Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Xaos
Hours later, Livia found Amdirlain in her suite, rolling a memory crystal between her hands. As Livia entered, Amdirlain looked up and patted the couch beside her. “Come sit with me?”
“You know I do the same thing when delivering bad news to friends,” commented Livia, but she still sat beside Amdirlain.
“Moradin looked over Torm and confirmed the only one likely to help any of them was the Titan. He, Tyr, and I took the three of them to Judgement.”
Livia let out a series of slow breaths and stared off towards the Spire before she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. “Will we see Torm again?”
“Gideon’s given me a shopping list of tasks that stretches a few kilometres for the trio to be purified. They made it clear it wouldn’t be likely for him to remember us; it was the fee to have the purification completed,” advised Amdirlain.
“Are any of them things other people can do, or did they dump the lot on you?” enquired Livia.
Amdirlain almost denied it but gave a quick nod. “There is a requirement to kill a few demon lords and a bunch of other lower-plane entities.”
“Any particular Demon Lord?”
“Nope, and it''s a requirement to kill, not destroy,” noted Amdirlain.
“Killing them once will be hard enough. We’ll need to get them to do something like Raivo and stick their neck out where we can get them,” stated Livia lightly, and she squeezed Amdirlain’s hand. “What does he get out of it?”
“Maybe there is a misalignment in the balance, and he wants to weaken evil temporarily,” offered Amdirlain. “There are other types of tasks on the list, but before we talk more about it, I’ve something else to say. I’m sorry for making a fuss about debts the other day; it was wrong to speak so sharply.”
Livia gave her a concerned look. “You’ve nothing to apologise for, and you were blunt but not sharp. You’re focused on the list but not Torm?”
Licking her lips, Amdirlain bounced the crystal on her palm. “The more of the list I organise to be cleared, the more effort the Titan will put into Torm’s healing.”
“I can see you driving yourself into the ground to complete it, but that doesn’t explain the sense I get from you. Has Gideon’s list got you upset or something else?”
“Your boss and Moradin told me to get my head on straight,” confessed Amdirlain. “About my obsession with debts and my Charisma, and they also had some insights.”
“Hopefully, their insights give you the breakthrough you seek,” said Livia.
Amdirlain smiled sadly. “Their advice about Charisma and debts extended to what I’d gotten so far.”
“Why are you so stubborn about debts?” asked Livia, slicing straight to a sensitive point.
“Orhêthurin and I seem to have it in common. I’ll try to work out my issues and handle them better,” advised Amdirlain. “I can’t promise it will change soon, but I’ll try.”
Livia nodded firmly. “I’ll hold you to that. Now tell me about this list.”
“He didn’t specify the demon lords or even say why. There is also a list of demonic species and spawn sites to destroy. Moradin says there is a way to handle those outside True Song, however, most of the tasks are modifications to species or worlds which would need True Song, and he even provided the music,” explained Amdirlain.
“Isa could help with some of that work. When was the last time you spoke to her?”
“I spoke to her and Roher the other day about their progress retrieving the royal tower,” replied Amdirlain.
“Which I’ll translate to: you’ll avoid disturbing her until it’s done,” critiqued Livia.
“There is a pattern in the songs that I’m not seeing yet. I want to figure that out first,” countered Amdirlain, not wanting to mention that some would need a combination of Anar and Lóm? singers if she didn’t handle them directly. “I’ll get Erwarth to help me with some songs within the Lóm? range.”
Despite Livia’s anguish, she put her hands to her cheeks dramatically and gave Amdirlain a wide-eyed look.
“Don’t start,” huffed Amdirlain.
“I love you, Móeir,” laughed Livia thinly, and she patted her knee. “Asking Erwarth to contribute is a healthy start. Cyrus and I will organise the hunt for the demon lords.”
“Are you volunteering him?”
“Please. If I told Cyrus I planned to hunt something like that without him, he’d feel left out,” replied Livia. “Demon hunting is fun for the Jade Court. Bet he tries binding one to see if it explodes.”
“I will see which listed planets I can get to without cheating. Then I’ll take care of whatever songs are on them I can handle without help,” stated Amdirlain. As Amdirlain considered the impact shifting between the thousands of planets would cause World Step, she stopped.
Suspicions tweaked, Amdirlain focused on the memory crystal she’d created to organise the work. Shifting through it, Amdirlain isolated the information to display the songs by length. Running down the list, she considered only the songs for the changes, and the nature of the work became evident. The themes'' interlinking purposes gave Amdirlain a moment of pause.
As she took each apart, Amdirlain got caught in the connections between melodies, and as an epiphany hit, she rode the wave of understanding. It didn’t cause the crush that spending Skill points on True Song Architecture had. There wasn’t a gain of new knowledge, but her mind twisted existing knowledge into a new perspective. Millions of connections caused a 3D star chart of links to bloom in her mind, even the jumps between worlds and their orchestra became enfolded.
[True Song Architecture [S] (100->102)
Note: Darn, that didn’t take as long as I thought. You might warn the Lóm? to work faster; six returned Anar souls just got placed with them. I’d tell you how, but you might blush.]
The melodies'' differing complexity promised Amdirlain challenges restraining True Song.
Thank you, Gideon. Wherever he ends up, please help him if you can.
“Sometimes, I don’t know if I should thank Gideon or curse them. This list shows they’re a cheeky bugger,” snorted Amdirlain.
“Gideon?” asked Livia, noting Amdirlain’s focus on the crystal.
“I’ve been trying to devise an approach for the worlds I planned to restore. In his list are foundation pieces for various environment and species alterations,” clarified Amdirlain. “When I put the pieces together just then, I got a Skill progression, and he made a crack about some Lóm? getting pregnant. Teasing me that if he told me how I might blush.”
“But you already knew that the Lóm? had been conceiving,” remarked Livia.
“Some children with Anar souls,” clarified Amdirlain. “Looks like the Titan decided they could come back.”
”What’s your first step?”
Amdirlain offered Livia a different memory crystal. “Here is everything that doesn’t explicitly mention needing True Song to achieve.”
“And here I hadn’t even used a Miracle,” quipped Livia. “When you said you’d try, I didn’t expect to see such a swift change.”
“Moradin pointed out I had avoided stepping on some paths simply because I feared a dark end,” admitted Amdirlain. “I don’t know how often I’ll need to repeat particular mistakes, but I’ll try to improve.”
Livia looked at the crystal thoughtfully. “Yet you’ve still not told me what you’ll be doing.”
“Stretching my True Song and World Step, and tying off loose ends before setting fire to parts of the Abyss,” listed Amdirlain. “I’ll be back in time for the lessons.”
As Livia started to protest, Amdirlain kissed her cheek and promptly disappeared. A few hops had her standing on a desolate world, and Amdirlain stopped to consider what she’d tackle first. Picking the most complex song from the list, she used the location’s melody as a target and briefly staggered under World Step’s impact. The rush of images that battered her showed the vastness of that leap had outstripped her original trip to Cemna.
[World Step [J] (30->31)]
When Amdirlain blinked the after-effects away, she was atop a shattered island. In the distance was a volcano venting millions of tonnes of debris into the sky. From the ash layers around her, it was one of a series of eruptions that had been happening for months.
The song for the location strained her Power to the limit, stripping ash and vapours from a vast expanse of the atmosphere. The material combined and was drawn down outside ?mundane dimensions to avoid disturbing the air currents. When the sediment reemerged to settle on the ocean floor, it started the formation of a breakwater that linked shattered islands together.
Is this just to speed up the formation of an island chain, or to prevent other environmental impacts?
Analysis showed her no sentient lifeforms upon the world, so Amdirlain’s first guess why Gideon wanted the work undertaken had missed the mark. With no hints provided, Amdirlain set the matter aside and concentrated on the song. The range and multiple facets of the melody pushed back against her control; a delicate tightrope walk within the Power. A notification appeared as the sky overhead started to show a blue background through the haze.
[True Song Genesis [Ap] (24->25)
Note: A few hours a day for the next week should do it. You’ll need to hop around to other spots on the planet and clear the upper air currents from earlier eruptions. I’ll let you work out the adjustments to the main song needed for each location.]
If there are many of these, the timeline for completing all these songs will be tight.
Amdirlain wasn’t the clean-up crew on the next planet; instead, she created a volcano. The first resulted in a massive detonation that sent shockwaves through the bedrock, and she could feel the tectonic plates slip. The earthquakes had trees swaying, and Amdirlain activated World Step to escape it.
[Planetary alterations:
Volcano, Major x1
Planetary, Major mantle change x1
Total Experience gained: 34,500,000
Ostim?: +17,250,000
Ont?lin: +17,250,000
True Song Genesis [Ap] (25->26)]
The next few were undersea eruptions that promised to be the start of landmasses, and their strain provided increases in True Song. They weren’t brute-force exercises but surgical adjustments that used a cascade of pressure to achieve the result. The distance and scale of planetary adjustments continuously stretched her capabilities; the three of them required nearly seven hours of effort.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
When she’d completed triggering the fifth eruption at a safe distance, Amdirlain stopped to examine the outcome. Hovering above the shoreline of a greenish-blue sea, she sang on as a new island bubbled up out of the water in the distance. As the eruption continued, her song shifted the magma chamber’s pressure ensuring the eruption would last for weeks. Eventually, the song finished, and the latest experience notification appeared.
[Planetary alterations:
Volcano, Major x1
Planetary, Minor mantle change x1
Island chain creation x1
Total Experience gained: 27,400,000
Ostim?: +13,700,000
Ont?lin: +13,700,000
Resonance [S] (112->113)
True Song Genesis [Ap] (27->28)]
City editor, eat your heart out. Five off the list today, and a sixth that I’ll need to take time to repeat. I’ll need to get well ahead of the list in case there are a lot of tasks that aren’t a single performance, and I’ve barely scratched the surface.
More planet hops followed, and quicker songs had Amdirlain splicing partial changes into millions of plants. A shift in one melody had her examining the new themes within their orchestras, and she recognised it from Galasser’s alchemical materials. The plants’ changes went down to their seeds, making them hardier stock than the unadjusted ones.
The multitude of changes covered various properties within the plants. Each would require a different preparation method or part of the plant to draw them out. The Mana strands involved in the alterations had posed a delicate challenge to her Power. A rush of experience accompanied the changes, and Amdirlain moved on to the next.
So who is volunteering to see if this is poisonous raw versus boiled? I hope the locals making a mistake in their trial and error won’t get pinned on me. So far all worlds are empty of sentient life but have plenty of local fauna.
When the last song she planned to handle for the day ended, Life Mana twisted within the berries of the low shrubs that covered hundreds of hectares of a hillside. Local rabbit-like creatures emerged from hiding, drawn by the scent, and started to nibble. The first berry set off a tiny ember of change within a metre-long steel-grey male that was brave—or reckless—enough to try it despite the changed scent. After thumping his back foot, he made chuffing noises to call out to others before starting on a second.
Don’t get indigestion, Mr Bunny. Ripple effects. Did I start changes that will bring monsters into existence, or a local sentient species?
[Planetary alterations:
Flora Bioengineering (Mana Insertion) x2
Fauna Bioengineering x12
Total Experience gained: 9,250,000
Ostim?: +4,625,000
Ont?lin: +4,625,000
Resonance [S] (113->114)
True Song Genesis [J] (11->12)]
The notification drew Amdirlain’s attention to bugs and other animals hidden in the undergrowth feeding on the plants.
“More than just the planets get changed, and I get the flow on credited. Here I thought I understood the songs. Individually I did, but I’ll need to study the themes of the recipients and their ecosystem to get the full picture,” murmured Amdirlain. Aware that her softly spoken words had caused dozens of animals to freeze in place, Amdirlain fell silent.
Do I get the loose ends out of the way?
A single use of Analysis confirmed that her first loose end was bound on Culerzic, which decided her course.
[Name: Bliss / This Space Intentionally left Blank
Species: Greater Succubus
Class: Queen of Planes / Assassin / Hunter / Dominator
Level: 15 / 52 / 104 / 52 / 54
Health: 35,868
Defence: 790
Magic: 506
Mana: 382,679
Melee Attack Power: 310
Combat Skills: Claws [M] (23), Dagger [M] (1), Short Sword [Ad] (12), Energy Drain [M] (3), assorted affinities, and Spell lists
Planar Lock: Culerzic
Details: After getting kicked to the curb and then renamed, the now ex-Viper attracted the attention of Moloch’s forces with a display of violence on the Cliffs of Lust.
Though she led them on a merry chase, lacking a specific Hidden’s scrying protection, they eventually captured her. After being caught, facets of her Analysis presentation attracted Moloch’s attention. She has become one of his aide de camps, a favoured pet, and an ‘up and coming’ torturer. ]
Dispatching a Message to ask Cyrus to handle her upcoming lessons, Amdirlain triggered Planar Shift and headed into the Abyss.
Avoiding Inventory, Amdirlain prepared an additional bolt-hole with True Song and set up the containment field at its centre. No magical circle was in place; the crystals the Lóm? had enchanted for the prison created and maintained the barrier. After listening fruitlessly for flaws after their reactivation, Amdirlain moved to the next step.
The image that a scrying Spell brought up had Amdirlain clenching her fists. The angularity of the Succubus’ features, ivory skin, hourglass figure, and black hair was just as Amdirlain remembered; even the tiara of curved bone horns was still in place.
Bliss wore a provocatively styled outfit like many of the Abyss’ dominators. Thin silver chains ran from a Mithril pectoral necklace, looping across her breasts and around her back. Spurs and barbs protruded from each link of the silver chains and traced harmlessly across her skin. Heavily enchanted bracers of Mithril with a torture scene motif covered her arms from wrist to elbow. The rest of her attire comprised a pair of jewelled rings and a belt of linked Mithril discs that hung low on her hips.
With Bliss licking a victim''s blood from her fingers in a blood-splattered chamber, Amdirlain transported her and the torture victims'' remains into the circle. The song she’d used left Bliss with an impression of being summoned, but it had effectively been a group Teleport.
“Elf!” spat Bliss, her expression shifting in a predatory leer at the lack of inscribed circle on the floor. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with. I’ll take you to my Liege and teach you the meaning of suffering.”
Amdirlain faked a distracted yawn at the boast, and Bliss dashed forward only to smash face-first into the containment field.
Bliss staggered back briefly from the circle’s edge. Shaking her head, the undeterred demoness lashed out at the circle’s barrier, her claws trying futilely to gain purchase. “Bash the barrier and get it out of your system. It’s been a while. Moloch treating you well? What are you going by now: ‘This Space Intentionally left Blank’, or Bliss?” asked Amdirlain in a conversational tone.
Amdirlain’s enquiry provoked questions in Bliss’ mind about their prior association, but her gaze only narrowed. As Amdirlain listened to her thoughts, Bliss searched Amdirlain’s face to memorise it even as she failed to recall when she’d seen her. Amdirlain detected Bliss’ repeated attempts to use her Oath link to contact Moloch to no avail. Dozens of Message spells went off as Bliss slid her hands along the barrier, which she couldn’t understand her inability to detect. There was no response to any messages as the containment field quashed each one.
At last, in the prolonged silence, Biss turned on her heel to regard Amdirlain imperiously. “Have you called me here to take a message to Moloch? You invite his wrath by treating me this way.”
“You’re only one of his little pets,” stated Amdirlain. “Yet high enough up the food chain that you’d dare to use your Oath link to reach out to him. Isn’t it a shame none of those attempts went anywhere? To clarify, neither did the spells; the containment field snuffed them out.”
“What do you want?” snarled Bliss.
“The ‘Use Name’ of every Demon Lord in service to Moloch,” replied Amdirlain, and she dragged out the threads of thoughts that rose within Bliss’ mind at the question. “Thanks, that was easy, though it seems you don’t know as much as I’d hoped. I mean, sure, you know a bit over a hundred, only there are far more reporting to him. Territory maps make my estimates range from seven hundred to a thousand.”
Pointing out gaps in her knowledge set Bliss to snarling in helpless fury. She was so blind with rage that when Amdirlain’s telekinesis floated the bodies through the barrier, Bliss threw herself bodily after them expecting a gap. It only resulted in her propelling the floating remains forward and breaking her nose on the barrier.
“That was so funny to see, Bliss. You told me repeatedly that the body was meant to be yours. How is that working out for you now?”
“What are you talking about?” snarled Bliss as she scrubbed the blood away; her nose had already straightened.
“This feels too much like a villain’s monologue, so I’ll keep it short. Moloch took someone from me, and I will take everything from him, including you. I considered turning you into my unwitting cat’s paw, a source of inside information,” said Amdirlain and pausing, she gestured to Bliss’ victims. “They changed that, and not to your benefit. I can see their souls clinging to the remains, terrified to leave the decaying flesh lest the Abyss claim them. Not perfect, but decent; they didn’t deserve to end up here or with you.”
Amdirlain filled the chamber with an atmosphere suitable for the oldest victim. Setting an illumination in the room, she turned the barrier opaque and soundproof. One at a time, she followed the same pattern; preparing an atmosphere, she resurrected, cleansed them, and removed the memory of their final days. Only once they were healthy did Amdirlain send the victim to safety with suitable valuables to establish a new life and start saving the next.
When Amdirlain had provided what she could for each one, she restored the barrier to its transparent state. Bliss froze in mid-rant at the sight of Amdirlain’s calm expression, eerily frightening Bliss more than a raging Balor.
“They’re all alive and mostly headed home, though I needed to send one elsewhere. If it weren’t for your bloody hands, I''m sure it would have been another of Moloch’s lackeys that killed those people. So, logically, I’m not making a difference with this, and I’m not likely to even if I could kill Moloch right now. However, I’m not dealing with a hypothetical situation; I’m dealing with you,” stated Amdirlain dispassionately, and she stepped through the containment barrier.
Immediately Bliss rushed her, claws sheathed in the blackness of Energy Drain outstretched.
Amdirlain flowed under the rending attack and—side-on to her—retaliated with a light jab across her jaw. The impact sent Bliss bouncing off the barrier to the ground, spraying blood and splintered teeth. A flurry of spells from Bliss streaked toward Amdirlain, only to impact harmlessly against her magical protections. As the last Spell snuffed out, Bliss turned her bat-like wings into tentacled maws that struck on the fading spells’ heels. The motions would have once been a blur, but Amdirlain had ample time to flick her hand and reinforce a single note. Neither Bliss’ bracers nor innate strength stopped the note’s energy; Bliss screamed and clutched at her back but missed seizing the severed mass of tentacles that dropped free.
Though the experiment was a success, Amdirlain didn’t play further. A restrained kick to the ribs lifted Bliss off the ground, lining her up for a spearhead strike that plunged into her heart. The impact and sudden air pressure in her chest cavity caused Bliss to cough helplessly, her claws skipping over Amdirlain’s Ki State. Having struck her target, Amdirlain took advantage of the symbolism and flooded energy from her flesh. Music slammed into Bliss and redirected the Mana starting to consume her body towards the Oath link.
Amdirlain released the communication block, preventing the Yang flames from flaring back through Bliss. The energy raced down the connection and carried a simple message from Amdirlain.
The link quickly ruptured from the strain, but Amdirlain caught a few notes of pain and confusion at the other end. There was nowhere else for the Mana to go when the link broke, and the energy grounded fully into Bliss. Amdirlain avoided being burnt by her Ki Infused flesh, holding yet more Yang flames. The energy that consumed Bliss rang against the containment barrier only to be stopped cold, avoiding the Plane’s protests.
Amdirlain was back beyond the containment barrier before the remains could collapse. Relief and a vague sense of closure nipped at her grief over Torm, and Amdirlain watched in silence until the remains were ash and dust.
[Combat Summary
Greater Succubus x1
Total experience gained: 46,706
Ostim?: +23,353
Ont?lin: +23,353
Death Strike [S] (17->18)]
Once nothing was left to consume, the yang flames died out. Only then did Amdirlain pack up the cell and return to the surface. She sang the stone back in place, hiding any traces she may have left.
Shifting to the Outlands, Amdirlain set up another underground chamber and adjusted her concealments before activating the summons.
This time, a buxom Succubus in grease-covered overalls appeared, with a rune-encrusted wrench in one hand and a magical flame in the other. The transfer tunnel must have been swift as she was still prone as if she’d been working stretched out flat. Her appearance in the chamber stripped away the form she’d been using, pinning her wings awkwardly beneath her. Eyeing Amdirlain nervously, Lorrella’s True Sight pierced the Wood Elf form Amdirlain currently wore.
At the sight of her, Amdirlain opted to change her approach. “Hello, Lorrella. How are things going with the siege engines?”
Licking her lips, Lorrella snuffed out the flame and carefully sat up. When Amdirlain didn’t move from the chamber’s side, Lorrella tucked her wrench into a side pocket before she stood. “This is an odd way to go about things. Summoning me with no circle and the Mortal summoner hiding. Anyway, I want to return to my babies, so let''s cut to the chase.”
“Fine, let’s make a deal. How would you like to be full-Fey?” enquired Amdirlain.
Lorrella started to laugh, but as she caught Amdirlain’s gaze in disbelief, the amusement died on her lips. “You’re not kidding?”
“No, I’m not kidding.”
“What do you want if I say yes?” asked Lorrella nervously.
“One option is to set up an Artificer’s shop in The Exchange and feed me the gossip on subjects of interest,” suggested Amdirlain.
“That’s it? Wait! Can it be somewhere else? I doubt anyone there needs any transport units, so I’d miss working on my babies,” grumbled Lorrella. “Your project’s kept me from them long enough, but at least I’ve been working on big machines.”
“Then tell me what you’d dream of doing if you could be free of Hell,” requested Amdirlain.
Lorrella eyed Amdirlain suspiciously. “What’s in it for you?”
“Your presence in the Abyss is a loose end I want to remove,” explained Amdirlain, and she gestured to the pocket that now held Lorrella’s wrench. “You tried to trace me, likely to get in with your bosses so you could stay out of Hell. However, you’re more interested in making your ‘transport babies’ and prefer those to war machines. This way, we both get what we want, and you especially get a fresh start.”
“What will you do with all the siege engines I built?” enquired Lorrella.
Amdirlain smiled. “I’m going to use them as bait for a trap and get a bunch of demon lords fighting each other.”
“Are you planning to kill lots of demons?” Lorrella asked, and she clasped her hands excitedly.
“I’m hoping to kill some of those lords in the process,” admitted Amdirlain.
“This isn’t what I expected from my next meeting with you,” remarked Lorrella.
“The situation has changed dramatically recently,” Amdirlain said.
Lorrella eyed Amdirlain with confusion that rapidly cleared. “I thought you were after the Sisterhood as part of a power grab. This only makes sense if you’re one of those Redemption’s Path followers, right? Do-gooders in the Abyss and all that.”
“Yes, and you’re a half-Fey rejected by her father’s people. Would you join them if you become a full Fey?”
“Maybe, but I’ve no idea how they’d take me approaching them. Any metal-working Fey is an outlier, especially those that can handle iron. Given their communities, I don’t think they need anything like my babies,” huffed Lorrella.
“Let me just handle the change, and then we can figure out a place for you to call home,” replied Amdirlain. “I’ll supply materials for you to craft goods for me occasionally if it''s not somewhere I need information collected.”
Lorrella’s curves remained the same, but the theme of her hungers shifted with wild, passionate strains. A wave began at her wingtips and swept through her, leaving changes in its wake. Her wings gleamed and transformed into luminous butterfly wings of silver and gold. The shift in her form dove across her body and changed her ivory skin into shiny black that showed rainbows in the Outlands sunlight; and her irises gleamed like polished fire opals.
The song to transform Lorrella''s race was challenging, but her half-blooded nature made the process possible. When Amdirlain was done, a notification pinged.
[Achievement: Bat Out of Hell
Details: Cleanse a mixed Planar entity of an inherited Infernal aspect.
True Song Genesis [J] (12->13)
Note: Be careful what you signal to come after you.
Note: So about that gaoler job. There are primordials that have existed in True Song Crystal shackles for such an extremely long time. Some are way worse than the primordials you’ve seen. Would you consider substituting in more risky tasks than I originally listed?]
Add them to the bill if it can give Torm a better outcome.
Before Amdirlain could reassure Lorrella that her classes were intact, Lorrella patted her side and retrieved the wrench. She hadn’t even pulled it full from her pocket when she gained a broad grin. The natural playfulness of her theme, wilder and more fun-loving than before, bloomed with glee and relief.
“I retained the Metal Affinity of my father’s bloodline,” reported Lorrella.
“It wasn’t an evolution or transformation, so your classes are still intact, not absorbed by the shift,” advised Amdirlain.
“I’ve heard of the promotions within Hell absorbing classes,” acknowledged Lorrella. “How did you do that?”
Amdirlain collected the chamber’s crystals into Inventory and teleported Lorrella with her to the surface.
Standing in the open air, Lorrella turned to take in the rugged hills that hosted them. As she breathed in deeply, her delicate wings moved in a blur, leaving after images of colour. “The Outlands; it feels so different now.”
“I enjoy the Outlands. I’d appreciate it if you avoid harming mortals, or even dealing with them,” advised Amdirlain.
Lorrella tilted her head curiously. “Mortals are a pain, so that’s fine with me.”
“Since you’re not interested in The Exchange, I’ll contact you in a year or two. If you’ve settled down we can discuss repayment or if my help remains a future favour,” advised Amdirlain.
“Fey repay all that is owed, yet this is not a favour I’ll ever clear. Whatever help I can give is yours,” stated Lorrella, and she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I’ve heard there are mobile cities in the Beastlands, I might start there. If nothing else, I can gather herbs and other alchemical materials to set myself up a new workshop.”’
When Lorrella vanished, her Planar Shift rang with the Beastlands tones. Alone, Amdirlain finally breathed a sigh of relief that the transformation hadn’t killed Lorrella. With two loose ends settled, she teleported to Xaos to discuss baiting demon lords.