Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Congratulations, Zareth. We finally arrived within the planned borders of your future territory. How does it feel?

Zareth swept his gaze across the surrounding featureless sand dunes, no different from the ones hed seen since leaving TalHadin, before looking back at Rizoks shit-eating grin.

It feels wonderful. Im so very excited, Zareth replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he lounged in the wagon. A disk-shaped, Sunstone powered artifact in the center of the wagon created a ward which kept its interior relatively comfortable despite the desert suns searing heat. Theres just something so fascinating about a barren wasteland filled with rabid sand elementals.

Their journey from TalHadin had been fairly uneventful and monotonous up until now. Zareth had been anticipating some sort of attack from House Khysar ever since he left the city, but the only interesting part of their trip was that the Living Sands grew more aggressive the farther south they traveled.

Although, perhaps that lack of anything exciting should have been expected given that High Command was sending consistent patrols through the route traveling south from TalHadin. It was an essential route to the frontlines being held by the TalQamari Southern Legion, which prevented Anket from marching their forces up a relatively clear path all the way to TalHadin.

Oh, come now! Surely, a future ruler should be more excited about seeing his domain, Rizok said with a teasing chuckle as he leaned against the polished wooden frame of the wagon.

Rizok had been relatively relaxed since leaving TalHadin despite the threat of attack on their caravan.

Zareth had a feeling that the soldier felt more comfortable out here in the open desert, his hand resting nonchalantly on his sword as he occasionally scanned the horizon, than within the confines of a city. It would make sense, given that Rizok had spent far more of his life traveling and fighting wars than staying in a single city.

The contingent of soldiers escorting the caravan all seemed to behave the same way, so Zareths impression of Rizok was likely correct.

I am confused. Why would you choose such a land if you perceive no value in it? Vidhatri asked while walking alongside the ghoraks pulling their caravan and surveyed the arid landscape with a puzzled expression.

Ever since they had unfortunately lost one of the beasts to an adult Dune Drake, Vidhatri, Rizok, and the soldiers had started taking turns closely guarding the ghoraks. Even if they were strong enough to travel the Qahtani Desert by foot, losing the caravans beasts of burden would severely cripple their expedition and add several weeks to their journey.

Zareth really didnt want to deal with that, even if it meant protecting the horrible little spit monster from being eaten by random creatures.

Rizok is just teasing me, said Zareth, glaring half-heartedly at his friend. I may have said a few things that I shouldn't have about my future prospects while I was drunk on beetles.

He went on a long and very dramaticmonologue about his glorious destiny to become the great lord of a rich trade city more prosperous than TalQamar, said Rizok, his eyes mischievous as he shared a glance with Vidhatri. Zareth spoke extensively about how he would bring in [Cooks] from every continent in the world to compete for his attention and make me the head of his security forces. I just wanted to show gratitude to my glorious leader and remind him of his grand aspirations.

Zareth blushed a little and groaned when he heard his drunken rambling repeated back to him. So, what if he dreamt of living in luxury? Anyone would enjoy those kinds of things after growing up without them.

Of course, founding and ruling such a wealthy city where none existed was a bit too ambitious for most people to take seriously, but what was the harm in dreaming big?

Vidhatri turned her gaze to a Qahtani Glintworm in the distance that suddenly emerged from beneath the sands and swallowed an unsuspecting Behemoth Twin-Tailed Scorpion. There was only a short fight before the giant worm disappeared again beneath the dunes, leaving behind a pristine sand dune that showed no evidence the violence which had just occurred.

Somehow, I feel that your ambitions may be difficult to realize, said Vidhatri, her voice as dry as the desert itself as she turned back to look at him. These lands are not as hostile as the jungles of Zumair, but this place does not seem particularly hospitable.

My actual territory will expand from Shabails Pass all the way to the coastline, Zareth quickly explained, feeling a bit defensive about his plans. There are fertile lands further west of here where the largest settlements will be built. I imagine that we should start seeing less sand and more rocky ground fairly soon, since our path to Jabal-Alma is taking us in that direction.

While he hadnt wanted to share his plans before, Zareth had no problems doing so now that hed been forced to go semi-public. High Command had recently demanded that all of the factions in TalQamar submit claims on the lands that they wished to acquire after the war was over. The deadline for these submissions was several months from now, but Zareth had decided that it was in his cults best interest to act early.

According to his contacts in the Tessik, who continued to keep Zareth up to date with TalQamars internal politics via his golem, High Command was trying to keep relations between the Great Houses stable. Forcing them to explicitly state their intentions for territorial expansion was the best way to prevent future conflicts.

This change of policy was apparently made in response to private meetings between the Great Houses becoming increasingly hostile. It was a good idea in Zareths opinion and demonstrated to him that General Nasrith had enough autonomy from the Great Houses to both know about and act in response to those meetings.

It was good to know. Especially with High Command showing favor to the Cult of Cerebon.

Ive never been there myself, but the land is said to be good, said Rizok, expression growing thoughtful. Were it not for the Narakanai, Im certain that this region would be more populated. Their raids are incredibly troublesome to deal with unless you have a decent navy, like Anket does, or are built far enough inland.

The underwater kingdom of aggressive fish people would definitely be a problem, but not one that Zareth had to deal with right now.

I hope High Command manages to hold Anket back while were completing our mission, Zareth said, feeling a little bit worried when he recalled that their destination was uncomfortably close to the frontlines. Itd be pretty unfortunate if we all suddenly found ourselves behind enemy lines. Maybe they could even push the lines further west so that I can scout a decent spot to place a future settlement. Doing so from just a map is almost impossible.

Hmph. If there was a chance of things changing so drastically any time soon, I would have spoken against this little adventure, said Rizok, the firmness in his eyes making clear his commitment to their safety. The Southern Legion is highly specialized in defensive engagements and has secured a very entrenched position in some ravines near Anket. The terrain is rocky due to the nearby mountains, and the enemy has sent the bulk of their forces to the northern front. The southern front will almost certainly stay stagnant unless the wars dynamics change significantly.

Zareth had already done some research into the military situation since leaving TalHadin, but it was still nice to have his assessment reaffirmed.

Scouting the lands further west was actually a fairly important objective that Zareth wanted to accomplish before he left. If the frontlines did in fact stay stagnant like Rizok predicted, then Zareth would need to see if he could find a safe way to explore behind enemy lines. Perhaps through the use of a flesh golem imbedded with an [Eye of Cerebon] or something similar.

He hoped that the locals of Jabal-Alma might have an idea since they knew the area better than himself, but he might just have to give up the idea if it proved too risky.

Zareth was pulled from his thoughts by the chuckles of the middle-aged lizardkin seated at the front of the wagon and driving the caravan. Her name was Skaara, and she was a member of the Tessik who had been assigned to guide them to Jabal-Alma as she possessed the [Desert Pathfinder] Class.

While the Desharin served the role of guiding people in TalQamar through the Qahtani Desert, other cities tended to train their own experts in desert navigation.

Speaking of mountains, sir, we arent too far off from the Emperors Range now, said Skaara, gesturing towards the horizon where a faint outline of towering peaks could be seen, slicing through the sky serrated blades. That means itll only be a short while before we come across the damned mirage thats swallowing folks. I have a few special Skills thatll allow us to navigate it for a while, but the caravans gonna have to move pretty carefully when we reach it.

Do you have a lot of experience with the mirage? Zareth asked curiously, ignoring the trace of tension that clouded Rizoks expression. Given that its been there for nearly nine months and that only relatively high-level guides are capable of getting close to it safely, I imagine that you likely helped investigate it at some point. Were lucky to have you.

For more reasons than one, Zareth thought but didnt say in front of Vidhatri and the surrounding soldiers.

When the caravan wasnt attacked shortly after leaving TalHadin, itd been determined that the next most likely moment for a potential ambush was once they started approaching the mirage. The safest and most direct path to Jabal-Alma would take them fairly close to the mirage, giving House Khysar a place where they knew that Zareth would reliably pass and could stage an ambush from. The fact that the mirage would disorientate the caravan would definitely help the attackers as well.

Having a trustworthy, competent guide who Zareth knew hadnt been paid off by House Khysar was truly fortunate.

Yeah, Ive been to the mirage. I even entered and exited its outer edges to help TalHadins [Mages] figure out what was happening inside, Skaara said, her voice upbeat despite the dangerous situation that they were approaching. Whatevers causing the mirage, its much spookier than the ones made by System Spawn. It messes up your perception of space and makes you feel as if youre in an entirely different world. Gets stronger the deeper you go in, as well. Even Ill get trapped if Im not careful.

Zareth nodded in understanding before opening his third eye and sweeping his gaze across the horizon. Now that the chance of them being ambushed had risen dramatically, Zareth couldnt afford to let himself be distracted by idle conversation.

[Eye of Cerebon] was the most potent tool that their caravan had against illusion and other means of obfuscation that potential ambushers might use. He couldnt see anything of note aside from an abnormally large cluster of Living Sands off in the distance, but Zareth forced himself to remain vigilant over the next hour of travel.

Their caravan remained relatively quiet as the landscape began to change the closer they got to the Emperors Range. Sand gave way to rockier terrain, the sparse vegetation of the desert was replaced by a more varied flora, and the local monsters gradually became more suited for the rougher terrain. By now, they were close enough to the mountains that Zareth could see snow gathering on their tips and large creatures flying near the peaks.

However, neither Zareth nor anyone else in the caravan spotted anything that would imply that they were about to be ambushed. Zareth wasnt sure if that should make him feel relieved or even more on edge. The Tessik were fairly confident that House Khysar was up to something nefarious, even if they couldnt determine the specifics, but that didnt mean that the attack necessarily had to come now.

It would be just as effective to ambush Zareth and his caravan during the journey back to TalHadin or even find a way to hinder them that was a bit more creative. As dangerous as being attacked by the Great Houses paid [Assassins] might be, Zareth honestly hoped for something so straightforward given that he had both Rizok and Vidhatri protecting him.

Not to mention the many life preserving augmentations that hed added to his body, which bolstered his confidence when it came to surviving direct confrontation.

Just as Zareth was about to ask Rizok for his perspective on the lack of any threat, there was a sudden change in their surroundings that had everyone tensing on high alert.

Ha! No need to worry, friends. It seems like we stumbled into that pesky mirage, but Ill have us out of here in a jiffy, Sakaara declared confidently.

Zareth was glad that their guide seemed so sure of themselves, but that did little to reassure him as he and the rest of the caravan gaped dumbfoundedly at the sight before them.

Between one heartbeat and the next, Zareth had gone from admiring the gradually changing environment while keeping an eye out for [Assassins] to standing in what looked to be the ruins of an underground city built into the walls of a vast cavern. Rows upon rows of empty dwelling carved into rock stretched far off into the distance as a veritable maze of streets and alleyways unfolded before them. Looking above, Zareth could see several long and decrepit stone walkways connecting different levels of the city, creating a complex network high above them.

When Zareth glanced back toward their path of arrival, he couldnt help but stumble back as he realized their caravan was now standing atop of a ledge that overlooked a steep drop, plunging into an abyss that seemed to consume any light.

Scary, isnt it? This is one of the reasons why I said this illusion is so much more dangerous than those nasty System Spawn, said Skaara as she calmed down the panicked ghoraks with a few soothing touches. We probably stumbled into the borders of the mirage a while back, but it only activated once we got in deep enough that we couldnt immediately turn around and leave. At least, thats what that group of fancy [Mages] the Swarm Lord hired to investigate told me when I brought em here. Makes it hard to pin down exactly where it starts and ends, and before you know it, youre in the thick of it.

Zareth had already known from past reports that the magical phenomenon was uncomfortably close to Jabal-Alma. There had always been a good chance of the caravan encountering it on their journey, even if he didnt need to investigate and get rid of the thing himself.

However, experiencing the mirage first-hand was entirely different from reading about it in reports.

Is this truly an illusion? Vidhatri asked, her voice shaking with a rare tremor of awe and uncertainty. Its difficult to believe. I feel as if Ive suddenly stepped into another world entirely. I have never even heard of illusions capable of feeling so real.

Zareth traded a subtle glance with Rizok, who had been organizing the caravans unsettled soldiers in a defensive formation around the wagons. They were both quite familiar with a faction who had once been able to make uncommonly sophisticated illusions. Contemporary magic was generally superior to the magic of ancient times, but the illusions of the Nephalan Empire were a definite exception.

Likely because the Conclave seemed to have made efforts to expurgate any information about that time in history, and there hadnt been much research since into a relatively esoteric niche branch of magic. Nobody besides Zareth, Rizok, and presumably Saraak knew that one of the goals of this mission was for them to find the Nephalan Empire ruins, which the Tessik believed were hidden somewhere in this area.

Apart from lessening the influence that the Conclave had on Jabal-Alma and ensuring that the settlement could be integrated into the greater TalQamari polity, everyone believed that their only other objective was to resolve the mirage problem. Now that Zareth had seen just how advanced the mirage actually was, he had suspicion that some of his objectives might just be a bit more interconnected than he initially thought.

How are we supposed to know which way to go if we cant trust our sense of direction? Zareth asked as glanced distrustfully toward the bottomless chasm behind them. Id normally assume that we could just go back the way we came, but I somehow feel like that would be a bad idea

[Eye of Cerebon] could tell that there was something off with his surroundings and Zareth could sense that the Etherveil was highly concentrated here, but none of his senses told him how to navigate the illusion.

Well, thats what you have me for, darling, Skaara said with a cheeky smirk before turning her gaze to the cityscape. [Banish Obfuscation] [Share Route] [Undeviating Path].

Zareth wasnt sure why Skaara spoke the names of her Skills outloud, until he felt them directly affecting him and realized that the lizardkin had only done so to warn them. It would have been unwise to covertly use her Skills on a bunch of tense soldiers.

The first seemed to somehow weaken the illusion around them, allowing Zareth to better sense the Ether fluctuating in the surroundings even if his third eye still couldnt pierce the mirage completely. The second presumably created an intuitive understanding of the path that they needed to follow while the last of Skaaras skills shared it with everyone in the caravan via some form of telepathic link and also provided them with an awareness of each others positions.

Zareth couldnt help but feel impressed and a bit reassured that they had someone with Skaaras expertise guiding them.

Alright. That should do it, Skaara said brightly before returning to the driving seat of the wagon and grabbing the ghoraks reins. Everyone stay close and keep your eyes peeled! Even if theres little chance of [Assassins] being able to navigate this place to find us, that doesnt mean were safe. I heard some of my colleagues talk about things jumping out of dark places to attack em when they tried to delve in too deep, so we better be careful.

The increased flesh malleability provided by [Cerebons Boon] meant that Zareths body could be modified a bit more than most people, a fact which he had thoroughly exploited when designing his own form.

In addition to the tendrils, quills, and all of the other useful features that hed been using since he acquired [Permanent Flesh Manipulation], Zareth had also added the most useful parts of the templates provided to High Command. Consequently, its defensive capabilities were only slightly worse than the Bulwarks and it could also create most of the virulent toxins of the Plaguebringer.

The Mirage Stalkers stealth capabilities were impossible to replicate without making the body more fragile, so those modifications had been left out. Zareth could still become invisible by using [Template Body], but the Skill could only be used once every ten seconds.

Zareths augmentations were the only reason why he could withstand or dodge the flurry of blows sent by his opponent while also emitting a concoction of several scentless substances into the air. It would be a while until most of them took effect, so Zareth was still forced to use every trick that hed been taught by Rizok to survive the ogres onslaught.

He was actually able to avoid a surprising number of the strikes, likely due to his aura-induced enhancements, while his redundant organs and potent defenses allowed him to deal with the rest. For some reason, Zareth had the impression that the ogre didnt seem all that interested in finishing him off, but the constant glances toward Skaara and the steadily stronger blows made it clear that their patience was wearing thin. Zareth realized that he was being herded even farther away from his allies, but there was little he could do.

Besides, that might just work to his benefit soon enough if he didnt need to worry about any allies being close to the substances he was still emitting.

Leaning away from an uppercut that would have utterly shattered his jaw, Zareth ejected a stream of acid toward the ogres face from both palms while leaping backward to gain distance. He expected his opponent to dodge the attack, but the ogre merely ignored the acid as it splashed across his skin while charging forward and launching a precise kick toward his left leg which practically turned everything below his knee into a gorey mess.

The ogre must have expected such a devastating attack to put him out of commission, but [Deaden Nerves] meant that Zareth felt nothing and could thus retaliate with a dozen, venom-bearing tendrils and a volley of quills from a range too close to avoid. Zareth felt a surge of triumph as ogres eyes widened in surprise, and the many attacks made impact, only to himself be caught off guard when all of them failed to have any effect.

Both the quills and the tendrils were unable to pierce his skin, while the acid sizzled across the ogre's chest with no discernable result. Even the tendril which Zareth had wrapped around the ogres leg before activating [Corrode Flesh] failed to do anything, and he couldnt even sense any of his opponents biology as he should.

It was only after scanning the ogre with his third eye and spotting a small crack where one of the tendrils hit that Zareth concluded that his opponents body seemed to be acting more like stone instead of flesh.

Well I guess thats one way to deal with a caravan that has two people capable of manipulating flesh, Zareth thought to himself, heart dropping as he realized that he was outmatched. Depending on how his Class works, even my toxins might end up being useless.

Not only was his opponent likely higher-level than him and more experienced, but hed almost certainly been hired specifically to counter his and Vidhatris abilities. Sometimes he really wished that his enemies would just be slightly less thoughtful.

Impressive.

That deep voiced acknowledgement was all that the ogre said before charging toward Zareth again, this time no longer bothering to dodge his counterattacks. While hed already begun the process of healing his destroyed limb, he wasnt like Vidhatri and couldnt recreate an entire leg from nothing in seconds.

This meant that he was forced to use his tendrils as a type of pseudo limb to pull himself away from the ogre. Zareth knew that he wouldnt be able to run from his opponent for very long, so he used his third eye to swiftly scan the battlefield before deciding on a course of action.

Rizok had managed to significantly wound his enemy, but the [Weapon Master] had seemingly managed to shatter his sword and was leveraging the long reach of a halberd to keep the lizardkin occupied. The soldiers seemed to have only suffered a single fatality while dealing several more to their opponents, but they too were stuck in an apparent stalemate.

That meant that there was only one route to take.

Skaara! Go to Vidhatri! Zareth shouted as he barely pulled himself away from a large spike of earth that threatened to impale him through the stomach.

His shout was loud enough to catch the attention of everyone on the battlefield, but he had little other choice. Thankfully, Zareths allies seemed to have understood that Skaara was being targeted and moved to intercept anyone who tried to attack her as the [Pathfinder] scurried toward Vidhatri. The shivarath had already torn most of her enemies to pieces and would be the most capable of protecting Skaara.

The ogre attempted to sprint past Zareth in pursuit of Skaara, likely trusting his defenses to handle anything that was thrown at him. That may have worked, if not for Zareths Sigils.

Activating the magical organ in his hands responsible for his Minor Pyrokinesis, Zareth created a small flame several feet in front of him a moment after surrounding himself in the strongest barrier of reinforced bone that he could create. He braced himself as the fire ignited the combustible gas that hed been spewing ever since he had engaged the ogre.

The subsequent explosion was loud enough that Zareth was forced to regenerate his destroyed ear drums even as the shockwaves tore through his barrier. The barrier took a significant amount of damage, but it barely managed to hold on long enough for him to emerge mostly unscathed from his defenses.

Surveying the explosions aftermath, Zareth was relieved to see that the ogre had herded him far enough from his allies that they were out of the explosion range. Both the wagon and the corpses of the ghoraks had obviously been blown to bits, but that didnt matter all that much to Zareth.

What did matter, was that the ogre had somehow reacted quickly enough to create a barrier of stone against the explosion and survive! Albeit with a litany of cracks across his gray skin that made it look like he was about to shatter into pieces at any second, but still!

Zareth knew that high-level combatants were tough to put down, but this was ridiculous.

Despite his frustration, Zareths surprise attack had successfully managed to catch his opponent off guard and allowed him to defeat someone who should have been out of his league. When the ogre burrowed into the ground and Zareth sensed a subsequent trail of Ether headed away from the battlefield, he knew that hed won.

Unfortunately, that didnt mean that the battle was over.

Zareth quickly glanced toward Skaara, and saw that shed reached halfway to Vidhatri and was hiding behind the same armored ogre soldier who hed used as cover earlier from several [Assassins] who had attempted to intercept her. The battle seemed to be turning in their favor overall, but the enemys increased desperation still posed a significant threat.

He wanted to help, but he had only managed to regrow the bones in his left leg and didnt trust them to hold up in a prolonged melee. He could use his Toxic Cloud Sigil to direct a cloud of paralytic toxins toward the attackers, but there was a good chance that it would also affect his allies.

Therefore, Zareth prepared to activate the most useful of his recently acquired abilities. The complex Sigil had taken up the rest of his bodys Sigil Capacity which hadnt been used to sustain his Toxic Cloud and Minor Pyrokinesis, but seeing the results now made it clear to him that it was worth it.

As one of the [Assassins] attacking Skaara leapt forward to exploit her distracted state, Zareth activated the Sigil that hed derived in his perpetual research into flight, which hed aptly named Minor Decrease Gravity. He nearly laughed when the [Assassin] went flying awkwardly into the air, his trajectory far higher and longer than expected, only to be killed by an arrow from one of his retinues [Archers] when the momentary surprise faded.

Continuing to make use of Minor Decrease Gravity to sabotage anyone who tried to attack Skaara, the lizardkin was able to make her way to the safety of Vidhatris protective tentacles. Seeing that she was safe, Zareth promptly created a straight piece of reinforced bone approximately as long as Rizoks sword and threw it towards the [Aura Blade].

Rizok didnt even need to look to catch it before immediately using [Temporary Blade], transforming the bone into a sharp saber, and charging towards the injured [Weapon Master]. While Zareths friend hadnt shared information about every Skill he possessed, hed sparred Rizok often enough to have a good idea of what he could do.

It didnt long after that for the enemy to realize that there was little chance of them successfully killing the [Pathfinder] and called for a retreat. Their [Trapsetter Assassin] must have managed to survive, because an annoying number of traps similar to the ones from before suddenly activated, providing perfect cover for most of them to withdraw.

Zareth emerged from his cover after the dust settled, his hearts pounding as adrenaline began to fade. The battlefield was a grim tableau of the brutal skirmish that had just occurred. Soldiers were already moving to secure the area, their faces grim as they checked for any lingering threats or traps left behind by the retreating assailants. The corpses of the two soldiers who had fallen in battle were carefully gathered and wrapped in the crimson cloaks that all TalQamari soldiers wore.

Zareth and Vidhatri both began using their abilities to heal the wounds of anyone who needed it. Meanwhile, Rizok began to organize the caravan in preparation for a quick march to Jabal-Alma. They should be fairly close, so it would be best for them to get to safety as quickly as possible.

You really saved my scales out there, huh? Skaara said once Zareth began approaching her for healing, voice still upbeat but clearly shaken. I knew that wed probably be attacked once we left TalHadin, but I didnt expect em to be so eager to get rid of me in particular. Shame that they managed to destroy the wagon and those poor ghoraks.

If its any comfort, I doubt that theyll try again any time soon, Zareth said, attempting to reassure her as he began tending to her injuries. They took far more casualties than we did, and we now have a good idea of their Class composition. It would be suicide to attack again without getting reinforcements, which we should get first given our proximity to the Southern Legion.

That seemed to relieve the frightened lizardkin somewhat, allowing Zareth to focus on his task. Most of her wounds were fairly simple to handle and werent particularly serious. Just as he was about to finish, he was startled as Skaara suddenly coughed up a small splatter of blood, her face contorting in pain. At the same time, he discovered a trace of strange poison within one of her knife wounds that he hadnt noticed before.

Zareths hearts skipped a beat as the poison slowly disappeared from his perception once again, and he quickly activated [Minor Purify Flesh] where he last sensed the poison in an effort to cleanse Skaaras body of any residual toxins. That immediately proved to be a mistake as the lizardkin began coughing even more violently, her body convulsing with intense spasms.

Fuck! Vidhatri! Zareth called out in panic as the poison began raving Skaaras body.

It only took a second for Vidhatri to arrive and attempt to heal the lizardkin, her expression growing frustrated after a few moments. Its no use. [Greater Purify Flesh] can put the poison into some kind of stasis, but its only temporary. She needs to be brought to a dedicated [Healer] if she is to live.

Zareth let out another curse before turning Rizok, who was already shouting at everyone to organize into a defensive formation. Jabal-Alma was their best hope at finding that [Healer], and they couldnt afford to send Sakaara ahead without risking the rest of the caravan from being picked off. Zareth and Vidhatri, who carried the sickly lizardkin with her lower four arms so that she could continue using [Greater Purify Flesh], were placed in the center of the group as the soldiers surrounded them.

The armored ogre soldier, whose name eluded him, activated his [Swift March] Skill, while Rizoks reactivated his [Aura of Bolstering] and [Aura of Quickness]. Their group moved at full speed as they followed Skaaras [Undeviating Path] toward Jabal-Alma, the landscape a blur.

They would eventually have to come back for the supplies and bodies that theyd been forced to leave behind, but the consequences if Skaara died made this an emergency. They ran past monsters, through the mirage, and over treacherous terrain at a frantic pace. Zareth wasnt sure how fast or how far they traveled, but he quickly noticed their surroundings begin to change as they sprinted westward.

Their relative proximity to the coast meant that these lands were fairly fertile and supported a more diverse array of flora than Zareth had ever seen during his second life. He also started to see several sinkholes dotting the landscape, which wasnt surprising that Jabal-Alma was built around a cenote.

When he finally spotted a large stonewall off in the distance, Zareth could have cheered in relief. Skaaras condition had remained stable, but he could see that Vidhatri was beginning to sweat from exertion, Skill Exhaustion likely creeping up on her after such a long battle and continuous activations of [Greater Purify Flesh].

It seemed like the locals had somehow seen them coming, as a large group of ogres wearing leather armor and carrying strange, glowing spears were waiting for them atop the wall. Their skin was significantly smoother and far more pale than the ogres of TalQamar, while also possessing sharper, more elf-like ears.

Zareth would normally be interested in studying these differences, but this obviously wasnt the right time.

Greetings, people of Jabal-Alma. I am Apostle Zareth, leader of the Cult of Cerebon, Zareth shouted as soon as he was close enough to be heard, not wanting to deal with a long back and forth. As you should have been informed, I have been sent here to represent TalQamar. But our [Pathfinder] was attacked during the journey and needs to see a [Healer] immediately! We ask that you allow us entrance into your settlement as quickly as possible.

The tall, pale ogres began glancing at each other. Zareths enhanced senses didnt see or hear any of them speaking, so they must have had some other means of communicating privately. After several tense moments, the largest of the ogres stepped forward and spoke aloud for the first time.

You may enter. Your weapons will be confiscated, and your injured tended to.

There was a faint, ethereal quality to the ogres voice that set Zareth on edge, especially when he was told that his group would be disarmed. However, there was little time to argue and it wasnt completely unreasonable for foreign visitors to be relieved of their weapons before being allowed into a city.

Something about the ogres told him that they wouldnt be impressed or intimidated by Zareths eventual claim on these lands, so it was best to simply play along.

Rizok and the soldiers were reluctant to give up their weapons, but did so without complaint and handed them to one of the ogres who jumped down from the walls once Zareth agreed. Thankfully, the ogres didnt waste any time opening the gates and allowing them inside. The city consisted of a collection of buildings surrounding a large sinkhole. There wasnt anything special about the buildings themselves besides being made from a dark, wood-like material that Zareth didnt recognize, so he focused on the large sinkhole instead.

These buildings were likely just for the guards anyway as the majority of Jabal-Almas citizens reportedly lived within the underground cenote.

The pale ogres were completely silent as their group was led down a staircase, made from the same material as the buildings, into the sinkhole. As they descended, the light of the sun began to dim until the only source of illumination was the glowing spears carried by the ogres. Zareth hadnt realized just how deep underground the city was and grew increasingly surprised with every passing minute.

Just as he was about to ask the ogres how much longer it would take for Skaara to be brought to their [Healer], he noticed a light emanating at the bottom of the staircase.

Zareth got his first good look at Jabal-Alma after a few more minutes of descent and almost couldnt help but stop to stare in astonishment.

A sparkling pool of water rested at the bottom of the cenote encircled by a group of modest, but well-crafted structures. All along the walls of the cenote, glowing crystals of various sizes illuminated the city of Jabal-Alma. Pale skinned ogres moved about their daily lives, tending to gardens of massive ogre-sized mushrooms, catching strange-looking fishing from the waters of their cenote, and disappearing into large tunnels that led to who knows where.

It was a captivating scene and much more impressive than Zareth had been expecting from a relatively small settlement, but it was the strange movements of the Etherveil which surprised him the most about this place

Zareth was pulled from his thoughts by the proud voice of the ogre who had been leading them. Welcome to Jabal-Alma, the Oasis Below. May you treat it well and receive its gifts in return. Come, outsiders. You will be escorted to your accommodations and be readied to see our [Speaker] while your wounded guide is tended to.

Without another word, the pale ogre turned and continued through the cavernous streets of Jabal-Alma. Zareth took a moment to trade a cautious glance with Rizok before following shortly after.