear apart a portion of his soul to project it to the physical plains; and
3. As of the time this journal entry was written, the 44th day since they had stepped on this world, he had absorbed 173 souls.
His Utilities:
1. Soul Splinter - he could tamper a person's mind by breaking a piece of their soul, their mind's connection with the soul was weakened, some memories were shattered, and some other mental defects could appear;
2. False Promise - from the images and knowledge of his soul, he could ingrain them into a person's soul, into their minds; and
3. Espousal's Synergy - required further study, when the couple was together, abilities' effect were more effective.
He was about to get another piece of page and rewrite when a crisped cry took his eyes away.
"M'Love! Looky here, we got our first newborn in our home!" She held a green-skinned baby.
From his Darling's fluffy hair, a tiny girl flew to his table and asked. "Hey, Mordred! What were you doing? Eh? Are you writing something? I've never seen such language!"
"A journal of information we had gathered so far, written in English," He answered Kerleun. "What was the baby's name?" He asked as he gazed into the child.
"None yet." His Darling answered. "That's why we brought him to you, you may name him."
"My child, name," Aleges said in a low voice, her short hair was damped by sweat, labour had weakened her.
Clux supported Aleges by the shoulder and made her sit on a chair. When Clux looked at him, his face lit up, and he could see his expectance, on his name bestowal.
"Toodabeur," He took the baby by its arms and uttered. "The First of All, Toodabeur, shall be his name."
His finger ran to the baby's forehead, and between the baby's brows, a flick of lavender flame pierced. He imparted memories and knowledge about his craftsmanship, for he wished Toodabeur would grow into a patriot goblin of their house.
"Darling, come to think of it, we haven't named our home too. We may journeyed far in the future, never to return, but this." He passed Toodabeur back to his Darling, and caressed the table where he writes. "This first home of ours, it needs a name to be remembered, don't you think?"
They nodded at him, like the swaying branches of the trees.
"How about, Soulful Of The Deep?" He spoke with clarity. "Soulful, for we had started full of passion, and Deep because it was underground, together it means, our passion was deep."
"M'Love, your naming was truly impeccable." She drove her arms to his waist, into a hug of celebration, her hug filled his heart with pride.
"Soulful Of The Deep"
"Soulful Deep" Clux and Aleges clapped and repeated.
"Bah! Name-name-name, why so many names? As if my pretty head will remember them all!" Said the fairy.
He rubbed his nose, quite embarrassed. Who said that scientists had bad naming sense? Maybe them, but he was not them, was he?
"This makes me more excited for our child." She fondled her slightly protruding belly. "M'Love, our life here was so fast, so fast, that it feels like it tried to compensate for our lack of children, in our past life."
He placed his hand into hers, hot blood pumped to his heart, and his feet were urging him to jump for joy. He passed his joy to the back of her hand, with a gentle kiss.
"Was there something, you would like to eat Darling?"
"I'm craving for some Midnight Orange M'Love."
"Then this King, and his Knight, shall bring you Midnight Orange, my Queen."
He fetched his claymore, attached its scabbard to his back, and presented himself, before her, in a kingly manner. They shared sweet smiles as he seized her by the waist, parted her fringe, and pecked her forehead for a short goodbye.
"Look after our home's safety, Clux, and Aleges," he reminded.
He gazed at the two iron skeletons that guarded the cave doorway. The prisoners, he meant, their guests were currently residing at the extension of the 4th Room Tunnel they had recently expanded. Their minds were unstable, and they could not think properly to plot a rebellion.
"Let us depart, my fairy knight."
"Aye-aye Captai...King, yes Sir King Mordred Sir!" Said the fairy as she saluted clumsily, and followed his back.
"My Beloved King, Little Missy Knight, you two, take care."
------
Darkened in oil-tanned, the sun shined on his wild leather clothes, as he ran in hot breaths, to the far east of the Soulful Of The Deep.
Beyond the magenta fields, there were none of the unpredictable rainforest, nor the dim lights of the Jilted Sap Forest. What was there was a lush forest that loved the sun. Not being his first time, he reached his desired place.
He raised his head, at a tall tree— with grays of the moon and porous of the moon— and he climbed its roughen trunks. At the top, he plucked a fruit, between the root hairs of the tree.
Oddly, the tree was like an inverted tree, there were yellow-green bushes on its bottom, and its top had no leaves but roots.
Clasped on his palm, the fruit was like a miniature black grape, with beads the size of the black pepper plant.
"Mordred, can I have some? Midnight Orange is tasty!" The fairy asked.
"Sure, but this was the last fruit, so we need to look for more first."
He continued and searched through the depths of the forest, and before the fruit, he had found peace. The wild land animals were docile, they whispered from the greens, and the birds sang at the canopy of trees.
No wonder he had found a human village, of fabrics and stones, where a silky blue river had stitched its pathway between the village, and pasted the villager's countenance with smooth smiles.
"Welcome to Fabricon Village, stranger." He was greeted by a village guard, stationed on the edge of the village gate.
His fellow guardsmen nudged him by the elbow, and said, "I'm sorry for my rudesy buddy, he was a newbie, how can we help a dignified being?"
"Your ignorance is forgiven, human. I'm in search fo—" He was interrupted by his goblin's savagery, inside his mind, it was ill-spoken, 'Slaughter the villagers, eat their flesh and plunder the village people.'
He blinked away his ill thoughts, and continued, "I am in search of this fruit." He showed the fruit. "I would be grateful if you could lead me, to a place of its abundance."
"Just this way of the village, there are many trees that bore this kind of tree Sir."
"B-but it's where the witch is, you must be careful not to be cursed by the witch, you might get seduced."
"Shut up will ya? Those are just kids' tales and the jealousy of the villager women. Tsk! gossippers!" The guard's saliva of disapproval was sprinkled on his fellow guardsmen's shoulder pads. "I'm sorry, Sir. Don't listen to this fool. Just head right this way."
He ignored the bickering of the two and moved on. As his crude geta slippers tramped on the dirt road, he had thought why he had no ill whispers in the past.
They had only occurred when other races, came into his view. Then why was there none when they encountered Tuilën? Was it because she was way too strong, at that time, that his instinct was too scared to think of ill deeds?
But what about the time he had seen the women in the goblin's cave? Why was there none? They had to be experienced more for better accuracy of deductions.
"Kerleun, what Root Of Power, do you think suits me best?"
He was told by Kerleun that an individual, without being helped by a Giftor's. Could open a Root Of Power by being taught from the book, or a Master of his chosen Root Of Power.
But within the list of possibilities, what was the most complimentary Root Of Power, he could depend on?
"Eh?" Kerleun was stumped and laid on his shoulder. She pulled her hair like she was pulling every fiber, of her brain power.
"Aren't you strong, Mordred?" Said the fairy, "What if, instead of just being strong you can enlarge your body and punch a mountain? Like hyah! Wah-yah!" She showed him her moves, and threw multiple fists and kicks in the air.
With her clumsiness, he betted that even a fly could not be killed by her. But one thing he was certain of, she was a solemn-air killer.
His laughter breezed on the warm winds, and his walks paused.
"Kerleun, your'e a genius!" He snatched the fairy and lifted her to the sky, in two hands.
His happiness was loud, so loud that the fairy's cicada wings and white clothes were bent by his roars. Being praised, Kerleun giggled within his loudness.
"So what is it called, Kerleun?"
"Hmmm, lemme think." She made another round of pulling hairs. "Aha! It's Metamorphosis Root, you just need an Entry Book or a Master that can teach you, and you can start your journey. If you got talent on that pathway, your yrihan will guide you too."
Too bad, there was no one within the captured party who embarked on the said Root Of Power. Kerleun had also bad-mouthed them for being talentless, for none was even on Tier 1 on their chosen Power Of Root. They were just chanters of Entry Books.
A true Tier 1 had no need for chants, similar to how the Dead Raiser, commanded his horde of the dead during the underground battle, and he had only used chants as utility spells to summon his banshee.
Finally, his soles reached the fields of Midnight Orange Trees, where the mother sun was bright, as it had nursed, its plant children: who had grown their own. On their branches— they dangled healthy fruits.
A riped fruit plopped in the backyard, of the house built inside the biggest Midnight Orange Tree.
As a gentleman himself, he knocked on the door twice. "Excuse me. I am a traveler, and if you would be so kind as to grant me a few fruits, just to adore my pregnant lady at home."
The tree door creaked, pushed by a slim hand as muted as the white lily. A woman budded herself whole out of her tree house, veiled, and crowned with flowers.