Call of the Abyss [Book 2 Complete]

Julia's senses returned to her slowly, sounds muted like she was underwater. Her sense of touch was dull, as though her entire body had fallen asleep the way her leg did occasionally. Her mouth was incredibly dry—so dry that she felt thirsty, despite not needing water as a spirit.

She heard the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects, the noises becoming gradually more focused. Curiously, she also heard the sound of running water—not of a raging river, but the gentle bubbling of a fountain. She smelled fresh water, and the normal subtle stink of the marsh water was absent.

Julia opened her eyes and immediately closed them again, even the ambient light too intense for her.

"Take your time, dear. You have been out for quite a while," a deep, feminine voice said from above her.

Julia was taken aback by the voice, but she was really surprised when her sense of touch recovered. She seemed to be cuddling with the owner of the voice. The woman's arms were wrapped around Julia's shoulders from behind, her chin resting atop Julia's head. She seemed to have Julia's back leaned against her chest.

The most upsetting thing about this arrangement, however, was that Julia felt like an absolute child leaning against this woman—this giant. She must be two stretches tall at least!

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes—now that sensation had fully returned—she looked up into the face of a predator.

Two glowing, purple eyes gazed back at her with slit pupils. A smile stretched across the woman's face, and it might have been a warm smile were it not for the sharp fangs protruding from either side of her mouth. Her skin was smooth and gleaming, like polished onyx.

"Uh—" Julia started before quickly devolving into a coughing fit.

She felt a waterskin placed in her hand and quickly drank nearly the entire thing. That was probably unwise, considering she didn't know where she was, but she had a pretty good feeling that she was safe—or that she wouldn't be poisoned, at least. Could a spirit even be poisoned?

"Sith, I assume?" she asked, wiping dribbles from her chin.

"It's 'Auntie', actually," Sith said, her smile widening.

"...Uh huh," Julia deadpanned. "Where exactly are we? What's going on?"

"Do you not recognize the tree temple? You know, the one with all the grass or whatever covering the walls?" Sith asked, looking around the room with noticeable disinterest.

Julia took the room in for the first time and realized that she was actually sitting beside the fountain in Tirn'Aleya. She was leaning against Sith—the scene looking like a mother cradling her toddler—in the entry hall of the temple! What the hell?!

However, there were a few peculiarities she noticed as she looked around.

There were wooden rods around her with curtains hung from them. Julia thought them reminiscent of the privacy curtains at an infirmary. She and Sith were also atop a cushy mattress of some kind that was laid on the ground.

Clearly, she'd been here so long that someone had made accommodations for her—why didn't they move her out of the entry hall?!

Julia could just see stacked boxes beyond a crack in the curtains. They sat outside what must be the entry flap for this sort of curtain-tent arrangement.

"Those are offerings, I believe. Many elves throughout the city have come over the past year, some to offer thanks, some to inquire about your health, and even some to pray—to you," Sith explained with amusement.

"Why the hell would anyone want to pray—did you say the past year?!" Julia exclaimed.

"Indeed. You did not think channeling the Abyss would come without cost, surely. My Lord mentioned that he drew your mind to his realm, but who do you think actually severed your connection to the Abyss, young lady?

"He cannot take physical form in this realm, so I am his hands. He absconded with your mind so that you might avoid the…discomfort of the severing, which took a great deal of time and effort," Sith said seriously.

Julia withered under her serious gaze. She didn't have a choice, so it's not like she felt bad about drawing strength from the Abyss, but she did feel bad about monopolizing so much of everyone's time.

"Have you…been watching over me the whole time?" Julia asked hesitantly.

"Oh, yes! And what a wonderful year it has been! Hugging my sweet niece every day, brushing her hair, painting her nails—ah! I could use another few years, honestly," Sith said, throwing her arms up and staring at the ceiling with stars in her eyes.

Julia's guilt vanished like a snuffed candle flame.

"Haa…I guess I have a lot to catch up on—" Julia sighed, beginning to get to her feet.

Sith suddenly squeezed her from both sides, setting her down on the mattress gently but firmly.

"You should take care of your own business first, dear. You've been here for a year. It's not going to kill you to wait ten more minutes. You still have a present to open, anyway," Sith said with a smile before slithering out the tent flaps—her movements serpentine.

Julia held up her hand, realizing that the present Braden had given her was somehow sitting in it. She quickly removed the wrapping paper and bow, opening the box to reveal a small locket and a golden cube beside it.

The locket was a beautiful sapphire blue, and seemed carved directly from the gemstone. It was small, about the size of her thumb. Its shape was a sort of triangle, though it twisted in a way that reminded her of a tornado, with a silver metal lining it and forming the clasp.

When she opened it, there was a single phrase carved in runes within, half of the phrase carved on the left side, and the rest on the other.

ᛏᚺᚨᛏ ᛁᛟᚢᚱ ᛞᚱᛖᛗᛊ

ᛗᛁᚷᚺᛏ ᚱᛖᛗᚨᛁᚾ ᛞᚱᛖᛗᛊ

That your dreams

Might remain dreams

Julia smiled as she read the inscription. Clearly, it was a replacement for the ring she'd lost—apparently he was keeping that. She chuckled as she placed the locket around her neck, its size perfect for hiding under her chestplate—which, she noted, she was still wearing…had she not bathed or changed clothes for an entire year?

Shaking such pointless thoughts from her head, she picked up the golden cube, turning it over in her hand. It was remarkably light for what she assumed was solid metal. It wasn't large, about the size of her thumb up to her first knuckle, but even that much metal should be heavy. She tossed it into the air and caught it again—it was lighter than any metal she'd felt before.

She squinted at it, using her Sight Skill to determine its properties.

She sucked in a breath so fast she almost coughed.

"Orichalcum…" she whispered in shock.

Even this small cube would be…Julia didn't know enough about money to give even an estimate, but it would be unimaginably expensive.

She passed just a tiny bit of mana through the cube, and it lit up with a sharp blue glow. This was definitely Orichalcum.

The metal was as light as Mithril and just as mana-receptive, and it was as sturdy as Adamantine, though without the mana-repellant properties. None of these things were what made it extraordinary, though. Its value was due to its mana-enhancing capabilities.

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Somehow, it could accept any mana infused into it and actually make it stronger—enhance it. Julia had no idea how something like that would even work, but she felt her Sight had just given her a strong clue.

Etherium without Will, huh?

What would she even do with something like this? Julia was nearly in crisis just thinking about how to use this cube—what if she wasted it?!

"Quit fussing and handle your Status. I long for the opportunity to stretch my wings," Lumenfall groused into Julia's mind.

She was lounging on a cushion just to Julia's side, looking like a ball of fluff. The sight was so nostalgic that she could almost ignore the tone. She bit down the 'you don't have wings' retort that was on the tip of her tongue.

Lumenfall was right—snootiness notwithstanding. Julia focused on her notifications, emphasizing to the System that she wanted a condensed summary. This time, it was kind enough to list everything in one message box.

Julia read through the notification, eyes widening the further down she read. She opened her Status to confirm the notification.

There was a great deal to go through in her Status, but she couldn't help but focus on one specific matter: it was time to choose a new Class.