Ar'Kendrithyst

Erick stepped from the twilight of Spur onto a dark, grassy hill, lit by stars, the moons, and a far off glow on another high hill, and another, and another. All around Erick, every hill on the surrounding endless prairie was topped with stone towers, some small and singular atop their hill, some large and crowded, with peaks and raised porches, every one of them looking like organized piles of legos, or stone trees. Sunlightwards glowed in the air around the bases of those towers and on streets of muddy dirt that connected one hill to the next. Men and women in armor poked up here and there among the crenelations, like birds in stone trees, each of them holding spears, watching the night. Several of them watched Yetta and Erick and their whole party as they arrived on the grassland.

Erick would never have seen any of that without [Ultrasight]; he needed to level all of that up to [Hunter's Instincts] as soon as possible.

A cold wind blew across his small party, snaking into Erick’s loose desert attire, bringing with it the smell of freshly tilled dirt, and the whispering night. People in those stone trees were up and awake; some talking about war, some talking about food. Erick would have listened more, but Yetta, dressed in nicer yellow leather armor than what Erick remembered, and Jane, in her midnight [Conjure Armor], were both looking at Ophiel on Erick’s shoulder.

Yetta tore her eyes away from the winged, eyed creature, saying, “Welcome to Odaali-in-Exile, Archmage Flatt.” Her voice was strong. “We will be having a small get together with the appropriate people, like I explained, if you do not mind.”

“I’m good for anything,” Erick said.

Yetta nodded, saying, “Thank you.” Yetta glanced at Erick’s clothing. She said nothing. “If you would follow me.” She began walking down the hill.

Erick tugged at his clothes. What was wrong with them? Sure, they weren’t the nicest things he owned, but they weren’t farm-clothes. Who was he meeting, anyway? Army people? They shouldn’t care.

Yetta began walking down the hill.

Erick followed Yetta down the hill to a dirt road nestled between the grasses of the prairie, casually surrounded by Teressa, Poi, and Rats; they were forming a perimeter around him. Erick felt a bit nervous at needing to be surrounded by guards, but Jane walked at his side, and that made him feel better. When they got to the dirt road, Yetta turned on her [Cleanse Aura], turning tiny bits of the land here and there into thick air. Now why was she doing that? Erick felt a bit more nervous than before, guessing that Yetta was protecting them from stray killing clouds of dead air; this must be why all the buildings were on top of hills, on top of towers.

Erick quietly asked Jane, “How’s it been?”

Jane sent, ‘We’re being watched.’

‘Well duh. How bad is it?’

‘Not that bad. I’ve already caught people testing my ability to find them sneaking into my rooms; [Greater Shadowalk] has a lot of new applications; I’m still learning. I don’t think the spies are a problem, but they are annoying. And what the hell is that thing on your shoulder?’

Eyes had blinked open everywhere across Ophiel’s tiny body; the little guy was taking in sights from everywhere. He watched as Yetta’s thick air played in the wind flowing across the grassland. He extended his wings, feeling the sky move around his little place in the world.

Erick sent her an image of Ophiel’s blue box, sending, ‘I made my [Familiar].’

Jane read the spell description, sending, ‘You made a damned angel, Dad. What the hell!’

‘Veirdly angels are people, Jane. Ophiel won’t be mistaken for an angel here, at all.’

‘You know what I mean!’

'Yes, I do.'

Erick smiled as their group reached a stretch of the dirt road that was different than what came before, it was slightly darker. Yetta’s [Cleanse Aura] billowed thick wind everywhere. What had just happened?

Erick didn’t have much time to ponder that, though. No one seemed nervous except for him, and Ophiel tittered; kneading Erick’s shoulder with its wings, touching Erick with a tendril of [Telepathy], asking a wordless question about flying.

Erick sent back, ‘No. You have to stay here with me. You can go flying later.’

Ophiel seemed to focus on their surroundings, his wings folding down against his sides. Maybe he had picked up on Erick’s nervousness. Ah. That wasn’t good. Erick wanted a strong [Familiar]; he tried to put on a stronger persona, standing up straighter. Ophiel seemed to stand taller on his shoulder, following Erick’s example.

Jane sent, ‘It’s not a real angel, is it?’

‘It’s not a real anything; just a mana construct. That was Sizzi’s opinion, anyway, and I’m starting to think so, too. It’s starting to pick up small mannerisms, but they’re only the mannerisms I expect it to have.’

Jane looked at Ophiel, sending, ‘I hope it helps keep you out of danger.’

‘We’re all in danger, all the time, Jane. Ophiel here will help me survive it.’

Jane smiled a little, as she looked out into the night.

Erick changed the subject by asking Yetta, “Why the [Cleanse Aura]? Are we that close to the front lines?”

Yetta said, “There’s no sewer system here; all of this went up three weeks ago, and it’s constantly being expanded.”

“… Oh.” Erick looked at the brown dirt path. “Want me to [Stoneshape] this path to raised stone?”

“No. I want this place to be as temporary as possible. I would have preferred huts.” Yetta said, “But some people have different ideas of what is necessary.” She pointed to a hill two hills away, to a taller tower than most crowded with a small, ornate palace on top. White stone shimmered under brilliant light orbs; warm lights pouring up and out of an interior courtyard, coloring the night sunlight-yellow. A mishmash of towers ringed the central, unseen courtyard. “Duchess Wilhelmina Dominair and Duke Cyril Odaali are waiting for us in the Temporary Palace, along with several other important people, as I explained.” She glanced back. “I have to ask: What is that thing on your shoulder?”

“A [Familiar].” Erick said, “I made him six hours ago, so he’s still learning.”

Erick suddenly remembered that he still had learning to do, too; he had gotten quite a few points from leveling off of the yellow wyrm. He allocated 10 points into Willpower, in preparation for an expensive battle to come.