Chapter: 669 – View of the Doman-Imithe

Tala stood beside Rane and Lea—Terry upon Rane’s shoulder this time—facing the obsidian pagoda, the place where she and Thron had been sent into the Doman-Imithe to die… Well, she’d been sent in to die, he’d been sent in to make sure she died and to bring back her stuff.

It was not a place of good memories for her, but she was genuinely curious what they would see.

Eskau Pallaun wasn’t going to be the one to open the way this time, and they wouldn’t be stepping through. So, all things considered, it would be an entirely different experience.

She shouldn’t be hesitant. After all, I demanded that they show this to me. I want to see it.

-Yup, that’s just what they want you to think. The door will open, and someone will appear from invisibility and push you through!- Alat sent across a maniacal cackle.

I… think that is unlikely. I’m far more powerful than when they tried condemning me within before, and I’d be right rusting angry if something like that happened.

-True, true… but you never know.-

Not helpful, Alat.

-Fine.-

Waiting ahead of them was a rat-kin man in a red robe. He had absolutely no aura, his power and authority completely and utterly contained well within his body, so deeply sequestered that Tala couldn’t find it with any rapidity. On the exterior, his fur was brown and well cared for, but still clearly roughed with age. Bits of gray were visible around the edges and on the tips of his rounded ears. The man also leaned on a gnarled wooden cane.

As the Sappherrous family came up to him, he bowed low, sliding his hand down the cane to facilitate the bow. “Greetings, Eskau of the House of Blood. I am honored be the—Ow!”

He jerked his hand off his cane, causing him to unbalance. Lea moved first, stepping forward to catch his shoulders and help him right himself, even as he brought a finger up to examine closely. “Splinter?”

The rat-kin grunted. “Yes.” He reached with his other hand and pulled out a long sliver of wood. “I just had this cane refinished too.” He smiled at Lea, using her help to rebalance. “Thank you, young miss. That was kind of you to assist me.”

“Of course… I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

“It is Hama, young miss. I am shamed by my mistake. If you wish, I will call another Path Finder for your display this day.”

Tala stepped forward, picking up the cane and handing it to Hama. “That won’t be necessary. Accidents happen, and this accident didn’t affect us in the least.”

Rane nodded. “So long as you’ll be alright, I think we’re fine to continue.”

Hama raised a murine eyebrow. “It was a splinter, good sir. I didn’t lose a hand. It is embarrassing, not fatal.”

Rane chuckled. “Fair enough.”

Hama nodded. “Alright, then. Follow after me.” As he walked into the pagoda, he glanced over his shoulder. “I must say, I can’t remember ever opening a passage just so my patrons could sight-see.” His eyes narrowed briefly. “You aren’t planning on dumping something in, I hope?”

“No, no.” Tala chuckled. “My understanding is that gated aren’t exactly safe in the Doman-Imithe, but we are still curious.”

Hama nodded. “True, true. That very fact should mean you stay well away from anything to do with the place, not stand on the edge of oblivion to see what interesting things might be gleaned in the madness.” He shook his head. “But who am I to look down on anyone’s hobbies.”

They entered the black, shiny room, the entrance sealing behind them. Once inside, Tala frowned. “Don’t you engage in the madness yourself?”

“Are you insane? The Doman-Imithe is entirely predictable until you let magic into it. So, there is some chaos around openings, unless a true master is involved.” He stood up a bit straighter. “But beyond that, gated can’t hold in their power perfectly.” He glanced their way and gave a small bow. “Begging your pardon, but it’s the truth.”

Rane shrugged, nodding in acknowledgment. Lea grinned, and Tala sighed. “Fair enough. So, you’re saying that the madness I’ve seen in the Doman-Imithe is a result of my own power leaking in and… what? Changing things?”

Hama stopped, turning to regard her for a long moment. “So, you’ve been in before, and you just want to see it when a professional is involved?”

She nodded. “Effectively? Yeah.”

“Then, I would say yes. It’s like dumping a bucket of blood in the ocean. You’ll draw danger to yourself from everywhere around. That danger comes with various distortions—some by the nature of the things coming your way, some by the nature of the Doman-Imithe itself distorting under the influence of magic—and it is those distortions that make travel all but impossible.”

“Huh… I’ve managed alright.”

The rat-kin gave her another incredulous look. “You traveled through as well?”

“Only a couple of miles.”

“I see…. How long did that take you, then?”

“A few hours?”

He huffed. “I could do thirty miles in three steps, young one. The fact you survived and found your way out is… something, I’ll give you that, but don’t assume that you experienced true Doman-Imithe traveling.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.” She smiled. “That is why I’m here. Seeing, I mean. I know we can’t use it for travel.”

Hama chuckled, mirroring her utterance. “Fair enough, I suppose.” He then clapped his hands together. “Shall we, then?”

He made eye contact with each of them waiting until they nodded. He even locked gazes with Terry for a moment before the avian similarly agreed.

“Good, good. I assume you have a way of keeping your power contained? My methods will keep the ambient magic of the city in check, but I do not pretend capacity to restrain aura or authority from the four of you.”

“Is that why you seem to have no magic or aura about you? You are keeping it suppressed so it doesn’t interfere?”

He smiled. “Precisely.”

Tala nodded. “Show me where the delineation needs to be, and I will put down an aid that will prevent any power from crossing.”

The rat-kin raised an eyebrow yet again, then nodded, walking forward. He ran his finger along the ground, and Tala saw something that made no sense. There were inscriptions within the obsidian… made of obsidian.

They weren’t a different color, nor were they a different finish, but she could see the inscriptions… even though they weren’t there.

It was as if the very act of having them pointed out made them appear.

Hama chuckled. “This is something new to you, eh?” He bobbed his head and clicked his claws against his walking stick. “This is the power of reality.”

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Rane stepped up, frowning. “Like natural magics? Spellforms tied to a physical thing, not needing to be refreshed?”

“Hmmm… Yes, but no.” Hama shrugged. “Natural magics are as you said, but they are magic. This is a twisting, a working of reality.”

“Reality magic?” Lea asked.

Hama held up his hand and waggled it back and forth. “The easiest way to create such as this is with reality magic, but they are not reality magic. They are simply reality.”

Tala tapped Lea on the shoulder. “Like the slaughteryard bones. There was no magic to them, but the reality of the place was twisted and different from others.”

Hama nodded, pointing toward Tala. “Just so, if I understand what you’re saying. The young miss is correct though, this was originally set, condensed, and codified by reality magic. Sadly, that was done by those long passed, and given their end… we are unlikely to have more. A rearranging so that this circle is naturally repellent to magic.”

Tala gave a slow nod in turn. She hadn’t really noticed because the zeme of Platoiri was all eddies and swirls, pockets of greater magical density and of less, all moving and dancing around one another just as everywhere in the world, only more tumultuous within the arcane city.