Chapter 24: Time Goes By
~Chapter 24~
Mae would spend the next 3 days following the same routine; work out, swim, and then lessons for the rest of the day. Even when Karanosi came to visit, aside from Athilaan leaving, nothing changed. On her 'rest' day, she focused on spending her time with Hidai, and that day was followed up by three more of the required routine. This schedule repeated, with Karanosi dropping by to check in every third day, until Venificus returned home with Kyurn, four weeks after he had departed for the Dailen Shaad.
It seemed to Mae that like the others, Venificus and Kyurn were also incapable of sensing the nightmare within her, and this confused Nimaro, remaining a source of intrigue for many months to come. Eventually, however, he concluded that it was simply because she was human. For no matter how deep a connection to their world, it would not change what she was.
With Venificus now back, Mae focused solely on her training; no longer having to take on all the chores by herself. During her training, Mae had found that she had more of a fondness of spears, pikes and staffs, but didn't shy away from learning the proper technique for using a sword.
As the weeks went on, she slowly found herself growing more comfortable with the routine until it became second nature; a structure for the life she had come to live.
With the shifting of the seasons, not much really changed. Training didn't stop and only became more grueling as the weather began to turn. When their winter set in, it was an eye-opening experience. Mae found a child-like delight in the pink cloak of snow the valley wore, and the bizarre way Athilaan tunneled beneath the thick snowpack rather than attempting to walk over it. The houses windows were sealed into place, and the heat rings were on both night and day, keeping the house warm and cozy, even under the harshest of circumstances.
Unlike Athilaan, who had become more of a friend and sparring partner, Zoy'iah became a teacher and mentor. Mae had come to respect her for her stern, hands-off approach to teaching. She demanded excellence by allowing Mae to fail and allowing her to solve problems on her own. There was no free praise, or blue ribbons. Every task left incomplete, was to be done over. Every lesson failed, repeated as many times as it took until there was no room for doubt in her understanding. Mae had never imagined that she would have been capable of being more than what she had been, and she never lost sight of the goal she wanted to achieve.
Between the training and all of what life required, she found small bits of time to herself. In those moments, she added to the growing collection of notes she took, small doodles, further explanations, and entire pages of letters for Jack alone to read. She grew her knowledge into detailed books with any bit of information she could find to share, which she stored in a chest of Davibas, made of the wood left over from Ven and Kyurn's latest venture. Along with the notes she took, in it, she placed her clothes from earth, a letter she had written to Jack explaining what had happened, her cellphone, and a preservation stone.
By the end of a year, the battery of her phone was down to 10%, but it was filled with pictures of each person that mattered in her life there, along with Hidai, Praja, and Saulk, the house and all its rooms, the suns and moon, and the valley in which they lived. It now stayed off, as she had vowed only to turn it on if Venificus brought it to her. Nimaro had made this easier by having one of his Ji'vie artists paint portraits of Jack and Koobs which had been hung in her room; a constant reminder that every day was one step closer to going home, or another day closer to that chest she was slowly filling, to being delivered on the tenth anniversary of the day she vanished. Either way, she was assured that Jack would get answers and closure. And that was the most important thing she could ever truly ask Venificus to do for her.
Halfway through the second year, when the snow was thick and the nights were long, when Mae's training had plateaued on every front, Nimaro arrived at the house early one morning with five Ji'vie in tow.
Venificus had been very accommodating when it came to Athilaan's presence at the house, but Nimaro had been a different matter. His aura was more than Ven could tolerate, causing him to leave when Nimaro arrived. But this day, Nimaro had not come to stay, but rather had come to retrieve. He and his entourage had come to take Mae to his palace in the heart of the Sal'air'nyne Quarter, where she would spend the next several months training in the discipline she would soon choose.
Karanosi and Kyurn were both there to see her off with Venificus, who seemed less terrified by the intruding Ji'vie movers, with them at his side.
"You don't have to do this Mae." Ven's heartfelt plea was far easier, than it should have been, to ignore. "I know how it seems, but I don't mind them being here. I promise!"
"This has nothing to do with that," she replied taking his hands. "I have to take this next step forward Ven. I can't progress any further here. I will never be able to repay you for everything you've done for me, but it isn't like I'm not going to come back and visit. I've not forgotten my house growing up on that hill. I fully intend on returning to it. This will never stop being my home on this world."
"I know, but I still don't think it's necessary for you to leave."
"It's just easier this way," she replied with a gentle smile. "I need to be where the trainers are."
"I still don't have to like it."
"No, you don't," she said as she hugged him tight.
"That is the last of your things," Nimaro said as the fifth Ji'vie exited the house, carrying the chest of notes and earthly belongings.
"Mae, it will be sometime before we see each other again," Karanosi began as he pulled an orb from his pocket, "So, I had this made for you. After watching you train, I know this will be of some use to you, and I hope it serves you well."
Mae took the orb Karanosi held out towards her.
"Golkic and our daughters have spent many months fashioning this armor from my scales and the fabric from the fur of my mane. I know it seems an odd thing to you, but this is my way of asking you to remember us."
"As if I could forget," she replied, clutching the orb to her chest, truly at a loss for words.
She knew very well that a set of dragon scale armor could be worth six or even seven years' worth of average wages, costing more than a standard house in the city or a new fishing boat, but hers being light-weight and padded with dragon fur, made this set even more valuable.
"Thank you Karanosi. I will cherish this."
"I prefer if you used it," Karanosi replied to Mae before hugging her. "Enjoy your time in the Quarter. It will be an experience in and of itself. And Nimaro, take good care of her."
"You have my word, Savhejan. I do apologize that you will not be able to visit her in the Quarter though. Nahtok'loy was unwilling to yield his position."
"Think nothing of it. The politics of dragons are hardly worth the effort. All these years and even I'm not certain I fully understand it all."
Nimaro laughed along with Karanosi, knowing exactly what he was referring to. Now, despite how sad the three men were acting, Kyurn being the most overly dramatic of the lot, Mae knew that she would be visiting often. For it didn't matter the distance between the valley of Horizn's Deep and the subterranean city of the Sal'air'nyne Quarter when Nimaro could bring her back at a moment's notice.
In truth, Mae knew that she needed a change and that it would be easier for the next step in her journey if she lived amongst the people that she was now a part of. Mae hadn't visited the Quarter before, making this move even more exciting for her. Nimaro had told her a great deal about the home of the Ji'vie, their culture and their city. And while she had seen recreations of it in the nightscape, experiencing it firsthand, would be entirely different.
Saying goodbyes, once again, Nimaro placed her onto his back before using his binding stone to pull them into the heart of the Quarter, where a large monolith of black crystal stood. It was a disconcerting and jarring experience that left her feeling momentarily disoriented and queasy.
"Deep breaths," Nimaro said speaking calmly as he placed her on the ground and rubbed at her back. "You will get used to the sensation, but this first time can be unsettling."
"It's not like you didn't warn me," she replied thinking back to a conversation from long ago.
The Quarter was vastly different from the surface world she knew. The climate was more temperate, the cave system warmed by underground lava flows, that kept the enormous lake heated forming a unique environment and weather system. There were plants and animals that could be found nowhere else in the world. Giant spheres of white crystal hung from the ceilings on vines of red and copper hues, illuminating the cavern as false suns. Mushrooms the size of skyscrapers, were hollowed out into dormitories and homes, while other structures were made of stone and roots. Lanterns burned during the days while the natural glow of the native flora and fauna lit the world by night.
To the other races of Sah'korhune, Nimaro's palace would have been little more than a wall, albeit a splendidly decorated wall of perfectly molded bricks of cooled lava. Yet to the Ji'vie it was their home and their city. The dormitories, she would learn, were a place for singles and elderly, where the young would take care of the old. The city, lacking in all manner of wall and gate, was opened and welcoming to all who ventured to it. The palace was the hub of all, with shops of crafters and storage for rations on the lower floors; a spiral ramp leading to the upper floors, surrounded an inner city.
At the top of the ramp, was a large open throne room, and to either side were living quarters. To the right, the royal family, and to the left, Nimaro, where Mae would now reside.
For the most part, the Ji'vie lived and work relatively normal lives, and it was in the way they lived those lives that Mae found such intrigue, as nearly every Ji'vie Mae met, was male. She could, with ease, equate much of the way they lived to that of an anthill or beehive. With the female population being few, they lived separate from the larger population of workers and guards in small dome structures surrounding the nursery pools, in an area known as the Den. The only exception being that of the Queen, who resided with her King, if she felt like it, in the Royal Apartment.
It was a long walk to the top floor of the palace, and its many citizens came from their homes to see Nimaro with their newest family member, every Ji'vie bowing at their approach, while their akress stretched forward grazing their arms and taping at their hands. Mae had expected their unusual interactions as even after all the time she had spent with Athilaan, every morning, his would do the same thing.
Following Nimaro into his side of the upper floor, where a wall with a large open archway separated his sitting room from the throne room, he took her to the far corner were there was a newly erected door, her name engraved on a plaque attached to its face.
"You're key," Nimaro said as he removed it from a hook next to the door and handed it to her.
"I know doors are a bit of a strange thing for your people to contend with, so thank you. I'm really grateful that you did this for me," she remarked as she took the key from him.
"You are very welcome. I know you had reservations about staying here, but with your unique situation, I didn't feel it safe to leave you in the dormitories. Besides, it is easiest to provide you with these comforts, when you are living in my quarters," he remarked with a sly smile as she opened the door to a beautifully decorated room, the size of a small apartment with an open balcony that overlooked an outer courtyard.
The room had been designed with the knowledge he had gained from her, with a King-sized bed, dresser, wardrobe, and private bathroom more closely resembling one from Earth with a relief closet included inside. All had been built or altered to suit her smaller size, and above the bed, a stunning painting of Jack and Koobs, a shocking and perfect surprise.
Once the Ji'vie had finished putting away her belongings, she didn't have any time to settle in, as for the remainder of the day, she spent with Nimaro, getting familiar with the palace, the city, and the wonders the Sal'air'nyne Quarter had to offer.
That night, after the grand tour and dinner, Nimaro took her to a room on the third floor where four bowls had been set out on a table, each one filled with a different colored crystal.
"The time has come Mae, for you to choose your primal element, and the path you wish to walk in order to further your training. Each of these represents one of the four elements of our world from which all things can be derived. You can choose whichever one you wish, but you may only choose one. If you wish to know which one you are most compatible with, set your hand upon each stone. Whichever glows the brightest is your answer."
"No wrong choices then?"
"No wrong choices," he replied as she stood before the bowls and set her hands upon them.
It was immediately clear that water was the element for her as the deep red crystals became nearly blinding in in their reaction. This wasn't much of a surprise given that of all the magic she had managed to do to that point, water had proven to be the most successful.
"It looks like we have a winner," she told him as she took a crystal from the bowl and carried it to him.
"And what of your discipline? Which path shall you choose to walk?"
Mae had given her future a great deal of thought once she began to see that she could progress no further, and after months of deliberating and studying all the paths or disciplines that were before her, she was left with a decision she didn't feel she could make on her own.
"There are two paths I see before me, but I'm having difficulty deciding between them. I'm hoping you'd be willing to share your thoughts with me as to which one you think I should take."
"It is not my place to decide your future, but strictly speaking as your friend, I think you will find more success with magic over that of the martial. I'm sorry to say, but in a battle of strength, the odds will never be in your favor."
"That doesn't exactly come as a surprise. Athilaan had me hit him as hard as I possibly could, and I'm pretty certain I hurt myself more than him in the process."
"I heard the only bruise he received was when he fell over in laughter."
"There may be some truth to that," she remarked with a grimace as she walked with Nimaro towards the back wall of the room, where twelve books sat out on display.
"When it comes to magic there are two schools: mage and priest. And within in each school, there are three disciplines. But these paths are only a base, and many overlap. For you, I believe the path of the nightwalker will suit you best. With a strong foundation in magic, your lack of strength won't be a hinderance, and your size will be a benefit. This discipline also favors the pole weapons that you have a fondness for."
"Then we agree. I couldn't decide between this path and following in Zoy'iah's footsteps as a Night-weaver. I suppose I'm quite intimidated by the idea of training with your people. For me, magic tends to even out the odds a bit, but I do enjoy the physical aspect of the martial training and don't really want to give it up. If you believe that I'm capable of walking this path, then I will do so without any further hesitation."
Picking up a book from the display, Nimaro held it out to Mae.
"I believe you are more than capable. Enjoy your night, because tomorrow, your training resumes."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone