Neophyte World Builder

SARA (NETHYS)

Between her powerful Totem, her adventurous life, and the generally more active life she had, Nethys had really considered herself in great shape. It had become a point of pride for her, and she was pretty happy with how things had turned out for her, physically. The ability to breathe easily after a long jog or even run was something she’d not had since her teenage years on Earth.

The fact that she was panting and her legs ached was more a testament to how far she’d had to climb than her fitness.

“I heard she sleeps all the time,” Dethan wheezed. He was just as out of breath as she was, but her fellow explorer had an expression of pleasant surprise anyway. “What are the chances… *huff*… we’d get here when she’s awake?”

“About one in ten, so it’s rare but not strange,” Nethys answered in reflex. She’d already calculated the odds based on what she’d heard Cayla’s normal sleep patterns were, so it wasn’t hard. “Maybe a little better because I tried,” she added.

Probably a lot better, if Akasha had anything to do with it, Nethys thought to herself. She wasn’t sure if the odd little goddess or whatever she was could nudge the dragon awake, but wouldn’t put it past her to do so.

All five of her little group of explorers were in excellent shape and relatively high level. Her own highest was in the thirties, which she’d been told would have been impressive a couple centuries ago but in these days it wasn’t surprising. This made her the lowest level in the group by Primary Class, but her Secondary and Tertiary Classes were in the twenties as well, making her unusually balanced compared to the others.

Their fitness allowed all five to recover their breath while in they waited in the atrium. It was comfortable, Nethys had to admit. The benches in the rounded room were stone, but they had soft cushions and the temperature was perfectly regulated, if slightly chilly for her tastes. Growing up in the more temperate regions, that was likely just personal preference, not a problem with their climate control magics.

“I wonder how she gets out,” Varya murmured. “I mean, dragons are really big, right? I’ve seen one before, and Elder Dragons are supposed to be even bigger. I didn’t see a large opening nearby, but maybe there’s one further up the mountain or something?”

Ender sipped from the cup of water he’d been given, then chuckled, “They could just cover it with an illusion of some kind. Maybe Cayla herself does it. Dragons are very good at Umbral magic.” He slumped back and groaned… he was a double-Caster, and his [Wayfarer] class was underleveled compared to the two magic-focused ones. Without the extra stamina more physical-oriented classes gave, he’d suffered the most during the climb.

The door swung open to reveal the steward once more. Nethys was still surprised by the young woman that had greeted them… she’d expected a serious and more aged old man. Most of the vaskan world was male-dominated, so she’d gotten used to struggling for recognition in places, but here nobody questioned it.

The steward was also… different. Dressed in loose and light robes, the outfit’s sheer cloth would have been scandalous on a human. On her it was decidedly not, because the steward was far more feral than many vaskan. She had soft white fur all over her body, and it was thick and long. A fluffy tail swished behind her, and her ears were large and rounded atop her head. Nethys had teased Crown about a species of “furries” but the vaskan usually had only minor hints of their Totem. This one looked more like an anthropomorphic chinchilla.

“Elder Dragon Cayla has agreed to answer one question for all of you,” the steward trilled in her high-pitched voice. “I will collect your questions, and if you have trouble wording them I can aid you. It is rare that she takes so many requests at once, these days.”

One delicate, clawed finger pointed at Nethys as the steward continued, “The Elder has requested a private audience with you, Nethys Fairglow. This is an extremely unusual request, and you should treat her with utmost deference. You are the first to have a private meeting since I took up this mantle, but she assures me that you will bring no harm to her, and she wishes to meet you.”

Surprise showed upon everyone’s face, though not shock. To even get the opportunity to speak to the steward, a person had to provide some reason that the dragon should hear their request. Some had offered time in service, or other talents, while others offered new discoveries or unique experiences. Even reaching the small town that watched over the dragon’s roost was an ordeal, though the location was not particularly hidden.

In public, Nethys had revealed to the gatekeeper—and her own companions—that she had been responsible for the [Mathemancer] class. That had gotten them to speak with the steward. What they had not realized was that she had quietly passed along Akasha’s name as well. Surely a wise and ancient being like this had heard the name before.

“Walk straight through. Do not stop or take any side passages or rooms. Wait in the chamber at the end of the passage,” the steward ordered sternly. Nethys tried not to snicker at the idea of a chinchilla giving her stern orders, and thankfully succeeded. The actual animal was probably something considerably larger and more dangerous than the adorable fluffmonsters, but she wasn’t privy to the exact Totem. It wasn’t native to her region.

Leaving her friends to discuss matters with the steward, Nethys stepped out into the chill winds of the bridge leading across the deep chasm. It wasn’t a long bridge, but she could immediately see the point of the bridge and security. On the off chance someone chose to assault the home of the dragon, there was only one way into the lair. Her time in this more brutal world had given her some insights into that kind of thing.

The lair itself was just another building though. A pleasant one, at that. She removed her boots as she entered the foyer, stepping onto the carpeted hallway to head straight forward. She wasn’t sure if the request to ignore the side paths was a test or just a pragmatic request, but she had no reason to aggravate the dragon.

Though she wasn’t sure where there dragon would come from, since the room at the end of the hallway was a large but not enormous one. Circular in shape, it had pillars supporting the roof, which had skylight-style windows currently open to allow the sunlight in. A sunken middle held cushioned chairs and various pillows, though the place looked a little too clean to be something frequently used. One vaskan-sized side passage gave an exit to the room, but it was clearly not a continuation of the hallway.

Nethys sat down at the edge of the sunken floor to wait.

It wasn’t long before the light footsteps reached her sharp ears. A slender form stepped out of the side opening, moving slowly and deliberately. Nethys rose once more, about to ask where the dragon would meet her, but before she composed the question in a polite manner she got a better look at the form.

Vaskan, yes… but that’s where the similarity ended. Winglike arms, a swaying tail, a delicate and alien face… they were all unique in a way she hadn’t seen a vaskan before. She’d never seen a Totem like that, but it did resemble a creature she’d heard of more than once.

“Yes, I am the dragon,” Cayla chuckled in a voice like dry, rustling leaves.

Nethys knew that’s who it was. The woman wasn’t wrinkled or aged in the traditional sense, but she moved with that careful gait of someone more fragile than they had been in their youth. She hesitated, unsure how to react to the simple statement.

“Please, sit,” Cayla directed with a gesture to one of the chairs. “No, it is not possible to take a dragon Totem. I was an exception, granted to me by a mutual acquaintance.”

That shook Nethys out of her stupor. “Akasha,” she breathed, slumping down into the chair. “Right. I thought you’d have heard of her, but should have known someone as important as you had met her. The Dream Shaper Cayla…”

Cayla grimaced and eased herself into the chair nearby. “A convenient fiction. While I aided, it was the gods themselves and several other mortals that changed the Dream. I would of course ask you not to tell anyone the truth about me. I have all the powers and responsibilities of an Elder Dragon, but I’m afraid this body will not last much longer. I’d prefer my last few decades to be in peace.”

Nethys frowned, but dropped the topic. She was here for guidance, not gossip. “How much do you know about what I am?”

The old dragon smiled, closing her eyes. “You are Nethys, and your previous name was Sara. You remember your previous life in a place far away, one that I cannot comprehend. You also used your knowledge of that realm to create the [Mathemancer] class. That is all that I have been told. Why have you come here?”

After so long not hearing her previous name aloud, Nethys flinched. She’d stopped thinking of herself as that person a long time ago now… even if those memories shaped everything she did. She nodded quietly to the dragon and bit her bottom lip.

“I was told that I could do great things,” she answered at last. “So I sought you out. Next, I think I will try to cross the Ring of Fire and pierce the Barrier Mountains. I know about Upside… I could be the one who introduces it to the vaskan.”

Cayla opened her eyes and stared at her for several seconds. “Mmmm…” The low noise, almost like a growl, faded into the silence of the chamber. “You could, at that. You could do many things. Yet I think you are not considering your options. Were you told to do great things, or told you could do great things?”

Nethys scratched the back of her neck. “The second one. I got the impression that’s what they wanted me to do. Akasha told me I didn’t have to, but it seems a waste…”

“Mmmhmm…” Cayla murmured, blending into how Nethys trailed off. “A waste, is it? Do you really want to, though? Would it be a waste to throw away your gifts by refusing to go beyond the wall, or a waste to do so when you had no passion for it? I can help you pass the Ring of Fire… but only if that is what you truly want to do.”

The direct question made Nethys frown. “Why does everyone speak in roundabout ways? Of course I want to… I think.” She stopped and rubbed the back of her neck again. “I mean, I did when I started. I still do, I guess. I’m curious.”

“You think, you guess… what do you want?” Cayla asked again, her voice almost a whisper. “I will not help you without a clear answer, stranger from beyond.”

A clear answer. Nethys closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I like the travel. I like all that I’ve learned. This world is so huge though… it feels like I’ve barely scratched what’s here on this side of the mountains. It would be dangerous, and thrilling, but it’s something nobody has done… I could die again. I might not return even if I live. I’m not sure I want to be a legend for disappearing. I’ve already done so much here, it would seem a waste. I was hoping you’d clear that up.”

“Haven’t I?” Cayla asked with a flicker of amusement in her voice.

Nethys frowned again, about to snipe back… but it was a good question.

What did she really want?