Chapter Seventy-one

Air Ashari

We gathered in the palace library the next morning. The entrance was well-guarded, but inside was only the king. The library was an average-sized room with bookshelves and instruments around the walls. In the center of the floor was a teleportation circle with runes all around the circle. Most of it was etched somehow into the floor.

The king was drawing meticulously on the ground with fine chalk. He paused for a moment to greet us as we came in. "When the portal opens up, it will only be open for a short amount of time. You will just step into it and continue walking until you come through on the other side to the connecting teleportation circle."

With a few more marks of chalk, the portal opened. A bluish-purple tunnel appeared before us. As I stepped through, a rush of wind overcame me, like I'd stepped out a door into a freezing storm.

I stepped onto a different stone floor than the one I'd come from, in a simple room with only torchlight. A set of guards stood at the door. They greeted us—King Caylus had sent word beforehand that we'd be arriving—with a Druidic greeting, "kaitiakè," which Ari'yasa returned.

They informed us that Korrin Trallas, the leader of the Air Ashari, had been apprised of our arrival and would like to speak to us at our convenience. We were led into the streets of the city. The air was clean and crisp, and the city was surrounded by low-flying clouds. We were brought to a location where we could rest in a nicer area of the city, not that any of it wasn't nice. As we got closer to the edge of the city, I could see the clouds billowing up over the water that surrounded the island. It really was a flying city.

The city was populated with elves, half-elves, humans, gnomes, dwarves, and a few that Ari'yasa pointed out were genasi. There were few of the strange race with tails and horns, which Sephra informed me were called tieflings.

There were mountains a little ways off where rainclouds showered water onto them, evidently providing water for the floating island. It was majestic to watch out the window in the guest housing we were provided.

While we waited, we ran over our plan. We all voted that Ari'yasa would be the main one talking, being an Ashari druid herself. We were brought a little bit of food while we waited. It was mentioned that the winter's crest festival was coming up, and we decided that we'd each draw a name and give that person a gift for it. I drew Jörgen's name.

About an hour later we were brought to the council room. The room wasn't much bigger than the palace library. It was an open-vaulted room with a thatched ceiling. A large oval table stood at the end, where five people were sitting— three women and two men. A high elf, a wood elf, a half-elf, a human, and an earth genasi.

The half-elf in the center was elderly, with long silvery hair and wind-worn skin. He looked like he'd spent much time in the sun, though his skin was still fair. His clothes were more wrappings than tailored clothes. He had several tattoos up his arms and onto his chest. A large staff with an emerald set into it sat next to his chair.

This man stood and extended his arms in greeting. "Welcome to Zephrah. I am Korrin of the Air Ashari people. Caylus Moonfeather has sent message that you are in need of aid. So, what is it that we can do for you?"

He barely glanced at our group, then kept eye contact with Ari'yasa. She stepped forward. "Kaitiakè, Headmaster Korrin. We've been meeting with Caylus and we've discovered troubling news. I don't want to reveal too much, because it could put other people in danger, but we need help contacting the other Ashari tribes, but we need them to trust us because we need something from them that they're not going to give up very easily. But the fate of the world could depend on it."

"I have been made aware of some of the things that you and your companions are in need of. This room is safe." He gestured to those sitting next to him. "I trust everyone in this room, as long as you trust those that are next to you. There are many things in this world that are troubling. Caylus has sent word and said that you are in need of direction or transport to the other Ashari tribes. Is that true, Ari'yasa?" It was the first time anyone had addressed any of us by name since we'd arrived.

"That is true. We need transportation. If you could write something so that the other Ashari tribes will trust us to take something precious from them. We also need a list of contacts, like who I'll need to speak with in all the other tribes."

"It can definitely be provided as to who you would need to talk to in each of the tribes. That I can provide for you." He paused. "Ari, I don't know whether you remember, but the day that you were chosen there were many there to observe. I was one of those observing. The thing that you guard is of great importance. It has been passed down through many guardians and many inheritors. It is one that you will need to protect. And if necessary—from what King Caylus has told us briefly—that you will need to use, possibly. As you venture forth, we do not know—because each of the tribes were entrusted with one of these—we do not know what the other tribes have done with their Stones. Ours was kept—in the tradition—passed down from guardian to guardian. Each was used in a different way. Ours was kept in this locket and passed down. Others were put into—from what legend says—into possible weapons, into jewelry of different kinds. Some of them were left more raw, uncut. Some were polished, as was our Stone, to keep it pristine. Each of the Stones is different. Each of their powers are different as they are brought together. You will learn these powers."

He finally looked around at the rest of us again. "And I believe if fate is on our side, you will all become, in a way, guardians of these Stones. So, from the knowledge that I have, and in the brief amount of time that I have had to reach out to the Ashari people, I would suggest that you make your way to the Earth Ashari next. I believe that theirs will be the more simple to find of the other three. It is not an easy trek to the place, but of the other three it is probably the easiest for your group currently to get to without a lot of assistance or unless one of you has the ability to transport yourselves quickly."

He motioned to the side and the earth genasi pulled a long scroll case from behind his chair. He rolled out a parchment on the table. Korrin stepped closer to the table. It was a map showing the continent south of Fenraas— Talora. A large, long lake rested in the center, with mountains to the west. Gadgetzan was in the mountains, the Gnomish capital and where Lorcan was from. To the east of the lake was a plateau with nothing on it.

Headmaster Korrin pointed to the southern tip of the lake. "Here, near the southern tip of the lake, is the city of Terrah. There are two ways that you can get there. There is either going through the city of Gadgetzan then going through the jungles and the mountains— fairly dangerous area, uncharted jungles and the rugged mountains. Or there is a port city on the northern end of the plateau and you can make your way across the plateau. The plateau is a barren wasteland of bare dirt. There are some ruins, and no one really knows what kind of creatures dwell there.

"From the top of the plateau, it is a pretty straight shot to Terrah. Terrah does not have a teleportation circle, and sadly there are no trees close enough for our druids to get close enough to the city— village. It's more of a village.

"Terrah is the village of the Earth Ashari, where they guard the portal to the elemental plane of earth. So, I suggest you start there, and either go from Gadgetzan, through the jungles and then over. Or, probably the easier of the two journeys, start at the port city of Stillbarrow, and either make your way along the mountains, or just go straight across the plateau itself.

"Is there anything else I can do for you in order to help you on your journey?"

"How long do you estimate either trip will take?" I asked.

"Based on the distance that is, the journey through the jungle will probably take four to five days. There is no mountain pass, you'd just have to rough it over them."

"How did you get here?" Melima asked the earth genasi.

"I was brought here as a child, as part of the druidic arts. I have been one who has helped to mine the jewels and precious metals that are contained within the island. And to help train the other up-and-coming druids. I'm not actually from Terrah, nor have I been there before, but I am the historian for the Air Ashari people.

"Is there anything you have that you could give us that might be useful for this journey?" Ari'yasa asked. "Maps, magical items, potions, a bag of holding?"

He did offer a simple map, though there were no known maps with any details on the Great Plateau. It wasn't well explored, had dangerous creatures, and was just a barren waste. "Of those who have made the journey from the port to Terrah, it is about three and a half days' journey straight through, at a fairly good pace. Though you will want to—if you are wanting to avoid conflict—preferably journeying through the evenings and at night rather than during the day. It does still get quite hot, as there is a jungle on the other side of the mountain, it is quite warm on that side of the mountain, on the plateau. It will also be very, very windy. There really isn't a lot there. Make sure you are prepared with food and water, there is none to be found on the plateau besides the occasional creature."

The other members of the council also recommended going across the plateau. It was faster, and even if we deviated a little bit to avoid things, the jungles were known to have extremely dangerous creatures that were capable of eating someone alive. Huge snakes, huge lizard creatures around the size of dragons, and other terrifying creatures. After the mountain pass, I was kind of done with lizards for a while.

The Ashari leader in Terrah was Headmaster Pa'tisse Teraman. A Human man of darker skin, though not as dark as mine. His honorary title was The Heart of the Mountain. Ari'yasa told us later that Headmaster Korrin's title was The Voice of the Tempest.

Jörgen mentioned again about a note indicating that we were trustworthy, and Ari'yasa asked Headmaster Korrin again. "If you would like, I can write you a brief note to the other Ashari people, though I will send word to the headmasters, just alerting them to the fact that you will at some point in the future be arriving there."

He went to a small desk in the corner and wrote four copies of a note, which he had a servant seal in his quarters. Four neatly folded pieces of parchment were returned to us with the seal of the Air Ashari.

"Anytime you are ready, come and we'll use one of our magics to transport you to the closest location we have to take you to the port town," he said, indicating the human woman at the table.

I went around the city a little bit with Ari'yasa, just to explore. The people lived simply, but were by no means impoverished. The buildings had many different styles of design. Some looked Elven, others Dwarven, while others looked Gnomish. It was nice to see so many peoples living together in peace.