Two Hundred And Ninety-Eight *Contains Status – Akio*
“That does sound an incredible idea.” I agreed. “But even if it could work, there seems to be a ton of problems with it. Surely the scale of the Alchemy would just be too much.” I pondered how much I would be able to dismantle if it was using my aether, and concluded that it would be a decent amount of trash, but hardly enough to make a working business out of it.
“Of course, nothing of value ever cos easily.” Ixitt lashed his tail happily. “There are issues with identification of material, the sheer scale of power required and many other factors.” He nodded at Master Bjarki, who was half-listening while he inspected the remaining Twin Fang, thinking of his next craft. “If Alchemy was so all-powerful, then we would have no need for Dwarven ingenuity. Although…” he whispered mock-conspiratorially. “…the Dwarves do use a little Alchemy on the more stubborn ores, or to ease troubleso technical deficits.”
“I see. So do you have any actual solutions?” I asked.
“A few, mortal engineering and your human sciences are all about experintation, are they not? I shall endeavour to make a working prototype on a smaller scale. To do that, I will require your assistance though.” Ixitt smirked. “After all, your ability to see to the heart of things solves our biggest problem.”
We talked a little more about it, and by the end I was truly exhausted by Ixitt’s enthusiasm, but it was certainly promising. As we were finishing up, he dropped another bombshell. “Oh, I nearly forgot to ntion, we have created a few new toys for your weaselkin.” He gestured, and several of his ratkin brought out yet another couple of inventions. As the bundles were unwrapped, I looked at the first. It was a gun, definitely, but it had a very long barrel, as well as so sort of telescopic sight.
“Lenses are a passion of mine, and we used them to study the spores, did we not?” Ixitt chuckled. “Well, so of your soldier allies in the mortal world were good enough to talk to about sniper rifles. This is my approximation.” He grinned. “The performance is lacking, from what I researched on Wikipedia and other sites. Although the bullets are quite simply spectacular.” He grinned, the second cloth opened to reveal a number of different rounds. There were heavy tal shells, shells containing a small amount of bluesteel, shimring with earth elental energies, even bullets that looked like they had been made from red and orange Etherites.
“Impressive.” I agreed. The calibre of the bullets was large, so if they could be ejected with any force, they would cause imnse damage. “Though how do the bullets launch? Our ability to make gunpowder is limited here, isn’t it?”
“Currently we are using wind elent, contained in bluesteel here and here.” He pointed to various locations. “It works acceptably well, though it cannot match the range and power of explosive powders yet. If we had a source of fla elent was well, then we could use a modified twin-elent system, which I do believe could even exceed the potential of your mortal rifles.” His grin turned wild. “I also have a few other ideas that can be tested with enough fire elent. So, to that end, if I could ask…” he brought over a large bluesteel battery, obviously based on so of my earlier designs. “The kobolds are working hard, and output is up significantly. Hearing you have so many mines, and how you do not oppress them, entire clans have migrated here. Even those who dwell on the fringes of the Fae lands.”
Fine, I get it. With a complicated expression on my face, I channelled fla energies into the barrel, causing it to glow a brilliant yellow. Shaeula added her powers too, as did Eri and Shiro, surprisingly, and soon the large, barrel-sized battery was charged.
“Excellent! With this we can make progress. I also have an idea for a rotary anti-infantry design, and also field artillery, but wind elent alone is not efficient enough. Oh, if only we had so lightning elent… well, it is not as though I can ask the noble Queen of all the Seelie to charge my battery. I can hardly even et such an august personage…” as he rolled the barrel away, I noticed Ixitt was level fifteen now, having obviously taken the ti to maximise what benefits he could get from the Throne.
“At least… he’s a hard worker, and enthusiastic?” Eri said at last, and Master Bjarki let out a long chuckle.
“Aye, that’n he be.” The dwarf looked up at us. “Ever since t’day yer brother ca lookin’ for ye, princess, Ixitt, he be overjoyed t’be discovering new knowledge and ideas, ye ken? Well, I rejoice tae see it. I even be a mite jealous, ye ken? Now, I best be getting’ back tae the forge. I have work tae do.” With those words Bjarki left, along with most of the others around us.
“Bringing guns to the fantasy world, Aki? Classic stuff.” Shiro observed.
“Well, in a word where Shaeula’s brother and other top archers can shoot kilotres, and tough opponents can easily shrug off rifle-fire, guns aren’t going to be ga-changing.” I realised. “Even so, against fortresses, or in skirmishes, they would give us quite the advantage. Imagine our weaselkin being able to snipe most of the enemy forces before they ever got into battle…” I shrugged. “More weapons and better options certainly won’t hurt.”
“Yeah, makes sense. So… Aki, why’s that girl with the slightly green skin giving you the puppy-dog eyes? She’s a Dryad, right? It’s pretty cool, but for so reason, this princess feels her heart aching a bit. So, let guess, she’s another one you saved?”
I imdiately went to deny it, before realising I couldn’t, not entirely, anyway. “Not alone. Grulgor, Ixitt, Hyacinth and Shaeula all helped. It was quite the wild ride. Literally.”
“Oh?” Shiro raised an eyebrow, curious. “I want to know about that, sounds fun. But I was right, another damsel in distress rescued by you, Aki. You do have a hero complex, don’t you? I wasn’t sure you had the temperant for it, not like Hayato, but I guess for once, this princess was mistaken. Note the date, it doesn’t happen often!”
“So, what can I do for you, Asha?” I asked her, and she looked at , her yellow eyes appraising .
“I was curious. Ever since you returned, I can feel a rich energy within you. It reminds of father, a little.” She reached out gingerly, her pale hand stopping just before as she flinched under the weight of stares from my female company. “I am sorry if I overstepped my bounds. But to my Tree… such energy would be most restorative.” She whispered a few words, barely audible. “… to as well.”
Damn my sensitive ears. Still, strengthening the Rhyming Trees is a good idea. Besides, I have no idea how to use wood elent. “Well, I received it in trade with a kami. I don’t really know what I’m doing, but if you think it would help…” we followed her to the tree. Up-close, the towering tree was an impressive sight, especially as it was now ringed with polished wooden steps, and in the crown rested a rather picturesque café, the decking offering magnificent views over my Territory and the Boundary Tokyo proper.
“What’s this?” Shiro asked, puzzled.
“A café.” Shaeula grinned. “It is quite-quite pleasant sitting up there and watching the world go by, drink in hand. Since there is no-no wind here, it is possible to enjoy open-air drinking at such a height.”
Shiro frowned. “Well, normally the thought of all those steps would be enough to make pass out, but I have been a bit stronger recently. I do want to see as well… Aki, be a darling and carry up there later, okay?”
“No way! If anyone needs carrying it’s !” Eri protested.
“I don’t see why. Your legs work here, don’t they?” Shiro bantered back.
“Not well! I insist on a princess carry too!”
As they argued between themselves, Shaeula laughing at their banter, Hyacinth giggled.
“The new mistress seems tooo get on well with mistress Eri.” She observed.
“Yeah. Shiro’s a bit cold and can be unsociable, but when she opens up a bit, she’s quite playful. Besides, I can see she’s making the effort to fit in.” I was proud of her, arrogant though that was. Shiro needed to step outside her comfort zone, to get down from the tower she was imprisoned in, a lonely princess, and interact and laugh with others. “Anyway, enough about that. Asha, what do you want to do?”
“Pardon my interruption.” Asha apologised politely, and while I wasn’t sure if Asha really was a daughter of Orion, the King of the Seelie Court, or it was just an allegory, in so ways she could be half-considered a princess as well. Looks like I’m just surrounded with them at the mont…
“If you could nourish the tree with your wood elent, and your earth elent too.” Asha reached out, her own hand touching the trunk. Almost all the scars left from removing the spores and fungal growth had healed, and the bare branches were covered in brilliant green leaves. My Eye flashed as I watched the flow of earth enter the tree, as well as a tiny trickle of nature elent. It seems Asha can use it, a little, but it’s not even enough to give her the skill, I’d say…
Further observation showed that Asha also had a small amount of water elent too, though again the amount was tiny, her dominant aspect being earth. As the energy flowed within the massive tree it was absorbed, and the tree seed pleased, the branches swaying a little, as if a gentle breeze was blowing. Okay, I think I get it…
Placing my hands on the trunk, I let my earth elental energy flow from my right hand, while my left, I tried to pull out my wood elent. It was hard, as what even was wood elent? It was clearly a mixture of water and earth elents, but how one would get wood from that… scientifically, it seems impossible. Still, my sis is always ntioning Naruto, well, that’s one of the ani we watched together as a kid. The first Hokage, he was wood elent, right? Image seed to be the key, so I imagined so of the feats he could perform.
“Yes, that is perfect.” Asha smiled gently, looking rather regal. “Allow your strength to bless the Tree, bless . After all, my Tree would have perished, were it not for your efforts.” I wasn’t really listening to her, but instead concentrating on guiding the flows. Where my energy spilled, I could see the chakra network within the tree, so unlike that of a Fae or a human, yet sohow also not entirely dissimilar, blaze brilliantly, strengthened. Still, my ability to use wood elent was feeble, so after a few minutes I was spent, slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
“Looks like you ran a marathon, Aki.” Shiro observed.
“No, if he did that he wouldn’t even be sweating.” Eri shook her head. “This must have been tough. Though he probably loves it, he’s always training nowadays.” Eri said, looking at fondly.
Oh, you don’t know the half of it! Your turn is coming shortly Eri, just wait and see. As I grinned, the tree suddenly cracked, bark splintering. I looked up in alarm, but on seeing Asha looking unconcerned, rely holding out one of the glass goblets we used for treats in the café above, I relaxed.
“I expected this would happen.” She said, holding the goblet to the small fissure. A thick, red liquid seeped out, filling the glass before the wound in the bark closed. Taking a sip, Asha grinned. “Magnificent. It has been long centuries since I tasted this.” She supped at around half the liquid, before passing the glass to .
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