Ilus Rises: Chapter 13 Part 2 of 2

“I’m glad you feel that way.” Desari focused on a building and a gate ahead, the dock-road leading to it worn and larger. “Too many people look at the power and not the consequences of it.”

“Power without purpose is useless to all but one’s ego,” Petor said.

Four guards stood around a booth next to the gate, hands on their weapons, alert.

Several more guards were in the buildings to either side and overtop of the gate.

They studied her as she reached the booth. A larger man started at her appearance. Desari quickly released her sounds altering spells.

“Gave me a fright there.” The man smiled, putting his book away.

“I’m looking for passage to the material plane,” Desari said before he’d sat back in his seat fully.

“Well you’ve come to the right place. Have you used this convergence point before?”

“No.”

“Ah, okay well the next time we anticipate passage opening is in three days.” He tapped on the top of his booth. Desari looked up to a schedule written out in pristine hand.

“How much?”

“It is five thousand gold to enter the line on a first-served basis. If you have a cart of goods that is an additional fifteen thousand gold. Though you can bid for a higher slot. The more you are willing to pay the higher your position becomes. We are unsure of how long the mouth of the convergence point will remain open for so the higher you bid, the greater chance you will get through. If it closes before you can get through, you may be refunded or you can attempt the next time the mouth opens.” He  gave them a soft smile, his hands clasped on the desk.

“How much would one have to bid in order to secure a spot that should make it through to the material plane?” Desari asked. “For four people?”

His eyes flicked to his desk and back up. “Currently I think that a bid of fifteen thousand each would secure you a position guaranteed to get you through the mouth.”

Petor grunted behind her.

“Very well.” Desari looked at the gate.

“If I have your names and where you might be found I can send a runner if anything changes?” The man asked.

“Desari, the ship Mesurial.”

He jotted it down with a smile before looking up.

“Can I help you with anything else?”

“I was wondering who I might talk to who would know about what’s happening in the material plane?” She fixed her gaze on the man.

“There was a talkable fellow, a trader that came through from the other side. Jorvik I think he went by. Said that he was staying over at the Dry Hammock tavern.”

“Do you know where that is?”

He leaned forward and pulled out a map from outside her view, tapping his lip. “Now where would it be?”

“Would you know where the adventurer guild is as well?” Petor asked.

Desari hid her grimace, she’d forgotten about the maps and information, she dropped fifteen gold coins on the counter.

He took the coins, slipping them into his robe and scratched out an X on the map.

“There you are.” He put it up on the counter.

“Thank you for your time.” Desari took the map and turned, walking away from the gate.

He tilted his head and reached for his book once again.

“Cheaper than the other way,” Petor said, following her. “Though it ain’t a small amount of coin neither.”

“Money is a means to an end,” Desari said, drawing back up the muffling spells and studying the map, counting the number of turn offs they’d pass before she’d have to take one. Three streets on the left. Two and then right for five streets.

“I guess that is true. Just feels odd dealing with the amounts we are. Like I understand its money, but it feels like kind of intangible, just numbers on a sheet.”

“As soon as you start dealing with numbers beyond your basic needs it becomes hard to quantify it,” Desari rolled up the map slipping it into a pocket.

“We heading off to see this Jorvik?”

“I think it would be worth our time. I don’t want to be going blind into Etera.”

“Okay, we can swing round the adventurer’s guild afterwards,” Petor said.

They lapsed into silence, Desari leading.

“So, you go to a water plane or another plane and you find an elemental that you would bond with and then do the bond and you’re good to go?” Petor asked. “Does the shared powers dissipate over distance?”

“Soul bindings are one things that can cross planes and worlds.” Desari relaxed, sinking into something familiar, instead of cooped up in her worries, her mind building on worse and worse scenarios. “The only time that they can be broken is when you pass through to the celestial realm.”

“So that’s why all of our soul bound items were returned to us.”

“And summoning is much faster than going to the other planes. Its much more expensive or dangerous to go to another plane without a guide,” Desari said.

“Summoning? You said that before, you can ‘summon one another’?”

“It’s actually a ritual. You inlay a summoning circle, empower it and draw an elemental from one of the planes. Summoning circles basically open a doorway between planes. You use attuned items to increase the connection. Some are open doors inviting elementals that might be interested.” She let out a heavy breath. “Others are more like nets that are thrown out to ensnare elementals and drag them to one location. You can add in different parts to the summoning circle, things to defend the caster, to weaken what is summoned, even place a contract upon them, willing or not.”

“I’m guessing you can’t use that here as you are trying to call other elementals?” Petor asked.

“Its mostly a thing of power. It will take less power drawing them to the material plane. Here it would take a lot of power to draw them forth. Also drawing an elemental to a different plane. It can be taken as a sign of aggression and spitting in the face of the plane and the elemental lord that controls it. They’re a lot more active than gods and unlike them they grew into their power, and they take on the role of mediating across the planes and taking up different roles,” Desari said. She drew out the map and checked it against the surrounding dock-streets.

“Take a left here.” She put the map away, checking the way was clear before heading across. Petor followed, his eyes tracking everything.

They sunk into a companionable silence, roving through the city, the lights brightening as the light through the collectors dimmed.

“Looks like the place,” Desari checked the map against the location, tucking it away, scanning the tavern. It was in decent condition, midway through the city, the floors above had shuttered windows, opened as sailors were leaning out, smoking their pipes, watching the city moving below.

Their clothes were worn, but in good condition. Happy in their small pleasures, a glass of something here, not bottles for the cheapest they could find.

A sign hung on a hammock. Dry Hammock Tavern.

Desari led the way, the door to the tavern opening ahead of her as a man stepped out. He tapped his hat and pushed the door a bit more for her.

“Thanks.” She caught it with a few fingers as he headed off into the growing night. Petor trailed behind her.

The crowd was older, but no less lively, stories and drink flowed, two games of cards were being played. Laughter broke out in a booth.

A counter on the left was ahead of a steep set of stairs, the woman at the counter talking to a merchant by his dress.

There was a clear path there, and to the bar along the right wall. The rest of the place was pillars and tables. Booths took up the wall space, horseshoe things to fit in as many as possible.

Sailors, merchants, traders, even a number of locals.

Her eyes settled on a man in a booth chatting to three sailors.

“--And then he ran screaming out the building to jump into the nearest trough!” The trader slapped the table, the sailors chortling in their seats.

His dress wasn’t local but it was well made. His accent was melded but not the rolling tones of the water plane people.

Desari weaved through the tables.

“Jorvik?” She asked.

The man looked up, still drinking from his tankard.

He quickly pulled it away and wiped his lips with the back of his arm.

“And who might you be darlin’?”

“Desari. I heard that you’re a trader from the material plane.”

“Rare and exotic as I am,” He pulled his jerkin tight as he sat back in his side of the booth.

Desari looked at the sailors. “Sorry gentlemen, I have some business with him. If you wouldn’t mind?”

“Ah not a problem, good luck Jorvik,” The sailor at the end said, giving him a wink and sliding out of the booth.

The other two followed and Desari slid in.

Petor leaned against the space between her booth seat and the next.

“A friend?” Jorvik studied Petor  warily.

“Yes.”

“I’m not the kind of trader to mix business with pleasure,” He led, drinking from his tankard.

“Looking for information if you have it.” Desari cut in.

Jorvik sharpened up and sat back in his booth.

“Time is coin, information even more so. You got the coin and I’ll put on all the song and dance you want,” Jorvik opened his arms expansively and winked.

“I’m looking for information on Etera,” Desari dropped fifty gold on the table.

He swept it away in one smooth motion.

“My throat is but parched,” Jorvik held his neck with an irreverent grin.

She glanced at Petor.

“Be right back.”

He pushed off and headed to the bar.

“So, what have you heard?” Desari asked.

“Enchanted weapons are up, way up. People are scared about elemental weapons. Having the four elemental lords show up was enough to scare anyone with a brain cell. Changed the market. People looking for reagents to use in weapons instead of elementals themselves. More trade, less summoning,” Jorvik grinned. “Been more natural disasters, volcanoes erupting, storms and the like. Least people been saying so. I dunno. Though a dozen convergence points dissipated.”

“Dissipated, I though that there were only more convergence points per year,” Desari frowned.

“Yeah it was, but we’ve had less. Dunno if elemental or material side of things.” He shrugged. “Stronger elementals been spotted in areas where there used to be just weak elementals.”

Petor returned with two beers, putting one on the table and drinking from the other.

“Thanks!” Jorvik took a deep drink.

Petor nodded and moved back to lean against the booth.

“Anything else?”

“Travel is still tight.” Jorvik said with a sour expression. “Tight as its been since Ilus disappeared.” He shook his head.

“What happened there?” Desari kept her expressions carefully neutral and in-line with what she’d presented thus far.

“I thought that would have reached even here in the water plane,” Jorvik snorted and drank from his pint deeply before gasping and leaning back on the table.”

“Geraxi attacked Ilus, their third army got gutted, and Ilus was banished or destroyed—depends who you ask. All the nations were pissed. Lots of powerful kids went there, a lot of powerful people did too. Geraxi stepped right into it. Though they’re cutthroat shits. They lost land in the fighting, things got real tight for them. Pushed back to the Remel and they barely held the Tinneld Mountains. Got confident in their defenses, till a group of mages started raining down their anger on them.”

He drank from his tankard as if to wash out a bad taste.

“Then out of the fucking sky—comes their champion. Call him their avatar or some shit.” He leaned forward, capturing Desari’s eyes. “This fucking guy is apparently the incarnation of all their pantheon. Like five people shoved into the body of a person. This swaggering dick got out all the nasty shit of their armory. Bound elementals? Hah!” He laughed to the ceiling and went back to Desari. “They say this fucker got gods and demons strapped to him.”

Jorvik shook his head and drank from his tankard. “Comes in like some fucking avenging fuck. Lays into the armies that are coming through the Tinneld. They’re all trapped in the passes. Mages and the rest lay into him, but he forces them all back. He breaks the attack. Then offers an ultimatum to those looking to cross the Remel river.” He chuckled, a dark thing, leaning forward. “Says to them, all these generals and high up nobles—cross the river and he’ll color it with their blood.”

“So they turned to their ambassadors and they created some kind of pact,” Desari said.

“Right you are. Geraxi got basically isolated from the other nations, their new territory is behind the Remel, they hold the mountains. There are border clashes now and then. Though nothing really comes of it. Not much information comes out. Though there are rumors that they’re recovering. Geraxi never much liked just holding their borders. Tensions are just ramping up.” He drank from his mug. “Way I hear it, everyone’s working to get ready for another fight. Then there’s the fringe problems, mages without teachers, cults on the rise, wild magic.”

Jorvik shrugged and looked at the table. “Shit makes more sense on this side of the plane.” He drank from his beer.

“Anything else going on?”

“Not really, just watch out over there, people are willing to do some crazy things now. Feels like Ilus kept things all stable and now, its just all coming apart and people are tearing what they can from one another. Getting over to the different planes is hard, they’re open less than before and then people vet you on the water plane side before you can get through. Thankfully I’ve done this a few times and they know me.” He gave a winning smile.

“Well thank you for the information, hope you enjoy the drink,” Desari moved to exit the booth. Petor threw back the tankard, draining it.

“Aww, you don’t want to spend some more time with ole Jorvik? I don’t bite! Unless you want me to.”

“We have other things to do.” Desari gave him a half tilt of acknowledgement and headed for the door. Petor followed her, dropping off the tankard. “Thanks for the drink.”

The barkeep nodded, pulling it from the counter.

They stepped out of the bar, Desari checked the area, before drawing out her map, tracing a route back to Mesurial.

“Sounds like there’s just been a pause in the fighting,” Petor said.

“The other nations weren’t ready for a fight but they jumped on it at the loss of Ilus. Lots of powerful people losing their family like that. It had to be punished, and the third army was gone. Geraxi has the strongest military on Etera and they’re willing to use it. Ilus gave everyone an opening and they took it.”

She put the map away and started walking.

“You going to pay them a visit and stir things up?” Petor asked.

“I don’t have anything that I care about there. I don’t have a reason to go back. Let them rot and die.” Desari said.

Petor grunted as they walked through the city.

“You know, before I might’ve wanted to tear them apart. I did right when Limos pulled us back together. Maybe I will after we’ve helped out Ilus.” She shrugged. “I don’t care about them so why should I waste time on them. Saving Ilus is much more important.”