Chapter 7: Nothing is too big

The following morning Lily found herself waking in a plush warm wooden bed and clinging to the comfort of the soft duvet she found herself in the unusual position of admiring human ingenuity despite her inherent dislike for the species. Provided she had her essentials within reach she mused she wouldn't mind spending her days in such a space. She felt a sense of relief wash over her grateful for not having to strip for the skeleton knight although she would have been willing if necessary.

Over breakfast with Shadow, he inquired curiously, 'Why did you offer the knight a peek under your skirt?'

Lily choked on her yogurt in surprise the cold dairy product shooting uncomfortably up her nose.

She hastily spat it out wiping her mouth before replying 'My summons are quite... unique.' She couldn't confess the truth: that she had no control over them.

The conversation shifted and they ate in silence. Remembering her access token to Arral she suggested they make a trip but this time she steered clear of the PvP zone. As they approached the entrance she took a tentative step forward and relief washed over her as she was not repelled this time.

Upon entry thoughts of Eamon came to mind but without any information about him she was unable to make contact and she turned to Shadow with her query asking about possible methods of communication. His explanation was simple; one could add anyone as a friend, but the request needed mutual approval within 24 hours, or it would expire and moreover you needed a month-long acquaintance before being able to blacklist or block them. This revelation pleasantly surprised Lily and if only she had had similar capabilities in the spirit realm she might have avoided her past torment.

The library itself was an enchanting place with rows upon rows of brown bookshelves and magical orbs providing a soft light and their wandering was aimless guided only by titles that caught their attention.

Five minutes into their perusal Shadow turned to Lily and asked, 'Is there something specific you're looking for?'

Her mind drifted to the Spirit Flow and Dark Matter and on her request they found themselves in a section titled 'Mother of Life' the words embossed in bold print on a gold sign. On reaching the shelf however Lily was puzzled because if this was indeed about the world's energy why was there only one book?

Shadow noting her confusion chuckled, 'Knowledge about life's origin is scant hence the solitary book.' He reached up took the book and handed it to her.

As they settled at a round white wooden table Lily opened the book and a cloud of dust erupted from its pages catching her full in the face.

Upon encountering the dust, she coughed and commented wryly, 'Not a popular read it seems.' She gently blew the dust away to reveal a dark blue cover and a shiny wide gold ribbon bookmark, a clear sign of previous readers.

They opened the book to reveal a large thick tree resembling an oak sketched onto a yellow page. The tree boasted numerous sprawling roots and a round white crown and below the roots a handwritten note read 'The Mother Tree the pure flow.' And the opposite page hosted a large black sphere with the caption 'Dark Matter the corrupted flow.'

'Are people allowed to annotate the books?' Lily questioned.

Shadow clarified, 'Ordinarily no but in the case of the spirit flow and dark matter any information is welcomed due to the general lack of knowledge on these topics.'

Lily found this approach dubious if anyone could conjure up nonsense that others might accept as truth and expressed her skepticism and suggested they abandon the book.

Observing her reaction Shadow countered, 'You've come a long way even fighting a war to earn your access token.' He gently began flipping through the pages.

Lily had mentally discarded the book but casually skimmed the rapidly turning pages out of curiosity.

Her sharp eyesight caught sight of an intriguing illustration prompting her to call, 'Stop.'

Shadow halted revealing two pages adorned with countless small orbs resembling pearls and they appeared alive encased in a halo of flames.

'The spirit flow possesses its own consciousness. It is our creator thus our life.' Lily read aloud.

The text described these fiery orbs as the physical embodiment of the spirit flow invisible in reality. Harnessing the spirit flow was possible albeit challenging as it was capricious discerning and selective about who it allowed to tap into its power and only those approved by the spirit flow after passing a certain test could exploit its powers.

Lily's heart pounded with excitement because the possibility of controlling it was tantalizing and it could provide her with powers since she was unable to command her summons or use cleric skills and moreover it could extend one's lifespan and enhance many personal attributes.

Eyes wide with anticipation she turned to Shadow and asked, 'Where can I learn this?'

'There are no schools or teachers for this. People are left to teach themselves which invariably leads to disaster. I've heard no good come of it.' He warned.

Lily was reluctant to accept defeat and despite Shadow's inability to name anyone who could help she started to contemplate other possible routes to knowledge. She remembered the tree that was so deeply connected to nature and Kahrlin known for its harsh natural landscapes seemed the most logical place to find someone who could harness the spirit flow.

'Let's go to Kahrlin.' She declared rising to her feet.

Shadow blinked a few times seemingly processing her suggestion.

He then asked, 'Do you have access to Kahrlin?'

Lily confessed that her only access token was for Arral and enquired about the procedure to reach Kahrlin and he explained that it involved gaining approval to use a portal leading there a process known to be quite lengthy. Lily admitted she had no further resources or items for trading.

He chuckled in response, 'You're lucky to know me.' Flashing her a confident smile.

Indeed, she thought remembering his Cure Pills she was fortunate to have him on her side.

The world was crisscrossed by The Portal Network, a system of interlinked portals enabling near-instantaneous travel between key locations. These magical gateways connected Elysium's major cities, guild, strongholds, sacred temples, and other significant locales. Shadow shared that there were three ways to access these portals. The first method involved Ancient Pathways: natural or created paths imbued with ancient magic that led to portal-activating monuments and these pathways were found mainly in certain forest areas. The second method relied on Magical Transportation exclusive to skilled mages or magical beings. The final method Quest-Given Passage required one to complete a quest given by a powerful individual residing in random places and these quests could grant access to sacred mounts, airships or gateways leading to a portal.

As she considered the second method her gaze fell on him and his abilities seemingly magical came to mind and his comment about her being 'lucky to know him' took on a new light. If he was indeed powerful but required her help to ascend in rank within the city there was a piece of the puzzle missing.

Reading her contemplative expression Shadow proposed, 'Let's take a walk.'

Leaving the library behind they ventured towards a large park and the area was bathed in sunlight causing a myriad of vibrant flowers to gleam brilliantly. Settling on a white wooden bench Lily turned her curious gaze onto Shadow awaiting his elucidation.

'Underneath the city there's an individual who runs The Free City. Only a few superiors are aware of it.' Shadow revealed.

His father a true Moon Folk of royal lineage was imprisoned by ancient beings deep under the city and these beings harnessed his life force to power the city with all materials and his energy significantly enhancing the cityscape. Shadow's ambition was to liberate his father, but he was currently too weak to overcome these ancient beings. He had recognized Lily's uniqueness due to her dual class a trait no one else in the world possessed.

Chills crept up Lily's spine as she envisioned a man trapped beneath the city maintaining its functioning and the thought made her uneasy prompting her to abruptly stand and announce her departure, so they exited the city and headed towards a northern forest. Shadow preferred to avoid the city's portals given the unfavorable reputation Lily had earned herself over the past day following her encounter with Eamon.

As they reached the forest's edge a peculiar sensation washed over Lily, and it felt as though someone or something was watching her. She whirled around to investigate but her eyes found nothing out of the ordinary.

'Strange.' She muttered under her breath.

Shadow noticed her uneasy behavior, 'What's wrong?'

She questioned whether she was simply being paranoid or if something was indeed observing her and it echoed the uncanny sensation she'd felt when she saw the statue of the Savior as if it was watching her. Shadow reminded her of her numerous detractors due to yesterday's incident so it wouldn't be surprising if someone sought revenge by stalking her much like Vivian's group had done.

They halted before a lush red forest that exuded a warm autumnal vibe and Lily queried about its unique appearance to which Shadow responded with a smile, 'Wait to ask questions until we get to the portal.' With that they ventured forth into the vibrant wilderness.

After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at a large crimson lake and approaching the edge Lily knelt to get a closer look. Despite the birds paddling around the surface was eerily still and the liquid was a thick dark red, it almost looked like blood.

'You're right it is blood. This lake is known as Gurinl Lake it replenishes itself with blood to nourish the forest and its inhabitants.' Shadow explained.

On hearing this Lily looked at the birds on the lake again. They were covered in red feathers with stark white eyes and black heads topped with long sharp beaks. Suddenly a small black fish leaped out of the water only to be seized by one of the birds and it revealed an array of sharp teeth as it tore the fish into pieces scattering fragments of meat into the air. Immediately the other birds converged upon it and it appeared to be a fight over food but in actuality they were vying to eat the bird that had captured the fish.

She was speechless and didn't know what to make of the scene unfolding before her and decided to push it from her mind.

'Everything has a story and in Elysium nothing makes sense.' Shadow said approaching her.

Lily nodded and stood up querying about the location of the portal and when Shadow pointed out that it was within the lake she was filled with dread because the thought of diving into a lake of blood was far from appealing. Remembering Shadow's lotus flower, she extended her hand towards him expecting him to have some solution.

Shadow responded by producing a large blood-red orb. 'This orb contains blood. But it allows you to breathe and see underwater.' He explained.

Lily scoffed at the idea. 'You can't be serious. You expect me to swallow a blood-filled orb just to dive into a lake of blood? Does that make sense to you?'

Shadow explained that without the orb her body could combust, or she could transform into a blood demon or an undead creature but the choice was hers.

Left without a choice Lily grabbed the orb and surprisingly it was as light as a feather in her hands.

As she prepared to take a bite of the it she paused.

'It's too big.' She protested.

Shadow merely chuckled and replied, 'Nothing is too big. You need to chew it.'

She glared at him a pout forming on her face. 'Are you making fun of me?'

Shadow's amusement disappeared as he responded, 'It's either this or that.' He pointed at the lake which began to churn ominously as a pair of inky black eyes surfaced causing a shiver to run down her spine.

Taking a deep breath, she bit her lip. 'Fuck me.' She muttered under her breath.

Resigned she opened her mouth and bit into the orb and to her surprise it tasted like strawberry pudding. She quickly finished the orb momentarily forgetting its gruesome contents however a brief burning sensation soon reminded her.

'What did I just eat?' She asked.

Shadow cleared his throat awkwardly before answering, 'That was my ****well mixed with my blood.' He coughed again.

Lily's face paled at his confession her hand flying to her throat and she tried to cough it up but to no avail and regaining her composure, she turned to him.

'I want to curse at you, but you've been helping me all along. But next time warn me.' She said her cheeks flushing red.

Shadow shrugged, 'Are you sure you want to know what you consume in the future? What about the lotus leaf you ate?'

Lily's ears turned red with embarrassment. 'Ahem. Just forget what I said' She muttered.

Shadow laughed at her reaction before producing a small red pill which he promptly swallowed and upon seeing this Lily's irritation flared.

'What the fuck was that? You, cheater!' She accused.

Shadow explained that the pill was also made by him but her body wouldn't be able to handle his personal pills and it could cause her body to explode. Though suspicious Lily knew he wouldn't lie about something this important and she also knew his body was special and that he was not just a Moon folk however she decided not to probe further for now.

Shadow extended his right hand towards her which she took with her left but before they stepped into the lake Shadow tapped her forehead with his index finger and suddenly they were surrounded by a yellow bubble-like barrier.

'This will protect us.' He explained.

They stepped into the lake feeling a strong invisible force pull them underwater and once submerged the lake was surprisingly clear though the water felt thick. The temperature seemed neutral, and Lily realized it was probably the orb's effect enabling her to withstand the environment of the bloody lake. The murky depths of the lake were teeming with strange shadowy creatures, and they seemed ethereal their smoky forms shifting and disappearing before reappearing somewhere else reminiscent of the wraithkins they had battled the previous night. Following Shadow's lead Lily swam deeper into the crimson depths heading towards a golden platform hovering in the distance.

Unbeknownst to them they were not alone and a figure in a black hooded cloak watched from the shadows its face hidden in darkness and elsewhere were a group of figures dressed similarly huddled together one of them gripping a black scythe with a red blade.

Shadow indicated that he would head to the platform first to activate the portal and nodding her understanding Lily watched as he began a series of complex hand gestures chanting an incantation in an unfamiliar language. Suddenly she felt a sharp jolt from her right and turning she was met with a sight that sent chills down her spine. There was a group of figures in black hooded cloaks, their red eyes glowing ominously in the darkness, their mouths aglow like smoldering embers and before she could react her protective barrier vanished with a pop leaving her exposed. As long claws gripped her arms and legs and fingers tugged at her hair she closed her eyes tightly.

'Don't die don't die.' She thought desperately. Even though she would respawn at the obelisk if she perished she knew it would mean all their progress was wasted.

Suddenly a thunderous sound filled the lake and a powerful wave of force emanated from the platform and a swirling green portal materialized before Shadow who looked pleased with his success. The force of the wave propelled Lily backwards as if she had been punched in the stomach and she found herself staring wide-eyed at the portal. The group of figures too were thrown back by the force, but they quickly recovered brandishing an array of weapons and moving swiftly towards her with clear intentions and their expressions were now contorted in anger and a surge of panic gripped Lily.

'Why are they after me?' She wondered 'Could it be Vivian's group or someone else?'

As the disgusting grip of their arms reached for her a resounding bell-like sound rang out echoing straight into their ears and Lily instinctively covered her ears grimacing at the noise. Suddenly Shadow materialized before her leaning forward and pressing his lips onto hers and she was taken aback and felt a pair of warm lips against her own leaving her momentarily bewildered but then an unexpected warm sensation flooded through her. As Shadow pulled away she found herself coughing only to realize much to her astonishment that she could now breathe underwater. Shadow his face a stoic mask gestured towards the portal his five fingers splayed out that was a clear indication of the portal's short lifespan and without wasting any time they swiftly swam towards it and plunged in.

Emerging on the other side of the portal they found themselves sprawled on a vast expanse of red sand coughing and gasping for air and a low hum resounded as the portal closed behind them leaving them alone in this strange new place. Relief washed over Lily, and she let out an exhilarated cheer, but her elation was short-lived when she glanced at Shadow and to her horror he was huddled up his body trembling.

'Shadow. What's wrong?' She stammered out her heart pounding.

She reached out her hand making contact with his body and felt it was burning hot. Her brow furrowed in worry because he had a fever, and she racked her brain for any knowledge of treating fevers but came up empty as she'd always been repulsed by sickness never bothering to learn anything about it.

'W-what should I do?' She voiced out her worry.

In response Shadow weakly took off his necklace and uttered a single word 'Moon' before falling unconscious.

'Shadow.' Lily cried out her voice echoing in the barren desert and panic set in her heartbeat thundering in her ears.

She checked for a pulse relief washing over her when she felt the steady thrum beneath her fingers.

Desperately she attempted to use her cleric skills on him calling out, 'Cure' 'Heal' and 'Cleanse.' But it was to no avail.

Frustration mounting, she cursed then realized she hadn't yet tried her necromancer skills and opening her interface she was taken aback by the minimalistic set of skills she had:

Revive.

Summon.

Slave.

Not exactly ideal for a healing situation but she had little time to consider other options and she was reminded of her urgency every time Shadow's shallow breaths reached her ears. He needed help and she had to find a way to get him to a town somewhere with a moon, but she was stranded in a vast desert with no idea which direction to go and with the unknown stretched out before her she was truly at a loss. The necklace, its chain the color of snow and adorned with a round stone reminiscent of moonstone found a new home around her neck and determinedly she rose to her feet gripping Shadow's collar with a steady hand and began the arduous task of dragging his unconscious form through the sandy terrain. It was not easy as his weight was a force to be reckoned with but the sand beneath him provided a small measure of relief allowing her to slide him along.

As time slipped by the desolate landscape around them seemed to remain unchanged the cold weather seeping into her bones as her damp clothes clung to her form. She could feel Shadow's body trembling from the chill, but his occasional mumblings reassured her he was still alive and straining her ears, she could only discern two words from his feverish whispers, moon eclipse and a memory struck her that Shadow was from a Moon tribe his strength stemming from the lunar presence. If he was to survive it would have to be under a moon eclipse, but time was a luxury they couldn't afford forcing her to seek alternative methods.

Several hours later exhaustion set in, and she lowered herself onto the cold sand her back against something unusually hard. She turned around to find the skeletal remains of an unidentifiable animal every bone intact and a thought occurred to her, the Revive skill but it was untested, and she had no idea whether it would work but it was worth a try.

Positioning her right hand over the skeletal form she muttered, 'Revive.'

A surge of energy pulsed through her, and a jet-black flame sparked to life in her palm and with a hesitant breath she pressed it onto the ribs of the skeleton. She watched captivated as the flames coursed through the bones inciting a slow mesmerizing dance of movement as the skeletal form began to take shape and in a matter of moments a hulking black bull stood before her its purple eyes locking onto her with a daunting intensity and a surge of apprehension washed over her. She had no idea if this new creation would be friend or foe, but she had to establish dominance.

'I will dismiss you if you try anything funny.' She warned her voice icy despite the fact she didn't know how to actually dismiss her summons and could only hope it would be enough.

The bull blinked its gaze falling onto the unconscious Shadow and it seemed to understand the gravity of the situation lowering itself onto its knees. With a grunt of effort Lily hauled Shadow onto the broad back of the beast then hoisted herself up as well and the bull rose to its full height then took off at a brisk pace carrying them away from their desolate surroundings.

After what felt like half an hour the barren desert gave way to a verdant landscape under a clear blue sky that was a welcome sight no doubt but not what they required in their predicament. Lily inquired if the bull knew of a place enveloped in darkness, but it responded with a shake of its head then charged into the lush greenery abruptly ejecting them onto the ground before sprinting away into the wilderness.

With a sigh Lily hoped that the bull wouldn't stir up trouble and just as she was about to gather herself a deep male voice resonated. 'He will die soon.'

She turned around to face the source of the voice an old man whose long white hair was gathered into a neat bun and his beard fell to his chest contrasting against his pale surprisingly unwrinkled skin. He was dressed in a black hanfu with a red belt and a small red gourd affixed to his right waist and perched on his right shoulder was a creature like no other, a small black dragon whose body shimmered as if enveloped in flame, its red eyes glaring menacingly at her.

'Can you help him?' She blurted out her desperation reaching a fever pitch.

The old man was clearly not an ordinary human and perhaps he could save Shadow.

The man stroked his beard thoughtfully asking, 'What's in it for me?'

Lily racked her brains but found herself with nothing to offer and her thoughts flashed back to the oracle's wisdom, and she found herself saying, 'I can be your slave for a week.'

The man contemplated her proposition his fingers absentmindedly combing through his beard but eventually he responded, 'I have no need for a slave.'