Technomagica 2 : 27 The Elders of Skyisle (Patreon)

Archmage Delta, an imposing, armoured figure composed from ants, bees, spider silk and Leemy-grown, polished, white wood, led our procession through the bustling streets of Skyisle. 

My Infoscope, acting as her eyes and control mechanism, streamed the view of the village directly into my mind. Controlling my own body and the ant-mech took extra effort, but I managed it nevertheless as I needed to attend the meeting in person as the Administrator of Skyisle acting on behalf of our new Baroness.

The afternoon sun splashed the cobblestone streets with a warm glow, the wind caressing the shimmering leaves of Leemy’s saplings that were now growing around every building in Skyisle.

Clatter of hammers resounded from side streets as a few craftsmen worked on repairing the farms after the long winter.

Behind us trailed the twenty-seven former cultists, their lilac robes fluttering in the wind coming from the azure glaciers. Delta, for her part, assured me that they would cooperate, since she convinced them of the great and terrifying magic powers of Bishop Delta of Oz.

However, I didn’t trust the cultists to be forever afraid of Delta, so I put all of them to sleep with the pacify spell and had Kliss bite each of them to turn all of them into her kobolds. 

“I’ve never seen trees like these,” one of the lilac robed girls from out of town commented.

“They are Mystic-Willow-Oaks,” I replied from the lips of Bishop Delta. “Divine trees courtesy of Ishira herself that I planted across Skyisle to purify the blight radiating from the Valley of Death.”

“Truly?” the cultist blinked, staring at the violet leaves fluttering in the wind.

“They grew faster than any other tree I’ve seen,” Magenta confirmed. “I was worried that they were a vile curse as… the renegade Giovashi told us, but now I can plainly see that they are the work of our Goddess, for only the All-seeing Maiden of Love and Beauty could produce such lustrous wonders.”

Magenta had become an active turncoat far quicker than the others - she must have sensed that the winds were turning against Giovashi with the arrival of Archmage Delta.

I nodded with the ant-operated head of Bishop Delta.

“These blessed trees will not merely purify the Valley of Death,” I said, boasting the Bishop’s prowess. “They will also rejuvenate the dragonfire scorched forests and heal nearby farms!”

 Our procession passed by the fountain obelisk in the centre of town and entered the Skyisle Council Hall. 

The hall was a half-buried, old, sturdy structure built from massive glacier-polished stones and thick logs, the roof covered in green moss. The architecture of the building reminded me of the Celtic designs I'd seen in European history books back in the USSR, with intricate knotwork carved into the wooden beams and doorways.

More celtic-style carvings depicted the symbology of the various Guilds of Skyisle and its history along the interior walls.

The hall buzzed with activity as the Elders of Skyisle and various Guild representatives arrived for their monthly meeting. There were about fifty people inside, considering not everyone could simply take half a day off work. Our father was already there, representing the Carpenters Guild.

He spotted us and waved our way with a pride-filled, wide smile.

As our large group entered the hall, all eyes turned to us. The Elders, mostly men and women in their late fifties and sixties, looked at Archmage Delta with suspicion-filled eyes.

The Guild representatives, a more diverse bunch in terms of age and appearance, seemed a tad more open-minded. They'd seen the positive changes that our workshop had brought to Skyisle over the winter with the improved wards, the new tools, and the gradually revitalised land. 

"Everyone," Georgi announced, "I present to you Delta Alana Skyisle, Archmage of Oz and our long-lost kin! She is here to aid us, to guide us, to bring prosperity to Skyisle once again!" 

The Elders murmured amongst themselves, exchanging sceptical glances. A few of the Guild reps, however, nodded in greeting. 

"Let me introduce you to the esteemed leaders of our village," Georgi began, gesturing to the group of Elders seated on oak-carved chairs at the front of the hall. "This is Elder Klara Illumina Skyisle, our most senior Elder and Head of the Weavers Guild," he said. 

The woman had silver hair and gray eyes. Her calloused hands were clasped together as she examined the ant-mech.

"Elder Majoh Mesmer Skyisle, Head of the Masons Guild," Georgi continued, pointing to a sturdy man with a thick beard and strong arms. 

"Elder Nezla Tessiron Skyisle, Head of the Farmers Guild," he said, indicating a woman with sun-kissed skin and a warm smile.

"Elder Carrov Kryll Skyisle, Head of the Blacksmiths Guild," Georgi said, introducing a man with a muscular build and a soot-stained face. 

"Elder Tamara Agatha Skyisle, Head of the Healers Guild," Georgi said, gesturing to the old midwife who had supervised my birth.

In another five minutes Georgi introduced everyone gathered at the hall and declared me as the next speaker.

I stepped forward, my skinny teenage frame looking rather unimpressive amidst the imposing figures of the Skyisle Elders. Despite being the temporary Administrator of Skyisle, a position granted to me by the absent Overseer Ignatius, I knew that many of the Elders still viewed me with suspicion and distrust. After all, I was just a boy of thirteen winters of age in their eyes, one who had inexplicably risen to a position of great authority.

“Good day to you all,” I said. “As you all know, I am Dante Alan Skyisle, your Imperial Administrator.”

Several of the Elders scowled at me. Elder Majoh was particularly vocal in his disapproval.

“Don’t you mean to say temporary Administrator?” he asked derisively. “It’s been a year, boy. When will Overseer Ignatius return to his post?”

“Correction, Elder. Lord Ignatius is no longer our Overseer,” I said. “He will not be returning. Baroness Kliss Cessna acquired this valley from the Empire. She currently owns the lands we inhabit.”

The Elders grumbled at each other at this unexpected news.

“Meaning what exactly?” Elder Nezla raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Baroness Kliss made me the permanent Administrator of Skyisle,” I replied, showing the Imperial writ scroll to the gathered Elders and reps. 

“Oh? And where is our new Baroness? Why isn’t she here?” Elder Nezla demanded. 

“Staying in Agamemnon, no doubt?” Elder Majoh commented.

“Baroness Kliss is currently recovering from her injuries inside our home. Injuries, which she endured during her valorous battle with dragon Aradria,” I replied. 

Hushed whispers and gasps rushed across the hall as the gathered processed this revelation.

“Aradria is dead,” I added another nail into my trap.

“Dead? How?!” The Elders sputtered.

“Yes,” I affirmed. “The vile beast was slain by Baroness Kliss with the aid of recently returned Elder Delta Alana Skyisle. No longer will that monster scorch our lands with dragonfire.”

I waved a hand at Archmage Delta, and bowed as if allowing her to speak.

“It is good to meet you all, my children. I am Delta Alana Skyisle, your kin, returned from Oz to aid Skyisle in its time of need,” Archmage Delta’s voice boomed from the bee speaker within the ant-mech across the hall.

“Oz?” Elder Klara spoke with a raspy voice. “What is this Oz you speak of?”

“Oz is a nation far beyond the reach of the Gregarius Empire, on the other side of Novazem,” I replied through Bishop Delta. “A land of wonder and magic where I have served as Bishop of Ishira for centuries!”

“Bishop?” Tamara gasped. “But… there are no Bishops of Ishira.”

“There are in Oz,” I revealed as Bishop Delta. “And as your Eldest, I have returned to Skyisle to guide you, my children's children, towards a brighter future.”

“A brighter future?” Elder Majoh asked. “What can you possibly offer us that we haven’t already tried?”

“I offer you hope,” I said as the Bishop. “Hope for a life free from the curse of the magogenic fault, hope for a future where your own children can thrive and reach their full potential.”

“Hope is a luxury we cannot afford,” Elder Nezla shook her silver locks. “Not when we are under the iron boot of the Empire, not when our crops perish due to the Valley of Death from one side and Aradria’s breath-cursed forest from another.”

“Ah, but that is where you’re wrong,” I added as the Bishop. “Many of my solutions have already been remotely implemented over the past winter with the help of my apprentices, Dante and Delta Skyisle.”

“Your apprentices?” Elder Carrov gasped. “Those twins? They’re nothing but troublemakers, filling the heads of our grandchildren with dangerous ideas!”

“The ideas I have shared are not dangerous, they are enlightening,” I insisted with the Bishop’s lips. “I have taught the children of Skyisle complex mathematics, science, and the true nature of magic.”

“Complex mathematics?” Elder Klara scoffed. “What use do we have for such things? We are simple folk, content with our traditions and our faith.”

“For shame! You all have long forgotten the true traditions of Skyisle, knowledge belonging to your great-grandparents!” I made the ant-mech shake its head. “Even your faith has been twisted by the lies of Giovashi, the false Archpriestess who has been secretly feeding on your souls for generations.”

The Elders gasped, eyes wide with shock.

“Giovashi?” Tamara stammered. “But… she is our Eldest, our spiritual leader, our guide.”

“Alas, she is but a deceiver,” I said through the bee-speaker. “Giovashi is a renegade mage and a necromancer, an Astral Phantom who has used Charisma to manipulate you into making false Vows. Vows that drain your life and magic. Ishira’s Seers from Oz have prophecied Giovashi’s vile crimes against you and sent me here to prevent further disasters!”

“That… that cannot be true,” Elder Majoh uttered with a trembling voice.

“Yet it is,” I revealed, waving an armoured ant-operated hand at the violet-robed cultists. “These girls are all local priestesses of Ishira, they can confirm my identity and my words.”

The Elders stared at the lilac-robed girls.

“Is this true?” Tamara asked, her eyes flickering from the ant-mech to the twenty-seven former cultists. “Did Giovashi lie to you, to all of us? Is… is she really a renegade?”

“She made us attack the Alan family!” Magenta stepped forward, her head bowed in shame. 

“She tricked us with dreams and magic, used us all like… like puppets,” another barmaid added.

“We have been misled, used!” A third lilac-robed barmaid confessed. “Bishop Delta freed us from Giovashi's control and did the impossible - slain Aradria!”

The Elders began to murmur amongst themselves as more of the former cultists shared their stories of Giovashi’s lies and manipulation. I saw that doubt was creeping into their eyes, their previously firm belief in Giovashi crumbling as they were presented with evidence of her wickedness. I made the ant-mech tap the iron staff of Ishira on the wooden floor of the meeting hall.

Elder Klara rose from her chair, her gaze fixed on Delta.“If what you say is true,” she said. “Then… we have all been terribly misled. But… How can we simply trust you? You arrive here, wear a mask that hides your eyes, and claim that you are a Bishop from a far away, unknown land! You tell us that we have been manipulated for generations! We require proof!

“You want proof of my deeds Klara?” I asked with a soft smile, tilting the Bishop’s head down at the old woman. “Many of your kin have been using the level-raising focus tools made in my family’s workshop. I was the one who designed them. Without my guidance Georgi Alan would not be able to make them. Skyisle is already changing, my children!”

I made the ant-mech walk to the large windows and waved a hand. Four infoscopes rushed from me, passing through the activation runes. The windows swung open, facing the fountain I had constructed in the centre of the village during the winter.

It was cloudy out and eighty thousand fire bees rose into the air from behind the black obelisk, suddenly etching the eye of Ishira in the air above it at Delta’s command.

"By the power vested in me by our Radiant Goddess of Love and Beauty!” I boomed from the ant-mech lips. “By the ancient blood of Alania, by the will of the line of Skyisle Sentinels, in the name of All-Seeing Goddess Ishira… I, Delta Alana Skyisle, the Bishop of Oz command our valley to bloom!"

I activated the gargantuan hexagram made from a thousand concealed hexagrams etched into battery-rocks that Kliss carried and laid around Skyisle a year ago.

A pulse of colourful, brilliant magic detonated from the Almn-Inian obelisk, resonating across every Mystic-Willow-Oak tree Delta and I planted over the year. The green-vitality trees shimmered with violet auroras, focusing more and more Green-Vitality at the fountain and returning the pulse.

The black obelisk became engulfed in rapidly blooming wines and violet flowers to the gasps of my audience. 

My human body swayed from the extra effort of focusing on so much magic. Kliss instantly wrapped an arm around my waist to hold me up, a comforting warmth radiating from her dragonheart that steadied my Astral Phantom soul. I squeezed her hand in gratitude as the dizziness subsided.

I let Leemy take over. The Dryad used the power granted to her by the massive hexagram to rapidly grow a new tree directly around the obelisk.

"This is a miracle!" Magenta gasped, falling to her knees, her arms crossed in prayer. "A true miracle of our Goddess!”

"Unlike the false promises of Giovashi which weakened Skyisle, I seek to heal, to uplift, and to empower,” I declared as Bishop Delta. “I have the ability to undo the damage caused by the Valley of Death, to break the level cap and to restore Skyisle to its former glory. It is within my power to grant you all… genuine, unshakable hope for a brighter future!”

The obelisk-covering wines grew thicker, more lush and shot upward, uniting together into a single tree.

Behind Great-Aunt Delta, spurred by the concentrated pulse of [Vitality] magic, Leemy was truly showing off. A colossal tree, unlike any that anyone in Skyisle had ever witnessed, sprouted from the earth with incredible speed. 

Its bark shimmered with an otherworldly luminescence, a tapestry of violet and silver hues that pulsed with an internal light. Branches, thick as giant pythons, shot skyward, their growth a symphony of creaks and groans that echoed through the valley. In mere minutes, the tree dwarfed the council hall, its shadow stretching across the entire village, casting the Elders and everyone in the meeting hall into a surreal twilight.

One by one my lilac-robed priestesses fell to their knees, singing praises to Bishop Delta and Goddess Ishira.

“It’s… magnificent,” Tamara breathed, her voice trembling with emotion.

“Ishira’s grace!” Elder Majoh muttered, eyes wide with wonder.

Even Elder Klara seemed speechless. Her weathered face was slack with surprise, her usually sharp eyes reflecting the vibrant tapestry of violet blossoms that now adorned the vanished obsidian monolith.

What I made with Leemy wasn’t just a tree – it was a testament to the power of science, a living monument to the Assembly Theory. A network of crystalline veins, woven into the tree’s core by my meticulously designed spells projected from crystalline amplifiers, distributed vitality magic with breathtaking efficiency, making all other violet trees around Skyisle bloom and multiply, casting violet auroras all around.

As the last touch, clusters of thin wines, stretched out from the gargantuan tree like luminous treads, their tips blossoming into small violet flowers that pulsed with an internal glow, mimicking the constellations of the night sky. It was nature and magic, intertwined and elevated, a testament to the boundless potential of science and magic that both worked in harmony.

"This," I declared through the bee-speaker, Archmage Delta’s voice echoing across the hall, “is but a taste of what we can achieve together! I offer you all a chance to reclaim your legacy, to break free from the shackles that bind you, to unlock your true potential! Will you stand with me? Will you embrace the future?”

The silence that followed was thick with anticipation. Then, Elder Nezla stepped forward.

“But w-what of the Empire’s influence?” She asked. “Won’t our new landlord object to… all of this?”

“Baroness Kliss isn’t like the other Overseers of Equality that you’ve had over the decades. Unlike them, she understands your needs. Kliss fought Aradria with me to defend our valley, nearly sacrificing her life in the process!” I revealed. “She will be closely working with me on healing our land. She does not object to me performing great miracles in the name of our Goddess, as long as they uplift everyone here!”

The Elders around me relaxed completely.

“Of course, I cannot do it alone,” I made the ant-mech spread its arms wide as I stood in front of the view of the shimmering, impossibly tall tree.“Together, we can make Skyisle a beacon of prosperity and peace, a haven for all who seek refuge from the darkness that encroaches upon our world! Will you join me, my children? Will you pledge your absolute allegiance to our Goddess, to the ancient blood of Alania, to Skyisle itself? Will you wield more tools crafted by my family to help rebuild our great legacy?”

“I will,” Elder Nezla nodded. "If you can truly heal the land, if you can continue to protect us from monsters like Aradria, then... then I will follow you. We all will!”

One by one, the other Elders and Guild representatives nodded in agreement, looking filled with hope and relief.

“Excellent,” I said. “The time for change has come. I, Delta Alana Skyisle, hereby declare a new dawn for Skyisle! To mark the Spring of 8062 and the age of rebirth, I hereby grant you magic-amplifying, protective gems blessed by Ishira herself. Wear them always, to show your devotion to our Goddess!”

Magenta and the other cultists stepped to each of the gathered villagers, making each of them put on Vow-blocking necklaces and bracelets. The Elders accepted the jewellery with looks of delight, they trusted the local barmaids. Their eyes lit up with joy or broke out with tears as they felt their skills returning to them, the Vows no longer able to drain magic from their souls.

More bracelets were given out to the Elders with a promise to put them onto their children so that by tonight every Skyisle family would unknowingly become free of the Vows.

I’d won the first great battle, sown the seeds of change in the hearts of the people of Skyisle. But the war was far from over. Giovashi and the Empire of Equality still loomed in my future, their dark shadows stretching across my home, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. 

I knew that our victory today was but a fleeting respite, a brief pause in the grand game of conquest.