Chapter 280: Chapter 277: A Bit Overwhelming

“What a headache,” Rayden muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose, eyes closed. “Idleaf may say that Eleaden is still asleep, but if our planet is behind the beasts to the north - we need to find out. We need to find out exactly what we’re up against there, and as soon as possible.”

“On that, we agree, Captain,” Sah nodded, his face twisting at the thought of the feasibility of such a task. It was something that had been attempted several times, both by the Sahal Empire and by the Terran Federation, when it still existed. After all, the survival of the Federation depended on finding out what they were up against, the root of the Beast Outbreak. Unfortunately, they never did. And the Federation paid the price. “The problem is that whoever went there to find out never came back. As a result, not many people are volunteering for the job.”

Frankly, I would be reluctant myself, knowing what Eleaden was capable of. If they were lucky, they would be glad to be dead; if not - poor bastards.

“I-I can’t believe I’m saying this, but couldn’t Miros, you know, fly over there to find out?”

I almost laughed at the thought of asking those arrogant birds for something. “I don’t think they’d be very willing, Miss Mooney.”

“Just Hazel, please, Guardian of Idleaf.”

“All right, Hazel then. Call me Korra.”

“Is Korra’leigh all right? I don’t mean to be disrespectful.”

“Oh, I like you,” Idleaf squeaked and bounded over to the librarian. She nearly fainted from excitement. 

“Anyway, Miros. They left their mountains precisely because of the danger; to seek safety at the World Tree.”

“Actually, that’s something that bugs me, Little Beast. That Miros we fought, your fellow guardian . . .”

“Zeewet,” Idleaf added helpfully, proud of each of her Guardians.

“Yes, her. She’s level 700, and as far as I know, there are even stronger individuals in her flock. And yet they ran away. To you, Idleaf. Why are they so sure that you can protect them?”

True. Not something I ever questioned, though it should have been the first thing I asked when Zeewet expressed her desire to move their nesting grounds. Idleaf might have been damn strong from my, the human’s, perspective around the Esudein level, but by her own words and the World Trees’ standards, she was as strong as the little sapling she was.

“Is it because you have no roots with Eleaden?” I asked, too late to realize the poor wording of my question and the lack of meaning behind it.

“Maybe not as far-reaching as those of the elders, but my roots stretch out far and wide,” Idleaf argued, pouting.

“I believe that’s not what Miss Grey had in mind,” Mr. Sandoval came to my rescue, albeit very puzzled. “But why do you think the World Trees, of all creatures, should have no connection to Eleaden? By all means, they are embodiments of nature.”

One slip of the tongue, that’s all it took, and my greatest secret was in jeopardy. Unlike back in Esulmor, though, when Deckard, Major Lightfeather, and Lord Wigram learned of my origins, this was a damn good opportunity to tell others and make sure they didn’t spread the word. Hell, it was even something I’d considered since the World Trees suggested the Oath.

I wanted them to know. 

Okay, I admit, I wasn’t eager to tell everyone - er, City Lord - but still . . .

“Idleaf? May I?” I asked, my throat tight with fear and anxiety.

“May what, Korra’leigh?” Of course, she didn’t understand what I was talking about from a few stuttered words.

“May I t-tell them about your o-origins?” I tried to put as much meaning into my words as I could so that she would understand. “The origin of your elders.”

Damn, they were the ones I should be asking. But to my relief, Idleaf did just that. “No problem, no secret.”

Of course it wasn’t. Anyone observant enough, someone like Esudein, could tell they weren’t from this planet without being told. I couldn’t say I was relieved to hear that, though. 

In fact, dread tightened its grip on my throat.

“Miss Grey, if . . .”

“No, I-I . . . it’s fine,” I stopped Mr. Sandoval rather rudely, stammering. “The World Trees, well, they’re not from this world - and neither am I.”

Obviously not what the old librarian expected to hear, his mouth opened and closed without a single word leaving his lips. And the others were no less stunned. More shocked, in fact, than when I told them about Eleaden.

“W-what the . . . ?”

“F-from another world?”

Nothing to blame, really. After all, the idea of a living planet was something so abstract that it was almost impossible to imagine, while a flesh-and-blood alien from another world sat at the same table with them.

Stella squeezed my shoulder; Deckard gave me a warm, approving smile, and Idleaf giggled at the expressions of the humans in the room.

“So being from Little Earth was . . . ?”

“A lie,” I finished for Captain Rayden. “I sincerely apologize for that, ma’am. I was terrified at the time.”

“No need, Grey. As I recall, that was my assumption, and one made for the purpose of not prying too much into your past.”

“Wait, Rayden!” Lord Egerton bellowed. “You let her into the city without a proper interrogation?”

His enraged scowl spoke volumes. He had her; this was the blunder he’d been waiting for. “Calm your horses, Egerton. I questioned her personally in the interrogation room, under truthful enchantments. She had no ill will towards the city or Sahal.”

“No ill will? Don’t you see what she brought to Castiana?”

“What? A much needed change?”

While I smiled, Lord Egerton snorted. “Change? You call mind mages a change? 

It’s a threat, just like the flock of overgrown birds outside our walls.”

To my annoyance, the irritating man wasn’t entirely wrong. However, the days when I would simply lower my ears and tuck my tail between my legs were over. And so, seeing the need to set the record straight, I took a breath. “Miros and the northern eagles would have come eventually, regardless of me.”

“I beg to differ, Grey,” Agent Sah spoke up to my unwelcome surprise, siding with the City Lord on this one. “Without you, and I assume the unique lineage you share with the World Trees, Idleaf would not have awakened for some years, maybe even decades, and don’t get me wrong, there’s a possibility she might wither away in the years to come. But seriously, first a living planet, now other planets, Grey? You make my job very, very exciting indeed.”

I was wrong. Sah’s eyes shone with pure delight.

“You don’t mind who I am?”

“Should I? Is there anything dangerous about the people on your planet?”

“No, I mean there is no system, no mana, no beasts - not even other races. Just a planet full of ordinary humans.” Right now, I most definitely didn’t want to bring up weapons that could match the power of a threat like Eleaden. In fact, it was better not to mention it ever, or someone might get the wrong idea and . . .

“A planet populated only by humans,” Hazel said in a half-whisper, likely searching her mental library for some reference.

“No beasts, no terrans,” Lord Egerton mused, for the first time delighted with what I had said, only to have his face twist in the next instant. “And they all look like you?” 

It was quite hard not to laugh. “No, THIS,” I pointed at myself. “. . . happened to me here on Eleaden. You won’t find anyone like me on Earth.”

“Earth? Is that the name of the planet you and the World Trees come from, Miss Grey?”

“Yes, Mr. Sandoval. The World Trees, though - I don’t know where they originally came from; all I know is that there are none on my planet.” My planet, Earth, to speak so openly about it was so liberating, yet so uncomfortable. My body shivered with unease, reminding me of the times I hated myself for what I was made to be. Once again, I was the different one in the eyes of others.

“I see . . .” the old librarian said, sinking back into thought.

“I get that Stella knows,” Rayden spoke up, pausing, her attention shifting to Deckard. “You, though? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I made a promise. Besides, does it matter?”

The Captain sighed, only to nod. “I guess not.”

“Actually,” I spoke up, not really sure if I should risk revealing all. 

“My origin might matter.”

People were not stupid, and that was especially true of the ones in this room, at least most of them. Eventually, they would put two and two together on their own. For all I knew, Dungreen might have already figured out what made me so different and been scouring through the Fae for other wretches like me - hopefully not. And so I told them a little more about Earth and how I really got here.

And to my relief, after the initial shock wore off, they all seemed to come to terms with it in a way. Fae, another planet, otherworlder, just another item on a long list of odd things of a woman named Korra’leigh Grey. Moreover, we had bigger problems to solve than a girl whose greatest asset was good mutation compatibility.

“So, to sum it up, because of your origins, you two have no connection to Eleaden.”

“Idleaf, not me. I’m no different from the beast now,” I corrected Rayden, wagging my tail to make my point.

“Ah, yes. Sorry, Grey. It’s getting a bit overwhelming. Where was I . . . ? Right, the beasts, Miros. Even though they know it now, through Zeewet, they may subconsciously sense that it is safer under the Idleaf canopy than anywhere else.”

“The knowledge ingrained in the beasts, as the World Trees have grown on Eleaden for thousands of years,” Mr. Sandoval added, still unable to believe that he hadn’t put two and two together. All the clues were there, my lack of knowledge of the most basic things, why Dungreen could force me into the [Slave] class when I was almost twice the age of sixteen. It just never occurred to him that I could be from a different planet, an otherworlder.

“It is safer, and they sense it. If that is the case, we can expect more and more beasts to move into the vicinity of the Esulmor Woods and the Granora Mountain Range,” Agent Sah finished, his expression a mixture of concern - and excitement.

The one who the prospect of more beasts thrilled even more, though, was Idleaf. “Yay, more friends,” she sang, doing a strange happy dance in the tight space of the room.

“I’d rather say more potential threats. If just one beast like mossbears or Miros falls to Eleaden, others may follow. It actually makes me wonder how the humans of that time held their lands when the world was roamed by so many of the powerful beasts you witnessed on that ancient battlefield.”

“They killed the beasts that were a danger to them, sir,” Stella said, only to add, “All beasts and animals within their lands.”

A little clarification was in order. “Of course, it was impossible to kill all the beasts and animals, every critter and bird. And they didn’t. They simply got rid of those they were sure lacked the will to resist Eleaden and posed a threat if they were to fall to it. On the contrary, they worked with beasts like Rairok.”

“Wait a minute, Grey. That Rairok you keep talking about was a beast?”

“Uh, didn’t I mention that, ma’am?”

“No, that information must have slipped your mind.”

Her sigh was more than eloquent. But Deckard laughed. “Don’t blame her, San. To her, beasts are no different from humans. She even trains with mossbears; why not another one?”

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While he was amused, I couldn’t decide whether to take that as an insult or a compliment.

“I talked to him too?” Stella brought up a fact that, for once seemed reasonable and not beyond common sense. “Rairok could speak Standard.”

“Ah, of course he could,” Captain Rayden sighed for the umpteenth time. “Then, since we’re talking about Grey, I suppose Rairok wasn’t just any beast.”

“No, he was just . . .”

“A witty deer.” To my surprise, it was Hazel who took the words out of my mouth. She was trembling, her eyes wide. “Rairok was a witty deer, wasn’t he?”

“Yes? I mean, yes. So I did mention that?” I thought Rayden . . .

“I knew it. I knew the name sounded familiar.”

“Miss Mooney?” The old librarian asked puzzled, this time not knowing where her knowledge had led her.

“Rairok, the ruler of the Western Plains.”

Western Plains? Ruler? Apart from the fact that I had no idea where that was, being the ruler didn’t fit the beast I knew at all. “I don’t know; it doesn’t sound like him.”

“He’s supposed to be thousands of years old, speak several languages, and be a beast, a witty deer, to be exact.”

Okay, I had to admit, there was a slight chance that he had by some miracle survived to this day. Still . . .

“I’m familiar with the Western Plains, but I’ve never read about this ruler. Was it in a book unique to the Great Library?” the old librarian asked, curiosity slipping from his tongue.

“Yes, Mr. Sandoval. Once, under the guidance of the Great Librarian Oliander, I had the chance to peek into the transcripts of a journal of adventurers . . .”

“Are these plains far away?” I didn’t mean to be rude, but I really wasn’t interested in hearing about some adventurers when there was a chance that Rairok had survived to this day.

“In the far west of the continent. From our perspective, beyond the Kingdom of Arda, below the former Terran Federation, wedged between the two and the ocean,” Sah explained, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Unlike the dangers of the north, we are aware of the powerful beasts in those parts. That is why Arda and the Terrans never occupied those plains. But that it could be a beast from the Ancient Era is the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Sounds to me like the Imperial agents underestimated the librarians’ knowledge,” Deckard remarked at Sah’s expense, enjoying it all too obvious.

“Indeed, it seems so,” Agent Sah nodded, not at all offended by Deckard’s mocking remark. Instead, he looked at the two librarians and nodded in a polite apology and sign of approval.

“No, no, it’s just something I was interested in,” Hazel Mooney blurted out, gesturing frantically with her hands. “It’s just not . . .”

“Common knowledge, right? Exactly what is vital to the work I do. So . . .” Sah turned to me. “Exactly what kind of connection do you have with this beast, Grey? Is he, you know, from another planet as well? At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was.”

“None. None whatsoever.” I said truthfully, which took the wind out of Sah’s sails.

“Wait, what? I thought that Rairok was . . . ah, I see. That beast you met was just an echo of the one in the Western Plains, just like the whole place in Fallen’s Cry.”

“Unfortunately, Agent Sah,” I said, not quite successful in keeping the heartache out of my voice. “As much as I would love to meet the Rairok I know, even if the beast were him, he wouldn’t remember me. The two of us have never met.”

“Unfortunate, indeed.”

“Really?” Deckard snickered. “It almost sounds to me like the fact that Little Beast is from another world, a Guardian of Idleaf, and has ties to Esudein and Miros isn’t enough for you?”

“Yeah, well, she also has a drake blood coursing through her veins and who knows what else. I’d say, Deckard, I’m getting used to the absurdity when it comes to her. In fact, it might be an opportunity to make some connections with this Rairok. Don’t look at me like that, Grey. I know you don’t like what I’m saying, but you know best whether humans need to form such bonds or not.”

He knew me well, but not that well. “I think it should be a given whether we are in danger of extinction or not.”

The agent bastard actually chuckled. “You’ve really grown up, Grey. Good to see. And I completely agree with you. But that doesn’t change the fact that the mere presence of Esudein in Sahal and the agreements with him were a thorn in the side of many lords and ladies. They even see such beasts beneath them, while the common folk fear them.”

Prejudice, huh? Nothing unusual on Earth. Still . . . one could only hope that one day it would disappear, both here and there. 

“I’m really not against it,” I eventually said after swallowing my - was it a pride or merely a fear?

“Uh, against what?”

“You using me to establish a relationship with Rairok.”

“Your boldness is worthy of an Imperial agent, but . . .”

“Witty deer, also known as Valeyris in the ancient language, are the origin of one of my mutations.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Deckard laughed, while Sah seemed a bit stunned, considering the possibilities of what my connection brought to the table. 

“The eyes, right?” Mr. Sandoval asked, his own old eyes gleaming with excitement. “It must be the eyes, because Hazel and I are pretty sure about your ears, Miss Grey.” 

“And your mane is not exactly the hallmark of the witty deer,” his assistant added, sharing his enthusiasm, if not more.

“Yes, the eyes,” I confirmed, struggling not to ask what they had found. After all, taking the Oath and seeing my inner self had given me a glimpse of more than I thought. In fact, I was anxious to see what they would think after seeing it for themselves.

This was not the time. Not yet.

Instead, I told them of the true connection I shared with Rairok, of his futile efforts to bring back the beasts lost to Eleaden, and of his teaching me to use my heritage.

“So there’s a chance that if he got a glimpse of your past through this connection, then - I don’t know, let’s say he’ll see you in a different light, Grey.” Not really a question from Agent Sahl, merely a statement. “Do you think he’d be willing to move here?”

“Wait, what are you saying?” the City Lord gasped in horror. “Now you’re thinking of bringing an ancient beast here?”

“A potential ally. Don’t you think someone like that could significantly strengthen our defenses? And who knows, it could be the next Guardian of Idleaf.”

Spirit’s eyes lit up at the prospect, only to lower her head. “I’m too weak to take on more Guardians.”

“You’re not,” I said, standing up to hug her. “You took me as your Guardian even though your elders told you not to.” Although, admittedly, it did stretch her ability to support her Guardian considerably.

“Don’t be down, Idleaf. I hear you’re getting stronger by the day,” Rayden spoke up to soothe the spirit, much to my pleasant surprise. It seemed that the days when everyone kept their distance from her out of respect were truly over. “I heard from Major Lightfeather that the dryad is to awaken in Esulmor, the first on this continent.”

“What? You didn’t tell me?”

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Idleaf sulked.

“She also told me that you bragged about it to everyone in the forest.”

The rascal giggled and broke free of my embrace, proud of herself. And with good reason. She was growing stronger. If I remembered correctly, dryads’ trees grew only in the shadow of the World Trees, and were, in layman’s terms, an indicator of the strength and vitality of the World Tree itself.

As her Guardian and friend, I was so proud of her. 

“Dryads? More beasts?” the City Lord hissed again, but his words lacked their former vigor. Like the others, he was either coming to terms with the inevitable or simply exhausted by it all. Whether he liked it or not, beasts, terrans and humans had to band together to survive what was to come, be it tomorrow or a hundred years from now. We all had to get stronger, much stronger.

And so, after many more questions, clarifications, and agreements, this meeting came to an end.

“Finally,” Deckard cried, springing to his feet. “I can’t wait to stretch out and put my skills to the test. How about a nice little spar, Little Beast? I’d love to see what you can do, what you’ve learned in the past.”

The eagerness to do so oozed from him, and even though I wasn’t too enthusiastic about getting into training right after the battle, I smiled back, knowing that he wouldn’t leave me alone if I refused. Actually, to be honest with myself, after this meeting that went on for several hours, my body was itching for some action as well. I guess I just got used to not sitting idly on my ass. “I’d be happy to.”

“Excellent. So - the rest of the Oath then?”

Yes, it was time for that - to clarify what knowledge could and could not leave the room. Later, including any mention of how the labyrinths and the system came to be. This, unfortunately, included any mention of the maze map, as those runes were essential to the operation of the labyrinths. And of course I’ve included any mention of my and Idleaf’s otherworldly origins, unless one of us gives them permission for good measure.

No one really objected. Oddly enough, neither did the City Lord. And so, one by one, those present faced their inner selves once more, until I was the only one left.

“Before I do this, I must warn you.”

“Grey?” Rayden asked, suspecting that things would not go as they had for the others. And rightly so.

“My inner self is a reflection of who I am. You will see me - and my beasts. And believe me, the first time I saw them, I almost peed my shorts. So if - well, feel free to leave.”

“Not a chance,” Lord Egerton snarled. “You’re the reason I went through all this, listened to all this shit, so I’ll make sure you take the same Oath I just did.” 

I simply nodded back, not really caring for his reason. After all, no one decided to leave for reasons of their own. Curiosity, mostly, I guess. At least in the case of the two librarians. They were brimming with it.

“Well, you were warned. Idleaf, go ahead.”

Spirit cheerfully jumped up to me, put her hand between my shoulder blades, and gave my inner self a shove. The inner Korra emerged, mirroring me almost perfectly. But when our eyes met, the gasps of the others reached my ears.

“Traina’s tits!”

“Shit!”

The parquet floor of the room thudded as someone’s body fell to the ground, then another. I did warn them. Though I dare not move lest I end up the same way. 

Staring into those nine pairs of eyes sent chills to the very core of my bones. The pure human Korra, the young woman I was on Earth, only made of green magic mist, wasn’t standing there alone. A strange haze swirled behind her. A fog from which parts I knew, like Sage, my ears, wings or a paw here and there, peeked out. I could have sworn that a deep heartbeat echoed from the haze. Yet the most terrifying thing was those bright eyes staring down at me from the depths of it. The beasts I was made of.

I recognized the ones that belonged to the mossbear and the witty deer’ - they couldn’t be mistaken. The same was true for the eyes of the northern eagles, and the huge reptilian ones must have belonged to the drake. The rest was hard to match, though. I really had no idea what the Poison Empress’s eyes looked like, let alone the eyes of the creatures behind my ears and mane. Curiously enough, one of the remaining pairs of eyes must have belonged to the creature I had to thank for my core.

As before, though, the experience was humbling. Inner Korra was a part of me. I was her; she was me. I saw what she saw, and she saw what I saw. But the same could not be said for the beasts. They saw me; I saw them. Well, parts of them. That was it, though. They weren’t part of me yet, at least not the way I thought they were.

Understandable, I guess. I still had a long way to go before becoming a true [Deviant of Humanity], a true shifter, and one with my beasts.

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