Icarus Awakens

Claire was on the verge of falling asleep by the time she finally reached Marbleview. It had taken most of the night to get here and that was with only one major interruption from that hunting team. The island wasn’t that far from Aurus, but her mount was slow and had been partially damaged from the encounter. She was honestly lucky it could fly at all.

Now she was only a few minutes from touching down. The island in front of her was almost completely white, being made of marble as its name would suggest. One of the treasure islands of Threst, though less valued as the material was mostly useful for decorative purposes. A better name for it might have been chosen in time, but the residents there didn’t particularly care what the rest of mortal kind called it. They had their way of naming things since Marbleview was a sanctuary. A gestalt sanctuary.

Every region had them in one form or another since there was at least one affinity suitable to each of the four peoples of the elements. Considering the divide between the gestalt and the other races was greater than any other, this led to every region having something like this. Small communities built for and populated by gestalt where most of them lived. Those who gained levels would travel, though it was still rare to find them on teams with other mortal races. Gestalt stuck together because they had to. One reason for this was why Claire was here.

She landed on the outskirts of the village built on and from the white rock. The gestalt had individual housing in addition to communal spaces. Relatives and families, in their own way. The two major differences from a normal village were the lack of anything to do with food and the absence of children. A newly created gestalt was practically an adult in terms of mentality, though they came into existence without any knowledge of the world and a limited ability to control their forms. Claire had seen this for herself. Her Sojourn was one of the rare examples of long-term coexistence with gestalt.

The air gestalt lived here, harvesting the marble of the island and transporting it to Aurus to sustain themselves. If this land had been connected to the main body this would probably be an earth gestalt sanctuary instead, but only the air gestalt could live here without issue. They were able to fly and required only fresh air to sustain themselves.

Claire absorbed the beetle, reclaiming less mana than normal because of the injuries to the summon, before walking towards the island’s center. Most of the buildings, as well as the main dig pit, were located there. The island was shaped like an upside-down bell, meaning that if the gestalt dug further out they’d be losing their own land. The sanctuary would last as long as the island did. Eventually, enough would be taken that the natural magic holding the island in place would fail and the rest could be dragged to Aurus by beetle. When that day came, the gestalt would have to find a new home.

Judging by the size of the island, Claire would reach level 6 and grind that dragon to dust before they managed that. This was a rough estimate, but she put the mostly flat top at about two kilometers in diameter. The inner third was fully settled, the rest of the space taken up by stacks of cut blocks ready for shipment, and loops set at various heights. Flight training, Claire realized. An aerial obstacle course. The hoops were set up for turns far too tight for any other species to pull off.

They weren’t the only non-marble construction on this island. The houses were mainly wooden slats hammered onto a loose framework. It was easy material to carry back, and wood wasn’t that scarce in this region despite the limited land mass. It had the additional benefit of being easier to extend upwards than heavier construction, and air gestalt would build tall if they were able to. Up and down was no less lateral to them than any other direction.

There were tradeoffs to that. Air gestalt were the weakest physically of the elements, requiring this sanctuary to keep a pack of diamondbacks to move their product to Aurus. Claire could see the black and dull green beasts on the opposite side of the platform, given free rein due to how loyal they were. You couldn’t trust power-tamed monsters the same way you could naturally tame ones.

Another weakness was their natural frailty. Certain weapons like swords didn’t do too much to an air gestalt, but a sharp breeze could pose a mortal threat. Even simple structures provided protection, though if a windstorm were to hit this island the air gestalt could benefit from the mine they were maintaining and shelter within. Fire proved a roundabout weakness as well due to the updraft, though air gestalt were generally more resilient to it than their earth kin.

Claire knew a lot about gestalt, some from research and some from her personal experiences. All of that didn’t do anything to help her distinguish one of the individuals here. To be fair, what was in front of her was less a gathering of individuals than a gathering of gatherings. All gestalt could form clusters within their element. To the outside observer individuals wouldn’t be recognizable, but both the mana and soul inside each one would prevent true merging.

She stood about a hundred meters away from the collectives, which had the appearance of patchwork clouds with sections just off tint from one another. Occasionally, one individual gestalt would float off to join another. At this moment, the general movement was towards her, and new gestalt were appearing from homes no doubt roused from their sleep by the intrusion.

This was another part Claire had prepared for, knowing that Marbleview was her best shot at finding out where her Sojourn was. As long as they were still in Threst, the gestalt of Marbleview could find them, and vice versa. That just left the problem of asking for help from a race famously difficult to talk to.

“I’m sorry for coming without warning,” Claire said, speaking as clearly as she could. She did her best to keep her words uncomplicated, and to only relay one general idea with each sentence. Speakers who could communicate with both gestalt and the other mortal races existed, and this was the best advice they gave that didn’t contradict the advice of others. “I am here to ask for help.”

There wasn’t an immediate reaction, though Claire’s hearing picked up faint hushing noises coming from the closest group. That probably wasn’t directed at her. Hopefully not. She assumed no one here remembered her since she’d only been here for quick visits years ago. For all intent and purpose, she was a stranger at their door. Hopefully one with a good first impression. “I’m looking for Zozar.”

Names were an exception to the language processing barrier or, rather, a gestalt could tell who you were talking about when you used a name. She could call this place Marbleview and they’d understand what she was talking about, even if the gestalt all used a different internal reference for it. Zozar’s name got the reaction she’d hoped for, and one of the gestalt detached themselves to approach her.

Claire didn’t know how else to describe it, but the consistency of this one looked thicker. The clouds contained in its form moved more slowly. The blue light of the eyes dimmer, the shade pale gray. Signs of age. “Can you help me find Zozar?”

The gestalt considered her for a full minute. They didn’t ask for clarification, so Claire didn’t say anything else. This entire village was unreadable to her and the best she could do was be patient, no matter the fact that someone was probably pursuing her. Finally, the gestalt asked her something. “Why?”

She didn’t detect too much hostility in the voice, but they were guarded. Claire decided to go with as simple an answer as she could. “Refuge.”

“Here?” Now there was clear disbelief, which Claire instantly responded to with a shake of her head.

“No.” That’s why I didn’t say ‘Sanctuary’. I guess the word was too close. “I’m looking for my-” Claire cut herself off and reconsidered her words. Keep things simple. “Sojourn.”

“Traveler?”

“Home.” Now she was getting somewhere with the gestalt. She was in their sanctuary and needed their help, so the onus was on her to guide the conversation to the right path. A gestalt in Aurus would be as much in her shoes and have to repeat this exchange every time they had to talk to someone. I can’t imagine how exhausting that would be. The hard part wasn’t over, though. She had to let the gestalt know that she knew about one of their race’s distinct quirks and that this was what she wanted as a favor. Trying to get directions out of this old gestalt would be a nightmare, better if Zozar could come to her. Especially if someone was out there trying to bring her back.

“Can you bring Zozar here through your link?” Claire was back out of the territory where single words could work.

“Clarify.”

Damn it. This part wasn’t going to be easy. “Your Empathic Link. I know you can sense each other. Can you bring Zozar here?” They should be able to, shouldn’t they? Zozar always knew when other air gestalt in a region were in danger. Threatening this sanctuary to draw their attention was far off the table, but surely that wasn’t the only thing that would get Zozar to come.

“Clarify?” At least the gestalt sounded apologetic. She wasn’t about to get kicked off the island, though she was no closer to getting through either.

Claire pulled at her hair with a hand, the strands having grown a little unkept from the night’s activities. “Contact Zozar?” Too simple. She was starting to recognize the look of confusion the gestalt was giving her. Either that or the expression on their face just didn’t change. “No, wait. I’m trying to get to Sojourn. Empathic Link to Zozar?”

The gestalt was about to respond when they turned sharply. Instead of the head moving, the entire cloud form adjusted to a new direction, and the eyes appeared to face northeast. Just like everyone else in the village as the collectives broke up. She could see some already heading for the mine in the center. The one in front of her turned to face her again, looking her over for a second. “Follow.”

There was enough context to know something was going wrong. For a brief moment Claire wondered if she’d gotten her message across and the sanctuary was faking distress. After realizing how stupid that sounded in her head, she headed for the mine with the gestalt. Everyone in the sanctuary was. A low shriek was building like wind passing into a narrow gap.

It wasn’t until she was lowering herself carefully into the pit, no ladder present to make the descent easy, that she felt what every gestalt in the sanctuary had minutes ago. Distortion in the air from massive wingbeats. Zozar would be coming, no doubt, only now Claire wondered if she’d still be here when they arrived.

…

“Marbleview? Why would she head there?” Quala asked Tounaki after the Arcanist had realized where they were heading.

“Search me. It’s a gestalt sanctuary. I’ve got no idea why anyone would want to go there.”

“Hmm.” Everyone looked to Murdon as he grunted distantly. “Sorry, I was thinking about the Thormundz.” Tounaki was looking at him expectantly so Murdon decided to share his thoughts. “My assistant was an air gestalt. Ashier. They died because I was blind to the Tyrant’s threat.” He and Quala looked at each other for a moment, both knowing that whoever the Tyrant was, it hadn’t been Heldren. That having been unresolved did hang over his head, but at least they’d never shown up again after the Hero had died. “You know, there weren’t any sanctuaries in the Thormundz. Most of them were in Eido. An earth and an air colony, ready to make sanctuaries once the Spoke was completed. The only reason we knew Eido was truly gone was that none of their surviving kin could sense them.”

“What do you mean?” Tounaki asked while maintaining the platform’s course as dictated by William. They had both stayed awake as dawn came and hadn’t regained the mana they’d used over the last day, though as neither had made heavy use of their powers this loss was minimal. Everyone else had gotten a quick nap in.

“That’s not a question Lograve would have to ask,” Quala teased, keeping that game going before answering, “Gestalt can sense others in their caste within the same region. It gets harder with distance, but they can always know if each individual is still alive.”

“Just when I thought they couldn’t get any weirder. Alright, assuming she keeps going there, are you all good with doing the talking? My arms aren’t doing so hot.” Tounaki disabled one of the control bands, shaking her arm to get the stiffness out.

“Just keep the platform steady,” William called out from upfront. “Both you and I are getting some rest when we land so long as the trail ends there.”

“Should we be worried about her resisting, sir?”

“Yes, and no,” Murdon answered Janice. “She might, but if it becomes a fight I am confident in our ability to take her alive and relatively unharmed.”

“I’d prefer it if she came back willingly.” Quala stood, the motion rocking the platform slightly. “We’re not just here to bring her back, we are here to stop Claire from going down a path that will bring harm to her and everyone around her. Your parts in this are finished when we return to Aurus, but mine will have only begun.”

“So, we let her do the talking,” Tounika concluded.

“Stop.” It took a few seconds before the Arcanist registered the abrupt command from William and did so. “Just felt something on Sense Monster. A big something, the kind of size you don’t get to until at least level 4. It’s coming from straight ahead.”

“Could it belong to a Beastmaster?” Murdon asked, starting to wonder if Claire had gone to this sanctuary to seek out allies.

“Wouldn’t count if it did. This one’s wild, and it’s not alone. I’m sensing a dozen level 2’s with it, all man-sized.” His head turned slightly as he looked out into the distance. “Vision powers aren’t picking it up through the cloud cover. I’m getting the same read from all the little ones so there’s less of a chance they’re fighting each other.”

“If they’re near Marbleview, they’d attack the sanctuary over other monsters!” Command entered Murdon’s voice. “Get moving!”

“This wasn’t supposed to be a hunt!” Tounika exclaimed. “And he said at least level 4. Shouldn’t we call for backup?”

“Can’t take the heat, ma’am?” Janice asked, and it was a testament to the group dynamics that the scathing remark from the level 2 went unchallenged.

…

“How is something that big alive?” Janice’s confidence was severely shaken when they saw the monster currently sieging Marbleview. It was only a tenth as big as the island comparatively, which translated to a quarter kilometer wingspan.

“It’s not a beast, so it doesn’t have to play by our rules,” William commented. “That’s a full monster.”

“Stone eagle. Level 5,” Tounaki added. “I’ve fought a 3 before but that’s massive.”

“Dragons don’t get that big, ever. Because that’s too large for it to fight small enemies effectively.” Murdon had the most practical approach to this, being the resident large flying monster expert. “Get on its back or fly around it fast enough and it doesn’t have any natural weapons that can reach or catch you.”

“It doesn’t need to. They’re a siege-type and a summoner-type monster,” Tounaki retorted as if she were reading from a guild bestiary. “No big attack abilities, but that’s what the minions are for. The level 2s around it are made from the main body; they aren’t real. And it doesn’t have any critical organs to burn through, you just have to melt it all down.”

All five observed the scene before them in silence for a moment, assessing the scene. The massive bird looked like it had flown out of a mountain, taking most of the rock with it. The monster moved no less fluidly for being made out of stone and could perch on its legs while using its wings to knock down entire stacks of buildings.

The smaller copies buzzed around, focusing more on the surroundings while the main eagle continued its destructive rampage. True to Tounaki’s report, one occasionally flew into or out of the level 4 eagle like the surface of the monster was water. The sheer focus of the veteran stone eagle on destroying the settlement over everything else was exemplified in the fact that its spawn didn’t bother with the cluster of beetles penned a distance away from the main area.

Monsters dominated or tamed by powers drew as much aggression as mortals through the innate hatred of Crest-spawn, but beasts who were by their nature subservient didn’t invoke this response. In fact, monsters barely bothered with animals at all once they’d progressed past level 1. The giant bird may get around to killing them at some point if they didn’t flee, but they were low priority.

William finally broke the silence. “Trail ends here. I’m not seeing a body in all of that but I don’t know if I could. Wreckage’s everywhere.”

“Claire isn’t the mission right now.” Murdon pulled out an ax as he stood, using the other hand to set his helmet on his head and set the straps on the front. His voice echoed afterward, a product of how the helmet was constructed. Unlike his old helmet, this one had a distinctively avian touch, the part covering his snout more reminiscent of a beak. “Any objections?”

Quala sighed but shook her head. “This isn’t what I had in mind, but this is more important. If anyone is still alive down there we need to make sure they stay that way. I can provide support, but faith in the Hand isn’t known for giving many tools for destruction. I’m not sure if I can blind the big one.”

“It’s alright, I’ll designate you with Tactician. I’ll be too involved in the fighting to react if something unexpected happens. Janice, we’ll need to set you down at a distance. I don’t want you fighting something more than twice your level.”

“You have Tactician?” Tounaki cut in, surprise and admiration in her voice. “That’s the kind of power that gets you scouted for an incursion army even if you don’t meet the minimum level!”

“That’s not relevant. Arcanist, do you have anything effective against this monster?”

Tounaki scoffed, both at the question and the dismissal. “I said I fought this kind of thing before, didn’t I?” She waved her hand and her red feathers changed to a bright green. “Don’t worry, my fire comes in many flavors. Just be careful. The version I fought had lower level spawn buzzing around it and they were a Crest to deal with next to the main body. I think I can take that with how slow it’s moving, but one hit and I’m burnt.”

The sound of loud clattering indicated another of the tall gestalt structures had been knocked down, accompanied by a screech from the giant eagle. It wasn’t a natural sound, but rather like rocks grinding together pitched up a couple of octaves. “Me, Commander?” William asked when it died down.

“You’d do best staying on the flier. Keep the smaller ones off of us and try not to draw too much attention. If we find anyone here during the fighting, I want you to land and let Janice take the soarer out of here with them. If the monster starts to flee, we let it and have you and Janice go back for help while the rest of us defend here.”

“Sounds like a plan,” William acknowledged.

Tounaki was nodding too now, warming up to the idea of taking on the massive eagle. She glanced toward Murdon as some of the magical feathers on her body split off to create a gout of flame that trailed around her. “Alright hot stuff, why don’t you show us why they call you the hero of the Thormundz.”