Enmity of Atlas

As soon as he entered the crater, Trenton noticed how much warmer it was, the air around him pleasant and humid, the smell of the water hanging thick in the air. Strange music also permeated the air, its source unknowable. When Leo and Trenton touched down onto the ground, the spirits swarmed them, their arms open and welcoming, their smiles wide.

“We had thought-”

“So unlucky-”

“But you-”

“I don’t believe-”

They grabbed Trenton and Leo, pulling them forward into the pool in the center, tearing their shirts off and throwing them to the side. It seemed they cared little for human modesty, what with their not being humans and all. The water's touch was sweet as a mother’s kiss, a peculiar conciliating effect washing over them, Trenton having to fight just to keep himself alert. This was the first real bath they’d had since Rema’s, so everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Everyone except Trenton, of course, who was actively struggling against the soothing effect the water was having on his mind. At least this time he was somewhat clothed.

The spirits wern’t so crass as to rip his pants off of him. They’d even left Kiva her shirt, thankfully. Trenton had expected to go into this preparing to argue, maybe fight if things went really south, so their hospitality really threw him off. They were being treated like little children, the spirits their doting parents. No one more so than Millie.

Spirits didn’t usually interact with humans, so she must’ve been a rarity to them, like an exotic creature. Trneton couldn’t hear what they were saying to her, but he could see Millie practically bursting at the seams with joy, the other water spirits joining her in an elaborate swim around the pool. Everyone else was quickly blocked from view, each person presumably having their own entourage of spirits accosting them, Trenton being no exception.

They swarmed around him, poking at his body, gawking over his muscles, all of them trying to talk with him at the same time. They even handed him the odd foods he’d seen on the table before, their vibrant colors off putting for someone unaccustomed to spirit culture. He was hesitant to try it, but they insisted, eventually practically stuffing it in his face. It was remarkable! The tastes and flavors were unlike anything he’d ever seen before, a mix of new experiences all bundled brilliantly together. As he ate, the spirits kept trying to talk to him, some managing to get their questions through.

A female tree spirit shoved through, her skin green and her tattoos white, “What’s it like in the human’s realm?” She cried, desperate to get Trenton’s attention. Was that really what they called it? The human’s realm?

“Pretty messy. A lot of fighting and warring, but the cities are pretty nice,” he replied. The girl smiled, clearly grateful for the attention, before the other spirits shoved her out of the circle.

A male fire spirit was holding his ground next to Trenton, shouting a barrage of questions at him, “Are you really Trenton Boulreguard? Did Aria really fall? Did you really die?”

“Yes, yes, and yes,” Trenton said, surprised they knew about any of that.

An earth spirit suddenly burst up from the water right in front of Trenton, his skin brown and crumbly, his tattoos a mix of brown and green, “What’s it like traveling with a water spirit?”

Trenton shrugged, “Kinda like traveling with anyone else, except she can turn into water.”

Another fire spirit jumped over the crowd, landing in one big splash in front of Trenton, “Do you really-” he started, before being cut off by a bubbling sound. From below them, the water started to shrink away, coalescing in the center of the pool in one large mass. Suddenly, the water turned into flesh and bone, a water spirit materializing from the pool's water. They had been swimming in a spirit? She looked over at Trenton, her eyes and smile warm and welcoming.

From her massive, hunched over form, she started shedding her size, most of her body turning back into water. The waves of water rushed back over them, dousing everyone. When the water spirit was about the size of a normal person, she stopped, walking over to Trenton. The spirits before Trenton split away, opening a path for her to make her way through. Trenton would say she was a greater spirit, but she was far larger than the one’s he’d seen back in the city. She had to sit crouched over just to stay in their little bubble at her full height.

“My, my, you’ve got everyone in a tizzy nowadays it seems, even my spirits,” the woman said, her voice deep and mature. She must have been pretty old, for a spirit, anyway. Trenton actually had no idea how spirits aged, so it was impossible to gauge just from looking at her. She looked mature, a humanoid resembling an adult woman, but there was no way to be sure. He’d ask Millie about it later.

The spirit extended her hand towards Trenton, who sat leaning back from all of the spirits that had been pushing towards him. He took her hand, rising to his feet. With the other spirits still ogling at him, now even more so than before, the women led Trenton out of the pool and towards a little table on a stone deck he hadn’t seen before, two chairs already pulled out for them to sit in. It was a nice spot overlooking the water and spirits, everyone either swimming, dancing, or mingling. Leo, Garrote, Millie, and Kiva seemed to all still be tied up with their spirits, the ones that were around Trenton now swarming towards them, leaving Trenton and the water spirit alone at the table. The woman handed him a clay cup with some faintly glowing green liquid in it.

“Elidrijshia. It’s a drink native to our realm extracted from Elidri plants. They can’t survive out of the spirit homeland, so I doubt you would’ve encountered anything like it before,” the spirit said, smiling at Trenton, encouraging him to take a sip.

Tentatively, Trenton put the glass to his lips, tasting the liquid before he committed to swallowing. It felt almost like an explosion in his mouth, the strange liquid washing over and coating the entirety of his mouth. It was good, but it had a really sickly sweet after taste, something that Trenton wasn’t particular to. The spirit seemed to realize this, taking note of his face involuntarily scrunching. She laughed, a hearty sound which filled the air around them.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s rather different from anything else you’d find here,” she said, taking the glass from him and setting it down next to her.

“This is some celebration. Are you in charge of this gathering?” Trenton asked.

“Something like that. My name's Drya,” she said, studying his face closely. For some reason, the name sounded really familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

“Trenton, a pleasure,” he said, extending her his hand, which she shook without complaint, “I appreciate you allowing us to take part in this event,” Trenton sighed, searching for the right words, “I actually don’t think I can express my gratitude properly in words. They need this more than you know, some comfort, some leisure. It’s a nice taste of home,”Trenton said, Drya listening closely.

“But what about you, Trenton? Do you not also seek comfort?” She asked, her tone measuring.

Trenton shook his head, his mind long since made up, “No, I am undeserving.”

“And why’s that?” She asked, her gaze a little more intense than before.

Trenton looked down, avoiding her gaze, before realizing he couldn’t shy away. He looked her dead in the eye, completely confident in himself, “It’s my fault, all of it.”

“I wouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve faced more strife than I think you realize,” she said, cocking her head to the side. “You look rather tense. I’m surprised. My waters have a calming effect on all those within it, one which eases the mind of all worries and stresses. Yet it seems like it had no effect on you.”

Trenton thought about it for a moment, thinking back to his time spent in the pool. It was only a couple of minutes, but he vividly remembered his body loosening up involuntarily, his mind losing it’s typically acuity, “No, I had to fight against it to stay focused. I can’t afford to let my guard down, even for a moment.”

She paused, thinking over his answer, “Someone who would deny himself comfort to protect others. You humans are such fascinating creatures.”

“What do you mean?”

“Haven't you ever wondered why the mortal plain is dominated mostly by humans, despite the fact that they’re the most disadvantaged race?”

“I have before, but I never put much stock in the thought.”

“Well, it’s more than pure happenstance, that much I can assure you. In the many years I’ve been alive, I’ve watched your world with interest, the events in your plane much more fascinating to me than that of my own. I noticed patterns starting to emerge, behaviors that surprised even me. I suppose you could think of it like a give and take. Every race has their one beneficial trait, and it comes at the cost of one downside. The elves, the second most populated race, can live centuries, spending dozens of human lifetimes mastering their craft, which theoretically should mean that elves surpass humans in every aspect. But this isn’t the case. Elves are too apathetic, their drive to improve themselves lacking, dragging behind that of every other race.”

Trenton thought about Walibeld, his resolve and drive surpassing anyone else he knew, “Are you certain? I know an elvish man who I would consider far from apathetic.”

“That isn’t to say an elf can’t put drive into something, they simply struggle to do so far more than a human. Some elves push past this apathy, but they are a rare few. Most elves have barely a handful of accomplishments to their name. In exchange for this downside, they were given expanded lifespans, allowing them to work towards goals over millenia rather than years. Humans, meanwhile, are their exact opposite. Humans were given a short life span, yes, but also an unbreakable will. The indomitable human spirit, both tangible and oddly effective. The amount of times I’ve seen a human push past the odds, sacrifice themselves for another, stand against entire armies just for the sake of their brethren, It’s incredible.”

“Other races don’t have strong wills?” Trenton asked, a bit incredulous.

“If a human fights an equal strength opponent of any other race, they will win almost every single time. I’ve seen it happen again and again.”

“What about the other races?”

“Dwarfs are studier, but short, which means they struggle to cast magic and move their presence. Half elves have the enhanced age of elves and the incredible will of humans, but have a strange aging pattern as a defect. A half elf doesn’t reach full maturity until they’re about 150 or so. Before that, they are actually much weaker than every other race, succumbing to the weakness of a child's body. Spirits are too aloof, rather blithesome when it comes to serious matters. It makes us poor during tense moments. Monsters are naturally very strong, but also incredibly dumb. And angels and demons actually share a defect–arrogance. They naturally think themselves invincible, such is their entire world until they’re killed,” Drya finished, looking at Trenton with sincerity. “My point is there aren't many like you, even among humans. I knew a friend with a similar resolve, someone who would rather succumb to suffering than let others suffer, but he died many years ago. He was even an elf, one of the few that didn’t succumb to the usual apathy. Had he been able to live a full life, I still wonder what miracles he would have accomplished.”

“What was he like?” Trenton asked, pushing for more details.

“Brave, honorable, curious, powerful, selfless, a strong leader–every trait that I also see in you–Trenton…I’ve watched this world for many years, and you’re the first in a long time that truly reminds me of him. I really just wanted to see you in person, let you know that I’m rooting for you, if only in spirit. Go join the rest. I’ll not be greedy. Everyone else wants to meet you just as much as I did,” she said, disappearing into a pool of water.

Trenton sat there for a little bit, mulling over Drya’s words. She didn’t really give him many chances to ask clarifying questions, so it seemed like he’d have to figure it out himself. But he wasn’t given a lot of time, his thoughts cut short by a swarm of spirits once again overtaking him. For the rest of the night, everyone else danced, ate, swam–parited–but Trenton remained back, entertaining the spirits around him. He desired nothing more than to keep himself aware of their surroundings. There was no guarantee a monster wouldn’t break in any moment. Some point late into the night, he was lulled into a deep sleep, his consciousness fading against his will. When he woke, he felt strangely happy, the spirits and oasis nowhere to be seen.