The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 448 - Doorways Through The Cosmos
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Another abandoned quarry thought to be used by ancient road builders sat twenty miles north of the main settlement, far enough from any curious eyes - but close enough for Qatrand to reach quickly... without seeming like she was doing anything other than patrolling her domain. Down one particular shaft, carved out stone walls rose high on all sides and created natural cover for the light and energies the realmshard might soon unleash during activation.
Standing at the center, Nohre clutched that ancient artifact with hands that trembled around the strange shape. Despite her attempts at composure, she was sort of terrified that it wouldn’t work ’right’. That they would end up somewhere else than where they were trying to go... that she would be separated from Fusand like Elua was from her spouse, without any of the knowhow on how to return.
"You’re sure that I should just stand here?"
"When all three of you are close enough to it, it will begin - and then can’t be stopped."
The low toned voice belted out the distance easily thanks to the gold brooch with blue gem from her strikeforce days. An item which still came in handy almost a year later, even under the idea of leading a territory. It also gave her former members a lot of clout when touring the area - as even those who did not know them by face or name could recognize the incredible similarity toward the item the Warden Patrician wore regularly.
"And once we arrive, we’re to tell Master Elua that you sent us specifically for Zyris’s training needs?"
Fusand strode around and fussed with the packs of belongings they intended to bring. Making sure it sat right on his fiancee’s shoulders, he spoke of the heiress without much restraint. The family they had taken up with certainly knew that they treated their friend like their first real cultivation mentor - and hiding it after what they were about to do would just be silly..
"Exactly. Helping Zyris with her Element manifestation is the primary justification, as she can’t be sent alone. My wife... will understand the other implications immediately even if you don’t tell her."
"What if... what if whatever’s wrong with my cultivation again makes the transport dangerous? What if I contaminate the artifact somehow?"
The Talcres woman stood the furthest from the realmshard, apart from Qat. Her voice held an accumulated fear about her mysterious ability. Since awakening her Element, she’d been afraid to cultivate intensively... worried about what might emerge from deeper essence manipulation when she could only vaguely feel the sense of emptiness in what she was supposed to be ’controlling’. It didn’t feel like something that was *permitted* to be engaged with, to her... leaving the woman with her hopes raised like she never expected only to be brought low again.
"Elua will know how to help you. Of everyone on the continent, she has the knowledge to guide you safely through whatever you’re experiencing. Please trust my word and the certainty of the two you have helped her guide."
Qat’s reassurance - still from a certain distance, but not as loud as calling toward Nohre - held complete but gentle conviction in the reincarnator’s capabilities. The things she’d done were beyond question, even if the current situation pushed the boundaries of what seemed possible to those unaware of her ancient memories. Nodding and clenching her fists, Zyris er Talcres spoke more like she did when helping the pair of former orphans train.
"Are you both ready?"
Green eyes looked down and adjusted her grip on the realmshard, despite knowing that holding onto it wasn’t all that important. It just felt right for one of them to be touching what they were intending to use. Looking up, she called out her agreement and her partner added his. Then their ’third’ took a step, and then another, forward toward the strange journey.
"Remember to try not to resist whatever it does."
As if responding to the blonde’s comment and not just their collective presence, the realmshard’s ritual stirred. A faint pulse of essence emanated from its core, testing the spiritual boundaries of those nearby and tagging the three closest. Then deeper, stronger, as sigil work sought out its current cosmic location.
Soft ethereal light bloomed in an aura around the transport ’key’. Not the harsh glare of uncontrolled spikes of power, but something almost welcoming in its glow despite the knowledge that it was now ’inevitable’. That radiance spread outward, coating the trio of cultivators with a shimmering film of energy meant to contain their spirit inward rather than letting it scatter.
At the same time, Nohre felt her connection to the Water Element grow distant. The feeling between herself and the water at her lower back’s container growing ’numb’. Not severed but... contained - as if it was something that could be wrapped in a silk bag and set aside for safekeeping.
Beside her, Fusand felt much the same regarding the fine flour dust he had collected. However, Zyris felt nothing like either of them. If anything, she felt somehow closer to her Element than ever as the glow intensified and reality began to compress around them. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
From their point of view, the quarry walls seemed to bend inward... stone and visible sky folding together like fabric being gathered in one place. They tried to trust in the process despite the surreal distortion of their surroundings. From above, Qatrand watched as the space around her wife’s friends contracted toward a single point of brilliant light - the realmshard itself.
Her pigeon blue eyes tracked every detail, knowing she would need to report this moment to others who held love for these brave volunteers. Meyran had wanted to be there himself - however, it had been hard enough to sneak the three of them out on a supposed ’expedition’. The Talcres Patriarch was willing, if not happy about it, to not push any more suspicion onto the former Yecine.
Brilliant and final, the light winked out with a feeling of silence that was as disconcerting as Illusions suddenly stopping or starting. The floor of the quarry shaft now stood empty save for the realmshard, settled onto the stone where Nohre had been standing without any obvious bounce or roll. Its spherical rings had gone dark with its current purpose served.
Qatrand gil Yecine was already hopping down to retrieve it - not wanting to risk any chance of theft - with the Void Defense Society artifact securing box she’d obtained... and modified under the instructions of the sigil smart ’little snake’. But as quick as she could return to her duties, physically... spiritually she took some time to just sit there and meditate on what she witnessed.
On what she felt.
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The sensation of teleportation defied description for those capable of perceiving it. Simultaneously compressed and expanded. Going nowhere and all at once moving at impossible speeds through spaces that the mind suggested couldn’t exist. For an eternal instant that lasted no time at all, they experienced the Void between dimensions.
Zyris er Talcres especially, though she had no way of knowing that next moment that the two young people with her had not ’seen’ as much. Because all three of them were staring around the flat empty plain under the violet sky, golden clouds, and thick essence that felt nowhere near as gentle a container as a silk bag.
’More like a cotton sack thrown into deep water...’
The braided haired girl stuck her hand toward her Water supply and tried to churn it. Feeling only a slow movement inside and certainly no ability to surge along her essence field then around her hand like ’normal’. All while staring into the distance at the unknown landscape. Her wariness surged, feeling like they could be attacked by unknown creatures at any moment.
"Is this actually the spot we were supposed to end up? There is nothing here."
Fusand had almost expected to find dozens of buildings like the Coiled Serpent Guild Branch forming a little town. Some sort of little paradisical comfort that the heiress capable of not only making Projected blueprints but with the sigilry knowhow to act upon them on her own. Instead, it was just empty terrain toward hills and forest leading toward a strange horizon.
"Oh, I won’t say *nothing*. But if you expected me to build on this boring spot... right where people are dropping into the realm... then you must not remember how dramatic I can be, you daft dust fox."
The voice came like it was right next to them, but they saw nothing when spinning around. A strobing ball of light above them made the trio look directly up to see an upside down brunette standing in the middle of the air. ’Elua’ waved up - or down, rather - at them to complete her initial teasing before disappearing and reappearing on the plain in the direction they needed to go.
"It’s a bit of a hike. I’ll meet you in person soon, so save your stories for when we are face to face. Okay?"
The illusion shimmered into bubbles that shaped into an arrow pointing ahead and script that said ’this way, disciples’. Chuckling, the sandy haired teenager made sure his pack was tight once more as he started that way. His wife-to-be hopped forward and got ahead of him in the next few seconds. Followed slower by what essentially qualified as the adoptive mother of ’both’ of them.
One who really wanted to parentally tell the pair to *never* emulate the erratic behavior of their ’good’ friend in such serious situations!
