Ogre Tyrant

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 58 – Blood and sweat – Part One

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 58 - Blood and sweat - Part One

Seeking answers from Sebet revealed that she was already aware of the nature and limitations of the Sculpt Flesh Spell. When pressed for what she knew, Sebet insisted that it was more closely aligned to an art that required experience to master than a science that could be understood with enough study.

With even my limited experience, I was inclined to agree.

Sebet’s best guess at why Sculpt Flesh could close wounds but fail to restore lost HP was based on the theory that the motive force inside of each monster was a sort of second mana. The theory seemed strange, but I had already witnessed several incidents of unquestionably fatal wounds failing to kill their recipient while those with a multitude of minor injuries were brought to the brink of death.

After discussing the subject for a couple of hours and not getting anywhere, I decided that I would just have to settle for the mystery remaining as it was, for the time being at least.

I ultimately decided against rejoining Jean’s team in the Labyrinth. Sparring with Ophelia had reminded me that I was still desperately lacking in formal combat training. My earliest training with the Deep Orcs equated more closely to brawling and leveraging superior strength against a smaller opponent. While useful in its way, it left me vulnerable to enemies who used superior technique and speed to negate powerful strikes.

I had no delusions that I would be able to match the speed of the Liche’s Vampyr minions. However, if I continued to allow that gap in technique to exist, it would be the same as giving the Vampyrs permission to take advantage of it.

I was just in the process of considering how to go about finding an instructor when Clarice and Dhizi landed on the far side of the lakeshore.

Dhizi wasted no time in launching herself into the lake, which momentarily struck me as odd since I would have thought that her winged forelimbs would be ill-suited to swimming. Regardless of my opinion, Dhizi began swimming around the lake.

I would have investigated further but Ophelia had descended from the canopy and had begun to excitedly prepare her personal training space.

Using my authority I relocated myself just outside of the boundary of Ophelia’s training space.

Despite my being in human form and Ophelia being otherwise occupied, she noticed my appearance almost immediately.

“Are you going to join us for sparring?!” Ophelia asked excitedly while hastily sweeping the compacted earth of the twenty-foot duelling circle.

“Probably,” I agreed amiably, “But I was just thinking that I need a proper tutor or instructor-”

Ophelia nodded vigorously, “Definitely,” she agreed, “Your form has many vulnerabilities and weaknesses! I can show you after sparring with Clarice!”

I had no doubts that Ophelia would try, but she had a unique competitive streak that often clouded her judgement and turned temporary demonstrations into outright sparring without her realising.

I made a noncommittal grunt in reply and began mentally reviewing my options.

Before I could even get started, I felt several intruders enter my Demi-Plane through the Mournbrent Gateway and become imprisoned within Sebet’s fortress. Another group entered a couple of minutes later and met with the same fate.

After a few minutes, another group of invaders passed through the gateway. Unlike before, they were accompanied by one of my subjects.

Mentally following the link my subject had used, I took note that they had arrived through the Gateway in Port Gidian.

As I considered whether to investigate the matter in person, I felt several simultaneous attempts by the intruders to leave by Demi-Plane. Without my permission, the attempts were quashed immediately.

Now considerably more concerned than before, I used my authority to move to Sebet’s fortress.

Intruders were stripped of all belongings except their underclothes on entry. Which meant that one or more of the intruders had a Class that allowed for some form of teleportation.

I had arrived in the same meeting room from my previous visit and could hear Sebet’s minions moving quickly and calling out to one another deeper in the fortress.

Conjuring a heavy cloak to somewhat disguise my human form, I carefully made my way down toward the prison beneath the fortress. The main passages, stairways and doorways were large enough that I could have navigated the fortress in my natural form. However, I only had a vague concept of the dimensions of the prison beneath the fortress, so I decided that being human-sized was the better means of approach.

A heavily fortified and guarded chamber in the centre of the fortress housed a Gateway that allowed anyone with authorisation to move freely between the fortress and the Gateway chamber below.

Sebet had recruited heavily from the Gnolls of Rikit’s pack to provide security for the fortress. Most of the Gnolls were male Labyrinth copies and served as guards. However, I spotted a couple of females and Variant Males with prominent insignia on their uniforms and assumed they filled an officer or supervisory role.

Whether it was by a sense of smell or perhaps because of my recent use of my authority, I had a distinct impression that the Gnoll guards seemed to recognise me. At the very least, they made no attempts at stopping me as I moved deeper into the fortress and then entered the Gateway chamber.

A pair of large female Gnolls in heavy steel and leather armour stood guard in front of the Gateway alongside a dozen Variant males in similar armour.

Just like the other guards, the Gnolls did not attempt to stop or question me as I passed them by and used the Gateway.

My abrupt arrival in the prison was met with a momentary surge of interest from the guards, but their attention quickly shifted back toward the entrance to the chamber after I received a quick patdown for weapons and came up clean. It was then that I realised none of the Gnolls guarding the Gateway carried any weapons.

At first, that seemed insanely reckless. However, after I thought about it for a moment I realised it was rather clever. Gnolls already had teeth and claws if there was a need for lethal force. Provided the enemy was human, they wouldn’t have any problems subduing or killing them.

Provided they were human...

With thoughts of the undead on my mind, I hurried out of the chamber and into the prison proper.

Besides a general knowledge of the giant artificial cavern within which it was located, I had no further knowledge of the prison itself. The cavern was shaped from dark stone and the only source of light came from luminescent moss and fungi that grew on the cavern walls and ceiling.

The cavern floor was littered with large gaping holes that were each covered by a thick iron grating. Inspecting a nearby hole confirmed that Sebet was very likely using the holes as prison cells.

The hole I had inspected was empty, but it had a pile of matted straw on one side and a small chute on the other that would readily serve as a toilet.

Looking back toward the Gateway chamber, I noted that it was recessed into the wall of the cavern and not located in the centre like I had expected it to be. In hindsight, I should have expected that to be the case, to begin with. However, an OCD part of my brain complained that since the Gateway above was in the centre of the fortress, the Gateway in the prison should have been the same. Security and defensive advantages be damned.

It was a confirmation that I was better off delegating such measures to subordinates and experts. My minor obsession with symmetry would be liable to get people killed in an emergency.

Then again, the Asrusians’ military engineers were little better...

With only a flat plane ahead of me, it was incredibly easy to locate Sebet and begin making my way over to her. However, my human eyes were not well suited to the gloom and I had to cast Keen Senses so I could navigate the expanse without worrying about the pits.

Sebet had taken her hybrid form and was staring down into one pit in particular. She seemed to be aware of my presence but made no attempts at greeting me until I completed my final approach.

<I need permission...> Sebet's eyes remained firmly fixed on the interior of the hole.

<Why?> I edged closer to the hole and tried to look for whomever Sebet was staring at.

<Resisting basic mind reading...> This time, I recognised the distracted nature of her thoughts. <Need...Leverage...>

“Granted,” I grunted somewhat reluctantly and braced myself for the worst.

Sebet’s lips slowly curled into a smile and the lines of tension on her face faded.

A low moan echoed from the shadows of the pit.

Several long minutes passed before Sebet stepped back from the pit. “I have good news and bad news,” Sebet commented with an irritated sigh.

“I’ll take the bad first,” I replied grimly.

“Powerful players from the Confederacy have taken an interest in the Mournbrent Gateway and the cathedral surrounding it,” Sebet scowled over in the direction of the pit, “To that end, they appear to have imprisoned the devotees of the cathedral to lay claim to the Gateway. I suspect Orphiel and Ophelia will learn of these events soon if they have not already.”

Ophelia hadn’t seemed upset when I left her. However short of a Warlock using their Commune With Patron Ability, or a Pact Binder Summoning and informing them, I wasn’t sure how Sebet expected them to learn of what happened.

“They were likely poisoned,” Sebet explained callously, “Or drugged. But such effects are difficult to maintain in the long term, and apparently, it has been close to two days since they seized control over the cathedral.”

“What’s the good news?” I sighed as I considered our options.

“With a few notable exceptions, our enemies are providing us with several capable assets,” Sebet licked her lips hungrily, “Not that I intend to waste any of them, of course.”

“Do you know who is responsible?” I pressed while doing my best to ignore what Sebet likely had in mind for those she couldn’t bend to her banner.

“Not as such...” Sebet’s predatory hunger momentarily subsided as she took on a more thoughtful expression, “We have the names of the mercenary companies involved, but no one present-” She waved at the cavern at large, “-knows who is paying them.”

“I want those priests and my other subjects freed,” I insisted grimly, “Preferably before Ophelia learns of what has happened.”

Sebet nodded in understanding but her expression seemed conflicted, “Might I suggest extracting the prisoners without culling the mercenaries?” She requested, “If the priests all happened to escape without an explanation, more talented individuals may be sent to investigate. Perhaps even someone who knows more than they ought?”

“You are confident you can do this without revealing your identity and without casualties amongst the prisoners?” I asked warily.

Sebet nodded, “I believe I have sufficient means under my current code of conduct...” For a moment, she looked like she was going to push for a change in her rules of engagement. However, Sebet just sighed and shook her head instead. “I can do this,” Sebet stated confidently, “Zero casualties.”

“Okay then,” I agreed, somewhat confused by how I had misjudged her. “I felt several attempts at teleportation, do you know what Classes were responsible?”

Sebet was momentarily taken aback, “What?” Her expression grew tense and she began slowly panning her eyes around the cavern. “Rift Walkers,” Sebet declared confidently with a small satisfied smirk, “They were attempting to activate their Recall Ability to return to the cathedral.”

“Rift walker...” It took a few moments to remember why the Class was familiar. Ril had unlocked the Rift Walker alongside the Rift Binder after the accident with the rod of teleportation. Unfortunately, both Classes had not been provided unlock descriptions through the questing system, so no one else had unlocked them. “When you have the time, try and find out how they unlocked their Class,” I ordered.

Sebet grinned and nodded, “I will make it a top priority!” She agreed eagerly.

I nodded approvingly and then used my authority to return to the lake.

It then occurred to me that I hadn’t asked whether the Recall Ability was a Spell or not.

Mentally reviewing Ril’s status, I was somewhat surprised to find that large sections were no longer visible. Specifically, everything except Ril’s name, Class Abilities and Synergies were completely hidden. Studying one of the hidden sections, I realised that I could reverse whatever Ril had done. However, I decided against doing so since I was unsure what sort of reaction it might prompt from Ril and I had no immediate need to know the contents anyway.

Most of Ril’s Rift Binder Class Abilities were focused on establishing Gateways. One Ability reduced the mana cost when using Gateways herself, while another gave Ril a notification whenever someone attempted to use one of her Gateways. Due to her sedentary lifestyle, Ril didn’t have many levels, so reviewing her Abilities didn’t take long at all.

After confirming that Ril didn’t have anything I could use, I decided to check in on my champions and see how they were getting on. However, just as I was preparing to remotely view their location, I realised that the three knights were a perfect fit for my weapon instructor problem.

Unsure which of the three would fit the role best, I opted for Summoning a projection of Faine first. If it wasn’t a good fit, I figured I could just alternate to one of the others next time.

“Majesty,” Faine bowed respectfully.

“I want you to teach me how to fight in a melee,” I commanded bluntly.

If Faine was surprised, he didn’t show it. “As You command, Majesty.”

Contrary to my expectations, Faine didn’t begin my training with exercises. Instead, Faine insisted that it was important he gain an understanding of my current skill level through a sparring match. Unfortunately, Faine needed to observe the fight from an outside perspective, so I ended up sparring with Ophelia again. Then, after a recovery period, I sparred with Clarice for a more accurate comparison to human standards.

For her part, Ophelia was over the moon at having access to a high-level instructor and potential sparring partner.

Faine seemed only too eager to provide Clarice and Ophelia with drills to practise and keep them occupied. However, he remained cautiously silent concerning Ophelia’s request for a sparring match.

At Faine’s insistence, I spent the rest of the day running laps around the lake so Faine could judge my unaugmented stamina and how long I would take to recover. Running without distractions or entertainment was mentally draining, but I realised that most of the early training was likely to be more of the same. So I stuck it out as best I could.

Sure enough, I spent the next week or so repeating specific exercises for hours on end. I had seen enough training montages to understand that I was making a certain degree of progress. However, it became increasingly difficult to stay motivated.

Sparring with Clarice and Ophelia became a part of my daily routine and helped to constructively break the monotony in a way spending time with Lash and our children couldn’t.

The Asrusian expedition’s progress through the capital’s Labyrinth had begun to lose momentum, which came as no real surprise. However, the punitive expedition spearheaded by my champions into the Labyrinths of the Confederacy was seeing unexpected gains.

The original plan had been to claim one or two floors of any given Labyrinth and then move on. However, it was discovered that the Overseer, Iristrixanthrax, was from a Variant community on the fifth floor. Once it was confirmed, the champions decided that acquiring the fifth floor should be a much higher priority.

At around the same time, the local authorities realised something strange was happening after losing contact with the first and second floors. Fearing a pattern, the Adventurers Guild withdrew their staff up to the tenth floor. Mercenaries were dispatched and adventurers were given orders to look for anything suspicious.

All of which provided the necessary cover for the punitive expedition force to enter and secure the fifth floor with minimal effort. After some negotiations, they were aided by the reptilian Kobolds in conquering the fifth floor.

The Kobolds had previously claimed membership to a couple of dozen different clans and tribes. However, it took Iristrixanthrax less than a day to reforge them all into subsidiaries of the Fireheart Kingdom, making them the third most populated Faction within my Demi-Plane overnight.

Rescue efforts of the Dwergi Slaves from the Werrian Empire had slowed considerably, but thankfully it was due to the majority of slaves being already rescued or otherwise accounted for. Many other Slaves had also been rescued as circumstances allowed.

By all reports, the Werrian Empire was in a state of extreme chaos. Lesser undead were freely roaming the countryside, cutting off villages and small towns from the outside world while the larger cities fought a vicious civil war over a bizarre range of issues.

I felt bad for the common folk. From what I knew, which was admittedly little, the farmers of most countries had it pretty rough, to begin with. They were almost always the first targets of enemy nations and bandits due to their isolated locations. To make matters worse, Beasts and Slaves were the only real alternative for draft animals, which otherwise didn’t exist. Most farmers were only fourth or fifth generation due to the high mortality rate during wartime, leading to a severe skills shortage due to the nobility transplanting citizens from the cities to the villages as replacements.

Several more groups of adventurers and mercenaries had been caught after using the Mournbrent Gateway, but Sebet had still been unable to find out who was paying them.

The displayed priests had been originally quite upset over losing the cathedral but had mellowed considerably once Orphiel proposed the construction of a new grand cathedral within the Demi-Plane. Shortly afterwards, Orphiel all but begged for a semi-connected plot of land similar to the one I had gifted to Sebet.

I would have refused, but Wisp made a convincing argument for why I should accept.

The grand cathedral would serve as an amplifier for Orphiel’s fledgling pantheon and would potentially increase their yield of Divinity by up to twofold. Furthermore, by building the Grand Cathedral in an isolated pocket of the Demi-Plane, it would help lend a greater sense of otherworldliness which would encourage greater depths of faith and devotion, which would generate more Divinity.

This, of course, assumed the landscaping and environment provided the correct aesthetic. Which meant it would heavily involve collaboration with Hana and her sister, Kohana.

The displaced priests leveraged their political influence amongst the Asrusian nobility to lay claim to the next floor’s worth of territory from the capital’s Labyrinth. With the rise of Iristrixanthrax’s Faction, the Asrusians had become nervous.

Up until now, the Asrusians had been able to rest comparatively easy in the knowledge that they held the overwhelming position of majority amongst my subjects. They still held that position, but now they had a contender.

Granted, it was similarly comparable to the United States being threatened by Australia, but the reptilian Kobolds held an edge the Humans didn’t. All of the Kobolds within Iristrixanthrax’s Faction could Evolve, which would give their next generation an immense advantage over their human counterparts.

Iristrixanthrax wasted no time in reaching out to the other monstrous Species to establish trade and were aggressively developing their assigned territory.

I couldn't blame them for it either. The Kobolds had come from an ecosystem where they were one link from being at the bottom of the food chain and now found themselves very near the topmost link.

“Great master!” Iristrixanthrax prostrated herself in the dirt. As an Overseer, she had the authority to enter The Grove unless otherwise denied by my order.

Gric had sent warning of Iristrixanthrax’s arrival, so I had put my training on hold and reverted to my true form. It had the unintended effect of dramatically increasing the relative size between us and left me feeling somewhat awkward.

“On behalf of my people! I humbly request access to the mana flowers!” Iristrixanthrax all but shouted her request, likely out of fear I wouldn’t hear her. Which was just as well since I was struggling to consistently understand her clipped and hurried speech.

“No,” I refused her request without needing to think too much into it. The mana flowers of The Grove were already accounted for.

The dorsal frill on Iristrixanthrax’s head drooped in disappointment.

“If you want mana sight for unlocking Classes, the alchemists have an Elixir that generates a more potent effect. You may tell them that you have my permission to make bulk purchases of the Elixir.” I tried not to smile as Iristrixanthrax stared up at me with large watery eyes.

“Thank you! Great One!” Iristrixanthrax all but slammed her scaly brow against the dirt five times in rapid succession before retreating.

As much as I would have liked to correct the behaviour because of how uncomfortable it made me feel, I was worried that Iristrixanthrax might react poorly and do something drastic. The reptilian Kobolds were notably more manic and intense than their furry counterparts, and I still hadn’t quite figured out how to handle it.

Iristrixanthrax's request for mana flowers had not come as a surprise. Like every tribe and clan of Variants within the Labyrinths, Iristrixanthrax’s clan had relied on Shamans' Wards to survive. The only exception was that Iristrixanthrax was one of her clan’s Shamans and had received a Class Upgrade after agreeing to become my Overseer.

A Grand Shaman had several notable improvements and advantages over the Shaman. The most significant difference was the Grand Ward and Spirit Familiar Abilities, which were also Spells.

The Grand Ward was more expensive to maintain but covered considerably more ground and provided Resistances against hostile Spirits. Spirit Familiar allowed the caster to create and bond with a Spirit that would serve as a loyal companion.

Spirits were nominally limited to mental and spiritual attacks against living beings but were capable of attacking other Spirits directly. With the very real possibility that I would be fighting undead soon, I added both Spells to my Grimoire of Flesh.

Iristrixanthrax would probably unlock more Spells at a higher level, but for the time being, I was happy with what I had gotten thus far.

Another week passed somewhat uneventfully with the sole exception of the return of the punitive expeditionary force. They had successfully conquered five floors during their absence, adding much-needed space to my Demi-Plane.

Grimoire of Flesh had given Faine, Jayne and Randle an undeniable advantage with utility and combat Spells.

Iristrixanthrax returned, seeking another audience. She had undergone a Major and possibly Divergent Evolution and had become a Lesser Drakenoid. Besides growing about a foot taller and her horns lengthening somewhat, the primary difference was the large pair of leathery wings upon her back.

Iristrixanthrax had brought another Lesser Drakenoid, a male with obsidian-coloured scales who possessed the rank of Overlord.

As Iristrixanthrax made her approach, I elected to indulge my curiosity by inspecting her companion’s status information.

The obsidian-scaled Lesser Drakenoid, Vazzessys, immediately drew my attention with the name of his custom Class.

Lesser Drakenoid Arcane Wayfarer.

His first few Class Abilities didn’t seem particularly interesting, possessing a great deal of overlap with most other custom Classes. However, Vazzessys tenth-level Class Ability was something else entirely.

Pathfinder's Beacon.

Pathfinder's Beacon could be activated to allow allies to Teleport to the position of the caster. Requiring both an initial mana cost for activation and an additional cost for continued upkeep, Pathfinder's Beacon wasn’t cheap. But it was a Spell.

Besides being a Spell, what made Pathfinder's Beacon so interesting was its capability of subsidising the cost of an incoming Teleport. The mana cost still had to be paid in full, but it could be divided between them.

The possibilities were-

“Great One!” The pair of former Kobolds declared in unison as they prostrated themselves on the ground.

“We humbly seek an audience!” Iristrixanthrax declared with as much humility as possible when practically shouting into the dirt.

“Granted,” I replied with weighted expectations.

“Gratitude! Great One!” Iristrixanthrax settled into a slightly more comfortable position but remained on her knees, “My consort, Vazzessys of the Dark Cavern Clan-” She motioned to Vazzessys who fluttered his leathery wings nervously but remained prone, “-has unlocked a Class with Abilities I believe will benefit the defence and expansion of your mighty realm!” Iristrixanthrax was panting heavily, but it was unclear if it was from overexertion or fanatical fervour.

With a thought, I used my authority to relocate the three of us just outside of the aboveground limits of Iristrixanthrax’s fledgling capital.

If the Drakenoids were surprised they made no signs of it.

“Show me,” I commanded, confident that Iristrixanthrax wouldn’t have brought it to my attention without having considered this general possibility.

“As you command! Great One!” Iristrixanthrax agreed obediently and withdrew an Asrusian communication device from a satchel on her belt. However, instead of engaging in a protracted sequence of morse code, she simply switched the light from off, to on.

At roughly the same time, Vazzessys cast and activated Pathfinder's Beacon.

After a few moments, a grey-scaled Kobold appeared at his side holding a magical staff.

“Well done!” I praised and added Pathfinder's Beacon to my Grimoire of Flesh. It was too useful a Spell to just let it be. I also couldn’t help but wonder how the Empowered version would differ from the standard.

“Many thanks for your praise! Great One!” Iristrixanthrax declared happily but with a note of hesitation, “Great One?! We know we are unworthy and have yet to prove ourselves!...” She squirmed uncomfortably for a few moments before daring to raise her eyes, “Great One! We would seek a boon!”

Iristrixanthrax likely wasn’t aware of my Grimoire of Flesh, so I felt a little awkward after hearing her declaration of unworthiness in asking for a favour.

I motioned for Iristrixanthrax to continue.

A palpable sense of relief filled the air and Iristrixanthrax’s wings ceased their shivering, “Great One! We wish to claim more land from the outside so our people may grow!”

I forced myself not to smile. I had suspected that they would ask sooner or later, but it amused me that Iristrixanthrax would consider it a favour to be allowed to do so.

“I will give you a week to prepare a demonstration that proves your capabilities,” I replied evenly, “You must show me your forces can infiltrate a Labyrinth without being detected, arrive in sufficient force to Conquer it and return in a timely and orderly manner if something goes wrong,” I counted each of the three conditions off on one hand and then held them up as a warning before lowering my hand again. “If you can meet my conditions, I will grant your boon.”

“To follow your wisdom is our honour!” Iristrixanthrax, Vazzessys, and the Kobold volunteer declared in unison.

I used my authority to return to The Grove. I had been taking a break from training, so I was in my original form.

I was tempted to experiment with an Empowered Pathfinder's Beacon then and there but decided against it. Hana hadn’t been particularly pleased with what had happened with my previous tests on the willow, so I decided to move somewhere more isolated instead.

Acheron was largely unoccupied.

Home to only a handful of adventurers that were undergoing transitional rehabilitation, it was easy to find an isolated location for my experiment.

I used a knife to cut my palm and then pushed a full half of my mana into casting the Pathfinder's Beacon Spell. Feeling the faint pull of the mana in my blood, I relaxed and allowed my blood to serve as the reagent for Empowering the Spell.

My blood swirled in the air as it passed out of the cut on my hand. After I had lost ten HP, the gathered mass of blood swarmed toward the knife in my left hand.

Slightly alarmed but mostly curious, I chose to simply watch and see what would happen.

The knife soaked up my blood like a porous stone and took on a crimson hue. Despite its relatively small size, the knife managed to absorb every last drop of my blood.

Examining the knife, I could feel the Spell that was now anchored inside of it but still wasn’t sure what the Empowered effect was responsible for. I was already fairly confident that the Spell could be housed in objects like the communication devices or Tomes, so what I had accomplished thus far wasn’t particularly impressive.

After staring at the knife for an indeterminate amount of time, I decided to activate it to see how long it would last without my assistance.

I placed the knife on the ground and waited.

After close to a half hour had passed I was surprised to find that the mana inside of the knife had only deteriorated slightly. That wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly impressive either.

I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing something. Something simple that would seem incredibly obvious once I realised what it was.

“I need...” I felt like I was close to a breakthrough, that the answer was on the tip of my tongue.

I was momentarily distracted as another batch of intruders was sent to Tartarus.

The mercenaries had switched to sending captured Werrian refugees instead of their members.

“I need someone to try teleporting to the Beacon!” I roared excitedly and slapped my forehead for being so dense.

What was the point of the damned Beacon if no one was using it?

I stabbed the knife into the trunk of a nearby tree and then used my authority to return to The Grove.

Randle was sparring with Ophelia, and losing despite evidently enjoying himself, while Faine Sparred with Clarice in a more structured teaching setting while Jayne alternated watching the two groups.

Jayne was the first to notice my approach and began scrambling to her feet so she could bow but I waved her down.

“Do you still have access to a teleportation item?” I asked hastily. Technically, they were all the property of the Asrusian government, my champions had been loaned them for the expedition.

“...” Jayne was about to reply but stopped herself and became contemplative for a few moments before shaking her head, “I am sorry, Majesty, but they were all returned shortly after we arrived in Sanctuary.”

“Can you borrow one?” I asked optimistically, having already expected at least a measure of pushback.

Again, Jayne considered the question for a few moments but this time she seemed to have a more favourable answer prepared, “I believe I may be able to borrow such an item. However, it may require the exchanging of a favour at a later date?”

“A favour you feel uncomfortable reciprocating without permission? Or a favour that sullies your morals or character?” I qualified, intending to seek alternative arrangements rather than put her in a bad position.

Like her cousins, Jayne was already married, but all but one of her children weren’t. I wouldn’t put it past some noble or other to push for an engagement in exchange for the admittedly rare item. That I only intended to borrow it probably wouldn’t make much difference.

“The first, Majesty,” Jayne replied uncomfortably, “The Asrusian high command is afraid that they have earned your ire?...” The upward inflection in her voice that framed the explanation as a question made it clear that she wasn’t sure of my stance either.

“It’s...It’s not as bad as all that,” I sighed and kneaded my brow with my forefinger and thumb, “I learned that Gregory, and his superiors, had been keeping things from me, things they shouldn’t have. Assuming Gregory is at least half as smart as I think he is, he has already figured that out.”

Jayne slowly nodded in understanding and seemed quite relieved. No doubt glad that my displeasure was limited to a small handful of people rather than the wider population as a whole.

“I overreacted,” I admitted bluntly, “I had come to trust Gregory too much. Not to say that Gregory was and is not deserving of trust, but I had come to trust him blindly in instances where I should have been more cautious and independent,” I let out another long sigh, “In hindsight, I now see how people have blindly trusted me as well. Trusted and assumed that I knew more than I was letting on...” I levelled my gaze at Jayne, “I did not benefit from a noble education in court politics, that much you have likely observed by now or guessed at.”

Jayne pressed her lips together and said more with her respectful silence than she likely intended.

“I am learning...” I stated bitterly, “But it is slow going. I know who I am and I know who I need to be. However, with every piece of myself I chip away, I grow more fearful of becoming someone...something...I despise...”

I had seen what other Awakened had become, what they had done, just because they were capable of it. I didn’t want to become like them. If remaining human made me weak, then I would embrace that weakness. Far better to be weak than...a monster...

“Majesty...I...” Jayned straightened her back and stood at parade rest, “I believe assurances of your Majesty’s continued goodwill should be sufficient. I will see your request fulfilled within the hour, Majesty!”

“Thank you, Jayne,” I stepped to the side and allowed her to leave.

I spent the better part of the next hour watching Dhizi swim laps around the lake with Lash, Pete and Suzy on her back. The twins screamed in surprise and happiness each time Dhizi dipped below the surface of the lake, their pudgy arms flailing in uncontrollable excitement while Lash did her best to stop them from hitting one another by accident or falling overboard.

Even knowing that the twins couldn’t drown, their Lizardmen bodyguards trailed after Dhizi like hungry crocodiles. They in turn were joined by their children who would swim about haphazardly for a time before climbing up onto their parents' backs and sunbathing while regaining their energy.

The Lizardmen were growing far larger than I had originally expected them to. The largest amongst them was the same height as Lash, but only because he was hunched forward and practically dragged his knuckles on the ground when outside of the water. If he stood up straight, he would gain at least a couple of feet in height. Not all of the Lizardmen were as tall, but they were close enough.

The safety Sanctuary provided, along with a steady supply of food, had resulted in most Species growing much larger than otherwise expected. The up-and-coming generations were proof of that. Many of the youths who had come to Sanctuary as children were shooting up like weeds. Only time would tell what future generations would be like.

True to her word, Jayne returned with a magical staff in hand just shy of an hour after her departure.

After explaining what I wanted her to do, I relocated myself back to Acheron, pulled the knife out of the tree, and waited.

Two minutes passed and I felt a faint tug from the mana now inside the knife. Then, quite suddenly, Jayne appeared roughly twelve feet behind me and to my left.

“My staff seems to still contain most of its charge, Majesty,” Jayne declared dutifully without moving from her position.

I nodded to let Jayne know that I had heard her and then directed my attention toward the knife. Its mana had dropped slightly, as I expected it would. Calculating distances within my Demi-Plane could be incredibly inconsistent since Acheron, Tartarus and my Labyrinth all existed above and below everything else and could be moved whenever I felt like it.

“We will move on to the next test,” I announced and waved Jayne over.

Jayne offered me the staff, and I handed her the knife in return.

Unfortunately, the sheer size of the knife combined with its poor balance, her receiving it in her less dominant hand, and the awkward angle caused her to fumble the handover. It was an issue I should have accounted for sooner. However, despite the shallow cut on her forearm, Jayne seemed fine.

I could feel that something had changed.

“Jayne, run over to that tree,” I ordered and pointed to a tree roughly three dozen feet away, “Leave the knife where it is.”

Jayne nodded obediently and immediately set off at a brisk run for the indicated tree.

I picked the knife up off the ground and stared at it for a few moments. There was no sign of Jayne’s blood on the blade, but that wasn’t unexpected. The cut had happened too quickly and was far too shallow for the blade to be smeared. However, the blade felt different. It was incredibly faint, but I could feel Jayne’s presence.

I issued Jayne a custom quest and waited.

Ten minutes passed and I was just beginning to doubt myself when the mana inside of the knife suddenly ebbed and Jayne disappeared from her position beside the distant tree.

Looking over my shoulders, I found Jayne roughly fourteen feet behind me and on my right flank. She was visibly shaking with excitement and grinning madly from ear to ear.

Within the span of thirty seconds, Jayne disappeared and reappeared twenty times in somewhat rapid succession. As Jayne grew more proficient with activating the teleport function, the time required to teleport slightly decreased. However, Jayne didn’t seem to be able to control the exact destination of her arrival. This resulted in her reappearing at random within a certain distance of the Beacon.

“MAJESTY!” Jayne exclaimed with unbridled excitement, “THIS IS TRULY INCREDIBLE!”

Staring down at the blade of the knife, I had no doubts that Empowered Pathfinder's Beacons would be a game changer. There would need to be extensive testing to determine the limits of the Spell and its weaknesses. However, just from what I had seen already, an assassin type of Class would have a field day teleporting around the flanks of a heavily armoured ally.

At such a short range, I estimated that Jayne would likely be able to make another few hundred teleports before the mana inside the knife would run low. Which at her current rate of consumption would probably be within the next minute.

Not that I could, or would, blame her. Having the ability to move around my Demi-Plane at will had stripped me of the wonder and joys such fantastical travel provided. But if things were different, and I was in her place, I would probably do the same.

***** Talia - Sanctuary ~ Tim’s Demi-Plane *****

Shivering in a cold sweat, Talia’s heart hammered inside of her chest as the Beast’s shadow lengthened from beneath the curtain at the entrance of her tent. Paralysed by fear and the commands of her master, Talia could only watch in mounting horror as the curtains began to part.

“Ah, such pretty pointed ears you have!” A familiar phlegmy voice cackled from just beyond the curtain, “You will be my good little girl, won’t you Talia? Or do I need to punish you again?” The voice grew nearer and the Beast’s human stench grew stronger.

Talia frantically pulled against the steel ring and length of steel chain that bound her right ankle to the bed, but was too weak to accomplish anything.

“Eh? Are you trying to run away, my little Elfling?” The voice demanded in a mocking tone, “Well, we both know what happens when you’ve been bad, don’t we?” The beast’s foul presence stole the remaining light from the tent and plunged them into darkness.

Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Talia felt fresh hot tears running down her cheeks as she fervently wished for an escape from her nightmare.

A sudden warm breeze danced across Talia’s skin and caused her to open her eyes and gasp in shock. However, instead of finding herself in her bed, Talia quickly discovered that she was laying on a field of incredibly fine pale golden dirt beneath the midnight moon.

Quickly rising into a sitting position, Talia wrapped her arms defensively around herself as she attempted to take in her surroundings.

A far cry from the foul human warcamp of her nightmares, Talia could not believe her eyes. She was sitting before an impossibly large lake whose waters were only a few dozen feet away from her current position.

The stench of oils, excrement, mud, blood and death were gone and replaced with something Talia could not place but nonetheless found strangely pleasant.

The expanse of pale golden dirt that separated Talia from the giant lake was riddled with smooth stones of all shapes and sizes. And amongst the stones and dirt were the remains of tiny Beasts Talia couldn’t name.

“They are called shells,” a cold emotionless voice explained, immediately drawing Talia’s attention to her right. A tall powerfully built Elf with green skin and dark horns peeking out of his long dark hair was laying on the pale golden dirt a short distance away. “And it is sand, not dirt,” the strange elf added.

Talia took a few moments to gather her courage. “Do you know where we are?” She asked quietly.

“Yes.” the strange Elf replied bluntly but made no further attempts to elaborate.

“Oh...” Too timid to proceed, Talia hugged her legs to her chest and attempted to rally her nearly non-existent nerve.

The strange green elf released a long drawn-out sigh, “This is, their beach,” he stated with a hint of annoyance.

“Uhm...” Talia’s mouth dried before she could even voice her question.

The strange Elf released another sigh and using his highly developed abdominals alone, drew himself up into a lazy sitting position. He opened his eyes and Talia stifled a cry of surprise. He had the eyes of an aquatic predator. “Their beach,” the stranger repeated, nodding his head over his left shoulder.

Talia nervously looked over her shoulder in the direction indicated but could see large rolling hills of sand and what looked like scraggly weeds. She was about to turn back around but her ears caught the faintest echo of voices carried on the wind.

“You won’t be able to see them,” the stranger said flatly and stared at her with his predatory eyes.

Talia stared nervously down at her hands, “This is a dream...right?”

The stranger stared at her in a somewhat distracted manner for a time before eventually shaking his head, “Not quite a dream,” he replied, “Something else...Something less...Something more...”

“Does that mean I won’t wake up?” Talia squeaked fearfully.

The stranger seemed surprised, “Why would you think that?” He asked curiously.

“I...” Talia wasn’t quite sure how to put her fears into words.

“You are free to leave whenever you please,” the stranger stated curtly, giving Talia the impression that she had somehow offended him.

“I...I think I will stay...At least for a little longer...” Talia squeaked.

The stranger’s expression of mild irritation was replaced with cold indifference as he continued to stare out at the impossibly giant lake.

Talia took a few moments just to try and appreciate the sheer size of it. Even with her keen eyesight, she couldn't find any signs of the opposite side.

“It is an ocean,” the stranger explained dryly, “It is to a lake what a creek is to a mighty river. It is vast beyond all imagination.”

Talia’s eyes widened in amazement as she attempted to reconcile the sheer scale of the description against what she was seeing with her own eyes. “It’s beautiful,” Talia breathed as she stared out over its shimmering surface.

She nearly missed it, but the stranger glanced at her briefly and nodded slightly, “It is beautiful,” he agreed.

What seemed like hours passed as Talia did nothing more than stare out over the ocean and run her fingers through the warm sand. Talia had been slowly working up the nerve to ask for an answer to a question she felt she already knew the answer to but needed confirmation.

“Uhm...” Talia’s momentum immediately stalled as she realised she didn’t know the stranger’s name.

“Gric,” the stranger stated in his usual monotone without looking away from the ocean, “And yes, I brought you here,” he said the last with a small degree of discomfort.

“Gric?” Talia gulped dry but pressed on before her already failing nerve gave out entirely, “That is your name?”

The stranger, Gric, nodded stiffly.

“And you brought me here?” Talia repeated nervously, struggling not to stammer.

“That is what I said,” Gric replied with a hint of irritation.

Talia’s nerve buckled and she remained silent for a long while before managing to rally again. “Why?” Talia asked quietly. It was obvious that he didn’t like having her there, so Talia couldn’t understand why he brought her there at all.

Another long silence passed between them and a deep scowl slowly settled on Gric’s face.

Afraid that she had done something to upset him, Talia tried not to panic as she realised she still had no idea how to leave.

Gric’s scowl faltered and his expression returned to its formerly impassive and cold state. “Because I could,” he said flatly and rolled his shoulders.

Talia couldn’t be certain, but she was reasonably confident she had detected a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

“You can leave any time,” Gric added with a faint touch of awkwardness in his voice, “You just need to picture yourself waking up in your bed...” He glanced in her direction for a fraction of a second and then looked away.

Despite his intimidating appearance, Talia was forced to admit that Gric had a uniquely calming presence about him. More than that, he had an aura of strength that made Talia feel something she never thought would be possible. In Gric’s presence, she felt safe.

“I...I want to stay!” Talia declared somewhat nervously, “At least...for a little while longer...”

Gric looked at Talia from the corner of his eye and for a moment she was afraid he would send her away. However, Talia quickly realised that Gric wasn’t upset with her. Instead, she had managed to surprise him.

Gric blinked and returned his focus to the ocean. At least, that's what he looked like he was doing at first glance. However, the look in his eyes was different than earlier, less focused. “You can stay,” Gric said quietly, “And you may return whenever you need to,” he added after a short pause.

Talia felt a subtle but fundamental shift in the world around her. It wasn’t that the world had been overtly hostile or uninviting before, but there had been a feeling in the deep recesses of her mind that she shouldn’t be there. Only now, that feeling had shifted into reverse. The world itself had not only accepted her but was subtly shifting and adjusting itself to make Talia’s stay more pleasant.

“Thank you, for letting me stay...I...I’ll try not to bother you...” Talia didn’t quite know what else to say. Everything she thought of just seemed somehow inadequate.

“I could show you around,” Gric said quietly, the awkwardness from earlier straining his voice more prominently than before, “If you want to, that is...”

For a moment Talia wasn’t sure what to say.

“You don’t have to...” added with even more awkwardness than before, “I just thought-”

“Yes!” The reply tumbled over Talia’s lips before she had the chance to restrain herself.

Gric looked at her with a measure of surprise. As the surprise faded, it was replaced with silent approval, as if Talia had passed some sort of secret test.

To her surprise, Talia felt a sudden fear of losing his approval. Unable and increasingly unwilling to back out, Talia rose to her feet with all the grace she could muster. Experiencing a moment of uncertainty, Talia briefly entertained the idea of returning to her bed but dismissed the idea as she witnessed the world around her begin to fade.

Talia was not prepared to leave just yet, but she felt comforted in knowing that she was truly able to leave whenever she pleased. Filled with budding confidence and a sense of wonder she hadn’t felt in decades, Talia looked to the horizon with newfound determination.

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