Shovels In Spades

Lian'Wa'Runda's core went on to explain that the only way it could completely stop the storms would be by taking in all of the energy contained within them directly into itself.

A very dangerous procedure that could make it explode if it tried to contain the energy for too long.

"That's hardly an issue," Ellie said with a deep roll of the eyes. "It's not like anyone wants to live here. We can just leave when you make the storm go away. it doesn't need to be permanent."

"... No one?" There was sadness in its tone. "Not even a single person?"

Daz agreed with Ellie but he didn't voice his thoughts the same way as his less considerate companion. "I'm sure we can find cold-acclimated people who can make this place into a real home. I can already think of some monster packs who'd love this place. We even have a hatching Frost Phoenix."

"Really? That sounds wonderful. It gets lonely... Even when it was just my former master after his family passed away, I would spend so much time alone..."the icicle expressed.

"I promise. I'll find beings who'll love it here, for now though, back to the storm. We don't need it gone for long like Ellie said. How much time can you contain it with yourself?" Daz questioned.

The icicle hummed a bit, happier now with his promise in place, and replied, "An hour, maybe two. I do not feel comfortable doing it for any more than an hour though. I don't want to risk dying."

Daz nodded. "Okay, and how frequently can you do that?"

There was no way everyone could evacuate this place in that short of a time frame. The snow was heavy and thick so even without the storm, traversing the roadless terrain to the portal that led to North Dakota would take hours, if not days.

It wasn't an issue for those with the power to fly or move quickly but not everyone had invested in those directions, giving Daz some cause for concern.

'Three, maybe four times a day. Also, when I do retract my storms, the white-robed ones invade,' Icicle said. 'At least, they did the last two times my former master asked me to clear the storm so he could unbury the city.'

Daz and Ellie both wore interested expressions. 'Lord Lit'ur was powerful enough to dig out an entire city from the snow in just an hour? He really got cheated by grabbing Hamson. Poor guy.'

"The Truthians?" Ellie asked, failing to hide the mass of bloodlust that eked out of her very being.

The icicle, ironically enough, shivered. "Her presence is very unnerving. Please have her leave. I do not feel safe with her so close to me."

"Ellie," Daz called in a helpless voice. "Please, I understand you but control your urges."

Ellie frowned but nodded nonetheless and reeled in her thirst for the death of those that had taken Idris and Sandy from her.

Daz stroked his chin and wore an appreciative look on his face before saying, "I'm sorry about her. The ones in white, they wear robes that look like this, yes?"

Daz took out the outfit of the cardinal he had slain during the attack on Fort Home. He had kept it to help with psychological warfare when the fighting began but it would seem it could come in handy here as well.

The icicle hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yes. Not identical, but yes, very similar. You surely saw the white-robed people in the hallway leading to the throne room. Dead and frozen."

"So it is the Truthians. How did you or Lord Lit'ur kill them? They cut off access to the system as well as esper powers," Daz explained.

"She still unnerves me..."the crystal said regarding Ellie before it sighed and answered, "I know little of this 'system'. My former master spoke of it from time to time as the one who led his ancestors here and as the one who still binds his blood to this 'primitive land'. Esper powers, I have never heard of. I simple froze those white-robed ones when they tried to take advantage of the lowered storm to attack my master. My master did not need to lift a finger."

Daz's eyes opened wide. "They... they can't just stop you from hurting them? Or your storm, for that matter?"

"No? Should they be able to?" the icicle asked back.

Both Daz and Ellie were stumped.

"What- It- This thing, it can, what, negate their power to cancel shit?" Ellie asked Daz, looking for answers.

"No... No, that's not it..." he rubbed his chin as he saw an answer for this claim form in his mind. "It just isn't affected... It's not an item bound to a person nor is it a skill. It's a living, sentient being. It's already in its natural state. Everything about it is permanent. This... This changes a lot... I could go to war and use Grid. The city belongs to me but it's just like Lian'Wa'Runda."

"That's me. I am Lian'Wa'Runda," the icicle's feminine voice chiming in proudly.

"Yes, yes you are," Daz replied with a smile on his face.

The childishness of these sentient crystals could be rather endearing at times, he felt.