Chapter 4598: Modern and Medieval (Part 2)
Chapter 4598: Modern and Medieval (Part 2)
Others, like the goblins, lived in buildings taller than the city walls that reminded Lith of Earth’s apartment complexes. They offered an easy target for an outside enemy, but also allowed a large number of goblins to combine their powers and weave city-wide magical formations at a moment’s notice.
’It’s weird how modern and medieval buildings are mixed in Tarna.’ Solus said via the mind link.
’This is not Earth, Solus, nor is it the Kingdom either.’ Lith replied. ’You can’t see something like this anywhere else on Mogar.’
Single Hati and Warg patrolled the area, using the hive mind-like bond all members of their race shared as a communication network among the city guards, leaving no blind spot at any time.
Their senses were shared as well, so that if one of them so much as closed their eyes for a second too long, the other wargs would sound an alarm throughout the city.
Balors and Fomors surveilled Tarna from the sky, conjuring gentle rain to irrigate the cultivated fields, shadows for those returning from the night shift who needed rest, and restoring the strength of the goblins conjuring the surveillance arrays whenever they ran out of mana.
"Can I please bring Ryla here, Your Ambassadoress Peonia?" Morok asked as they stepped out of the Griffon’s Roar.
"In a minute, and just call me ambassador, Lord Ernas." Peonia raised her hand and released a series of convened pulses of colored light that confirmed her identity and requested a meeting with the local authorities.
"We are guests here. It’s better to ask permission from our hosts before we enter the perimeter of their magical formations, or they might mistake us for enemies and attack us."
A 2.5 meters (8’3") tall Fomor carrying an orc over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes landed at a safe distance from the newcomers.
"Kargha, do your thing and verify their identity." The Fomor put the still-cussing orc down and turned toward Peonia’s group.
"I know my job, birdbrain." In his Unfallen state, the orc looked like a night-black-skinned elf with so many dark, blue, and red streaks they almost covered the natural brown of his long hair.
"I’d appreciate it if, instead of stating the obvious, you treated me with the respect that the only race among us that can Awaken deserves."
All orc shamans were naturally Awakened, so no one was surprised to see his eyes flaring up with Life Vision.
"It’s the princess, alright, Ishok." Kargha pulled a violet crystal the size of a cantaloupe from his robe. "I don’t know the other, so we’d better-"
"Lord Morok, it’s an honor to meet you!" The Fomor ignored the orc’s warning the moment the Tyrant revealed the eyes on the back of his hands. "I’m Ishok, the captain of Tarna’s militia, and this is Kargha, our shaman leader."
"Shard bearer, you mook!" The Svartalf snarled. "Just because we have abandoned our homes to come to this gods-forsaken land, it doesn’t mean we should also forsake our traditions."
His indignation didn’t diminish his handsome features or the dancer-like grace of his movements.
"I respect our traditions, you nincompoop, but I also respect common sense." Kargha replied, his annoyance tensing his chiseled muscles as they pressed against the fabric of his shirt. "If I introduced you as a Shard bearer, then I’d also have to explain what it means every time we have guests.
"Why do you think I introduce myself as a militia captain instead of First Eye of the Watch?"
Peonia’s mouth dried up as she once again weighed the advantages of interspecies marriage and prayed to the gods that Quylla would undo the curse of the Fallen Races before she had to choose a man to marry.
The four extra eyes of a Fomor were unsettling as much as the orc’s pointy ears and oddly colored hair felt alien, but those were minor details Peonia could easily overlook when attached to such handsome men.
"Please, don’t argue because of us." Aalejah lowered her hood and raised her Yggdrasil staff, revealing her elven features and identifying herself.
She had often travelled to Jiera as liaison between the Royals and the elvish vine cities. There were only a few outposts the princess hadn’t already visited, and Tarna wasn’t among them.
"Lady Eventide, such a wonderful surprise!" Kargha dropped the argument like a bad habit and smiled at the elf in a way that made his preferences about women clear. "It’s an honor to have you among us again."
’Jerk.’ Peonia inwardly pouted.
"Nice to meet you, First Eye." Morok shapeshifted to match the Fomor’s height and shook his hand. "Can we keep our human forms, or would taking our real appearance put your people more at ease?"
"No offense to you and your loyal servants, Princess Peonia, but our distrust for humans runs deep." Ishok didn’t let go of Morok’s hand but addressed the expedition leader, displaying perfect etiquette.
"You are all our honored guests and will be treated with the respect you deserve, but having as few humans as possible inside our walls is preferable. If every faction brings a large force inside, my people are bound to feel threatened."
"What about now?" Lith and Tista shapeshifted into their Indech form, while Morok turned into a Tyrant.
Kargha flinched in surprise, whereas Ishak’s eyes widened in delight.
"The prophecy was true." The Fomor mumbled. "The heir of the Seventh Eye shall bring hope, and hope shall bring salvation to all."
"Please, those are just lies my Tyrant bloodline made up to control you." Morok bowed his head in apology. "I’m the result of my father’s experiments just as you are. As for my friends, they are not related to me except by trust. Their powers are their own."
’Glemos must be the Seventh Eye, Morok is the heir, and we are the hope. What a weird prophecy.’ Lith thought.
’And accurate at that.’ Solus said. ’Quylla is the one working on a cure to undo the Fallen State of the people of Zelex, but if not for us, her research would have gone nowhere.’
"They may be lies to you, but they’re history for us." Ishok replied. "Please, refrain from making such comments while inside Tarna. Hope is all we have, and without it, my people would lose the will to fight."
"I’m sorry. I’ve spoken out of turn, but I had no ill will." Morok bowed deeply. "Can I bring the members of Zelex’s Senate here? They are waiting on the other side of this."
He showed his hosts Friya’s Home Stone.
"Of course." Kargha replied. "Can that little thing really open a gateway all the way back home?"
"Sort of." The Tyrant activated the Home Stone, forming a Warp Gate with its faraway twin.
Ryla, Carana the Traughen, Urhen the Balor, Syrah the Hati Queen, and Br’ey the orc shaman stepped through the dimensional corridor, moving from one mana geyser to another without ever losing their unfallen form.
The First Eye greeted the rulers of Zelex one by one, bowing deeper to Ryla, the spiritual leader, than to Syrah, the current sovereign. The Hati Queen knew Fomors and Balors clung the hardest to Glemos’ lies and decided to let Kargha’s slight slide.