Pixies are benevolent, children-like beings. They are curious to the point of being annoying, but other than being overly competitive, and they lack any evil intent. Legends say watching a dancing pixie can soothe away all worry. Some argue that convincing the pixies to pursue knowledge was the Draoidh’s most outstanding achievement.

~Dagda, the All-Father, Chief of the Gods

Crow and Hooligan found nothing on the next two floors, but the preservation formation also affected them, so there was some furniture and other odds and ends. To them, it was mostly cheap goods.

The only other thing of significance was that the floors from the third onward no longer had open balconies. There were mana-infused bars that not even Crow could damage. There was no way to climb out or escape except by stairs. The Rusalka on the floor above the guards made a significant deterrent to escape down the stairs. Along with this, there were now locked doors. Not that it mattered since they were mechanical and a simple formation could open them.

It was only when they reached the seventh floor that things changed. There was a library on this floor, but this must have been the source of the recreational reading. After scanning most of it, there wasn’t anything here of much value to Crow. Still, he took most of them for Lily and the home inside his Soulverse. The nymphs would probably really enjoy the romance stories, and he chuckled, thinking about them sitting around reading love stories instead of causing trouble.

The eighth floor was locked and lacked a handle.

“Now what?” Hooligan asked.

“No idea,” Crow replied. He walked up to the door and scrutinized it before placing his hands on it and pushing.

Click!

The door swung open without a sound.

“Uh…?” Hooligan looked at the door with her mouth hanging open.

“The door is hollow, and there is a formation inside it. The moment I touched it, it reacted to the artifact. I’m guessing only those that completed all the Shrines would get past this point.”

Both of them walked in, and unlike the other floors, there were no rooms. The space was open except for the walls surrounding the empty area in the center. The walls, including the ones in the middle, were lined with shelves and on the shelves were various objects that Crow assumed were treasures of some sort.

A Clockwork man approached them from the only blind spot on the other side of the central column. Crow watched him curiously because something interesting happened every time these things appeared.

“You may call me Six,” the Clockwork said. “I knew the creator of this place, and he asked me to be the caretaker for these events. It is curious. I experience my life all at once, but I could not see this event until it occurred. I never imagined this would be the last time I need to attend.”

“Why? Did we break something?” Hooligan asked.

“No. Your arrival here has freed me from my obligation. There is only one treasure in this entire realm that I see has any value. Which is the thing I am here to protect. The fates have finally given it a new owner.” Six’s fist tapped against his chest, and a small compartment opened. Taking out a ring, he handed it over to Crow. “I’d put your mark on that immediately. Once claimed, no one will be able to recognize it.”

Crow did as asked and felt a discordant connection with it. His mind could activate it, but it made him a little nauseous. “What is it?”

“The original name isn’t something I can pronounce, but it roughly translates to a pixie information exchange. Everyone knows it as the Pixie Relic—well, not everyone, but the powerful forces do. This isn’t the only relic in existence, but its power is unquestionable.”

“Pixies? Isn’t Wistman’s Woods their home?” Crow asked. He’d heard about them before, but always in conjunction with Wistman’s Woods.

“This isn’t the real Wistman’s Woods, or you’d have been hunted by the Wisht Hounds every night. The original woods are either destroyed or hidden away, and this creation was a way to honor the tradition of that place. It was meant to be a place of learning and wise ones and very sacred to the Droidh.”

“What does this relic do?”

“Ask it for information, and the pixies will provide it.”

“Is this relic a Pixie?”

“Astute, but not exactly correct. Each pixie can create a single Life Bound Relic, which is what you hold. If the pixie dies, that ring becomes a useless bauble. If that relic is destroyed, the pixie dies. Remember, this is an exchange, so nothing comes without cost. To gain knowledge, you must provide it.”

“How am I to provide knowledge? I’m not sure what you mean.”

“The Pixie Relic is now Soul-Linked to you, so both the relic and the Life-Bound pixie know what you do. However, the pixie is bound by Truths to protect your knowledge and will not—no, it cannot share it without your permission.”

“I still don’t get it. How am I supposed to know what questions are out there and what information to provide? More than that, how can I trust any information provided?”

“The relic has a few features. It will protect your Mind, not allowing a single stray thought to escape unless you allow it. No technique in existence can break past the Pixie Mind Barrier, which is why people crave this thing. Next, since it has your knowledge, it obviously knows if you can answer a query submitted to the exchange. Your pixie will open communication with you and ask for your permission. Your contribution will grant you favor and contribution. Favor is like currency for asking questions; without it, your question will never be answered. Contribution is related to your pixie’s status; the more contribution it has, the higher its status.”

“Does status benefit him?” Hooligan asked.

“It does. Forbidden knowledge means his status isn’t high enough to learn it. By the way, asking about the exchange services does not use a favor. The pixie will give you that knowledge for free because they want you to share what you know. They are prideful creatures and value their status like you value Mana Crystals.”

“And the information? How do I know it’s true if this is an exchange? Someone could mislead me.”

“They can’t. Pixies cannot retain knowledge for long. They are very simple-minded, but they have one power that even I find amazing. They can verify the truth of any information. The exchange will never provide false information. They’ll provide whatever information they have if your query cannot be answered.”

“How did they create such a miraculous thing?”

“The Draoidh helped them. After they developed this form of cultivation, they developed the Life Bound Relic to aid in their knowledge and gain status. Even your ancestors never thought the pixies would develop to this point.”

“And the only time I can share knowledge is when there is a query?”

“Yes. Although most questions will come from the pixies themselves—it’ll get noisy for you. Since they cannot retain knowledge for long and are curious creatures, they might even ask for the same knowledge dozens of times. Some think this relic is a blessing, but others might call it a curse. Imagine having a massive school of curious eight-year-old children asking you questions non-stop. You’ll understand why many of those with these relics have bitter smiles plastered on their face.”

“Thank you, Six.”

“No problem. Now, for the legacies… you may not realize it, but all these items are artifacts. The Draoidh aren’t afraid to share their knowledge, and the powerful cultivators have imprinted their most notable techniques. It is a way of sowing karma, and a means to help the young generations. Because you’ve solved all the Shrines, the first to do that since the conception of this place, you may claim eight artifacts each. Nine if you include the one you currently have.”

“We can bring these out of here?” Crow asked.

“You can, but first, you must take them to the floor above and register them. Doing so will take them out of circulation, and whoever you gift it to can bind it and gain permanent access to Sanctuary and Wistman’s Woods.”

“We can visit whenever we want?” Hooligan asked, her eyes shining.

“No. Once a year, for a week only, the permanent access will open, allowing you entry. Miss it, and you’ll need to wait another year. If you don’t leave before the week ends, you’ll be stuck here for a year based on origin time, which is five years here—if the event isn’t active, the time dilation is one to five.”

“We have access to the entire realm?” Crow asked, wondering if they could use the features of Sanctuary.

“You cannot access the Temple of Awen, cafeteria, and the point store will not be unavailable. The Shrines, common area, living quarters, and all the training rooms except the time chamber will be available. Remember that the training area is unavailable if they haven’t opened the Shrines.”

“How will we know when we can teleport here?” Hooligan determined that she’d meet Crow every year.

“The artifact will let you know.”

“Is there nothing else here worthy of our attention?”

“There are some treasures in the outer areas of the temple, but nothing worthy of mentioning. Other than the Pixie Relic, this library is the real treasure trove. Speaking of the artifacts, you may learn the technique too. Take your time and choose wisely because not all of them are as domineering as your Blood Thorn ability.”

Crow already decided he’d find techniques that could accommodate his people. He already had enough of a mess with his current skills and decided he wanted to focus on Druid Circles. He partially used them when fighting the squirrels, and the results were more surprising than he thought. The only issue he could foresee was that he’d need to research terrains and find abilities that corresponded with them to maximize the potential of the circles.

“Now, I’m afraid I must return. My presence here drains the mana powering the formations much faster than normal. I’ll tell my sister you said hello.”

Six didn’t step through a portal but ceased to exist in this realm. The Clockwork’s control of time was unfathomable. It wasn’t the first time Crow experienced it, but it still felt odd watching it happen.

“What sister?” Hooligan asked. “You know that guy?”

“Maybe the woman I mentioned when I told you about the Clocktower trials,” Crow hurriedly explained and tried to change the topic. He wasn’t sure how to explain that she treated him as a lover, but it was something he hadn’t experienced yet. The Clockwork people were bizarre. “Hey! This is a good thing. In a year, we can meet up, and I’ll bring your future family. Let’s grab some legacies.”

“I know you are changing the subject, but I’m more excited about my prize, so I’ll let it slide… for now.”