Over the next few hours, Randidly and Demetrius poured over the calculations he had made for modifying the environment. The pure challenge of streamlining the patterns felt oddly enthralling; Randidly completely lost track of time.

The crux of his plan mainly involved a rotating series of replaceable Scrawl’d pieces of driftwood in the area around Malloon, improving the situation for the entire area. It would involve two circles, one loose circle around everything and another that would be like a hoo-la-hoop if Malloon was the waist. The smaller circle would spin around, connecting a small area around Malloon to the bigger circle to maintain the broader pattern.

Obviously, there were some differences in understanding from the Nether Herald, mostly because of his preconceptions about how Aether and Nether needed to interact as antagonistic forces. As soon as those were cleared up, their speed of refining the massive array increased by almost double. Plus, Demetrius offered up some truths about Nether that really broaden Randidly’s view of the energy.

These were mostly aspects and truths that he had known intuitively and had been using in passing when he made Nether Rituals, but once the different interactions were consciously known, it really expanded the possibilities of incorporating them into his arrangements. In the end, the final result was entirely different from his initial attempt, except for the rotating circle within the larger circle. All the functional pieces were shifted out to create a more sustainable working.

“I had heard of some individuals making attempts to work with both Aether and Nether into patterns, but I considered it largely to be rumor. Or an endeavor doomed to endless frustrations.” Demetrius said as he sat back and looked at the massive diagram they had created together. The lines and connections densely crisscrossed the page. “To see this… perhaps it is not true that Pine has already seen all our attempts to improve our lot.”

Randidly’s lips twitched slightly at the colloquialism, but he didn’t comment. Demetrius continued to speak, pointing to a few points of inflected radiation on the paper, where a collision produced a wave of disruptive force. “I do have one question, however. Why did you include these? I can see the fulcrums shift to stay in the area around the farm, but what purpose do they accomplish?”

“Ah, those aren’t really about any particular pattern. They are about the farming.” Randidly glanced upward, very purposefully keeping his gaze away from the relatively mild Pine of the past so he didn’t trigger another demanding grope from the Pine in the present. “Pine being up there releases a lot of image fragments and chunks of significance that fall with just as much frequency as the rain. Our bodies naturally annihilate them, but they can lodge themselves in vegetables. Small things, but those flaws and conflicting half-ideas can create an inferior product. These bursts are to disrupt and disintegrate those image fragments. Of course, I’ll do some of my own sweeps, but the more refinements, the better the result will be. This will run interference on anything falling down here in the first place.”

“Fascinating,” Demetrius tilted his head to the side. “You… I mean no disrespect, but you know quite a bit about farming for a Nether King. I would not have expected it. Most Nether Kings are primarily concerned with either war or their own particular significance.”

Randidly grinned. “I don’t mind, it’s true. Farming is actually… one of the first things I remember about the System. It helped me adjust during a very difficult time. And truth be told, I’m not like most other Nether Kings I’ve encountered.”

He organized the papers with some quick movements and stored them away. Jotem burst through the front door of the farm, a fussing cloud of officious motion. He quickly floated across the yard to a strange, squat waist-high stone pillar Randidly had noted while he revamped the farm but had left be, due to the presence of some Engravings on it.

Jotem produced five cream-colored letter envelopes with a flourish. Then he began to fiddle with some of the symbols on the side. The stone pillar activated with a clicking, sizzling hum. Small sparks of discharge expended themselves in the air around the pillar. Randidly looked up, a small frown coming across his face; the horrible static from this thing was throwing off the delicate balance that gave them a sunny day without any rain.

“Just wait, Jotem,” He said, walking forward and waving a hand to cut off the Engraving’s power supply before it could ruin the balance further. The half Origin-Beast looked at Randidly in shock but remained silent as Randidly began to draw lines of Mana with his fingers. He grimaced as he examined the innards of the pillar; it used the same horribly inefficient energy transfer system that Padraic had, in the other memory. Apparently, shitty energy transference was just part of the Second Cohort.

Well, I’m being harsh, Randidly quickly corrected the interior of the pillar, improving its performance so it wouldn’t destabilize the weather. His Mana gleamed after the sharp strokes of his finger. I’ve the benefit of five more Cohorts worth of development of Engraving. And energy transference is definitely one of the thornier issues.

As he finished and took a step back, Randidly squinted at the pillar to examine its other Engravings. “This thing… is connected to some sort of network?”

“By an almost impossible miracle, this totem generates instant transference of letters across a vast distance. So long as the recipient’s totem identification is known.” Jotem placed the first letter on top, pressed a few buttons to activate it, paused very obviously and squinted to see if it really was working, then pressed a final symbol. With a small breath of wind, the letter vanished.

Randidly had to admit he was impressed.

Jotem floated around the small pillar, seeming to marvel that his alterations hadn’t caused the pillar to combust. “Remarkable. Nether King, even this you are capable of improving? My greatest luck was encountering you on that rainy night. Ah, to think of my resolve now, so brave in the face of vicious death-”

I don’t quite remember it quite like that. Didn’t you try to poison me? Randidly rolled his eyes. After Jotem finished his flowery speech of thanks and sent his letters, he went back inside the house. Then Randidly turned to Demetrius. “Anyway, I need to start a few other things around the farm before I set up the array. But before that, I’d like to speak with you.”

“Ah, yes. You have not been to Wyndaos, yes? Yet you are a Nether King. It is no wonder you have many questions,” Demetrius’s eyes became bright, even while his mouth stilled. “You begin to make more sense to me. Truly, you must have gone through such an ordeal to condense a Nether Core on your own… and such a powerful, dense one at that. I’ve never seen its like. I will gladly answer your questions, but I do have one thought… I know I have no right to ask you a favor, but please, humor an old man who long since outgrew his pride.”

Randidly scratched his chin and shrugged his shoulders; there was no harm in hearing Demetrius out. What he didn’t expect was for the old man to get down on his hands and knees. He pleaded in a very straightforward manner. “Please… my grandson Bogart is going to ask something of you. When he does, acquiesce. At least think about it.”

Frowning, Randidly said. “Your request is that I agree to his request? Do you know-”

He stopped himself. He looked at the significance swirling around the entire farm, Randidly’s presence making a veritable whirlpool of meaning in the memory, gathering these individuals and keeping them alive. The Nether Herald probably read the significance before Randidly had even noticed it. The answer was there, within the patterns. “...he’s going to ask me to teach him to fight.”

“Indeed.” The Nether Herald pressed his forehead to the ground. “He desires power, more than anything else. He has… watched me suffer for far, far too long. And you have very obviously overwhelmed him in terms of capability. You are a Nether King, although you do not possess a Penance. He could grow under your tutelage.”

Randidly chewed on his lip. “I don’t take such a thing lightly. But I’ll think about it. But now, I’d like some basic information. First, about the territories. Where Malloon sits within the Aether area, how far away the Nether Territories are, etc.”

Demetrius slowly stood. “You truly… hah. Your questions are much easier than I expected. Here, I have a map. Malloon is along the edges of the Aether territories, but its size and power have deterred any advancement. There are a few smaller settlements, but this is Aether’s seat of power near the land of Nether.”

He produced a map and Randidly examined it quickly. Blue for Nether-controlled areas, orange for Aether. Two-thirds of the map was Nether, with a few stacked triangles of land in the bottom right corner belonging to Aether. Randidly found Malloon along the Southwest portion of the Aether territories. He scanned the map but did not see Wyndaos anywhere. Which he supposed made sense, because it was a moving fortress.

He was about to give the map back, but something gave him pause. There, in the Northern portion, the Northernmost tip of the Aether territory, he found the name Tatem. The location of the first memory.

He thought about the small Padraic and the innocent version of Devick, sold by her father to save the town. He hoped those memory versions of them had faired well, cut off in their alternate dream.

After a moment where his heart squeezed with nostalgia, he handed the map back. “Can you tell me about the treaty between Aether and Nether? The one that requires me to wear these robes and to represent my affiliations.”

“Hum, I know a little. I believe it started about five years ago. One of the councilmembers of this very city, Faelmac Westrisser had enough of the constant raids from the Nether around Malloon’s territory. He gathered up a force and crusaded out here, to Uwittin.” Demetrius indicated a city on the map within the Nether territories. His expression grew heavy. “What happened there… is a matter of great debate. He and his army claim the entire city resisted. Which seems… unlucky. What is not disputed is that not a single Nether soul survived. The bodies were left hacked to pieces… because of the chaos of battle, they say. Westrisser had no choice.”

Randidly also stilled. He could feel the chilling emotions that Demetrius released. He had clearly lost someone in the battle.

The old man’s mouth worked silently for several seconds, revving up to handle words again. “Ahem, anyway, the other Nether Kings were furious, but it also made them finally acknowledge the power of Aether forces. They entered into a treaty, essentially outlawing the wholesale slaughter that occurred in Uwittin, on both sides. As a counterdemand, the Aether forces brought up the issue of robes. Considering it petty and easily done, the Nether Kings agreed.

“Yet since then, it gradually became apparent that the robes were not about Nether at all; it allowed the established powers and races to crack down on independent forces within Aether territory. The upcoming trial of the man Elhume is also related to this.” Demetrius pointed to the Northern portion of the Aether territories, including Tatem. “This area has recently started allowing individuals to walk around without robes. Malloon and its allies claim this endangers the treating, hence a reckoning is necessary. The Fistmaster comes as their representative.”

Randidly allowed air to hiss through his teeth. He tried to find the pieces he was looking for, to understand how this past would lead to a tumultuous end to the Second Cohort. “And… well, forgive me for being blunt. But do the Nether forces hold a grudge for Uwittin? Do you believe… that a massive invasion is coming?”

Demetrius sighed. “It is somewhat embarrassing to admit… but no. For all the horror of the aftermath, Westrisser did slaughter the entire city, which was ruled by only the one Nether King. The other Nether Kings of similar power might feel threatened by this, but they do not have a vendetta against the Aether. They are too concerned about their rivalries amongst each other. Which, I think, is the reason why there hasn’t been any massive war between the two forces; both are more concerned with infighting.”

Randidly nodded slowly, but his mind raced. Then… why am I here? Why did Elhume want to dream of the past differently? Is something massive about to happen to trigger the war? Or is this more about that monster that needed to be put down with the Hierarchy of Karma?

He filed those thoughts away and released a breath. “Alright, I have one more question for now, although it might sound strange. What is it that Nether Gatekeepers guard?”

Demetrius released a dark chuckle. “Ah. So you do know some things about your people, Nether King Hungry Eye. You just haven’t seen it for yourself.”