EA Chapter 43 - The Powers That Be

Opening her eyes, Luna once more found herself in the confines of Thulpa’s office. The place had not changed a bit since she had last been. But Luna knew well enough that that meant little when it came to alien dimensions. It had been many weeks since she had last seen the interior, but for all she knew time flowed differently here.

It could have been no more than five minutes from Tulpa’s point of view.

The strange young woman was floating above her massive desk, an awkward smile on her face. “Heeeey,” she greeted. “I suppose you have questions for me.”

“A few,” Luna said, biting down the brief flash of white hot anger she felt. “That creature, that... Iudex. She’s the same species as you.”

“Indeed,” Tulpa hesitantly said.

“So... your kind are the people who created the Mire and the Ashlands?” she asked, slowly folding her arms.

“It’s... not that simple,” Tulpa reluctantly replied, floating slowly across the angled chamber. “But, yes, in a sense I am kindred to the Powers-That-Be.”

“Is that’s the name of your kin as a whole?” Luna asked, watching her every move with great care. She hadn’t trusted Tulpa before, and she certainly didn’t now.

“They are a faction. We, as a whole, are the fae.” She turned her back to Luna, but was still watching her from over her shoulder. Crimson petals swam about her, forming steadily into a 3D model of Elthreme. Luna watched as it expanded outwards, revealing he great gulf of the Ashlands which seemed to stretch even larger than the whole of Elthreme. “They have taken it upon themselves to be custodians of your world.”

Luna scoffed and closed her eyes. “Not MY world, in case you have forgotten. I’ll defend it, for the time being, but I have no love for the place.”

She could see Tulpa rolling her eyes. The model continued to grow. Now Luna could see great lines forming, shaping what appeared to be a border. The Ashlands, at their full size, encompassed several kingdoms worth of land. Small wonder the Elthremian expeditions had made little headway. Hostility of the land aside, you would need a strong supply chain to navigate an area so vast.

“Centuries ago, the Powers-That-Be found this world in turmoil, gripped in a war that threatened to tear the planet asunder. While they disdained all non-fae, some saw it as a worthwhile experiment: To see if they could bring peace and order to this world. The first step was to... forcibly separate the different kingdoms, placing mystic security measures to ensure they stayed apart.”

“The Mire and the Ashborn,” Luna said.

“Among other things,” Tulpa said, grimacing. It went unsaid that there were things worse than either out there, but Luna caught the implication well enough.

“How many of these fractured kingdoms are there?”

“A dozen. Some larger than Elthreme, some around the same size.”

Luna watched her carefully. Tulpa spoke evenly, she did not seem to be lying, yet she could not bring herself to take that statement as a total fact. Still, there was at least a dozen kingdoms out there. Places that she could make use of, resources she could exploit. If she could blaze a trail through the Ashlands.

“So this... all of it, is some experiment? They’ve been at this for centuries.”

“We are immortal, Luna. Centuries to us mean nothing. The Powers-That-Be are willing to wait a long time to see their experiment pan out. Forcing these kingdoms into this... situation, waiting to see how they adapt and improve themselves. If the natives of this world can ever grow to be better than what they are,” she explained.

“And where exactly do you fit into this, Tulpa?” Luna tilted her head. “Are you... alone in all this?”

“I can’t divulge everything to you in one go, Luna,” the fae replied, slowly rotating back around to face her. The red petals fluttered away from her, the projection of the land vanishing entirely. “The situation, as you can clearly tell, is... more hectic than it initially appeared. I wanted to ease you in, let you gradually get a feel for things.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “Please don’t let this form fool you, I am not some naive idiot girl.”

“No, perhaps not. I suppose the easiest way to explain it is that there are those among the fae who do not agree with the actions of the Powers-That-Be. Those of us who do what we can to disrupt the flow of their actions as best we can. Though we are ultimately outnumbered, and direct conflict would be ill-advised for our kin,” Tulpa explained.

When she thought about it, Luna could see some logic there. Iudex Kabal had summoned forth a city-threatening monster with all the effort of drawing breath, and Luna was of a mind that she was some low-ranking grunt in the grand scheme of things. If two beings of such power were to clash, the collateral damage would be considerable.

“Alright. Then the plan is clear,” Luna said, closing her eyes briefly. “I need to grow in strength, and grow considerably, Then I can brave the Ashlands, potentially quell them, and start reaching out to these... fractured kingdoms. Compounding our resources would be a great boon. Of course, your kin will undoubtedly move to hinder me.” She sighed and examined one of her hands. “And I am but a shadow of my former self, even now.”

Training could only do so much. It was a slow, steady growth to strengthen her body and broaden her pool of qi. She had yet to find the means recreate some of the rituals and alchemical droughts that had made Viisa Hauron such an unstoppable force.

As if sensing her thoughts, Tulpa rounded on Luna and watched her carefully. “You have grown considerably, all the same. At your current level of strength you could well survive exposure to the celestial dew.”

Luna raised a brow. “Celestial dew?”

“Traces of fae power, remnants of the Powers-That-Be reshaping this world. Exposure to it could kill a normal person, but you are far from normal by now. And using it would enhance your power massively” Tulpa sighed. “Beneath the surface of Elthreme, in catacombs that reach into the bowels of the planet, that is the nearest source. But it is faint, and no doubt guarded by something inhuman.”

“Nothing can ever be easy. But I thank you for the guidance,” she said. “One more thing, Tulpa. Much of Elthreme’s history seems to be built on lies, but I have to ask... who is Zehud?”

A sad smile slowly blossomed on Tulpa’s face. “He was... to put it simply, the best of us. And the Powers-That-Be slew him for that.”