55 Consequences (1/2)
I sat down on the sofa across from the two newest inhabitants of what could loosely be called my hometown. They gazed at me, curiously. Their eyes had no pupils, but I could feel their gazes exploring me from head to toe.
”Hello Althos, I am Farrane.” Said the woman, finally introducing herself. I knew her name already, but she didn't know that. Farrane had brown hair and white orbs for eyes. Calorron had blonde hair and green orbs for eyes.
”And I am Calorron. We are scouts who dwell not far away from here. We came here because a superior of ours asked us to investigate something.” Explained Calorron, who based on levels alone might well have been Farrane's superior in their shared tasks. I looked at Calorron curiously, not feigning the look of intrigue on my face.
”What brings you to a quaint little community like this?” I asked the elf, curious if this had something to do with myself or my actions but not having enough information to attempt to guess one way or another. Calorron chuckled, the sound faint and musical.
”Well Althos, we aren't here to investigate Comillas. We're here to investigate the Rodan forest.” Explained the male elf, his voice growing fainter as he spoke. And at this point, Farrane spoke up again.
”In fact, the only reason why we're here now and not at Rodan is because of you. Isadora told us about you, and the fact that you're a druid who has spent some time in Rodan. Would you like to come with us while we investigate the place?” Farrane asked, curiously.
”Sure! That sounds like a good way to spend today. Provided you're willing to pay me for my labor, I'll happily accompany you.” I told the elves, a smile perking up my lips. They both grinned slyly at me.
”Oh Althos... We're a fair people. Fair folks you could say. We pay those who aid us. What are your terms?” Calorron asked.
And so began a quaint series of negotiations, which my mind would only be in half-heartedly. My thoughts were elsewhere. In the safety of my mind, I quickly began to ask myself a few questions.
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”Is the Rodan forest the name given by humanoids to the forest I've frequented?” I wondered while in the safety and relative isolation of my mind.
”Yes, it is. It's a misheard version of the name given to the forest by ancient, alien inhabitants of the forest.” Claimed the domain of knowledge. I was unsurprised by this, and in fact, welcomed it.
”'Alien inhabitants'?” I asked, hoping to probe the domain for more information. I heard a soft giggle from the domain as it recognized my attempts to milk it for more knowledge.
”Yes, Althos. Alien inhabitants. If you want to learn more though, you'll need to investigate things in the forest. That'll be a lot easier now though since you performed a mass-miracle and gained the reverence of thousands of the forest's inhabitants.” The domain told me, a smile audible in her voice. I nodded, unsurprised by this but I didn't regret having tried to gain more knowledge now.
”I wonder if they're investigating me... Or something I did?” I asked myself, a small smile on my lips as I pondered that possibility. I heard a soft, affirmative sigh from the domain of knowledge and grinned wider now. I thanked the domain with the power of my emotions, and refocused, more knowledgable than ever.
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Perhaps half an hour later I found myself just outside of the oddly bright-looking forest I had spent every afternoon of my life in to date. I chalked up this strange brightness to a simple fact: this was easily the earliest I'd arrived here during the day. The sun hung low in the morning sky and the trek was mostly silent.
My new allies, newcomers to this place, didn't have experience with this place. So they were ignorant of the forest's habitual darkness and weren't odded out by the bizarre illumination that dimly illuminated the edges of the forest. I opted not to comment on it, for now anyway.
My elven companions weren't especially interested in talking until we got to where we were now. Calorron looked to me, when we were but steps outside of the forest.
”So, do you happen to know anything about this forest?” The blonde-haired elf asked me. I looked at him and shrugged.
”Sadly, I am a newcomer to this part of the world myself. I spent a long time here in Puerto Rico in a distant part of the island. I only just began exploring Rodan.” I told the elf ranger, mixing truth and lies quite easily. He slumped his shoulders as I spoke, and I could tell that I had just disappointed him. Internally I chuckled at this obvious display of disappointment.
Farrane let us speak, and when I was done talking she began to speak herself. ”Come friends. It is time that we go forth. There are mysteries to uncover.” The wizard said, an excited grin on her face. She was the first of us to take the steps into the forest, and I followed quickly after her.
I was a bit surprised to receive a notification immediately upon entering the forest but was even more surprised to hear a sudden and utter silence fall over the forest and my other surroundings. The silence was one of those eerie ones where its suddenness makes it feel loud.
My companions had also stopped moving, and the way that I was able to tell that this wasn't natural was when I looked at Calorron and saw that his feet were still. In mid-air. He was clearly artificially frozen.
That was the moment I checked out the notification and got the answers to questions that were mentally on the tip of my tongue.
[Intervention alert:
The forest is still reacting to the mass-miracle you performed last night. The domain of time, one of the greater domains, has authorized the system to perform what is, in essence, a quiet intervention before you enter the forest.
The lesser creatures of the forest, insects, some plants, and lesser animals, have recognized you as their master and savior. As have a handful of greater creatures throughout the forest. This would complicate things for you as you enter the forest.
The domain of knowledge is strongly suggesting we don't reveal the precise nature of the elven investigation, but it has authorized us to ask you how you would like to proceed. Would you be fine allowing the forest creatures to recognize and react to you in your true might?
Weirdly enough it is easier for simple creatures to react to your divinity and accept it, which normally advantages gods, hence why even the first tiers of influence over life-form subdomains tend to come with powers that grant mastery over lesser, unevolved lifeforms. Today, sadly, that is the problem.
Your intelligent followers in the forest will recognize you unless you actively wish to be hidden from their understanding and they'll be cautious to not rush towards you as long as you have the elves with you. The real question is do you wish to be hidden from your simple followers. Unevolved animals, the plants themselves, and other simple lifeforms.
Do you wish to conceal your presence from those who serve you?]
I quietly considered the question, before answering it in the affirmative. ”I do wish, for now anyway, to not be recognized right away. Aside from by wolves. Direct wolves towards us, and deter other lesser animals. At least non-sapient ones. Allow my sapient followers to recognize me and be filled with awe and caution in my presence.” I told the system.