//------------------------------// // City of Artisans // Story: The Eternal Sphere // by Xarmar13 //------------------------------// The Elicoorians were stunned by the display of skills from the templar master from her battle from a few minutes ago. Never did they think that anyone could defeat a skilled warrior like Albel the Wicked so handily, unless they were the strongest swordsman in Aquaria. Losing Lieutenant Shelby as well would likely leave the Black Brigade weakened for a while. Getting out of the training facility was a slow walk since Nel had a more difficult time carrying Tynave than Sophia did carrying Farleen. Nel had to wonder whether Farleen had lost weight or if Sophia was stronger than she looked. She had a feeling that it was the latter. The five took the elevator to the first floor and passed through the door that locked on one side before they headed out of the entrance to the facility. The trek through the wilderness back to Kirlsa was slow going due to Tynave and Farleen’s injuries. With the Black Brigade patrols dealt with, they only had to deal with wasps and shriekers who thought they would get an easy meal. They were wrong. The sun had risen by the time everyone returned to Kirlsa. Since they were in town and she knew that Tynave and Farleen were in no condition to take the mountain path to Arias, Nel had to take a risk and buy a wagon from a merchant to transport the injured and carry them swiftly to Arias through the wilderness. Unfortunately, Lyra’s shroud couldn’t cover the whole wagon and Sophia was still mastering that power. She knew the return trip was going to be risky. Lyra and Sophia helped Tynave and Farleen into the wagon while Nel took her position in the driver’s seat. Nel used her scarf as a hood to conceal herself while Lyra shrouded the other passengers. Nel got the lums moving and the wagon existed out of the east gate. The Storm Brigade patrols noticed the wagon passing by them and while there didn’t appear to be anything suspicious about the wagon itself, an unidentifiable person driving the wagon heading toward enemy territory appeared like suspicious activity. Shortly after the wagon passed by them, they decided to move to stop the wagon and get an identification and see if they were an Aquarian spy. The lums didn’t move more than a few feet before they were mysteriously yanked backward, throwing the riders off. The lums were held in the grip of giant bone hands. The knights got back to their feet and quickly discovered the ominously armored woman who was the culprit behind the disruption of their duties. They pointed their lances at the woman, “You are under arrest for attacking members of the Storm Brigade,” one declared. The woman raised an eyebrow at the idiots before her. “And I should care, why?” The knights looked at her with confusion, even if the expressions couldn’t be seen past their full plate helmets. “Do you not understand the position you’re in?” “I don’t think you understand the position you’re in. You see, I’ve recently had my fill of corpse flesh from your nearby cemetery, but Evermourne, my companion here…” She gestured to her sword. “...is still quite famished.” She then smiled cheerfully and spoke in an ominously singsong tone, “Guess who’s on the breakfast menu…” It took too long for the soldiers to realize what the mysterious woman meant before she pointed her blade at them. Strands of dark energy shot out of the blade and wrapped around the soldiers who were lifted into the air. The soldiers struggled in vain as they felt their very life drain from their bodies. Their armor and weapons became heavier with each moment. With one last pull of life from the soldiers, their bodies went limp as their souls left their bodies and were absorbed into the blade. The lifeless soldiers vanished. The woman smiled as she moved a hand along the blade like she was petting an animal. “Fear not mortals, once Evermourne finishes digesting your memories, experiences and sins, you will be cleansed and ready for the cycle of reincarnation. Sadly, there will be no afterlife for you in the meantime; only years of digestion await.” She next turned to the now riderless lums and examined each one as they struggled helplessly in the skeletal hands. After a few minutes of deliberation, she ran her sword through the barrels of the lums and pierced their hearts. The lums instantly vanished. With that task done and her target escaped, the woman headed back into town and toward the abandoned mine. She sensed some necromantic magic within and decided to investigate. The express return trip to Arias was uneventful. The guards opened the gate once they spotted the incoming wagon, under Clair’s orders. The guards were relieved to find Nel’s party had returned safely. On the way back to the mansion, they spotted Fayt on the road held in magical stasis. He struggled to move but Twilight’s magic was too strong. “Let me go, I have to help them!” Fayt demanded. “Give it up kid, you’re not helping anyone by playing hero,” Cliff said. “But…” Cliff hesitated for a moment as he spotted the wagon. “Besides, they’re back already.” Fayt looked down the road in confusion as Twilight released her stasis spell. “Nel! Sophia! What were you thinking; going somewhere dangerous?” “What are you talking about Fayt? We just helped Nel with a secondary objective to her mission,” Sophia said, partly lying about the mission part. She had just pulled an all nighter helping Nel rescue Tynave and Farleen and she was beginning to feel the fatigue from it. The last thing she needed was Fayt yelling about how reckless she was. “That still doesn’t excuse…” Fayt began before he felt the terrifying aura of Sophia again. Sophia put on a fake smile to mask her irritation. “Fayt, right now, I’m going to get a few hours of sleep before we move to the next town. If you have any grievances to share with me afterward…” Her smile slowly lowered into a frown while her aura sharpened and her tone matched. “I’m sure we can work them out.” Fayt gulped and decided to keep his mouth shut. “Scary…” everyone around Sophia thought in unison. Clair approached the group. “Welcome back, Nel. I am glad to see you back safe and sound, and with Tynave and Farleen no less.” Nel smiled faintly, “I would have not made it back had it not been for Lyra and Sophia accompanying me. You had best be sitting when I give my report. I guarantee that it will be one hell of a tale.” “I see, I will make sure the beds are prepared for Sophia and Lyra and a hot meal sent to their rooms. I look forward to your report, Nel.” “...and that’s my report,” Nel said. In the conference room, everyone was in attendance except for Sophia and Lyra who were asleep on the upper floor. By the time Nel had finished her report, Clair and the soldiers in the room were all in complete shock by what they heard. Clair had to use every ounce of will to recover from the shock. She took a deep breath before giving her response, ”I see. The two upstairs not only eliminated Shelby of the Black Brigade, but Lyra crushed Albel the Wicked in a one on one duel. I never thought anyone but my father could defeat that man. He will most certainly want to have a bout with Lyra one day.” “Your father?” Twilight asked. “Yes, Adray Lasbard. He is the best swordsman in Aquaria and a master runologist. He’s getting up in years but he doesn’t seem to be showing signs of slowing down yet. The queen’s advisors and more than a few of our citizens find his brash nature overwhelming. “Sounds like Rainbow Dash in her middle years,” Twilight thought. Her thoughts turned wistful as she remembered her friends from a thousand years ago. “So what now?” Cliff asked. “We have a few hours while we wait for Sophia and Lyra to rest up.” “I’m gonna go out there and give the villagers a performance to make them cheerful,” Peppita declared. “Guess we can take a look around the village and see what’s available,” Fayt offered. “We probably need to check our gear and make sure it’s not falling into disrepair.” “I’m gonna check out the scenery then,” Cliff said. “In other words, admire the beautiful women,” Fayt thought. “I’ll have the cooks prepare a meal for you before you leave for Peterny,” Clair offered. With that, everyone left to complete their own tasks. Peppita did her best to cheer the depressed villagers up with her dances and illusions, Fayt and Cliff explored the town and checked out the shops that had not closed yet, Twilight read every book in the mansion in record time and Nel helped the cooks prepare a meal for everyone. A few hours passed and Lyra and Sophia emerged from upstairs while working out their stiffness. They both enjoyed a meal made to their tastes, especially since Twilight warned the cooks before about her people’s vegetarian diets beforehand. Once everyone had finished their meals, Fayt, Cliff, Nel, Peppita, Sophia, Lyra and Twilight gathered at the eastern gate out of town. “First, we’ll head to a town called Peterny in the northeast,” Nel informed. “After we attain supplies there, we’ll head to Aquios.” After saying their goodbyes to Clair, Tynave and Farleen, the group moved out. The area that spanned before them was friendly-looking grasslands with healthy vegetation. There was some hostile wildlife around, but nothing too terrifying. “This is the Palmira Plains, quite a difference from what we’ve seen in the other regions, isn’t it?” Nel informed. The group continued through the plains while some were admiring the beautiful scenery. They could hear the sea nearby to their south and east. The gentle breeze was refreshing, especially compared to the frigid air of the Traum Mountains near Airyglyph or the dry air of the wilderness near Kirlsa. Along the way, they encountered a few new species who were territorial. They spotted giant scorpions who were almost as long as a person and their tails were longer than their bodies. They saw giant red tortoises with bright red shells with long horns pointing ahead of them. The tortoises were larger than a person. There were also plains-dwelling tarantulas and roaming lizardmen. The lizardmen were particularly aggressive when they saw the group as they charged at them with their shields and clubs. Some decided to cast Ice Needles on them right away. Fayt and Nel were unable to avoid the spell in time and ended up frozen. Two of the lizardmen rushed toward them with their clubs raised in intent to fatally shatter them. Cliff and Peppita got in their way where Cliff pummeled one with his Electric Fists technique while Peppita used her Magic Hook and Instanto Blast combo. Lyra quickly dispatched the casters while Sophia and Twilight quickly thawed the frozen victims. The remaining wildlife in the area avoided the group as they began heading north to the nearest town. The walk through the plains was mostly uneventful. The entrance of the town alone gave a different vibe compared to the past towns, cities and villages they have visited. People were simply going about their day, chatting with each other. They acted like they didn't have a care in the world. “So this is Peterny,” Cliff observed. “Yes, this town is closer to the sacred city of Aquios,” Nel responded. “Plus, it borders on the Republic of Sanmite which makes it a center of commerce.” Sophia looked at the buildings and the well designed fencing. The people here didn’t go for the bare minimum, that was for sure. “Seems like the perfect place for artisans to set up shop.” Nel nodded, “Many artisans reside in this town to the point where rivalries between them are quite common. To assist them with promoting their brand, a number of artisan guilds have formed. These guilds have been a haven to many of the finest chefs, compounders, alchemists, blacksmiths, engineers, craftsmen, and writers in the world.” Everyone walked down the street where they eventually entered the town center. A number of vendors had set up stalls around the area to sell their wares. This brought back memories for Twilight. She remembered the old days when Ponyville had a market just like this. Everypony who could farm or craft would be selling the fruits of their labor to the other townsfolk. She especially remembered Applejack’s apple stall and Sugarcube Corner where Pinkie helped out. A pair of hands on her shoulders startled Twilight out of her reminiscing. “Huh? What?” “Twilight, we’re in the middle of a busy street,” Lyra said. “Save the wistful remembrance for after we’ve checked in at the inn.” Twilight didn’t notice until now that tears were racing down her face. She wiped the tears away, “You’re right, I can remember the past later. I guess everyone’s going to split up and check out the town?” Nel nodded. “I need to attend to some business. We’ll meet back up here later.” With a nod from everyone, they split up to check out the various stores and establishments. Twilight looked at the food stands in the plaza once more. Seeing the apple pie on sale, she quickly looked away, not wanting to lose herself in her memories again. Twilight moved toward the western part of town to see what was offered there. That was when she sensed the ID of someone in town who was using an avatar. Using her horn, she traced the signal to a local artisan’s guild. As she went in, she caught the eyes of several inventors who were inside. They each carried compact communicators that were too advanced for Elicoor II. Her sensory spell led her to the human girl at the counter. She had light brown hair and, strangely, wore black and blue dress that appeared to be made of synthetic fibers. She also carried a stick that had a gloved hand at the end of it. Twilight narrowed her eyes at the girl who was sleeping at the desk. She approached and the girl jumped up at attention. “Welcome to the Artisan’s Guild. Are you here to…” Her pitch was interrupted when she saw who was in front of her. The girl chuckled awkwardly. “Uhh…hi boss.” Twilight took a deep breath to calm herself. She took a moment to think up a few scenarios about how this conversation would go before she whispered, “What are you doing on this planet, blatantly disregarding UP3 protocols?” The girl chuckled awkwardly again. “Well…you see…” “Welch? Is there someone new to the guild out there?” called a voice from another room. A few moments later, a short old man walked out of the back room. He turned his attention to Twilight. “Nice to meet you young lady, I am the guild master for this guild. This is my assistant, Welch Vineyard. Do you wish to become an inventor?” Twilight’s attention returned to Welch. “Welch ‘Vineyard’, eh?” She turned to the guild master and put on her best smile she could manage, given her irritation. “Do you think I could speak with her in private?” “Sure, use the workshop across the street. There isn’t much to it but some investments could make it prosper once more,” the guild master offered. Twilight walked out of the guild and into the workshop with a slumped Welch following her. The girl, who looked like a child who was in deep trouble with their mother, closed the door behind her. She braced herself for the chewing out to come. Twilight paced herself around the workshop as she thought about how she was going to address the one who broke several rules. She looked at the girl and spoke, “Would you mind telling me why you thought it was a good idea to give away advanced technology to a world that is centuries behind its invention? You do know this is a blatant violation of the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact that I have set into place, right?” “You do know that we don’t answer to the Federation, right?” Welch countered. “The guideline applies to those who log into the Eternal Sphere, ‘Welch’, or should I say Grape Vine.” Grape slumped even further. Twilight sighed, “I hired you as part of the gaming department of the Eternal Sphere in order to help develop new features into the system. I knew you were miserable working on your family’s vineyard. Despite being descended from Berry Punch, the only thing you have in common with her is your tendency to get drunk while off duty. I do thank you for not being intoxicated in the workplace by the way.” “But Twilight, ma’am, I am working on implementing a feature for this world.” Twilight raised an eyebrow, “Oh?” “Yes, it’s experimental and I know it’s violating technological policies, but I’m working on an item creation feature for this RPG type world.” “I see, what can you tell me about this feature?” Twilight asked. “It’s very simple, I use the communicator to coordinate with inventors who have signed up with us so they can work together to invent new items. The guild bought every workshop from Airyglyph City to Aquios so inventors can be assigned there. As long as they carry their identification badges with them, which carries a special, secret program within them that forces everyone to recognize their autonomy as an inventor, neither Airyglyph nor Aquaria can harass them.” “And you’re not afraid of anyone abusing the identification badges?” “We background check the prospects and have them show us a sample of their work. The badges are bonded to the intended recipient so there is no chance of thieves abusing them. We also make it a rule to never use the badges for espionage against the two nations. They would no longer work if that happened.” “I see. Tell me, if we wish to participate in your feature, do we need to be a part of the guild to work with these inventors?” “Nope, though it does help to have some talent in the workplaces. The guild members will be willing to make stuff for you if you do them a favor though.” “Sounds like a side quest built into your item creation feature,” Twilight noted. “It is,” Grape replied. “But this is an RPG world. What RPG world would be complete without side quests?” “Fair. Alright Grape Vine, I’ll cut you some slack on this feature. However, I don’t want to hear a single report about you being revered like a goddess and this better not wind up with Elicoor II blowing up. I won’t be lenient if that happens.” “Yes ma’am, it’ll never happen.” Twilight and Grape returned to the guild where the guild master was eagerly awaiting the return of his assistant. Twilight returned to the front of the desk while Grape returned behind it. Twilight smirked as she spoke to the guild master, “I want to sign up as an inventor.” Grape’s eyes widened in surprise while the guild master eagerly gave Twilight the orientation. Not wanting to be met with suspicion, Grape went along with the performance. After the introduction and the guild master handing Twilight a thousand fol to start her off, the mare looked at the nervous girl who handed Twilight one of the compact communicators. “This way I can keep an eye on you,” she mentally communicated to Grape. Grape subtly nodded and sent her a notification through her communicator. “I’ve sent you the profiles of three other inventors who have signed up before you. I’ll send you updates on what they have invented and what’s been distributed to the markets.” Twilight took a moment to look at the other inventors. The first one was some amateur chef named Damda Mooda who created a unique style of cooking. Unfortunately, when he opened a restaurant dedicated to this style, it was very unpopular and it failed. The chef now spends his days in Aquios as a homeless drunkard. All he wanted nowadays was more cider to fuel his alcoholism. Twilight shook her head sadly. The second inventor was an altruistic woman of the church by the name of Milenya who had made it her mission to heal the many who had been injured during the war. As memories of Fluttershy surfaced, she quickly shook them away. The problem the woman had was that while she was a decent crafter of medicines, she was also flat broke and could not afford the ingredients to craft her medicine. The third inventor was a young lady who went by the name Mayu. She apparently worked as a cook at the Kirlsa Training Facility that Lyra raided earlier. She would have to ask Lyra if she ever encountered the girl at some point. Her cooking skill was decent, much better than what Damda was capable of. According to the profile, she was quite bored of working for the Black Brigade and tired of the tedious tasks set before her. She was also a lover in all things cute. Twilight left the guild after looking at the profiles and headed back to the town plaza. One quick look to her right and she noticed Fayt talking to a girl with long light brown hair and wearing a gray dress with a brown mantle. She was carrying a basket of flowers. Twilight overheard the girl mention that she grew and sold flowers for a living, but the interesting thing she noticed was the coughing that she was doing throughout the conversation. She couldn’t help but wonder if the girl was overworking herself or if the coughing was a symptom of something else. The girl gave Fayt her good luck charm to wish him luck on his journey. It was about then that Cliff and Nel showed up, asking what Fayt was up to. While things were slightly awkward, things got slightly more awkward when Sophia and Lyra showed up. Peppita showed up just after Twilight approached the group. The girl who sat with Fayt introduced herself as Ameena Leffeld. It was then that Peppita looked at Ameena and Sophia closely. “You know, aside from the hair and eyes, you two look really alike.” “Huh, now that you mention it…” Sophia added. Ameena blushed as she backed away from everyone, overwhelmed by the probing crowd. “Umm…I need to get going.” She then ran off to the east side of town, slowing down quickly as she continued coughing but still moving away. “Is she sick?” Cliff asked. “She said she had a cold,” Fayt responded. Nel briefly glanced in Ameena’s direction before turning back to the others. “Let’s head to the inn and check in.” As the group headed for the nearby inn, Fayt looked to the east. He couldn’t help but feel concerned for Ameena.