Draith
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Chapter 61 - Wanna Trade?
🕑 Added 2025-03-31 14:00:14 +0000 UTC“So, think they’re Altean?” Nexxa asked while squatting down next to the Waygate to Mistvale.
"I think they’re even older," I said as I joined her. "Haven't figured out who exactly built the Waygates, but they’re not the only thing we’ve found."
"There's more? So unfair," Nexxa said, crossing her arms as she did an overly dramatic pout. "I just got a lousy river and a couple mana-wells."
I stared blankly at her for a second before a smile cracked through. "Mana-wells, huh? More than one?"
"Yeah, though neither's Storm. Don't suppose you want to trade territories once I mop up the last of the monsters? Think I've got all the really dangerous ones."
"Pretty sure it doesn't work that way."
"Yeah, I know," Nexxa said, her gaze shifting to the Waygate once more. "They're kinda in rough shape, aren't they?"
"Yeah. That one still works, but the rest are gonna need work," I said, my eyes drifting towards the crystal in the center of the chamber. "Actually, while you're here, can I get you to check something for me?"
"Sure," Nexxa said, following me over to the crystal at the center. "This connected to these Waygates?"
"It is right in the middle of them," I said with a shrug. "Still, I don't know what it actually does, other than pop up a message if an ensouled presses their nose to it."
"Their nose, really?" Nexxa asked, squinting at me.
"Mhm," I said, doing my level best to keep a straight face.
"Show me."
"Sure," I said, leaning forward and pressing my nose against it. Sure enough, the interface popped up, the same messages flashing before my eyes. They were slightly easier to read with my nose touching the crystal, though I still had no clue what they did.
After a couple seconds, Nexxa followed my example, except she reached out to steady herself with her hand first, freezing in place, ruining my prank. "Brat," she said, making a low effort swipe in my direction which I didn't even have to dodge to avoid. Then she narrowed her eyes, her gaze flicking to where she had her hand pressed against the crystal. "What is it doing?"
"Uh, what do you mean?" I asked, pressing my hand against the crystal beside her. Nothing happened other than the usual words popping up.
"It's drawing mana. A lot of it," Nexxa said. "I think it's…"
The reason Nexxa trailed off was pretty apparent as the room was filled with purple light. At first, I thought it was similar to my Affinity orb, simply broadcasting Nexxa's mana throughout the room. Then I started to pick out shapes. Mountains, rivers, forests.
"It's my domain," Nexxa said after a second, her eyes locked on the center of the display.
Following her gaze, I could just make out a tiny purple and gold line. Just as I located it, the entire image got fuzzy, before fading entirely.
"What happened?" I asked, turning back to her.
"Think it ran out of mana. Rifting thing sucked me dry," Nexxa said, finally pulling her hand away. "It said something about constructing a terrain model. Was about halfway done."
"Didn't look halfway to me."
"Did you see the notes it was making?" Nexxa asked, waving at the empty air.
"Uh. No. I was barely able to make out what might’ve been your beacon before it winked out," I replied, frowning at the empty space. "And there weren’t any notes I could see."
"Guess it just likes me better," Nexxa said, shaking her hair out while holding her chin up.
"Or… it might be because you've actually linked to your beacon," I replied with a grumble.
"Or that," Nexxa conceded with a shrug. "You sure you haven't found any clues to where your beacon might be? Didn't Althon give you a map?"
"Yeah. It was supposed to be right in the middle of the village. Which, in case you haven't noticed, is a giant chasm."
"You know, now that you mention it, yeah, did notice that tiny detail. Didn’t end up at the bottom?"
"Not that anyone's seen," I said with a sigh. "Apparently Balthum moved it at some point. Couldn't have taken it too far, otherwise it would've stopped working, but it’s definitely not around the village."
"You know, other than being a steady tug at the edge of my mind, my beacon doesn't really do much. Sure, it maps out the general flows of mana but it didn’t even detect the mana-wells until I found them myself," Nexxa said, her gaze moving back towards the crystal. "I was kinda wondering why they were so important, other than Althon using them to check in on us. Now I'm wondering if maybe there's some parts that got lost."
"Could be," I agreed, shaking my head. "At least we know what the crystal does now. What say I give you the rest of the tour?"
Nexxa nodded, tapping her chin as I led her toward the side chamber, specifically avoiding Bevel's area.
As we snuck under the propped open door, I hesitated. "So, uh, we have a sort of truce with this first guardian. Don't touch its stuff and just follow me."
Nexxa raised an eyebrow, but surprisingly followed me without question. When she saw Neta, the rope cat, sparks cracked along her arm. In response, the cat raised several strands of rope, much like a real cat would raise its hackles.
"Nexxa," I hissed.
She blinked, then the crackling mana disappeared as her eyes swept around the room. "Huh. This is a pretty sweet setup."
My eyes shifted towards the myriad workbenches and essence experiments, before tugging her towards the stairs. She wasn't wrong.
"You want me to take it out for you?" Nexxa asked as we started up the stairs. "I could probably keep most of the workshop intact."
"Or you might trigger something volatile and destroy half the mountain."
"Mountain?" Nexxa asked right as we reached the first window. She stopped, gazing out over the valley below. We remained there for several seconds, neither of us saying a word until she huffed out a breath. "So not fair. You even get a great view."
"Not like I live here."
"Why the Front not?" Nexxa asked, turning to look back down the stairs. "Afraid of the kitty?"
"It's not like I haven’t considered it," I said with a shrug. "But we've only just started exploring everything in the mountain. For all I know, there are more aggressive golems hanging around. Already ran into a few."
"Yep, definitely scared," Nexxa said, turning and floating up the stairs before I could respond.
"Cheater," I grumbled as I followed her up, having to actually take the stairs two at a time to keep up. She moved past the derelict kitchen with barely a glance, hesitating when she came to the library, the door still open. I hadn't felt much need to close it, last time I'd been there, considering how much I'd been going back and forth for Balthum's notes.
"What on the Front is that?" Nexxa whispered at me.
"That's… Keeper…" I huffed out while catching my breath. I was in much better shape than I'd been back in her domain, but I still wasn't used to racing up several flights of stairs at a time.
"Keeper, huh?" Nexxa asked, setting her feet back on the ground and taking a step into the room.
Purple eyes flashed, the skull breaking free, causing Nexxa to tense up with lightning once more.
"Peace, he's not hostile," I said as I hastily stepped between them. "Least, I don't think he is."
"Ah, young omnivore, you return. Did you enjoy the sample I provided?"
"It was… interesting," I replied, stepping aside as Nexxa released her crackling lightning. "Sorry to disturb you. I was just showing my sister around."
"Ah, it is a pleasure to greet you, young omnivore," Keeper said, his black tongue flicking out. "Did you perhaps wish to trade?"
"What… are you?" Nexxa asked before I could answer, taking a step forward as she let the lightning dissipate. "You're no minotaur, not with teeth like that."
"I am the Keeper," Keeper replied, his eyes flaring purple once more.
Deciding that I didn't really want Nexxa poking at the bone golem, or whatever it was, I tugged on her elbow. "I'll be back soon."
"Very well, young omnivore. I shall be waiting," Keeper said even as I pulled Nexxa from the room.
"Worried I'm gonna break your new toy?" Nexxa asked, a hint of a smile touching her lips.
"Worried it might break you. Balthum tried to force it to give up the goods and ended up getting locked out of its library," I said, letting go of her sleeve. “He was the sort of ensouled who could recover from a knife to the heart, and didn’t press the issue. I figure Keeper’s even scarier than he looks.”
"Library, huh? Guess it was almost scary enough to be a librarian," Nexxa said with a nod before floating up the stairs ahead of me again.
“That’s what you took away from that?” I called after her as I charged upwards.
Luckily, it was only a single floor before she stopped again, staring into the bath chamber. "Are those… bodies?"
"Golems. Formerly enslaved by Balthum," I said, nodding my head upward.
"How do you enslave an automaton?" Nexxa asked with a laugh.
"I'll show you. One more floor," I said, not sharing in her mirth as I stomped up the stairs past her.
Nexxa cocked her head to the side, but followed quietly. When we got to the next floor, she walked up to the container holding the transformed woman, and I explained what she'd been put through. What many of Balthum's victims had been put through.
"What a monster," Nexxa said, a shudder passing down her spine.
"Yeah," I said, staring at the woman. "I've been going through his notes, and I haven't found anything that might let me change her back. Best I can do is… complete the process. Turn her into a golem, but without enslaving her."
"The golems below… they're like her?"
"Near as I can tell, yeah," I said, shaking my head.
"This is not the sort of tour I had in mind," Nexxa said, her eyes going back to the woman in the tank.
"Not the sort of place I figured I'd end up inheriting. There is one more nice feature here though," I said, nodding my head towards the stairs leading upward.
"Right behind ya," Nexxa said, her voice regaining some of its usual cheer, though it sounded a bit forced.
We made our way to the top of the mountain in silence. When we got there, Nexxa went to float outside, but I grabbed her arm. When she glanced toward me, I said, "Not a lot of air out there. The wards are kinda faulty."
With a wave of her hand, a shimmering barrier crackled into place around each of us, setting the hairs on my arms on end. "All set. Let's go."
I nodded, following her out, the temperature dipped slightly as we moved past the entrance room's enchantment, but otherwise it was fine. Even as I stepped out, the enchantment flickered on again. I was looking towards the pillar that had let out the sparks when Nexxa laughed.
Turning around, I found her staring just above the room we'd just left. "Think I found your beacon, little brother."
Following her gaze, I looked up. Sure enough, embedded in stone atop the very top of Mount Aeternia was the beacon, the smooth rune-carved pillar barely visible. The moment I laid eyes on it, my oath responded, calling out to it.
"Guess it's time to make it official."
