[Quest] The Black City - Part I

His eyes lit up. So he was on the right track--! But not quite... He hummed slightly, mulling over various ideas, including storming Fornax to ask her questions himself, but... decided against it. If a Master was filled with fury, he did not want to test her. "Is, uh... is the leaf another... creature of similar status?" he asked, cringing at the awkward lilt of his voice. Oh well. He laughed nervously, still trying to ignore the insult to his own form (trust me, he'd considered how useless he was plenty). "It's, er, alright if you don't know."

He continued. "However, I'm capable of enchantment. I can't do much, obviously, but I can offer my talents." Tahi-shei eyed the Blacksmith. "Do you think this is big enough to risk trying to involve your brother?" It was a genuine question, tinged with a bit of pity. Tahi-shei genuinely wanted the Blacksmith's opinion, as someone who likely knew the Collector very well. But if anyone could make powerful enchantments and weapons, it was that manipulative monstrosity.

He cringed slightly at the mention of all the monsters they could be facing. "Unfortunately, I'd be unhelpful underwater unless we could figure out a way to make me not blind. And that is the Collector's doing," he said with a scowl. He wasn't totally blind, but it was a very near thing. He might as well have been.

Tahi-shei glanced to James. "I'll hang back for a moment, love -- I'll join you shortly." He knew he'd be able to follow him -- those Spores had been an excellent idea.

Attikias had not been one of the first ones to arrive, not by a long shot. But, from trailing behind Carja, he'd arrived- rawhide weighed heavy in his bag from practicing on making traps in Ursa, seeing how the snow fared against his stakes.

No matter. Right now, he'd caught the tail end of conversations, jogging to keep up and holding on tight to his jostling satchel. Soon, he joined Carja's side, watching quietly as the person before them explained what they needed.

Enchantments. Like- the Collector's? Attikias cocked his head just slightly, his eyebrows furrowing as he thought. He had no idea that gembound could make those, too- but, he guessed he never tried, anyways. There were more pressing matters than him potentially passing out at some stranger's place. Most importantly, they needed things themselves to enchant.

He backed off quietly. Just how many items would they need? He could make stones- beads?- to enchant, just gather up some substrate and nudge a hole in the center, then slide them onto a bit of braided rawhide. Yes, that sounded like a plan- without a word, the elf nodded to himself and broke off, crouching a few yards off outside by an elevated rock and getting to work.

"Mmmmgreaters?" Mirac said. The sword stewed on these words, watching the strange beings around them. Mirac had yet to find out what the other thing Aerie mentioned, this 'magic' was, to it the spells it cast were an extension of his own self. Yet, he didn't ask. "MIRAC will not be quiet." His teeth chattered. What Aerie said made sense, it was strategic. Smart. However Mirac being Mirac, did not care.

"Mirac shall RIP and TEAR. WHY watch and WAIT when Mirac could gain all Mirac NEEDS IMMEDIATELY? Mirac HIMSELF does not wish to fight them." Mirac said. "Mirac wishes for them to fight each OTHER. Bloodshed itself is GREAT. Mirac and WIELDER must ENGAGE the victor. To defeat the WINNER in single COMBAT, THAT would be GRAND. MIRAC believes we could kill them ALL, as WELL! They are WEAK compared to US. Give us the COMMAND wielder, and we shall flood you with POWER. You shall SEE how grand we truly are COMBINED." He said. Mirac's rant ended as the Blacksmith began to talk. He squinted at the Blacksmith.

"Mirac has ALWAYS been alive, STRANGE GRREATER one. Mirac has been ALIVE since Mirac's craving for BLOODSHED began. Your WORDS are NONSENSE, Mirac thinks." He said, oblivious to how insulting that might've been. Afterwards, he giggled, excited. "BUT Mirac enjoys your IDEAS. Mirac shall TEACH these strange things how to FIGHT as Mirac does, to survive the WATER. WIELDER! They require OUR help. We must AID these GREATERS." Aerie would, in all honestly, be forced to do most the work. Mirac himself was not a strong swimmer, or a great fighter. But he would be a great wingman.

"AND, short SCALED MAN--GREATER!" Mirac corrected himself. "WOUNDS are a sign of VICTORY. Were it up to Mirac, Mirac would be ALL WOUNDS. But Mirac shall TEACH you how to survive combat with NO wounds." Though, Mirac settled into a smug silence. Albeit a brief one. "Mirac is ALL FLAMES," he said.

He pulsed his magicka outwards. There was nothing. And then, Mirac's stone began to whine, and his scabbard, which he had intended to wriggle out of first, caught fire. "NO!" He cried. The flames ate his war trophy, turning it first black, then melting it into a puddle of corrupt metal on the ground. "MIRAC KILLED FOR THAT!" He said. He screamed, filled with anguish, pain, and rage, as the molten metal of his scabbard melted off him and onto the ground.

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Aerie immediately dropped Mirac when she saw flames, alarmed. She sat back on her tail and peered down at the blade before cautiously picking him up again.

”Stop doing stupid things or you'll do stuff like that,” she scolded, ”Now stop yelling. We'll teach everyone to defend themselves and we'll head down into the sea too.”

She rubbed her face and sighed, tempted to hand Mirac off to the nearest idiot who thought a talking sword would be cool. That alligator seemed to like him enough, but alas, she'd brought this upon herself, so...

”Let's make a deal,” she said, ”You quiet down until we get to the fight and I'll make sure to swing you super hard at whatever tentacle monsters we encounter. And I'll even let you keep something as a trophy, deal?”

Anything vaguely complimentary was cool relief to his throat, so upon hearing his question yield positive response, Fahl's chest swelled with pride. His head took on the slightest of tilts, a touch of ego crowning him. To be appreciated, even in the smallest of ways, was a rush. An addiction.

But just as soon, this all fell away, the answer's dire portents sinking into his skull. While he'd expected something terrible to face, these creatures far exceeded what his imagination had conjured. Although he had visited Fornax before, he had certainly not ventured far enough for the water to grow impenetrably black. Or to encounter such things.

Fahl glanced down at his claws and flexed them. Used only for clinging to rock, would they be enough to aid him if his attacks needed to be physical? And his magic—would it be of any use in the depths? Even though new capabilities sprung themselves upon him by the day, it still seemed in comparison to these possible threats... weak.

It seemed absurd to go through all this effort for a leaf, but one fact stayed his incredulity: this Farina was a Master. In the heat, the memory of the joint-stiffening chill in Pisces persisted as if his previous encounter with such power had been mere seconds ago. Painting all associated with Masters in a broad stroke, then the leaf's importance was not to be scoffed at. If she wanted it, disappointment couldn't be an option.

He snorted at Mirac's misfortune, trickles of water running from his nostrils, and drew closer to the entrance where Whale and the wisp could be seen. The sight soured his tongue, the display of something fire-like but clearly not fire disconcerting to witness. However, it was indeed light.

"Bright. Is it still when submerged." The words were brusque but inquisitive, and regardless of response, Fahl turned to address the others. "I go to practice swimming for fights. And to see how magic will work in water." Stone within mouth beginning to weigh heavier, he paused. "I invite those interested in the same."

"Mirac does not do 'STUPID'," Mirac said. His jaw creaked and tore, enough for him to dislodge what remained of the molten metal. "Mirac REFUSES to be SILENCED. Mirac is ETERNAL, UNSTOPPABLE, A FORCE OF NATURE!" Mirac wriggled in Aerie's grasp, his wrap flailing, already riled up from the loss of his scabbard. "Mirac will TEACH the 'GREAT OARS' how to FIGHT, but Mirac shall YELL all the while. BUT," Mirac said, pausing for a second.

"HmmmmMirac finds AERIE's terms...AGREEABLE. Mirac shall ENJOY this contract. Mirac has changed Mirac's mind. Mirac will ADHERE to this...CONTRACT. Mirac will KEEP silent...for now. Mirac wishes to own these...trophies...and for Aerie to explain what the FUCK a 'tentacle' is. But FIRST! AERIE! You must take us to where the fleshy GREATERS are so we can TRAIN them."

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