Chapter 15 - Child

  Sylvian stood transfixed by the image before her. All the stories that she was told when she was a child came back to her in a flash. Soft-white bark, with glowing silver and gold leaves. If that wasn’t enough, then the Mana and Aura coming off it would have been. It was filled with the concept of growth.

  It filled up most of the room and all of Sylvian’s sight as it stood ever motionless and peaceful. She never dreamed of seeing one in her lifetime, but there was no doubt in her mind that this was a child of Yggdrasil.

  But why? Why would one of the lost children be here? The last of the children was supposed to be destroyed millennia ago. Greed for their power and fear for what they might become, caused many to seek after them in eras past and none were supposed to have survived the harvesting.

  Every so often there were rumors of a surviving child but never were ever found. Now, with only myths to remember them by, the elves had a long-standing pact that should any ever be found, it was to be protected at all costs.

  “Hello?” the voice said again. The voice was the most hauntingly beautiful voice she had ever heard. She didn’t even know the Elvish language could be spoken like this. It was almost enough to match the visage, and she would have been lost in her trance, but the voice continued speaking slowly bringing Sylvian back to reality. “Are you there? I gained a new language called Elvish upon seeing you, but you don’t seem to be recognizing it. I’m not sure what to do. This has never happened before. Let me think.”

  “I hear you,” Sylvian responded, glancing around the room. The only thing in the room was the child, and she knew that it was the one talking to her right now, but it was still a Trial and there might be something else in here with them.

  “That’s a relief,” the child said. “Wasn’t sure what I would do if we couldn’t speak. The first thing I should mention is that I am the tree in the middle of the room. Not sure why I need to clarify this, but no one believes me at first.”

  “I believe you,” Sylvian said. “May I ask, just for my own clarification, but are you truly a child of Yggdrasil?”

  The tree was silent for a moment. “This is the second time that has come up. All I can say is, I do not know what Yggdrasil is.”

  “I understand,” Sylvian said already making up her mind. This had to be one. There was no doubt in her mind. Everything about this place was steeped in mystery and now this was another one. At least she now knew why Zajowle wanted her to be the next to enter the trial.

  Slowly, she approached the child. However the child got here, it was here now, probably always has been, and she would help protect it. All of elven kind would, but that made her frown.

  The discovery of a living child of Yggdrasil will have ramifications that could impact all the great empires, and even the higher realms. So far, the Jungle of the Four Lords has mostly been ignored due to the danger the Lords posed, and the lack of anything worth the risk of entering. But that could change if something like the child was discovered here. In particular, the dwarves wouldn’t like it, but they never liked any plant.

  Sylvian’s sect was small and in desperate need right now. They were in no position to claim or defend against any of the greater kingdoms, and the humans were new and had no stake in this conflict.

  “Hello?” The child was speaking to her. “Are you still there? You haven’t moved in a while.”

  “Yes,” Sylvian said. “I am still here. I’m sorry, I was lost in thought. What were you saying.”

  “Oh good,” the child said. “I was beginning to worry. I was saying my name is Arbour and this is a safe space to rest in between trials. There are still three more you must complete, but you can do those in any order you like.”

  “Does that mean you are the Moderator?” Sylvian asked. “And your name is… Arbour?”

  “Yes to both,” the child called Arbour said. “Have been for some time, but the name is new. Do you like it? A human helped me picked it out.”

  “I’m sorry,” Sylvian said. “This is a lot to take in right now. Who helped you pick out the name?”

  “His name was Jack,” Arbour said. “Strange person. I thought it was just a human thing, but I have met several humans now and they all seemed normal. Well, mostly normal. Jack was the one that told me I needed a name and now I have one.”

  “I see,” Sylvian nodded while silently vowing to reprimand Jack later. How could he let the child name itself ‘a shelter of trees’. “I have so many questions right now, but I actually came in here for a purpose.”

  “Of course,” Arbour said. “As I was explaining earlier, I don’t think you heard me that time, there are three more trials to undergo, and upon completing them, we have to create a contract between us. Afterwards, the Trial will be complete. If you have any questions, I’m here to answer them. In the meantime, this area is a safe space and can be used to recover between the trials.”

  “Right, yes,” Sylvian said. “But I actually have other questions concerning another human named Clayton.”

  “Oh him,” Arbour said. “I didn’t like him much.”

  “Yes him,” Sylvian said. “Can you tell me about his time here?”

  “Hmm,” Arbour made a rustling sound as its branches shifted slightly. “I’m afraid there is a limit on what I can share about another Candidate, and what they did during their Trial or their time here.”

  “I understand,” Sylvian said. “What can you tell me about his time here then?”

  “I can tell you that he completed the Trial with relative ease and left. He had me teleport him into the city. Shortly afterwards, he came back here through an item I gave him to return and then left the way he originally came in.”

  “So, he is no longer here,” Sylvian muttered. “I appreciate the information. It was very helpful. I have another question. You said you sent him somewhere within the city. If I complete the Trial, then can you send me to the same location you sent him?”

  “Yes, I can do that,” Arbour confirmed. “I can teleport Candidates and members to different places within the city, but I don’t have access to most places within the Order’s land anymore.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “I see. While I am…resting between the Trials, could we speak more?” Sylvian asked hesitantly. She didn’t want to overstep, but she had so many questions, and this might be the only time she got to speak to the child if it lived only in the Trial. A part of her was furious at the audacity of the Akashic Order to imprison a child of Yggdrasil to act as a Trial moderator, but if they hadn’t, then there was a good chance it wouldn’t have survived the harvesting by the other races as the others were. She still couldn’t believe one was still alive after all this time.

  “I would like that,” Arbour said. “But you only have one month to complete the Trial. That should be your priority.”

  “I understand,” Sylvian said. “Please tell me more about these Trials if you can.”

  Arbour started to explain the next three trials and Sylvian listened intently. She had a job to do, and she needed to tell Rayne and bring the other elves here. More than that though, she had to find a way to release the child from its imprisonment. Protected as it was, there was no possible way it could continue to grow in these circumstances.

  *~*

  “It’s been three days so far,” Jack said. “Do you think something might have happened?”

  Jack was back at the Legacy Hall again. He had returned with several of the other people in their group to check out the building and the stuff inside. There was very little to do but wait for Sylvian to return, and even less in the Candidate’s tower, a name they had started calling the rooms below the Trial. They believed it was where the Akashic Order originally housed the new aspiring members to their orders. Elaine, Elizabeth, Reuf, Daniel and Zajowle had all agreed to come along and search the building.

  Zajowle and Daniel were the only people who were really needed. Daniel’s knowledge of magic and Zajowle’s ability to inspect item information would give them a better chance to understand the items left behind in the building, but there was a chance Clayton might still be around, so they traveled in groups. This was something that no one had an issue with. Even without the threat of Clayton, everyone was starting to get a little bit stir crazy. A trip to check out the strange and possibly magical items left over by the Akashic Order was too interesting to ignore. It was something they intended to do before leaving the city, and it was better than sitting around waiting.

  “I’m sure she is fine,” Zajowle said. He was staring down at the toy runic cube. It was the only thing Jack was able to view with his Analyze skill in the building, but Zajowle could probably see more. “If I was able to complete the Trial, she should have no issues. I imagine she is taking her time right now.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Jack said. “Still, it makes me worry.”

  “I’m more worried about Zephyr,” Daniel said. “Normally she would have check in by now.”

  “Do you think something might have happened to her?” Elizabeth asked.

  Daniel shook his head, “I would’ve felt it if anything like that happened. More likely she is taking advantage of the opportunity to spread out a little bit.”

  “What are these things?” Elaine asked, inspecting a different pedestal.

  “I’m not sure,” Jack said. “We weren’t able to get any information about the different items when we scouted the place before.”

  “You mentioned before that you thought it might be a museum or Legacy Hall,” Daniel said. “Are you sure? I’m not getting that impression right now.”

  “Just a theory,” Jack said. “Based on my first impressions of the place.”

  “It’s not,” Zajowle said. “It’s a shop.”

  “A shop? Are you sure?” Daniel asked.

  Zajowle nodded. “I am certain. I can tell when I enter a shop. This one is System controlled. These are display items and attempting to remove any of them would purchase the item. The System would remove their cost from the person directly. I’ve seen shops like this before, but it is strange. Normally a shop like this would have a storeroom where the surplus items are held to be sold, but I haven’t seen anything like that here. Even if it’s empty, it should still exist.”

  “So, anything here can be purchased?” Reuf asked as he examined a small intricate metal ball. “That doesn’t help us much. We have little money, and without knowing the price and purpose of the items it would be pointless.”

  “Hmm, perhaps,” Zajowle said. “We may not be able to purchase the more impressive items, but there might still be something here that could prove beneficial. For instance, this toy.”

  “It’s a toy?” Elaine asked.

  “Technically,” Zajowle said. “A teaching toy. A toy that can teach the Runic language to a basic understanding, roughly sixty percent, to any that uses it. With the funds we received from the battle with the goblins, we might be able to get it.”

  “I see,” Daniel said. “The Runic language is a dead and almost forgotten language. One that has proven to be impossible to learn even from System rewards. There are scholars in the Wizard’s Order that have studied it their whole lives. I thought it was strange when the people taking the trials came out with a rudimentary understanding of it, but if this can teach the language, that could be incredible.”

  “Incredible and valuable,” Zajowle said. “Forgotten knowledge always sells well to the right buyers.”

  “But I thought you said that we wouldn’t be able to purchase any of the really valuable items,” Elizabeth said.

  “Valuable to us,” Zajowle said. “A toy to the Akashic Order.”

  “Knowledge of this level could have been considered basic and standard during their time,” Daniel said. “But we should continue looking. If our funds are limited, then we should first determine what would be best for the group to purchase. As much as I would like it myself, it may not be the best to choose right now.’

  “True,” Reuf said. “This is not the time for impulse buying. Wish we had a way to read this language.”

  “Working on that,” Jack said. “I’m close to getting it as a quest reward. Too bad I still haven’t managed to complete it yet.”

  “I’ll leave Zajowle to inspect the items down here,” Daniel said as he headed to the stairs. “I’m not much use in this area. Perhaps there is something on a different floor I can better make sense of.”

  “The third and fourth floor are filled with tomes and magic diagrams,” Jack told Daniel as he left.

  “I’m curious about this item,” Reuf said to Zajowle bringing his attention over to the small metal ball on display. “The design is exquisite, but it looks to be little more than decorative. Why would it be in a shop like this?”

  Everyone’s attention was on the new item as Zajowle inspected it. “It’s a holding capsule,” Zajowle eventually said.

  “What is a holding capsule?” Jack asked.

  “A device for holding living creatures,” Reuf said. “Things like bound pets, Familiars, or even summoned creatures that are too costly to unsummon can be placed within these for a time.”

  “A common enough device,” Zajowle said. “Merchants usually keep a few on hand. Transporting livestock or exotic pets can make them a target. Safer and easier to use a holding capsule.”

  They continued like this, going from item to item and having Zajowle explain what he was able to learn from it. Several items were outside his ability to inspect, but they were able to find a device for recording and displaying images and sounds, a cup that would detect if poison was placed within it, a bouncing ball toy that helped develop Dexterity and Perception, a sheet of canvas that could recreate any image the holder thinks about, and several potions that Elaine determined to be healing and poison. Strangely, both types were deep red vials and placed next to each other on the same shelf. There should probably have been guidelines to keep those two separate.

  Eventually they moved to the next floor to see what Daniel was able to discover, but he wasn’t on the second or third floor. They found him on the fourth obsessing over the diagrams there.

  “Nothing on the previous floors?” Jack asked, making Daniel jump slightly from the sudden sound.

  “What?” Daniel asked, not bothering to look up. “Oh no… Maybe… Can’t determine for sure without being able to read the language. These though are truly amazing.”

  “You know what they are?” Elaine asked.

  “Some are Enchantment diagrams,” Daniel said. “One time use. Others are rituals. Already set up and ready to use rituals. Best I can tell, anyone can come here and for a price use one of these rituals. I’ve never seen a shop offer that service before.”

  “Do you know what they do?” Zajowle asked, inspecting one of the tiles.

  “Only a couple,” Daniel said. “Ritual magic has ties with enchanting but was always more of a hobby of mine. Still, this one in particular caught my eye.”

  Daniel indicated one of the more complicated diagrams in a nearby room, drawing all their attention to it. “It’s a Familiar summoning ritual.”