The continent of Mabi was the smallest landmass in Tron, yet it was easily one of the, if not the most, dangerous places.
Its coastline was like any other. There were no sandy beaches or gentle harbors, but a vast wall of jagged cliffs that rose straight from the ocean, surrounding the island. These stone barriers stretched for miles skyward, making docking impossible.
The only way to set foot into the Land of the First Magi was to climb these towering cliffs!
And this was just a glimpse of the dangers to be found on this continent. Beyond the cliffs lay a land untouched by ti. Towering ancient forests blanketed much of the continent, so trees even older than recorded history.
The air on this continent was filled with raw mana, and magical beasts road freely, predators and prey alike twisted by millennia of unrestrained power.
Massive mountain ranges carved through the heartland, hiding deep valleys, lost caverns, and labyrinthine ruins left behind by civilizations long vanished in the river of ti.
Legends spoke of unfathomable treasures buried within these ruins, but every step into the heart of Mabi brought great dangers. There were stormy weather changes, shifting landscapes, and horrors older than empires.
It was a land of unmatched opportunities.
But it was also a graveyard of the reckless.
"Little Adam, do you see those towering statues carved alongside the cliff?"
Tebu rumbled as he gazed at the colossus stone barriers that rose from the ocean. Towering cliffs stretched endlessly across the horizon, their jagged faces slick with seawater as the waves crashed violently against them.
"This is the edge of Mabi," said the colossus. "A wall that even the sea cannot break."
Adam, clad in his dark, tattered robes and leaning on the Staff of Calamity, stood at the easternmost edge of the coral island. His lips curled into a mischievous smile, and he said:
"Lord, Tebu, it’s rather rude to ask a blind man if he can see."
"...Ah, I forgot," the ancient colossus replied awkwardly.
Adam burst into laughter. He laughed and laughed and laughed. A few monts later, he murmured, "It’s a pity I can’t see the Great Wall of Mabi. I’ve read about them in my youth. But about those statues... Lord Tebu, can you describe them?"
"Those two... those are not re statues, Little Adam. They are the visages of the First Magi," Tebu began.
"The one holding the staff is Solus the Radiant, who was said to bring light into the dark ages and day to this land. And beside him, blade in hand, stands Varak the Paladin, who guarded the Magi when the beasts first rose from the depths.
"Ti has eaten away their faces, but even worn and broken, their shadows still command the sea. Few living souls rember their nas now... but I do. Their statues stand watch at each of the four cardinal points of the island.
"And more than re monunts, they serve as the only path upward. Climb their bodies, cling to their weapons, and one may reach the cliffs above. Without them, the Great Walls of Mabi are unscaled."
The colossus turtle was still dozens of miles away from the edge of Mabi. As such, Adam could not ’see’ that far. Moreover, this was the furthest Tebu could go because of the shallow waters alongside the edge of the island-continent.
"...I see," Adam murmured. "I an, I don’t. But yeah... you get my gist, don’t you, Lord Tebu?"
"Are you certain you wish to do this?" Temu asked, his tone laced with slight concern.
"Well, I suppose I do." Adam shrugged. "I had morized a map of Feypore in the past, so there’s that. And then..."
His expression turned solemn, and his lips couldn’t help but curl upwards. "There’s also a very important thing I must do on this island. So yes, I’m fairly certain I have to visit this continent."
A mont later, he began talking to himself:
"Ah, it would also be nice if I could find so rare and precious herbs to cure my body. I bet I look ugly as a troll. Perhaps... even uglier. Oh, and a fresh pair of eyes would be nice, too. I an, I know elusive techniques for transplantation, but the problem is finding sothing compatible. I wonder if I can find such a creature. Being unable to see isn’t a nice feeling..."
He suddenly paused, then began stroking his charred chin. "I feel like I’m forgetting sothing... ah, that’s right!"
Adam turned to the giant turtle head and asked in an eager voice, "Lord Tebu, can you please leave behind a thod for to locate you in the future? I would still like to very much get my hands on the legacy left behind by Wagner!"
"You still haven’t given up?"
"Of course, not!" Adam stated matter-of-factly. "His inheritance is sure to have information about Myrrandor... or at least I hope it does. And I’m also kind of, you know... a greedy person in general, so..."
"You are a strange person," Tebu gazed at the little human with a slightly dumbfounded expression.
The next mont, a blue coral sprouted from beside Adam’s feet, twisting and pulsing with faint light before pressing itself against his wrist. In an instant, it sank into his skin, leaving behind a tattoo shaped like a branching coral.
"That mark," Tebu rumbled, his voice as deep as the sea, "will always guide you towards , no matter where you are."
Adam gently touched the coral mark on his charred wrist, a faint smile forming on his lips. Then, he turned to the turtle head, and after a mont of deliberation, he said:
"Lord Tebu, those barnacles on your head... they hurt, don’t they?"
The ancient colossus was a little startled. "You can tell?"
Adam smiled. "I may be blind, but I see more than most."
He paused for a mont, then added, "I’m a healer, so I see what others cannot. Those barnacles have sunk their roots deep into your skull. Give it a few hundred years more... and they will reach your brain eventually."
Tebu was silent for a long ti. At last, he said, "Indeed, the pain worsens with every century that passes. I have lived for millennia, and age is finally catching up to ."
"Well..." Adam shrugged. "I can take care of the barnacles for you when I beco a Mana Core Magus."
The ancient colossus let out an amused chuckle. "You speak with such confidence about forming the Mana Core, little Adam. I do not an to discourage you, but know this... countless have tried before you, and most have failed."
Adam couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.
"You know, it is almost amusing," he began. "We Magi of the Outer Universe revere the Mana Core Rank as if it were the pinnacle of power... yet in most worlds of the Greater Universe this rank is nothing more than the starting point."
He turned to the giant turtle head and confidently said, "I will beco a Mana Core Magus, and when I do, I’ll return the favor. I’ll save your life, just as you once saved mine."
Tebu intently looked at Adam for a long ti, and then he offered a faint smile. "I shall be waiting then..."
With the ancient turtle’s guidance, Adam lifted his staff and hurled it at one of the statues. The weapon struck deep, viciously embedding itself in the weathered stone.
Adam then glanced at the giant turtle head and smiled. "I’ll see you again, Lord Tebu."
Then, sensing the Staff of Calamity’s connection to him, Adam took a steady breath and leapt into the vast ocean below, leaving behind the old turtle.
Tebu watched Adam swim towards the towering statue, a gentle look in his eyes. His maw parted, and he whispered:
"May the winds of fate guide you... my friend."
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