Wait, could he have stayed in there longer? I sent Ysevel, who didn't know the answer, either.
"It is, Duranjin. The time has finally come to put an end to that madman," Kalia said, ignoring my comment to Ysevel. "Have they learned all you had to teach them?" Sabura stepped out from within the obelisk. "It was, as you know, a little difficult to tell from inside," he chuckled.
"There is still much left for them to learn, but I've given them as much as I could in the time we had," Kalia shrugged. "Ah, I see," Sabura nodded, turning to face us. "Duranjin, did you not feel the passage of time while you were inside?" Irun asked before I could. "Me? Oh, not at all, actually. It only feels like it's been ten cycles, though for all of you, it was a thousand times that," the tall hegraphene shrugged.
It must be because of the mana density, Ysevel concluded, allowing me to feel her mind reach the conclusion. It was that dense in there? Gods above, I can't even imagine what that felt like, I sent back.
"Precisely, Lady Ysevel," Sabura nodded with a knowing smile. "Because I served as the aqueduct, my perception of the passage of time was minimal compared to what you went through. Although I will admit I am rather hungry," he continued lightly. "Gods above," I heard Irun mutter astonishedly. "No gods here, only mana," Sabura grinned.
"However, I am glad to see you've helped Lady Kalia almost as much as she's helped you. Had this been even a few hundred cycles ago, she would never have revealed her true face to outsiders," he continued warmly. "By all accounts, I'd say this was a success in more ways than one," he gingerly put a hand on her shoulder.
"Well, we're not out of the Draukar yet. We still have to make it to Pyrdredd, and you already know how that's going to be," Kalia said ominously, sending a small chill down my spine. "I'm sure you will be alright. Just be sure to keep an eye out for the thran, as I'm almost certain they will have scouts posted along the way," Sabura warned.
"They're no match for me, let alone these four after the training I put them through," Kalia looked at us proudly. Sabura chuckled lightly, but his expression quickly shifted to a much more serious one. "Come back alive, Lady. We will need your leadership in the coming cycles," he bent over and put his forehead to hers. "I will, Duranjin. Thank you for everything," she stepped back to give him a low bow.
We all followed her example and while I couldn't see with my eyes, I could feel his pride resonating through the Wraith realm. "We will patiently await your return. May the strength of the Iron Plume Clan guide your blades and minds," Sabura put a hand across his chest in an elven farewell. Ysevel and I returned the gesture wordlessly.
We could tell he knew what we had to say without them, after all.
"Irun, Athar, come here," he motioned. The two of them glanced at each other with confusion, but excitement soon welled in their eyes when they saw him produce two large orbs of his own kataki.
"Just as she has accepted you as honorary members of the Iron Plume Clan and founders of The Order of Nightfall's Blade, I hereby grant you this kataki. May it serve you both well until your last breaths are drawn," Sabura said formally, placing the swirling orbs on their chests.
Could he hear everything that was going on outside? I wondered idly as he stepped away from the two.
The black, amorphous kataki quickly wrapped around them, encasing them in plate-like armor that matched their individual abilities. Irun's left space for his daemonic arm, while the rest of his body was covered in plate armor similar to that of a full-blooded hegraphene. It wasn't exactly the same, but it did provide adequate protection for his chest, upper arms, and legs, while Athar's covered his entire body in a similar fashion.
"This is amazing!" Irun said excitedly, immediately testing the limits of his movement. Athar did the same, but his excitement was far less than his counterpart's. "What's the matter, Athar? Did you not want this?" Sabura asked worriedly.
"N-No, it's not that, Duranjin," Athar shook his head. "As you know, my core was placed inside my alternate's body. I just don't feel like I deserve this, is all," he shrugged. Sabura smiled at him warmly as he touched his shoulder. "You might have taken on the form of an alternate, but you're still the same Athar that Lady Devyr has chosen," he began, getting a shocked look from Kalia in the process.
"You knew?" she asked in disbelief. "I overheard, there's a difference," Sabura grinned over his shoulder. "You have earned your place among us, and I'm sure that Lady Kalia, as well as I, would silence any who said otherwise," he turned to look at Athar again. "You have a home and a family who will be waiting for you to return, Athar of the Iron Plume Clan," he smiled.
Words couldn't express the happiness, pride, and joy I felt for him as the tears rushed down his face.
"Th-thank you, Duranjin," he managed between sobs. Sabura smiled warmly and patted him twice on the shoulder firmly before turning to Kalia. "You must go. Time is of the essence," he said, the gravity of his words hanging overhead as Irun consoled and congratulated Athar. "Be safe; all of you. I hope we meet again after this is over," he bowed before leaving.
It was a bittersweet feeling. While we didn't have much in the way of communication with him, he seemingly knew everything that had happened over the past ten thousand cycles as if he had been training alongside us. I could feel his connection growing a little more distant as he walked away, but there was a warm sensation that emanated from him that I couldn't ignore. It made me smile, but it was quickly wiped away when reality set back in.
It was time to take the plunge into the abyss of the unknown.
After gathering our things and sending one last letter to Krozz to let him know we were on our way, we left the deactivated dome we had called home for the past ten years.
Ysevel and I hadn't changed much in terms of aging, but there was a definite shift in our body composition. Our muscles had increased in density and tone, while our faces had ultimately remained the same. I remembered that Ysevel had already reached her maturation point, but according to her, I had reached mine as well. It made me realize just how far we'd come since Ysevel and I maintained our Wraithborn fourth stages as we followed behind Kalia.
As I looked back at the dome, I thought of all the time we'd spent there. The stories we shared, the fights, the training sessions, and the idle conversations around the runic dinner table all held a special place in my heart. I knew that no matter what happened once we reached Pyrdredd, I would have done it all over again in a heartbeat.
"What's on your mind?" Ysevel asked aloud, having felt my emotions shift. "Oh, I'm just giving this place a mental farewell," I replied as we trotted down the kataki hallway that would eventually lead to the entrance of Kalia's home. I noticed that moving outside the dome was, in fact, much easier than it ever had been.
I guess it really was a gravity spell. Or, maybe it was just from the increased density of the mana that put the added pressure on us, I thought, getting a wry smile from Ysevel. You're right on both accounts, Kalia chimed in, her faceplate concealing the grin I could see scrunching the corners of her eyes. I told you I would make you strong, she chuckled. That you did, I conceded.
Athar and Irun were still comparing their armor as we ran, but little did they notice that we were keeping a pace that would rival even my mother's natural running speed.
I could only chuckle at the notion.