AbyssalRoadTrip
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Abyssal Road Trip - 289 - Arrival
🕑 Added 2023-05-13 15:08:09 +0000 UTCAmdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Xaos
After Malnir scrambled up her arm and settled himself, Amdirlain proceeded steadily towards the burrow, ready to catch him at any moment. Her caution was unnecessary—he’d spent the entire trip effortlessly crouched on her shoulder. His tail draped across the back of her neck, and a hand rested atop her head with a child’s innocent familiarity. His flurry of observations was only a subset of his racing thoughts.
When they entered Trill’s shop, she squeaked in surprise at seeing her son perched on Amdirlain’s shoulder. “Malnir, are you causing trouble?”
“No!” Malnir objected indignantly, and Amdirlain barely quashed her laughter.
“He asked if I’d teach him to be a Wizard, but I said we needed to talk to you first,” explained Amdirlain.
“I hope he didn’t bother you,” groaned Trill, and her left ear gave a couple of rapid twitches. When Malnir’s gaze caught the motion, his posture slumped.
“It was no bother, but I wanted to ensure it was alright with you and what people’s expectations around agreeing to teach him would be. After all, I’ve not taken an apprentice on before, let alone one here,” explained Amdirlain. “I have many things going on, so I wanted to ensure it won’t result in disappointed expectations.”
“How many apprentices will you take on?” asked Trill.
The question had Amdirlain pause. “Why do you ask?”
“It’s said you’re teaching the garrison, and it disappointed some in the burrow they couldn’t join in. The garrison is very strict about what Mousekin it allows to enlist,” shared Trill, and her left ear twitched some more.
“Who wants to join the garrison? They don’t have time to learn much,” grumbled Malnir, and he hopped from Amdirlain’s shoulder to the countertop.
“I would offer him a general education in Wizard spells and affinities, not a formal apprenticeship. How many among your people have you heard talking about the offer to the garrison?” asked Amdirlain, amused by Malnir’s focus on learning.
“Dozens,” replied Trill, giving a helpless shrug. “But something is always catching someone’s fancy. They’ll talk about it a while and move on.”
“I’m not taking them as apprentices, simply expanding their classes and skills,” explained Amdirlain. “What does a normal apprenticeship entail?”
“An Apprentice lives with their Master and takes care of menial tasks while being taught their craft. As their skills improve, they take on harder duties until they’ve learnt the profession’s core skills and abilities. Normally they’ll remain an apprentice until they show they’ve reached Adept rank in those,” explained Trill.
“Then I don’t think an apprenticeship with me would be fair to Malnir. He wants to learn everything he can, whereas I only learnt things useful towards my goals. There are things like potion brewing and inscribing that I never took beyond the basics,” explained Amdirlain. “If you agree, I’ll teach your son the basics and get him a proper teacher.”
“But-” Malnir began to protest, only to cut off when Trill’s tail tapped the floor sharply.
“You’re teaching the garrison, aren’t you?” asks Trill.
“For them, Wizard is a supplementary Class. For your son, it’s all he seems to want,” observed Amdirlain.
“He is old enough to be looking for a profession, but nothing has suited him,” explained Trill. “I know Wizard is a hard Class to get, no matter what the rumours say about you; even helping with that is doing a lot for him.”
“I’m fine to help him get the Class, and I will ensure he gets a suitable teacher; I’m not just going to leave someone in the lurch,” repeated Amdirlain reassuringly. “In the meantime, the lessons might be erratic, as I’m not always going to be in town. I know several wizards who can tell me the range of skills he'll need to make a living.”
“It’s better than having no teacher at all,” offered Malnir, and his gaze darted between his mother and Amdirlain.
“There is that,” admitted Amdirlain, and she motioned through the shop’s front window to a grassy spot on the hillside. ”Why don’t we sit on the hillside over there so your mum can check in on you occasionally?”
“Just don’t overheat, either of you,” instructed Trill, and her left ear’s twitch finally settled down. “Thank you. Are you sure I shouldn’t make your dress before I finish all the other outfits?”
“I’m fine with waiting until the others have their clothing, Trill. There isn’t a rush, and teaching your son doesn’t have a cost involved,” replied Amdirlain, and she rested her hand on the counter near where Malnir had landed. “Come on, Malnir; let’s get you started, shall we?”
“Thank you, Mistress Am!” exclaimed Malnir, and he rushed back onto Amdirlain’s shoulder.
Once they settled onto the spot Trill had pointed out, Malnir picked up the Air Affinity in a few quick breaths. His blue eyes glowed, and his paws beat rapidly against the ground when the Class Vision ended. “Wizard!”
“Are there any other classes you were interested in?”
“No, that was the only one that offered magic,” grumbled Malnir. “I’m not taking Scout, even if it boosts my smarts.”
“For now, you only got offered Wizard,” corrected Amdirlain, and made a note to talk to Fanya to see if she’d help him gain the reinforced affinities. The difference in their theme was clear, but she needed to hear one transition. “Learn enough, and more might open up.”
Malnir nodded. “There were others near Wizard, but their scent was too faint to make them out. I want to learn everything magical.”
“There are other ways to use your mind than arcane means,” advised Amdirlain.
“Like the Githzérai mind tricks?” asked Malnir. “I heard people talking about those staying with you.”
“No wonder you got offered Scout,” laughed Amdirlain. “That wasn’t what I meant, especially since psionics can be difficult to pick up unless your species has a natural talent for it. Some classes—like Sage for knowledge—focus on different arcane areas, all rely primarily on Intelligence. But let’s move on and teach you the Water Affinity as well. Then I can teach you a cantrip for both of them so you can practice Mana Manipulation.”
She took the easy way to teach him a cantrip for each Affinity, and they stayed sitting in the long grass near the burrow’s entrance while she monitored his practice. After each casting, she mentally showed him the parts of the formation he had done well in and reviewed those he needed to smooth out.
“Doesn’t an apprentice live with their teacher?” asked Malnir as he mopped sweat from his brow.
The motion prompted Amdirlain to cause an umbrella of shadow to grow from the grass. Catching the beginning of his sunburn, she briefly brushed him with a regenerative song.
“Yep, but you’re my student, not an apprentice. Are you trying to move out of home?”
“It’s a little crowded,” admitted Malnir, and he perked up as he thought of something. “And it absolutely won’t have enough space for books.”
“A memory crystal won’t take up much room,” countered Amdirlain.
Malnir’s whiskers twitched. “I’ll keep trying.”
“Enjoy your family while they’re around; become a powerful enough Wizard, and you might outlive them,” advised Amdirlain, amused that he’d warn her about his intent to persist.
“Why might?”
Not wanting to discuss how grim reality can be with a teenager, Amdirlain shrugged. “You'll find life is filled with surprises; hopefully, yours has more good than bad.”
“Like one of my sisters eating my lunch?” huffed Malnir.
Amdirlain laughed. “One?”
“No food is safe near them,” proclaimed Malnir morosely.
“That’s certainly an unwelcome surprise,” agreed Amdirlain.
I’m not telling any teenager that being powerful might make them a target. Life is not a spectator sport.
When she finally called a halt to the initial lesson, Amdirlain smiled at Malnir. “That was well done, but you’ll need to let your Mana recover. In the meantime, what languages can you read?”
“We only use the Planar Trade tongue; I’ve not learnt any others,” replied Malnir.
Creating a memory crystal with the Draconic script in it, Amdirlain presented it to Malnir. “Many safer Wizard texts on the planes are in Draconic, so let’s start you with this crystal.”
“How do you learn from a crystal?” enquired Malnir, his whisker twitching in time to his swishing tail. “I’ve never even held one.”
“Hold it and focus on it; you’ll see images of Draconic runes in your mind,” explained Amdirlain. “Concentrate further on each one, you’ll get an impression of their meaning. You should practice writing at least twenty runes before your next lesson. Just scratching them into bare earth with your nails or a stick is fine—the script originates from them carving into rock with their talons.”
Her explanation completed, Amdirlain extended her hand close enough to almost tap his nose with it since he still hadn’t moved to take it.
“Only twenty?” asked Malnir. Blinking at the light reflecting from the crystal, he took it carefully from Amdirlain and clutched it in both hands.
“Twenty will do for a start. It’s fine to pick out some simple-looking ones; that gives you more time to investigate the meanings of others,” allowed Amdirlain. Rising, she gave him a wink. “I’ll find you tomorrow after the garrison’s lesson.”
“Bye, Mistress Am. I’ll come to you there,” insisted Malnir.
Not wanting to offend his young pride, Amdirlain nodded. Giving another wave, she teleported away to cycle Ki with her prisoners. An hour later, a notification almost had Amdirlain explode Cuiniel by accident. As she screamed in rage and pain, Amdirlain stopped cycling and reviewed the message again.
[Achievement: Incursion Blocker (Intruder: minor)
Details: Have brought the expansion of a species incursion on a planet to a halt.
Whether this halt is permanent or temporary remains to be seen.
Reward: 300,000,000 experience points
Note: That experience is based on the current incursion range (3+ million) and potential impact. Full experience provided since they’re now effectively neutered drones.]
The experience ratio had Amdirlain momentarily considering the world where trillions were involved. Given their nest’s structure, the under half a percent on Votari no longer seemed insignificant.
The Anar and Lómë planet hopped, and I can’t see Orhêthurin being happy about getting classified as a menace to a world. Are there classifications other than local or intruder? Or sub-categories to being considered an intruder?
Trying Analysis to learn more about the first option drew only blanks, but three questions in Amdirlain got a different perspective on the incursion classification.
[Incursion Species Classifications:
Symbiotic
Neutral
Intruder (default category until long-term interaction with locals maintained)
Parasitic
Invader
Note: Only one is a static classification. Most species interactions cause them to move among the categories.]
[Incursion Classification: Symbiotic
While not local to a planet, these are sapient species that provide greater benefits to the local living species than their residency on the world consumes. This can be through resources, knowledge, or other contributions the species makes that improves the local civilised species’ quality of life.]
[Incursion Classification: Neutral
This designation shows a species that adds as much to the planetary civilisations as their presence on the planet consumes. They have displayed a general lack of hostility towards the original inhabitants and have negotiated at least some strategic alliances with other sapient species to support against resident planetary challenges. ]
[Incursion Classification: Intruder
These species don’t involve themselves with other species unless the net benefit favours their species. While they don’t take proactive action to harm the other species, they might react aggressively if hostility is directed against them. ]
[Incursion Classification: Parasitic
While not looking to wipe out other life forms, these incursions typically show a motivated drive to subjugate other species that differ from theirs. They look to use other species purely for their own benefit, and any gains experienced by another species are unintentional or a deliberate trap to increase dependency.]
[Incursion Classification: Invader
These incursions actively seek to exterminate all other species that stand in the way of gaining access to the territories and resources they desire. They only let the species they find helpful to enslave, or can force into submissive arrangements live. This survival extends only into the medium term unless they can inhabit areas of the planet that aren’t suitable for invaders.]
Considering the situation of the invaded worlds brought others to mind, and Amdirlain thought on the list she’d received from Sage. The extent of planets with their species snuffed out by Orcus was lengthy—one hundred and twenty-eight names, with only the last eight having some species remaining. Amdirlain tried an assortment of questions with Analysis until the strain of her information-seeking earned her a couple of increases.
Besides a throbbing headache, she cut the list down to seventy-two worlds where the physical forms of the undead had already broken down. Rather than recycle the orbital surveyors, Amdirlain created a set of four for each world; those for the planets with physical undead still present were a lot more complex in their scanning.
The setup of the orbital surveyors provided nearly seventy-two million experience but was barely a drop compared to what she required.
How much experience will I get from restoring life to a world? Or does it depend on whether I let the life forms spread or sing more into existence? Do I go hunting for a primordial world or try to design the songs from the information within True Song Architecture?
“Decisions,” muttered Amdirlain.
Moving away from the prison to avoid the risk of a trail back to it, Amdirlain stood in the shade of a tree and opened gates to the worlds. With practice, her deployment of the surveyors sped up. Within an hour, she’d finished seeding them around the worlds where she didn’t already have some in place.
With those orbital surveyors off her to-do list, Amdirlain sent a Message she’d held off on for a few days. “Roher, how is everyone?”
“Amdirlain, it’s good to hear from you. Everyone’s spirits are quite high, and the research is proceeding apace. We might need your help soon, along with Isa’s, but we’ve had improved results with recent tests we’ve tried. Hopefully, if things proceed as planned, we expect to be ready to relocate the Royal Tower in a few months.”
“Let me know as soon as you’ve got the songs settled, and I’ll plan a time to practice with your choirs,” confirmed Amdirlain.
As Roher’s acknowledgement sounded in her ear, Amdirlain considered again if she should have set one of her home planes as Ternòx. The potential for the Lómë to depart had been one of the deciding factors in not setting it. Another was that in most places any underground travel was a rarity yet, within Ternòx, everything was underground. Who knew what would burrow into her bolt holes when tunnelling was standard?
Amdirlain started to lean against a tree’s bole to consider her next move when she realised how much time had passed. Teleport placed her back at Xaos’ border, and she started along the road. Many locals travelling the road with her politely nodded and got out of her way with concerning haste. The reason was evident, as despite being calmed by her projected energies, their minds still vividly showed their expectation of offending a powerful unknown Outsider.
Her selected students weren’t present in the hall when she arrived at the courtyard. Slipping in unnoticed, Amdirlain found eighteen unfamiliar soldiers lounging on the flagstones, their attention fixed on the tower’s exit point. Among them were a mix of Ratkin, Lizardfolk, and a scattering of elves Amdirlain hadn’t yet met. A few soldiers were still recovering from wounds, but most seemed intent on relaxing in the regeneration field—injuries they’d sustained having long since healed.
If I put it in a day spa and charge admission, I could be a true isekai MC.
Six more soldiers, all Lizardfolk, emerged from a glowing door bearing fresh wounds, with a pair holding one of their number on his feet. Their hardened leather armour showed signs of some recent hard fighting.
I’ll have to check if the garrison always operates in teams of six.
Before the first drops of blood reached the ground, Amdirlain moved around the original group that hadn’t yet noticed her. “Let me help.”
The closest soldier went wide-eyed and started to draw his injured companion away, only to be hampered when his fellow tried to move him towards her. “Lady Am?”
“Calling me Am is fine,” replied Amdirlain. “I’m just going to speed up the healing the courtyard provides.”
“Thanks, just need this panic merchant to stop shitting himself,” the second soldier stated. He shot a dirty look at the other soldier—who was still trying to draw the wounded soldier away.
“Don’t trouble yourself with this fellow. He’ll be fine in a bit,” said the first soldier who’d tried to keep the wounded companion clear.
“I’ve healing powers I need to keep in practice, and his heartbeat is erratic,” countered Amdirlain.
As the pair kept still, Amdirlain reached out and held her hand above a head wound that was bleeding freely—the blow seemed to have landed on the helm’s edge. The difference in his physiology compared to others she’d healed took a bit of focus to get the Power to apply.
[Universal Life [S] (2->3)]
“How are you feeling now?” asked Amdirlain once she sealed the first wound, and she’d spread her attention to seal other wounds.
The previously unfocused gaze had slowly sharpened while she’d healed him, though he only spoke after Amdirlain lowered her hand. “Aren’t you Lady Am?”
Amdirlain laughed lightly. “Alright, I’m putting a sign on the door. Please refer to me as Am, not Lady Am, and let your captains and commander know formality isn’t required. Would you all introduce yourselves?”
Though she could have used Analysis to grab their name, the social interaction of introductions seemed to reassure most, though a few stayed wide-eyed.
“Have any of you earned a floor token yet?” asked Amdirlain. The response was a mixture of groans and whimpers that Amdirlain considered a denial. “Keep trying, and then you can shortcut to a more challenging area.”
Amdirlain stopped and looked towards a quartet of songs that appeared on the road outside town.
A few soldiers caught her surprise and rose, hands dropping to their weapons, and the closest of them spoke up. “What’s wrong?”
An orb that appeared by her shoulder buzzed away. “Amdirlain, are you in Xaos at present?”
Though she knew who was speaking, the timbre of Yngvarr’s voice was quite different.
“Merely the arrival of some friends took me by surprise,” admitted Amdirlain, and she accelerated their healing with a burst of True Song before shooing them on their way. “Why don’t you folks head off? I’ll teach anyone who wants Wizard another day.”
Acknowledging Yngvarr’s message, Amdirlain provided a mental map of the town with the courtyard’s location marked out.
The soldiers gathered their gear without a word of complaint and headed off. After the soldiers had departed, Amdirlain forced herself to wait calmly and reinforced the concealment of her auras.
Alfarr held its gate open for the others following him when he walked into the courtyard.
“What brings you four here?”
Next was a lithe elven female—nearly one hundred and eighty centimetres—but she appeared small next to Alfarr. When she stepped around Alfarr, she cupped her hands across her abdomen and briefly leaned into him. The gesture was all the clue Amdirlain needed to catch a developing theme hidden within Yngvarr’s own. “Sarah said you were setting up a school here for the garrison. Given our various classes, we thought we could come to add to Cyrus’ help and see you regularly.”
The angularity of Yngvarr’s features had gained an effeminate air. While she hadn’t regrown her hair beyond shoulder length, the shades of sunset woven into her darker red locks stood out in the Outlands sunshine.
“You’re looking well. I had wondered why you and Alfarr weren’t at Gail’s gathering,” remarked Amdirlain, trying futilely to keep a grin in check. “Wasn’t Alfarr still the Guild Master there?”
“A job I was tired of handling, and I’d already trained a replacement,” explained Alfarr. “We only stayed away from the gathering to be sure of the pregnancy before you caught onto it. The midwives and healers tell enough tales about the children not making it to term. This town is such a mixed place. Do you think they’ll allow another four misfits in?”
“The town lets anyone in as long as they behave,” replied Amdirlain dryly, letting the subject change lie.
When Pitnari rounded the corner. Amdirlain found it amusing that his black-furred Catfolk form would almost fit in among Xaos’ residents. Striding forward, he started to bow respectfully before Amdirlain, and she stepped in and hugged him instead.
“Good to see you, Pitnari,” declared Amdirlain, and she smiled when Pit returned her embrace. “Did spending time on Vehtë agree with you better than fighting undead?”
“For the most part, although there were some mildly disruptive years,” Pit replied placidly.
“Mildly?” snorted Aggie. Trailing the others in, the tiny Grecian woman had halted within the entry. Her now unscarred skin was a healthy tanned-olive hue, and she'd tied her black hair up in a ponytail clear of her face, allowing her kind smile to show unobscured. When Amdirlain grinned back, amusement twinkled in Aggie’s dark gaze.
When Amdirlain finally stepped free of Pit’s hug, she gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder before she beckoned for the four to follow her. “How much space would you like?”
“Last time I heard of you providing someone with a little space Gail ended up with a Demi-Plane,” observed Yngvarr.
“Not that much space, but I need to expand this place. I was thinking of additional courtyards and classrooms, so why not space for the teaching staff?” asked Amdirlain.
“Sarah mentioned you’d rented an enormous suite,” Yngvarr noted.
“Yeah, and since I won’t get that refunded, the living space I create here will be just for you four, at least for the time being,” clarified Amdirlain.
“Sarah also said something about you gathering in some faithful and acquiring a helper,” offered Pitnari. “Where are they sleeping?”
Amdirlain nodded. “The four ladies from the monastery and Ras are staying in my suite, and I’ve rented another room for Goxashru. Hopefully, the mission on his world doesn’t take too long.”
“Do you already have a to-do list for him?” enquired Pitnari, rumbling curiously.
“Maybe,” admitted Amdirlain, and she spread her hands innocently. “There are a few dozen worlds that I’ll get him to help me investigate. Bahamut sent him my way, and who knows, maybe he’ll drop by and fill me in on why. Any preference for living space?”
“Whatever works for you,” replied Yngvarr innocently, but Amdirlain caught the intense curiosity.
“I’m sure you’ve heard Gail undertake plenty of songs in the last four years,” commented Amdirlain.
The silent melody stretched out and unfolded the line of windows on the hall’s side wall like a fan. The panels twisted into more dimensions and imposed pressure of reality within each. As each dimensional space started to fill with air, Amdirlain created an acapella effect—blending dozens of harmonies into a single whole.
The windows had run along the top half of the wall, and as the music stretched them out, they expanded to start at ground level and turned into corridors whose length and branching courtyards impossibly overlapped. The ten expansive windows that had looked out onto the hillside had become passages that forked off into at least twenty additional yards.
She carefully but deliberately pushed with the Power and felt the space enfolded with the song grow. As it expanded further, buildings rose, and she flooded effort into creating an atmosphere to prevent the expansion from causing a gale.
Some of the new courtyards ended up surrounded by the multi-level building while others stood within open-sided spaces, more like a giant stonehenge. Three had the poles for agility training, with their differences being the starting height and the instability of the platforms. The largest had poles resembling bamboo stems, and the platforms atop those swayed in an unfelt breeze.
Two of the courtyards had targets lining the far walls, and the wards that came alive within those had considerable strength to contain explosive spells—massive Spell chambers set up to keep training safe. She'd left those spaces between the themed spaces purposely generic so future needs could drive their usage instead of half-considered plans. She shrugged off the millions of experience points creating the place granted.
“With a place like this, you're showing your plans go beyond helping the garrison here train,” declared Yngvarr.
“Maybe I want to make sure they have room to stretch out,” said Amdirlain, and she gave him a conspiratorial wink. “I’ve called the place Nolmar.”
“Did you mean it as school or academy?” asked Yngvarr.
“Academy,” clarified Amdirlain. “Which brings to mind a sprawling campus covering kilometres, so this is just the start.”
Amdirlain gestured, encompassing the newly created corridors.
Pitnari whistled softly. “Lots of fancy space.”
“Indeed, let’s look around and decide the suites you want. I’ll furnish them and add some facilities,” Amdirlain said, and she picked the passage towards the first multi-level building.
Comments
Glenn Wright
It's just a small academy.
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter! Well, "Go big or go home!" they say right? ;) It's not all that surprising Amdirlain would go for a huge project directly!
