Chapter 590: Magic Turtle (2/2)

“What do you see?” Ilea asked him, curious to know what his view looked like. He wasn’t truly blind after all.

He remained silent for a moment, hissing a long and quiet hiss before he smiled. “Serenity.”

“A poet. I like it,” Ilea said and jumped down, the two Elves following shortly after.

She entered the water with a deep dive, reducing her armor to a point where she retained decency. Ilea smiled at the underwater dragon pursuing a glowing purple fish that looked remarkably Elven in nature.

Not like Fey ever needs to bath with his fires, she thought, enjoying the cold water, the taste of salt and the might of the waves. Her wings propelled her through the ocean before she broke out, forming a small boat of ash in which she could lie comfortably. The view was gorgeous. I should really stay here more often.

She enjoyed the waves breaking on the nearby cliffs, closing her eyes as she relaxed. Ilea only opened on eye when a dragon like creature rose from below, pushing her boat up onto its back.

Feyrair twirled his massive body, taking her with him.

She simply displaced herself past his wing and reformed her boat.

“You’re no fun,” Feyrair said as his massive red dragon head poked out of the water.

She glanced over and smiled. “Enough fun for a day. That was a close one.”

He rolled his large reptilian eyes. “I thought this is what we thrive on,” he said before going under again, focusing on a new prey.

We do, yes. But it would be a bummer to see you all die. Especially in such a shit place underground, she thought and checked the few messages she had received.

‘ding’ ‘Sentinel Huntress reaches 3rd lvl 30’

From what exactly? Ah maybe that was earlier. Guess I’m maxed out now. Two Classes pushed as far as they can go. For now.

She felt rather proud, reminiscing about the work and training she had put in to get them to where they were now.

‘ding’ ‘Displacement reaches 3rd lvl 19’

‘ding’ ‘Space Shift reaches 3rd lvl 16’

‘ding’ ‘Space Awareness reaches 3rd lvl 4’

Oh, that ordeal pushed it one higher. Well I’ll take it gladly, she thought with a smile.

‘ding’ ‘Meditation reaches 3rd lvl 13’

‘ding’ ‘Veteran reaches 3rd lvl 17’

I’ll be the ultimate veteran, she smirked.

‘ding’ ‘You have escaped Iz, saving both yourself and your team – One Core skill point awarded’

“And a nice cherry on top,” she mused. It would’ve been possible to escape through more traditional means but the journey would’ve been long and dangerous. The chance of them hitting a dead end and getting swarmed by machines would’ve been high too.

When she returned to her home, Ilea sighed as she noticed the burnt smell. She blinked down into the kitchen to find Ben and Elfie fiddling with the stove, the metal plates covered in ice.

She crossed her arms and looked at the two, their bodies slowly turning to face her.

“It… eh, I burned something and… panicked,” Ben said, looking down.

“And you mock me for my cartography skills,” she murmured, turning the stove on again to melt the ice. “Come on, upstairs with you.”

Ben tried to say something when Elfie hissed and dragged him up with him.

Shouldn’t have brought them here, she thought, seeing Feyrair looking at the books in her room. As soon as she saw him jump onto her bed, she displaced him in front of the entrance.

What did they even try to cook, she thought, looking at the pan filled to the brim with ice. Below rested a sad burnt piece of meat. And here I thought Ben was the one knowledgeable about human society. I guess he never joined a cooking course.

She cleaned out the pan with her ash and went upstairs, finding all the Elves sitting at the table or on the sofas, cleaned and very much armored.

Ilea looked at them and started laughing. “Holy shit you guys are awkward,” she said and joined them, summoning meals for everyone and adding a few barrels of ale to the mix. “Can someone play an instrument? Some music would be nice. I think it’d be good to relax a little after that endeavor.”

“We should plan our next move,” Farthorn said, looking at the plate he received with suspicion. He was about to dig his hand into it when Ilea handed him a fork.

“Sure, I mean it’s not like a few hours will make a difference,” Ilea said and formed an ashen chair, the creation much more comfortable than anything not specifically made for her ass and back. She had switched into casual clothes, enjoying a mug of ale.

She raised her brows to look at Asay, the elf having summoned a weird string instrument that glittered with arcane energy, his hands weaving a spell as an aura of magic washed out from him.

He winked at her with a sly smile and started playing, a serene sound spreading through the large room, the very air vibrating with each note.

Ilea closed her eyes and relaxed in her chair, enjoying the ethereal experience as the Elves ate their human meals. Human meals, not human meals.

Seithir formed a spell as well, literally touching everyone’s souls with a gentle breeze of pure emotion. A sensation quite unlike anything Ilea had experienced so far.

Elfie summoned runed barriers that glittered with light, pulses of curse magic disturbing the other spells in a profound and changing way.

She watched them and sipped on her ale, happy to have the group here. It felt right, to see them show off their magic in such a spectacle compared to the monstrous ways of their harsh societies. Nobody spoke a word for quite some time.

When the performance came to an end, Ilea clapped with a smile on her face.

Ben glanced over and copied the gesture with a knowing smirk, Elfie and Neiphato following suit.

“What are you doing?” Feyrair whispered from the side.

“Clapping. A crowd can show appreciation for a performance with this gesture,” Ilea explained to him. “You’re amazing with that thing,” she said to Asay. “Let alone the magic the others weaved. Is that a common thing in the Domains?”

Asay giggled to himself before he waved back his hair, the instrument vanishing as he bowed. “Not exactly.”

“A skill like that has little use in battle,” Elfie said. “Though I can see its value,” he added with a hiss.

Asay hissed back, in an appreciative way.

“You should perform at some point. Maybe I could hire you,” Ilea said.

“We have more pressing matters than artistry,” Farthorn said with a hiss.

Ilea glanced at him. “Your millennia old war, yes. I’m sure it can’t wait for a month or a year.”

“You would not be alive, were it not for her,” Isalthar said, shutting the elf up, his gaze growing softer as he looked to the ground. “And we have learned much in our venture. Our goal will be the Praetorian facility, to gain enough strength to face Iz. I shall find the Hunters that remain in the lands, our purpose laid out.”

“What about the keys? We already have one. Well, Ilea has one,” Feyrair said, glancing at her.

“Artifacts long lost. Finding them will prove impossible. Finding Iz, however, is not. Not anymore,” Isalthar said with a light smile.

Ilea looked at him, thoughtfully sipping on her ale.

“Or am I mistaken, Guardian?” he spoke and looked at her with interest.

“It’s going to take a long time for this group to be able to face that army. Might not ever be possible. Now that they know we can get there, I’m sure the forces will only grow,” Ilea said. “The key allowed me to communicate with that creature. And getting additional ones will allow me to gain even more.”

“Do you have a way to find them?” Elfie asked.

“Now that’s the question, isn’t it?” Ilea said with a smirk.