“At that point, the colonization of Jiera would be delayed for months and the Awakened Council would deport me back home, leaving me no choice but to beg for the clan’s mercy. Two birds with one stone.” Bodya said.
“I have no time for this madness.” The sound of approaching steps confirmed Vothal’s words. “Do what you want, but do it fast!”
The hologram disappeared and the rune of Bodya’s grandfather became unreachable again. Whether it was due to Vothal storing the amulet away or it being confiscated, there was no way to tell.
The Nidhogg stared at the inactive rune for a moment, thinking back to the time when Vothal had adopted Bodya after the death of his parents. Back then he had nothing and was a very confused youngster who had yet to recover from the shock of coming of age.
Bodya had been a Nidhogg who tried to move like a man. He was still grieving the loss of his arms and legs when the news of his father’s death at the hands of an Abomination reached him.
Vothal had reached out to the boy, taking care of the funeral rites and giving him the time and help he needed to adjust to his new condition.
The older Nidhogg had been part of Bodya’s life for far longer than his parents and until a few days ago, Bodya would have trusted his grandfather with his life. Now, however, he didn’t know what or who to believe.
“Guys, I bring urgent news.” The Nidhogg reached the main table where the various leaders were sitting and conversing amicably.
A Hush spell cut off all the noise and questions until he was done repeating Vothal’s warning. Bodya also mentioned his previous argument with the patriarch and how it had led to his banishment from the tribe.
‘I can’t fully trust Grandpa but I can’t ignore him either.’ He thought.
“This is ridiculous.” Lathazzar, one of the elves’ representatives from Medolin said. “We needed weeks and countless raids to make the Black Tide move of a few kilometers. Why should it suddenly go for a walk?”
“I agree. It sounds like a blatant lie.” Aalejah nodded while the banquet exploded into an uproar of voices ridiculing Vothal and insulting the Nidhogg bloodline. “Yet there’s no reason to dismiss the warning since it can be easily verified.”
The monsters of Zelex, the elves of Setraliie, and the undead took out their respective communication amulets and contacted their kin.
At first, everyone scoffed or laughed at the preposterous claim, especially the people of Medolin. Yet it only made their shock more appalling when they came out of the allegedly sieged Fringe just to find no trace of the Black Tide.
The reverted monsters searched the whole area surrounding the geyser while the undead scouted for kilometers around the settlement without finding a single monster.
“Still, this doesn’t make any sense.” Orion pondered. “Even if the Black Tide moved, for what reason should it come here?
“This region has nothing special and we have chosen this location for the Gate exactly because there are several fertile areas between here and the nearest monster tide. If the monsters just want food, they are going to stop way before reaching the Wayfinder.”
“Usually, I would agree with you.” Ilthin nodded. “But I’ve been on Jiera long enough to study the Black Tide and know how it behaves. The reason it was so hard driving it away is that in that region there are several cities of survivors filled with cattle.
“Monster are always hungry and food is no valid explanation for such a sudden migration. I think this is worth investigating, especially until the sun comes up. After that, my people will be forced to seek shelter and you are going to be on your own.”
“Agreed.” Raagu replied. “Let’s not make hasty decisions until we understand what’s happening. What are our options?”
“Well, no matter how fast a monster tide is, the Wayfinder is faster.” Orion shrugged. “The problem is that if Bodya’s grandfather is telling the truth, we can’t disassemble the Warp Gate fast enough to load it inside the Train before the Black Tide gets here.”
“What? Why?” Lith asked in confusion.
“Because the pieces that have been already Forgemastered become highly unstable if their pseudo core gets removed from the partial power core.” Orion replied. “Can you dismantle a DoLorean after enchanting it?”
“No, I can’t. Not without Creation Magic.” Lith mumbled the last part, but it still got him several glares. “Repairing damage is one thing. Taking the chassis apart would disrupt the rune patterns and cut off the mana pathways with explosive consequences.”
“Exactly.” Orion nodded. “Even if we remove the power cables connecting the Gate to the geyser, the accumulated energy would take days to dissipate enough to make the disassembling process safe.
“Until that moment, it takes but one mistake to make the Gate blow up in our faces.”
“What if we abandon it here?” Kamila suggested.
“It’s feasible, but without a Gate going back to Garlen will take days. Then weeks to stockpile new materials and months to discover what went wrong.” Orion replied. “The Royals won’t greenlight a new mission until they are sure it won’t be another very expensive failure.”
“Let me guess. I would be dragged in all of the above.” Lith sighed.
“Dragged, no but your help would surely be much appreciated. The Royals will ask you to take part in the next expedition, though.”
“I see.” Lith had no desire to come to Jiera again but at the same time, a little inconvenience was much better than risking his life to protect the Gate. “What’s our next move?”
“Recon.” Raagu replied. “I suggest we send the strongest of us to check on the Black Tide’s movements and if it really is coming this way, attempt to change its course. If it doesn’t work, retreat is our only option.
“If the entire Jiera Council failed to get rid of a single monster tide, we have no chance of success. Jiera is not even our land. There’s no point fighting to the death.”
Everyone agreed yet the elves of Medolin resented the human representative anyway. They were the only ones who couldn’t Warp away and wash their hands of that mess.
“Lith, do you have a Home Stone to spare?” Ilthin asked. “There’s a mana geyser here and the people of Zelex can help you defend this position.”
“True, but if it comes to that, how are they going to evacuate once we are done boarding the Wayfinder?” Lith replied while handing her the artifact. “It’s better to leave them where they are so that in case of failure they can leave with your people.”
“Then why are you giving me this?” She pointed at the sphere whose surface was covered in red dimensional runes.
“To give you a way out that doesn’t involve your mother. If Malyshka Warps you to Garlen, our allies will be stranded on Jiera.”
Baba Yaga could open a portal leading to her Firstborns, but without one of them acting as a living beacon, moving people from one continent to another would take quite some time.
