Chapter 17-433: Forces in the Felldeep (1/2)
Legion automatically got to work on deciphering the ape-men’s language. Having a lot of people Consumed meant they knew almost every former active language on the planet, but Polyglot had made the scholarly art of linguists a nigh-automatic thing, and basically anyone with the intellectual chops paid for it and used it.
Most people’s original languages had been bumped down to second languages by The Human Tongue. Polyglot instantly restored them to full proficiency, which they enjoyed immensely, even if the whole world was tearing down old signs and printing new ones, and the books and magazines were being retooled, and there was an absolute explosion of new fonts out there...
When you had so many people in Markspace to learn languages from, learning every odd language under the sun wasn’t hard... although the number of people who dared to learn Aklo wasn’t very high. Demonic telepathy was naturally useful as a sidestep, but was kind of a limp-wristed alternative to actually knowing the words.
“Is there anyone you would like us to speak to?” Legion asked calmly. “The surface forces we represent do not seek hostile relations with those who are not hostile to us.”
The F-rex wasn’t slow. “You are alluding that there are surface forces who will be hostile if they come here, Elder Legion?” Felderjaw asked immediately.
“That is correct, Elder Felderjaw. Your cavern and the Felldeep in general have access to mineral wealth that could mean fortunes, as well as plant and animal life no longer existing on the surface.”
The F-rex’s tail was switching again, clearly agitated. “Am I correct in seeing that you have... very interesting bloodlines, Elder Legion?” the dinosaur Druid asked carefully.
“They are quite rare where I come from, Elder Felderjaw. The primary inhabitants of the surface realm are the Seven Races and their Children.” The Holo changed to display typical ranges of humans and Ancients, elves, dwarves, gnomes, hyn, orcs, goblins, and the Children, the dhatun, halvyr, urukhar, and ogryn. “There are other species, like the Jotuns, around, but they are a minority.” Their eyes widened at the sudden sight of some of the taller trolls, ogres, and smaller Jotuns, as the larger ones were indeed extremely rare to see. “There are no scalefolk of note in the Outer World, although that is not true in the Inner World, nor are there intelligent saurians such as yourselves, and your simian servants do not have relatives up above, either, although I believe they do in the Inner World.”
Said ape-men whooped and gibbered, pointing at the images of several tribes whose locations flashed on a map of the Hollow World in the background excitedly.
“I can smell the Great Ones upon you, although it is... strange,” the F-rex murmured, daring to poke her great head forward and inhale.
Legion lifted a hand, and brought up Wrath, making the ape-men jump away in reflex. They lifted the other, and brought up Scorn, the hellfire contrasting with heavenly fire in right and left.
Felderjaw’s eyes looked between them sharply, and then at the one bearing them, thinking hard. “You are a Warlock, Elder Legion,” she finally said carefully, as Legion quenched the fires.
“To be precise, Elder Felderjaw, we are a Warlock Grandmaster.” The weight of the Title was significant. “Among those to whom we are Sworn is the very Land within whose heart you lie, which is how we were able to enter, and we can leave very easily.”
“You and those you represent have no designs upon our caverns, Elder Legion?” the dinosaur Druid repeated carefully, having absolutely no desire to test the absolute power she could feel radiating off this intruder.
“If they present a threat to us, Elder Felderjaw, we have extremely threatening designs, indeed. Yourself and your lands are completely safe from us and those we represent. If you wish to open cordial relations, we can facilitate such with you.”
The dinosaur stared at Legion thoughtfully, thinking and considering the outsider floating there in midair, as unmoved as if she was a stone planted there, those utterly gorgeous wings so easy to be distracted by, were not her moving illusions drawing the eye.
Totally overwhelming Presence. It was like be in the presence of one of the Old Gods, totally overwhelming, and she had no desire to fight them, either.
“What...what are your own plans, Elder Legion?” she asked respectfully.
“I am a scout. I am looking for threats to the Worlds outside the Felldeep that need to be removed. I shall be continuing on through this cavern system, seeing what dwells within, and if it is a threat, we shall soon move to clear it away.”
The draconic language conveyed pride, arrogance, and utter confidence impeccably. Felderjaw’s fell to the moving Holo once again, and saw the map showing withdraw its scale in every direction, and then the maps of the Felldeep above and around her own cavern become visible as the overall dimensions shrank quickly.
The map was extremely accurate. She felt herself reflexively swallow in fear, ready to vomit up her last meal for extra speed to retreat.
The map continued to grow and grow and grow, far beyond any lands she knew of, and it was all done so very precisely...
“I am not the greatest of the Cavern Guardians, Elder Legion,” she said softly, wondering if she should take the risk. She realized that she could not stop this outsider, so establishing friendly relations with those this Elder Legion represented would be wise... especially if they would just leave the Caverns be. “I can give you an introduction to the Great Druid of the Living Caves, Elder Legion,” she offered, glancing at one of her Aspirants, who hastily moved to her carry-bags and dug out a carved tooth, six inches long and yellowed with age. The simian respectfully approached and held it out to Legion, who merely raised a finger, and the tooth lifted from the hand of the hairy Aspirant to their hand.
Legion inspected it once, inclined their head in acknowledgement to Elder Felderjaw, and slid it into one of the pockets of their Vest. Notably, there was not the slightest bulge to indicate it was there.
Legion gestured at her Holo-map. “Where can I expect to find this Great Druid, Elder Felderjaw?” she asked calmly.
A moment of will brought up a floating light, which drifted forwards to hover over one of the larger caverns to the south and east, not in the middle of the collection there. “Elder Marshflag is usually found around the lakes in the middle of her Cavern, Elder Legion,” the F-rex indicated quietly.