Change Over the Horizon (Part 2)

"Either way, more stuff changed around here. I'm sure you noticed more vegetation everywhere, right? Hehe, that's nothing compared to Tremor. I mean, from your description, it's almost like a small Endrosian Empire formed there. The population of wild Tauruses reach in excess of two thousands around the North. Whereas the area around Tremor contains probably half of them", Tara said.

"Your father also introduced a few packs of wolves. They serve as predators, but their numbers are currently very small. With Tremor in such a state, we are working towards the north. Give it a few years, and you'll see the change from your front doors", she added.

"Heh, I'll have to visit Tremor in that case. Besides, that's the city of Furians. My mother never took me there, but from my childhood memories, that should be the city we moved from", I said. "That might be the case, since she is half Furian", Tara agreed.

"Anyway, that's great news, right? I mean, the Wilderness is rather empty. Some more greenery, animals and life will do plenty good for the North. Hunting while travelling will become easy, while young kids will grow up to see the changed North", I said. "I couldn't agree more. We Atols love nature, whichever path in life we take. Others don't share our enthusiasm as much, but you'd be surprised how well they received such change", she replied.

I asked her for clarification. "Well, the other races usually care about their own benefits. We might be united under the name Great North, but this isn't the Endrosian Empire where only Humans live. Everyone has different preferences, and goals. Hence our surprise when they agreed to our plans. Albeit not completely. About one third of the Wilderness will remain, even your father liked that idea. The Wilderness kind of represents the North, therefore removing it completely wouldn't be received well. The Land of Sands will remain mostly the same too", she explained.

"I guess they are right, since the Wilderness has been here for ages. I can see why they agreed though. With more animals, plants and whatnot, everyone's life will improve somewhat. Besides, my father's involvement usually means a few reasons…", 'One of them could be the same reason for my journey inside the Great Forest', I thought.

"Perhaps, but we don't know. Anyway, I have another piece of news for you. That Woody's Course of yours, man, it became quite popular. That's nothing, a few Grey Lizards added on to that course, and even strengthened it much further. You should check it out when you can, I'm sure you'd be surprised", Tara said. '... I'm not sure whether I'm happy someone modified my work, but if people love it, and it's free…', "Yea, I'll check it out when I can", I replied.

She nodded, then continued. "Sedon's Grand Stage made a huge impact on the performance sector. Let me tell you, the performances taking place there are way better than in the Arena. The Arena is still used for performances, albeit rarely and only the important ones. They reverted back to their origins, which of course means fighting".

"I had a feeling the Arena couldn't keep up with Sedon. I mean, not only does it have that quick travel Formation, the Grand Stage in itself is bigger, more modern and even much safer. Besides, it was built in mind for performances, while the Arena wasn't", I said.

"Perhaps, but it was thanks to your parents that they reverted back. The owner of the Arena wanted to compete, and even develop it to accommodate the performers better. But, your father argued that the Arena was an important place, and its origins were equally important. Warriors could compete, and competing was a good way to promote improvements. They agreed, especially since your mother's word weights a lot there", she explained.

That confused me a bit, since my parents were the rulers of the North. 'Why would my mother's word weigh more there, than anywhere else?', I asked myself. "I can see the confusion. Yes, your parents are the rulers. That doesn't mean they can do whatever they wish… at least without the use of force. They are trying to keep everyone happy, and improve the whole North for everyone. Though like I said, all races have different ideas and goals", she explained.

"Golems own the Land of Sands, just like Atols own Apium. Your mother is a very good friend with their leader and so the Arena owner had to listen, whether he liked it or not. Though from my estimates? They can make a sizable profit from their original purpose, especially after the return of your father. People want to get strong, and want to compete much more. Though performances became part of the North, duelling didn't die out. It's actually on the rise once again", she added.

That was interesting. I knew my father could do whatever he wished thanks to his strength, but neither he nor my mother were these sort of people. They wouldn't use their strength to force people, and as Tara said, the owner of Arena would be making profit one way or another. 'Why compete when both stages can exist, and be used for different purposes? There's profit for everyone, and people are happy as well', I figured.

Tara and Teri shared a few other things with me. The biggest of them all had to be another quick travel Formation built in Boltier. Three cities were already connected by that Formation. They were in the process of choosing another location, which kind of explained why my parents had to go for a meeting of some sort.

"Heh, I'd like to work on that in the future. I'm sure this would be a great learning experience for me", I said. "I don't think there should be any issues, if you are for real. After all, you can release your energy outside your body. Perhaps you lack the control, but they will not stop that soon. I mean, we Atols want one of those Formations too. The Land of Sands will receive one for sure. Eterians will surely get one, and then there's Tremor. You'd get plenty of opportunities to work on that project", Tara replied.

"Then I should really work on the control. Besides, my Aura depends on control too. There's so much to do, yet so little time. My parents throwing all those responsibilities at me doesn't help", I complained. Perhaps I was young and rushed too much, but how else would I ever catch up to my parents?

"Anyway, why don't you guys stay over for a while? I haven't seen you for ages, and I'm sure we can talk a lot more", I proposed. Tara didn't mind at all, though Teri hesitated a lot. "Don't worry, I'll give you separate rooms", I teased him. "No, I wasn't…", "Anna! Sit there quietly, if you have nothing useful to add", Tara berated me. "Sure, sure. Anyway, I need to make dinner now. You are free to do whatever, perhaps play with Dante for a bit, hehe", I said before heading to the kitchen.

I was glad Tara visited me. Unfortunately, Dawn lived far away. Even if she knew of my return, getting to our place would take her time. I wished we could have that quick travel Formation, so that others could visit us more often. Usually wishes didn't come true. One would simply wish for something unlikely to happen, even though they knew full well it wouldn't. This time though, the wishes came true.

Tara and Teri stayed over for one night only. They had some work to do, but promised to visit more often from now on. My parents returned about a week after they left, and they returned with really exciting news. After greeting them and handing Dante back to my mother, she said, "Go on, tell her. I can see you can't wait". "Hehe, your mother is wealthy indeed. I mean, paying for that Formation wasn't cheap. Let me clarify. Remember that quick travel Formation Alicia, Suly and other Grey Lizards worked on? Well, we are getting one for ourselves", father said a bit excited.

That really was a wish come true. "Wipe that grin off your face, ladies shouldn't grin like that", mother said. "What? I'm excited! Not only can I take part in that project, we will have our own quick travel Formation! Everyone will be able to visit us more often!", I exclaimed.

She shook her head, "That Formation isn't for fun, but for emergencies. Yes, I pay for it… Or at least half of it, but there are a few reasons we chose to make one here. For one, your father can be quickly notified if something comes up. He'll be able to get anywhere within seconds, which is another factor. He is the strongest being alive on this continent after all".

That made sense, but didn't change the fact others would be able to visit us more often and quicker. "I can see you already decided to involve yourself with that project. It's not a bad idea. I doubt you'd be of much help to them, but you can learn a lot for sure. Anyway, I need to build a house or two for our guests. We can't let them sleep outside, can we?", father added.

That news made me pester my father all day. I wanted to know more details for sure. Besides, this was a huge opportunity for someone who studied Formations. He replied to all my questions with a simple, "Haven't been decided yet". A bit annoying that my father provided no further details to me, but that didn't matter. Once the project began, there would be plenty for me to discover.