Chapter 488 – Between a Rock and a Psychodelic Place
Asterios and Noir passed from gate to gate and gathered his mates together while Grea and Radir practically ran into the city, telling them to bring everyone to the main plaza. It took a while to finish the important task of collecting the girls as everyone was busy with their own thing. However, each person hurried to wrap up their current business after they heard about the finalized research.
When the group arrived at the central market, they found it fairly empty, which was unusual. Some merchants still tended to their stalls, and the clerks owning the shops at the borders hung around at their front yards, but there were barely any people walking the labyrinth of commerce. One glance at the major entrances revealed that the guards were restricting the passage for some reason.
It looked like Grea thought of pretty much everything. The construction should follow without too many issues like this.
Locating the demon duo at the back, near the resting place of the scary Dracodon and in front of the last of the shopping booths, Ast’s party joined them. The pair kept discussing some details of their plan while the others walked up to them, glancing around curiously.
“Is this where you thought to put the transportation array?” Silvia asked, a soft frown touching her royal forehead. “We are going to have to remove more stalls each time a new formation is added. It will make a lot of traders unhappy.”
“I knew someone would say that, so I thought ahead, even if the solution wasn’t originally meant to be used this way! Nevertheless, this is the perfect opportunity to test both things at once!” Grea peered into the sky, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Let it out, sister!”
Asterios and the girls followed her gaze, noticing that Bryn had somehow snuck off while they weren’t paying attention and was now hovering in the air high above the market square. Her shadowy silhouette was visible only for a moment, obstructed by a large circular shape in the next moment. It then began to grow bigger and bigger, and those on the ground quickly figured out that something was falling right onto them.
The group flinched at that realization, but Grea just spread her arms wide in a welcoming way. Seconds before the massive object crashed into them, it shuddered, sputtered, and slowed its descent, emitting a bright blue flash. The cerulean glow revealed more details of the weird contraption. It was shaped into a slightly flattened inverted cone with a wide platform at the top. Some kind of glowing crystal was embedded into the bottom, embraced by lots of sharp silver sections and magical inscriptions.
Coming to a halt over their heads, it resembled a miniature ARK from Bryn’s world crossed with one of the floating islands from Rhufija’s nest. A quiet chittering and grinding noise emitted by countless mechanisms and gears could be heard from it. Additionally, the pleasant thrum of spiritual formations circulating the mana through the structure filled the nearby air. Soon after its descent, many of the stone elements creating its base separated from the core and formed a spacious spiral path leading to the pavement at a gentle angle.
“What is this?” Asterios studied the unexpected development with visible intrigue.
Grea spun to face him just as Bryn landed next to her. “You see, a certain very dedicated scholar with the name of Atra has been resolutely delving through her kin’s records and archives in search of information on how the power sources of the ARKs are constructed. At the same time, one unbelievably cordial healer with a big chest has been supporting her efforts and keeping me up to date with their progress. That, combined with a few occasional boring days and nights in the last two months, resulted in our joint project to make our own floating core. And this is the result!”
She flung her arms at the hovering metal-stone island platform like a proud merchant presenting her highest-quality wares.
“No wasted space, a breathtaking sight for both those atop and below it, and a majestic extension to your domain’s gorgeous architectural style!” The crimson-skinned lady grinned. “Don’t you think it makes a perfect fit?”
Certainly, he had to admit that it did fall into line rather satisfactorily, especially now that the outer parts had transitioned into a ramp. Their absence revealed a depiction of a Lesser Dragon curled all around the inverted cone with the pulsing energy source right in its jaws at the very bottom.
Shaking his head, he stepped closer to pull them both into a hug and gave each an affectionate peck on the cheek. “You two worked hard while we were gone. And I’ll need to thank Atra too. This is astounding. I have so many questions, but let me ask just one before we move on. This is part of a bigger project to recreate the ARKs so our winged friends can relocate into a more welcoming environment, isn’t it?”
The blond-haired Valkyrie showed a charming smile with her cheeks growing rosier. “You are correct, Master. This is just one step towards a quite ambitious dream. There are many more, out of which a few might require your assistance when we aren’t constrained by time-sensitive matters.”
“As soon as I can, I’m going to prioritize your and Selene’s needs.” Asterios leaned in, and she happily met him in a loving kiss. “You know how much you mean to me.”
“Oh, we do.” Grea smirked knowingly, watching them act all sweet with pure delight. “That’s why we put so much effort into surprising you with unveilings like this. Now, come. We are happy to explain a thing or two while working on the transfer archway.”
They all unhurriedly climbed the ramp to the peak of the round platform. He rolled his eyes at the picture painted over the entire surface of the floor. It had to be a majestic True Dragon, of course. At the very least, it wasn’t overdone, but he could spot noticeable similarities to his True Form in the silvery depiction.
One day, these were going to become so obvious.
Without further ado, they got to work. The Asgeir family brought all the materials out of their spatial storages, starting to organize and direct everyone else in what they were supposed to do. Shortly after they began, their Lesser Dragon friends flew in to lend aid, taking a break from their classes now that one of their mentors was away.
And so, the trapezoid gate came into existence one block after another. The demons focused on inscribing sigils and runes all over its sections as well as into the pavement, surrounding the future portal with a plethora of mysterious arrays. The others built the gate with great care and tenderness, intending to make no mistakes in the process. Even Noir helped carry around heavier stones, not wanting to be left out. She still glared and scowled occasionally at the worms meandering amongst them, but caused no issues otherwise.
The entire process took almost four hours, extending deep into the early night. No one complained, however. Every single person was excited to see the result of their cooperation. The magical script extending from one end of the arch to another glowed regally under the cold moonlight. It almost felt like the structure would activate by itself in such a mystical atmosphere. Grea shot Noir a gratified grin as the side-effect was the result of the Dragon girl’s improvements.
Both of them insisted that they could keep going and begin work on the second gateway in Miria’s realm, but the girls banded together and admonished them for being too hot-headed. They deserved rest. Asterios especially did after everything that had happened. That cleared up the pair’s minds, and they conceded. No one wanted to push him too hard after recent evolutions.
After a difficult night due to Grea’s overflowing elation, who had to talk to Asterios for at least one more hour before she finally dozed off in his arms, they traveled to the beastfolk realm, reuniting with Noir after she had returned home for rest. He went to bring Oria, Rook, Zoe, Grigorji, Narmaya, Ulgier, and a bunch of other people, among whom there were a few officials from the village, while the ladies prepared everything for the upcoming construction.
As the elders debated the formalities, Asterios joined the girls on the sidelines.
He raised a brow at his demon mate after coming closer. “What’s that in your mouth?”
Grea twisted her lips a few times, changing the position of a thin wooden stick extending from them. Grabbing it, she pulled out a green crystal-like globe attached to the tiny rod.
“One of my people’s regional sweets. It’s called a sucky. Apple flavored.” Snickering, the playful woman held it out to him. “Go on. Have a try.”
A bit reluctantly, he opened his mouth and allowed her to pop it right in. She then watched him with rapt attention while holding onto the stick, her tail wagging expectantly.
When he just stared back at her idly, she scoffed to the side. “Don’t just wait for it to melt on its own, you gotta suck on it like a cock!”
Asterios blinked at her awkwardly.
“No, that ain’t gonna work for you…” Grea huffed a bit exasperatedly. “Oh, I know! Imagine that’s my clit you are licking! Now, get that divine tongue going!”
Still gaping at her owlishly, he did start rolling the tasty orb around.
Registering the motions, his bawdy lover patted him on the cheek. “That’s more like it! You just needed a little motivation to get it right!”
Tina snorted while the others wore amused smirks on their lips. Hearing them, Grea spun around to squint at her sister-mates. Then, her gaze landed on the fierce Dragon girl who spectated everything with her usual sharp frown.
“Want one?” She produced another candy and offered it to the fearsome female.
Noir hesitated for a while, then swiped the black-colored sucky out of Grea’s fingers, slipping into her mouth, recognizing the blackberry flavor. The crimson seductress beamed at her and hastily skipped away, aiming to steal back her own treat from her man.
The blue-haired Summoner lady appeared by Noir’s side and leaned into her. “You know that’s all part of her scheme to see how well you can perform fellatio on a man’s thing, right?”
Inhaling sharply, Noir almost choked on the gifted sweet, throwing herself into a coughing fit. Catching the moving stick, she yanked it out, regaining control of her breathing. Immediately, she glowered at the treacherous demon, a quiet growl escaping her throat.
Keeping an eye on the target of her ire, she leaned closer to Tina. “Thanks.”
The human girl winked at her and sauntered away, receiving vehement glares from her sly sister-mate the whole time.
When the officials formally agreed on a spot just outside the settlement that they were going to absorb into it at a later date, not wanting to delay Ast’s team, everyone dove into the hard but necessary assembly. Things continued at a fairly languid pace, with many residents showing up to watch the curious proceedings. Thankfully, they knew better than to interrupt, observing from afar and discussing the captivating sight.
As he was crouching down to pick up another part of the arch some time into the work, Asterios heard an adorable gasp.
“Masteeeeeeeeer! What are those cute little things?!” Miria practically squealed as she sprinted up to him.
Taking a peek at what she brought him, he chuckled softly. “Oh, this? This is a Squarrel. We did a quick Swarm Summoning on the side to employ a few additional sets of hands, or mouths in this case, for the project, since we left our scaly friends back at home.”
The tiny animal the panthergirl held delicately in her furry palms closely resembled a typical brown-furred squirrel. There was just one single major difference. Its body was shaped into a perfect cube. The sight was ridiculous, but also kind of charming with how its small head was attached to one edge, its tail to another on the opposite side, and its four lovable paws extending from the bottom plane.”
“Squarrels? Really?” Miria giggled mirthfully. “What can they even do? We aren’t going to use them in construction, are we?”
“No, we would never.” Asterios laughed. “Let it go and just watch.”
His feline mate placed the fluffy-tailed critter on the forest floor and observed it intently. The Squarrel twitched her nose at them a few times before zipping away. It sprinted towards the pile of stone slabs on the side and stopped in front of one of the loose blocks. Then, it scratched the shaped rock a few times before its petite mouth suddenly stretched wide, and the weird squirrel swallowed the much bigger chunk of mineral whole.
Miria jumped in place at the completely unexpected scene, then laughed uncontrollably as the bloated Squarrel hopped up to the archway so that it could pass the chiseled block onto the Bearkin man, spitting it out just as easily.
“What the hell was that?!” She kept giggling wildly while he upheld her right against his chest.
“Magic.” Asterios snickered, kissing one of her rounded ears.
As soon as she calmed down, they returned to work. However, the now educated panthergirl would slip out a girlish giggle each time one of the enlarged Squarrels skipped past her, getting distracted by the silly beasts without fail.
Those little disturbances didn’t affect the job too much, and the second anchoring point was finished according to schedule, just short of noon. The gathered beastfolk cheered and whistled happily at the imposing trapezoid that now neighbored their settlement. It looked exalted next to their log cabins.
“Excellent!” Grea put her fists on her hips and pushed out her chest. “Our interdimensional adventuring initiative can now finally begin! And the local guild has just been fully furnished for a grand opening!”
“As long as this thing works.” Selene hid a ladylike smirk behind her hand. “Imagine this much fanfare and there’s not even a spark.”
“Better not jinx it.” Silvia graced them with a delicate smile. “These things can be very… finicky.”
“Well, then we shall dispel all the doubts!” The crimson-skinned researcher turned to face them. “Do we have a volunteer?”
Every pair of eyes moved to Asterios.
Snorting, he raised a hand. “Here, here.”
The ladies chuckled brightly and created a path for him. Grea and Noir stood by the gate while he stopped ahead of the empty portal. The two of them touched the arms of the constructed arch, sharing their mana with a set of crystals embedded into the surface. A pulse of mana traveled into the surroundings as the gap filled itself with a silvery film flowing from outside and into the center. The liquid-like layer resembled a blurry mirror that somehow didn’t cast a reflection.
With the entire area silent due to all the anticipation, Asterios shared a nod with his two companions and stepped into the mysterious shroud.
Immediately, he felt a light tug at his very being, propelling him forward. Bright colors assaulted his eyes from every angle, so he closed them. Soon after, the pull ceased, and he heard sounds that weren’t all whooshing. Lifting his eyelids, he noted a transparent whitish veil wriggling over his vision.
Then, his mind turned to the more crucial detail.
He stood in the middle of a desert, suddenly spooking a flock of vultures. An old broken-down carriage lay ruined to his left. Some kind of a flat skinny critter with four spider limbs jumped ahead, perhaps escaping with the predators scared off.
However, he didn’t get the chance to study the unknown place where he had been brought instead of his original destination. The pull yanked his body again, and after passing through the vibrant tunnel once more, he found himself back in front of the archway, the whitish curtain still present before his eyes.
“There he is!” Tina shouted from somewhere.
“Master!” Miria yelled with worry.
Then, Asterios was gone the second time.
After experiencing the next trip, he recognized his surroundings instantly. This was Glimmervale, and he stood atop the floating platform, facing Phatru, Rusi, Visenna, Keruvia, and the other Lesser Dragons who were supposed to wait for him on this side. Yet, they weren’t celebrating. Each one stared at him with wide and uncertain eyes.
Confused, he looked down, peering at his hands. His eyes widened too when he saw that his body had turned into a translucent silver avatar, and it wasn’t just some strange visual effect affecting his vision.
Without any warning, Asterios was dragged away from his destination, rushing through the psychedelic passage. The next stop was inside a rich, royal-looking office, which represented a familiar style. He recognized it in the next second, especially after catching the gaze of the flame-haired man dressed in a casual linen shirt and elegant pants who had been in the middle of practicing his dancing moves on a wooden puppet wearing a rather recognizable style of a certain female merchant.
“What is the meaning of this?” Welrond froze mid-motion.
Before Asterios could even think about answering, the dimensional forces stole him away, for the second time throwing him back into Miria’s realm.
“He’s back!” Silvia announced from up close.
“What’s going on?” Bryn asked the duo fussing over the structure.
“Hell if I know! We are experiencing some kind of interference!” Grea snarled, frantically examining the flickering runic script.
Althea stepped into Ast’s view with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, my beloved. We’ll—”
Within a blink, she was no more, replaced by flashing lights.
Those were starting to get nauseous by this point.
Perhaps to mock him for whatever reason, the spatial turmoil transferred him to Glimmervale once more. Phatru and Rusi said something, but the short time his turbulent existence stayed put in one place was not enough to understand them. Getting flashed for whatever time, he had lost count, he reappeared in the king’s personal study.
“The man I saw, he definitely wasn’t a ghost, and I’m almost certain was…” Silvia’s father spoke to his Court Magician, then their attention snapped to him. “Asterios…”
Flash. Blink. Transfer.
However, not into any of those previous locations.
No, Asterios was dropped somewhere else, appearing right above the surface of water in front of a tall cliff that, under normal circumstances, would be quite something. Unfortunately, he plunged into the cold lake or sea, descending into the dark abyss. He gasped when a humongous maw of an aquatic leviathan split before him and aimed to swallow him whole.
The beast wasn’t that lucky as he disappeared before it could finish closing those long jaws full of sharp teeth. Popping up in Glimmervale, Asterios shuddered, festive shouts reaching his ears. Taking a peek at himself, he saw that his form had returned to normal during the last jump. With the one drawback being his totally soaked attire.
But he was no longer a spectre, sensing no further influence of the raging interdimensional forces.
Registering a silvery glimmer behind him, Asterios turned around and watched his mates emerge from the ominous mirror one after another, their worried faces softening on sight. Soon, everyone was present, with the addition of a few Eabiarhia locals who had braved their way into the unknown after his entourage.
Grea wiped off her sweat-riddled forehead. “Whew. Things went perfectly, didn’t they? Just as planned.”
Noir’s head snapped her way. “Perfectly? If I hadn’t located and corrected that idiotic misprint in the fourth section securing the stability of registered transfer destinations for transition of living organisms, he would have been stuck inside the fabric of dimensions for who knows how long!”
The demon lady scoffed indifferently. “Details.”
“Details?!” The Dragon girl shoved her furious face into hers, positively seething. “Do you not care in the slightest what happens to your mate?!”
Asterios was next to them without delay, placing a hand on their backs to keep things from escalating any further. His new friend looked ready to start throwing punches, her oath hanging at stake.
“She does care a lot. This is exactly how Grea copes with stress and intense guilt, by making jokes of the situation that caused her distress and of everything else in range,” he explained calmly to Noir, bringing Grea’s head to rest against his shoulder, sensing how much she was shaking. “Just check her emotions through our bond.”
His draconic partner followed his advice, then abruptly recoiled, taking a step back. Her expression shifted so quickly that it was clear she hadn’t ever witnessed someone be this self-deprecating, filled with this much self-hate and loathing. The demon woman’s feelings were so powerful that they caused the usually unshaken black-haired beauty to appear lost.
“Anyway, I’ll take care of this in a moment.” Asterios kissed Grea’s hair. “Let’s not allow this minor setback to distract us from the fact that the geniuses of our nation, with the addition of the brilliant mind belonging to the clever Noir here, have just successfully established a reliable way to travel between worlds once again!”
All their friends and allies cheered with glee. People applauded their efforts while nodding at each other with jubilant smiles. They could tell how big a deal this development was.
And it would be an even greater deal after he disentangled everything that had transpired during his mind-twisting spiritual journey through the universe. At least one person required an explanation of the recent events, and another, an even more important individual, his close presence and reassuring words.
As soon as Grea was back on her feet, things were going to get hectic.