Avos Shillogu thoughtfully kept his mouth shut as he ate the proffered purple-spotted cave mushroom that the other Avi had turned their nose up on. He was the only one who was omnivorous amongst the court and that was his greatest advantage.

Avos Sadama was a river serpent and fully carnivorous, as was Avos Kliss, a black-tipped white crane. The great Avos Zarek ate rocks and minerals, with the occasional plant matter that had contaminated his feeding pool.

So yes, he did enjoy the purple-spotted cave mushroom and his palate could distinguish the varied tastes and Chaos infusions that the fungi had taken in as it grew inside a Chaos dense area.

He ignored the muted cries of despair from Sadama’s meal, or the cackling laugh Kliss made when she speared a fish with her beak and wrenched it open to watch the blood spill on the rocks. He was the youngest Avos here, and he barely remembered the Shattering. He was sure his previous incarnations had been present, but so much had changed that memories had not been preserved or reborn. As the Avos of a forest, he had been subject to change far more often the the Avi of rivers and of the mountain range.

The Primaeval Forest that dotted Zarek Mountain’s skirts hadn’t even managed to birth an Avos, as the area had been too close to Zarek’s place of power. The ambient Chaos that could have been used to quicken a sapient being had been siphoned to further the lazy mountain spirit instead.

So what was he doing here instead of being back at home and happily increasing his progeny? Well, nothing less than a summons from Rumiga Plane’s premier Avos, who was up in a snit over one matter or another.

“...Those fools! Just because I let them explore doesn’t mean they open every door they find! Not every lock should be picked and not every closed portal opened! Now that there’s a breach, who knows what could come over!” Avos Zarek ranted.

Zarek’s face was nearly as big as Shillogu was tall. In fact, half of the cavern contained the huge Avos. If not for the fact that Shillogu knew better, he would have thought the big Avos was a serpent just like Sadama. Well, that was half true, anyway.

His porcine face grimaced in distaste as he saw a petrified mountain lion was brought into the chamber. The poor creature had been infested with a parasite that slowly turned its flesh and bones into ores and rock. Perfect as a snack.

“What did you call ussss for, Zarie?” Sadama hissed, her scaled countenance flat and emotionless. A forked tongue flicked out from her mouth, tasting the air even as it made Shillogu shiver.

Zarek glanced down at Sadama and scowled. “I want one of you to go into Synkrasia and stop whatever’s trying to get out of there.” He rumbled.

Sadama hissed in laughter. “No. I don’t fitsss in there.”

“Do not gaze upon me in expectation, Dire Zarek,” Kliss pronounced. “My wings cannot extend to their fullest even here in your…warm and cosy home. Synkrasia will cage me and leave me flightless. I dare not.”

All three of the elder Avos turned and stared at Shillogu. He was the smallest of them all, but even he knew that the old tunnels were too narrow. He would fit, but he wouldn’t be able to turn around or fight. Not that he wanted to be away from the Radiant Sun’s kiss for too long.

“I am also too big. The Warforged would simply carve me into cutlets.” Shillogu said evenly, though his voice couldn’t help but quiver. His excuse was thin, and the others knew it. While Sadama was long, she wasn’t as thick as Shillogu, but only he could alter his shape to the extent needed to fit in Synkrasia’s entrance.

Zarek’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Shillogu. His jaw opened, exposing rows of flat teeth that were thicker than Shillogu’s tusks.

“Really, Zarie, this is what comes from bargaining with humans,” Sadama hissed. “They broke your trust, why not send your children to hunt them down?”

“You know as well as I that the structures of the Ancient’s Bastion are too small and they completely resist burrowing.” Zarek groused. Then, his face turned towards Shillogu, “Your children could do it.”

Shillogu swallowed convulsively, then he grunted, “Aye, they would fit in the passages, but my children…”

“Why elsssse would we make more of our own?” Sadama hissed, “But for them to ssserve our Wills. Paymentssss for the gift of life.”

“No, no, I merely state that they are merely too weak to be of use.” It was true enough. Shillogu did not invest much Animus or Chaos into his seed when he lay with the varied beasts of his forest. Which made it easier to sire, but his progeny were both weaker and less intelligent.

“Then all of our progeny coming together should suffice. Summon them and prepare them.” Zarek rumbled, “Hmmm?”

“What do you hear?” Kliss asked curiously then tilted her head towards the east tunnel.

“A child of mine comes. With visitors.”

“Humans? Imperialsss?” Sadama mused.

“Perhaps”

Shillogu heaved a sigh of relief. The Premier Avos hadn’t finished his command, so there was a big chance he would forget what he said should the coming visitors provide sufficient distraction.

The eastern tunnel trembled at Zarek’s progeny’s footsteps, but he could smell something as a draft blew wind towards the cavern. The dusty smell of Stonetoises, the sweat and stink of human sweat, and… a warm breeze of power.

When the humans came into the cavern, they froze and goggled at the huge Avi, but Shillogu’s eyes were drawn to a familiar figure, one he hadn’t seen in a couple of years. The young Ancient girl had grown, not just in stature but in power. Radiant light shone from her body, and Shillogu shivered in both fear and reverence. She also held a Key, one he didn’t think anyone, not even one who walked the Ancient’s Way would have been able to retrieve.

Well, at least if she’s here there’s little chance that Zarek would force Shillogu or his progeny into a suicide run.

__________

The Stonetoise’s tunnel led straight down into the mountain’s heart. The angle of descent was an easy thirty degrees, and it was mostly straight. The only light came from balls of Animus that Marron and Niamh conjured, and from Yuriko’s aura. The stone and earth moved out of the creature’s way and closed in behind where the six of them walked.

The stone behind them was seamless, and if she didn’t know any better, she would have thought that there had been nothing there. The thought of being trapped beneath the mountain with no way to get out was terrifying, and she had to swallow down bile as it rose up her throat. Millions of MiJins of rock lay above them, and it could come crashing down on them had her heart beating a quick rhythm.

But, if she was nervous, then so were the rest of them. She could see Gwendith and Niamh trembling, though they tried their best to suppress it. Her elder brother kept looking at the back, and if not, he stared intently at the Stonetoise’s tail.

The ten-pace tall creature moved with odd grace; too fast and too smooth compared to what she expected a creature of such size and girth should have been capable of. The ground shook with his footsteps though, and there was an odd rhythmic pattern to it that made her teeth ache and her thoughts slow.

She couldn’t even tell how long they’d been in the tunnel or how far they walked. The rhythm destroyed her sense of distance and disturbed her time sense. She was sure it hadn’t even been an hour since they started, but she was also sure that days had already passed.

She didn’t grow hungry or thirsty, so she supposed that it was the former rather than the latter.

This pattern of footsteps…tak-tatak-tak-thud. Five beats, staggered, and a different sound at the end…for some reason, it stuck to her head more than anything else. The distance, the darkness, and however long it took them to walk, faded from her mind as she listened to the rhythm. After a while, her heartbeat mimicked it, as well as her stride.

It jarred her out of her focus when the Stonetoise suddenly stopped.

“Eh?”

“We are near. Do not presume anything and show proper respect,” the Stonetoise said. “My honoured grandfather is not alone.”

The Stonetoise, who didn’t even deign to name himself, stared intently at all of them, with particular focus on Saki. Her attendant had tried to remain hidden but as soon as they entered the tunnel, she had been evicted out of the shadows.

“We understand,” Marron answered for them.

Snorting from his upper nostrils, the Stonetoise continued on. This time, it didn’t take more than a couple of minutes before they found themselves in a natural tunnel, and from there, into a cavern lit by purple-hued crystals shining with invested Chaos.

The chamber was huge and had a natural beauty to it. There was an underground river near one end, the waters purple with reflected hues. The ground was flat, absent of stalagmites. The air within was fresh too, unlike the usual dank mustiness she remembered when she travelled in the Labyrinth of Kogasi.

More importantly, even though the cavern was at least thirty paces high, the creature within made it look like a cosy house. A huge face, even bigger than the Stonetoise, atop a similarly thick neck, turned to stare at them. She couldn’t see the body, and if not for the fact that the neck moved every now and then, she would have thought it to be a rock formation.

As far as she could tell, the neck connected to the cavern wall, though maybe…was that wall part of Avos Zarek’s body? His head and face were a mix of reptilian and humanoid features. His eyes were wide, and there was more than one set of pupils in each eyeball. He didn’t have a nose to speak of, and he had a short snout.

The Stonetoise glared at them for their continued silence. Marron coughed, then bowed. The others followed suit, but when Yuriko was about to do the same, she suddenly felt that she shouldn’t. She nodded to the Avos instead.

“You…” the Stonetoise menaced, but the Avos cut him off with a single look.

“We greet you, honoured Avos Zarek,” Marron intoned, “and we thank you for allowing us into your presence.”

Movement from below the giant head caught Yuriko’s attention and she blinked in surprise when she realised that there were others there. And she immediately recognised the huge pig…er, wild boar with tendrils and spines on his back. Avos Shillogu.

Another was a huge hooded serpent with diamond-patterned scales. Its colouration was a mix of black, bronze, and pale blue. Unlike Avos Zarek’s neck, she could clearly see the entirety of the serpent, and it was at least thirty paces long, and thicker than a man.

The last one was a bird, a…crane? She’d certainly seen some of that species when she lived in Rumiga City. Well, this one was huge, though much smaller than the snake. The crane was also thinner than Avos Shillogu but was taller. All three of them were probably Avos.

“Welcome, humans.” Avos Zarek said. His mouth barely moved when he spoke, but the opening of his lipless mouth managed to articulate his words well enough. “Your ritual obeisance and request have been heard and acknowledged. What boon do you seek?”

“Honoured Avos Zarek,” Marron began, “We seek passage across the mountain, but not through the Central Pass. A Chaos Fortress has appeared one hundred leagues north of Imperial territory and has cut off our battalion’s route to return. We seek to cross to the west and return that way.”

Zarek’s face was completely impassive. “You have the requisite offering?”

“Not with us, but with the rest of the camp. A MiJin of Chaos Shards.” Marron’s voice tightened at the words and clearly, he wasn’t quite as nonchalant with giving up that much wealth.

“Chaos Shards.” Zarek shook his head. “That was the price centuries ago. While I will not say no to more of them, I would need at least five times as much.”

‘Greedy!’ Yuriko thought furiously and something must have shown on her face since the Avos snorted. A plume of steam gushed out from above his eyes, and he glared at her. She swallowed but didn’t give in to her reflexes which were screaming at her to leave.

“We do not have that much, honoured Avos.” Marron said.

“I assumed as much,” Zarek said. “Ah, I have an idea.”

“Sure he does,” Shillogu muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear. When Zarek spun to stare at him, the boar buried his snout into a pile of mushrooms and let his wide eyes speak for him.

The other two creatures chuckled, the snake hissing, while the crane’s beak clacked.

Zarek stared for a long moment then turned back to Marron and acted as though the boar Avos hadn’t spoken. “I have an idea. I find myself troubled by a certain matter, and you six are just the perfect group to see to it.”

“You will allow us passage if we help you with this?” Marron asked.

“Yes, yes. Oh, I’ll still want the Chaos Shards. Give them to my progeny when you cross the mountains. Yes, just a single MiJin worth.”

“Very well, what do you wish us to do?” Marron said after he took a deep breath. They had little choice.

“In good time, yes,” Zarek said. “Where will you wish to cross? I will open a pass.”

“Roughly fifteen leagues south from where we entered the mountain.”

“Very well. Now, for your task.” The big Avos grinned and showed off large blocky chompers that were as tall as she was. The way the edges of the Avos’ lips curled, Yuriko felt a chill crawl up her spine.