Explorer of Edregon

The first time Vin had visited Sakis, he'd been led straight to what he now knew was essentially the elder's waiting room where she conducted all her business. This time, Samtha made sure they got the full tour.

The eager warrior led them through the village, introducing Vin to a handful of people and showing off some of her favorite 'life records' carved around the village. These records were the carved pictures of important memories that, based on what Vin could see during their tour, just about every house had at least one wall consisting of.

Vin had a feeling that 'life record' wasn't a perfect translation from his Polyglot passive, but he couldn't exactly complain seeing as he'd be utterly screwed without it.

Most surprising to him though was the realization that Samtha's village was actually smaller than his own camp now that the second wavers had arrived. As best he could tell, Sakis only held around six or seven hundred people at most. Naturally, that wasn't to say they were weak. It had been over three months since the Great Reset, and based on the ease with which the warriors carried themselves despite the stone armor they were clad in, and the intricate designs their carvers were capable of, they hadn't spent their time idly.

Speaking of which…

"Are these runic formations?" Vin gasped, the intricate shapes adorning many of the buildings all around him finally registering in his mind. He'd enjoyed the abstract designs and strange symbols since he'd first laid eyes on them, but he'd just assumed they were some form of art. He'd never actually seen runic formations written out on such a large scale before, and the truth behind the carvings simply hadn't registered with him.

"Of course!" Samtha said, saying goodbye to the baker she'd just introduced them to after promising to pick up some treats from him later that week. "Anytime we put up a new house our Stone Mages go ahead and carve in the essential runes for the new owners. Things like temperature control, durability, all things any dwelling should have," she explained, running her hands over one of the walls of runes. "Things like this used to be something our mages would have their apprentices do as it was a rather simple task, but ever since the Great Reset, a working such as this is about the peak of their ability."

"But how?" Vin asked, struggling to wrap his mind around the massive slabs of stone before him. "Runic formations are so complex… Hell, they don't exist on a flat plane!"

"They actually can," Shia interrupted, eyeing up one of the walls herself, clearly impressed with the craftsmanship. "I didn't give you the full lecture before because you're a complete beginner and you are far from ready to try enchanting anything anyways, but runes behave a bit differently in the real world versus within your personal mana. It's how we're able to create many enchanted items in the first place."

"Makes sense to me, as someone who doesn't have the faintest idea what you all are talking about anyway," Alka said, glancing at the walls with clear disinterest. "Are we done with the tour yet? I kinda wanted to go back to the training ground and watch some of the warriors spar. Now watching people try and smash each other's faces in with stone weapons, that's interesting!"

"Everyone knows about you by now, so you're welcome to go where you'd like," Samtha smiled. "Just… maybe don't go floating into anyone's house without asking first?"

"Yeah, no worries there," Alka snorted, shaking her head before walking off.

"Yes… I too, would like to go watch people attack one another," Scule said, rubbing his hands together without even realizing it. "That sounds like an excellent way to spend one's time."

"Do I have to take your bag-cape away?" Vin asked, earning a wince from the not so subtle Rogue as he dropped to the ground.

"Oh what, just because I'm a Rogue, you think I'm planning to run around stealing from everyone?" Scule asked, planting his hands on his hips and looking up at him with disdain. "Shame on you and your prejudices! Why, I'm so offended, I think I'll go for a walk to cool down. You probably won't see me until morning, so don't bother-"

"Reginald, if he steals from anyone in the village, I'm not going to let Scule ride on my shoulder anymore," Vin said, sensing an uncertain twitch against his chest. "...Which means you won't get to sleep all warm and cozy in my pocket while we travel."

There was a high pitched squeak of outrage, followed by Reginald leaping out of his pocket and jumping down to land beside Scule. Thrusting at the petian with the tip of his tail as if daring him to ruin this for him, the rat gave one single, threatening squeak of a warning.

Throwing up his hands, Scule scowled.

"Fine! Turning a man's own animal companion against him, I see how it is! Should have gotten myself a cat…"

Grumbling to himself, Scule and Reginald walked off, the Rogue only remembering to turn and head in the same direction as Alka at the last minute. Shaking his head, Vin turned toward his last companion.

"Did you want to break off as well? I won't be offended if you do."

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"Don't forget I'm acting somewhat as an ambassador for my own people," Shia said, giving him a pointed grin. "I should probably introduce myself to the village elder, if only to see for myself what kind of a person she is."

"Suit yourself." Vin turned to Samtha, who had been waiting patiently. "Thanks again for the tour Samtha. Would you mind letting the elder know we're free to chat if she is? We can show ourselves to the central room."

"Sounds good!" Waving goodbye, the stone clad warrior jogged off, leaving the two of them by themselves.

A quick glance at his Mental Map was all it took for Vin to direct them to the center of the village, and it wasn't long before the two of them were sitting in the surprisingly comfortable wicker furniture, waiting for the elder to show.

"I have to say, I'm rather glad we got a chance to come to this town," Shia said, admiring the stone carvings and hanging leathers decorating the room. "This is my first actual human settlement I've ever visited. Your camp doesn't really count just yet, seeing as it's a work in progress and all, and the citadel was a melting pot of different races. It's nice seeing a few hundred humans just living regular lives, not batting an eye at an elf wandering into their village."

"I think they were more interested in Scule than you or Alka," Vin chuckled, remembering some of the wide eyes stares the petian had gotten as they'd walked through town. "I guess elves are far closer to humans in their eyes than a six inch tall person."

"I suppose," Shia muttered, fiddling with the end of her braid. Vin went to ask if she had something on her mind, when the hide covering that functioned as a door was pulled back, revealing a kind faced older woman.

"Welcome back Vin," the elder smiled, her cane clicking against the stone floor as she made her way into the room. Just like the last time he'd seen her, the elder was adorned in carefully carved stone jewelry, yet she somehow managed to keep them from clacking against one another as she moved with a strange gracefulness.

Vin had intended to greet the elder when she walked in, but his plan went out the window the moment he laid eyes on her cane.

"What is that?" He asked, his eyes widening as they took in the myriad of runes carved all along her cane. Similar to the walls they'd just been looking at, only now did Vin realize that the elder's cane was actually covered from top to bottom in complicated, dense runework.

"Ah, I see you haven't been slacking with that Spellcraft skill I recommended," the elder chuckled, her smile widening at his slack jawed expression.

Snapping out of his shocked state, Vin felt his face heat up at his rude behavior. Sitting back down, he bowed his head toward the elder.

"Sorry for my outburst... I've seen a good number of artifacts before now, but none of them were covered in so many visible runes like your cane is."

"Well, there's quite a simple explanation for that," the elder said, sighing as she sank into her seat across from them, the wicker creaking as though she were far heavier than she looked. "But before we get into all that, do you mind introducing me to your friend here? She looks like she comes from a rather far off world indeed."

"Of course!" Vin said, clearing his throat and gesturing toward Shia. "Elder, this is Shia. She's an elf from the Sacred Forest, a fragment adjacent to my own. While her people aren't direct neighbors of yours, they're still pretty close."

"It's nice to meet you," Shia said, giving the elder her trademark pointed grin. Vin winced at the jagged display, but he needn't have worried.

"How interesting," was all the elder said, not so much as flinching at Shia's shark-like teeth. "Tell me child, last I spoke with Vin, he told me his world did not even have access to the Great System before coming here. Was yours the same?"

"No, we definitely had the system on my world," Shia confirmed. "And we experienced the same Great Reset Vin told me you spoke about."

"Well, I am indeed sorry for your loss. And forgive me for saying so, but it is nice to know that we are not alone in our suffering," the elder said, giving Shia a respectful nod.

"No need to apologize, I completely understand," Shia smiled. Vin couldn't help but notice that the elf's lips seemed a bit less pulled back, as though she wasn't trying to show off her jagged teeth as much as she normally did.

"Well, I must say, it would seem as though quite a lot has happened to you since last we spoke…" the elder said, her eyes flicking briefly to Vin's missing hand. Thankfully, there wasn't so much as a scrap of pity in the woman's eyes, and Vin let out a pent up breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. He didn't know why, but that look of pity was always the worst part whenever anyone took in his injury. Even worse than talking about it for some reason.

"...but before we get into that," the elder continued, holding out a gnarled hand. "I do believe you have something for me?"

"Yes!" Jumping up, Vin reached into his bag and pulled out his first ever artifact. Admiring the confluence of rigid lines and varying angles one final time, he placed the rock in the elder's waiting hand, finally returning what had been lent to him what felt like an entire lifetime ago.

"Thank you Vin," the elder said, smiling down at the rock clasped in her aged fingers. "I have to say, it takes a special kind of person to return a borrowed artifact rather than run off with it. Even one created to act solely as an instructional aid."

"You were the first person not from my world I spoke to after coming to Edregon," Vin said, scratching the back of his head at the unexpected praise as he sat back down. "Not to mention you started me on the path of learning magic!"

"And how far you've walked down that path in such a short time!" The elder chuckled, slipping the artifact into the folds of her robe. "Now, with that out of the way, I believe you had some questions about this?"

The elder tapped her cane on the ground, sending small quakes throughout the entire stone room they were sitting in.

"Yeah," Vin said, staring at the cane in hunger. "Like I said, I've never seen an artifact like it. Why is it so different?"

"Well now, based on her expression, I think your friend there may have the answer for you," the elder said, inclining her head toward Shia. "Would you like to tell him?"

"Again, knowing your tendency to try incredibly dangerous things before you're ready, I was planning on saving this discussion for later," Shia sighed, shaking her head. "But I guess if you want to blow yourself up, that's not up to me to decide."

"The reason her cane looks like that, is because it isn't actually an artifact at all."