Within the city's trading post, two groups faced each other.
One was led by a dwarf. His beard was white and thick, long enough to cover his chest, his head shaved clean. He wore a lamellar armor, made from many small plates of steel laced together, under it was a layer of chain mail. Next to him was his convoy, a group of dwarfs armed with axes and shield, most of them were armed with axes and shield and wore a set of chain mail.
The other was led by a human. He wore a set of scale mail with chain mail underneath and a spangenhelm on his head. A kite shield slung over his shoulder, painted with the city's insignia, a dragon surrounded by stars. Held in his right hand was a halberd, the blade made of black metal and the handle was of hard ancient wood. Its engravings, which resemble a dragon's wing, shone with a golden hue. On his belt was a sheathed sword.
Followed the man was a group of merchants dressed in dyed tunics and guards.
"Tis' a good trade, young'un." The dwarf bellowed, his voice was a mix of joy and roughness. "This will help us a lot, especially after the last raid." He patted the sacks of wheat carried by a great ram. Behind it was its breathen, all of them carried various kinds of good, mostly linen, herbs and food.
"We are happy that we can keep our pact." The man spoke, his voice was youthful but also had power in it. "Without your help, I don't think we can make the city as great as it is." On his side was crates and sacks of raw iron ores and even iron ingots, with other kind of metal in them. In other sacks was something as valuable as metal, salt.
"Mutual profit, lad." The dwarf patted the young man, followed it was a laugh. "We will return in the next moon, so remember to prepare some dried peaches for us, ey?"
"Of course, sir." The man bowed, followed by his subordinates.
As the dwarf turned away to leave, a man ran toward them. He was a guard, horrified and pale.
"Sir! Sir!" The guard yelled.
The man held his hand forward. "What the problem, Jacob?"
"Captain, there is something at the gate! You have to go there!"
"What is it, Jacob? A horde of goblin?"
"No-o, sir… it's… it's…"
"Calm down, Jacob. What exactly did you see?"
"It's… a thing! It looks like a man, but all of its body was covered in metal!"
"An armored man? He must be from the farland…" 'Human from outside the wall? Not too rare, there are small villages out there. But armored? Scale armor was rare, only the dwarf could make them…' The captain thought.
"No, sir… It… wasn't an armor. It was covered from head to toe with metal, even its face, its hand! As if it was its skin!"
"A metal creature you said?" The dwarf turned to the guard, intrigued.
The guard nodded and gulped.
The captain tapped his halberd to the ground. "Guards! To the gate!"
The captain strode toward the city's gate, followed him was the dwarf.
"Sir, you should stay inside until this is solved."
"You don't have to worry, lad." The dwarf took out a bascinet and put it on his face, with a camail under his beard. "This old man is always battle ready." He swung his warpick forward, warmed himself up.
"Do you know what this could be, sir?"
"Me? My bet is that it was a man in armor." The dwarf shrugged.
"Jacob said that it had metal covered its entire body."
"So an armor like a dragon or iron scale lizard then? I have seen one, but it wasn't a good one."
"No, it isn't…" Jacob jumped in. "It isn't an armor, it looked nothing like an armor. Its chest, its arms, its leg, it was all metal!"
"Well, that was a thing back then." The dwarf rubbed his beard. "When bronze was the metal of choice, we used to have full plate armors."
"So it really was a thing?" The captain asked. "My father told me that there was armor which resemble a men's abdomen once."
"Was, a big was. When the orcs destroyed our ancestral hold, we lost a lot. Even now, many thing we had in the past haven't been recovered yet."
"Sir, it isn't armor!" Still, Jacob held tight to his believe.
"We will see…" The captain said.
They arrived at the city's gate. It was wide open.
In front of the gate was a group of guard stood in defensive position. Next to it was another group surrouded two guard.
"Aketon!" Jacob rushed to the fainted one.
"What happened?" The captain asked and looked at the other one. He was wrapped in web, his comrade tried to cut it with their blades.
"Sir, a group of intruders arrived at the gate, he attacked Aketon and shot web at Siv." A guard stepped up. He was more well dressed than other, with a chain mail over his gambeson.
"He shot what?"
"A… web, sir."
"A web? Like the great spiders?"
"Yes, sir."
The captain was visibly confused.
"How could someone do that?"
"That thing is a monster, sir!" Siv yelled. "I see it took Aketon's soul of his body with just a touch."
"He is still alive you foul mouth!" Jacob hugged his friend.
The captain turned to the guard. "Where are they now?"
"Outside, sir. We are trying to held until you come."
"What are they doing?"
"They are… sitting, sir."
"Sitting?"
"They haven't do anything since we dragged Aketon back in. It didn't harm us or anything, it just sits there and observes us."
The captain strode toward the guard in front of the gate.
"Make way!" He commanded. The dwarfs followed him.
They moved out and formed a path for the convoy.
The captain stood still. The dwarf looked at him and then to the 'thing'. It shocked him.
It was clearly a man in armor. But his armor was like nothing he had seen before, so he couldn't blame the young men about theit misconception. The armor was made of plates of metal, decorated with engravings resembled a tree on their chests. On their shoulders, arms and shins was flower-like details, carved on the metal plate. Each rivets and plates was made with perfect precision, each part perfectly fit with the other, there was no room for a mistake, as if it was made from a mold.
The dwarf had tried to make a full plate iron armor before, but they couldn't do it. Making a piece of iron big enough to make a plate out of it was hard, to make a plate to cover his chest was something only the most talented armorsmith could do. But making a whole armor? No one had ever successed.
And stood in front of him was one such thing. It was a piece of art. As if the smith god was sat in front of him, mocked his entire kind for not be able to make such a thing, or to show them that it was possible.
But something about it was off.
In the eye of the captain, he didn't saw just the armor, but the thing which wore the armor. It was something foreign, something strange. It radiated a teal hue from its body, its eyes was as bright as a star, its armor decoration while resembled a tree, it also formed something akin to a star map with the hue. Its half cape flowed, but there was no wind, it flowed like water, made of a strange thin and elegant linen, as gorgeous as lake under the stars. It just sat there, an intimidating aura surrounded it. That creature, no, that being, was something out of his world, it was something old and ancient.
The being observed them, both the dwarf and the captain.
They stared at each other. An uneasy feeling rushed through the captain.
The being was armed. He could see and axe strapped on its right side, a shield on its back with a pair of hand axe on its left side. Its weapon was as ornate as its armor.
The captain faced the being, eyes to eyes, tried to read it.
His eyes wasn't met with another pair of eyes, but two orbs of light. Light radiated from the deepest void. He felt a deep fear stired within him.
Unwillingly, he changed into a his fighting posture.
The dwarf saw the captain's face. It was covered in sweat. He bit his lip and held his halberd tight. The dwarf followed, he raised his warpick up and held it with both hand, prepared to fight at any moment.
The being was still.
"What is your purpose here, intruder?"
It tilted its head. 'Did it understand what I said?' The captain tighten both of his grip on the halberd.
The being stood up slowly. It swung its shield forward and held its with its left hand. It was a simple round shield, yet…
The dwarfs was speechless.
The shield was covered in runes. Circles after circles of runes carved into the shield, linked together. There was at least 40 runes carved on the shield. The old dwarf looked at his warpick. It was considered as the pinacle of runecraft. Yet, all it had was just 5 runes. That shield it held… it was something impossible. The runes shone bright as if it was mocking his kind's works.
"That thing… it's not something from this world." The dwarf whispered. "That or it is a godly being."
"Are you saying that we are taunting a god?" The captain chuckled, but his voice was shaken.
The being unstrapped its axe. The guards and the dwarf readied to fight.
The axe was made of the same metal as the armor. Its design was similar to that of a dwarven axe. There wasn't any rune on it, but there clearly was some mythical power within it. Everything on this being could define a lot of thing: the armor for the zenith of armorsmith, the axe for the definition of a good weapon, and shield for the true pinacle of runecraft. Its being, radiating with light, resemble something from beyond, something so powerful and filled with authority. Its 'eyes', the deepest fear from the void.
It took a step. The captain felt the world bended around it, the air boiled and the grasses made way for it. One more step, then it held it axe upward.
The captain braced himself, readied for an inevitable attack from the being. He subconsiously closed his eyes. But nothing came.
The axe hit the ground, dug deep into the earth. The being's hand still hovered above it. Then it retreated, returned to a calm posture. The shield was held by both of its hands, with its end met the ground beneath. The being stood still, eyes darted from a person to another.
"What is it doing?" A guard whispered.
The weapon it once held was now on the ground, its arms rested on the shield. It had no intention to harm them. It wanted peace.
The dwarf, saw through its intention, dropped his warpick and unstrapped his helmet. He held his helmet by his side, faced with the being dirrectly. The captain, confused at first, followed him. His halberd retreated, he stood straight, eyes still fixed on the being.
A small whistle came from the being. And from the ground, something rose up. A great beast, with fur as thick as a house's roof, and horns as large as the biggest battle ram's horn. Covered in plates of armor much alike the being, with the same pattern of engravings. Light radiated from its black fur, as majestic as the night sky. Yet, the eyes of the beast was as gentle as a cow.
Under the fur of the beast was something they didn't expected to see. A human child. A young boy, with red hair and green eyes. Judging from the clothes, he must be from a village nearby. But why would a child be with this being?
The captain took a step forward.
"I am Boromir, Captain of Temple City's guard. Why are you here, traveler?"
The child was scared. But the being gently pushed him forward.
The child looked at the captain, concerned. But he managed to muster his strength to speak.
"S-sir, I am Avon, from Braham village."
"Braham?" The captain remembered the village. "Your chief had come here before, yes. But why are you here?"
"I… My… Uhm…" Something clicked in him. "Braham… it's…"
"It's gone, isn't it?" The dwarf rubbed his beard. "Poor lad…"
Avon started to sob.
"Come here, child. You are safe here. Temple City always welcome you." The captain kneeled down, leveled himself to Avon's face.
"So it wanted to bring the child to us, ey?"
They saw the being's gaze. It still kept its eyes on Avon. The child hugged the captain, he then carried him on one hand.
Boromir bowed.
"Thank you for saving this child."
The being didn't react, as if it didn't understand his action. But when other started to the same, it put a hand on its chest, then bowed.
The creature then mounted on the beast, with one last wave, left the city's gate.
The old dwarf's eyes still fixed on the armor. Part of him felt a deep regret.
The captain brough the child into the city, then told the guard to close the gate.
"Sir, what do you think that being was?"
The captain asked the dwarf. All he got was a sigh.
"Something out of this world, for sure. That armor… it's a walking miracle. Lucky for us, it was… reasonable."
"Why would it protect this child? Do you think he had something special in him?"
"How could I know? I am not a seer. But hey, that was something, ey?" 'If only I could learn something about it.' The dwarf tried to remember the runes on the shield. The sheer complexity of it was enlightening. He chuckled, imagined the face of the runesmiths back at his hold when he told them about it.
The dwarf decided to stay for another day to listen to the boy's tale.
"So your village was raided by a horde of goblin?"
The captain asked. Since he brought the child back, his wife decided to keep him in their house. Their daughter didn't have any friend, and Avon needed a home.
"Yes… sir…"
Goblins, a threat to any community outside of the city. One or two of them could cause some trouble, but a horde could spell disaster.
"And that metal lad saved you?"
"Ah… ye-yes." The boy looked at the dwarf and the bow of raisin. The dwarf saw that and laughed. He put the bow into the boy's lap.
"Th-thank you, sir."
Avon took a small raisin and slowly chewed it.
"What exactly is that thing anyway? Do you know what it is?" The dwarf asked.
"Sir Heldain, I don't think it is a good time to-"
"It's Nile." The boy replied.
"Nile?"
"I… I think that was it name, it told me so… I think?"
"So it can speak?" Boromir was intrigued.
"Yes, but not in the same way we speak."
"How different?"
"Well, it… weird…"
"The guard said that it cursed them, did it?"
"No… I think? It said 'salve'."
"What is 'salve'?" The dwarf jumped in. The word sounded like something those runesmith would use.
"It is some kind of greeting. When I woke up, it said 'salve'. When it saw the guard, it said salve too."
"So a greeting, huh?" Disappointment was as clear as day on the dwarf's face.
"And what about the web? Is it a spider?"
"I don't know, but seemed like an insect to me, it had shell."
"Armor, lad. Armor." Dwarf pointed at the armor held inside of the captain's room. "Like this one."
"But it was smooth and-"
"It's an armor." The captain said.
The boy looked at them and pouted, clearly didn't believe them.
"It can do a lot of things." Avon said, stared at the bow of raisin. "It can make fire from its hand, it can create meat out of air, it can shoot web too."
"Sound like something a shaman could do…" The dwarf rubbed his chin.
"You know something like that?" Boromir turned to the dwarf.
"I have seen something like that before, but it require a lot to do so. The lizardmen can summon ancient drakes from the earth, the goblin's shaman can shoot out lightning. Before we were attacked by the orcs, there was druids who can make any soil fertile. The orc had something similar too, but I am not sure about that."
"And the dragons…" The tale from his ancestor, about a great dragon who soared on the sky and led them to this city. A dragon who could command the earth with their words.
"And them too…" The dwarf nodded.
A moment of silent.
"We were lucky… if that thing wanted to, it might destroy this city with ease."
Suddenly, they felt the ground under them shook
Nile looked at the human as they retreated back into the town.
If he had a heart, it would have jumped out of his chest. Lucky for him, he didn't had it, neither did he had a lung, otherwise he would be gasping air. That was a close call, he could see the tension between them and him. If he made a wrong move, he might have to fight them. He didn't. In fact, he didn't really feel anything at all.
When the guard on the tower shot Avon, he thought that they were much more hostile than he had expected. But that must be a panic shot. After all, he couldn't say that a stranger in a full plate armor with a kid wasn't something suspicious.
The kid got new place to stay, no more burden, no more problem. He and Gorthor could travel in peace, for now. He took his compass out. It pointed at the town. So he decided to go pass it. As they moved further from the town, the waypoint compass also changed, it kept on pointing toward the town.
Nile tapped its side. 'Is this thing broken?'
He looked at the town. No matter how he looked at it, it remained the same. A town a little bigger than a normal town, standing somewhere between a small city and a town. But that was all. It looked like something built from a ruin, judging from the columns.
No glass domes, no library, no fields of herbs, no marble buildings, no columns as tall as the sk-
Then something clicked together.
He commanded Gorthor to wait for him, then walked toward the wall. Of course he could put him into his inventory, like a pocket monster. But he couldn't do that to the little boy, now that he was a living thing. Nile stood under the wall, with his camouflage ring on. He looked at the column which created the walls. Layers of dirt and dust covered the ancient columns. He brushed them away, revealed something underneath it.
White marble, as bright and white as the purest pearl. Decorated it was blue ceramic and gold engraving. On the column he found was a symbol made of gold, a torch in the middle of an open book.
"The Sky Limit…" He whispered. "But if this is The Sky Limit… then where is The Dome?"
With a twist of his ring, an ethereal eagle appeared on his hand. He threw it up to the sky. The eagle flew up and gazed upon the town.
"No signs of The Dome, neither was The Forge or The Colosseum."
Nile rubbed the underside of his armet. 'How was this possible? Scenario one, this is still YGGDRASIL, I was just stumbled upon a scrapped quest, and some code made Gorthor extra life-like.' He looked at Gorthor. The ox sat down, its noses touched the grass, the slowly chewed them.
'If that happened, then only part of the Archive would just be clipped here or teleported here by accident. But even Revery's command wasn't usable, so that was unlikely.'
This morning, he tried to use the force log out command his friend gave him Revery used to work as a game tester for YGGDRASIL, he knew some of the code which can force command to the game by the player in case of accident, but all of them didn't work.
'But if this is a real world, then how did me and the Archive be teleported here? And where is it? If this is The Sky Limit, then it means the Archive was here. But I had just arrived yesterday, and this town must have been here for a long time. Could it be that I was asleep for decades? Centuries perharps? But my armor was the same when I was in YGGDRASIL. Scenario two, both was teleported, but landed in different time, then it explains the broken column. But still, some thing doesn't seem right."
His compass showed that he was on the right spot, just a few more metters into the town.
'Does this mean… the Archive is gone?'
But… what about the vault? Even if the area on the surface was destroyed, the vault was deep undergroud, so there was a posibility.
Nile took out his staff. A normal looking staff, with a simple gem covered by vines. The Librarian wand, an item used by the Loreseeker to move around their territory in just a blink of an eye. He tapped the wand on the ground. A map appeared in his mind. And it started to make sense to him.
'I just want to bury myself under the dirt right now.'
His compass was set in the x-y mode. While most compass worked with the x-y-z system, his could switch between x-y and x-y-z. He switched it to x-y during one of his maze exploration because of the system was more ground based than the x-y-z, which chose the shortest path from bird's eye view.
He put both of his hand on his face, steam shot out of the vents on his armor, covered him a white mist. After he had calmed his mind, he looked at the map again.
Somehow, in someway he hadn't found out, the Archive was burried deep under him. What he thought was the foot of The Sky Limit was actually near the tip of it.
The Sky Limit was one of their project. When they were building the Archive, Revery told HowXitXzer to make something special. And their guild managed to build a world monument: the highest wall in Asgard. Thus, they named the columns The Sky Limit.
With a tap of his staff, he disappeared into a bright light.
When he opened his eyes, in front of him was a small city. Every building was made of marble and ceramic, covered in vines and moss. The road, once paved, now covered in dust and gravel fell from above. He walked on the street, it looked much older than he remembered. How much time had passed? Some decades? Or even centuries? What about the NPC? Did they become alive like Gorthor? Could they age? They were in the vault during their celebration... A thousand thoughts ran through his mind.
As he walked, he felt something else was there.
"Who are you, and how did you get to this place?"
Something bellowed from the heart of the Archive. Nile turned his gaze toward the Dome.
A dragon, with platinum scale, stood in front of it. With a thundering roar, it demanded.
"Leave, or else I will make you…"
Instead of being intimidated, the only thing inside of Nile was curiosity.
"You can talk?"