In the search of Orichalcum 6 – Revelations

He arrives back at the shelter a day later as the people are igniting the evening fire. “Oh, welcome back.” Glenn says when he sees Uklag. “You can go north again. The cult won’t bother you.” He drops the sack and rolls his shoulder. “Any good news on your front?”

“Yes, we found some of an ore that matches your description. I can guide you there, it isn’t far.” Uklag smiles widely, “Do that.”

The cave really isn’t far off but the reason they hadn’t found the ore earlier becomes apparent really quickly. The cave is long, has a multitude of branches and winds down into dark corridors that light never touches. Bats fly around as they get startled by the light of Uklag’s staff and the melodic sound of steps. “Here.” Glenn says and points at a small vein of a green ore that his a couple of black lines that run through it.

“That is indeed Orichalcum.” Uklag says happily “You and your men will have a lot of fun today, that I can guarantee you.” Glenn makes a nervous smile, “Good thing I already found some, otherwise I would have needed to transmute it out of the wall. I would lose quite a bit of it then, you see?” Glenn has no idea what the warlock is talking about but nods nonetheless. “Good thing I have you guys. Mine it for me and you will be rewarded even more.”

They leave the cave again. Glenn is happy to bring them the good news. “You can come to my base in two days, I want to get some things in order before you arrive.” Uklag speaks after the initial shouts of happiness died down. “I would appreciate it if you can bring some meat and other stocks with you, I am running a bit low.”

Glenn speaks for the group, “Everything for you, Uklag.” Uklag smiles and turns to leave. “Won’t you stay the night?” Glenn asks the wandering warlock. “No.” he doesn’t need a reason and Glenn is actually quite happy that he isn’t staying. While they may benefit from each other Glenn thinks that Uklag is a really dangerous individual to be around of. On the same note Uklag just wants to sleep around naked women instead of stinky man as fast as possible.

When finally does arrive at his base he lets out a sigh of relief. “Home sweet home.” He says and steps into his enchantment quarter. “What are you doing here?” he asks Catherine, who is currently bend over a piece of paper. She looks like she has just received a revelation of religious proportions. “What is this?” Catherine whispers, her eyes locked at the piece of paper.

It’s one of Uklag’s many, many blueprints for enchanted objects. The warlock steps closer but Catherine’s face lets him guess which one she picked out before he even sees it. “Going through my stuff without permission?” he asks in a cold voice. Catherine looks at Uklag with both fear and admiration. “What is this?” she repeats.

“A project I have begun around 20 years ago.” He steps closer, throwing the sack with the ore on a nearby table. Catherine looks down again. “I don’t understand it. That has never happened to me before. Sometimes I don’t get things immediately, but this….this I truly don’t understand.”

The paper depicts a runic circle of such complexity that calling it ‘intricate’ would do it no justice. Circles containing smaller circles containing and overlapping with other circles, runes written down in a pattern that are cosmic in its design. Yet it is only half done, only the outer areas are drawn completely the middle was only partly filled, a huge void in the centre.

“This thing is...huge. Like city huge.” Catherine isn’t even aware of the anger her master is currently exuding, too much is she taken in by the drawing before her that seems to glow with arcane power despite only being an incomplete plan. “Is this how Enlightenment feels like?” she wonders, “The feeling of being just a cog in a much grander plan?”

She looks up again, “What is th-“only now she realizes the cold stare of her master, but it is too late. Uklag has grabbed her by the throat and is not letting go. “You don’t look at my plans, child.” He scolds her, his grip iron. “If you want to know what this is, let me tell you the story.”

“Mind if we listen as well, Master Uklag?” Analea asks. The twins have entered behind him unnoticed, but Uklag doesn’t care. “Do what you want to do.” He says.

Imagine a boy. A young boy of ten years. He lies in the desert, nearly dead from dehydration. He is a smart boy, a very smart one, but still he lies there, slowly crawling forwards. His tribe has left him behind, water is already scarce and some would not survive the trip, the desert is merciless like that. They told him to believe in the water goddess, so that she may save him. He told them that that was stupid superstition. They left. He lies in the sands.

Then, after a last cry of desperation, the boy collapses. He is sure he is taking his final breaths as he lies in the sands. But the boy denies himself the escape of . is for the weak, he is strong and he knows that. His brain gives into the heat and at that moment he sees things. Something inside him awakens at that most of situations. The flow of magic in the world becomes apparent to the boy and he draws a single rune.

Then I had water. Then I had power. Then I was reborn. I caught up to my tribe, I do not hate them for what they did, water was scarce, and some would die. But not me. I will never die.

I started to study and discovered my power of Enchantment. The flow of magic apparent to me I discovered the runes, I learnt to craft, to draw. Quickly a plan formulated within me and I started to tinker on something. A plan. A magical engine, so strong it would need the energy of tens of thousands to work, an engine as big as a city.

An engine that is a city. That is what you are holding right now. The 256th version of twenty years of research, the web way of Enchantments, my project. The Bended City.

He finally takes his hand of the slightly blue Catherine’s throat. She coughs as she falls to the ground. “And here I thought your singular goal is immortality.” Aelana says and steps to look at the blueprint, its complexity makes her head spin. “Immortality is my goal. That.” Uklag says with a friendly tone and rolls the paper back up, “Is my masterpiece. It’s also forty years of dedicated research away from completion, to not even mentioning the astronomic costs to build it, so Immortality will come in handy.”

He turns back to Catherine, the friendly tone is nowhere to be found when he addresses her. “What will I do with you?” he asks and kneels down to her. “You have seen something you were not ready for. You have taken a peek at godhood, you know of my project now. I should kill you.” Catherine tries to beg, but she can only cough.

“I think that sounds great.” Aelana says and hugs Uklag from behind, “I don’t like other girls having so much fun with you.” “I tend to agree.” Analea hugs his other side. “”Although it would be a shame, we came to slightly like her.””

“You could have just practiced the bases, but you needed to heed your curiosity.” Uklag shakes his head. “Luckily for you I have taken a liking to you. You will live.” Catherine makes a relieved sound. “I will not even punish you. However you should always remember: You know of my project now, if I ever find out that you told anybody about it you will not die a slow , you will never die until I have tortured each bit of will out of your breaking body, your fleeting mind. Then I reverse engineer your personality and do it to you all over again, I will let you escape only to crush your spirit a year later. You will never truly live another day.”

“I swear I will never talk about this, Master Uklag. I wish to see this city of yours with my own eyes one day.” Catherine says, her voice is still shaky but there is no ill-will, no fear, just the greed for knowledge. Smiling Uklag stands up and pulls here up with him. “Very well. You also are mistaken in something you said earlier.”

“What would that be, Master?” Catherine asks, her legs are shifting uncomfortably. “Enlightenment is not to understand your place in another person’s plan. True Enlightenment is when you understand how to formulate such plans. We will get you to that point eventually. But for now, to my quarters.”