Chapter 656: Treasure Island (2/2)

“No,” he answered in a court manner.

“Shame, well off then with us. Where to, Lilith?” Pierce asked while she pointed to the sky.

Verena got up and started cleaning.

Ilea used her ash to clear off the blood and mud. “It’s fine,” she said.

The woman nodded and disappeared, appearing in front of the door.

“Think you can find the way yourself?” she asked Kyrian, displacing the two of them outside after Pierce had vanished too.

He glanced over, his helmet covering all of his face. “I’ve walked these mountains, just as you have. I think I’ll find my way around.”

“Enjoy your time off, and greet the others for me,” she said and summoned the locator. “Call for me when you need to get back.”

The map flashed up when she activated the related rune.

“Flashy. What’s that?” Pierce asked, flying over with two wings of blue lightning, still wearing her dress.

“Call for us if you need help,” Kyrian said as he ascended. “And good luck.”

Ilea ignored the woman floating around her, looking at the device and the map with large eyes.

So, these are either going to be buried in random Taleen dungeons, or they’re in the pockets of an Oracle, Elemental, or Ascended. Maybe an Elemental Oracle. At least that would be interesting to see, she thought.

Nothing showed up in the vicinity, the arrow pointing to the north east. Out towards the ocean. Wonderful start. Kraken ate it?

“That looks Taleen,” Pierce finally said.

Verena joined them, fire burning on her skin as she hovered over.

“It’s Taleen artifacts we’re looking for after all,” Ilea said. “What do you know about them?”

“Interesting to fight. Ancient peoples like so many others out there. Hardly worth a mention to be honest,” Pierce said. “They built their machines and vanished. Or so it goes. Probably part of the dwarven kingdoms now.”

“Teleportation gates,” Verena said, looking at the map before it vanished. “You unlocked it, found a way to access them? That could be useful. Dangerous too.”

“Countries will slaughter each other to get that technology,” Pierce said. “But with what I heard about you, you’re just going to rent it out for cheap. Or just give it away for free. The latter option is certainly more interesting, but that Administrator working with you will likely prevent that.”

“She manages the contracts,” Ilea answered, not saying anything to their speculation. “Arrow points out into the ocean. Any idea what’s out there?”

“Islands. A few. High level monsters,” Verena said. “Beyond that. Death.”

“How high level?” Ilea asked.

“Three, four hundred, maybe more,” the woman answered. “I didn’t go far.”

“What if it points to another continent?” Pierce asked. “I don’t want to fly over the ocean for weeks.”

“I didn’t ask you to come,” Ilea said.

“No, no. I’ll come. I’ll come,” the woman said with a few defensive gestures.

Verena shook her head. “If it is another continent. We should turn back. Or let her go alone. We aren’t ready.”

“You went to another continent?” Ilea asked.

The woman shrugged. “So have others. Perhaps you of all people could survive. But I do not suggest it.”

“There is surely more than one other landmass than this piece of work,” Pierce said. “You’re being too pessimistic.”

“There’s more than one artifact that I need to find. I guess we can try the islands. Let’s follow the locator,” Ilea suggested.

“Follow the locator!” Pierce exclaimed, her wings flaring up with mana.

Ilea moved her own, flying out over the waves crashing against cliffs far below. Her own wings charged up as she looked at the arrow. “About there I suppose,” she said and pointed before she put away the device, spreading her ash mantle and layering it.

Pierce whistled, flying around her in a circle. “So that’s your getup. A little barbaric, but manageable. I like the tail, and it seems like your manipulation is at a refined degree. A bit shit that you’re using ash. Metal is just straight up better, but I’d guess you have some other benefits. It does explain how you’ve reached your power so quickly. Can’t have an ash mage that isn’t at least somewhat reckless.”

“Lots of Sentinels are ash mages,” Verena remarked.

Pierce smiled. “Well chosen individuals then,” she said. “Let’s see if you can keep up with me.”

Verena sighed. “You two just make sure to wait for me.”

“I can mark you guys, if you like,” Ilea said.

“That’s such a Lilith thing to say. What next, you turn us into slaves with your mind magic?” Pierce said. “Just start throwing some fire around if we’re too far ahead, Verena.”

“Never underestimate the ocean,” Verena answered.

Pierce just waved her off, a shock wave extending from her wings as more power flowed through them. “Just don’t go under.”

A split second later the woman vanished.

Ilea could barely follow her, a line of blue flying into the distance as an explosion of air resounded a few hundred meters ahead. The Dragonkiller had just broken through the sound barrier.

“How is she only at level three hundred?” Ilea asked.

Verena shrugged. “More responsible than she seems.”

“I suppose so. Sure you don’t want that mark?” she said.

The woman raised a hand. “I appreciate it. And I trust you, Ilea. You’re honest, I can tell. But no foreign marks.”

“Understood. At least fly ahead so I can see if you need a lift,” Ilea said.

Verena shot off without another word, considerably slower than Pierce, or Ilea for that matter.

She quickly caught up with the burning form, a few ashen limbs going behind her back before her wings charged and pushed them forward. Ilea had no way of catching the Dragonkiller, even without carrying Verena. Lightning seems to be the way to go when it comes to flying.

Ilea wondered when Trian could manifest speeds like that, though she did wonder how maneuverable Pierce was in this form. She already had difficulties with her ashen wings. Just as she had the thought, a bird exploded against her chest, everything that could’ve been left behind already gone when she noticed the impact. At least she could trust her defenses to overwhelm the risks that came with this kind of momentum. She hoped the same was true for Pierce’s dress.

A streak of blue lightning flashed from ahead, going around far on the stormy ocean before it joined up with Ilea.

They stopped together, Pierce now covered in form fitting dark blue armor, lightning flowing on it as if she was some form of conductor. The metal flowed aside to reveal a broad smirk. “One win for the Dragonkiller.”

“I suppose so,” Ilea said, not much caring for the competition. All she wanted was to stay faster than Kyrian. Pierce first had to kill a few four marks and reach the four hundreds before she would even consider her a worthy opponent.

“Maybe I can convince you to show me your hunting grounds… I will come for you in no time, you lucky lucky healer,” the woman said and twirled in the air, a pulse of lightning flowing out from her armor in a seamless manner.

Lightning struck a few kilometers away, dark clouds now covering most of the horizon. They had already traveled far, and yet not particularly long.

“Where does the pointy thing point to, treasurer?” Pierce asked, watching Ilea summon the device.

They adjusted course a few more times, flying over the open ocean on their approach to something that at least seemed to be getting closer, based on the course corrections they had to make.

A single island came into view about twenty minutes later. Mostly just an outcrop of rock, not a single tree or other vegetation visible on top. A large chunk of it looked wet as well, suggesting a submerged state at least in stormy weather. It was only a few kilometers in diameter, the jagged bits and deep shadows reaching below the water only hinted at its true size.

“I have not been here. Further out than the islands I meant,” Verena informed.

“New territory!” Pierce shouted. “Sense anything, girls?” she asked and crouched in mid air, looking around like some kind of hunter listening for predators.

“Nothing,” Verena said.

“I can call and see if something shows up,” Ilea suggested.

Pierce wagged around her hands. “Nononono, bad idea. Not out here, are you crazy? Any idea how well sound travels through water? You’re going to wake some things that have been sleeping for millennia. Do that when you’re a four mark, or later.”

Ilea tried to assess her level and power but she really seemed to just be a level three hundred human. Nothing about her gave her a weird feeling, except for her words from time to time. Guess I really was lucky with Erendar and the Krahen isles.

“Should we land?” Ilea asked.

Pierce teleported down onto the surface, several hundred meters far.

And here I thought I was the space mage, Ilea mused. No long range. No competition.

When the other two landed, Pierce had started smashing a metal pole into the stone, a black flag with the Shadow’s emblem in white attached to the top. The wind blew it around as the cracking of stone resounded, the Elder finally stepping back and admiring her addition. “Another frontier, claimed by humanity.”

“I wouldn’t say claimed. We barely just arrived,” Ilea said and looked around, trying to use Sentinel Huntress and her dominion to see if anything had been here recently. No magic, no droppings. Just a rock.

The locator arrow twirled, finally pointing downwards when she tilted the device to the side.

“A magnificent piece of land. So, where to?” Pierce asked, now wearing a sailor’s uniform and extending a telescope.