Chapter 310 - Shibboleth (2/2)

But massive was underselling it. The Vukanovi stood on the edge of a cliff face perfectly horizontally shaped and flat, as if created by a massive knife slicing the land apart, and reaching far out into the horizons, and in the far, far distance, obscured by clouds, there was another cliff face, much, much higher up, that also seemed to stretch from side to side infinitely.

”It would be a waste to look at this place through a screen,” said Li. ”Asala says nobody has seen this sight for a hundred and fifty years. We should respect it by getting to it with our own two eyes.”

”Aye, I'll try me best,” said Old Thane with a smile.

”And when did you start cracking blind person jokes, old man?” said Li with a shake of his head.

”Adventuring does bring out my joking side,” said Old Thane. ”And it has been long since I have adventured. Expect many more out of me.”

”Try not to overuse them,” said Li. ”And I'll describe it to you best I can, old man. But I figure even you'll benefit from getting some fresh and new air. Now let us get a move on, all of you.”

Outside, the sheer scale of the Shibboleth became clear.

It was quite literally a continent-wide divide, the two separate cliff faces stretching out so far that even Li's enhanced sight had trouble perceiving the far end of it.

”It is said that in the wake of the great Convergence, Helios wielded the almighty Sunspear to strike down Zeras, the primal Burning One, and that one blow split apart the lands to forge what is known now as the Hinterlands and Eldenia.”

”A continent splitting attack, is it?” noted Li. ”Not bad.”

”Not bad?” muttered Mason as he gawked at the huge, clean slice in the land. ”Surely, there has been never a blow to match the power of that light since.”

”If you manage to stay alive, maybe you will be lucky enough to witness one,” said Li. ”Now then, I think Asala has more to say, so keep your ears open.”

Asala nodded and pointed up, beyond the cliff face they stood on to the other one. The other cliff face must have been dozens of kilometers away, barely visible, but even from this distance, it was possible to tell that the other side, the Hinterlands, were situated at a far higher elevation, almost nearing the clouds.

”There lies the Gigant,” said Asala. ”Realm of all that is giant. And it is heartening to see that it has survived all this time, even through the Third Darkening. Pray, do take breaths, tell me howst thou feels.”

”Feels like I cannot take in much at all,” said Mercer.

”Perhaps we are too far high up?” pondered Mason.

”That, and the high concentration of magical energy in the air,” noted Li. ”Far denser than usual.”

”Tis' so.” Asala continued to point to the other side. ”And there, the air becomes ever thicker, ever stronger. Air fit for giants, but not for the common man.”

”Will we even be able to breath up there?” asked Mercer.

”How will we even get there to begin with?” said Mason. ”There is naught but empty space and an immense fall between here and there.”

”Your breathing will be fine. I will see to that,” said Li. ”As for getting there-,” He motioned to Asala.

Asala slithered up to the edge of the cliff face, the ground underneath her lit up by a faint white sheen that demarcated a path. Here, the Midpath started to fade again, far away from the last beacon as it was. But conveniently placed at the edge of the cliff face were two indentations meant to hold obelisks.

”I shalt light these beacons, and they shall create forth light stretching to the other end. This is the final stretch of the Midpath that had once connected two continents together: a bridge created through the great serpent's magic and the sun god's solid light.” Asala placed her hands over the indentations, and they began to light up. ”But alas, it doth not seem that the sun god's light will grace us now.”

Li had talked with Asala about the Midpath and the bridge it formed during the ride here. The light from her goddess would basically create a framework for the bridge, but it was Helios's light that would fill that frame in with actual solid, protected light.

However, Helios's constructs no longer functioned in the world. They had not since some time after the Second Darkening, likely coinciding with the sun god losing his brother to the abyss. Not to mention there was nobody in the party sufficiently connected with Helios as a priest to activate anything the god might have left behind.

”The sun god will not grace us with his might?” asked Mason in some disbelief.

”No,” said Li. He put his hand out, narrowing his eyes as he estimated what the structure of the massive bridge would be like, what it would take to create it and renew it in his own image. ”But I will.”