Chapter 715: Looking for a Challenge (1/2)

Chapter 715 Looking for a Challenge

Ilea flew ahead, her map out as she looked for a close Taleen dungeon. She didn’t plan to go to Iz immediately but teleporting through their network was bound to get them a few interesting battles. “Let’s bother some ancient creatures that hopefully aren’t Dragons,” she said, slowing down with the two others in tow, literally. “Violence, if you think we should flee from something, let me know.”

The little guy saluted in front of her and vanished back to his place on her shoulder.

“We’re not exactly the best group to track down high level monsters,” Kyrian said. “Except you got something new in the meantime?”

“I should be able to find signs at least but it’s not been super useful so far. I’m sure we’ll find something if we just teleport around a little. We’ll just avoid the western part of the north,” she answered. “Should be around here.”

They dug down together, the three high level beings ripping through stone with their destructive magic until they came into an unlit Taleen corridor. A small one, Ilea immediately noted. No working Guardians remained, only a few pieces suggesting there had ever been any in the first place. She saw the gate but decided the broken in wall on the ground floor looked more interesting. For now at least.

“Explore a little before we use it?” Kyrian asked, the group appearing in front of the cavern entrance, all three using their own teleportation spells.

Ilea grinned, glancing left and right before she flew into the darkness. Sure, there’s always another Drake, but we’re not so bad ourselves by now.

Kyrian was thrown away, the metal covered man rolling three times before he impacted the wall with a loud crash.

“You’re doing well,” Ilea said, Feyrair next to her shaking his head.

She raised her hand and caught the tongue of one of the large lizards before her ash slashed through the tough skin. The still moving muscle she threw aside, her ash mantle splattered by blood. Low three marks, she mused and looked at the screeching creature. “Well now you know, you fucking idiot,” she said to the being. They weren’t even defending a nest or anything, just monsters roaming in the darkness, waiting for prey.

“His speed is lacking,” Feyrair said.

“Well he can’t just turn into a dragon,” Ilea said when a ball of ash returned and circled around her head. “Nothing interesting farther down either. So I guess that’s this one. Kyrian, clean up, we’re going.”

The man stood up and cracked his neck, the new metal he used giving his body a somewhat green sheen, his curse magic flowing through everything. “Understood,” he said, the next tongue thrown his way finding not his slow hand but a thin piece of floating steel. He finished the creature with a single heavy spear, nearly splitting it apart entirely.

“How do you like the metal?” she asked when they appeared in the gate room up in the small taleen ruin.

“Not perfectly intuitive yet… but my magic flows… as if I’m touching them directly. It’s very useful,” the man answered. “Thank you.”

“Thank Khan Joggoth,” Ilea said with a wink.

Violence!

“Indeed. Hopefully something a little more interesting next time,” she said and activated the map on the locator device. “Where to now gentlemen? Southern desert? Elven lands? The Vampire Courts I’ve heard about? Though I don’t exactly know where they are,” she mused, looking at the many destinations.

“I haven’t been south very far,” Kyrian said.

“No me either. Both Elven and Vampire land could be dangerous,” Fey said.

“Aren’t we looking exactly for that?” Ilea asked.

“In a way that doesn’t create enemies on the hunt for your allies and yourself,” the elf said.

Ilea rolled her eyes. “And here I thought you were supposed to be the irresponsible one.”

He flicked her forehead, avoiding her attempt to deflect him with ash. “We balance each other out.”

“Did you just flick me?” Ilea asked, raising one of her brows. “You’re awfully brave for a two mark.”

“If you want to stand here and flirt, I can go back to the frogs,” Kyrian said.

Violence.

Ilea selected one of the most southern destinations and activated the gate.

It worked and transported them.

They walked off the platform and waited for a few seconds. Can they track us every time? Or only after a few uses? Nothing showed up this time. “Maybe the pursuer just isn’t ready yet. Or this place isn’t a priority.”

Light came into the expansive hall, two dried out fountains were visible, faded banners and stone tables adorning the vicinity. Small piles of sand had formed where the cracks above were large enough.

“Close to the surface too,” she murmured.

“Well observed. And here I questioned your intelligence,” Fey said. “Maybe we should teach you how to read after all.”

“You’re being too generous,” Kyrian said.

The Baron glanced between them and then looked at Ilea.

“It’s true little one, I’m sorry. I’m stupid,” she said and flew up, crashing through the ceiling and sand beyond with her ash covered skull. Ilea twirled in the air with a giggling Fae on her shoulder, sand pouring off her ashen form, sent flying when she flicked her wings. Desert.

She turned around and found dark spots in the distance. More interesting.

“There are machines down here!” Kyrian shouted up.

“Centurions and a few Praetorians. Not worth your time,” Ilea sent. “Anything strong in that mountain chain?” she asked the Fae.

The Baron tilted his head to the side. Can’t

See

“I just assume you’re omniscient,” she said when the others appeared nearby, her ash already fanning out to collect them as her wings charged.

Fey looked up into the sun and sighed. “Wonderfully warm.”

“It’s too hot,” Kyrian said. “No, I don’t need more Heat Resistance, don’t look at me like that.”

Ilea shrugged. “I just look out for my friends.” She shot off a moment later, the others whipped into motion, neither of them bothered by the insane forces involved in the maneuver. I like them. They don’t break easily.

This place might as well be Erendar, she thought, not a single speck of civilization visible in any direction. Of course there could’ve been hundreds of ruins like the Taleen one hidden deep below the sand. The ones close enough to the surface the trio would find, Ilea deliberately flying low. Also in an attempt to get monsters to attack. If there were any even capable of catching her high speed form. Nothing did.

She slowed down near the jagged dark mountains, the group now higher above the terrain. “Let’s see if this helps.” Ilea charged up monster hunter and sent out a challenge. Her whistle echoed through the valleys of sand. She immediately picked up movement from various directions but most of it fled. “Come on, I’m just a three mark.”

“A three mark human,” Fey said with a wicked grin. “But look, one of them is not afraid.”

Kyrian gulped.

Ilea grinned.

A few kilometers away, a rock slide moved down one of the largest mountains, the entire mass of stone stacking up at the bottom. More and more was added to the mass, geometrical shapes starting to be visible in the growing form. The entire thing didn’t seem to have a cohesive structure, more just a floating set of shapes. Most of the pieces were simple rocks, natural in their form, others perfectly cut pyramids or squares.

“Looks like we angered a children’s puzzle,” Ilea said.

“You. You angered it,” Kyrian said and gestured her to go.

Where do you even begin fighting a creature like that. Is it even a creature or is there a high level earth mage hiding somewhere?

“What do you think, Baron? Violence or retreat?” Ilea asked. The moving form was entirely too far away for her to gauge anything about its level. The ground however shook and the creature’s approach itself was louder than a thunderstorm.

Violence, it answered, nodding slowly. Yes.

“Alright, if you say so,” Ilea said. “Maybe stay at a distance until I figure out how strong this thing is.”

“Way ahead of you,” Kyrian said, already flying back and up.

She advanced with slow moving wings. “Greetings,” she tried to send to the being, not exactly expecting a response. Her mental resistance protected her when she did. A jumble of confusing thoughts and concepts, the ageless stone, the change of time, the sun and stars, traveling past in the unending turning of celestial bodies. Shapes and numbers, thoughts either far too complex for her mind or maddening in nature. She didn’t know, just that she had to cut the connection. Either way, she saw a thousand projectiles shoot up from the ground, like artillery aimed at an enemy military position, or perhaps a pet trying to show off its toys. She didn’t know, and it hardly mattered. Ilea already knew that she was entirely in over her head, which was the entire point.