The scores present before dawn surprised Julia, and she had to wonder at the turn of events. So many gathering this time was surely because of Torm travelling with her; as many had connections to Týr’s Temple in various capacities, and the reason for Ylva’s sad presence was altogether apparent to her. Yngvarr was the only one present for the first time, but now Julia considered ten here her ‘guests’. Farhad provided a treatise to study among other tokens from well-wishers, while Yngvarr added another grimoire to her collection. As the agreed time drew close, Livia beckoned Julia to bend down and stole another hug.

“Remember what I said about balance. Find yours; you’re even further away from it than before. Next time you come back, stay awhile,” Livia whispered insistently.

“Honey, I’m not sure how well that would work out,” said Julia, her words cutting off when Livia’s arms tightened desperately.

“We’ll all help figure it out. Stop thinking you have to find all the answers yourself,” said Livia, before at last releasing the vice-like hug she’d applied. “Don’t give Uncle Torm a hard time, even if he is the patient type.”

Rather than use Julia’s conduit, Torm brought forth a plain metal disc. When Julia moved up beside him, Torm spoke in Celestial and turned it over. The surrounding reality shifted sideways, and they suddenly stood in utter darkness, with the wind howling around them. Pandemonium had greeted their arrival with a gale-force wind that threatened their balance. The Plane’s thick, foreboding darkness weighed on them far more than the Material Plane’s pre-dawn night sky.

When Torm nodded at Julia, she teleported them. Their arrival in her hideout shielded them from most of the noise. A thin layer of dust had settled over everything in her shelter, and Julia floated up to check the niche. Despite returning the pillar extracted via Inventory, Julia found a thicker layer in the cavity itself.

“Is there a problem?”

“I think the wind is bringing dust through the seam. I’m going to see if I can seal this end,” Julia replied, noticing dust swirls manifesting around the pillar’s end.

After some thought, she focused on the memory of building a canoe with her dad; the material she remembered expanded from her arm, its substance reacting with the chamber’s air. Soon the niche had filled with the yellowish-brown foam they’d used to add buoyancy to the canoe. Still connected to it, Julia felt like her ‘skin’ was sticking to the niche’s stonework. She separated herself and regrew her arm in an instant as she drifted back from where the slot had been. The foam swelled further, expanding out along the stone for a few moments before it began hardening, leaving a solid chemical odour in the air.

“Interesting, but that doesn’t smell friendly. What is it?” Torm asked.

“Something from my past life, it will seal to pretty much anything. Hopefully, it stops the dust from accumulating further.”

“You did just set up the basics,” noted Torm, as he glanced over the minimal furnishings in the chamber.

“I was only going to worry about additional rooms if I needed them. However, I should do that now to avoid causing issues with teleporting. It won’t take long,” Julia said. With her original plan in mind, Julia touched the wall across from the niche. In consideration of Torm’s size, she stored enough stone to start a corridor some three metres tall and about two metres wide.

“This won’t take long,” Julia repeated, “though dumping the material will.”

Setting the block free from her Inventory, she kept cutting till hitting the limit of what she could shift between Teleport and Inventory. A memory of her brother’s jokes about old school dungeon maps prompted her to change her original plans. She extended the three-metre-high passageway forward ten metres and set a matching chamber at the far end. Once done, she turned it into a crossroad, stopping when she had five identical rooms laid out in a cross. The thought of Mal objecting to the layout she’d used for her hideout bringing forth a smile. She removed all the stone to their arrival point; Julia could only hope it was well away from them. The process had stretched her Inventory and Teleport capacity and provided all the encouragement she needed to complete the project.

In each of the doorways, she created and hung stone doors with Protean to ensure they’d move with the slightest touch. Torm had simply looked on as she rapidly completed the excavation work. Her inscribing workshop and its table got moved to the furthest room on the cross. Tidying up, Julia then smoothed out the expanded resin that had hardened in the niche to leave it flat with the surrounding wall.

“That’s looking better.”

“Why did you make all the rooms so equally sized?” Torm asked, running fingertips across the perfectly smoothed stone.

“An old joke. I’ll add something to the first room to make it distinctive for Teleport,” Julia said as she considered options.

“What did you have in mind?”

{{Why not a banner! Home is where the heart is. }}

{{Oh, and an engraving of Lêdhins’ face below it and his heart stuck in his mouth. That would be tasteful. }}

I don’t need a reminder existing here of him

Carving the last chamber had allowed her health to recover from its door. So Julia put her hand out and grew a single piece of stone panel to cover the wall—its motif based on a picture she remembered—inventory removing jigsaw shaped holes to let her anchor it securely on the wall. When she completed the construction, a busy nature scene had completely covered the wall from ceiling to floor.

“That’s a lot of animals, hiding among trees and bushes but I can’t say I’ve seen any of them before. What is that squat, strangely jawed dog?” Torm asked, pointing next to a pine tree she’d set in the middle of the wall.

“That’s a Tasmanian Devil, not a dog. The Dingo near the bush on the left, they’re closely related to the dogs that you know.”

“I’ve never seen a Devil shaped like that before. Why include it?” Torm asked with a frown.

“It’s not a Devil. They make horrendous noises; people that didn’t know better hearing them growling and carrying on at night called them Devils. Those and Wombats are my favourites, though Mal used to tease me about that,” Julia said, pointing out the animals.

“Why did he tease you about liking them?”

“Mal’s a fan of wordplay, and one about Wombat is they ‘Eats roots and leaves'. It only makes sense in our local slang and accent; otherwise, it sounds like you’re talking about their eating habits. So he’d needle me about liking an animal with which I had nothing in common. Older brothers, you can’t live with them, and unfortunately, you’re not allowed to strangle them,” Julia said, the sadness darkening her features as fingertips brushed the wombat’s embossed form.

“So, what does it mean?”

“Root is an Australian term for a fuck. So when we call someone a Wombat, it meant they’d eat, fuck, then leave. A one-night stand, love them and leave them, whatever you want to call it.”

At the glowering expression on her face, Torm moved forward and pointed to marks Julia had added.

“What are the runes in the middle of that tree trunk?”

“First initials for Sarah, Rach and myself, S, R, J. The same runes I’ve carved into a cave wall in Ternòx,” Julia replied, gesturing to each before tapping the stone thoughtfully and heading to the central area.

Torm waited a moment before he followed and found Julia kneeling with a steel bowl forming on the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“Just something Rach used to recommend, except with the addition of magic. I don’t know if it will help, but I’ll give it a whirl,” Julia replied, and separating from the bowl, set it upon the floor.

Torm observed as strips of what appeared to be fine white parchment appeared from Julia’s arm. As she ripped one after another free, he shook his head, fully aware of what she was doing to make each one. Laying the paper strips across a thigh, Julia raised a hand, and a spike of flame formed above the bowl. Holding a slip out above the fire, she hesitated only for a moment before reading the words aloud and letting it drop.

“Andrew, your betrayal was your choice. It doesn’t lessen me, and your actions were your own.”

{{Gosh! You finally said his name. You even included a strip for the skanky bitch. }}

B, you wanted me to deal with this, so I’m trying. Now back off. Otherwise, I’ll take it as your wanting to sabotage me like Lêdhins’ Id did him.

The slip with Kathryn’s name came next, followed by others accounting for memories, hurtful words, or actions whose pain she’d locked away. Others were quite different, and Julia read them, voicing the reference where she’d know she’d been in the wrong. She tried to release the guilt from deeds where she could no longer make amends to those she’d hurt. Notes of past life turning into mentions of the terrors, horrors and fears she encountered in the Abyss, all joining the growing ash pile. The details on each minimal, the gesture meaningful as Julia tried to let go of the emotions.

“Just as well, we don’t need to breathe and spell flames don’t require oxygen,” Julia said, even as she ceased sustaining the flame.

“Was that more of your native tongue? And a ritual from home?” asked Torm.

“I used to tease Rach about being a firebug, but she used to do that each week. It made it easier to let go of painful experiences and things she felt weighing on her. I don’t know if it will work, but I’m willing to try. She’d mix the ashes into her mum’s compost heap, so something good would come of it.”

“Sorry if I was an intruder. I wasn’t sure if leaving would distract more than staying,” Torm said, watching as she rose to her feet.

((Even taking the first step is progress. ))

The calm approval was in V's voice was reassuring and comforting, so different to the echoing loudness Julia had heard in the mind palace.

{{You said nothing about your guilt over either of them getting caught up with your stalker. }}

B’s tone seemed actually interested, and so Julia gave her an honest answer.

That’s because somehow, I’m going to find them and tell them in person.

Lifting her gaze to Torm’s, Julia answered with honest calmness.

“I hadn’t asked you to wait. If I’d felt uncomfortable, I promise I would have been honest and told you. I tried subtle digs with Moke, and that so didn’t work out. Now for the next part, and then we’ll go to the Plane of Earthiness. I’ll have to figure out how to refresh the air later.”

“Just because that’s a word doesn’t mean you had to misuse it,” Torm stated.

“Earthiness, right next to Celestialness,” quipped Julia, a teasing smile making a brief appearance.

“I said please when I asked you not to use that word again,” Torm growled in mock exasperation.

“I know you did, but I just had to use it to tease you,” Julia said. Noting the amused lightness in her tone, Torm just playfully muttered and shook his head.

“Ready to go?” Julia asked, giving him another smile.

“Very well.”

Julia teleported them to the area above and held up the bowl. The howling wind present within the tunnel dragged the ashes from the bowl in a stream. When she’d scattered most, Julia gave the bowl a final shake before it disappeared into her Inventory. With a sigh, she retrieved the conduit and opened up the passageway to the Elemental Plane of Earth, and Torm followed her. While she had noted the cavern when she exited the tube, Julia didn’t take a proper look around till the conduit closed.

Unlike the oppressive weight of the darkness in Pandemonium, the darkness here was natural. True Sight allowed her to see for miles in the massive cavern that extended all around them. Scattered through it were pillars, stalactites, stalagmites, and irregular formations. While the cavern was nearly completely dark, there were a few pockets of light: mostly glowing fungi and sections of rock shining in various shades, untainted like the malice of Ternòx. A faint hint of wind ran across her face, freshening the air and adding a mix of earthen scents to the cavern.

“Are you just levelling Monk or something else as well?” Julia asked, “since you know about Prestige Classes.”

“Fighter and Ranger, they make up the Guardian Class I’m following at present. I thought it best to grow stronger at what I already know. I’ll focus on combining the additional aspects of Monk with them, rather than trying a bunch of new things all at once,” Torm replied.

“Why do most mortals call them paths, not classes, and know nothing about higher tier Prestige Classes?”

“We’re not allowed to discuss them with those not already aware of them. It’s part of the Titan’s agreement. We literally can’t speak of them, even if we’re not aware of the ignorant being in earshot.”

“Then why can I?” Julia asked, unsure which factor in her weird existence made the difference.

“Perhaps because of what you are. After all, technically, you’re trapped within a Demon, not a Demon or a Celestial. Now since neither of us knows the answer, if you’d change to something with less weight, I’ll Teleport us close.”

As Julia considered options for a moment, she felt mischievous and decided she'd abuse the additional mass Greater Teleport Self allowed to be carried. With a chirping kitten in mind, Julia turned into its tiny sandy brown form, absorbing the leather clothing as it collapsed around her. When Teleport put her onto Torm’s shoulder, she quickly took the opportunity and stuck the tip of a twitching tail in his ear.

“Really? Did you turn into a cat? What sort of breed is that?” Torm asked as he eased the wiggling tail away.

#Where I come from, this cat breed is an Abyssinian.#

Julia replied, projecting Telepathy at him since she didn’t know how to even try to speak as a kitten.

Torm snorted and looked at her out of the corner of his eye as her needle claws found purchase in cloth.

#Nothing to do with Demons, though I know it sounds very close to Abyss. Let’s move along, shall we?#

{{Torm got a pussy; you should have sat atop his head. Oh, does this mean he’s staff now?}}

Mentally sighing at B’s jokes, Julia didn’t have long to wait as Torm teleported them into a carved tunnel. With Telepathy providing her with the all-clear, Julia hopped down behind him. Smoothly transforming back to the negotiated form, she visualised her clothes, and they appeared properly placed from Inventory.

Torm remained politely looking towards a compound far down the tunnel ahead of them while she sorted her clothing out. When Julia finished dressing and moved up beside him, Torm spoke again, gesturing to the compound’s gates.

“Most non-Dwarven visitors aren’t allowed beyond the second set of gates and expect the Dwarves to be wary of you. The guards will detect you’re a Demon, so they’ll be cautious even with me vouching for you. They’ll likely want your movement restricted to the outer fortifications nearest the gate,” Torm explained. “What name do you plan to use?”

“Eakcï.”

The reply earned a surprised look from Torm as the overlay of his human face vanished, and the wolf’s features she’d seen in True Sight became clear. A full muzzle, pelt and furred ears appeared no longer overlain by his mana changed form. His enormous hands thickened slightly, and the loose clothing he wore seemed somewhat tighter, but he moved in them easily as he stretched. Where his motions previously had been smooth but human, now they conveyed the grace of a predator.

{{My grandma, what big teeth you have! }}

“It makes sense Moke was teasing you about being moonstruck. I hope you at least plan to visit your lady and not travel with me all the time.”

“I thought you had stayed at Yngvarr’s house,” Torm replied with a groan.

“Rika loves Odes and Chants. She recited Moke’s Ode to the smitten puppy for me. She thinks it’s romantic, but no idea it’s referring to you. Did Ylva finally get your attention?” Julia asked, smiling as Torm just shook his head and muttered.

“That is not what is going on.”

“Don’t worry, Torm. I won’t keep you away from your love interest too long. The Ode was obviously about you, but only because you were grumbling about Moke. Is it unrequited love? I mean, I’ve not been to the Silver Chalice again, but I’m sure Ylva wouldn’t have given up on you that easily,” said Julia.

“No, she’s still trying to gain my interest, regardless of how I try to show that I don’t return it,” Torm replied, shaking his head.

“Maybe you should tell her how you feel. Guys just need to learn to share properly,” Julia said, her teasing digging lightly at Torm.

“Ylva isn’t for me, and the one who I hope is, well, she certainly needs time.”

{{Ahh, why don’t you kiss the poor puppy to make him feel better. At least he didn’t say pot meet kettle.}}

I refuse to be the other woman. He’s a good person, but even if he didn’t have someone else as I've told you, first, I’m not a furry, and second, he’s a Celestial. I already tell him too much with that trustworthy vibe he has going on.

{{No, not furry. You could be a mini-me of Cthulhu, but a bit of fur. Eeep! No wonder you shaved regularly!}}

“Let me know if I should drop some hints to them for you,” Julia offered, mentally sighing at B’s baiting and the mock squeal of fear.

“Let us see if they’ll allow us inside. Shall we?” asked Torm, clearly wanting to change the subject.

“Okay, fine, I’ll mind my business, don’t worry about me,” Julia said, raising her hands in surrender. “I felt guilty eating with you and Verdandi in the Chalice so often during my first stay in Eyrarháls. Every time we had lunch or dinner at the Chalice Ylva was not happy.”

When Torm just sighed and strode ahead, Julia followed along, keeping her attention directed towards the gate.

“I can’t control another’s choices or feelings, nor am I one for words. I can only hope the ones that matter to me can see my intention through my actions,” Torm replied, as he continued onwards.

“Guess we’re both emotional vaults that keep things locked up.”

As the tunnel drew close to the gate, it opened up into a cavern. Above the gated wall, which was thick with wards and blocked all view beyond, slots for defenders to attack were visible. Julia couldn’t sense any minds beyond, but she could see movement through the slots.

“We know what you are, but it gives you no extra rights here. There is no way we’re letting a rock grub Demon inside our wards, even on your word.”

The gruff voice behind the grill snarled again at Torm, the speaker’s agitation clear as their spittle coated their side of the bars.

“Torm, it’s not worth dealing with this headache, it’s not like we need sleep,” Julia said, interrupting him before the argument continued. With her gaze directed on the Dwarf, who hadn’t given their name in return for their introduction, she spoke as calmly as she could. “Is there any area where your community would benefit from having Elemental creatures thinned?”

“I’ll not tell either of you where we need more patrols.” The words were spat with even greater distaste as the Dwarf kept their focus directed at Torm.

“Then I’ll just roll a die and decide if we handle earth, magma, or dust, then shall I?”

“Just ensure you’re away from here. I’ll warn the patrols about the pair of you, don’t be expecting mercy from them. Now get, before I give the turret crews and archers live targets for training.”

{{No Scottish accent. I’m disappointed. Call them a beardless boy. Go on. I dare you!}}

It might be a female Dwarf.

{{Ask them if they’re a milk drinker then. }}

Julia frowned at them and giving in, turned on Soul sight; the impression it returned was a rigid, stubborn nature. It also confirmed they were male, but unfortunately, that didn’t let Julia figure out if their females had beards or not.

“I’ll go back to where you teleported us, Torm, and we can decide there,” Julia said, before regarding the guard again, and spoke louder over his attempts at interrupting so the other guards could hear her reply. “It’s nice to have met the King of your group. Farewell, your Majesty, I’m sure all your subjects are happy to take your sandstone headed commands. I’m sure your superiors will be happy with you usurping their right to decide.”

Julia teleported away even as he spat in her direction.

It was some time before Torm appeared nearby, and he shook his head.

“You might as well have set his beard on fire. They’ll let me in for trade when we’ve materials to sell, but only to see their quartermaster, none of the merchants. Any reason for poking at him?"

“He likes his authority and thinks a lot of himself. I thought I’d have people asking questions about what other liberties he might be taking. So he offered to let the quartermaster get a nice profit out of the items when he sells them to the merchants. Fuck that. I think I’ll sell them elsewhere. I’ll just take them to The Exchange,” Julia replied with a snort.

“Sorry this didn’t work out,” Torm said, clearly unhappy.

“It was an idea, and you’re not responsible for other people’s choices. Plus, it hasn’t failed. I’m just not allowed inside. Though he’s an arse, it doesn’t mean we can’t help ensure safer conditions for the other Dwarves living here. So travel on foot or Teleport again?”

“We might as well Teleport. We’re within their patrol routes this close to the gate. Where do you want to go?”

Julia just smiled and held up a die she’d created. Crouching she sent it rolling along the floor. As soon as it stopped, she gathered it back up and showed Torm the burning rock symbol displayed on the lucky side.

“Just as well you can handle heat. I got magma. Or do you want best of five?” Julia asked, offering him the die.

“Magma is fine with me,” Torm replied as he closed her fingers around it.

Quickly shifting back into a kitten earned an eye roll, and when she landed on his shoulder, he teleported again. This time the place had no sign of civilisation. Instead of a carved passage, irregular rock walls glistening in the heat haze stood about them. Here and there along their course, veins of metal were glowing in the hot air, and Julia quickly counted at least nine exits. An exact number was impossible to tell because of a shimmering curtain of magma that cut across the cave near them. The mass of molten rock continually flowed away into a deep crevice; its motion caused the air to thrum.

With the air nearly igniting, it was clear the leathers she had wouldn’t survive. So instead, when she hopped down, Julia created simple leathers: pants, shirt, boots and left them connected to her. Her immunity to fire kept the faux material from trying to ignite.

“How come your clothing isn’t going up in flames?” Julia asked as she corrected the hasty formation of her own.

“They were crafted with Planar travel in mind; these aren’t the worst conditions they’ve faced,” replied Torm, as he looked around as if to confirm their location.

“Anywhere in particular you know that will have trouble?”

“I’m sure we’ll find something. It’s like walking through the wilderness, except the local wildlife will not run for the hills,” Torm said.

“They are the hills?” asked Julia, giving Torm an enquiring look.

“Elementals can grow that big in these regions.”

The matter-of-fact tone made Julia’s eyes widen, and she tried to set the mental image aside.

“Just as well you have the safety of Greater Teleport; I bet this place changes a bit. This time it’s your lead; otherwise, I’m going to pick that tunnel,” Julia said, pointing to one at random.

“If my memories are right, that’s a dead end. Most were, but Planar activity might have changed that. We need to continue through the grotto, then take whatever downwards passage is open. We’ll find magma pools close to this area, no enormous lakes in this region, just small pools.”