After some praise and small talk, Storm brought up my arrival to Qiyana, clearly having noticed the sudden jump in my skill. Racks followed with the trial incident. Tzeleah covered the insignia tests and my departure from the village.
They were basically gossiping about me to her face.
Qiyana's eyebrows arched.
"So he has sisters too."
The topic switched to my spirit element, specifically how I'd gotten a summon on my first attempt entering that realm. Qiyana had only recently started exploring that space herself, and the moment she heard about summoning, something changed in her expression. The thought of what her own summon might be was already working behind her eyes.
Storm gazed upward in thought.
"Don't get too excited. The boy's case is special. He also hasn't learned the ways to guide someone there, so he can't help you."
Racks' eyebrows raised.
"But is it really that complicated? He's so talented."
Tzeleah coughed and smirked.
"Right. Because logic and common sense step aside when he shows up."
Qiyana stepped toward me and held out her hand.
"Will you try it?" Her eyes stayed on mine.
'...'
I glanced at Storm. Her expression told me to accept regardless of the outcome.
"...Sure."
Storm stepped out briefly and returned with a book titled Spiritual Walking, flipping through it as she gave us summaries.
"It says you need to harmonize with each other." She turned a few more pages. "But I'm not sure about the specifics."
The girls rested their chins on their fists. Storm looked up after a moment.
"...What about what you did with the fire earlier? Maybe it's something similar." She looked at me. "Come on, try it."
I sighed.
Qiyana noticed my disinterest and leaned closer, one hand covering her mouth from the others.
"Don't worry. I'll prepare a reward for you."
I looked down at her for a moment, her white hair catching the light, her eyes big and shiny with her cheeks popping out. A smirk slipped through before I patted her head.
"Alrighty, my little empress Qiqi."
"..."
Everyone's eyes went wide.
Chop! Her hand came down hard on mine.
"Y-You!" She went red, fists trembling. "Insolent... vermin..." She looked down and dropped to a mutter, "I should slice your tongue and hang it at the gates... who do you think you are... insolent vermin..."
Once she recomposed herself,
We stood facing each other.
Trying to figure out what harmonizing actually meant.
Following Storm's suggestion, I tried looking at her the way I'd looked at the fire.
'...Hm.'
Qiyana's body was dense with elemental energy, her frame wrapped in all colors forming a luminous, gas-like silhouette. Looking closer I noticed how earth, fire and water gripped everything else in tight coils, like chains holding the other elements down.
"Aside from your three main ones... you should ease up on the others," I said.
She looked at me. "Hm?"
"You're talking about my elements? I know that already. I'm doing my best."
"No, no. That is exactly the problem."
She looked at me.
"It's just... maybe you're being too hard on them. Give it some rest. Just meditate."
She went quiet, pondering my words.
"Anyway," I said, "let me try something,"
My eyes focused inward.
..Different from her, my body wasn't emanating light. It looked more like a hollow silhouette with an ominous flame-like glow swirling around it.
I focused on Qiyana' energy again. Then tried to mirror her glow as closely as I could.
At some point she noticed what I was doing and simply waited, arms at her sides.
After about a minute of adjusting I got close enough. A full artificial version of her energy—On the outside, at least.
"...Did you do it?"
"Probably. Let's try."
We sat on the ground and closed our eyes.
.
The next moment I woke up,
I was already inside the spirit realm, standing and gazing at the scene around me.
It was as I remembered. Mostly. All the greenery still emitted its glow, and the birds still left traces as they moved through the sky.
But now the flow was clear, and the elements familiar in a way. Yet the strangest thing by far was the white light emitting from the floor, and smoke raging from gray to dark tones.
*It seems,* I squinted at the smoke, tracking it upward until it reached a group of toucans resting on top of a leafless tree. *They are linked to animals.*
'It didn't have that before. So the cause must be my jump in talent.'
*Huuu-ha!* Qiyana gasped hard.
I turned and saw her laid on the grass, pushing to stay sitting. *Coff-coff!*
*...*
*Are you okay?*
She glanced up at me and said in a raspy voice; *How are you fine—Coff-coff!* She braced herself, doing her best to recompose.
*...Now that you mentioned it,* I said, touching my chin, *On my first time I did feel my heart beating stronger than usual.*
Qiyana, now calmer, said;
*Ghm, that's it?* She bit hard and pushed herself to stand.
*Forget it... Whatever you did worked, we're here. But now what?*
My brow arched,
*I don't know.*
*Then start knowing. I can't be here for long.*
*...*
*Let's start walking then.*
And we did.
Each step we took sent out an energy ripple across the field. And after crossing it we entered the jungle, piercing deep.
Dark smoke started to ribbon through the canopy above us. Gray at first, then whiter streaks weaving between. It was following us. But then after minutes of marching I noticed it belonged to curious monkeys and unusually big rodents.
They followed but were scared to get too close. So I concluded they didn't pose any threat.
'I see. I guess I got the gist of it.'
After observing the new color behavior, I noticed that it changed tones as their mood changed. When a monkey got pranked by another, they both had different tones when the pranked one got surprised. And afterward he got mad, the tone got darker.
*That means this new color,* I stepped up a hill, using a vine as a rope to make it easier.
*Is reflecting emotions...*
'What crazy shit.'
Qiyana mimicked my moves.
*Hey—Ugh—You really do see everything here, huh.*
*Yes. As I said before.*
*Yeah, yeah. But it's really amazing you know—UUGH!* She stepped wrong.
I reached for her wrist and pulled.
She crashed against my chest, my hand on her back so she wouldn't fall.
*Careful, Qiqi,* I whispered next to her ear, *You're moving like a blind person.*
Her cheeks flared.
*B-Because I am!*
Sigh.
We held hands, with me leading the way. She went quiet, not saying a word. Her hand felt rough on the outside, but soft where I pressed.
I forced myself not to look back after I peeked and noticed her flustered face. My temples tensed as the light beaming out of her was getting stronger and stronger.
I'm no fool, it was clear what was going on; she was probably... getting a crush on me or something.
'Please don't. I have enough chaos in my life.'
After that, we kept going through the jungle. But then, suddenly, all noises around us died down.
With a look I noticed all the animals that had been following us stopped in their tracks and went into hiding. Their energy flow thinning the further they got.
Me and Qiyana noticed something was wrong and got into stance, ready to leave at any threat that might appear.
The jungle went quiet.
An enormous gray glow approached between the trees.
Shuffle-Shuffle!
Qiyana's eyes sharpened. Her hand squeezing mine.
As the glow seemed to notice us, it beamed white.
Then—
The figure showed itself.
A towering fox made of ethereal blue fire stepped towards us.
It was, of course, Aery.
Qiyana was about to bolt when I said:
*It's okay. She's not a threat.*
She looked at me in confusion.
But I was even more so as my ears picked up the words:
[Master. I'm pleased to see you came again.]
*...*
*What the...*
The fox tilted its head, confused.
[Can you... Hear me, master?]
It was difficult to utter a sound, let alone words.
*I... I can.*
The fox's eyes widened.
Qiyana looked at the beast, then at me.
*Hey. Are you trying to speak to that thing?*
I couldn't spare her attention.
...As I explained the situation, Aery listened, seated. And once I finished she stood on all fours again and got closer.
[I understand, master.]
She rubbed her fur against me, then her nose sniffed at Qiyana, who still didn't trust the fox.
[It's useful that we can have a conversation. But why are you helping this child?]
*Ah, she's... We have a deal.*
She observed me in the eyes for a long second, before turning towards the dense forest.
[...So she's your servant. I understand. If she's going to serve you she needs something useful,] Aery looked back with a gesture to follow her, [There's one with potential this way. Please, follow me, master.]
I still hadn't fully digested the fact that she could speak.
Even though there's magic here, hearing an animal speak is too strange of a feeling.
'Does she know something about my circumstances?'
After I reassured Qiyana, we followed Aery through the trees, and I asked;
*Aery. Do the words 'league of legends' or 'user interface' mean anything to you?*
[They don't. What are they?]
*Ah, forget it, it's a pain to explain. But what about your past, do you remember where you were before we first met?*
Aery seemed to be thinking deeply.
[Hmm... I recall being a wandering spirit in the region humans call Ionia. But no human nor spirit could see me, so I was alone for a long time, master.]
'Ionia. Of course she's from there.'
*Do you remember anything else?*
[I remember staying near the sapling of what had once been a giant willow tree. I sometimes used its power to speak to a crowned fox that protected it, but I suppose the messages came across more like a ghost playing tricks.]
'...Willow tree and crowned fox. That rings a bell. I'll have to check on my notes later.'
*Anything else?*
[Nothing worth mentioning.]
.
.
On top, at a tall trunk, a large snake choked the reign away from a majestic Hawk.
The master of the sky was broken. Its wings, once rulers of the wind, now useless, twisted around its own body by the snake's grasp.
It raised its head, just a breath from the eagle's beak. Its voice dry and melodic:
[The sky might have gifted you wings, but it was I who gave you purpose to fly.]
The winged serpent tightened its muscles, slithering even tighter around the great Hawk's body.
Crunch!
[...But since you've mistaken my horizon for your own, your wings are nothing more than a shroud to your fall.]
Hisss...
Once we made ourselves present,
The snake turned all its attention towards Aery, and fright consumed it instantly.
The noble posture collapsed. Its head, which had been poised like a king's, fell from the tree and smashed against the ground.
It lowered itself even beneath the level of the hawk's dead body.
[This one's useful, master.]
The serpent snapped a glance at me as it heard the word 'master,' but quickly lowered its head again. As submissive as it could get.
I took a glance at the snake: anaconda-sized, feathered in the colors of summer with a pair of growing wings.
'...The elemental flow around her is seven, so it has all elements.'
[His name is Quetzalcoatl.]
Aery explained that in the future, once it consumes enough spiritual energy, it could reach enough size to coil around all of Ixaocan. Personality aside, his future abilities are also nuts: petrification, near-immortal regeneration, magical strike amplification, and more.
Overall, a perfect match for her.
I explained to Qiyana that it had potential and she agreed to form a pact. Quetz accepted as well—didn't really have a choice.
But for the pact to be finalized,
She had to give it a worthy offering.
*So it needs an offering.* I muttered.
Qiyana took out a jewel,
*Of course it does,* She showed it to the serpent. *But I wouldn't doubt you'd find an exception somehow.*
Quetz hissed as it observed the item. Briefly later, it shook his head, denying.
[...I can't accept it.]
Aery gave it a piercing gaze,
[I-IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T WANT TO—The offering isn't enough for the soul link.] Quetz concluded.
Aery observed the item. Then the snake. And pondered for a moment before speaking:
[He's telling the truth, master. And...] She sniffed me, [I can't see how, but you possess the solution, master.]
*I do?*
Qiyana looked at us,
*Hey, don't forget I can't hear them!*
*They say the item doesn't work.*
*What? But it's made of the rarest materials.*
*And it's not enough. That means the snake is pretty strong, huh... But wait a moment—Aery, how do you know so much about the snake's potential, and how do you know I have the answer?*
[That's because one of my abilities is foresight. To some extent. Like the outcomes of choices.]
*What the—*
[But just so you know, I have no control over how far, and you are too great a variable to be certain of anything.]
*Oh, how convenient.*
[Don't worry, master. I'll tell you if anything relevant comes up.]
'...But now back to the problem at hand; the offering. I have the solution?'
'Well, the problem is the item's quality, so the logical conclusion is to either find an item of higher quality or raise the quality of what she has... But I can't raise the quality of items, so...'
*Oh! I think I got it.*
I opened the UI.
Tap. Tap.
≡ RUNES . . . [Ixtali Seedjar] >
A cylindrical jar materialized into my grasp.
I opened it and took out two dark-violet roses. Observed both and presented them.
*Does any of these work?*
*...*
[...]
[...]
.