Fighting in the dark
Millay Continent
His division just finished their shift at the front and moved back as Zolon's moved forward. Bre wanted to sleep but he was scheduled to meet with Cer, Cramnal, and Shain.
He moved quickly toward the meeting place.
Their terra firma wielders had built elaborate buildings for them. They were meeting in a red and grey structure made of clay blocks and wood. It was a two story broad building and it radiated magic because it had no mortar nor nail.
Only magic kept it together
Bre wanted sleep. He would need to return to the fight soon and rest was vital but the brothers wanted to speak without the guard commanders. At first Bre was opposed to it. Why shut them out? They needed to know everything to be truly effective. Especially Yanira, Zolon, and Tillynia.
When he entered the room everyone relaxed as if they had been anxiously waiting for him.
"Bre needs to rest let's begin now."
"Cer is right." Cramnal looked at his siblings. "Rachel has been wounded. Rebecca has reported that she is wounded and not healing simultaneously. Even though she is in this condition she sent Rebecca back to her position."
There was silence in the room for a long moment.
Bre looked to Shain. He knew that Shain was the one that wanted to keep the guard out of the meeting. "If this is the case we need to inform everyone. This will drive them to want to complete the task as soon as possible to get to Rachel."
He looked suspiciously at his brother. "What are you up to Shain?"
Shain smirked smugly. "Are you sure that is what the information will do? They may realize that their Milana has become ineffective." Shain began speaking faster when he saw Cer's eyes widen.
"We need to be honest with ourselves. She could not sense the problems in the realm. She put forth plans that were completely ineffective and…"
"Stop! Stop talking right now!" Bre shouted, his hands waving in the air in protest and his nerves rattled. "Shain! We all know how capable you are at manipulation. Especially after what you did to Anis. How in the hell did you decide to go back to that? How could you feel…"
Bre stopped talking. Too frustrated to speak to his brother. He just sat heavily in his seat and shook his head.
The room was absolutely silent. The brothers merely looked at each other in disbelief. Shain quietly contemplated what he would need to do next.
Cramnal spoke first. "We will continue. I called this meeting not Shain he only demanded the commanders be left out." He looked to the door. "Rebecca please bring them in."
The door swung open and Rebecca, Yanira, and Tillynia entered the room. Rebecca had an accusatory smirk on her face. She looked at Shain and saw the two small swirls of smoke on his shoulders. Shain's manipulation ability was dampened due to them and the havoc they quietly exacted in soul.
When she spoke she addressed the other brothers and ignored Shain. "Now we need to talk about Rachel. I think she is okay but I would not be her protector without telling you about her condition."
Yanira looked between Rebecca and the others with concern. "What has happened to the Milana?"
"Hmph! She has failed again. That is what has happened." Shain rolled his eyes in arrogance and annoyance.
Everyone looked to him with expressions varying from disgust to frustration.
The two Alyanna on Shain's shoulders stirred. The smoke swelled to cover his shoulders, chest and neck. Shain strained a bit but said nothing. When they returned to miniscule swirls of smoke Shain's eyes became blank and his face was expressionless.
Yanira stepped forward. "We need to help her. What do we need to do Lady Rebecca? "
"We have to finish with these knots quickly and the complete a diamond formation that is focused on the abyss."
Tillynia looked to Rebecca. "A diamond formation focused there could destroy the realm." She thought for a moment. "Has she given a location for us to focus the formation? "
Rebecca studied the Azmin warrior. Tyllynia stood a full three heads taller than her and her body looked more sculpture than natural flesh and bone.
"Yes. But she wants us to wait for the signal. I have already given the points to Struns and Cramnal."
Tillynia nodded "If we have the exact location it will not be a problem. I will gather guard together that will be optimal for creating the formation. Can you show us the locations Lord Cramnal."
Cramnal nodded. His eyes became a hazy turquoise with gold and grey flakes swimming around the iris. A map of the realm appeared before them and they all studied it for some time. Tillynia and Yanira nodded in unison.
"Millau, Uta, and Sibba Continents."
Yanira nodded. "And the abyss below Sibba."
Tillynia looked to Yanira. "I will talk with Allania. Her soul magic is even more formidable than Zolon's because hers is innate. We can split the points here on Millay evenly between us and allow the Lord's time to rest and prepare for whatever the Milana will need of them.
Yanira nodded then looked to Shain. "This behavior can not go on. We have complete faith in the Milana and her abilities. This is a necessity."
He looked at her expressionlessly "It is necessary. You all need to understand how her flaws effect us."
She rolled her eyes at him. "We are all flawed. She is exalted because she is the Milana not because she is perfect." She shook her head. "You do not understand our realm or the importance of our race."
She looked to Cer and nodded in respect. "Tillynia, Allania, and I will prepare for the formation." She looked to Rebecca. "We only need to know the exact moment to strike."
Rebecca nodded her ascent and a deep yellow and black haze slid from her right side. It churned about for a few moments then slowly formed into a tall woman with skin as black as a moonless night and hair and eyes bright yellow like a young sun. She bowed to Rebecca and then walked to stand next to Yanira.
"She will tell you when."
Once again the Azmin commanders bowed and then they both left the room. Followed by Rebecca's servant.
Cramnal walked to Rebecca. "He is subdued but still a problem."
Rebecca shook her head in frustration. "He is a sky writer and they are fate manipulators of a high order. But if my guard sense danger they will bring him down without harming him. They are lost to fate and counter fate magic well."
"Okay. The three of us will need to go to the front next. Let's make sure our people are ready."
The Abyss
Rachel was bleeding profusely. She had been for longer than should have been possible for any being who had blood circulating through their body. Still she was lucid, she had stamina, and her mind was clear.
Still she was alive.
The abyss was a dense unfathomable black but it was not empty and it was not bottomless. It had landmasses and geographic features but to move through it was like moving through water. Yet you could not actually "swim" through the abyss.
Rachel could move through any level of it but most could only walk along the its ground. It seemed infinitely distant from the blue sky above and it seemed limitless in depth and length.
As Rachel sat on a small hill a fresh wound appeared on her right upper arm. It was a jagged thing and fresh blood spilled from it and down her elbow.
As she had continued searching the abyss more wounds appeared and the deeper she searched the graver the wound.
She was searching an area beneath Sibba when she found it. It was a tall hill floating across the middle area of the dense abyss. Atop it was a large gold and silver monument. It looked like a large coin or medallion with an eight sided star shaped cut out of the center. It hung suspended from an obsidian arch marred by gold and silver veins.
This hill floated across a particularly acrid portion of the abyss. Most could not truly exist within this area of the Abyss. Hence her many spontaneous wounds.
Her spirit sight rose to see the underside of Sibba. She and Rebecca had just been there and there had been no indication of a knot. As she looked there was still no indication. But she could see the roots from the vines that created Sibba's newest sacred building.
They wrapped around the crystalized underside of Sibba covered in multicolored brilliant flowers that seemed to sway to a sweet melody. Rachel looked in wrapped fascination. She could see defensive magics pouring from them.
She narrowed her eyes and looked at the fate lines surrounding and dissecting Sibba. She saw black tendrils approach the crystal, seeking entry, and being roughly sent away. She watched as thicker and thicker tendrils approached and all were rejected with many being destroyed.
'Is grandmother protecting Sibba or is this hill drawn to her and thusly protecting her? What is this monument?'
She looked at the hill and the coin and realize there was an alter beneath the hanging "coin". She used her sight to see within the hill and inside there was a cave with runes carved on the walls and a second alter directly below the one on top of the hill.
'How could I not know this place?' Her confusion became frustration as she realized many of the previous Milana did not feel knowing about the abyss was of any importance.
Rachel knew instantly that she needed to examine ancient Milana memories.
She told Rebecca and Struns the location for the diamond formation focus, stood, and teleported in the opposite direction.