Chapter 302: For the Lore

"Loremaster," Sahel said while acknowledging the new arrival with a bow, "I wish to report that the last of the Invaders have been repelled."

The robed Asani landed a few steps away, with the one who'd spoken earlier taking the lead. "That is of little consequence at the moment. Why is there an outsider here? Why have you not done your duty and removed him?"

"With respect, Loremaster, if not for this human, the Invader would have destroyed the Core. We all owe him our lives. As such, I am escorting him to the first available Elder as a potential visitor."

While this was going on, Mike took a moment to evaluate the newcomer with Appraise.

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Numeni

Age: 215

Race: Asani

Class: Minister

Title: Loremaster

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[I'm guessing he's some kind of civilian authority, but I'm not sure what a Loremaster could really be in charge of.]

The other three accompanying him all had the Apprentice Loremaster title.

Numeni and his followers looked superficially similar to the two members of the Coreguard he'd become acquainted with so far, carrying the same avian appearance, however it was obvious to Mike that these four were from a much less martially inclined background.

Rather than the simple linen clothes worn by the two warriors, they were dressed in elaborate and colorful robes which seemed to demonstrate their respective status through the presence of stylized pictographs. By all appearances, the more of the symbols they wore, the more senior the individual. Numeni himself was practically covered in markings, while his apprentices had significantly fewer.

In addition to their garb, the most glaring difference between the two groups was in terms of figure. While Sahel and Tuli were lean and muscular, resembling the avian predators which they seemed to have been based off of. The robed Asani appeared softer, and more plump. Obviously, they led more sedentary lifestyles. Still he couldn't exactly call them fat, either. He figured that relying on flight to get around probably burned a lot of calories.

By this point, Numeni was squinting at him suspiciously. "You are telling me that this...child, who has barely walked this world for more than a decade, managed to defeat an Invader? Do you take me for a fool?"

Tuli took this opportunity to speak up in her leader's defense. "It is the truth, Loremaster. I saw it myself. The human wielded powerful magics to confront the enemy. You can still see the aftermath for yourself." She said while indicating the warped and melted platform where Mike had been standing during the fight.

The older Asani glared at the Coreguard for a second, as if chastising her for speaking out of turn, but turned to examine the indicated region of planking for several seconds. Finally, he asked. "This was caused by the human and not the Invader?"

"That is the truth." Sahel responded. "Although I have not confirmed it with him yet, I believe he is a Tier 4 mage."

Numeni sucked in a breath before turning to briefly stare at Mike. "Very well, I will see to it that the Elders are informed of this potential visitor once they emerge from the Sanctuary. Until they are available to render judgement on his claims, ensure that he is kept out of trouble. I will hold you personally responsible for any damage he causes."

"Of course, Loremaster. I had no intention of doing otherwise."

With a nod, the robed Asani lifted off the ground, leading his followers back towards wherever they came from. While he was leaving, he called back down briefly. "And get that wing treated soon."

As soon as they were gone, Tuli gave a sigh of relief. "That went surprisingly well."

"Numeni is no fool. He well understands the situation we are currently in. The Asani can ill afford to make an enemy of a Tier 4 mage at this moment. Especially one that has already come to our aid." Sahel replied quietly.

"I take it he's normally more strict about the rules?" Mike asked.

"Loremasters are required to be. They are the protectors of our race's knowledge and technology." The Asani male explained. "It is their duty to ensure that none of our secrets are leaked to the outside world. As such, they are the highest authority when it comes to the flow of information. No doubt they were alerted to my accessing the Core's data stores, and came to investigate."

"I'm not getting you in trouble am I?"

"Some, but think nothing of it. Because of you, I am still alive to receive chastisement. Besides, the Loremasters have not exercised their full authority in centuries, I doubt they'd have the gall to start now."

Mike grinned at the man's cavalier attitude. "Alright, so what's next on the agenda?"

"Ordinarily, I would still have much to do. The Invaders caused serious damage to the Flight Matrix, and it will likely take weeks of dedicated effort to repair. As the Fifth Spear, I would normally be charged with overseeing the work parties. However, my current physical predicament makes that impossible." He turned to his subordinate. "Tuli, rendezvous with the engineers and have them start their initial damage assessment. See if they can get the lift operational while they are at it. I will need it to visit the Medical Corps."

"It will be done." She acknowledged before taking off.

"Mm-ike, if it is acceptable to you, I would like to escort you to the surface. Regrettably, I am unable to fly at the moment, so we will need to await the engineers, I hope that you will bear with me."

"...Out of curiosity, does the problem have something to do with your wing?"

Sahel nodded. "Indeed. The damage is quite severe, and will likely take quite some time to heal. Until then, I will need to rely on other means of transportation."

Mike examined the injury thoughtfully. "Do you mind if I take a look at it? I'm something of a healer, truth be told."

The Asani hesitated for a brief moment, but finally nodded. "I'm afraid there isn't much that can be done for it right now. Thankfully, our medical technology is quite advanced. So long as I receive the proper treatment, I should be back to normal in a few weeks."

[Yeah, I don't really feel like waiting around for a bunch of engineers to fix some fantasy version of an elevator.] He thought while moving around behind the man.

Channeling his mana, he activated his Life Magic, and sent it into the wing. There was a brief flash of light, and when it faded Sahel's limb had been restored.

"There we go. How does that feel?" Mike asked, pretending to ignore the man's shock.

The Asani ran one taloned hand over the newly-formed feathers before asking, "This is no illusion, yes?"

"Nope, just good old fashioned Healing Magic. You can fly now, right?"

Sahel glanced down at his wing again. "Indeed. It seems like there is no longer any need to wait for the engineers…"

He trailed off, as if lost in thought. Finally, after a few seconds, he said. "Alright, then shall I take you on a tour of the island? There are several places which will remain inaccessible even to established visitors, but I can show you the rest."

"Before we go, I do have one thing I want to ask you about."

"What is that?"

Mike scratched the back of his head. "Well, the thing is, I didn't exactly arrive here by myself. In fact, I left behind an entire ship load of people when I came to investigate this island."

"Are they all like you?" Sahel asked with something approaching apprehension.

"What, human? Most of them are, I suppose, but there are a few other races as well."

"No, I am asking if they share your level of power."

"Oh. Well, I wouldn't exactly call them weak, but I'm the only Tier 4, if that's what you are worried about."

The Asani nodded. "I see...very well, I believe I can accommodate a few more. It is acceptable for you as an important visitor to arrive with an entourage, but I will need to evaluate them before they can set foot on the Asan."

"Sure. That won't be a problem.."

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"You left us! Again!" Sera yelled as soon as he landed on the deck of the Huntsman.

"Ah...well...in my defense, I was doing something stupidly reckless, so I didn't want any of the rest of you to suffer because of it.. Besides, I had to fly all the way there. Logistically speaking, it was just simpler to go by myself,"

The Oracle fumed, turning a bright shade of red. "That is no-"

With a thump, Sahel landed beside Mike, causing Sera's mouth to snap shut with his sudden appearance. The Asani man scanned the people on deck with a critical eye. Unintentionally, his fierce gaze seemed to be intimidating the crowd of sailors into silence.

"Are these the companions you spoke of?" He asked Mike once he'd finished his examination.

"Well, some of them."

"Could you please indicate which you intend to bring with you?"

"I'd like to take these four, and one other." He replied while pointing at Sera, Tal, Morris, and William, before asking the butler. "Do you mind grabbing Lily? There's something I want her to be involved in."

"Of course, sir."

Sahel took up his examinations again. "The yellow-haired female should not be a problem, but I am afraid the others lack the fortitude to withstand an Elder's presence. If you still wish to bring them along, I must warn you that they could suffer severe side effects from the experience."

Mike stared at him for a few seconds before asking, "...What exactly are your Elders?"

"Hm? I see, I have not explained yet. They are the remaining members of Asan's original host. The ancient progenitors of our race. Because of the vestiges of divine power that still remains within them, they have the tendency to overwhelm weaker mortals with their presence alone."

"Wait, you are talking about people that were alive during the Second Age?"

"That is correct."

[That's insane. Although, I suppose the gods have been around longer, technically.]

"I know you are probably busy at the moment, but do you mind explaining what all this is about?" Morris asked in the brief period of silence.

"Ah, right. Everyone, this is Sahel, the...Fifth? Yes, Fifth Spear of the Asani Coreguard. He is going to be escorting me and a few others around the island for the time being. We were just discussing who to bring."

"So you are planning on bringing us along now? When it's convenient for you?" Sera asked, still obviously angry.

"That was the plan, but it seems there is a complicating factor."

"Oh?" Came the emotionless reply.

"Well, I was going to meet the Elders of the Asani, but they seem to have a strong effect on those without a certain…fortitude." He turned back to Sahel. "What were the side effects, by the way?"

"In most cases, they are limited to nausea, vomiting, incontinence, and an overall sense of dread. However, in rare instances, seeing the Elders may cause the viewer to lose consciousness and even stop breathing, possibly resulting in death if treatment is not provided."

[What is this, a drug commercial?]

Translating for the others, Mike explained, "Apparently, pretty much everyone beside Tal is going to have a hard time of it, if they go."

"...Are you kidding me?" She asked, a slightly dangerous note in her voice.

"That one would also be fine." Sahel added unhelpfully, indicating Lily, who had just emerged on deck and was now curiously staring at the birdman.

"Did he just say Lily was fine, too?" Sera demanded.

"Uhh, yes?"

"Grr…"

Mike thought she was about to pop a blood vessel in her forehead, so he quickly followed up. "But not to worry, i have a solution to this issue that will make it possible for everyone to go."

"Are you sure?" Morris asked, sounding slightly concerned. "It sounds to me that your new friend doesn't think it's wise for us to accompany you."

"Yes, of course. Trust me."

[Alright. I have until they get to the island to come up with a plan. Shouldn't be too hard. I guess I can probably do something with Life Magic…]