Abyssal Road Trip

Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Outpost of the Monastery of the Western Reaches

Livia was the first arrival to the morning training session, and her bright, knowing smile drew a sigh from Amdirlain.

“Don’t be like that, Móðir,” reassured Livia. “You’ll lose all your happy vibe.”

“What?” asked Amdirlain suspiciously.

“I’m familiar with the morning afterglow, and you seem to have climbed a particular summit this morning, Móðir,” noted Livia. “Not that you haven’t been aglow for a few months now, but there is an extra strength to your vibrance today.”

Amdirlain lifted her left hand, and her thumb shifted the ring meaningfully. “I got married, so I’m allowed to be excited.”

“Didn’t you tell Ebusuku there must be a celebration and a party?” asked Livia.

“I never got to throw her one, so I’ll just follow her example,” Amdirlain said.

Livia ecstatically hugged Amdirlain tight. “But I want to throw you a party.”

“No,” huffed Amdirlain. “I’m hopeless at parties. I feel awkward, and everything I say comes across as stilted.”

There’s no point in me wearing white after last night.

“Do you think Sarah will let me also call her Móðir?” asked Livia, taking in Amdirlain’s blush.

“That is up to the two of you. I need to let you know something, though—we’ll have to head away shortly. Eleftherios warned me that a few people are looking in the Outlands for signs of True Song Crystal.”

Livia’s gaze flickered to the viewing platforms.

“Yeah, those,” agreed Amdirlain. “I’ll move my obstacle course and take apart this training hall. After I finish a few things, I plan to travel on Vehtë.”

“You’ve only been here for a touch over eight months,” sighed Livia. “Will you be back again?”

“The next time I have a chance to rest, I might be free of the curse and able to get into the higher planes,” said Amdirlain.

Livia winced. “That long?”

“Unless I can shake them off my tail. However, I’m not heading off straight away. Though I’m going to need to set up some loud decoys and remove as much trace of True Song as possible from your Domain,” explained Amdirlain.

“Did he give you details about who is seeking you?”

“Only that the Demon Lord fixated on the undead was the least among them,” said Amdirlain.

The oblique reference to Orcus was enough to darken Livia’s gaze. “A pity it wasn’t only him. I’d happily help trap him or some of his forces.”

Can I set a trap since they won’t know I’m expecting them? I’d still need to head off to keep the monastery safe. I use True Song daily, but a fresh decoy might buy time.

“Are you staying for the training session?”

A lifted eyebrow finely accented Livia’s incredulous expression. “With you heading off soon, do you think I’ll pass up any opportunity? Is the news of being hunted why you’ve been away from the monastery these last weeks?”

“No, Gilorn and I were educating some Lómë,” replied Amdirlain lightly.

“Which is why when Isa and Ilya dropped in, they knew nothing about where you were?”

Amdirlain smiled. “The exiled Lómë got to experience what their lives would have been like in the Abyss.”

“Oh, Móðir,” breathed Livia, concern weighing her expression.

“The same experience Ebusuku had in the corridor of choices,” clarified Amdirlain.

Livia sighed in relief. “That wasn’t my first thought. A dreamscape?”

“It was a bit more accurate than that since we needed to provide them the background themes, but that’s close,” said Amdirlain.

“Will you reduce the training exercises before you leave?” asked Livia.

“I’m going to be busy with a few things, and this has to change. The obstacle course I can switch to a Demi-Plane,” Amdirlain motioned to the training hall. “Though I’ll look into options moving the existing one to somewhere where it wouldn’t cause trouble. I might need to take this apart because it relies on True Song holding the enchantments together. I should be able to set up something similar if enough land is available on the mountain.”

Livia frowned. “How are you going to duplicate your handling of the classes.”

“It shouldn’t be too hard to set up a training hall with enchanted constructs based on the strength of the person challenging them.”

“How long before you head off? What help can I give you to get all this organised?” asked Livia.

They ran through the combined list of tasks, and Livia gave her input into those affecting the monastery.

When Jinfeng arrived, she greeted Amdirlain with an exchange of salutes.

“My apologies for my sudden absence. Unfortunately, it will be a permanent one sooner than I had hoped,” said Amdirlain.

“Are you going to Vehtë or another world?” enquired Jinfeng eagerly.

I’m not sure about taking someone with us.

“We won’t be travelling in the Jade Emperor’s territories,” advised Amdirlain.

“It has been an honour to learn from you, Sifu. If you travel to those lands in the future, please let me know,” said Jinfeng. “I’d happily accompany you and help you through the local customs.”

“I’ll contact you when we get near any of the kingdoms’ boundaries,” reassured Amdirlain.

Klipyl appeared in the hall and skipped to where Amdirlain, Livia and Jinfeng stood talking.

“Thank you, Klipyl,” Amdirlain said and hugged her warmly.

“What did I do?” Klipyl asked, clearly puzzled.

“For all your helpful advice and perspective,” said Amdirlain, feeling the warmth dusting her cheeks.

Klipyl squeed with glee. “You’re welcome.”

“I’m going to be heading to Vehtë sooner than expected,” said Amdirlain. “I’ve drawn too much attention, so I’m opting to lie low for a bit.”

“Boo,” said Klipyl. “I’ll miss you.”

“Just think of it that I’ll be getting closer to being free,” said Amdirlain.

Klipyl’s smile lit up the room.

The attendees of the pre-breakfast training session sharpened their focus after Jinfeng announced that Am would depart the monastery in the upcoming weeks.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Morgana and the others showed up as the last attendees left for their post-breakfast classes. Her dusky skin tinged with green, similar to a Wood Elf’s appearance, which stood out against her customary silvery dress.

Before Amdirlain could say anything, Morgana eyed her thoughtfully. “By your expression, there is some bad news.”

Rip the bandaid off.

“I’m going to have to cut short my stay here,” Amdirlain said.

“You’ve barely had any training here,” Morgana responded glumly. “Proper study normally involves decades.”

Amdirlain gave her a rueful smile. “I was wondering if you’d do me a favour.”

“What do you need a hand with?”

“Would you keep teaching Tulne and others from Qil Tris she brings along?”

Morgana smiled. “You ask such a hardship. And my payment?”

“I’ll give you full access to my library,” said Amdirlain. “Though I’m going to have to move it to a new Demi-Plane; some folks are hunting crystal.”

“Your premature departure makes sense then,” said Morgana. “Hopefully, you and Sarah slay them instead. Teach them it’s unwise to hunt a prepared Dragon.”

All the traps they set inside their lairs and other preparations give me food for thought.

People want to play games with me. Why don’t I play a few of my own? Perhaps a lethal version of some dungeon games might not go astray.

Amdirlain hummed thoughtfully and turned to Klipyl, who was sitting nearby. “Could you ask your boss for some advice about selling some information to an information broker in The Exchange?”

“What sort of information?” asked Klipyl.

“A newly discovered cache of True Song Crystal,” purred Amdirlain.

“What are you going to be doing?” asked Klipyl.

“Setting traps for those that want to hunt me,” laughed Amdirlain.

One Demi-Plane or multiple? Maybe at least two. One for general treasure hunters and one for evil lackeys looking to kill me? Or I send the general treasure hunters away.

“Oh, that’s much better than hiding,” giggled Klipyl. “Ebusuku says she’ll be in touch but suggests checking out The Exchange in person or at least through a temporary Gate. She doesn’t know how they force everyone to appear in the entryway before the gates.”

“I’m pretty sure I already know, but I’ll open a Gate to there later and have a listen,” said Amdirlain. “It will be good to verify my idea.”

“Usual training this morning, or are you going to mix things up today?” asked Morgana.

Amdirlain smiled. “I thought I’d try to inspire the ladies while you and Aitherlar push them in your areas of expertise.”

“An experiment with your Muse’s Insight might not do much when you’re not directly applying the pressure,” said Morgana. “But it will be interesting to see.”

“We’ll see if it will help them,” said Amdirlain. “I’m unsure if I can inspire someone’s insights without my direct involvement.”

The morning session turned into pressuring Nomein and the others to accelerate their own performance. Amdirlain’s Telepathy applied pressure continually, trying to distract them from the activation of their techniques. The pressure from the barrage of projections battered at their defences and interrupted their attacks against their own targets.

Sarah joined the gathering just before the commencement of the midday meal and eyed the ladies sympathetically. “You look like you’ve all been dragged through a spiky hedge backwards.”

“Very funny,” grumbled Lezekus. “Perhaps your wife should also treat you to some of this training.”

“Mother frequently puts me through the wringer trying to keep up,” Sarah replied.

Aitherlar smiled. “An occasional humbling helps keep you on your toes. We’ll let you two have your privacy.”

As they headed off, Sarah dropped onto the couch beside Amdirlain and wrapped an arm around her. Amdirlain stole a lingering kiss and hugged Sarah close.

“I’ve got an idea I want to try, so I’m going to be gone all this afternoon,” said Amdirlain afterwards.

“Are you going to be home tonight?” asked Sarah.

“I should be home in time for the normal post-dinner routine,” said Amdirlain. “Why?”

Sarah nipped at Amdirlain’s ear. “Should I use a female form tonight or male again?”

Amdirlain smiled pertly as she blushed a bright red. “Both.”

“Your True Form now allows you enough mass for different metallic adult forms,” purred Sarah.

“Are you after a mating flight?” teased Amdirlain.

“I’m pretty sure you could catch me,” rumbled Sarah, her gaze heated as she nipped Amdirlain again.

“You want me chasing you?” asked Amdirlain curiously.

That means adopting a male form. Which will be different.

Sarah nodded. “We could do with some fun flights.”

“And if you get pregnant,” cautioned Amdirlain.

“Yeah, you’d end up travelling Vehtë alone. I’ll keep my ovulation in check, darn Dragon physiology and mating triggers,” said Sarah.

“The flight process triggers the release?”

Sarah grinned. “You want the birds and the bees lecture? I think we’ve got other things to worry about. Are you going to clean the traces from Xaos? It’s a bit more vulnerable since it’s in the Outlands and not directly in a Deity’s Domain.”

“I’ll see if I can get permission to switch in a new training tower and Mousekin burrow,” said Amdirlain. “I might tend to that before starting on my trap.”

“You’ll need permission from someone in the alliance,” reminded Sarah.

“I’ll get in touch with Danu later. Since Rana’s tending to other things right now, we will see who shows up,” said Amdirlain.

“While we get organised, try not to add too many more things to your list,” Sarah said.

“This trap will hopefully take some of the pressure off our departure,” said Amdirlain.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Amdirlain moved into the deep forest beyond the monastery fields, crossing her fingers that she wasn’t inviting trouble.

“Danu, might we talk,” Amdirlain murmured.

Half an hour later, Amdirlain heard a theme that she recognised speed between trees. The friendlier of the two Dryad daughters she’d met circled between trunks along the glade’s edge.

“It isn’t a trap,” reassured Amdirlain.

Two golden eyes appeared upon the tree. “Don’t you think it’s a bit bold calling upon a goddess who you don’t worship?”

“You’ve spoken to me before, Leuciphia. Why the games now?” asked Amdirlain, able to make out the naked form of her Dryad daughter within the tree’s bole.

The Dryad slipped out of the trunk, but the fingers of her trailing hand lingered within the bark, poised to leap back inside. “Hunters set traps with bait that interests their prey.”

“Hello again, Leuciphia,” said Amdirlain. “I’m not hunting you. I was curious to see if Danu would send you. You’ve spent so much time observing the monastery lately.”

“You knew I was there? How did you know I adhere to Danu?”

Amdirlain smiled.

“Danu asked me to come since I was her closest servant,” allowed Leuciphia. “Have you reconsidered providing more energy to our family’s grove?”

While I’ve plenty of crystal stuffed full of Ki, handing one to them could invite trouble for their grove.

“I already told you that you’re going to need a different energy donor,” advised Amdirlain. “I’m after Danu’s permission to make changes at Xaos. While I’d like to keep the training tower and the Mousekin burrow, I need to remove the materials I used in its construction. It will involve a restricted Gate to a Demi-Plane in the training courtyard there.”

The liquid tones of a Commune Blessing spilled from Leuciphia, and she briefly closed her eyes, swaying in time to the wind in the canopy. “Yes, you have her permission. The Goddess requests that during your next visit to Vehtë, you come to the Taurë forest to meet with her Avatar.”

“I’ll do that, though I’m not sure when during the trip it will be,” said Amdirlain.

Leuciphia shrugged. “She has heard your words and didn’t gainsay them.”

“Take care of yourself, Leuciphia,” Amdirlain offered. “I won’t be here much longer.”

“Like I care,” pouted Leuciphia, and she vanished back through the trees.

Amdirlain snorted in amusement and teleported within range of Xaos. She took in additional details of the ward protecting the residents before shifting into an unused Demi-Plane.

The abrupt shift into darkness caused Amdirlain to pause and consider her mood. The presence of Yngvarr and Alfarr within the town hadn’t stung, and she nodded in satisfaction. “I guess I am slowly getting healthier.”

Not spending more time on self-reflection, she expanded the seed into a cylinder until it was a few kilometres long. Within it, she duplicated the first training tower and the Mousekin burrow. The occupants of the areas didn’t notice when Amdirlain shifted them to their new locations and linked the Demi-Plane in place. The energy flows across the surface of the Demi-Plane tied into supporting the refurbishment of the training constructs and the slipways within the burrows.

[Construct experience (Various)

Training Tower of the Mists (Expanded)

Dimensional Species Haven (Mousekin)

Total Experience gained: 770,000,000

Primal Maestro: +770,000,000

Primal Maestro Levelled Up! x85

Empress Malfex Unlocked!

Note: Most kids consider ant farms for low-cost pets.]

Amdirlain tuned out the snark implied in the note and tried to listen to the music in the notification, but it was still out of reach.

As the surge of experience and levels settled into place, Amdirlain felt her True Form churning; its theme shifted and expanded further with the additional vigour they’d provided.

“Level eighty-five. How much further do I push?” asked Amdirlain.

The way her songs had slipped from Tephros with her higher magic rating dug at Amdirlain.

My magic rating now exceeds twenty thousand, so I’ll even out my species and classes at three hundred. This plan should give a lot of experience with the True Song crystal.

She briefly worried at her bottom lip and shifted to another Demi-Plane, where she dispatched a Message to Gilorn requesting her aid. While Amdirlain waited, she expanded the Demi-Plane into a sphere with a radius of forty-one thousand kilometres. With the outer shell barely within her perception, she created an illusion of the design and composed the various themes.

When Gilorn appeared, she hovered beside Amdirlain and considered the illusion and the musical scores surrounding it.

“How much crystal are you planning to create?” asked Gilorn.

“Enough that the noise from anyone tracing True Song will only lead them here,” said Amdirlain. “Not as much as that diagram makes it seem. I intend the walls to be Chaos-infused granite with crystal supports throughout.”

Gilorn hummed. “That’s still one huge honey trap.”

“Its primary purpose is to be a bait away from the monastery, but I’d also like to see how many enemies I can break free from their masters,” Amdirlain said.

“Don’t you mean kill?”

Amdirlain pointed to the illusion. “Some will die, but I thought some corridors could provide others with choices. Show them how little their life has changed and allow them a chance to escape the cycle. It’ll let them break whatever Oath Link they have and choose a new name. The territories of the Abyss exist because the strong have their hands around the throats of the weak.”

“If all the forces that enter disappear, they’ll stop sending forces inside,” cautioned Gilorn.

“But they’ll reform on their Home Plane with tales of treasures for the taking. I could also have some traps with dismissal effects that would send them home alive,” said Amdirlain. “With some minor trinkets for their trouble. The principal purpose is to distract those hunting for the source of the True Song that’s been scouring planes for knowledge.”

“Where do these designs come from?” asked Gilorn.

“That illusion is based on the Titan’s Maze, though with more chambers to spawn constructs for fighting. I’m still deciding what to base levels on instead of just creating mazes from scratch. Also, I want to set the Demi-Plane up to tithe as much of the experience as possible.”

“You don’t want the seekers to grow stronger,” Gilorn said thoughtfully. “Didn’t Eleftherios say they’re hunting for it in the Outlands? How will this help you?”

Amdirlain laid out another theme, and Gilorn hummed in amusement. “Alright, I see what you’re planning. And would you like me to create it alone? You sound like your flesh contains a lot more levels.”

“I’ve unlocked the Empress Malfex,” admitted Amdirlain.

“What was the talk about needing over three hundred levels in your species and classes?” enquired Gilorn.

Amdirlain coughed sheepishly. “Mostly, it was simply about being strong enough to handle Balnérith. I had figured out the levels needed for the Grand Empress change and teased Sarah about going ridiculously higher. Even though I said I wouldn’t try for it, I got fixated on the needed numbers.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Gilorn.

“Keep pushing on, but not to unlock Grand Empress,” advised Amdirlain. “I’ll accumulate at least two hundred more levels and see how I feel. The stronger I am, the better I can handle Balnérith, the work on the wound, and other threats.”

“Alright, let’s get back to this project. I have some changes I’d like to suggest,” said Gilorn, and she created a different illusion of a cylinder with levels set out in layers. “Keep it the diameter of your sphere, but extend its height further. I take it you made the sphere to match your current reach in Resonance.”

Amdirlain nodded. “You’re correct about the range. I like your suggestion, as it would allow for some interesting possibilities.”

“Well, this would allow us to make the trap piecemeal, with each maze layer feeding into the next. Have the current last layer always feeding foes back into a different location on the second layer,” said Gilorn. “Once we get a few layers set up, we open the Gate to the Outlands and set the songs to gather arcane information again to bait your foes.”

Worry niggled at the back of her mind, and Amdirlain nodded stiffly at Gilorn’s illusion. “My original had a lot of crystal, and your version will need even more to complete it.”

“The amount of crystal involved means that each level will probably involve more experience than your expanded demi-planes, even without armies of constructs everywhere,” advised Gilorn. “I suggest we thin it down to narrow rods and supports. Will they be static creations?”

“I’m going to set them up so they’re controllable by Ebusuku’s celestials,” advised Amdirlain.

Gilorn tinkled mischievously. “And I don’t believe she is the only Goddess whose celestials could pilot them. Should we show them?”

“Worst case, the slimes control them, so there isn’t a need to determine who is piloting them in advance,” said Amdirlain.

“And we use the Gate’s threshold to send the innocent away?” questioned Gilorn. “The same as you plan for Atonement?”

“Any mortals crossing the threshold get sent somewhere else,” said Amdirlain. She briefly considered sending them to a training Demi-Plane but shook her head.

“You picked an interesting project to celebrate your change in status,” noted Gilorn.

Amdirlain blushed to the tips of her ears.

“I wanted to say congratulations on being married,” continued Gilorn, her tone suddenly rich with a lilting amusement.

Yeah, I’m busted, and my dirty mind has grown worse. I spent years shutting down all my responses to desire, and now I want to be wrapped around Sarah.

“Oh! Yes,” Amdirlain spluttered. “Thanks. I’d long thought marriage was never on the cards.”

I’m hopeless. I got married last night, and yet here I am working today. Let’s get this done. I’m tired of things looming over my head.

Gilorn briefly glowed brighter. “Did you think I meant something else?”

“Shall we start?”

Amdirlain pointed at a corridor section in the illusion. “What do you think if we put multiple corridors of choices throughout the maze?”

“Most demons won’t care,” observed Gilorn.

“I’m not looking to make all of them think, but if I can sway a few,” said Amdirlain, waving her hands helplessly. “They won’t get an oath or an instant species change, but see there is more to existence. Isn’t it worth taking a chance? The traps in the corridors will still kill the reckless and unwary.”

“Traps based on all those pathways in Foundry?” asked Gilorn.

“I’m sure the celestials would love to know their work wasn’t in vain,” said Amdirlain.

Gilorn let out a run of merry notes. “The first thing to decide is the layouts for thousands of mazes.”

“How about for the main pathways, the blood vessels and nervous system of a species laid out flat?” asked Amdirlain. She brought up a wireframe of a Human body, with the lines showing down to the capillaries, then compressed it from three dimensions to two and let the lines merge.

“The pathways overlapping join passageways, so they’ll get turned about, but the unique patterns will provide them some landmarks. A different species for each level?” asked Gilorn. “The scale of veins becoming a corridor ten metres across would turn the Human body into a vast expanse. We’ll still need to repeat it a few times for some species.”

“Yep, but it saves us having to make it up from a blank slate every time,” said Amdirlain.

“The magical species with their Mana flow lines. Or perhaps your spiritual net?”

“Suitable alternatives, but it doesn’t mean we can’t use all of them to mix them up a little,” said Amdirlain. “Shall we have some fun creating a little trap?”

“A little,” laughed Gilorn. “This place will be bigger than some planets once we finish it. Are you putting the experience into your new Class?”

“Yes.”

“We do one of these levels today,” said Gilorn, her voice tight with worry. “And the demi-planes crafted tonight feed into an existing Class to spread the surge of changes this will cause.”

“Okay.”

[Crafting Summary (True Song Construction)

True Song Knowledge Gatherer x1 (50%)

Total experience gained: 591,473,120,000

Primal Maestro: 591,473,120,000

Primal Maestro Levelled Up! x 99]

Beneath her flesh, Amdirlain felt the writhing in her True Form. Changes rippled down her spine, and her inner form expanded. The levels added by creating the Demi-Plane’s first regions had a more extensive impact than she’d expected. Fin-like spurs marched down either side of her spine, and she could feel the hollow spines growing further from her skin. Amdirlain laced her fingers together before her stomach to suppress their sudden trembling.

“I’d like to keep going, but I’ll stick to our agreement,” said Amdirlain.

“Why don’t you get Sarah to come have a look?”

“We’ve not added any traps or construct spawners yet.”

“I can take care of those in a bit while your body settles down,” Gilorn said. Amdirlain opened her mouth to protest, and Gilorn continued. “You just added more levels than some mortals gain in a lifetime. Did it get you any growth in True Song Genesis?”

“No,” huffed Amdirlain. “Fine, you have a point.”

“Perhaps we should block the ghost caverns of Qil Tris tomorrow night,” proposed Gilorn. “Or take another night off for yourself and Sarah. You might want to give yourself a chance to settle.”

We did just get married.

“I’ll take a few nights off except for creating some stellar dust,” said Amdirlain.

“We’ll have to decide what colour we want those nebulae to be to plan the right gas compositions,” said Gilorn.

Amdirlain’s quick song conveyed a message to Sarah: “Do you want to come to look at the ‘lair’ I’ve made?”

“Can you open a Gate at the usual spot in a few minutes?” replied Sarah a few beats later.

While she waited, Amdirlain listened to Gilorn’s work, flawlessly repeating the song quicker than she managed while Amdirlain accompanied her. More levels steadily solidified beneath them, with Gilorn linking each level as she went.

When Sarah entered the Demi-Plane, her bright, cheerful theme was evident in the warm look she fixed on Amdirlain.

Sarah’s nostrils flared at the smell of the ancient stone in the corridor about them. “The stone smells like it’s been exposed to air for billions of years. What name did you give this Demi-Plane?”

“Cuckoo,” answered Amdirlain.

“As in crazy to enter or something else?”

“Themed after the parasitic egg layer because of how high I’ll have the experience tithe set,” advised Amdirlain. “The only thing those hunting me get is dangerous foes to sharpen themselves against. A large chunk of the experience I’ll steal from them will go to maintaining the place and the traps that will give no one experience.”

“Give me half an hour, and I’ll have thirty levels in place with traps and mithril constructs,” proposed Gilorn. “Then it will be safe to open it for business.”

“Thirty levels,” Sarah said. “How big are you making this place?”

“Each level is a height of a hundred and fifty metres, with a radius of forty-one thousand kilometres. The tallest chamber or corridor is fifty metres, and we’ve allowed a fifty-metre buffer top and bottom,” said Amdirlain. “Though we might vary from that if Gilorn keeps growing it.”

“I can think of many hazardous places to add inside mazes,” said Gilorn.

“Another small project, my love,” Sarah noted drily.

Amdirlain smiled and stepped close to embrace Sarah. “My love. Gilorn talked me into taking a few nights off among everything else.”

“That’s one addition that I wholeheartedly approve,” said Sarah. “How many levels have you added to your new Class?”

“A hundred and eighty-four,” replied Amdirlain.

Sarah rubbed her hands along Amdirlain’s back and got a happy murmur.

The pair patiently waited for Gilorn to be done, the sounds of traps and constructs coming to life echoing upwards from the depths.

When Gilorn felt satisfied, Amdirlain established a permanent portal to the Outlands.

“What’s next on the agenda?”

“Setting the permanent Portal in place and then seeing Custodian and finding out what they set in motion,” said Amdirlain.

“If they created a problem to get your attention, make them clean it up,” said Sarah.

“I just might do that, but one of the Eldritch is involved,” sighed Amdirlain.

Sarah shrugged. “Isn’t that what gods are for? We helped on Qil Tris because there weren’t any available.”

“Only one place to get answers, but they can wait for now,” said Amdirlain. She cupped Sarah’s face and leaned in to kiss her.