Chapter 229: 229
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The young mage said, "I wouldn't know why. They are alive because of me. Well, I may have played a little loose and dirty with the world will but it was playing dirty first... You know what? I'll take half responsibility."
They looked at him like he'd lost his mind.
Orison smirked. "The southern half... Hahaha!"
He stopped laughing once he realized that a softly building debt to the world will began accumulating. He tried to 'take it back' but the world will wasn't having it. He discovered the hard way that since he had finished opening the can of worms on playing 'big boy games', his existence was measured against 'big entity' rules. He expressed willingness to accept 'responsibility' and the world will agreed.
***
Down in the 'south'. The ravaged remnants of the undead empire had gathered together to shore up a defense. The enemies they had in the 'path beneath the mountains' to the east would waste no time claiming the land for their own the moment they discovered their undead foes had been reduced in prowess.
Left with little option, the remaining powerhouses had called upon a ritual that would cede some land rights to devilish sponsors. Sensing an opportunity to build a launch pad for planar conquest since the 'shining wall' had weakened tremendously, a few ambitious devils had agreed to the bargain. They weren't foolish.
The devils of some experience had dealt with and been dealt blows by the world will and its servants in the past. Unlike the forces of 'good', they never rested and constantly sought out new opportunities to take advantage of. And in the aftermath of whatever event had taken place, the world will had many areas of questionable stability to keep its eyes on.
***
The demonic forces that dwelt within the deepest parts of the world weren't slackers either. Some roved eastward but some of the older and more seasoned creatures of the abyss turned their gaze westward towards old rivals. The most powerful of their servants sensed well but nearly impossible to completely hide hidden ripples that carried the flavor of a Hellish will.
Worried that rivals in 'evil' were about to claim an easy oyster out from under their noses, a disorganized army of demon devotees and whatever abyssal presences could be smuggled into the material world, speed marched to claim stakes ahead of schedule and stop the devils from gaining a foothold on their 'back porch'. Driven to induced madness by the faint 'scent' of Hellish will, their demonic superiors and the servants who fueled their visit ignored the faint dagger smiles and predatory gazes of various other denizens of the deep paths.
***
Feeling assured of its accomplishment in ending whatever irritants that had stirred it. The power settled back down to wait for the dim day when 'The End' was beckoned in earnest. A sideways and slightly bar shaped hourglass eye the size of a football stadium took one last blurry look at its murky surroundings before closing once more.
***
"They're doing all that just to drop like flys. Now how does that make any sense?" Cray asked as he watched another druid wither into premature decrepitude and collapse.
Orison replied flippantly on the surface while deeply worried underneath, "They're probably going for one huge gesture of destruction rather than wearing themselves out on an endless barrage of smaller ones. It makes me happier because a war of attrition, we'd lose but this barrier was designed to withstand powerful short term shows of force."
An hour after the last one fell, they had somewhat started to relax since nothing had happened. The arrival of the oak leaf druid lady with an army of animals carrying different seeds made everyone's scalp tingle but she just arrayed her army of nature in a tight, fanning cluster on the northeastern side of their barrier and waited. Seeing that she had erected an earthen wall in front of her as her eyes looked upward and to the southeast, they did the same.
Nothing happened for a while but the sky took on a weird grayish tint, making it look somewhat stormy despite a lack of clouds. Moments later, the nearly invisible mist high in the air suddenly bunched as if someone had snagged and tripped over a side of rug, forming funky ripples of spontaneously formed clouds. For as dread inducing as that was, all that seemed to reach them of the odd event was a handful of back to back straight winds Orison guessed were nearly as strong as hurricane force could generate but nothing beyond.
Tree tops lashed and writhed as limbs were broken off and hurled into the distance. But it calmed down so quickly after that, aside from the few that landed on or near them, there was little evidence that anything out of the ordinary had happened. The oak leaf lady's actions were just beginning.
For the next few minutes, she built a few earthen walls and raised the whole land that the barrier sat on, knocking it loose. She looked perplexed when she noticed that instead of 'rolling away', they were slightly suspended in air, immobile. After that, they couldn't see what she was up to because a part of the new mound above and behind them blocked their view.
Orison was momentarily distracted from the goings on around him as the alarmingly mounting debt to the world will suddenly started plummeting. It reversed completely before the world will caught on and finally 'accepted' the young mage's request to no longer be responsible for whatever was happening down south. Orison was enraged by the world will's sudden cut-and-run but he reasoned, it was best to never again take 'responsibility' for something like that.
Fearing that the intelligent force of the world would find some new way to screw him over through his friends, he 'spent' the debt he managed to hold over the will's head to extend the same preferential 'cold shoulder but no hostility' treatment he had to his little group. It wasn't quite enough but the gag orders they got made up the tiny difference.
"That's it. I'm done playing debt games with the whole world. That is, no doubt, very dumb for a shrimp soldier person. And as much as I'd like to believe otherwise, that's what I am. Should be getting that crab general promotion soon, though," he thought.
Heath's sudden shriek got his attention. While the boy huddled protectively around the hazelnut tree, a creeping muddy brown filtered through the treeline in the west. It looked ridiculously slow at first but as it moved closer, it was apparent that it was moving quite fast. For the next four hours, they were plunged into darkness. As the barrier kicked into a higher protective mode, its energy reserves were burning fast.
That wasn't the only problem. The barrier was meant to allow an exchange of fresh air and that was slowly allowing muddy water to filter in and build up around the outer edges. Burning the crystal matrix's power source til less than a third was left, Orison built an embankment in a generous circle around their barracks. By the time a spot of dim light was visible at the top of the barrier, the muddy water was only a few inches shy of the embankment's lip and the ground within was a little squishy.
Once the water had drained away enough for them to survey their surroundings, Cray looked at the nearly uniform muddy brown coating everything and said, "This place got done in every way it can, just about."
Standing outside their field, the oak leaf lady had made the trek back after depositing her wild compatriots in a safe place to weather out the winter. "Can you hear me?"
Orison nodded. "After everything that happened, to maintain the most essential functions, the barrier had to abandon certain features in favor of others."
She did some kind of minor nature magic and said, "We're going to have unseasonably mild conditions for a few days before the mother of all blizzards hits this place. You can take that time to travel south and escape the worst of it or I can show you a cave system that has been flushed of inhabitants save for deeper in. A large colony of northern bats makes their home there."
After some discussion, the group decided to head for the cave. It wasn't an easy choice. The oak lady's motivations were unclear. And in the aftermath of the other druids' attempts, she wasn't overly trustworthy. Sadly, the alternative was much worse. Farther south, the situation was deadly and even more unclear. Left with little choice and less idea of what to do next, the group abandoned their failing barrier shelter and followed the druid.
"Why the difference in attitude to the rest that were obviously trying to kill us?" Orison said as they traveled.
She smirked and replied, "You... Trying to kill you. Your companions would have had... difficulties but there was a decent chance of the boy and his sapling surviving."
He stared at her silently.
Her face returned to a peaceful neutral. "Whether you are aware or not, simple actions may have monumental impacts. It doesn't change that your act was a simple one and it's hardly your fault that there was a flaw in the world. In the long run, many who have been forced into unnatural paths to suit the flaw rather than fixing it, will be released to find balance and harmony again.
"On a more personal note, I will be compelled to remain here for many years attempting to restore nature to a semblance of balance. I find myself not quite ready to embrace such solitude. With the few fellows I may have had throwing their lives away on meaningless endeavors, I have little remaining outside of the wildlife to ease it."
Thinking it over, Orison said, "Hazel needs a permanent home. We can't keep carting her around for much longer before the enriched soil bundled around her sapling's roots won't be able to help ease the shock of transplanting."
She replied, "And where she goes, the boy will want to follow."
"I have a feeling that our road forward is going to be bumpy. Maybe, instead of trying to get Heath to adjust to being a human, perhaps the better path might be to release him into the care of someone who could turn his attunement to nature into an advantage," Orison said.
The oak leaf lady shook her head. "He is not attuned to nature. There is much inside him and around him that would make such a path difficult. Do not let his appearance fool you. Your boy is only one in appearance and has over a century of life experiences within him. His attachment with the renewed dryad is a temporary one as well.
"Once she is strong enough to awaken, she will not be the one he knew that was like a mother to him. He would be little more than a potential future mate. No, he should be reassured that she is in a safe place and made to let go. Help him move on before attachments root him to a place that will only cause him misery and loneliness that he will have difficulty understanding.
"Now, the one you call Edos has that potential. Not so much to be a steward of nature but a guardian of it. You have ruined Cray from such potential but not beyond what could be recovered over time. Do you think it too forward of me that I fully intend to seduce one of them away from your side?"
Anything that the speechless young mage might have had to say on the issue was tabled as Edos came bounding up.
"You like me and see me as a potential mate? Will you have my babies?" the man said with a lopsided grin.
Now that it was her turn to be speechless, Orison resisted the urge to laugh and said with a saintly smile, "Just about everyone in my group has incredibly acute hearing. 'Seduce' is a pretty powerful word."
Edos added, "Do you want me to show off for you? What do you like? Should I dance or beat up another male? I don't know a lot about how two leggers do things but I would be happy to learn."
Edgy brooder, Stefen, was eating up her discomfort like it was a dessert but surprisingly came to her rescue anyway. "I'm sure you would but you're being too eager. Desperation is unattractive."
The dragon blooded man turned the full intensity of his purple eyes on her and said, "Is what he said true or is he trying to lure me away so that he can mate with you?"
The druid and Stefen shot each other a look of loathing just shy of openly hostile. "I'd rather submit myself to the affections of a fury fresh from Hell." "I'd let this forest burn to the ground first."
Edos moved to stand between them and spread his arms wide as he whipped to glare at Stefen. "She didn't say your name. My only rival is 'ruined' Cray. No flirting!"
The archer, who'd been lost in his own thoughts til that moment, Looked over at the commotion and was about to comment on being called 'ruined' when Heath gently set down Hazel and gestured for the book of drawings. The boy pointed between the druid and Edos before pointing at a drawing in the book.
Sagely, Heath said, "Bay-bee."
Satisfied that he'd caught the confused Cray up to speed, he just as gently picked up the hazel tree sapling and waited for everyone to start moving again.
After a few more moments of awkward humor and annoyance, they were gaining ground to the cave again. In an effort to not appear 'desperate', Edos kept a measured but relatively near distance from the druid. He would occasionally shift down wind and smell the air before quickly attempting to put himself between her and everyone else except Orison. The young mage was tempted to ask why he was an exception but he strongly believed the answer might upset him.
Underneath the amusement and annoyance that helped to make the trip a little less bland, Orison sensed an undercurrent of potential tragedy. During a break, he approached Edos. The dragon blooded man was gazing intently at the silent and pensive druid who was trying her best not to become unnerved or show signs of 'running'. As an observer of nature, she was well aware of what the potential outcomes of such an event might be.
"We need to talk, Edos," the young mage said.
Purple eyes shifted their gaze at him for a brief moment before returning to their main target. "I don't know what we need to talk about. So, you'll have to tell me."
Pauses to lend weight to what was about to be said were lost on the man.
Orison took a steadying breath and said, "Listen to everything I have to say before reacting to it, alright? I have more than one piece of information to share."
The man nodded and agreed.
The young mage said, "Human females don't NEED to be in... Do you know what estrus is?... They don't need to be in... heat to be fertile. BUT... an unreceptive female, one that is fearful or in distress isn't particularly fertile either.
"She didn't SPECIFICALLY mean that she was ready to mate with anyone when she said that she wanted to 'seduce' you or Cray away. It'll be an option at some point, I'm sure... HOWEVER, she meant that she didn't want to be left here alone.
"It may not be the case with all human women but she's a druid. She has the ability to make sure she won't have babies if she doesn't want to. If you force yourself on her, mate with her against her will, she WON'T have your babies, Edos. She also won't like you anymore and will find another mate if she can."
The dragon blooded man grew thoughtful. "I believe that I'm strong enough to keep her but not having my babies is bad."
Orison pushed down the cold sweat that was trying to form. "If you are able to be patient and take the time to learn the little things that make her happy and show interest in them for her sake, she will be more receptive to having your babies, I think. She'll also be far less likely to look for or even want to find another mate if you'll let her accept you on her terms."
He had the man's full attention as Edos asked, "Humans have long mating rituals?"
Orison said, "Sometimes. Sometimes it's very fast. Women tend to take longer finding a mate to have babies with than ones to have fun with."
Pleasantly surprised, Edos said, "Humans mate for fun!? That's exciting!... Oh, do human females have to eat their mates to have healthy babies?"
Resisting the urge to flatly deny, the young mage said, "Assuming they have everything they need from other food, no."
Seeing that Orison didn't have any more pearls of wisdom to share, Edos rushed over to confirm what he'd been told with the druid. The young mage didn't have the keen hearing that some of his companions had. But judging by the gradual ease of tension around her and the nervous laughter that turned into a few genuine ones, he'd accomplished his goal.
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The young mage said, "I wouldn't know why. They are alive because of me. Well, I may have played a little loose and dirty with the world will but it was playing dirty first... You know what? I'll take half responsibility."
They looked at him like he'd lost his mind.
Orison smirked. "The southern half... Hahaha!"
He stopped laughing once he realized that a softly building debt to the world will began accumulating. He tried to 'take it back' but the world will wasn't having it. He discovered the hard way that since he had finished opening the can of worms on playing 'big boy games', his existence was measured against 'big entity' rules. He expressed willingness to accept 'responsibility' and the world will agreed.
***
Down in the 'south'. The ravaged remnants of the undead empire had gathered together to shore up a defense. The enemies they had in the 'path beneath the mountains' to the east would waste no time claiming the land for their own the moment they discovered their undead foes had been reduced in prowess.
Left with little option, the remaining powerhouses had called upon a ritual that would cede some land rights to devilish sponsors. Sensing an opportunity to build a launch pad for planar conquest since the 'shining wall' had weakened tremendously, a few ambitious devils had agreed to the bargain. They weren't foolish.
The devils of some experience had dealt with and been dealt blows by the world will and its servants in the past. Unlike the forces of 'good', they never rested and constantly sought out new opportunities to take advantage of. And in the aftermath of whatever event had taken place, the world will had many areas of questionable stability to keep its eyes on.
***
The demonic forces that dwelt within the deepest parts of the world weren't slackers either. Some roved eastward but some of the older and more seasoned creatures of the abyss turned their gaze westward towards old rivals. The most powerful of their servants sensed well but nearly impossible to completely hide hidden ripples that carried the flavor of a Hellish will.
Worried that rivals in 'evil' were about to claim an easy oyster out from under their noses, a disorganized army of demon devotees and whatever abyssal presences could be smuggled into the material world, speed marched to claim stakes ahead of schedule and stop the devils from gaining a foothold on their 'back porch'. Driven to induced madness by the faint 'scent' of Hellish will, their demonic superiors and the servants who fueled their visit ignored the faint dagger smiles and predatory gazes of various other denizens of the deep paths.
***
Feeling assured of its accomplishment in ending whatever irritants that had stirred it. The power settled back down to wait for the dim day when 'The End' was beckoned in earnest. A sideways and slightly bar shaped hourglass eye the size of a football stadium took one last blurry look at its murky surroundings before closing once more.
***
"They're doing all that just to drop like flys. Now how does that make any sense?" Cray asked as he watched another druid wither into premature decrepitude and collapse.
Orison replied flippantly on the surface while deeply worried underneath, "They're probably going for one huge gesture of destruction rather than wearing themselves out on an endless barrage of smaller ones. It makes me happier because a war of attrition, we'd lose but this barrier was designed to withstand powerful short term shows of force."
An hour after the last one fell, they had somewhat started to relax since nothing had happened. The arrival of the oak leaf druid lady with an army of animals carrying different seeds made everyone's scalp tingle but she just arrayed her army of nature in a tight, fanning cluster on the northeastern side of their barrier and waited. Seeing that she had erected an earthen wall in front of her as her eyes looked upward and to the southeast, they did the same.
Nothing happened for a while but the sky took on a weird grayish tint, making it look somewhat stormy despite a lack of clouds. Moments later, the nearly invisible mist high in the air suddenly bunched as if someone had snagged and tripped over a side of rug, forming funky ripples of spontaneously formed clouds. For as dread inducing as that was, all that seemed to reach them of the odd event was a handful of back to back straight winds Orison guessed were nearly as strong as hurricane force could generate but nothing beyond.
Tree tops lashed and writhed as limbs were broken off and hurled into the distance. But it calmed down so quickly after that, aside from the few that landed on or near them, there was little evidence that anything out of the ordinary had happened. The oak leaf lady's actions were just beginning.
For the next few minutes, she built a few earthen walls and raised the whole land that the barrier sat on, knocking it loose. She looked perplexed when she noticed that instead of 'rolling away', they were slightly suspended in air, immobile. After that, they couldn't see what she was up to because a part of the new mound above and behind them blocked their view.
Orison was momentarily distracted from the goings on around him as the alarmingly mounting debt to the world will suddenly started plummeting. It reversed completely before the world will caught on and finally 'accepted' the young mage's request to no longer be responsible for whatever was happening down south. Orison was enraged by the world will's sudden cut-and-run but he reasoned, it was best to never again take 'responsibility' for something like that.
Fearing that the intelligent force of the world would find some new way to screw him over through his friends, he 'spent' the debt he managed to hold over the will's head to extend the same preferential 'cold shoulder but no hostility' treatment he had to his little group. It wasn't quite enough but the gag orders they got made up the tiny difference.
"That's it. I'm done playing debt games with the whole world. That is, no doubt, very dumb for a shrimp soldier person. And as much as I'd like to believe otherwise, that's what I am. Should be getting that crab general promotion soon, though," he thought.
Heath's sudden shriek got his attention. While the boy huddled protectively around the hazelnut tree, a creeping muddy brown filtered through the treeline in the west. It looked ridiculously slow at first but as it moved closer, it was apparent that it was moving quite fast. For the next four hours, they were plunged into darkness. As the barrier kicked into a higher protective mode, its energy reserves were burning fast.
That wasn't the only problem. The barrier was meant to allow an exchange of fresh air and that was slowly allowing muddy water to filter in and build up around the outer edges. Burning the crystal matrix's power source til less than a third was left, Orison built an embankment in a generous circle around their barracks. By the time a spot of dim light was visible at the top of the barrier, the muddy water was only a few inches shy of the embankment's lip and the ground within was a little squishy.
Once the water had drained away enough for them to survey their surroundings, Cray looked at the nearly uniform muddy brown coating everything and said, "This place got done in every way it can, just about."
Standing outside their field, the oak leaf lady had made the trek back after depositing her wild compatriots in a safe place to weather out the winter. "Can you hear me?"
Orison nodded. "After everything that happened, to maintain the most essential functions, the barrier had to abandon certain features in favor of others."
She did some kind of minor nature magic and said, "We're going to have unseasonably mild conditions for a few days before the mother of all blizzards hits this place. You can take that time to travel south and escape the worst of it or I can show you a cave system that has been flushed of inhabitants save for deeper in. A large colony of northern bats makes their home there."
After some discussion, the group decided to head for the cave. It wasn't an easy choice. The oak lady's motivations were unclear. And in the aftermath of the other druids' attempts, she wasn't overly trustworthy. Sadly, the alternative was much worse. Farther south, the situation was deadly and even more unclear. Left with little choice and less idea of what to do next, the group abandoned their failing barrier shelter and followed the druid.
"Why the difference in attitude to the rest that were obviously trying to kill us?" Orison said as they traveled.
She smirked and replied, "You... Trying to kill you. Your companions would have had... difficulties but there was a decent chance of the boy and his sapling surviving."
He stared at her silently.
Her face returned to a peaceful neutral. "Whether you are aware or not, simple actions may have monumental impacts. It doesn't change that your act was a simple one and it's hardly your fault that there was a flaw in the world. In the long run, many who have been forced into unnatural paths to suit the flaw rather than fixing it, will be released to find balance and harmony again.
"On a more personal note, I will be compelled to remain here for many years attempting to restore nature to a semblance of balance. I find myself not quite ready to embrace such solitude. With the few fellows I may have had throwing their lives away on meaningless endeavors, I have little remaining outside of the wildlife to ease it."
Thinking it over, Orison said, "Hazel needs a permanent home. We can't keep carting her around for much longer before the enriched soil bundled around her sapling's roots won't be able to help ease the shock of transplanting."
She replied, "And where she goes, the boy will want to follow."
"I have a feeling that our road forward is going to be bumpy. Maybe, instead of trying to get Heath to adjust to being a human, perhaps the better path might be to release him into the care of someone who could turn his attunement to nature into an advantage," Orison said.
The oak leaf lady shook her head. "He is not attuned to nature. There is much inside him and around him that would make such a path difficult. Do not let his appearance fool you. Your boy is only one in appearance and has over a century of life experiences within him. His attachment with the renewed dryad is a temporary one as well.
"Once she is strong enough to awaken, she will not be the one he knew that was like a mother to him. He would be little more than a potential future mate. No, he should be reassured that she is in a safe place and made to let go. Help him move on before attachments root him to a place that will only cause him misery and loneliness that he will have difficulty understanding.
"Now, the one you call Edos has that potential. Not so much to be a steward of nature but a guardian of it. You have ruined Cray from such potential but not beyond what could be recovered over time. Do you think it too forward of me that I fully intend to seduce one of them away from your side?"
Anything that the speechless young mage might have had to say on the issue was tabled as Edos came bounding up.
"You like me and see me as a potential mate? Will you have my babies?" the man said with a lopsided grin.
Now that it was her turn to be speechless, Orison resisted the urge to laugh and said with a saintly smile, "Just about everyone in my group has incredibly acute hearing. 'Seduce' is a pretty powerful word."
Edos added, "Do you want me to show off for you? What do you like? Should I dance or beat up another male? I don't know a lot about how two leggers do things but I would be happy to learn."
Edgy brooder, Stefen, was eating up her discomfort like it was a dessert but surprisingly came to her rescue anyway. "I'm sure you would but you're being too eager. Desperation is unattractive."
The dragon blooded man turned the full intensity of his purple eyes on her and said, "Is what he said true or is he trying to lure me away so that he can mate with you?"
The druid and Stefen shot each other a look of loathing just shy of openly hostile. "I'd rather submit myself to the affections of a fury fresh from Hell." "I'd let this forest burn to the ground first."
Edos moved to stand between them and spread his arms wide as he whipped to glare at Stefen. "She didn't say your name. My only rival is 'ruined' Cray. No flirting!"
The archer, who'd been lost in his own thoughts til that moment, Looked over at the commotion and was about to comment on being called 'ruined' when Heath gently set down Hazel and gestured for the book of drawings. The boy pointed between the druid and Edos before pointing at a drawing in the book.
Sagely, Heath said, "Bay-bee."
Satisfied that he'd caught the confused Cray up to speed, he just as gently picked up the hazel tree sapling and waited for everyone to start moving again.
After a few more moments of awkward humor and annoyance, they were gaining ground to the cave again. In an effort to not appear 'desperate', Edos kept a measured but relatively near distance from the druid. He would occasionally shift down wind and smell the air before quickly attempting to put himself between her and everyone else except Orison. The young mage was tempted to ask why he was an exception but he strongly believed the answer might upset him.
Underneath the amusement and annoyance that helped to make the trip a little less bland, Orison sensed an undercurrent of potential tragedy. During a break, he approached Edos. The dragon blooded man was gazing intently at the silent and pensive druid who was trying her best not to become unnerved or show signs of 'running'. As an observer of nature, she was well aware of what the potential outcomes of such an event might be.
"We need to talk, Edos," the young mage said.
Purple eyes shifted their gaze at him for a brief moment before returning to their main target. "I don't know what we need to talk about. So, you'll have to tell me."
Pauses to lend weight to what was about to be said were lost on the man.
Orison took a steadying breath and said, "Listen to everything I have to say before reacting to it, alright? I have more than one piece of information to share."
The man nodded and agreed.
The young mage said, "Human females don't NEED to be in... Do you know what estrus is?... They don't need to be in... heat to be fertile. BUT... an unreceptive female, one that is fearful or in distress isn't particularly fertile either.
"She didn't SPECIFICALLY mean that she was ready to mate with anyone when she said that she wanted to 'seduce' you or Cray away. It'll be an option at some point, I'm sure... HOWEVER, she meant that she didn't want to be left here alone.
"It may not be the case with all human women but she's a druid. She has the ability to make sure she won't have babies if she doesn't want to. If you force yourself on her, mate with her against her will, she WON'T have your babies, Edos. She also won't like you anymore and will find another mate if she can."
The dragon blooded man grew thoughtful. "I believe that I'm strong enough to keep her but not having my babies is bad."
Orison pushed down the cold sweat that was trying to form. "If you are able to be patient and take the time to learn the little things that make her happy and show interest in them for her sake, she will be more receptive to having your babies, I think. She'll also be far less likely to look for or even want to find another mate if you'll let her accept you on her terms."
He had the man's full attention as Edos asked, "Humans have long mating rituals?"
Orison said, "Sometimes. Sometimes it's very fast. Women tend to take longer finding a mate to have babies with than ones to have fun with."
Pleasantly surprised, Edos said, "Humans mate for fun!? That's exciting!... Oh, do human females have to eat their mates to have healthy babies?"
Resisting the urge to flatly deny, the young mage said, "Assuming they have everything they need from other food, no."
Seeing that Orison didn't have any more pearls of wisdom to share, Edos rushed over to confirm what he'd been told with the druid. The young mage didn't have the keen hearing that some of his companions had. But judging by the gradual ease of tension around her and the nervous laughter that turned into a few genuine ones, he'd accomplished his goal.
The young mage said, "I wouldn't know why. They are alive because of me. Well, I may have played a little loose and dirty with the world will but it was playing dirty first... You know what? I'll take half responsibility." They looked at him like he'd lost his mind. Orison smirked. "The southern half... Hahaha!" He stopped laughing once he realized that a softly building debt to the world will began accumulating. He tried to 'take it back' but the world will wasn't having it. He discovered the hard way that since he had finished opening the can of worms on playing 'big boy games', his existence was measured against 'big entity' rules. He expressed willingness to accept 'responsibility' and the world will agreed.*** Down in the 'south'. The ravaged remnants of the undead empire had gathered together to shore up a defense. The enemies they had in the 'path beneath the mountains' to the east would waste no time claiming the land for their own the moment they discovered their undead foes had been reduced in prowess. Left with little option, the remaining powerhouses had called upon a ritual that would cede some land rights to devilish sponsors. Sensing an opportunity to build a launch pad for planar conquest since the 'shining wall' had weakened tremendously, a few ambitious devils had agreed to the bargain. They weren't foolish. The devils of some experience had dealt with and been dealt blows by the world will and its servants in the past. Unlike the forces of 'good', they never rested and constantly sought out new opportunities to take advantage of. And in the aftermath of whatever event had taken place, the world will had many areas of questionable stability to keep its eyes on.*** The demonic forces that dwelt within the deepest parts of the world weren't slackers either. Some roved eastward but some of the older and more seasoned creatures of the abyss turned their gaze westward towards old rivals. The most powerful of their servants sensed well but nearly impossible to completely hide hidden ripples that carried the flavor of a Hellish will. Worried that rivals in 'evil' were about to claim an easy oyster out from under their noses, a disorganized army of demon devotees and whatever abyssal presences could be smuggled into the material world, speed marched to claim stakes ahead of schedule and stop the devils from gaining a foothold on their 'back porch'. Driven to induced madness by the faint 'scent' of Hellish will, their demonic superiors and the servants who fueled their visit ignored the faint dagger smiles and predatory gazes of various other denizens of the deep paths.*** Feeling assured of its accomplishment in ending whatever irritants that had stirred it. The power settled back down to wait for the dim day when 'The End' was beckoned in earnest. A sideways and slightly bar shaped hourglass eye the size of a football stadium took one last blurry look at its murky surroundings before closing once more.*** "They're doing all that just to drop like flys. Now how does that make any sense?" Cray asked as he watched another druid wither into premature decrepitude and collapse. Orison replied flippantly on the surface while deeply worried underneath, "They're probably going for one huge gesture of destruction rather than wearing themselves out on an endless barrage of smaller ones. It makes me happier because a war of attrition, we'd lose but this barrier was designed to withstand powerful short term shows of force." An hour after the last one fell, they had somewhat started to relax since nothing had happened. The arrival of the oak leaf druid lady with an army of animals carrying different seeds made everyone's scalp tingle but she just arrayed her army of nature in a tight, fanning cluster on the northeastern side of their barrier and waited. Seeing that she had erected an earthen wall in front of her as her eyes looked upward and to the southeast, they did the same. Nothing happened for a while but the sky took on a weird grayish tint, making it look somewhat stormy despite a lack of clouds. Moments later, the nearly invisible mist high in the air suddenly bunched as if someone had snagged and tripped over a side of rug, forming funky ripples of spontaneously formed clouds. For as dread inducing as that was, all that seemed to reach them of the odd event was a handful of back to back straight winds Orison guessed were nearly as strong as hurricane force could generate but nothing beyond. Tree tops lashed and writhed as limbs were broken off and hurled into the distance. But it calmed down so quickly after that, aside from the few that landed on or near them, there was little evidence that anything out of the ordinary had happened. The oak leaf lady's actions were just beginning. For the next few minutes, she built a few earthen walls and raised the whole land that the barrier sat on, knocking it loose. She looked perplexed when she noticed that instead of 'rolling away', they were slightly suspended in air, immobile. After that, they couldn't see what she was up to because a part of the new mound above and behind them blocked their view. Orison was momentarily distracted from the goings on around him as the alarmingly mounting debt to the world will suddenly started plummeting. It reversed completely before the world will caught on and finally 'accepted' the young mage's request to no longer be responsible for whatever was happening down south. Orison was enraged by the world will's sudden cut-and-run but he reasoned, it was best to never again take 'responsibility' for something like that. Fearing that the intelligent force of the world would find some new way to screw him over through his friends, he 'spent' the debt he managed to hold over the will's head to extend the same preferential 'cold shoulder but no hostility' treatment he had to his little group. It wasn't quite enough but the gag orders they got made up the tiny difference. "That's it. I'm done playing debt games with the whole world. That is, no doubt, very dumb for a shrimp soldier person. And as much as I'd like to believe otherwise, that's what I am. Should be getting that crab general promotion soon, though," he thought. Heath's sudden shriek got his attention. While the boy huddled protectively around the hazelnut tree, a creeping muddy brown filtered through the treeline in the west. It looked ridiculously slow at first but as it moved closer, it was apparent that it was moving quite fast. For the next four hours, they were plunged into darkness. As the barrier kicked into a higher protective mode, its energy reserves were burning fast. That wasn't the only problem. The barrier was meant to allow an exchange of fresh air and that was slowly allowing muddy water to filter in and build up around the outer edges. Burning the crystal matrix's power source til less than a third was left, Orison built an embankment in a generous circle around their barracks. By the time a spot of dim light was visible at the top of the barrier, the muddy water was only a few inches shy of the embankment's lip and the ground within was a little squishy. Once the water had drained away enough for them to survey their surroundings, Cray looked at the nearly uniform muddy brown coating everything and said, "This place got done in every way it can, just about." Standing outside their field, the oak leaf lady had made the trek back after depositing her wild compatriots in a safe place to weather out the winter. "Can you hear me?" Orison nodded. "After everything that happened, to maintain the most essential functions, the barrier had to abandon certain features in favor of others." She did some kind of minor nature magic and said, "We're going to have unseasonably mild conditions for a few days before the mother of all blizzards hits this place. You can take that time to travel south and escape the worst of it or I can show you a cave system that has been flushed of inhabitants save for deeper in. A large colony of northern bats makes their home there." After some discussion, the group decided to head for the cave. It wasn't an easy choice. The oak lady's motivations were unclear. And in the aftermath of the other druids' attempts, she wasn't overly trustworthy. Sadly, the alternative was much worse. Farther south, the situation was deadly and even more unclear. Left with little choice and less idea of what to do next, the group abandoned their failing barrier shelter and followed the druid. "Why the difference in attitude to the rest that were obviously trying to kill us?" Orison said as they traveled. She smirked and replied, "You... Trying to kill you. Your companions would have had... difficulties but there was a decent chance of the boy and his sapling surviving." He stared at her silently. Her face returned to a peaceful neutral. "Whether you are aware or not, simple actions may have monumental impacts. It doesn't change that your act was a simple one and it's hardly your fault that there was a flaw in the world. In the long run, many who have been forced into unnatural paths to suit the flaw rather than fixing it, will be released to find balance and harmony again. "On a more personal note, I will be compelled to remain here for many years attempting to restore nature to a semblance of balance. I find myself not quite ready to embrace such solitude. With the few fellows I may have had throwing their lives away on meaningless endeavors, I have little remaining outside of the wildlife to ease it." Thinking it over, Orison said, "Hazel needs a permanent home. We can't keep carting her around for much longer before the enriched soil bundled around her sapling's roots won't be able to help ease the shock of transplanting." She replied, "And where she goes, the boy will want to follow." "I have a feeling that our road forward is going to be bumpy. Maybe, instead of trying to get Heath to adjust to being a human, perhaps the better path might be to release him into the care of someone who could turn his attunement to nature into an advantage," Orison said. The oak leaf lady shook her head. "He is not attuned to nature. There is much inside him and around him that would make such a path difficult. Do not let his appearance fool you. Your boy is only one in appearance and has over a century of life experiences within him. His attachment with the renewed dryad is a temporary one as well. "Once she is strong enough to awaken, she will not be the one he knew that was like a mother to him. He would be little more than a potential future mate. No, he should be reassured that she is in a safe place and made to let go. Help him move on before attachments root him to a place that will only cause him misery and loneliness that he will have difficulty understanding. "Now, the one you call Edos has that potential. Not so much to be a steward of nature but a guardian of it. You have ruined Cray from such potential but not beyond what could be recovered over time. Do you think it too forward of me that I fully intend to seduce one of them away from your side?" Anything that the speechless young mage might have had to say on the issue was tabled as Edos came bounding up. "You like me and see me as a potential mate? Will you have my babies?" the man said with a lopsided grin. Now that it was her turn to be speechless, Orison resisted the urge to laugh and said with a saintly smile, "Just about everyone in my group has incredibly acute hearing. 'Seduce' is a pretty powerful word." Edos added, "Do you want me to show off for you? What do you like? Should I dance or beat up another male? I don't know a lot about how two leggers do things but I would be happy to learn." Edgy brooder, Stefen, was eating up her discomfort like it was a dessert but surprisingly came to her rescue anyway. "I'm sure you would but you're being too eager. Desperation is unattractive." The dragon blooded man turned the full intensity of his purple eyes on her and said, "Is what he said true or is he trying to lure me away so that he can mate with you?" The druid and Stefen shot each other a look of loathing just shy of openly hostile. "I'd rather submit myself to the affections of a fury fresh from Hell." "I'd let this forest burn to the ground first." Edos moved to stand between them and spread his arms wide as he whipped to glare at Stefen. "She didn't say your name. My only rival is 'ruined' Cray. No flirting!" The archer, who'd been lost in his own thoughts til that moment, Looked over at the commotion and was about to comment on being called 'ruined' when Heath gently set down Hazel and gestured for the book of drawings. The boy pointed between the druid and Edos before pointing at a drawing in the book. Sagely, Heath said, "Bay-bee." Satisfied that he'd caught the confused Cray up to speed, he just as gently picked up the hazel tree sapling and waited for everyone to start moving again. After a few more moments of awkward humor and annoyance, they were gaining ground to the cave again. In an effort to not appear 'desperate', Edos kept a measured but relatively near distance from the druid. He would occasionally shift down wind and smell the air before quickly attempting to put himself between her and everyone else except Orison. The young mage was tempted to ask why he was an exception but he strongly believed the answer might upset him. Underneath the amusement and annoyance that helped to make the trip a little less bland, Orison sensed an undercurrent of potential tragedy. During a break, he approached Edos. The dragon blooded man was gazing intently at the silent and pensive druid who was trying her best not to become unnerved or show signs of 'running'. As an observer of nature, she was well aware of what the potential outcomes of such an event might be. "We need to talk, Edos," the young mage said. Purple eyes shifted their gaze at him for a brief moment before returning to their main target. "I don't know what we need to talk about. So, you'll have to tell me." Pauses to lend weight to what was about to be said were lost on the man. Orison took a steadying breath and said, "Listen to everything I have to say before reacting to it, alright? I have more than one piece of information to share." The man nodded and agreed. The young mage said, "Human females don't NEED to be in... Do you know what estrus is?... They don't need to be in... heat to be fertile. BUT... an unreceptive female, one that is fearful or in distress isn't particularly fertile either. "She didn't SPECIFICALLY mean that she was ready to mate with anyone when she said that she wanted to 'seduce' you or Cray away. It'll be an option at some point, I'm sure... HOWEVER, she meant that she didn't want to be left here alone. "It may not be the case with all human women but she's a druid. She has the ability to make sure she won't have babies if she doesn't want to. If you force yourself on her, mate with her against her will, she WON'T have your babies, Edos. She also won't like you anymore and will find another mate if she can." The dragon blooded man grew thoughtful. "I believe that I'm strong enough to keep her but not having my babies is bad." Orison pushed down the cold sweat that was trying to form. "If you are able to be patient and take the time to learn the little things that make her happy and show interest in them for her sake, she will be more receptive to having your babies, I think. She'll also be far less likely to look for or even want to find another mate if you'll let her accept you on her terms." He had the man's full attention as Edos asked, "Humans have long mating rituals?" Orison said, "Sometimes. Sometimes it's very fast. Women tend to take longer finding a mate to have babies with than ones to have fun with." Pleasantly surprised, Edos said, "Humans mate for fun!? That's exciting!... Oh, do human females have to eat their mates to have healthy babies?" Resisting the urge to flatly deny, the young mage said, "Assuming they have everything they need from other food, no." Seeing that Orison didn't have any more pearls of wisdom to share, Edos rushed over to confirm what he'd been told with the druid. The young mage didn't have the keen hearing that some of his companions had. But judging by the gradual ease of tension around her and the nervous laughter that turned into a few genuine ones, he'd accomplished his goal.
