Abyssal Road Trip - 359 - Pass this on (Patreon)

Amdirlain's PoV - Limbo

The Plane Shift had placed them under the purplish-black sky of Limbo; the vast whirlpool of material and surging chaos overhead was an eerie sight despite all she'd seen. Amdirlain closed her eyes and took in the rippling tones before exhaling a long, sustained note that pressed her will against the Plane. The Plane responded to the sound, and a dimensional eddy formed before them, a racing whirlpool that had Silpar regard her curiously.

"Normally, one has to move through the Plane for a time before it will form a shortcut," noted Silpar.

Amdirlain nodded. "Limbo is such fun, responding to the force of will. There wasn't even True Song involved, just Chaos Shaping. Shall we go?"

"You've not said where we're going," noted Silpar.

Grinning, Amdirlain stepped into the vortex, and Silpar followed, finding himself at the base of a mountain range. She saw the plateau's edge, high up the shale-covered mountainside immediately ahead.

"I thought you were going to attend to Gideon's list?" questioned Silpar.

"One piece of music referred to an old friend. I thought I'd make him the priority," replied Amdirlain, hoping the Adamantine Dragon wouldn't clash with Silpar.

Silpar looked at her curiously. "Gideon would send you to a specific person?"

Amdirlain nodded. "Apparently. They always have reasons for what they do, even if I don't always like their messages. Anyway, we're on a mountain range formed by his intent. I'm sure the old Dragon already knows we're here. Don't you, Claughuthruuazex?"

Not waiting for a response, Amdirlain started up the mountain, the inverted wards that secured the plateau's edge clear to her Resonance.

The soaring fortress that had marked the entrance to his lair last time was, this time, only a single reduced level. At first, Amdirlain assumed Claughuthruuazex had chosen not to recreate it upon his return to the Plane, then she caught the heavy fatigue in his song and knew it wasn't choice but necessity.

Imagining a generic mountain range is more manageable than all the intricate details of his many carvings in the stronghold. If the mountain range is a recreation of the land around an old lair, he'd know every detail without effort.

The inverted ward only appeared within True Sight once they had landed on the plateau. A dome of energy stretched above the fort’s exterior walls, looming thirty metres above the plateau, but the interior building no longer rose above them. Before they’d taken more than a few steps forward, two figures moved behind the gate, and both sides swung open.

One was a nearly seven-metre tall armoured figure wearing an open-faced helm, whose massive features were clean-shaven. The armour plates he wore looked almost knightly with their silver gleam. Slightly behind him stood a hooded female Fomorian clad in grey robes with golden runes. Morgana waited with an air of casual relaxation, with one hand resting on a mithril and jewel-inlaid staff, but she didn't place any weight on it. After her gaze flickered over Silpar, she fixed her attention on Amdirlain. Two male guards in full plate armour appear atop the wall, focusing on Silpar alone.

When they were close, Amdirlain nodded politely. "Morgana, it is good to see you again. I appreciate all the time you took instructing celestials in magic while Azex was at the conclave."

"If they hadn't been your celestials, I would have left them to learn from their mistakes," replied Morgana. "It is good you come now."

"He is presently awake and awaiting us impatiently," noted Amdirlain.

"Indeed, he is. Your companion can come inside the gates," offered Morgana.

Amdirlain motioned to Silpar. "Silpar, this is Morgana. She is Voice to Claughuthruuazex. Morgana, Silpar is my mentor among the Cloister of the Fallen."

"You walk Redemption's Path?" questioned Morgana.

Silpar nodded. "I endeavour to provide restitution for the evil deeds I committed."

Morgana grunted and beckoned them forward.

The building beyond the gate was a flat-roofed structure with a parapet that provided cover from anything that had gained the walls or was airborne. An eight-metre-tall doorway allowed entrance to the building; its stone doors, heavily reinforced with mithril, were currently ajar.

As Morgana led them through the foyer, Amdirlain took in the simple patterns of the ornamentation. They contrasted poorly with the elaborate mosaics of her first visit and worried her more than the smaller structure. Morgana stopped when they reached the top of the shaft that led into the plateau with a ramp spiralling around its side. "Though he's your companion, Silpar must remain here with me. Claughuthruuazex wishes to speak with you alone."

Rather than continue to lead the way, Morgana motioned Amdirlain towards the lower levels.

"How unusual to receive a guest alone," said Amdirlain.

Morgana smiled drily. "I believe you speak Draconic."

Stepping off the ledge, Amdirlain floated downwards for six hundred metres before she reached the bottom. There was a passage that would dwarf any Fomorian, yet it still did not cater to Claughuthruuazex's full size. The corridor slowly brightened and gained a silvery hue, but the colouration wasn't intentional despite his species; it came from the cavern's lights reflecting off Claughuthruuazex's hide.

Amdirlain kept to a sedate pace throughout her approach to avoid any aggravation of the ancient Dragon's instincts. Eventually, she rounded the corner into the lair's entryway. The cavern could have contained a modern American battle fleet, but the colossus Dragon lounging within made it seem barely reasonable.

His snout was broad and almost snub compared to the rest of his Godzilla-dwarfing form. Spikes rose from his muzzle and blended into a broad sweep that ran past house-sized eyes to a crest larger than some stadium grandstands. His hide had the smooth finish of a perfect casting without the visible scales standard to lesser dragons. The silvery hide sat tight across giant strands of muscle that stretched from wing bones to clawed forehands and along the shovel-tipped tail.

The cavern's floor was a great lake of precious metals, jewelled objects, and prized artworks from thousands of species. Mounds of treasure rose around him and contoured to his body, where he’d wiggled down into them to get comfortable. To dragons, memories linked to the objects—down to the smallest copper coin—were even more valuable than their vast fortunes.

Claughuthruuazex opened one eye and fixed his gaze on Amdirlain. "Lady of the Dawn. I hoped you'd stop in before my life ended."

"I wondered why you'd attended a conclave since you live in Limbo to avoid the pressure of gravity," said Amdirlain. "You've got the last few centuries ahead of you?"

A light huff from his nostrils caused coins on a mound across from Claughuthruuazex to spill in a great cascade. "Decades. I've been holding off those centuries for millennia by living here. My weight and size now strain my heart regardless of the gravity I set; the sheer effort to circulate my blood drains me daily. I had to attend the conclave in an elven form to avoid it giving out."

The frustrated edge to his tone carried a hint of insulted dignity.

Amdirlain glanced down at herself meaningfully before she waved a reproving finger. "That's truly terrible. Did you risk it once to show off your scales' lustre?"

"No. A form like yours is so small and binding; I could not live that way," grumbled Claughuthruuazex. "You were there when I hatched. Will you do some things for me when my life leaves?"

"Just tell me what you need," replied Amdirlain.

Claughuthruuazex's nostrils flared in amusement. "You offer your aid so readily. I've got a list, and while some may be things you can do now, others will probably have to wait. The one who was my mother has not told me everything about the changes since your return from the Maze. Still, I've something of yours I should return now that you've regained True Song."

"Of mine?"

A three-metre cube appeared near Claughuthruuazex's right forehand, latched on the side facing her. The protective enchantments wrapped around it flared in True Sight.

"Some objects of Orhêthurin's, if you would be particular about it," allowed Claughuthruuazex. "You aren't ready to wield them, but it will be for you to determine the correct time. When you knew nothing of True Song on your last visit, I believed I would have to pass this container to another to care for until you were reborn again. They were spares, if you will. I don't know what happened to the equipment she had with her when she perished."

Claughuthruuazex started to unravel the wards. For a moment, Amdirlain considered requesting him to leave them with his heir. Feeling as if she should at least know what was inside, she forced herself to approach cautiously, sensing the fading power surrounding the chest.

"She left this with you?"

Claughuthruuazex huffed. "No, they were in my mother's lair, but when I found them, I heard her voice asking me to take them into my care."

Resonance registered only the outer container and gave her no indication that anything was inside. "Have you opened it before?"

"There is an elven harp, a few weapons, and an orrery," replied Claughuthruuazex.

A model of a solar system?

The container unlatched easily, and bracing herself, Amdirlain swung the front door open. It moved effortlessly, and the lid lifted upwards simultaneously until it clicked securely into a locked position.

The container's bottom plate had recessed segments for a weapons stand, a large floor harp made of True Song Crystal in a soothing Mediterranean blue, and a black crystal table with ornate pieces set around its rim and a crystal orrery atop it. It had a glowing white orb in its middle, with twelve planets and their moons positioned in orbits around it. As she watched, each slowly turned, and phantasms showing meteors in their orbits appeared. Though each piece was composed of crystal, to her perception through Resonance, nothing was present. The planets were supported at varying heights on thin tubes that moved in channels cut into the semi-transparent base plate. Thousands of removable crystals sat around the table’s edge in recessed niches.

Are they a type of memory crystal? How are they concealed as well?

Amdirlain crouched to examine the model base plate, and transparent gears were barely visible beneath the tinted crystal. "Do you know what solar system the model represents?"

"No. Perhaps you might remember in time, but I've no idea," replied Claughuthruuazex.

"Orhêthurin had so many secrets, and she lived for so long, I doubt I'll ever retrieve more than a fragment of her memories," replied Amdirlain.

Claughuthruuazex sighed sadly, and his wings shifted with a metallic rustle. "What is lost can never be fully restored to the same state. One can only move on, learn from past mistakes, mourn losses, and hope for something close to what was lost."

Holding tight to her emotions, Amdirlain nodded calmly. "Thank you, Claughuthruuazex, for keeping this safe."

"Thank you for helping my mother's Soul break free of her curse," offered Claughuthruuazex. "You were always there for us, I wish we could have done more for you. I hope that your journey also finds a happy end."

Carefully closing the container and relatching it, Amdirlain absorbed it. Though she could have easily thrown the container with all its contents about, it weighed heavily within Inventory.

"What can I do for you?" asked Amdirlain.

"I've got a memory crystal with a list of what possessions need to get delivered to whom after my passing. I had hoped you might take care of it," said Claughuthruuazex.

He wants me to be the executor of his will? That isn't something I had expected. Did Gideon send me here because of the container or this?

"Also, my servants have been with me a long time, and while they will be reluctant to admit it, it's time for them to move on," explained Claughuthruuazex. "I hoped you might be so kind as to guide them and their clan to a place of relative safety."

"A planet or a demi-plane?" asked Amdirlain. "I know of some worlds that would support them that aren't inhabited by anything but animals and monsters."

Claughuthruuazex tapped a claw twice before he nodded. "A world. It has been many millennia since their clan lived upon a world."

"If your possessions are still in Limbo when you perish, they'll dissolve. I could move your mountain range into a demi-plane with light gravity, requiring only the same physical strain as Limbo. I'll add a connection from it to an uninhabited world for them."

"That would be appreciated," replied Claughuthruuazex.

Amdirlain picked one of the demi-planes she'd held aside for her projects and opened a Gate into it. The minimal gravitational field would play havoc with any of the typical biomes she'd designed for the training grounds. Expanding the demi-plane to a larger sphere with a ten thousand kilometre radius, she changed its gravitational rules to mimic the aerial behaviour of the Elemental Plane of Air. Moisture-laden air currents circulated through the sphere, carrying floating plants that absorbed the moisture around them into pod-like growths seen on some seaweed. This was the first step, and her feet and body moved to the tune, a delicate symphony that lightened her feet to flow across the coins. Amdirlain composed on the fly as she moved, finding the balance of life within the music and dance.

The intended limits of the demi-plane let her calculate True Song references and target locations from afar.  As Amdirlain picked the needed life forms, the pace of her dancing increased, and her movement supported thousands of songs. More variations of plant life followed from individual growths to large mats. After that, millions of birds and other aerial creatures joined her creation, and floating islands made from nests and other plants grew. Modifications to the thousands of songs she performed at Gideon's request—and those she had in her current work list—followed. Even with so much space allowed for air, the sheer volume of the life and the complexity of the songs strained her body.

The interwoven orchestra of sound extended through the Gate and filled the niches in more unusual ways. It took hours of work for Amdirlain to form a complete biome, from the micro fauna and flora up, without any challenges beyond normal animals. When the last notes faded from her blood-stained lips, Amdirlain exhaled softly.

[Crafting Summary (Category: Biome intermediate)

Self-sustaining aerial biome (planetary-sized) x1

Total Experience gained:  45,000,000,000

Ostimë: +22,500,000,000

Ostimë Levelled Up!

Ontãlin: +22,500,000,000

Ontãlin Levelled Up!

True Song Genesis [S] (117->120)

Phoenix’s Rapture [G] (34->35)

Dance [S] (170->171)

Pain Eater [J] (33->34)

True Song Architecture [S] (121->125)

Note: Sure, skip a few dozen progression steps.

Note: Also, most planets have multiple biomes.]

The single biome stretched across that volume was hard enough in itself. Sorry, not sorry. That's only four times what I got for Sarah's playpen. Still, you gave me a clue to get more experience from each demi-plane or planet.

The key to the experience of biomes will be diversity on the planet. Though the songs differed, they were only as complex as Sarah's demi-plane without her giant playmates.

Claughuthruuazex regarded her blood-stained clothing, and once her flesh was sealed, he removed all traces. "I didn't intend for you to extend yourself to such an extent, although your dance was wild and beautiful."

"I enjoyed that more than destroying millions of demons," admitted Amdirlain. "Though don't tell Sarah. She'll think I've lost the plot."

"Why?"

"Why will she think I've lost the plot, or why did I enjoy it more?"

Claughuthruuazex's gaze darkened, and Amdirlain opted to skip the word games.

"I enjoyed it more as I know it's the start of something. Killing demons is cleaning up accumulated corruption while creating a biome is bringing fresh life into the realm," explained Amdirlain. "While the demons need to be thinned, at present, I'm destroying them because of my losses rather than the hope of improving anything long-term."

A stone chest appeared, and vials floated from it to hover before Amdirlain under Claughuthruuazex's control. "Healing and regenerative elixirs. You smell like you're recovering, but they'll speed the process."

Memorising their songs, Amdirlain quaffed each one and felt vitality surge in her flesh. "Thank you."

Claughuthruuazex shifted position slightly and tilted his head to peer through the Gate with one eye. "I wish I could have heard the music you used, but at least I got to see you dance for myself."

His motion was like a child attempting to peer through a keyhole, and Amdirlain restrained her laughter.

"Hold the extent of your home mountain range in your mind and show it to me if you would," requested Amdirlain. "If you could, let your servants know not to resist the feeling of shifting between planes."

Warning Silpar herself, Amdirlain picked the mental details from Claughuthruuazex's thoughts. A melody wrapped around the hundreds of kilometres of mountain range and positioned it to float in the demi-plane's centre. When she'd finished the relocation, Amdirlain continued to work and helped the biome bloom with more life. The mountain range was a focal point for the air currents, and vast lakes sprang into existence along its shale-covered slopes to serve as reservoirs to supply the air currents.

"Perhaps I will fly for a time, at least one last time," said Claughuthruuazex. "Better to perish in flight than meekly underground. When I die, would you deliver my Soul to the Seven Heavens' entrance?"

"I'll set up an open Gate here. The only issue is I can't stand too close myself," advised Amdirlain. Emotional pain trembled beneath her skin as the memory of acid-searing her flesh came from her Soul's depths with the most bitter of regrets. "I’m sorry your mother perished with Orhêthurin. She didn't want any of them to spend their lives for her. Your mother and the others who died to Leviathan should have left after the Anar and Lómë settled on Vehtë."

"They came to support you knowing the risk any relocation would bring," replied Claughuthruuazex. "Do not regret their passing. They died in battle against many a dread foe. It would have stirred their blood and given them much to rejoice in when they reached the heavens."

Claughuthruuazex transformed into a silver-haired male Elf wearing a simple shirt and pants of grey silk. His skin was pale white but with an ashen hue that matched the strain in his theme. His silver gaze locked on Amdirlain's, and he wobbled closer to rest a hand upon her shoulder.

"You'd trade a decade or two for a flight?" asked Amdiralin.

"Is that sunlight out there?"

Amdirlain shrugged. "Radiant energy coming from the demi-plane's skin. Should I let Sarah know of your plans?"

"We've said what goodbyes we need. She's not my mother, you know," stated Claughuthruuazex. "She has access to her memories, but her perspective is very different. Consider it like an Anar’s rebirth, having gained memories of their former life after coming of age. Would you expect them to renew their relationship with their former family?"

"That wasn't done. The memories were to help your progress in your next life, not to take up where you left off," said Amdirlain.

Claughuthruuazex nodded. "I'm not knowledgeable about your relationship with Sarah, but there is pain. I hope it doesn't taint your friendship. Would you lend me your stable legs, or should I use a Spell to navigate my keepsakes?"

"I could just Teleport us," proposed Amdirlain.

Claughuthruuazex shook his head. "I could have done that if I had wished to exit quickly, but there are some things I need to do here. My body aches from the transformation, and I'll need time to adjust before I change back."

Amdirlain frowned. "Shapeshift shouldn’t cause physical pain."

"I know it shouldn't, but it feels how it feels. Perhaps it is more than that my body aches, and the smaller form concentrates the pain," proposed Claughuthruuazex.

"You could just sit in the light for a time before you change. You don't look well," observed Amdirlain.

Claughuthruuazex shrugged, and his fingers dug into her shoulder slightly. "I'm not getting younger and wouldn't want to."

He held the other in the offer of a hug.

"Really?"

"When I was a hatchling, you used to let me lay down with my head in your lap and give me hugs," smiled Claughuthruuazex. "One last hug for my old-time’s sake, if not yours. Then, I'll show you the things I want you to have that aren't on the list. There are a few crystal tools in the mounds along the way. Not your things per se, but you should have them all the same. I visited Vehtë after the seal faded and retrieved them from the lairs of those who had scavenged the ruins the great wyrms left behind."

"Orhêthurin used to," corrected Amdirlain. "You just commented that Sarah isn't your mother. I'm also not Orhêthurin."

Claughuthruuazex tilted his head in confusion. "You're more like her than you'll admit. Whereas Sarah now looks for what is orderly rather than what is necessarily good, my mother wouldn't have followed rules that involved bringing harm that could be avoided. Orhêthurin was always looking to repair and improve things, to help those who couldn't help themselves. She had no tolerance for those who ignored or rejected the better options they had been given, but she was a friend to those who didn't have options in the first place. I believe the kind individual I knew is still a part of how you treat people."

Is that why she was harsh on the Fallen, Anar, and Lómë? The Fallen had rejected the duty of celestials to symbolise and embody goodness. The Anar and Lómë had rejected the gifts to create worlds and life, choosing to cast it aside and maintain themselves in comfort. The Anar King ignored the Titan's plans and made a mess with the Gold Elves; others still supported his actions, and both species rejected the work that needed doing.

Aware that he still possessed the strength in his elven form to squeeze her into a pulp, Amdirlain hugged him carefully.

After holding her for a while, Claughuthruuazex sighed regretfully. "Yes, we can't restore things to how they were before."

He leaned on her arm and guided Amdirlain with pressure on her forearm rather than leading the way. One chest or loose object after another was lifted forth from the treasure piles; he handed her numerous harps, weapons, and crystalline sculptures. Each object came with a story of the monster den from which it had been retrieved and even tales of who he'd shown them to over the years.

Claughuthruuazex stopped with a hollow expression when he drew one sword of True Song Crystal from a pile. "My first mate retrieved this from the lair of a Black Dragon. I miss her greatly."

"What happened to her?" asked Amdirlain

"We were together for eleven mating flights before she fell to a demonic incursion in the Outlands. Our last clutch was fully grown, and she talked me into assisting. The incursion was repulsed, but she didn't survive to return home. I gave the base of her name to a little cutie from my next clutch. That was a short-lived mating. She never forgave me for naming our first daughter after so significant a female in my life."

Amdirlain held back a grimace. "Some people can be like that. She might not have been so wounded if it had been a living relative—it's hard to compete against a ghost."

It took nearly five hours of wandering across the mounds to retrieve them all, and he leaned on her shoulder longer after each stop until they reached the annex on the chamber's side.

"Thank you for your patience," murmured Claughuthruuazex as he started along the corridor. "I know you've likely got a lot to do."

"Time isn't always our friend, but helping you has gained me valuable insights into my endeavours," reassured Amdirlain.

"The strain you put into singing this place was to push your Power, not just for my sake?"

Amdirlain nodded. "Yes, I push my abilities every chance I get. It takes up more time then I’d like at times. I hope distributing the items from your list won’t be time-consuming."

"I know you'll have to delegate some of it, but if you're around to serve as an arbiter, it will go more smoothly," said Claughuthruuazex.

He allowed Amdirlain to waft them upwards when they finally reached the shaft. Silpar and Morgana were both waiting patiently at the top in their different ways. While Silpar just stood in place, Morgana had settled herself on a chair to read.

"My Liege," greeted Morgana.

"My time is nearly done, Morgana. Amdirlain has a world she knows you can move your clan to instead of returning to wandering the planes. Though this place will remain a time," announced Claughuthruuazex.

Morgana shot Amdirlain a questioning look, and she nodded. "It will be here for them to return to whenever they wish until the energy from the heavens saturates it. Then, it will likely meld into the heavenly planes. Though if you'd humour me, I'll restore the fortress to how I first saw it. I choose my name in your fortress, so its old appearance has sentimental value."

"Yes, I heard you discuss it with Torm between training sessions," noted Claughuthruuazex. "Very well, if you'd be so kind."

"If you or Morgana would, could you share memories of the furnishings and the layout of the other rooms?" requested Amdirlain.

Claughuthruuazex ordered the others to assemble out front, and once they were clear, Amdirlain set the fortress to rights. The four stories loomed above the wall again, and scrying within the corridors, Amdirlain confirmed she got the carving correct.

"You did well," remarked Claughuthruuazex.

"Not perfect?" asked Amdirlain.

Claughuthruuazex gave her a sly smile. "Only a Dragon would have gotten all the details correct. Thank you for the two gates."

"Gates?" asked Morgana.

"As Amdirlain promised me, she created one entry to the Seven Heavens so my Soul might find safety in the afterlife quickly, and another to a world for your Clan."

Claughuthruuazex motioned for Amdirlain to be on her way. “I don’t wish any of you here when I perish. I’d not inflict that on you.”

The pride in his tone drew a frown from Morgana, but she and Amdirlain held their tongues.

"I'll let you say your goodbyes to the clan," said Amdirlain, and she changed the demi-plane's song. "When you perish, the demi-plane will absorb your remains so no scavengers will prey upon it, now or in aeons. It will also tell me so I can start tending to your wishes."

"My thanks, Amdirlain," said Claughuthruuazex, and he shook her hand carefully.

"Goodbye, Claughuthruuazex. Thank you for not killing a Fallen with the sisterhood’s sigil upon her those decades ago," replied Amdirlain, and she headed out the front gates.

When they reached the plateau's edge, Amdirlain sighed and looked back at the now-closed gates.

"You are more concerned than sad," observed Silpar.

“I knew Claughuthruuazex was getting on, but I didn’t expect it this soon. Dragons like to go out how they will. I’m almost surprised he isn’t looking to rid the realm of an enemy as a last hurrah.” replied Amdirlain. “My concern is for the clan. Technically, I'm allowing an incursion to an uninhabited world. Their species tend towards small communities, so I hope they don't cause future problems.”

"They might leave the ruins of the ancients common on many worlds whose inscriptions teach future generations magic," proposed Silpar.

Amdirlain opened a Gate to Foundry and led Silpar through to the pavilion. Once there, she offloaded Orhêthurin's container and the thousands of objects Claughuthruuazex had recovered.

"Sarah, Claughuthruuazex will pass away shortly. He said you'd already said your necessary goodbyes. If you disagree, here is where to find him."

The Message departed with all the details Sarah would need, and Amdirlain sighed.

"How long does he have?" asked Silpar.

Amdirlain gave a pained shrug. "Depends on how much flying he decides to do. If he stays in the air too long, his heart will give out. I learnt a few things from creating that demi-plane, so I need to work on some compositions before we go anywhere."

"I'll sit in your pavilion since so many other places are trapped," replied Silpar.