The Ethersmith

The crystal spirits’ village resided in the forest a fifteen minutes walk from the camp. The ten spirits encircled Vivi and her friends as they followed pathed grass through the forest. The first log-houses came to view.

It was a depressing sight.

The village did not have gates or a protective fence. Vivi wasn’t welcomed in by pretty architecture or comfy huts. Instead, the village’s perimeter started with six unconscious crystal spirits sprawled lifelessly on the grass. Their skin was cracked all over, limbs snapped in awkward angles. One of them had a hole through the chest that would have killed any human.

A reanimated rabbit calmly chewed on one of the spirit’s arm, until Drean calmly shot an arrow into the rabbit’s forehead. The monster died in one shot, turning back to its host bones. Drean didn’t check up on his friends, however, but continued forward.

“They’re asleep,” Drean said. “They’ve cut their consciousness from their senses. There is no need to worry about them. They don’t feel pain. They will wake up when provided sufficient ether. Most of us are like that, asleep. Don’t bother them.”

“You’re truly immortal, then?” Vivi asked.

“Spirits are immortal, so long as we have ether to keep ourselves conscious, or our god decides to cut our connection,” Drean said. “Our god is immortal as well, and it seems he is asleep. It’s easier to become unconscious.”

“Even if you’re being eaten alive by rabbits?” Vivi asked.

“The comforts of nature turn to unbearable boredom after the first five hundred years of isolation. Unconsciousness becomes a much more appealing option.”

To the left of the path was a roofless unfinished log-house with cracks in its walls. To the right, the house had collapsed completely, the logs clumped together as lifelessly as the unconscious spirits.

“Those will start rotting soon,” Drean said. “We’ll have to demolish old buildings within the upcoming years. The smells attract pests. Houses don’t last very long. It’s annoying to replace them. For extended periods of rest, we sleep in nature, or in coffins.”

Vivi struggled to form the appropriate response. The spirits certainly had an… interesting lifestyle. Lucius? Vivi asked. If we fought, what does immortality mean in combat? Can we kill them at all?

“We can render them unconscious,” Lucius said. “A fatal wound will destroy them. But as long as a spirit has ether, they will always recover, in one form or another. If their reserves reach zero, their souls will lose connection, and they’ll wander around as mindless wisps, until they are offered ether again. Thousands of dead spirits like that float around across the levels.”

Deeper in, the spirits’ residence started to resemble a forest village. The huts were completed, some with proper slated roofs. Cobblestones had been smoothed as paths. There were no wells or farms, since the spirits didn’t need to eat, but they had a sunshade built of fabric. At the back were the coffins Drean had mentioned—a row of thick stone slabs next to each other with names carved onto them.

They had decorations as well. One of the women was watering flowers, and another was carving a wooden figurine, though both of their movements were sluggish. Another man was sharpening arrows. The vast majority of spirits were unconscious.

Lortel and the Darkwind hunters seemed relaxed enough. Aolinn walked with her posture closed, however. Without translation magic, she was left entirely in the dark. Vivi held her hand and said, “We’re not captured. They’re friendly.”

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Aolinn spoke quietly. “Do they have a way out?”

“No,” Vivi said. “But they might have your father.”

“The other human spoke that same language,” Drean said. “We are starting the process of teaching him Fimian. It will take years. He did not seem like a very important person, however. Take a look.”

Drean opened the door to a small hut, where a man in a shiny locium outfit, now stained with dirt, had been tied to a chair with rope. He sluggishly lifted his head, showing lumps under his eyes.

“Father!” Aolinn blurted out.

Helegar blinked, eyes opening wide. “Aolinn? Why… What are you doing here?”

“Is he a friend?” Drean asked.

“He is with us, yes,” Vivi said. “And he’s harmless.”

“Very well,” Drean said. “We will untie him. Keep track that he does not do anything stupid. Do not destroy anything we have built. We will discuss food later.”

Drean then moved to the chair. He grabbed the knot, and with ether-enhanced hands, he untied it, freeing Helegar’s hands. “I will let you reunite alone. We will wait outside. Do not take more than a week.”

A week? Vivi thought. How distorted is his perception of time?

She thanked him regardless, and Drean exited. The door clicked shut, and everyone was silent for a bit.

Until Aolinn rushed to her father and hugged him. “I was so worried,” she said through a sniffle.

“Not now, Aolinn,” Helegar said. “We are captured.”

“We are not captured,” Vivi said. “You were banished to the bottom of the world with us.”

Helegar stood straight and patted his clothes. Some dirt fell, but the stains remained. “My palace was attacked by demons! We must return to the surface immediately. I request you, hunters, to bring me to the nearest teleporter. Your assistance will be rewarded greatly.”

Alda and Cael just looked at each other, and at Vivi, probably thinking the same thing. Vivi wanted to sigh. Lortel leaned against the wall, listening.

“Helegar, we’re terribly sorry,” Alda said, “but taking you to a teleporter is a bit of a tall ask.”

His brows twitched. “I would not disregard the offer of a sovereign, young Darkwind. I would order you directly, but I can’t be so rude to my saviors. Cael Darkwind, for assisting me, I will reward you by sparing your life. I have the power to convince your father to take back the order to assassinate you.”

“Oh, did I finally tip the scale?” Cael asked with a grin. “My dad is trying to take back my spirit?”

“You have not earned enough ether,” Helegar said. “If you help me, I can change things. A hundred thousand ether. That is what I will pay you. The Darkwinds will be pleased with you for years to come.”

Cael stared blankly at the sub-sovereign. He stood a head taller, unphased by Helegar’s deep scowl. “You have not paid half of what was promised for my wyvern, sir sovereign. Instead, you order me to be assassinated?”

Helegar was taken aback.

“You are not in a position to make demands here,” Cael said. “You have absolutely no power whatsoever. Your lineage means nothing in a dungeon.”

“You cursed monsters,” Helegar grumbled. “Are you kidnapping me?”

“Father, stop!” Aolinn said. “They’re allies! They’re all friends. They saved—”

“Aolinn, silence!” Helegar bellowed. He approached Cael with a heavy step. “Listen, you two Darkwinds. If I do not survive out of this cave, and you make it to the surface alone, you will both die. Your careers will be over. You—”

Cael pushed his full aura of five thousand ether straight at Helegar’s face. “Sir. Calm down. You won’t die here. We will protect you as best we can, and we will bring you to the surface. In a dungeon, however, your orders mean nothing. You are a liability to our survival. If you want to make it out of here alive, you will shut up and let us handle our jobs.”

Helegar said nothing, standing still.

“We are looking for a way out,” Cael said. “When we find it, we will bring you out with us. Your threats will not change a single thing.”

“You will regret this.”

Vivi sighed. “Helegar, in case you hadn’t noticed, there are very few people in the world who enjoy it when you open your mouth.”

He frowned at her, as if his presence still had influence over them.

Vivi opened the door and called, “Drean?”

The spirit was still waiting outside. “Is there a problem?” he asked.

“Yes, this is the wrong person, after all,” Vivi said. “You should tie him back down.”

“Should he be executed?” Drean asked.

“No,” Vivi said. “We’ll handle his meals and nutrients, but letting him walk around will be dangerous. He should be tied down.”

“I do not think he will pose any danger,” Drean said. “Though if you believe so, we will agree.”

Vivi nodded. “Thank you. We’ll start working on breaking the seal now.” She summoned the slingshot launcher in spatial storage and held it proudly. “Where is the exit?”