NOVEL NEXT 3.18 - The Open Sea
Wind buffeted Rud as he caught an errant sea breeze. Nulsa flew close by him to offer either support or guidance as they headed out to sea from their position just above the coastline. They could see the endless sprawl of blue stretching southward. Along the coastline of the Hornfen Region were islands, dotting the sea and acting as barrier islands to break the waves of the open sea. The druid could only spot a single ship lingering in the distance, tracking a lazy path amongst the waves.
The duo used those air currents to push further out to sea. The owl had a particular island he was interested in, and it wasn't among those barrier islands. Instead, it sat far in the distance, looming on the horizon through a sheet of fog. Rud couldn't shake the ominous feeling that spread through his chest as he beat his wings. If not for his enhanced attributes, he wondered whether he would make the trip. However, it brought forth different questions. How strong was Nulsa? He barely seemed to notice when an errant zephyr blew them off course.
Nulsa gave a mental command for them to descend, and Rud was quick to follow. The water poured from the basket, while the owl clutched, creating a stream of rain that fell to the ocean below. They pulled a tight circle, descending above the island, which gave Rud a better look. It was rockier than he had expected and far larger, perhaps even the size of the town back on the mainland. Tropical trees dotted the landscape, with a sandy shore bordering all sides. Nestled within was a cloud of magic that the druid didn't even need his mana-enhanced eyes to see.
When the pair alighted on a scraggly tree near the shore, Rud tilted his head to one side. "What's the ulterior motive for the island?" he asked. "Seems mighty suspicious to me."
"This is the perfect island to contain the cursed object," Nulsa said, a tone of amusement in his voice. "I'm offended you would think I had other motives."
Although Rud wasn't so sure about that, he took the owl at his word before shaping one of the nearby trees to contain the cursed object. The druid needed a break. He was outside the power of the grove and felt Ban's powerful energies fleeing his body, as he had spent most of his time within its borders. Being away from the Grove's potent energies made him feel significantly weaker. Once again, he leaned on his new attributes and his artifact staff to see him through.
Once he found the perfect tree to house the cursed object, Rud got to work. It was much more difficult to shape the palm tree than one of those near his grove. Through great effort, he cast his Shape Plant spell and formed it into something that would be a suitable prison. The entire time, the cursed object was gushing water, creating a deep trench in the sandy soil.
"Place the object in the tree, please," Rud said, wiping sweat from his forehead. He left behind a streak of sand and dirt.
"Gladly," Nulsa said, gliding from the top of a nearby tree and landing within the woody cage. He dumped the object out, hooting softly as he watched it roll and gush more water.
Rud got to work on the ritual right away.
"I thought this island would be interesting as a prison for multiple reasons," Nulsa said. "The water will simply go into the ocean until your ritual has the potency to seal it. But there is a magical presence here that I find very interesting."
Rud finished the first part of the ritual and found a seat to rest upon. He was feeling more exhausted than ever, thanks to the lack of Grove energies. "What's so interesting about it?" he asked. "It feels like a cloud of natural mana. I've seen it before in the Grove when using my observation tower."
"But that's the point," Nulsa said. "This is a natural cloud of mana, not the strange things we've been feeling back in the grove. Those condensed clouds that we suspect may one day become dungeons feel unnatural. Can you sense the differences between them?"
Rud still considered his senses with magic to be limited. He had neglected that side of his development and had done little to expand it. He had to close his eyes and open himself up to those energies. Although he could practically see the cloud of mana, he couldn't sense any information about it. However, when he focused very hard, he could feel the pure water-based magic in the air. It was different from the water magic that came out of the spring back in the Grove. It was likely an ocean-based variant, but it was similar.
"I can feel it," Rud confirmed, continuing to push his senses deeper into the nature of the mana. "It feels like the ocean itself, the ebb and flow of the tide and the smell of salt air."
"What do you think would happen if mana like this were left unchecked? If nobody were here to tamp it down?" Nulsa asked. "Would it generate a dungeon or create a tower?"
"I don't believe so," Rud said with a half-hearted shrug. "There's something in its nature that makes me feel as though it may create monsters, but not a dungeon. Definitely not a tower."
"That's correct," Nulsa confirmed. "This mana only has the power to make monsters related to the type of mana. You would find sea creature style monsters around here, but nothing more. So what happens if mana like this collects at the bottom of the sea?"
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"Big old sea monsters?" Rud asked.
"Also correct. Your ritual may drain some of this mana from the air, but it isn't likely to be a lot. There are specialist mages that can soak this energy from the air, but it is a dangerous task. The balance of energies is more important."
Rud wasn't sure if this was the lesson about balancing the grove in a literal sense or a metaphorical one. Perhaps Nolsa was talking about not interfering with the magical energies there or simply giving an example of the things they were already doing. Nature meant balance, which encompassed both life and death. Of course, that death often came with a rebirth, especially in regard to his trees, but he wasn't entirely certain that was what the owl was implying.
"What's our part in the grand scheme?" Rud asked. Finally, feeling as though he had enough magical power to finish with his sealing of the cursed object, he strode over to the partially completed palm tree and began weaving it back together. He would ensure it had a sign warning others against interfering with the object.
"This is our part in the grand scheme," Nulsa explained. "The cursed objects come from mortals who have meddled in the natural world. The other spirits don't have a sense for these things. They are unpracticed in the arcane arts. I know you'll never reach a point of magehood, but together we can do something about it. We can contain these artifacts. But finding the source is more important."
"What could the source possibly be?" Rud asked.
Nulsa hooted, gliding down to stand near the twisted palm tree. "The underground city," he said. "I remember tales of something similar, but I cannot be sure. Not until the area is safe enough for us to delve."
"You? Underground?" Rud asked, shaking his head. "Doesn't seem like the best place for an owl."
"Some things are worth suffering a bit of discomfort," Nulsa said. "I do not believe you have the arcane experience to contain what rests in that abandoned city. Even the mage, Elm, is too inexperienced. I believe I can give my expert opinion at the very least."
As always, Nulsa had a plan, and Rud wasn't too sure what to think about it. He finished up with the tree, sealing it tight and etching scrawled warnings into the surface about revealing what was within. So long as whoever came to view the tree was from the mainland, they would know not to mess with it. They would leave it sealed for as long as he maintained the warning.
Rud shifted into his raven form and flapped his wings a few times. He smelled in the air the scent of salty rain coming in from a direction he couldn't detect. Even his mana sight didn't allow him to tell. "So, what's the plan with the underground city? When do you think it will be ready for us to delve?"
"I believe the energy is already low enough that we can go inside," Nolsa said, preening his feathers. "But I believe you have other business in the grove to attend to for now. Once you've completed your task of integrating the portal into the Grove, we'll be ready to go."
"Rats. Almost forgot about the portal," Rud said, flapping a few times. "Job done out here?"
"Job done."
***
Rud landed in Ban's clearing. Flapping over onto his side, the moment his scaly feet touched the ground, he heaved breaths, feeling the energies of the grove flooding through his body once again. The trip outside of the borders had been far more harrowing than he had expected, and he just realized they had left the wicker basket on the island. Hopefully, it wasn't valuable.
"Ready to bring our cute little portal into the fold?" Rud asked, skipping toward their item-sized portal.
"I've gathered enough energy to incorporate it without issue," Ban said. "Do you have enough materials to upgrade it?"
Rud nodded, skidding to a halt when he finally reached the small portal. He looked at it out in the open and shook his head. "This thing can't be out in the open like this."
"Oh?" Ban asked. "Why not?"
"Just look at it! Poor little portal is just sitting out in the elements. It needs a house," Rud said. "We'll call it a portal room, or something. Oh! What about a giant tower of our own?"
Ban laughed, her voice echoing through the grove. "Do you really think one is necessary?"
Rud smiled to himself. He wasn't the strongest custodian in the world. Not yet, anyway. But he was getting the hang of this thing. He could practically feel the energies of the grove reaching out, telling him what might happen. Placing the portals into another building might unlock another building, which he could use to empower those portals.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's important," Rud said, rubbing his hands together. He scanned the area, imagining what a portal tower would look like. His eyes were naturally drawn to the other tower within the grove, and he felt a hint of jealousy. "Why should the system have the tallest tower in the grove? That is completely unfair, and I plan to change that."
Although Ban didn't seem approving at first, he felt waves of comfort coming from her as though she appreciated his ambition. That's when he got to work right away. The trees Rud could now grow were far stronger and taller than the ones he could create before. His ability to weave them into whatever shape he wanted had grown exponentially. The structures he could now create by twisting trees together could be towering.
With a crack of his knuckles, Rud got to it. He left the existing portal where it was, planning to move it to an appropriate floor when he was ready. He grew five massive oak trees in a circle near the site, clearing away the other trees to make the foundation of his tower. The druid then wove them together with his Shape Plant spell to create an open-topped circular tree formation.
"Of course, we're not doing it all today," Rud said, guiding the platform he had placed his Gate onto and setting it into place. "I'm sure you can imagine the vision I'm going for here."
"Naturally," Ban said in a haughty voice. "Now, are you ready to integrate the portal?"
Rud looked up to the circular canopy above, smiling to himself. "Let's do it."