Chapter 90: Crown Summit
No noteworthy encounters arose over the next two days. After the troops were captured, I returned to camp with Roheisa to give everyone a course on military mountaineering before we slept or meditated the night away. And after breakfast, we walked as a group until we came upon the damage from the night prior.
While Roheisa explained what happened, I went ahead to store the felled trees in my Pocket and void whatever else remained to restore the excuse of a path that existed before. Then, we infused mana into our bodies and started to cover some real distance.
Throughout those days, our proficiency in using the skill quickly grew. Our first stint lasted for three and a half hours. And after an hour of lunch, we went on increase our time by almost fifteen minutes. Our next break increased our limit to four hours.
We made camp just after sundown. In a small stone outcropping a few ways away from the game trails we were following up the mountain. Without any prior agreements, everyone spent that night practicing their mana infusion and marveling at the results. Boulders were lifted and tossed down the mountain. Craters were punched into rock faces. And hours were spent in a fighting stance, concentrating to keep both mana skin and the infusion skills active.
The next days went by in much the same fashion. We raced through the woods at highway speeds from breakfast till past lunch. Only slowing to catch our breaths in the increasingly thinning air. During lunch, I went on a little hunting trip and came across a herd of mountain goats. After stashing them in a subspace, I came back to Lucia agreeing to follow me along with Roheisa. Because of that, a couple of hours had to be sacrificed to give them their books and equipment, spawn their doppelgangers, and give an impromptu lesson on making pemmican.
Luckily, it only took around four more hours to arrive at the crown of trees, brushing the ceiling of clouds like seaweed would breach the surface. The path leveled out to a stone plateau that gave unblocked views of the Mortal Plane.
To the south, the bright blue-white light of the sun was tinted green on from the continent-sized barrier surrounding the Epethian territories. Beyond that, the blinding radiance of the sun was reflected into the shape of a glittering cone that stretched for millions of miles across the world sea. On and on and on, until a faint speck of brown finally met my eyes.
To the west, we could see Hill Base. Appearing like an unnatural growth extending from the base of the mountain, far away. A ring scaled down to the size of an anthill. Filled with smaller growths and boils that represented the towers and buildings we toiled in creating. Overlooking a vast, rolling forest that thinned and thing until it met the fields of stone bordering the coast. Beyond a smaller sea was the apple of my eye, Ulai. A colossally Jurassic time capsule, trapped behind a beefed-up version of the barrier that existed in Epethia.
To the north, past an equally unimpressive forest, was the land we all left behind. From here, Deapou looked like an oversized chunk of ice that floated curiously high above the waterline. An unending sheet of white, no different from the larger sheets to the far north.
Before us was the mountain that steadily continued to an unknown height beyond the clouds. It could've extended for only a few hundred meters before rounding out, pitting its summit in a perpetual fog. Or, it could've continued for miles and tens of miles. Higher than the atmosphere itself, even. Since mana was the main influencer to nature in this world, there was simply no way to know for certain.
Except to keep climbing.
Naturally, our pace slowed after breaching the ceiling. The ensuing fog grew dense enough to obscure even my visibility. Somewhat, at least. Regardless, our leisurely pace had been reduced by half.
In regards to the time in relation to vertical distance, it took us nearly five hours to climb just over two kilometers through the clouds. Only to arrive at a sheer, smooth cliff.
It was… abnormal. Unnatural. A perfectly smooth, curved facade like a stone pillar. Yet, organically textured like something huge had been fossilized and weathered down to a smooth surface.
After rendezvousing, we flew up one at a time. Ascending a few hundred meters to pull ourselves over the lip of whatever it was.
What we landed on was a perfectly circular, perfectly flat surface, that was hundreds of kilometers in radius. Despite us facing nothing but sheer cliff coming up, the mountain had managed to push slim peaks above the platform to the north and south stone. Increasing the distinction between the natural stone and whatever it was we were standing on.
It somehow appeared both natural, and unnatural. With thousands of concentric rings that resembled the severed trunk of a magnificent tree. Yet, no moss, no weeds, or even a single blade of grass was found on it, unlike the spires hanging over it. And then there was the mana. It was much more potent than anywhere I've been thus far, appearing almost like slush that permeated the air.
More so…
"What is this?" Jaimess asked, seemingly to himself.
"Holy shit!" I snapped my arm away from the ground.
Startled by my outburst, Roheisa came charging to my side ahead of everyone else. "What is it?"
Slowly, I reached back out to touch the neatly severed rings. And again, I felt a somewhat sorrowful energy flow into me. There were no screams, but I knew what it was the moment I felt it. "This thing is… dead."
"What?" Roheisa gasped.
"I thought each realm having a Tree of Life was just a figure of speech." I scoffed in amazement. "But this is Maru's tree of life."
"How do you know it's not a divine tree?" Roheisa asked. "The ones guilds use?"
"It could be," I said, rubbing the ground between my feet. "But I can sense its body, in a sense. This thing's roots are as deeps as its trunk is tall. It goes under all the oceans. Stretches beneath all the continents. But it's dead from end to end. Been severed by… something."
"Something powerful, truly," Toril grunted.
"I wonder how long it's been like this," I muttered. "I wonder whose corpse I have to ask in order to find out."
"Ugh." Roheisa groaned. "I keep forgetting you have powers over death, what with your flying about all the time."
"I also have no undead yet." I shrugged.
"Why is that?" She asked.
"I want something sentient and powerful as my first undead." I proudly stated. "A human won't do. I want something like a centaur, or a naga, or a demon-"
"Or a unicorn!" Lucia shouted, then immediately withdrew herself into her hands.
"Sure." I shrugged. "After that, pretty much everything I kill will be raised."
"Seems pretty dumb." Roheisa snorted.
"Perhaps." I shrugged. "But regardless, I want to stay here and study this tree for a bit. As of tomorrow, we'll have thirteen days until the deadline. I say we stay here no less than five. After that, we'll fly over the desert and spend whatever time we have left on the water."
"Hmm." Toril scratched at his patchy chin. "It'll give me time to train."
Jaimess raised his hand. "I do need to go over some things."
"And I have a project I wanna finish," Ed added.
"I don't particularly care." Roheisa shrugged.
Following a few other affirmations, we dispersed to different areas of the northern peak to set up our sleeping arrangements for the next half week.
Up here, above the clouds, we had no risk of getting rained on but the morning dew was another thing. And the wind was unbearable.
Taking that into account, I laid out a space wide enough for me to sit or lay comfortably next to my tent bag and built a simple lean-to around it. With the addition of a few rugs, a small table, and a small wood stove, my accommodations were complete enough to warrant a little downtime. So I lit a smoke and walked around the platform to observe the other's shelters.
Ed, Toril, and Jaimess were the closest to me, on my right. And it seemed as if they'd taken a liken to subterranean living, as they'd dug into the peak to create little caves for themselves. The deepest of them was Ed's, at the center. Dug deep enough for a somewhat communal area to be placed before his room, with the other two straddling it. Together, they were helping to throw down a feast of grilled meats and vegetables while Roheisa and Lucia were steadily working on more… elegant designs.
They both had tall, square tents that were as large as a common living room. From what I could see, the insides were fully furnished with rugs, couches, beds, and even a portable toilet. Even then, elected to manipulate the stone behind their tents to create windbreaks that extended far beyond their doors. Creating what appeared to be nothing less than lounging and suntanning areas.
I decided to give them all their moment of solitude and went into my shelter for mine to take a few notes and smoke a bit of smokeleaf before I dipped off into my umbral dimension.
After descending past my material goods and the Menagerie, I stopped before the Under to take a look at my newest additions.
As I expected, the mandrills had yet to show any signs of change. That said, Humphrey was beginning to take on a midnight hue and was even 'drinking' the mana from time to time. Yet, he was nowhere near as completed as Tao. The panther's eyes had taken on a ghostly white hue and he was now swimming through the darkness with little difficulty.
Which meant to me that the deciding factor was most likely physical size.
With my notes taken, I dropped through my gate and settled on my throne to wait for the cloudy mass to aggregate into a talking spirit.
"Amun!" Azrael spread his arms in cheer. "Didn't think I'd see you again so soon."
"I told you." I grinned. "We'll be seeing each other a lot from now on. Although." I sighed. "I don't know how often I'll be able to visit at the academy."
"Oh." He waved it aside. "You shouldn't worry about that. The Bodhi Tree is the most relaxed place I've ever been to. Besides the middle of nowhere." He chuckled.
"That's one of the things I want to talk about," I said. "The Bodhi Tree, Divine Trees, and Classes. No one seems to talk about them."
"And for good reason." He nodded reassuringly. "They can explain it far better than I can, but just know that there's a method to the madness. Since you already going there though, I'll tell you a little bit."
"Alright." I smiled.
"You should know that the Bodhi Tree is a Divine Tree," Azrael explained. "The largest and oldest Divine Tree in existence. That we know of, at least." He belatedly added. Essentially, eating the fruit of a Divine Tree changes your body. It allows for mutation, you see. Giving you an understanding of how to grow stronger. These 'paths' to power are called Classes."
"So Wizard and Sorcerer are Classes as well? Would these paths give us new ways to use our sorcery?"
"They are, and yes." Azrael nodded. "What those ways are, depends on your Class and Subclasses. As I said, I was the Shadow Puppeteer, so my evolutions were based on making my summons stronger. But you are a blank slate. However, you use your Shadow Sorcery will determine your Class. And you are by default a Shadow Necromancer like my father."
'So that extends to the void as well.' I surmised. 'I guess I better figure out a way to use it.'
"You shouldn't spoil all the surprises, though." Azrael continued. "As I said, the staff at the Bodhi Tree can explain it best. And they'll lay it all out to you upfront."
"Very well." I nodded. "In that case, I have another question."
"Shoot."
"It's about Trees of Life. And any other special trees that exist." I snorted. "Currently, I'm on the tallest peak of the Epethian Ranges. There's a… fossilized tree here. It's been cut in half."
"A tree?" Azrael raised a brow.
"A big tree," I said. "A thousand kilometers in diameter."
"That is big." He muttered.
"Its roots spread under all of Maru. All the way to the Dark World."
Azrael leaned back without warning. Smiling and gasping nostalgically as he said. "The Dark World, huh? That brings back memories."
"Yeah, I plan to go one day." I rolled my eyes. "Have you heard about the tree?"
"Everyone's heard of Trees of Life." Azrael snorted. "As for the one you're on, can't say I've ever been. I can say for sure that there's one in Nonus, Vagua, and Betrarth. But I've never heard of one existing in Maru."
"Hmm." I groaned. "Strange."
"Very." Azrael concurred with a comical nod. Then went on to mirror my pondering for a few moments. "Hmm. Maybe Grandpa Telman knows." He eventually shrugged.
"Telman," I muttered back.
"My Dad's dad." Azrael nodded. "Dad always said he knows of old-world stuff."
"Old world stuff." I snorted. "You mean history?"
"Sure. Sure." He turned on his heels, chuckling and waving over his shoulder. "Go ahead and call him here. I'll take my leave. I don't wanna ruin your first impression."
Chapter 91: The Old World
"Oh, dear. What has our proud blood been tainted with?"
Despite his disdainful tone, there were equal parts hope and curiosity hidden in his voice. It showed in the welcoming gestures and intrigued smirks that followed his question. Utter contradictions to the wincing eyes and twitching nostrils that'd been staring at me for the several minutes that lasted until he spoke.
As things went, Telman Cole was a giant of a man who made my Grandpa Lich look like a dwarf in comparison. He had all features as we did; only, his hair was slicked back like a lion's mane and he was dressed modestly. Sporting a button-up shirt, high boots with trousers, and a heavy cloak that was draped behind him like a king's robes. And for better or for worse, he lacked the amiable goofiness of his immediate descendants.
He was like an ancient, battle-hardened version of my father. Only, leagues wiser, based on what I could see. Like a great sage from an ancient time.
'I doubt I can lie to him.' I mentally sighed and shrugged off my worries at the same moment. 'Whatever. It's not like he can tell anyone outside the family.'
"I'm half-drow."
"Drow." He droned slowly. "So then, the Fey have returned to Maru? Hmm." He turned a bit to the side to stroke his magnificent beard and mutter to himself. "Seems plausible. But then." He turned back to me with a raised brow. "Why would a drow breed with a human? Much less dwell on the surface?"
"The meddling of God." I shrugged. "And, the Fey have since left Maru. I'm the only one of elven blood here."
"Hmm." He clasped his hands behind his back with an amused hum. "That you know of, surely…" His words trailed off.
"My name is Amun," I said. "Just Amun."
"Ugh." He groaned. "What else shall be taken from us?"
"What does that mean?"
"It means our Clan is not even a family anymore." He harrumphed. "Now tell me, boy, in what year were you born?"
"1,475, to Emeric Cole and Eved, a drow royal from Youtera."
"And who were you raised by?" He intently squinted.
"My father and great-grandfather, Everandus Cole."
"Hmm." He tilted his head to look me over. "You command death as Ev does, but your personas couldn't be further apart. I can see that you didn't come here seeking power. So then, what knowledge do you seek, Amun?"
'Quick on the uptake, I like it." I grinned. "Well, I'm curious about you. About how you lived and about the state of the world during your time."
"And?" He droned.
"And." I sighed. "I'm currently on the summit of the tallest mountain in Maru. Where what appears to be a massive tree stump sits."
"Ah, yes." He leaned back. "The Marulean Tree of Life. What of it?"
"How was it killed?"
"That has been the question since time immemorial." He deflatedly smiled. "Though we still tried to learn, none of my descendants and few; if any, of my predecessors ever learned the truth. The corpses were too scattered, you see. And The Crypts ran too deep. But you, Amun, seem capable of reaching them."
"By 'them,' you mean our ancestors, right? Buried in Phaegrath? Where my Great-Grandfather was born?"
"Yes." Telman nodded. "Several generations of our family have been born and buried in the Cole Crypt. Including me, in the year 911. Everandus was the last. From what I understand, he departed from the Crypt shortly after burying me in 1,109. That is not to say the Crypt remains unguarded, however. To outsiders, it's an impassable dungeon filled with death and darkness. To those possessing our sorcery, it is a depository of knowledge and our ancestral burial ground.
"As for my life." Telman sighed. "It was… unremarkable. I spent my existence in the Crypt. In a constant transition between protecting our home and delving deeper into our records. Regrettably." He sighed again. "I couldn't get far."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"You will learn when you arrive," He said. "Should you make the pilgrimage."
"I plan to." I nodded. "But first I'm on a bit of a sabbatical."
"To the Arcane Tree, I presume? You seem about that age."
"Sure." I shrugged.
"A waste of time, according to Granny Raven." Telman huffed. "But then again, it seemed to do Ev some good. He traveled across the realms and returned to the Under to shamelessly brag about his exploits. I trust you won't do the same, Amun?"
I snorted. "I'm not the type to brag or boast."
"Right." He snorted right back. "You only pry and inquire."
"Naturally."
"Bahah! I like you, Amun. Tell me." He stepped closer. "What is your chosen purpose?"
"To learn and explore everything." I promptly said. "When I return to Maru, I'll be exploring Phaegrath. And then Ulai. And then Betrarth and wherever else the wind takes me until I wind up with nowhere to go."
"And then?"
"And then I'll wait for the world to change." I shrugged. "If I don't change it myself."
"Spoken like a true devil." He mused. "Very well, I will share with you all that I know.
"As I said, the Marulean Tree of Life has been dead for eons and has been so for ages before the appearance of the rifts, in year zero. Since that event, no new creatures have been born into existence in Maru. Creatures could only migrate through the rifts or evolve into something greater over time; or a combination of both.
"Now, again," Telman warned with a raised palm. "My time was an era of relative peace, but it was not without conflict. With the rifts yielding a steady outpour of monsters, Ulai was considered a war zone. As a result, many of the ancient Ulaian empires had to take refuge in Phaegrath. During my time, there were five prominent powers, six including the Cole Family. However, We dwelled in the shadows and thus weren't recognized by the others.
"The Poza Kingdom was the wealthiest nation of them all, and were natives to Phaegrath." He explained. "They were a peaceful city-state located on the southern shores. In a tropical region that gave them a thriving economy based on agriculture and trade; yet, their naval prowess was uncontested, so they remained the only power to be considered untouchable by the other nations."
"Even a family of sorcerers?" I asked.
"Our family was not large. But we could have destroyed them, had we a reason.." He nodded. "What we couldn't do was protect our lands when their armadas came for retribution."
"True."
"Besides, our most encountered foe; other than monsters, was the Takath Empire. The largest city-state of them all. Their origins came from a guild that retired from Ulai during the Great Migration and took up residence in the heart of the continent. Thereafter, they evolved into a military nation with the continent's mightiest land army. Their army of young souls clashed with the Cole Legion on a regular basis." He nostalgically chuckled. "Of course, they were no match for us- my father, grandmother, and I.
"Such good times." Telman chuckled again. "Now then, the last of the native Phaegrathean powers was the Silvanians. A clan of sorcerers that passed down powers of silver and knowledge of runes just as we pass on the dark arts and historical knowledge. Unlike the other house of sorcerers native to Maru, the Silvanians were on neutral terms with our people. Outside of the occasional trade deal or partnership, we stayed out of each other's way."
"The Lux clan?" I rhetorically asked. "Grandpa L- Everandus warned me to be wary of them."
"As you should." He nodded. "Because of our opposing natures, we gravitate towards one another. But that doesn't always result in conflict. Some of our kin found themselves coexisting with them, while others saw them as mortal enemies. The times dictate such things, in my opinion. I, however, was lucky to never meet one. They have long since forsaken Maru, you see. They chose instead to conquer the other realms."
"I see," I said. "Please continue.
"Before I do." He raised a finger. "You should know that the Lux is but a branch of the light's family tree. They numbered into the thousands, in olden times. Their numbers are perhaps even more in your day.
"Now then." He cleared his ghostly throat. "The first empire to take refuge from the destruction in Ulai were the Bonju Tribes. A powerful band of nomads who sought to live off the land and offer what they had to whoever needed it most. They were in constant contact with the otherworldly beasts, making them one of the strongest civilizations at the time. In fact, they would've been the strongest, if not for their lack of numbers and their open-mindedness. Because of that, they were placed in the lower ranks of the scale. But were no less powerful than any other nation.
"And the last empire to take refuge in Phaegrath during my time was Amazonia. And they were, by far, the most interesting." He chuckled. "They were a matriarchal nation of warriors, located in the far north of the continent. As we are considered Devils and some Silvanians were considered Beasts, Amazonians were widely considered to be a mutation of the common human. A human paragon, according to some. Their average height was no less than two meters. And they were stronger, faster, and smarter than the common human. They saw beauty in all things. But in strength most of all. They were vicious fighters. And gentle lovers."
"Ah, I see." I laughed. "You sired a child with one."
"My mother was Amazonian was well." He smiled. "As was my father's father. But I must say." He added. "Drow is fine blood to mix with ours as well."
"What other types of blood are sufficient?" I asked. "Out of curiosity, of course."
"Nothing brutish like an orc or goblin. And no demons either." He huffed. "Hellspawn and Under Devils don't mix. Something broad, large, and strong, with a human resemblance. So no dwarves or the other small races. No dragonborns, or stone people. A vampire would fit the bill. Granny Raven's mother was one. Otherwise, any Amazonian or strong human will do."
"That's not much of a choice, but alright." I laughed. "Were there any other empires existing in Maru?"
"There was one across the western seas." He nodded. "A pompous group who fled to the other side of the world when the monster and guild population in Phaegrath boomed. They went as far as naming the whole continent after themselves. But they interacted with no one, except the Poza Kingdom."
'Interesting.' I nodded. "If you're curious, I've seen live Amazonians and I have evidence that the Silvanians continue to thrive in my time. As for me, I grew up wealthy and pampered in your son's empire. But, he quite extensively educated me in the ways of our sorcery and my father raised me well, with the best education money could buy."
"Well." He sighed deeply. "I don't really care for the other empires. But, I'm happy to hear that the family lives on."
"Speaking of family," I said. "I plan to talk with all of our ancestors, just like we're doing now. I've already devoted myself to finding their corpses, in due time. So, if you would tell me the name of your father."
"My father." Telman sighed. "He was known to the world as Captain Darkblood. A notorious criminal. I knew him as Henry Cole. Please." He bowed. "Give him my regards."
"I will." I bowed in my seat. "And thank you for your wisdom, Telman."
As I stood, his form began to lose its shape and dissipate across the ground. Leaving nothing but his guttural voice echoing through the abyss. "I shall always heed the call, o' Sovereign of Death."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Liden_Snake
Liden_Snake
Apologies for the late upload. I've been sick for the last few days. But I'm starting to feel better.
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