The Divine Creatures opened up their maps, traded map data, and plotted out where to go looking for their friend next.

Kestra took the opportunity to examine the changes to her stats.

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PROFILE

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NAME : Kestra Boom-Smiter

LEVEL : 8

EXP : 680 / 6400

RACE : Human

TITLES :

‎ Transmigrator

Dungeon Hunter

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BOOSTS: 18

STRENGTH: 7 + 8 = 15

AGILITY: 10 + 0 = 10

STAMINA: 8 + 7 = 15 [225]

STAMINA RECOVERY: 8 + 7 = 15 [1.5/s]

MANA: 15 + 0 = 15 [150]

MANA RECOVERY: 10 + 0 = 10 [3.0/s]

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

OPEN APERTURES: 3

TEMPERING STEPS: (0) Untempered

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

Ralouf sat down next to her. "So," he started. "Transmigrator? What realm?"

Kestra said, "I never heard a name for our world or realm. It was just home. Some of the [Scholars] liked to debate the shape of the world, but in the end we're pretty sure there was just the one big plonk of land in the middle of the sea, with some islands and archipelagos near enough to sail to. Gnomes to the south, draycons to the east, elves in the high north and the southern end of the archipelago I hung my cloak at. Xylines for our northern neighbors, but least said there the best."

"Xylines? Some kind of cat?"

"Nah. They say they're an inheritable apotheosis from humans, but I've never heard of a human with the option to advance to a xyline. They start out identical to humans, then in puberty they develop into some kind of human-beast hybrid. The voice of the world calls it their racial path." Kestra flicked her wrist, dismissing the rivalry of her former realm with a sigh.

Ralouf made an interested noise, then tipped his head and looked at her a bit more thoroughly. "What were you thinking about? Before I sat down?"

"Stat boosts are strange, mostly," she answered.

"Oh?"

"Well, before coming here, I gained levels by raising my skills. Classes were defined skill paths, I guess, and you had to progress in your class's core skills. Levels determined how much the voice of the world aided you with your skills, but you also had to understand the skills and practice applying them. There was no boosting attributes, stats, not directly. Advancing in skills that trained attributes was as close as we got.

"And Eilith, she knew me for a transmigrator because the water in my body doesn't act like the water affinity here. Graemire says you don't have Air or Light Elementals.

"There have been transmigrators to my home realm, but they're given a second childhood and born into the world like every other being. We call them Second or Twice Born. When they class, they start to get their past life memories back. Some came from worlds without mana, others from places where the mana works different, but the thought that you don't even have the Light or Air affinities? That's just shocking to me. Air is breath!"

Ralouf blinked. "Water feeds wood, which feeds fire. The ash from fire becomes earth, which generates metals, and trace metals enrich water so it can feed wood. Where would air fit in the creative cycle?"

Kestra took her turn blinking in incomprehensions. "Air is breath, Water movement. Earth -- the metals and crystals contained in soil -- is solidity. Light and Dark are phases of time. Fire is temperature. Air, Water, and Earth combine to create Life affinity. Fire, Light, and Dark make Entropy, the Innevitable End. Dark, Water, and Earth is Decay, with Fire, Light, and Air making Radiance. There are more combinations, but I'm neither [Mage] nor [Priest]."

The other three had broken off their debate to listen in, and the two elementals and Ralouf stared at Kestra with baffled disconcertment.

Yorgin chuckled. "That may have been your realm's comprehension, but you won't be casting spells in the Ten Horizons thinking like that."

Ralouf shook his head. "Bah! You were starting at boosts. Before you decide how to allocate your boosts, you need to know, what do you want to do?"

"I was a [Combat Alchemist] and a [Woods Wraith Hunter], and the classes fit me. A [Combat Alchemist] is a versitile supporter, filling in as [Healer], weilding boon and bane, with some situation high damage attacks. The [Hunter] class was as much for enhancing my survivability in combat as well as I just like to hunt."

"In that case, if you want to continue along that path, your primary stats should be Mana and Strength. Secondary should be Agility and Mana Recovery, with Stamina Recovery just over Stamina. Absolutely pursue Mana Cultivation. Body Tempering only after have good formulas for Stamina, though as an Alchemist you should be able to gain Poison Body with some effort and pain. Hm …." Ralouf paused, his brows beetling in thought. "It's been a while since I helped someone plan their path. I'm missing my library of quests and titles that will augment the different statistics."

Yorgin said, "Eh, there'll be time for course correction at the Transcendental Horizons, and should she need to reallocate her boosts, there is always the Ever Shifting Three Orchid pill."

"Ah, but some of the titles are stacking titles, and one needs to ensure they get the quest before the title. That is not something that can be undone," Ralouf said.

Kestra pulled out a second blank journal from her transmigrated materials and her mark stick. She started taking notes as the Divine Creatures turned from arguing over where to find their missing Earth Elemental companion to arguing over her progression path.

Some time later, Eilith did the mana equivalent of clearing her throat in Kestra's personal realm. «How may I aid you?» she asked.

Eilith, smiling with a cruel edge, said, "We're ready for a gate back to our friends."

«One gate forth coming. It may be a bit slower, but should be more stable.»

"Acceptable," Eilith said.

She had Vostler once again wrapped up in a globe of water. Kestra assumed he was a Fire Elemental, especially with how thoroughly dejected and cowed he seemed in Eilith's icy grip.

"Gating Eilith and Vostler out," she interjected into the discussion, sending her journal and pen back into storage and concentrating on opening up the gate again. This time, Kestra took her time forming it up so that mana consumption matched her recovery rate.

There was one part that dropped her mana pool by half, but now that her mana pool had expanded and she had had enough time to fully recover her mana, that expenditure was less taxing.

The gate came into existence, stabilized, and opened. Eilith dragged Vostler out.

Kestra maintained the gate. It took her prior mana recovery to do so, so with her mana recovery increased through the opening of new apertures, she was still able to recover her mana pool.

Besides, she wanted a chance to cycle the air between her realm and the Ten Horizons just a bit, just in case that was part of the problem with not being able to keep the fish and plants alive.

Eilith growled at Vostler, "Swear!"

The thoroughly cowed Fire Elemental cringed away from her angry voice, then straightened and began to speak. His voice was muffled to Kestra by the water, but by the smiles breaking out on the other Divine Creatures faces, they could hear just fine.

The light of the Ten Horizons flared light a Solarian's Flash Stun spell, magnified as it was by the water encasing the Fire Elemental. Ralouf's hand on her shoulder once more sent healing warmth through Kestra, and she blinked her eyes, clearing her vision.

Her gate was still up and stable, her mana still trickling along to keep it open. That bit of focus pleasantly surprised Kestra.

Eilith pulled the water away from Vostler, letting him stand on his own. He promptly threw himself at Yorgin, crying, incoherent.

The scaled man patted Vostler's back.

Graemire pursed his lips. "If we are to speak further, Vostler must either give his Oath of Silence or depart."

Yorgin's arms squeezed a bit tighter around Vostler. It took a little cajoling, but with a few moments to calm down, Vostler was talked through giving the same oath that his companions had given, after which Eilith also so swore.

Vostler asked, "What does 'a credible threat of death' even mean?"

Absently, Kestra said, "You believe that the person making the threat both can and will follow through on it. For instance, both you and Graemire could easily wipe me from existence. However, you threatening to kill me is more credible than Graemire because his actions toward me have so far been generous while you started with threatening me."

"Oh," Vostler said, looking pained.

"Quite," Graemire said. Then he looked to Eilith. "What is the state of my little potential's personal realm?"

The Water Elemental perked up, getting happier as she spoke. "Elementally, very unbalanced, but still refreshing. The mana is stable, which after being in this thin Horizon has been a relief. The well is just begun on purifying the affinities. I think Nicada would benefit from the interesting metals within. Some are deep earth and others almost celestial in nature. Once she's had a chance to add her balance, then Ambrose should come in to work with his element. Graem, it would be best for you to wait until Ambrose has worked on things a bit. Vostler should probably stay with us, just to prevent him from acting out, and if Yorgin's certain he can hold up his Enduring Bubble--"

"Sphere!" the serpent man corrected.

"-- then he should be okay. Ralouf, there's a very basic stone structure in there. I don't breathe, but the air feels full to me."

"Leave the gate up?" Ralouf asked Kestra.

"That's my plan until folks decide to leave," Kestra said.

The short man rolled onto his feet and stuck his head through the gate. He pulled back after a moment, declaring, "Metal heavy, and burnt out. I'll be fine, but Yorgin, you will need your Enduring Bubble."

"Sphere! Enduring Sphere!" the serpent man laughed, ruining his attempts to appear offended. He, too, stuck his head through the gate, but instead of drawing back, he stepped all the way through, quickly followed by the other elementals and Ralouf until it was just Graemire and Kestra again.

Eilith conferred with Yorgin, then called out, "You can close the gate and get looking for Ambrose now!"

«Thank you!» Kestra said, including everyone in the thanks.

Nicada was already bouncing around, happy and gleeful as she reveled in the various metals about Kestra's personal retreat. Vostler was cuddling up with Yorgin next to the mana well, much like a freshly disciplined child seeking confirmation that they were still loved. Ralouf was investigating the various bits of stone. All of them had a bit of a more relaxed air about them.

Kestra folded away her gate, stretched, and stood up. She looked to Graemire. "Where to next?"

"It appears there are two cities named Xong Zul," Graemire said, looking frustrated. "The other is farther away, toward the mountains the Zonzhi manager has labeled as the Eternal Frost Peaks. I will have to get closer to see if it feels like Ambrose is there. We will also stop to see if any more reports have been conveyed to the Zonzhi branches nearby. I'm going to change shape because this will be a much longer flight than before, and it may be easier if you act as my speaker."

"How will that work?" Kestra asked.

Graemire began shifting shapes while he replied. "I'm going to go with a vine carpet, so I won't look sapient to most humans, so when we land, you tell the guards to stand back. I'll drape myself over your shoulders and whisper in your ear what I want you to say to the branch managers."

Kestra nodded. "Okay. I can do that. Let's see how well I bare up under your weight, though. You're quite mana dense, and I don't know if that carries over here the way it does back home."

"Fair enough," Graemire conceded, and when he finished his transformation he settled himself like a cloak over and around Kestra. There was a weight there, but Kestra's strength had more than doubled since arriving in the Ten Horizons, and she found it more a pleasant presence than a burden.

"Oh, you're comfortable! I almost feel like a [Druid]!" she said.

"What is a druid?"

"They're people blessed by the land gods, very attuned to the Wilds. All of them have high levels of Botanomancy, some Geomancy, too." Kestra said.

Graemire lifted her, then began flying them to their next destination. "They perform divinations with plants and crystals?"

"What? No!" Kestra had to laugh at the thought. "There are far easier and more accurate ways to scry out hidden knowledges. No, Botanomancers and Geomancers, they connect with plants and minerals, attuning their mana to the Living or Earth affinity to affect changes in the physical world. I'm told that getting into the Intermediate ranks of Botanomancy allows one to learn Sylvan speech, the language of plants, and lets them make bargains with some of the more magical trees to grow out living wood tools and weapons. That's about as close to divinations as the mana affinity skills get."

They spoke of the differences in mana and magic for most of the flight. Kestra wasn't a subtle person, and she enjoyed having someone to talk to without having to watch her thoughts or screen her words beyond mere courtesy.

The conversation moved on to the subject of mana densities around when the walls of a modest sized town came into Kestra's visual range. She was saying, "The mana levels here in the First Horizon are a bit low for where most humans choose to settle back home. Where we found the mana seed was about right, levels wise, but we would have put together an alchemical garden to smooth out the affinities."

"And what does your Alchemy teach of gardening and affinities?" Graemire asked with benevolent amusement.

"Each plant has basic needs: soil, water, and minerals. Some plants have a higher tolerance for mana, and others are monstrous in nature: needing mana to survive." Kestra went into an enthusiast's detail about soil composition, and broke off during the middle of discussing various water cycles as they came in for a landing beside the bronze and jade capped building of the Jade Pearl Auction House.

People made space for Kestra, quite a number hurrying off, but fewer people looked terrified. The brass armored guards of the Auction House snapped to attention, and one opened the door for her with round-eyed looks of fearful awe.

"Branch Manager Holla is hurrying to greet you, Honored Divine," the guard quietly stated.

Kestra was about to say, "Thank you," when Graemire murmured, "Your courtesy is appreciated."

She repeated his words instead and entered the Auction House. Much like the first, a counter for the sales people to retreat behind took up the right side of the entrance and a sweeping stairway led upward on the left. Kestra had barely stepped toward the array of devices when a heavyset man moving with surprising agility managed to rush down the stairs while seeming to float gently about.

His actions reminded Kestra of a fairly recent commission her team had hunted. Dark swans where Dark affinity dire swans, mostly no trouble for human populations. Sadly, this particular flock had decided to take over some fresh water pools that Tellenhook had depended upon, fouling the water and tearing up the filtration plants they had carefully placed around and throughout the pools. As beautiful as the swans were, no one wanted to drink swan shit. They had tried shooing the pretty birds away, but the stubborn monsters had ended up as dinner and fletching.

The main reminder for Kestra was how serene a swan swimming looked from the water's surface, and how violently their legs were kicking about underneath. A few well placed traps to catch those legs had given her team all the time they needed to clear out the infested pools.

"Honored Divine, this humble servant's name is Holla, honored to be the Manager of this Matala Branch of the Jade Pearl Auction House. How may I aid you?" the fat man said coming to fluid end of his movements with a regal bow.

Kestra repeated the words Graemire gave her, attempting to match his intonation. "Estimable Branch Manager Holla, my party is seeking information on a specific Divine Elemental that recently descended to the First Horizon."

"Shall we take tea while I have my assistant search our reports, then, Honored Divine?" Manager Holla offered.

"This will be acceptable," Graemire through Kestra responded.

They again went up the stairs, and to a door located similar to Branch Manager Mardu's office, into a room that, but for a few personal touches, could have been Manager Mardu's office.

Kestra went to the spot to the right of the end of the table, and Graemire, with a chuckle, flowed into the vine-like caricature of a humanoid form and assumed the seat at the foot of the table.

Kestra smiled and bowed her head to the branch manager. "Honored Divine Graemire, Elemental of Wood, does not wish to cause excessive concerns among the general populace, Esteemed Branch Manager Holla. This humble companion is a simple Miss called Kestra."

Holla's lips trembled as he mouthed the word "Elemental", his slightly panicked gaze flicking from Kestra to Graemire's vine-form.

Kestra made a show of settling in and checking on Graemire, hoping the normalcy of her countenance would help Manager Holla regain his wits. Whether it helped, or was just the man's own intestinal fortitude showing, Holla soon had a pot of steaming tea in one hand and palm cups in another, into which he poured and served the tea.

Holla's preferred blend had a spicier scent. "Mm!" Kestra allowed herself a happy note of enjoyment when she took her sip, waiting on Graemire again. He was doing a nice job of mimicking human functions in his vine body.

Graemire asked, "And what is your analysis of this blend?"

"Digestive aid and stimulant, for the most part, coming from spice type berries, and a woody stem." Than act of forming and relaying her analysis soothed some of the nerves Kestra hadn't realized were tightening up in her. "It's relying more on the mana affinities than the mundane properties of the ingredients, and has a more finicky serving temperature requirement for that. Overall, while not as masterful a blend as Branch Manager Mardu's, it is still well formulated. The blend itself could be improved by being stored with a minor fire affinity mana source, not more than triple the ambient mana in this room. Too much stronger a source and the fire affinity would overtake the water, souring the blend. Double this room's affinity would be better if storing for more than a year."

Her assessment seemed to have the side benefit of helping Holla relax even more, to the point he smiled with delight and asked, "Miss Kestra, are you an Alchemy prodigy of Honored Divine Graemire?"

Graemire flicked his vines in a gesture Kestra took to mean that she was to handle the talking. She returned Holla's smile. "The Honored Divine has called me a little bit of potential. I would not take on airs to call myself a prodigy, but Alchemy is a subject of dear interest to me, and Honored Divine is insightful to know that the subject is one which sooths my nerves around those as yet unknown to me. I do appreciate your patience with this small ritual of ours."

Then she heaved a dramatic sigh and lowered her tea cup. "Sadly, finding Honored Divine's separated companion does not allow us much time for social pleasantries. The one we seek is an Earth Elemental, most likely in a humanoid form, who answers to the name of Ambrose. This morning, Branch Manager Mardu of Sortalheim was able to share with us that there were reports of two individuals with strong Earth presences sighted entering the First Horizon in the cities of of Xong Zul and Kelhalk. Sadly, we did not realize then that there are two Xong Zul cities, and would appreciate clarification of which of the two cities the sighting occurred in.

"Also, he mentioned 'a large group' of Honorable Divines entering at Caperirn City. Details on the composition of that group may yet aid us, as well as sightings of Honorable Divines since the night before last. We are aware there are unique challenges to information consolidation in the First Horizon, so our hopes are small, but better to check than to rue."

Holla had one of those metal things, that wrapped from the front along behind the ear, with the front part extending down along the back of his jaw to the top of his throat. He nodded to Kestra, and his lips moved, but no sound passed to her.

She felt that same sense of mana moving around the metal bit that she had felt when Manager Mardu was jaw-talking. Then the mana stilled, and he said, "My assistant is gathering the reports. We just received our updated dispatches, so he is combing through those as well, to ensure we provide the most timely information possible."

"Lovely," Kestra said, sipping at the tea. "Hm. Please pardon me if I'm being too intrusive, but do you perhaps drink this tea to counteract a bit of burning soreness in the lower esophagus?"

"I … am not familiar with that term, but burning soreness, yes," Manager Holla answered, looking reserved.

Kestra pointed to a common site of heartburn on her own body, getting a nod from Holla. She removed one of the plants she had carefully uprooted from her storage ring. A quick confirmation cast of Identify reassured her this was the plant she wanted.

Dragon's Breath Fern

A fern used in creating low grade Health powders and potions.

"Are you able to acquire these in bulk?" she asked.

Graemire flicked a glance over the fern, but seemed unimpressed with it.

Manager Holla, on the other hand, lifted it up and pulled out a monocle. He peered at the fern for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, but to what purpose?"

"Do you have the ability to perform a water extraction of the healing properties in the roots?" Kestra asked.

"I wouldn't know, Miss Kestra. I am not an Alchemist."

Graemire, though, now looked interested. "Water extraction, you say? Please describe this."

"Using the liquid nature of Water affinity, pull out the oils and separate the waters of the fern. Mm. Possibly a bit of Metal affinity, too, if I understood Honored Divine Ralouf's description of the creative cycle. The oils then would require a bit of an acidic tempering to neutralize the alkali portions, but after the tempering the healing potency should be quite high. Mixed with the fire affinity of this tea, four to six drops for each cup of this size, and it would be a lazy health promoter, no risk of over ingesting alchemical mana concentrates. Each fern would probably only yield a thumb's worth of oils, and after tempering that would be down to a single cup's worth of additive, hence buying the ferns in bulk.

"And, as a bit of frugality, the raw fern water should be a good base for cleansing washes. The fronds are better suited to a fire extraction process, and that would make balancing the intake of mana affinities more problematic. That's the root of alchemical, potion sickness."

Graemire's viney visage turned to smile at Branch Manager Holla. "I invoke the honor of the Zonzhi Association on behalf of my potential. You may not speak of her revelation, but may use my name to request Zonzhi's Master Alchemist to meet us. I believe the internal code is 'woken dragon'."

"Honored Divine Graemire, what about Ambrose?" Kestra asked.

"Aside from a greater intelligence than most, he has an Earth Elemental's stability. We may delay a day, if needs must."

Manager Holla, meanwhile, had fumbled his cup. He rose now, a lingering golden light covering his face. "For such a message, I must go myself, Honored Divine. May my Assistant Manager entertain you in my absence?"

"Yes."

Manager Holla bowed, already silently talking into his metal bit. He swept out of his office, an older man holding the door for him, and entering after he departed.

The older man wore less ornate caster robes, these reaching just above his knees as opposed to the calf-length robes of the two branch managers. His pants were a bit less fitted, as well, though no less quality went into the weave of the cloth or the stitching.

He came forward and bowed. "Honored Divine Graemire, please pardon the irregularity of our hospitality. I am Assistant Manager Lee Song of this humble branch."

Graemire waved a vine-hand, beckoning the man to the table. "Oh, be seated. The irregularity is by my request; how can I honorably fault you for being honorable hosts?"

"You are too kind, Honorable Divine," Lee Song stated while taking the seat to the right of the Branch Manager's spot, producing his own cup and pouring tea from the pot still steaming on the table between them. "Assistant Coram was most of the way through reviewing the latest dispatches. I expect the reports will be brought in within the next ten minutes."

Kestra did her best to look quite meek, and watched on with fascination as the Wood Elemental and the older man partook of the tea with a kind of calm ritual, discussing such mundane topics as the local harvests, affects of mana density on the growth of plants, and the weather, managing to make everything sound like a friendly verbal strategy contest.

A light scratch at the door preceded a younger man that bore a family resemblance to the Assistant Manager entering and laying a red leather folio beside Lee Song. The man departed, not quite as unobtrusive as Manager Mardu's assistant, but Kestra thought he did a better job than she was managing.

Lee Song slid the entire folio to Graemire.

The Wood Elemental set his cup aside and opened the folio. He tipped his vine head to the side, then quietly asked Kestra, "Are you literate?"

She glanced at the page, confirmed she could read it, and nodded.

"Read these, please," he asked, sounding mildly embarrassed.

Lee Song had an upset look to his features. Kestra guessed he probably hadn't thought about where an Elemental would learn to read.

She set aside her own cup and read through the reports. At the end of it, she said, "The Xong Zul with the Earth presence visitor is the more northern one. Ralouf's group entered with another trio. From the description, Vostler was the one who responded poorly to the guard's request for entry tax. The other trio had already taken off, a mention that they sported feathers and scales on mostly humanoid bodies. Two more groups of Honorable Divines have entered the Horizon, and a flood of Immortals, Transcendentalists, and high Mortals." She frowned, her lips thinning glumly. "This is a tribulation of powers!" She looked up, utterly serious as she met Graemire's gaze. "May the gods of this Realm have mercy upon the First Horizon."

A grave sorrow resonated from Graemire. "It may be that the mercy of the gods lies in their absence."