Chapter: 671 – A Ceremonial Welcome

Tala almost paused as they reached the top of the stairs out of the final quick-way node on their journey. Each subsequent tunnel had reacted in all but exactly the same manner as the first, the only difference being exactly how much detritus was able to be cleared up by her churning the earth, as it were.

As they’d neared the center of the city, the quick-ways had steadily become older and older, so there was less reality left to be damaged and less existence to be churned, but it still had an effect all the same.

-You know, if you passed back and forth a few hundred times through each one, you might render them quick-ways without the need of any magic to maintain them at all.-

Tala mentally rolled her eyes. While causing such a draw of power that I’d drain the whole region.

-Details. Sounds like a fun time.-

She sent Alat a flat look. I thought you didn’t like the strain? It’s making me tired, and you’re the one doing most of the work.

-As I said, details.- Alat sent back a feeling of purposely avoiding unpleasant things.

Tala sighed, and decidedly ignored the alternate interface after that.

As to what had her nearly hesitate at the top of the stairs? Most visually apparent was the fact that there was a path, flanked by House of Blood guards leading from that top to the House of Blood’s hold in Croi.

They were spaced far enough apart that others could easily pass between, but the symbolism was clear. As such, most arcanes moved outside of the path as soon as was convenient, and if they needed to cross, they did so with alacrity.

The House Guards ignored them, gazes locked steadily straight ahead.

Beyond the clearly honoring welcome, Tala was struck by the House of Blood ‘hold,’ now clearly visible for the first time.

-The world fragment.-

Tala could only mutely nod as they progressed, the flanking guards falling in behind as each staggered individual was passed.

The dimensionality involved had been treated like a standard hold, pushed stoneward of superficial, but that’s where the similarities ended.

Something in the nature of expanded spaces lent a feeling of ephemerality to them when compared to the superficial, as if existence itself knew that they—one and all—were temporary things.

Interestingly enough, Tala’s expanded space had lost almost all of that when compared to the superficial of Zeme, likely due to the deep anchoring to her soul and self, as well as her incredible magical and existential weight.

In this case, however, the ‘hold’ had a solidity so complete, so true that she was left feeling as if she’d lived in a tent her whole life, only now seeing a stone wall for the first time. What she’d thought ‘opaque’ was now revealed to be a horribly translucent thing, what she thought sturdy was now shown to be a mess of stitched cloth held up by rickety poles.

True, the cloth had been artfully cut and spliced with intention, and the poles were masterfully crafted—rickety though they still were—but they could not compare to even the meanest home within a Cycling City.

The ‘hold’—the world-fragment—was beyond compare, and it was growing.

There wasn’t anything like an active expansion in the vein of flowing water. Instead, it was how a forest grew.

The whole was solidifying itself almost moment by moment, and at the edges, little bits were snaking out, slowly preparing the way for the real takeover.

She would be genuinely surprised if, in the time since she’d last been there, it had grown by more than an inch in diameter, but its progress was inexorable. To be fair, though, she hadn’t been able to perceive it in its totality before, so it could have grown more than she guessed.

She had a moment’s confusion how she hadn’t seen this boulder of existence every time she’d dipped stoneward, but then she saw the lacing of magic, reality threads, and concepts that entirely encapsulated the world-fragment, hiding it from anything further away from the anchor than a couple of hundred yards.

As she continued to consider it, she realized something else. It was very difficult to look at Zeme and compare it to the world-fragment and come away with the determination that Zeme was superficial. In fact, the only reason she held to that view at all was because she had that as her default mindset.

That did cause her to stutterstep, drawing a frown from Rane as he checked on her with that glance. She thanked him with a pat to his shoulder before returning her attention forward. It hadn’t been enough that any beside her husband was likely to have noticed, but it had happened.

We are—all of us, all the time—starward of true superficial?

-That’s…- Alat actually paused, seeming to need the extra moment to process. -That is what it seems. Is that why almost no one comes back if they leave the planet? Only those capable of traversing the dimensions of magic even could?-

We don’t know what is woven around Zeme as a whole, but this could be a part of it, yeah…

The great gates to the hold were thrown wide, and a full eight Pillars and seven Eskau—seemingly of other Pillars, not present—stood flanking the entrance.

In the center stood Head Corinis, flanked by his Eskau on one side and Pillar Cruas on the other side.

Terry flickered to Lea’s shoulder even as she and Rane slowed slightly to flank Tala in a mirror of the Head of the House of Blood.

Ahead of the Sappherrous party, the guards and adjunct peeled off to either side, joining those standing in expectation.

-You know, if they were going to try to capture or kill you, this would be just about the best way and time to do it.-

Hush you.

-Just saying…-

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Thankfully, Alat’s doom-like prediction did not come to pass, and when Tala came to a stop and bowed to Head Corinis, he and all the others returned the courtesy as appropriate for each.

Behind Tala, Lea and Rane did the same, causing them to all rise back up to standing nearly as one.

Head Corinis spoke, a smile evident on his face. “Welcome back, Eskau Tala. Be welcomed as a long absent daughter of our House and as one considered for higher position.”

Tala smiled in return. “I thank you for the welcome, Revered. I look forward to connecting with some of those I had the honor of meeting upon my last visit.” Her eyes panned over those assembled. “I am seeing a few notable absences. I pray that does not mean they have fallen.”

“No, no, not at all. We have not lost an Eskau since…” He hitched for a moment before giving a little shrug. “Well, since you, in fact. Those not here are simply attending to their duties or private matters, keeping the concerns of the House moving forward. Work never sleeps, after all.” He gave a little chuckle, and Tala caught a few subtle tells from those around, confirming what she’d picked up from rumor. The Head of House wasn’t useless by any means, but he did not do a large amount of work, day to day. “Regardless, welcome.”