It wasn’t often that I got to exert myself in this manner, as I raced across the wide-open, rolling green hills that surrounded T?r Gronn. Every one of us, from Azarus to Sena with a wildly laughing Aveline upon her back, to Tarus, and most importantly, Fade and I…

  Were sprinting full out, pumping our legs as hard as we could. I couldn’t help but laugh in joy myself, from the sheer speed all of us were running. It was easy to forget, sometimes, just how much a Status enhanced your physical capabilities when you invested in the Virtues that increased them. Even more than that, the System seemed to dole out Skills and Abilities like candy to pump those even more. It seemed like the mysterious ‘Eldrydd Path’ of the Mystic Beasts, granted to them by the Great Spirits themselves, worked in similar ways.

  The result was that I’m not sure an Unawakened human from back on Earth would have been able to see much more of us than blurs, as we bolted up and down vast emerald hills. Neither the ascent nor the descent on them slowed us in either direction. We were traveling at speeds more suited to a highway, I think, than you would expect to find out in the wild.

  Even in the midst of my joy, I noticed something, though. I don’t think Taran was really pushing himself all that hard. I believe he was keeping pace with us solely through simple physical ability, honed over a lifetime measured in millennia. Still, he had patience for us and left us to our fun.

  I think it was good for me to be reminded of the simple joy of superhuman abilities, sometimes. It was easy to forget just how fun it could be, to cut loose in a manner like this, amid all the battle, and intrigue, and death I oft-times found myself involved in. I think even Azarus, for all his grumbling, was enjoying himself too.

  And so I reveled in it as we raced towards the peak of the squat mountain that loomed in the distance above the valleys of T?r Gronn. Sadly, all things must come to an end, good or bad, and in barely fifteen minutes of sprinting, we reached the very low mountain. It barely had a peak of any kind to speak of. Honestly, it looked more like a hill with delusions of grandeur than anything.

  To my surprise, Taran didn’t lead us any further to the mount itself. Instead, we circled around to a patch of sparse forest that lay perpendicular to the distant city of T?r Gronn itself. It looked almost…planned, to me, as if someone had grown trees over a very long length of time in neat rows, to form a clear barrier.

  Which he probably had. I guess Taran wasn’t very interested in keeping his dwelling very secret, and why would he? The elder Spirit Wolf was likely one of the strongest physical existences on the surface of Vereden.

  You’d have to be a fool to challenge him, especially in his own domain, and so close to the people who called him ‘Ancestor’.

  Taran led us to what looked to be a large, deliberate break in the treeline, through which I could see a very well-worn dirt path that led further in. He gestured us forward with a toss of his great antlered head, and we all took the invitation for what it was. However, the moment my foot crossed over the threshold, our surroundings changed.

  Day turned to night in an instant, and the great looming form of Tarus high in the sky disappeared. In its place loomed Elys as I’d never seen her, full and huge enough upon a great, sparkling night sky that she dominated it. Her light was bright enough that the overall level of illumination in our surroundings was strong and constant, with an almost physical weight. A brief sense of awareness suddenly seemed to enter that moonlight, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Elys had turned her eye upon us for a moment. I felt the cool inspection upon our whole party and sensed a brief, courteous greeting in it.

  And then it vanished, drawn away by whatever duties Elys was seeing to within the distant, out-of-phase realm of the Concord.

  Or perhaps…not so distant, considering the ethereality of the clearing I’d just stepped into. I don’t think we were fully in the Concord, but I do think it was layered over Taran’s home in some way. Blue-green grass stretched from wooden wall to wooden wall, in this enclosed space, tall and waving in an unseen wind. I have to admit…it was quite a sight.

  “Wow,” Aveline breathed, climbing down from Sena’s back and taking my hand instead. Wonder was thick in her young voice. “Pretty…”

  Taran chuckled at the words, a deep, basso sound that rumbled from his enormous chest. “Thank you, young lady. This…is my home.”

  Fireflies floated in the semi-night air, bright and curious, while the calls of evening birds filled it. I could even see them perched on the sparse trees that dotted the landscape, curious little things that resembled magpies, in a way. Only the white on their wings shown silver instead, and the black of their breasts reflected the night sky, complete with distant twinkling stars. They gazed down at us from high branches by the dozen, each pair of eyes akin to a moon of their own. A few of them fluttered down to perch on Taran’s antlers, and he didn’t even flinch at the extra weight. Instead, he turned to regard us with a slight lupine smile. “And my court, as it were,” He said with a chuckle. “Nyxwings, another of the myriad People that owe fealty to my mother. Pay her eye in the sky no mind. She’s…quite busy right now, as I’m sure Sena is aware, and will not be joining us today.”

  I tore my gaze away from the outright magical scenery to look at said saber-tooth with a raised eyebrow. She didn’t acknowledge it, instead avoiding my gaze. Azarus had nothing for me either when I looked over at him. In the end, the only thing I could do was shrug.

  They’d tell me what was going on if they wanted to. In the end, I wasn’t actually involved seriously with any of the Great Spirits.

  I’d turned that down.

  A particularly large specimen of the Nyxwings fluttered down to land on a thick, low-hanging branch from one of said trees next to the path. This bird had to be twice the size of the others, and looked both visibly older as well as being battle-scarred. One of his moon-like eyes seemed to have been lost in a violent manner, leaving a jagged scar over his missing left. His appearance caused Taran to stop, and all of us followed after.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  I was completely unsurprised when the bird opened its beak and spoke to us. “Taran,” The apparent male spoke, in a deep, roughened voice. Whoever this was, they sounded as curt and experienced as an old drill instructor. “This is the Dwarf, then?”

  “Umbric,” Taran inclined his head slightly, disturbing the smaller Nyxwings perching on his antlers. They flapped away with protesting squawks. The Spirit Wolf simply ignored them. “Yes, this is Azarus, the new Envoy of Lord Tarus. Speaking of,” He turned to face said the Dwarf, causing my best friend to straighten up and pay attention. “Azarus, this is Umbric, one of my Mother’s oldest servants. While the Eldrydd Path does not conform to mortal qualifiers of ‘Magi’ and ‘Cultivator’, we are still separated by our refined usage of Mana and Ki. I am not borne of Ki myself, and thus Umbric shall assist you with your ritual, whilst I do the same for Nathan.”

  Umbric turned a gimlet eye on Azarus, visibly looking him up and down, before doing the same with Sena. The both of them stood stock still under the investigation. Eventually, the bird grunted in a manner amusingly similar to the very Dwarf he’d been eyeing. “It can be done,” He rumbled, nodding. “Come, Dwarf. Follow, and I’ll bind you and the cat together. Till death do you part. Heh.”

  Without another word, the bird spread his wings and took off, winging away in a direction off the path. Azarus shot me a glance of goodbye, and I nodded at him. “Good luck.”

  “You too,” Was all he said in response, before loping away after the terse avian. Sena followed sedately after the both of them. In moments, all three of them had disappeared into a separate section of the clearing, hidden from view by a small copse of trees.

  “Follow me, young ones,” Taran said, grabbing our attention. “Fade may know the way, but you do not. I shall lead you to the ritual site.”

  I nodded, and with Fade by my side, and with Aveline in hand, we followed the massive wolf down the path cutting down the middle of his home. As we did, I couldn’t help but crane my head around and take in the downright magical surroundings. I even let go of Aveline so she could run around and inspect everything around us in childlike curiosity, sometimes skipping as she did. I wasn’t worried about her. I’m pretty sure nothing in here could harm her unless Taran permitted it.

  Speaking of…

  “Does this…realm have a name?”

  Taran glanced at me briefly. “No, not truly. I’ve never felt the need for a label for my home. Is that something you do, Precursor? Construct a name for the specific location you call home?”

  “Ah…,” I blinked, a bit embarrassed. “No, not as such. I’m just…used to fantastical places having proper names, by this point.”

  “Let me tell you a secret, young one,” Taran laughed lowly. “Oftentimes…such things are a product of ego. Does the ocean care about the mortal name it bears? Does the gemstone care about the fanciful title from the jeweler? No, I say. I am content with calling this place simply…my home.” He met my eyes once more, suddenly looking wary. “Don’t tell Shurenga I said that.”

  I…see.

  “My lips are sealed,” I said, holding a hand over my heart.

  “Good,” Taran grunted in return. “In either case, here we are. We’ve arrived at the location where I shall bind together your fate with that of Fade’s.”

  I was barely paying attention to him because I was taking in the sight of the specific corner of the clearing he’d brought me to.

  It was…different from the rest of Taran’s home. The primary feature that stood out was undoubtedly the large, circular pond that lay in the center of the copse we’d been led to. Well, to me it was large. In comparison to the overall size of Taran, it was likely about the same size as a bathtub was for me. The waters of the pond were deep and dark, almost black in truth, easily reflecting the night sky and the enormous image of Elys that hung in the sky. I had no way of telling just how deep the waters went, but it had to be significant. Honestly, the water was so still and black that it almost looked as much like an enormous sinkhole than it did a pond. Oddly enough, it was bearded by a large fan of sand as well, and not the stony shores often found on natural ponds and lakes. Bending down and scooping up a handful of it, I let it easily slip through my fingers to fall in a near stream. It was so fine, pure and white like the sand I’d seen on the beaches of Goryuen.

  This was saltwater sand, not freshwater. What was it doing in the middle of a forest?

  The effect of the white sand and the black water was actually incredibly eerie. The combination made the entire edifice look akin to an enormous eyeball, gazing up unblinking at the pristine ivory surface of Elys above.

  “And so we come to one of those important, named places,” Taran’s voice knocked me out of my wary examination. I felt it as Aveline ceased her examination and shuffled closer to me, seeming as oddly uneasy as I was for the first time since we’d both escaped the bunker. The elder Spirit Wolf padded forward in order to stand before us, momentarily blocking our view as he stared down at Aveline and I with Fade by his side. “I’m told you’ve visited Shurenga’s home of Mt. Umetsuji. Has she also told you of the significance of that mount?”

  I narrowed my eyes, easily picking up the subtext. “The meeting place between sun and earth…” I whispered.

  Taran inclined his head. “Just so. This place is another one of those meeting places, the private, physical locations where the Great Spirits may commune with each other, one to one. It has not been used in many a year as until very recently, the other receiving Spirit had lain dormant. This is The Silent Eye, the meeting place been moon and sea.”

  “In other words…Elys and Neris,” I said with a frown on my lips. “Why is this in your home? I…didn’t get the impression that Neris was very…kind when I met her.”

  Taran shrugged in answer. “It is a powerful focal point, for one, easily able to sustain the enchantments which I and my own long-departed partner wove to create this space. Mother and Lady Neris had no issue with me taking up guardianship of the Eye, in eons past. Truthfully, I’ve had little cause to ever exercise those rights. She of the Waters has lain dormant for centuries…until very recently. Some few months ago, a ripple echoed out from the deep waters, and I knew that she was among us once more.”

  “Rhazal.”

  “Just so, Precursor. Your battle with the Father of Monstrosity roused her from a deep slumber. Her and Lord Orus both.” Taran fixed me with a serious stare, causing me to straighten up. “Bear that in mind, wanderer. Your actions have had profound impact, not just among the mortals of the physical. Your clash has seen to it that the two Great Spirits with the least amount of mercy and pity in their souls have been awoken from ancient slumber once more. None know what the consequences may be. Not yet.”

  Those words hung ominously in the world, and behind the great bulk of Taran, I saw a single, slight ripple travel across the surface of the Silent Eye. I…didn’t feel the presence of a greater being within that pool, not like I had with Elys earlier. But…

  Who could say? Maybe my senses just weren’t strong enough.

  I let out a shuddering breath and met the eyes of Taran. “Why here?”

  “You already have the answer,” The elder Spirit Wolf said wryly, shaking his head. “I’ve told you. The Eye is a great nexus of power, a physical connection point into the Concord. Plunge deep and fast enough, and you could enter the domain of Still Waters. I wouldn’t recommend it, though. Now…it is time.” Taran said, suddenly turning much more serious. “I’ll have you disrobe yourself, Nathan. For the sake of the little one, you may retain your bottoms.”

  “I simply need access to your heart.”