The Mystery

A spirit guide present, the same one that escorted them in, ushered them away from the main tent to a small tent on the outskirts of the camp. Nayra wasn’t sure why they were even staying. The Grand Spirit didn’t seem like it was eager to help. Though, she would wait and see what Ryun had to say. The two of them ducked inside and she was relieved to find that it was mostly furnished with soft blankets and pillows strewn over its circular flooring, which seemed almost too nice for such a place in comparison to what else surrounded them around this war camp. She had feared that they would find inside would be more suitable for spirits.

“You may move freely through the camp and the battlefields,” the spirit said. “If you decide to test yourself on the fields, know that death is not what we seek here,” it leaned down so that it was almost on a level with them, then continued. “Though accidents do happen. And you chosen are all so very vulnerable in our realm.”

With that, he turned around and left. Nayra wondered for a moment if that was a threat or just a friendly warning. She honestly couldn’t tell, the spirit’s tone of voice gave little away. She shook her head and glanced at Ryun who had walked to a corner and taken a seat on the ground with his legs crossed.

“So,” she started. “What do we do?”

Ryun didn’t answer immediately, instead she felt his Qi spread around the inside of their tent. Suddenly, all sounds coming from the outside fell away as he used one of his techniques {Field of Twilight’s Calm}. Then he turned his eyes on her.

“Well,” he started. “I think that we should take the Grand Spirit’s offer, and explore the camp, see if some of these spirits can help us.”

Nayra frowned. “I doubt it.”

“Don’t discount what you can learn here. I am sure that we could find a spirit of Death or two around here somewhere.”

Nayra opened her mouth, then closed it. That would be... interesting actually, she had to admit. If she could talk with a spirit of Death, she could learn a lot. Maybe even something that would help her understand her own power more.

“And what about you?” Nayra asked.

They had come to this place in order for all of them to gain power, after all.

“I would very much like to take a look at those forges we saw,” Ryun answered.

Nayra narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you not telling me?”

“How do you know that there is anything not to tell?” He smiled.

“You let the Grand Spirit just send us away for one,” Nayra told him. “I never knew you to be that patient, or just letting others brush you aside.”

Ryun smiled, and then he told her.

“So, how do you plan on finding out what is really happening when you, you know?” Nayra said as the two of them walked through the camp.

Ryun grimaced, he did know. She was referring to him not being able to use the full breadth of his skill to sense everything around him, which limited his information gathering by a significant margin. Sadly, the only place in the camp that seemed to be fixed in place was the main tent. Already they had experienced some Ethereal Realm nonsense. He was pretty sure that the tents have swapped places. They’ve been looking for the smiths area for the past hour.

“Keep your eyes and ears open,” was what he answered her with.

He didn’t exactly know how they would find that out, nor, if he was being honest with himself was he really in much of a rush to find out. The fact that the Grand Spirit of War was planning something, that she had gathered so many spirits and even shades here, wasn’t that important to him. What he was here for had little to do with that. Increasing his power was what mattered at the end of the day. Either he would secure an ally that would join its strength with his against the yeti, or he would learn something to help him advance.

Finally, Ryun perked up as he saw a lot of fire-related Essence in the distance, and a moment later Nayra confirmed to him that it was indeed the forge tents area.

They made their way over.

As Ryun approached, he was immediately enthralled by the craft of the spirits. Some work was done by a single spirit, in a mock image of a smith from the Real Realm. Other work was being accomplished in ways that Ryun could barely follow, with several spirits working in unison.

The weapons and armor being crafted was, likewise, as strange as could be. In most cases, the material seemed to be just Ethereal Essence, somehow drawn out of the world and given shape and form that mimicked other Essence. In other cases it was as if the spirits were actively giving a part of their own being to create something.

Ryun approached a forge where a stocky spirit of some kind of metal related Essence, with seven arms, worked on a piece of armor. The spirit shaped liquid Essence taken from his chest into the shapes he wished and forced them to become physical through will alone.

It was fascinating, and as Ryun kept his eyes and sense on it, he felt like he could almost grasp what was being done. It felt eerily similar to what he and Selia did when they gave a piece of their soul to create a spiritual tool.

Another spirit walked up, and Ryun turned his eyes to see a mirror image of the smith spirit, come to stand next to him. Its eyes were glowing crystals in its head, and its body silvery in appearance.

“You are interested in the smith art of the great Ank’alui Clan?” The spirit asked.

“It is very intriguing,” Ryun answered. “We don’t do things quite like this in the Real Realm.”

“A chosen, here? And a smith at that? This is a surprise,” the spirit said.

“Why is that?” Ryun asked.

“I have never seen your kind before,” the spirit leaned down to take a closer look at Ryun. “Though, I was told that you are a lot more... fleshy. You feel like you are made of a different Essence.”

Ryun didn’t respond to that, instead he introduced himself. “I am Ryun Nacht.”

The spirit looked at him then seemed to realize that he was expecting its name. “Ah, I’ve heard of this! Names you call it, yes? This one would be Eager Smith in your ways.”

Ryun blinked. “You don’t have names?”

“Some do, those who are great spirits,” the spirit said.

Ryun nodded, storing that information. Then he pointed next to him. “This is Nayra Ornn-Dagda.”

The spirit turned its eyes to her, then spoke again. “This one is more like the stories I’ve heard told in my clan. All squishy and filled with meat parts.”

The spirit reached out with a hand to poke her. Narya frowned and slapped the spirit’s hand away.

“We don’t like being touched,” Ryun told him.

The spirit tilted its head, then shrugged. “I’ve always wondered. How do you chosen create more of you?” The spirit asked.

Ryun frowned. “What do you mean?”

“How do you draw the spark to create more of your kind? It must be really hard with all those fleshy parts, how do you know what you can take?”

Ryun blinked as he realized what the spirit was asking. He also realized that he didn’t exactly know how spirits reproduced.

“How do you do it?” Ryun asked.

The spirit pointed at the smith. “A spirit is born through a gift of a spark, then given shape and form by will of its creator.”

Ryun looked back at the smith, pulling Essence out of its own chest. “That is a new spirit being born?”

“Just a lowly armor spirit,” he answered. “Giving birth to someone like me takes a lot more effort.”

Ryun tilted his head, a few ideas coming into his head.

“Perhaps you would consent to a conversation with the clan master?” The Spirit asked. “I am sure that he will enjoy learning how chosen smiths work their craft.”

Ryun inclined his head. “It would be my honor.”

“You are staying in the camp? Yes? I shall send for you once the clan master is free. We have a quota to fulfill.”

Ryun glanced around the forges. “I can see that. You are preparing for war?”

The spirit laughed. “We are in the domain of War, we are always preparing for war.”

Ryun opened his mouth to ask another question, when something hit his leg. He looked down to see a small spirit.

It had tan fur, mossy eyes, and it was clinging to his leg.

The small woodland spirit looked up at Ryun apologetically and bowed its head in apology, “I’m so sorry for running into you Great One!”

Ryun blinked. “It is of no concern.”

“Shoo, shoo, pest!” The smith spirit waved its hands at it. “You shouldn’t be at the forges! What if you catch on fire?”

“No, no, no, I must make amends,” the small spirit said, its eyes looking up at Ryun. It put its hand into its coat and pulled out something, then it then proceeded to offer it to Ryun. He glanced down and saw a wooden cube no bigger than the palm of his hand.

“There is no need,” Ryun said to the small spirit.

The spirit shook its head furiously. “You must take it!” It seemed on the verge of tears. Enough so that Ryun decided that he didn’t want to see what would follow if he refused again. He reached down and took the cube. It was completely smooth to his touch, and appeared to be made out of pure Wood Essence to his eyes.

“Get away from here, little pest!” The smith said and the little spirit hurried away. “Apologies, the sprites are a nuisance. They never pledge to any cause, but you can always find them where they aren’t welcome. I guess that is why many often use them as messengers. They can get anywhere.”

“Pledge to a cause?” Ryun asked.

The spirit nodded. “That is the way of a spirit’s life. Of us who are not great enough to hold our own domains at least. We pledge to the spirits greater than us, fulfilling the terms of the cause before moving on to join another. It is how we grow in power, by getting a piece of spark from the one we serve.”

Ryun realized just how little he knew about the way spirits lived their lives.

“Well, I must return to work, I shall send for you once the clam master is free,” the spirit said, and Ryun nodded.

With one last look at the forge, he turned and they walked away.

“Well, that was interesting,” Nayra said. “At least you’ll get to learn more about smithing. Not that I see how that will help you get more power.”

“You shouldn’t discount it. The more I know, the more powerful things I can create,” Ryun said as he walked and looked down at the wooden cube in his hand. “You do want a spiritual tool of your own?”

“Right, right,” she said, conceding the point.

Ryun suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes focused on the cube.

“What is it?” Nayra asked when she noticed.

Ryun had used his sense on the cube, more out of habit than anything else. Which was why he was very surprised to find that it was actually hollow. And that suspended inside of it was another cube, this one with writing on it.

“It looks like we have a meeting to get to,” Ryun answered.

The message that Ryun got was a simple instruction on how to reach a small glade outside of the valley of battlefields. Nayra wasn’t sure if it was smart for them to go, but had eventually agreed. The two of them made their way out of camp, trying as best as they could to make sure that they weren’t followed. Though, it didn’t seem like it was any concern, the spirits weren’t that interested in them. They were a curiosity it seemed, but not an important one.

They reached the meeting place written in the wooden box quickly enough. The glade was surrounded by tall and vibrant trees. It was an oasis of Life Essence and an island of calm in a sea of violence in the valley down below. It was occupied by a single spirit, the one that had run into Ryun and given him the box in the first place.

It startled when it saw them, then stood up from the rock it was sitting on. “You are here! Already!”

“Your message said to come,” Ryun said and Nayra kept her eyes on their surrounding, making sure that there was no ambush.

“Not my message, only a messenger,” the spirit said, its eyes darting back and forth in panic. “You weren’t supposed to be this fast, how did you solve the puzzle so quickly?”

“Puzzle?” Ryun asked, then glanced back at the box, he seemed to be looking at it intensely for a few seconds, then his expression changed into surprise. “Right, that puzzle.”

Nayra snorted next to him. He rounded on her and she turned away, trying to pretend like she wasn’t trying to hold back laughter. It was like him to miss something like that and just get straight to the source.

“Anyways, we are here now,” Ryun said after.

The spirit fidgeted, then spoke. “But they are not here! I need to go get them!”

“They?” Ryun asked, but before he even finished the question, the spirit winked out of existence. Ryun frowned, then exchanged a look with Nayra. “Get ready. We don’t know who this is.”

She equipped her armor and pulled out her shield and spear. Ryun pulled out his scepter and she felt him prepare his techniques. Nayra spread a thin layer of her aura through the glade, increasing the temperature and allowing Ryun to see better.

They didn’t have to wait for long. Suddenly, Nayra’s aura was pushed back in a small area ahead of them, in the shadow behind a few trees. Something had arrived.

“Show yourself,” Ryun called out.

Two beings walked out of the shadows, allowing her to see them clearly.

One was a big bird covered in white and black feathers that seemed like they would be as soft as clouds. The bird’s feathers were not simple white and black, but a mixture of each, like waves cresting with foam. Its neck seemed to be only a couple of inches thick and was long enough to reach from Nayra’s shoulders to well beyond her head. The bird’s head had a narrow beak and a grand crest made up of many feathers. It eyes though spoke of great intelligence. There was something about it that called to Nayra, something that made her feel kinship with the spirit.

The second spirit was a hunched figure swathed in a cloak of silvery moonlight. The cloak’s material sparkled and glowed softly as the being turned to look at her. Its great shoulders were draped with strands of shimmering silver that resembled spider silk.

“Greetings, chosen,” the bird whispered.

Nayra was certain that these two were Grand Spirits, they had the same aura about them that War had.

“Greetings,” Ryun returned. “Transition and Mysteries, I presume?”

The two spirits exchanged looks, then turned back to look at them. “You know of us? This is unexpected.”

“We’ve come to the Ethereal Realm in search of you,” Ryun said. “The Explorer’s Soul has told us that you are opposed to the yeti. We’ve come seeking aid against him.”

The spirits looked at each other once again, then the cloaked spirit spoke. It’s voice deep and filled with meaning that couldn’t be understood.

“This is both fortunate, and not. When we heard that new chosen had arrived at the camp, we hurried to set up a meeting. But now... it seems like the Ethereal weaves its mysteries closer than ever.”

Nayra didn’t know what that meant, but the spirit fell silent for a few seconds before continuing.

“Regardless, our purpose still stands.”

The bird spirit, the Grand Spirit of Transition stepped forward. “We are in need of aid, and a chosen is the only one that can help us. Will you hear our words?”

Ryun glanced at Nayra, his eyes narrowing in a way that showed interest. But there was also a gleam of something very Ryun-like. The way he got when he could see the violence coming ahead.

“We will listen,” Ryun answered, and Nayra rolled her shoulders.

It looked like there were challenges ahead.