\u201cI don\u2019t buy this!\u201d hissed Sorsha. \u201cOyed\u2019s not supposed to break out until Realmfleet collapses!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat, are you blessed with the gift of prophecy?!\u201d snarked Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLook, I\u2019ve got my own affairs to deal with!\u201d snarled Sorsha. \u201cI\u2019ve got Sentina monkeys that have long depended on me since I first learned about biological magic during the Second Age of Unity!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe needs of the Realms are more important than the needs of one person!\u201d snapped Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll right, Ms. Closed-off Realm View!\u201d growled Sorsha. \u201cIf you want to tussle, let\u2019s…!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHold on a minute,\u201d called Foresna. \u201cArsha, weren\u2019t you grieving the crewmates of the Skyshell<\/em> a minute ago?! I remember you bringing me a bit of Realmfleet law saying that all members of Realmfleet need to give aid to whatever suffering civilization needs it, whether or not they\u2019re based on life like ours!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re not seriously defending her, are you?!\u201d snapped Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo that\u2019s where it is!\u201d cheered Sorsha as she took advantage of the distraction and scanned the area for mana. She then grabbed the small box Arsha\u2019s rose hairpiece rested in! \u201cThat\u2019s more than enough mana!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPut that back!\u201d shouted Arsha. \u201cThat\u2019s mine!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou want it?!\u201d taunted Sorsha as she opened the box. \u201cCome YEEOW!\u201d A blinding light erupted from the box! Arsha and Sorsha cast spells on everyone\u2019s eyes so they could see what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, THAT\u2019S new!\u201d remarked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s never done that when Mom had it,\u201d supplied Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt looks almost like…but, I gave it to a Mid-realm peasant girl!\u201d muttered Sorsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYOU gave it?\u201d asked Gorfanth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHold on, are you the witch that made this?\u201d asked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWitch? I\u2019m an alchemist,\u201d corrected Sorsha. \u201cBut, yes, I DID make it. I\u2019m just surprised that it\u2019s putting out so much mana.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t remember wearing it when angry,\u201d muttered Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Not even in combat?\u201d asked Sorsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s what his mom warned against,\u201d replied Arsha as she pointed to Foresna. \u201cWear it when you\u2019re angry and all the luck will drain from the rose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…That\u2019s not what I said at all to her!\u201d snarled Sorsha. \u201cI see what\u2019s going on here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you talking about?!\u201d demanded Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou need to wear it in combat so you can get the necessary strength to win!\u201d explained Sorsha. \u201cThe side effect is that it will wilt, but then it bounces back and you can wear it again!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause, of COURSE, it\u2019s actually a weapon!\u201d complained Arsha. \u201cHeights forbid it\u2019s just something you find in a fashion store! No, no, no! It has to be a Ring of Power!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHush, you!\u201d hissed Sorsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you even know if it\u2019s the one you made for Sendaria?\u201d asked Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou mean Toyandia,\u201d replied Sorsha. \u201cTesting to see if I remembered your mother\u2019s earliest named ancestor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs a matter of fact, yes,\u201d answered Foresna. \u201cThat\u2019s pretty impressive. Since you got her name right, what\u2019s the actual story behind it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I was just a younger, more stupid, Elf Maiden of 300,\u201d began Sorsha, \u201cI left the Longbark Family Mansion to pursue my magical career alone. Being so young, I hadn\u2019t yet mastered what school of magic was what. I thought what I did was basic witchcraft, you know, healing magic and all that. A human woman, a small-town witch named Toyandia, knocked on the door when she saw that my garden had failed. She offered to bring it back to its full bloom. I argued that I was in the middle of making a potion to help in that regard. She asked to look at my workstation and shook her head when she saw the equipment. She asked me why I was using an alchemist\u2019s tools instead of a witch\u2019s. In my \u2018wisdom\u2019, I laughed at her, saying that there\u2019s no difference. She gave me a pitying look and said she would teach me the difference. Back then, I didn\u2019t hold humans in high regard, thinking them beneath an Elf. Boy, did SHE prove me wrong. As she continued teaching me, with all the patience of a saint, I might add, we were attacked by Mid-splitters. During the battle, my newly replenished rose garden was soaking up the spare mana and reacting wildly. I found a way to combine alchemy and witchcraft to make a rose into a weapon that wilts whenever all of its mana is drained and used it against the Splitters. They were driven off and I healed Toyandia. As I nursed her back to health with both alchemy and witchcraft, I thanked her for teaching me, apologizing for being the most stubborn woman of the Realms. After she was healed, I gave her a newly replenished rose set onto a white cloth as a hair decoration for her to have in case she needed to go into battle again. I told her not to wear it during small-time arguments or it wouldn\u2019t be effective in battle. I warned her that not wearing it at all would result in a mana build-up that would eventually kill anyone who would wear it. But it seems as if my instructions were jumbled and misinterpreted over time as this thing is so saturated, not even battle will drain it fully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMom didn\u2019t die of over-exposure to mana, though,\u201d muttered Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf I recall, she died soon after your dad did,\u201d supplied Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe died of a broken heart?\u201d asked Gorfanth. \u201cShe must have been attached to your dad, Foresna.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo one could replace him,\u201d answered Foresna. \u201cWhen he died, she just lost her will to live, slowly wasting away until she died. Now, if I may change the subject, why a rose for a weapon?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was the most prolific plant in my garden and I was desperate,\u201d replied Sorsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, if we let you drain the rose off, since it can\u2019t be drained naturally,\u201d interjected Arsha, \u201cI should get better?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s the principle,\u201d confirmed Sorsha. \u201cI don\u2019t know how much mana I need from that thing, but it WILL be drained and spring back a few hours after wilting from lack of mana.\u201d Arsha turned to Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell? It was your mother\u2019s,\u201d reminded Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe gifted it to you after my sister said she didn\u2019t want it,\u201d answered Foresna. \u201cIt\u2019s your property. Besides, the Elf over there made it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Take it,\u201d Arsha decided. \u201cBut we WILL be in touch, I promise you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course,\u201d replied Sorsha. \u201cMy card.\u201d She handed Arsha a calling card that gave her name and how to reach her. \u201cLook, I have nothing against fighting Oyed personally, but the Giant Spiders started a blight in his name and I need to fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPoint taken, now get off my ship!\u201d hissed Arsha. Sorsha nodded and teleported herself off the Endeavor<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust as an aside,\u201d called Gorfanth, \u201cI called Endea and asked her to track our Elf. What does her card say she calls herself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorsha Longbark,\u201d replied Arsha as she read the card. \u201cStill, I\u2019m not so sure about letting have it or trusting her. We could have just gotten Realmfleet to drain it off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI trust Endea and her sensors,\u201d assured Foresna. \u201cBesides, Realmfleet might not have detected anything wrong. Somehow, I\u2019ve got a feeling she wasn\u2019t lying.\u201d Arsha then stumbled. \u201cHey, whoa, are you okay?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018M jus…feelin…really tired,\u201d slurred Arsha. She then collapsed. She was caught by Foresna and Gorfanth and they hauled her to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s get Marshii here to check her out,\u201d decided Gorfanth. Foresna then headed to the intercom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMarshii, could you come to our quarters for a minute?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, Jokorah?\u201d asked Sorsha once she got back home. \u201cIs there some form of tracking on me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYep,\u201d replied Jokorah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGreat, let me know how else this day can go wrong,\u201d muttered Sorsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI WARNED you that invisibility spells don\u2019t last that long!\u201d hissed Jokorah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, better get to work,\u201d declared Sorsha as she placed the rose into a small container.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRepeated exposure to high amounts of mana?\u201d asked Marshii as she checked Arsha\u2019s sleeping form over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s what Sorsha told us,\u201d replied Gorfanth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, she clearly knows what she\u2019s talking about,\u201d chuckled Marshii as she completed her scans. \u201cScanner just confirmed it. My recommendation; let her sleep it off. She\u2019ll probably be out for two hours.\u201d She then heard a noise and traced it to Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Hooves, PLEASE tell me you\u2019re recording her snoring!\u201d giggled Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGot a video of it!\u201d chuckled Gorfanth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right, let\u2019s just let her sleep and get out of here quiet-like,\u201d whispered Marshii. They tiptoed out of the room and let her sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, that\u2019s WAY too much mana,\u201d muttered Sorsha after she finished draining off the rose and making it wilt. It was collected into a flask and shone brightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow many years could it have been?\u201d asked Jokorah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cToo many,\u201d answered Sorsha as she began making a potion. Jokorah held his next question until Sorsha tested the new potion on a blighted mushroom patch. The mushrooms then returned to life and Sorsha took a scan. \u201c…Perfect! The molecular bonds have reforged themselves and are now breaking down at a much more natural rate!\u201d she cheered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat will you do with the rest of the mana?\u201d asked Jokorah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to take at least 10 million years for me to use it all,\u201d remarked Sorsha. \u201cI need to find a method of disposing it all safely. In the meantime, I\u2019ve got potions to make.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell the monkeys that their blight will soon be over,\u201d declared Jokorah as he shifted into his Serpentine Dragon form and slithered off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow, what\u2019s made Quaynus so quiet after hearing Intrag\u2019s returning?\u201d mused Sorsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spider Trio had finished their dinner and were sleeping…well, trying to. The third kept waking up at every hour, on the hour. \u201cDid you hear that?!\u201d he yelped. \u201cSomeone\u2019s out there! We\u2019ve been caught!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHold on, hold on,\u201d grumbled the first as he and the second woke up. \u201cI\u2019ll take a look.\u201d He pulled back the makeshift door and looked around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Well?!\u201d gulped the third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll clear,\u201d reported the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d quizzed the third. \u201cI thought I heard something moving out there!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWould you relax?!\u201d protested the second. \u201cNobody\u2019s gonna find us! Quit being so twitchy!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, you\u2019d be twitchy too,\u201d argued the third, \u201cif you\u2019ve been hiding in a concealed cave for hours on end!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI HAVE been hiding in a concealed cave for hours on end,\u201d muttered the first. \u201cNow go to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t!\u201d whimpered the third. \u201cI have this feeling we\u2019re being watched!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot to agree with him,\u201d mused the second, \u201cbut promise us you\u2019ll keep checking, please?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI haven\u2019t stopped checking for hours!\u201d snapped the first. \u201cWhy don\u2019t one of YOU check once in a while?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, I will!\u201d growled the third. \u201cBut, if there\u2019s someone out there, YOU forced us to abandon our post!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re a pain in the spinnerets, you know that?\u201d muttered the first. The third moved the door aside and checked. \u201c…Nobody out there, huh?\u201d remarked the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, but there MIGHT have been!\u201d gulped the third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cQuaynus will never find us!\u201d insisted the second. \u201cWe\u2019re safe here! Now shut up and go to sleep!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t sleep, my nerves are shot!\u201d whimpered the third. \u201cAnd it\u2019s all because of him!\u201d He waved his pedipalp at the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re just doing this because you want someone to talk at!\u201d growled the first. \u201cOr, maybe, your nerves are shot because you\u2019re a pain in the spinnerets!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t you take that tone of voice with me!\u201d snapped the third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPain in the spinnerets! Pain in the spinnerets!\u201d sang the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSSHHH!!\u201d hissed the second. \u201cThis time, I<\/em> heard something! Go out and look!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAgain?!\u201d complained the first. \u201cHe and I both looked!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease!\u201d begged the second. \u201cPlease go look!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, FINE!\u201d growled the first. He pulled the door back wide. \u201cThere! Satisfied?! There\u2019s no one out here! Now, go to sleep, you big, fat pains in the…hey, where\u2019d the new trees come from?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cComparing my legs to trees, are we?\u201d hissed a woman\u2019s voice. The \u201cnew trees\u201d connected to a Giant Spider\u2019s body. The Spider was twice the size of the Spider Trio and the fangs were dripping with venom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Queen Quaynus!\u201d gulped the first. \u201cFancy meeting you here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGet out here!\u201d ordered the Queen of the Gamfinar Giant Spiders, Quaynus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour Majesty, it was his fault!\u201d yelped the second as he pointed an accusing pedipalp at the first. \u201cWe tried to stop him!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was an accident!\u201d begged the third. \u201cWe didn\u2019t mean to abandon our posts!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I first heard you idiots had gotten distracted by the Elf,\u201d hissed Quaynus, \u201cI was tempted to eat all three of you in one gulp! But one of our spies had taken the opportunity to get his ballooning practice in. His journey took him to an island southeast of the beach. As he hovered, he noticed Intrag TAKING orders from a Fae instead of giving them!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait, you mean, our GOD, Intrag?\u201d quizzed the second. \u201cThe one who brought our ancestors here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow many Intrags do you know?\u201d asked the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, what kind of light did that give to the Clergy?\u201d inquired the third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey tried to secure what remained of their power,\u201d explained Quaynus, \u201cbut the colony was tired of their excuses, so I commanded the colony to feast on the Clergy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry we missed that feast,\u201d muttered the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, you\u2019re not going to kill us?\u201d asked the second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou may live,\u201d confirmed Quaynus. \u201cFor once, you three screwed up and I\u2019m happy about it. Now, speaking of the feast…\u201d she then let the bag on her back drop in front of the trio. They opened the bag to find…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBread!\u201d yelped the second. \u201cBread for subs!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd cinnamon rolls!\u201d cheered the third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThought you might enjoy a good meal tonight,\u201d replied Quaynus. \u201cI even brought some bits of the Clergy. Good job, boys. Return to the colony when you\u2019ve finished eating.\u201d She then stalked out of the area towards the colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Why do you suppose she did that?\u201d asked the second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy question it?\u201d countered the third. \u201cWe actually did something good. Besides, I\u2019m hungry again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMe too,\u201d supplied the second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMe three,\u201d declared the first. \u201cLooks like we\u2019re having Clergy and tiger subs with cinnamon rolls.\u201d He pointed to the second. \u201cYou cut up the bread.\u201d He then pointed to the third. \u201cYou get the meat carved up. I\u2019ll start the cooking fire.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cI don\u2019t buy this!\u201d hissed Sorsha. \u201cOyed\u2019s not supposed to break out until Realmfleet collapses!\u201d \u201cWhat, are you blessed with the gift of prophecy?!\u201d snarked Foresna. \u201cLook, I\u2019ve got my own affairs to deal with!\u201d snarled Sorsha. \u201cI\u2019ve got Sentina monkeys that have long depended on me since I first learned about biological magic during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1843,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,95],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-2762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-2-the-rise-of-living-metal","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2762"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2762\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2841,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2762\/revisions\/2841"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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