Excerpt from Alexan’s Eighth Journal, Tour of the Crags and Builders.

The biggest downside to holding all six elements within my seed is the attention it garners. This is probably no surprise to anyone. But as always, there is a difference between knowing of a thing, and experiencing a thing.

What makes it worse is just how many ways I gather attention, and the most troublesome is the issue of scrying. I exist like a beacon for prying eyes, forcing me to go to great lengths to maintain a semblance of privacy.

And somehow those eyes are only multiplying.

Tales of Alamia

“Is Alamia as good at casting as you were at that age, Nolsa?”

Nolsa looked at Tal with almost a suffering look in her eyes. “Perhaps she could have been, but Alamia is far more concerned with wandering the tree than she is with listening to my lectures.”

“I can relate,” Tal joked.

Nolsa sighed, waved her hand about and flicked a tiny bullet of dark mana at Tal.

“Ow! I was joking!”

“That’s why I didn’t make one strong enough to bruise.”

“Okay, fair.”

“As for Alamia, while any Erlkin is naturally gifted in dark mana, I suspect Alamia will be a darkmancer in time, able to pull off some truly impressive feats.” Nolsa sighed before continuing, “if she ever decides to concentrate. Instead I have to do things like place her at the front of class so she can’t sneak away without one of my other students accidentally laughing.”

“Oh yeah, I, uh, I remember that,” Tal agreed. “It didn’t take her long to create a sound-deadening enchantment with that chime wand.”

“And then you gave her away while I was drawing on the board,” Nolsa laughed.

“I couldn’t help it,” Tal defended himself. “She looked so smug!”

Unnamed Talkarn

“... And at the end of that second dream I saw Darisen, not so old, but he was in charge for sure.” Tal took a drink from the cracked cup in his hand, his throat dry after relating both dreams. The water was cool on his throat.

The three of them had moved down to the garden after Tal’s relating of the first dream. Just next to the door sat a table and a few chairs that were still in reasonable shape. They sat now with some fruits and wild tubers dug up and cleaned to make them edible. Nolsa had pulled out four gem fruit pits and was now idly rolling one about in her hand. These pits were what had allowed her to prepare spells in advance for the escape they’d made. Now they sat empty while Nolsa considered what she might need for later.

The foundation of this outpost was a crossing of three massive roots that met in the same space. On that foundation the original builders of this outpost had placed dirt and grown a respectable garden and even planted a few fruit-bearing trees.

The garden was long overrun, but the trees had provided something to munch on during their stay. More valuable was the enchanted pool. It had been a stroke of luck to find a source of fresh water. The stone walls of the pool were inlaid with a complicated pattern that served to draw moisture from the air and then maintain the purity of the water within. A cursory look had revealed traces of aether-drawing patterns throughout the garden, which kept the enchantment working.

“So what do you think of it?” Easil asked first. “You said you could feel the anger of the sealed one in the first dream. Did you see the sealing pedestal during your stay?”

Tal nodded as he spoke. “Yeah, I saw it. Elder Darisen was standing by the pedestal before he took me to see his so-called scrying orb.”

“So you’ve seen his view of the outside world then,” said Nolsa, confirming rather than questioning.

“I did, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I’d already seen what he had in that orb. It looked a lot like the landscape in the first dream. After several hundred years, you’d think there would be more trees than that.”

“But the pedestal though,” Easil interjected. “What did it feel like? I’m curious to know.”

“It felt like a chunk of mana, but not much else,” Tal admitted. “I can still remember the feeling of it in the dream, whenthat black orb was angry at the sealing but…” Tal drifted off as he thought harder about the dream memory. It wasn’t so hazy as a regular memory or a dream his sleeping mind had brewed up. The details of this memory dream shown to him by the Sentinel were still very clear, as if he’d been there in person and only a few days ago.

Which Tal supposed he was, in an unusual sort of way.

Nolsa and Easil had remained silent as Tal covered his mouth and scratched his cheek while thinking through what he’d seen. Teasing through the vision, something occurred to him that was worth mentioning. “The shadow was furious from the moment I saw it, and I could still feel that anger after they sealed it away. Some of that anger was still leaking out even when the seal was complete. It feels like if that thing was still so angry, I would have felt it when I saw the Elder standing next to the pedestal.”

Nolsa let out a breath, relaxing slightly at Tal’s explanation. “Good,” she said with a nod. “That’s reassuring to hear.”

“Yeah, that makes everything easier,” Easil agreed. “So the question is, when do we want to try and sneak back in?”

“That’s easy,” Nolsa replied lightly. “There aren’t many regular residents of the Heart anymore, but it still serves as the home for most of our skilled watermancers. Most of them have to live in the Heart while they regulate the rivers and pools within the tree.”

The realization of what Nolsa was getting at lit up Easil’s face. “Oh. We sneak in after the scattering of the winds, during the raising of the mist.”

Tal wasn’t entirely convinced “Will that clear out the wardens though?”

“In another time, no,” Nolsa smiled at Tal, but the smile wasn’t a happy one. “But with the greater concentration of dark mana in the core of the tree, the wardens are busier with patrols and hunting. If many of our best users of water are traveling to Martyr lake, they will need guards.”

“Speaking of which, we were lucky nothing found us while we were coming down here.” Tal was so worried about what might be following, he’d forgotten all about what might be waiting.

“Mostly lucky,” Easil replied with a grimace. “I could hear a few things moving around in the tunnels. I can only assume they didn’t hear us, or they weren’t hungry. They will notice us soon enough. That’ll be a problem when we leave tomorrow.”

That got Tal’s attention. “Tomorrow? So soon?”

Both Easil and Nolsa nodded.

Nolsa went on to explain. “It doesn’t take too long to scry the location of the living, as long as you have access to all six elements. One of the unique traits of the Hollow Home is that it will occasionally grow wood from any possible tree. The reason every foraging party has at least one individual capable of using a screech spell is to alert the wardens. But it isn’t just tracing the sound that helps the wardens pinpoint trouble. There is a select group of Erlkin ready to use an actual scrying pool located in Linumbra’s Heart to find that trouble.”

“It seems like it should take longer than that,” Tal complained.

“It would, if they were just using a couple of elements. Even with just my own element, and enough aether, I could track us eventually.” Easil stopped for a moment, then continued with a wry smile, “unless the people I was tracking didn’t make much noise.”

“It works so fast partly because we’ve had so much time to spread the roots of the scrying spell through the forest,” Nolsa continued, happily absorbed in the chance to teach. “As the spell contains all the elements, that lets the ones doing the scrying detect elements of life itself. They can then refine their search based on how much lifeforce, then further whittle down by sight, sound and warmth.”

Tal probably would have been interested in another time. Today he had other concerns. “Can you block it Nolsa? You’ve got some practice in all the elements don’t you?”

“I could,” Nolsa replied, putting a finger at the corner of her mouth as she thought out loud. Tal had to pull his attention from her black fingernail against the pale white of her skin. “Active screening is beyond my skills sadly. It would take someone truly impressive to protect against scrying while on the move. It is much easier to protect a place with permanent enchantments.”

“Easil and I hide from creatures in the tunnels all the time though, what’s different?” Tal wondered out loud.

“Oh we only block sight and sound,” Easil explained simply. “An omnispell like that can trace aether, and can tell the difference between minute amounts in the air, and a concentrated mass of aether like you or Nolsa, or even me. Although it can be harder to tell gnomes apart from wildlife. The scrying can feel aether, but should have a hard time discerning elements?” Easil looked to Nolsa as he finished what had meant to be a statement with a question instead.

“I assume sensing elements would be problematic when dark mana infuses the very wood around us,” Nolsa reassured.

“Oh, so their scrying can see through the dark shell and your spell of silence,” Tal replied. “And it’s not like normally there would be a reason to hide, so there was no reason to make something better.”

“Certainly not!” Nolsa laughed. “I’ve been at least a little suspicious for some time, but not that suspicious. If only.”

Easil raised a tiny hand to draw attention before speaking. “On the bright side, I’ve found some left over tools that should help out. A brush knife for hacking at roots, a saw for cutting things loose and a rucksack that should fit Tal.”

“Oh, that’s convenient!” Tal replied, happy to have some proper tools.

Easil’s smile told of the bad news he’d held back. “Unfortunately they were left behind because they needed work. We’re going to have to spend the evening sewing patches, binding handles, sharpening wood and infusing mana. And you’ll have to do it before we leave tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Tal’s excitement dropped precipitously. “Well, I guess we should get started.”

“I have even worse news for you Tal,” Easil’s smile got wider. “I’m going to hunt some rats for a bit of meat, and Nolsa has to refill the gem fruit pits. You’re used to maintaining our tools back home though. I know you can do it.”

“Yeah,” Tal sighed, “I can.”

Nolsa’s soft laugh only finished him off. “Well then, let us get to work.”

Unnamed Talkarn

“Shhhh,” Easil whispered from Tal’s shoulder. “Someone has broken the trigger.”

Tal came to a stop, Nolsa close on his heels.

Nolsa and Tal steadied their breathing as Easil cupped his hands behind his ears.

Several long moments passed before Easil made a sound, the pause extending painfully as they waited. Tal couldn’t really see Easil from his perch on Tal’s rucksack. But he did know what he would have seen if he could turn his neck that far. Easil was sitting in the top of the open rucksack, gem fruit pit in his lap to help support his ongoing spells.

They’d been travelling through wooden tunnels for a couple of hours now, careful to watch their own noise. Easil was maintaining two spells: one that coated Tal’s feet and Nolsa’s hooves with a sound-deadening enchantment and another that left a trigger in the path towards the outpost. When tripped it would focus and strengthen Easil’s already-running spell of hearing, and someone had done just that. Tal and Nolsa had already been keeping their silence for hours. The odd time they had talked, it was whispers only, just so they didn’t blow out Easil’s ears.

“Yeah,” Easil whispered, “I can hear hooves, and I can barely make out some conversation. You can keep moving though.”

“Quicker than I thought,” Nolsa admitted under her breath as they started moving again. “It is good we did not stay.”

“That’s why we’re going to the nesting ground, right?” Tal asked just as quietly. “So they can’t spot us near the monsters?”

“I can hear what you think of that idea in your voice, Tal,” Nolsa whispered back gently. “But the best place to hide from someone searching for aether, is amidst a much greater mass of aether. Also, we go left here.”

Tal turned into the side tunnel, staying silent to help Easil concentrate.

“They aren’t approaching,” Easil whispered finally. “I’m releasing the heightened part of the hearing spell. This is giving me a headache and I can’t hear over the pounding anyways.”

Tal grunted as the incline of the natural tunnel started to increase. The tunnels before had already wandered between up and down, but this tunnel was becoming much steeper. “This is the way to the outer trunk?”

“Indeed,” Nolsa affirmed. “We’re almost there.”

“More climbing,” Tal replied in monotone. “I can’t wait.”

“Hush now,” Nolsa chided.

The incline got steeper and started to twist, and soon they were climbing again. It wasn’t long until Tal didn’t have the breath to spare on complaining. He was starting to get sick of vertical travel. In the midst of climbing, Tal reconsidered that thought. He’d take climbing around in the tree over being locked in a cell anytime.

“I think I see a light,” Easil whispered. “We’re almost to the end of the tunnel.”

He wasn’t wrong. The tunnel came to a sudden end and Tal crawled out into a natural hollow in the side of the tree. Here Tal got his first view outside the trunk since he’d last gone on a foraging trip with Nisk, Ouran and Easil. The air didn’t quite move this deep, but it still felt a bit more fresh than the depths of the roots from which they’d just come.

Nolsa turned and looked out. “There, just as I said, that’s our way up.”

Under Nolsa’s directions, the three of them had come here, just above where the roots of the hollow tree began to spread. They now stood at the outer shell, the ‘bark’ of the hollow tree. The space in front of them opened wide, illuminated dimly by light from above. Tal stepped out to try and peek upwards, only to feel the vertigo of staring up a cliff of wood higher than he could judge with his eyes.

Looking to either side of them, Tal could see walls of rock meeting the trunk of the tree, with only the area in front of them showing a hint of the tangle of roots below. They’d come out in the base of a crevice in the rock, possibly one of the deepest points that were technically open to the sky.

One root set higher than all the rest connected to the wall across from them, a wall set with more deep cracks that would be their own sort of fun to climb. Tal looked up to see the various branches extending from the trunk of the Hollow Home above them, many of them large enough to contain their own small village. One of those massive limbs would be their hiding spot for the near future.

Tal could hear the call of some beast echoing from above them. A grumbling snarl of something he didn’t want to meet. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Tal figured that meeting would be inevitable.

“I’m done with my rest,” Nolsa said, her voice straining as she stretched her arms. “Let’s go.”

End Chapter