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/Fwoosh!/
/Shuaaa.../
The hot dunes blew in the Southern Desert as the yellow scalding sun shone high above the sky, causing the air to stir and contort in the shapes of far-long cities and empires...
Amid the Golden Sea, a tower stood, half buried in sand, it was the last sign for a once small city fully dedicated to the arcane, one that was now forgotten.
/Step…/
Next to the Tower, a covered traveler squinted his eyes as he raised his head:"We're here." Dale said out loud as he walked closer to the tower, climbing onto a veranda that was now at ground level
At first, he was a bit confused, but he then realized where he was, shaking his head as he walked inside the tower.
'I was a bit confused trying to find the right entrance but I'm in the past now, I forgot the sand level went down considerably in the following months.'
'Thanks to the fissure that opened in the desert a few kilometers to the west, much of the surrounding sand was sucked in, falling who knew where.'
'It's impressive just how quickly the sand level decreased, but it makes sense given how wide and long the ravine is. However, it has a limit.'
Dale's eyes sharpened as he thought of something hidden within the Ravine.
'And there's something I wish to accomplish before it gets completely submerged in sand.'
'In a way, it's good that the sand is being sent somewhere, I'm all for a solution to this terrific problem, but technically speaking, it is possible to use the Ravine as a new mining system since it's essentially a deep hole leading to hundreds of underground mineral deposits.'
'Even with all the creatures that live in the desert and the caverns, it wouldn't be impossible to eliminate or contain them all, the problem is the sand itself.'
'To prevent the mines from being buried, we would need to build a dam of some sort to keep the sand at bay, but that is counterproductive since one of the goals of Resko's main storyline seems to be the recovery of the land.'
'First, I'll stop the desert, after that, I'll find a way to move the sand elsewhere… Somehow…'
There were many mysteries and processes yet left to be uncovered, but for now, Dale's priorities laid elsewhere.
…
The inside of the tower was as messy as he expected, full of sand everywhere, like a thin blanket covering the ancient items from decay.
There was so much sand all around it was impossible to see the ground in some places.
Compared to how this place would look in the future, it was truly deplorable.
But he paid it no heed, moving around the room until he found a hidden terminal, opening his inventory as he looked for an item to power it.
He was currently a few floors atop the Hangar where the Stelar gate leading deeper into the Horizon forest resides, it was also the room where all of the refugees were escorted through so Dale could still see many of their belongings lying around, together with all kinds of things and footprints.
And the mess they left behind... It seemed some of them had also grabbed a few items lying around, although, in this superficial space, nothing of value was lost.
He knew of that because there was an investigation into it later on but it led nowhere, it did make the people a bit frustrated so he was thinking about whether he should do it or not this time around.
Before, since the gate was powering the tower, they managed to move through the floors easily, unimpeded.
Now, however, to preserve power, Qrubin diverted most of the tower's energy supply to support the system that kept the ancient beasts locked.
This, unfortunately, also locked him outside of the Tower, not that it mattered much now since Qrubin's room was located somewhere impossible to reach by foot.
"Oh? You're quite good at this." David said with some surprise as he saw Dale pinpoint the terminal with great accuracy, almost as if he already knew where it was beforehand
"I've been here before, that much is easy for me to do." Dale replied as he wiped the sand from the terminal, revealing many details and encrusted sand
"Even though the terminal is untouched?"
"..."
As expected, David wasn't fooled so easily.
When he was here before, Dale only interacted with the terminal back at the Hangar, connecting the Stelar Gates together so everyone could cross safely.
In the future, he would learn more and interact further with the tower's mechanisms, so it was right for David to be surprised at Dale's ability to pinpoint a half-buried terminal hidden within one of the rooms of a massive tower over half a Kilometer wide in diameter.
Nonetheless, he did not press for an answer, letting Dale power the terminal with the brilliant gem before interacting with it rather casually, causing the tower to tremble lightly before sparks flew in the air, gathering together as they collapsed into one another before quickly expanding into an oval-shaped portal.
On the other side, Qrubin's seal chamber stood, silently waiting for his arrival.
"Let's go." He said quietly as he stepped through the gate
'Time to come clean with the future.'
…
Beyond the gate, the familiar yet unfamiliar sight of the all-encompassing darkness filled his eyes.
The heavy air, the faint sounds echoing within this borderless hall, the strange smell lingering in the smooth stone underneath his feet…
It was weak, but Dale could feel a strange aura emanating from somewhere deeper below, within the chamber where Miasma was laid to decompose, a death trap for any living being.
It gave him chills, even now...
"Huff… At least it's somewhat cool down here… I was starting to sweat up there."
"Care to shed some light so I don't fall?" Dale asked David as he began removing the scarf around his neck
'If this place didn't smell like a cemetery it would've been a decent place to study... If I were a Goth Vampire...'
"No problem." David replied as his eyes began to shine
With a simple tug, Dale unwrapped David from his waist, raising him towards the giant crystal at the end of their path like an old-style lantern.
The place where an old Demi-Lich was sealed.
Given David had done little so far, there was actually no real reason for Dale to bring him here.
However, David represented his 'faith' and 'devotion' to Ju-
Arkesios, it was his trust in God and his representative.
He wished for them to be part of his adventure as he was willing to put his trust in them.
Especially as he knew of David's choice to sacrifice himself for the city and its people.
As even if he did not trust the God in question, he could at least trust the relic.
Dale was no conspiracy theorist nor a paranoid lunatic, he believed in David, and he would continue to do so until the latter showed him any signs of doing the contrary.
Even if by then it was too late...
/Growl…/
"Hem… Hm… What a surprise." Qrubin said as he slowly opened his left eye, turning to Dale and then David
Like a bear waking from hibernation, Qrubin's words were slow, almost halting as he spoke.
"How long has it been?... A few hours? You came back quite quickly, much faster than I had anticipated."
"It's been… A few days." Dale said as he corrected the wizard, focusing his gaze as he locked eyes with the Lich
"Days… So long..."
"Sigh, I really lost all track of time. To me, I felt it had been nothing but hours."
"I exaggerated the time thinking it would be closer to reality but I was far from the truth by quite the distance." He added as he closed his eye, the dim flame on his right eye socket weakening as he did so
"Anyhow… Are you here to begin your tutelage? Have you properly considered my previous offer?"
"Become my apprentice, learn my craft, and inherit my legacy… Nothing difficult as you're already doing something similar."
"Once you master my everything… Kill me. Use my life to fuel the Ritual."
"Even if you cannot slay the creatures that dwell underneath, at least you can work towards keeping them down there for longer."
"... I came here exactly for that…" Dale said as he began to tell his story, only to be interrupted:
"Excellent, let's begin our studies immediately." Qrubin said in a pleased tone as his left eye moved to the side, looking at the empty darkness
Most would deem this action strange, but Dale knew what he was doing.
At any given moment in time, as a being connected to the Mage Tower as a whole, he can see and control almost all parts of this mega structure, allowing him to fetch any items he desires.
As long as he could extend his reach to such areas, given its age, much of the Tower was now inoperable, either broken or stuck.
Had he been awake in these past 100 years, he may have been able to prevent the degradation of its mechanical and arcane structures, but had he done so, would he even be sane?
Qrubin's hibernation was not a mandatory step, it was a product of necessity.
In a timeless machine construct, the Human factor is the first to decay.
And how quickly would the Human mind rot in his condition? Trapped underground, unmoving in silence, alone with the rotting energies of monstrous creatures?
Even for an Artificer... It's too cruel to subject one to such long-
Lasting torture.
"Wait… I'm not done yet. I have… Something I need to share." Dale said out loud as he tried to interrupt Qrubin
"Pardon? Oh, of course. I apologize. For a moment I got a little carried away." Qrubin replied as he closed his eye
"Then, what is that you wish to say?"
/Inhale.../
Dale took a deep breath, ready to say his lines.
He had thought about what to say time and time again, and simulated their reactions numerous times...
But were any of those correct? It was now or never.
"... Well… That may come out as strange, maybe even a little… outrageous… But…"
"I've experienced the Future."
""...""
Silence overtook the chamber once more.
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Notes
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