6.76 - Foreign Reagents
Theo could have brought anyone to the floating island of the elves. But he had selected Xol’sa for a few reasons. The first was that he was an excellent mage, and mages were great at restraining people with magical chains and all that. The second reason was his study of the shards. Xol’sa needed a better understanding of how they functioned if he was going to make a tether that dragged them through the void. Theo couldn’t tell if that was selfish on his part, or on the part of Xol’sa. But he understood why he would want to avoid a place like this.
Unpleasant memories and all that.
Theo and Xol’sa sailed through the void, finding themselves in the far void before long. The tiny dot appeared shortly after, soon becoming the image of a floating island set against the endless blackness of the void. The alchemist steered them to the one safe spot near the ziggurat, taking them in and lending them on the steps. Elves scattered from the area, rushing off into the forest or freezing near the treeline.
“That never gets old, does it?” Xol’sa asked with a sigh. “Why do they have to be so creepy?”
Both Theo and Xol’sa turned to look at the shard stored in the structure. These objects were meant to be glowing blue, hovering in the air and providing some unseen power source.
“Allow me some time to study the shard,” Xol’sa said. “I could use some more information for my notes.”
Theo nodded, finding his way to the steps of the structure. He sat down, sending his aura blanketing over the area. Some effect of the void-laden area dulled his magical senses. He leaned so heavily on Shadow’s power for that effect that he couldn’t tell if it was a matter of being out of range, or his own ineptitude. But he got some sense that there were magical objects around here. Small blips appeared in his mind, standing out against the endless background of black. He also felt those elves, festering with void energy that mingled with the planar energy he was used to feeling from Xol’sa.
“The more I study these shards, the less I know,” Xol’sa said, slapping the side of the dim crystal. “They’re massive lodestones, but their function is unknown to me. As is the mechanism they use to draw power.”
“Is that a problem?”