As if Danny’s word had broken some spell, Brooke glanced briefly over at Ivy before closing her eyes and fully leaning against the Princess.
The queen waited until Danny was finished checking on the three girls before asking, “Is it safe for them to come back to the palace?”
Danny shook his head, “I think the worst is over, but it would probably be best to keep them out here until it’s certain they are in control of their new powers. I will erect a few separate structures for them to stay in. They will probably be hungry when they wake up. Could you have some food brought here?”
The queen was more than happy to agree to his requests and dispatched servants to fulfill them.
“So this variant ascendancy, as you call it, can only be done to humans and goblins?” asked Elder Breeze.
Danny shrugged, “To anyone who doesn’t have their mana unlocked already. That would exclude elves by default.”
The group continued to discuss what to expect and what Danny would require while training them. The Basalts insisted on staying and watching over their charges, instead of returning to the palace. The druids agreed to provide the girls with clothing similar to Danny’s. Unsure of how they had created his robes, Danny made a request for the runes used to create them. He was not surprised to find this was a secret of the elven people, and they would be happy to provide them all with any clothing and armor from the sacred tree they needed.
“Danny, there has been no further movement from the goblins. My husband suspects they may be waiting until after the thaw of spring to move forward with their next attack. This unfortunately only gives them more time to grow. They must be reaching the point where the area can’t support their numbers, but they haven’t shown signs of that happening,” the queen reported. “The best you can do is train your fiancées and prepare for your wedding to my daughter. It is only a week away now.”
“Do you need me to grow anymore trees, Your Majesty?” asked Danny.
The queen shook her head, “No, you have done more than enough for us, Danny. Thanks to your instructions, the elders now know how to create more seeds, and maybe in a few generations, we will have an Ascendant of our own. We will repay you by helping to defend your people and destroy this common threat to both our peoples.”
They broke their impromptu camp, and while the elves returned to the palace, the Basalts looked over the girls as Danny began preparing the area for what they needed to do.
CHAPTER 27
A massive hammer flew through the air and struck the snow covered ground. An explosion of soil and snow flew in all directions. As the snow and dust settled, Danny could be seen laying on the ground near the new crater. The forest clearing now held three stone buildings and the three sacred trees wrapped around each other. Danny was in his Earth Aspect and was covered in a thin stone armor that included his new robe. In his hands was a simple stone great sword that currently shook as Danny tried his best not to wet himself.
*Can you actually urinate in the aspects? Oh! Flaming pee! Hurry, switch to Flame Aspect! That will teach that overgrown gorilla...*
Danny scrambled to get up, his movements slower with the new “armor” he could wear. Danny complained, “Was it really necessary to hit that hard, Wizard? We are just supposed to be training?”
Wizard Basalt was picking something from his teeth while leaning against the handle of his hammer, “Danny, you said you wanted to get stronger, and you know I don’t like to do things half-way.” Then, he mumbled where he thought Danny couldn’t hear, “It is definitely not because I am jealous that you can turn your whole body into stone...” Looking up, the wizard seemed to realize Danny might have heard that and quickly raised his hammer, “Now, get ready!”
Danny raised his great sword in time to block a blow from the hammer. His first lesson had been how to redirect a blow instead of trying to take it head on. His first lesson had also lasted all of five seconds, which ended with Danny laying in a Danny shaped depression in the ground. His stone armor, having taken most of the blow, had fragmented into dust as it fell off him. He remembered the wizard laughing at his injuries and sarcastically explaining how healing magic works.
Blow after blow rained down on Danny. Spinning to one side, he tried to change the pace by getting behind the older man. Wizard Basalt chuckled and used the shaft of his hammer like a pool cue, thrusting it behind himself and into Danny's stomach. While the blow wasn't that powerful, it was enough to disrupt Danny's attack.
Danny came to a stop and let his frustration out, “How are you so....”
“Agile? It's called agility, Danny. I didn't just train strength,” The wizard paused to think, “I just MOSTLY trained strength. Also, there is no substitute for experience.” With that the Wizard went back to wailing on Danny.
While dodging and parrying, Danny thought about how, over the past week, he had advanced quickly on a number of skills. Still, he could tell that Wizard Basalt was holding back.
Danny’s intelligence benefit from the sanctuary was increased when 'Elven (spoken)' and 'Elven (written)' had both advanced to journeyman rank (level six), 'Earth Affinity' had risen to level seven, 'Nature Affinity' made it all the way level nine.
His new exercise regime, with the increasing level of stone added, had netted him increases in strength, as 'hauling' had increased to level six, or journeyman rank. After training with Wizard Basalt, his stone armor gave him three new levels in 'heavy armor.’ The wizard had also given him pointers that allowed him to get to level three in 'war hammer' and the first level in his current weapon ‘great sword.’ What really drove this fast increase was Danny's ability to train multiple times a night. The elven guards came out to the clearing and took turns sparring with him, giving him pointers and tips of their own.
A good fear of the Wizard Basalt's hammer had upped his agility as well. Run and dodge rose to journeyman rank, while jump rose to level five.
His strength bonus had gone from barely anything to a quarter of the way to the first attribute threshold. He now had twenty-five percent more strength than he would have had from just training his muscles. He now no longer looked like a gangly teenager and more like an actual athlete. His agility now boosted his body by almost fifty percent. His intelligence was a quarter away from the second threshold. That thought alone excited Danny and made him impatient to find out what would happen.
His thoughts were unfortunately interrupted.
“Danny! We just got back from the palace, and the queen wants to see you right away, but she wouldn’t say what for. Don’t keep her waiting,” Ivy yelled down to him as she leaned out of a nearby window. Before he could respond, she ducked back inside the tower.
Danny had expanded the tall twisting triple sacred trees into a small, but functional, home away from home. There were rooms for the Basalts, the girls, and himself. He added extra rooms for eating and other necessities, like his experimentations. The girls had named the building, and now everyone referred to it as Danny’s Tower. He was glad that it was now safe for the girls to move in with the rest of them.
The three stone buildings in the clearing had been previously used to house each of the three girls. Before he was sure they had mastered their new affinities and wouldn’t hurt themselves, others, or the elven forest, he had them stay in these buildings. Together, they all trained and learned how these aspects worked for a variant ascendant.
Danny discovered that they, like phantom, needed to eat and sleep almost as much as they had before. He theorized that this variant pathway might truly be a more natural and gradual way to reach ascendancy, though neither he nor Cranny had any good theories on how to take the next step.
Danny confirmed that just as their mana flowed in waves from their source connection, their powers rippled out from their bodies to affect their immediate surroundings. Creating pools of lava, fields of ice, and simply flying were just a few examples of what they could do. While they never produced the same extreme reactions as when they first t
ransformed, the girls tended to manifest their powers naturally when fighting.
Brooke would strike the ground with her heavy mace, and after the hammer grew bright red, the ground below her would begin to boil. Danny didn’t really want to see what such a strike would directly do to someone’s body. Ivy would swing her sword and water in the air would instantly freeze, flying out in arcs of sharp blades of ice. Jade seemed the most natural. Her body was hard to see, as her aspect gave it a fleeting and insubstantial form. Her already stealthy and quick skills were enhanced even further. Danny was glad he was in his own Storm Aspect when she first caused lightning to strike from a clear sky and spread out all around them through the ground.
Worried about getting the girls used to their new bodies and preparing for the goblin threat, Danny had little chance to dabble as much as he wanted to with enchanting. Not able to use normal weapons in their forms, Danny modified some of the melee weapons crafted specifically for them by the elven blacksmiths with the runes found on the barriers to the archdruid’s vault. These runes were all for transferring and manipulating mana. Danny had a devil of a time trying to figure out how to tweak the runes for the girls’ specific affinities, but he eventually figured it out through trial and error. There were, though, limitations like how Brooke’s heavy mace and shield would only work with Lava Affinity. Danny couldn’t figure out how to allow her to use Fire or Earth Affinity at the same time. Enterchanting might work, but Danny had to put that on the back burner while he prepared everyone for war.
Bringing Danny back to the present, Wizard Basalt lowered his hammer, telling him, “Better get going boy. Don't want to start any new wars by keeping the queen waiting.” Looking up at the quickly darkening sky, the wizard added, “You definitely don’t want to be outside for much longer.”
***
A blizzard had blown through the elven capital, and the biting wind and snow kept all but those without Fire Affinity or high constitutions indoors. The beauty of the growing city of sacred trees was now hidden beneath a dusting of snow that now covered everything.
Having no desire to bother to land in the deep snow near the front entrance, Danny flew through a window near the throne room. The snow was conveniently stripped from his body as he passed through the sacred tree’s opening. Looking around the large foyer, Danny found a few other elves waiting there for their turn to see the queen.
A servant by the double doors called Danny over, “Ascendant, perfect timing. The queen is between visitors. Please come in, she wishes to see you immediately.”
Past the double doors, the throne room was empty save for the queen, General Barrow, and a two female elves in high ranking military uniforms. From afar, Danny could hear their conversation clearly with his Air Affinity.
“There is definitely a change in their behavioral patterns, and it isn’t just because they are preparing to move. Something has happened, but it is too late to tell if it is a good thing or not,” one of the elves in military uniform was saying.
The elves’ discussion stopped when a servant announced Danny’s presence.
“Danny, thank you so much for coming. I hope I didn’t take you away from something important,” the queen said politely.
“No, Your Majesty. I was just getting my afternoon beating from Wizard Basalt. He is teaching me the finer arts of how not to get hit with his hammer,” Danny replied.
General Barrow nodded in his direction and moved right to business, “Danny, thank you for your time. These two here are my lieutenants. We have just come from the field. I was hoping to get your opinion on something. If you don’t know, maybe Wizard Basalt could be consulted as well.”
General Barrow was handed something from one of the lieutenants, and the general passed in to Danny. It was a dark piece of fabric, tattered and bloodstained. Crude white paint of some indeterminable substance had been spread across the material to create a pattern. The pattern seemed strange, yet familiar, in some way Danny couldn’t place.
“Do you recognize this pattern, Danny? One of the goblins we saw was holding it like a flag,” the general explained. Barrow obviously saw something of recognition in Danny’s eyes.
“I think so, but I don’t know where…,” Danny mumbled, trying to place where he had seen this pattern.
The queen spoke in a motherly tone, “Take your time, Danny.”
There were a number of what Danny only could guess were symbols radiating from the center of the flag. The symbols seemed familiar, but the answer behind them felt like something far off into the distance, just out of his reach.
There was a disturbance by the door, and a soldier was let in. Walking quickly to below the dais, the soldier bowed low, “Your Majesty, General, the goblins are on the move. All indications point that they are headed toward Diadem as expected.”
The general dismissed the soldier, and the two lieutenants quickly left as well.
Turning to his wife, the general said, “They must be using the storm for cover. These goblins grow smarter every second. We will head out immediately and head them off before they reach the Diadem border.”
“Please be careful, and don’t take any unnecessary risks,” the queen whispered quietly to the general before pulling him down for a quick kiss.
Danny was still absorbed in the flag and pretended not to notice their intimate exchange.
“Danny, if you figure out what it is you know about this symbol, let us know. The elven people will repay their debt for what you have done for us,” the general promised Danny.
“I will go get the Basalts and the girls. We all do not wish to sit by while your people do all the work,” Danny started to say.
“No, I must insist. Stay here. My people know how to move quickly through these woods, and it would be to our shame if any guests were killed while visiting. Especially an Ascendant such as yourself,” General Barrow spoke. While respectful, Danny could tell he was used to not having his decisions questioned.
Seeing the logic that should he go and get the Basalts and the girls now, they would be hard pressed to keep up with the elven army, Danny tried to think up an alternative idea to assist them.
Seeing Danny’s silence as acceptance, Barrow quickly bowed to the queen and Danny before taking his leave.
Now alone, the queen addressed Danny, “Please take the flag with you and see if Wizard Basalt might not shed some light on this. And Danny, don’t worry about the goblins. They are for my husband to deal with, and no one is better equipped to deal with them.
Unfortunately, this will push back the marriage date until this issue is fully resolved and my son and husband can return. Why don’t you all return to the palace until then? I know Willow would prefer having you nearby. You said yourself that Ivy, Brooke, and Jade are in control of their powers now.”
“I will speak with my group about moving back here. I suspect they would prefer that as well. I will let you know if we recognize what this flag’s symbol means. Good day, Your Majesty,” Danny bowed and left the throne room.
Flying back out into the storm, Danny pondered the strange symbols on the flag. A bubble of air surrounded him so that the flag would not get swept out of his hands.
*Where have we seen this before, Cranny?*
*I am not finding anything, Danny. Though there is something about it…*
Absently, Danny mentioned, *It is almost like you could connect each of the symbol groups with a circle. Like a rune, maybe?*
Cranny created an image over Danny’s vision that produced the circles he was suggesting. When the final circle was created, Danny paused in the air, *Five circles... Cranny, we have seen this rune before. It isn’t exactly the same but close enough.*
Cranny agreed, *Ninety percent compatible with what you recorded. I agree. This is without a doubt supposed to be the same rune. Danny what are you going to do? Should we tell the elves?*
Danny struggled with what to do as he watched the snow bounce of the bubble of air that surrounded him. He knew,
on the one hand, that help from the others would quickly resolve the issue. While on the other hand, his family could be in danger if the secrets behind all this got out.
*We are going to have to do this on our own, Cranny,* Danny finally decided.
Cranny sounded doubtful, but conceded, *I am with you whether I agree or not.*
Danny took off again into the storm, *It’s time to have a personal chat with the new neighbors.*
Cranny sounded excited, exclaiming, *It would be rude not to bring an ancient fortress warming gift!* His voice abruptly changed to something sinister, *I just hope we can find something they all can enjoy.*
***
Danny arrived back at his tower and went straight to the bedroom he had made for himself. Phantom was laying on his bed and shifted her head toward the door without bothering to lift it. She looked bored as if she didn’t already know who it was. Finding his backpack, he removed the things inside by simply dumping it out onto his bed.
Danny rubbed Phantom’s head and momentarily enjoyed the soothing feeling of her purring. Then, he asked her to do something for him. The cat looked like she was going to just ignore him and lay back down again, but she jumped off the bed and left the room.
Danny rolled his eyes as he picked up his backpack, “Cats…”
Heading to his workroom, Danny grabbed a large leather sack he had requested be specially made by the elves and placed it in his pack. Looking around, Danny realized he needed at least a couple of changes of clothes when he suddenly paused, frowning. Frustrated, Danny returned to his room to find the Basalt Trio waiting on him.
“The goblins are making their move and are headed to Diadem. The elves requested that we stay here. How would you three like to go back to the palace?” Danny asked as he sat his backpack on a table near the door.
Arya looked at the mess on his bed, “Where are you headed then?”
“I am preparing to move into the palace,” Danny said as he made sure to be busily looking away from them as he searched through a shelf.
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