"I don't know how your System usually works," said Ainorrh. "But it isn't like our Nexus answers all our questions. We receive some information about our skills and abilities. We know the moment when it all maed the first time. But we don't know why and how. Our most educated shamans argued about that for turies, ning any crity to the matter."

  "You are talking about the Fall, right?" asked Aira.

  "The Fall?" said Ainorrh, her facial expression being amused for a brief moment. "Ah, yes, that's what barbarian humans call the Dawn of the Enlighte."

  She paused for a moment, her gaze being introspective.

  "Yes…" Ainorrh said. "It was truly the fall of their civilization. But for us, it was a new beginning. Our lives were ged ht. We became closer to nature, attuo its forces, the elemental powers. We became who we are noe were destio bee."

  "So, you use elemental magic," said Aira. "We don't really have it categorized exactly the same way in my world. Does it mean that all of your skills are reted to one or more elements?"

  "Your powers are not defined by the elements?!" excimed Ainorrh. "How unusual! But how do you even touch the are in that case? Se... And yes, you are right, every enlightened person has skills formed and defined by one of the four basic elemental forces: Earth, Water, Fire, or Air. The tter is the element of our city, Wentouk. All of the enlightetuned with this pce have their skills from the Air element range."

  "Ah, that's why all of the names of your skills reference wind or other things reted to air?" said Aira. "But why wouldn't you use any ic? Isn't that a bit too limiting?"

  "Limiting? Ha! That's an peculiar way to look at that," said Ainorrh. "But that's how the Nexus works. That's the core around which our society is built. Each city has its element. And it attracts the enlightetuo that specific power. We build our skills accly, perfect them. Higher the attu, higher the level of ealightened and their skills."

  Ainorrh looked at her hands for a moment and then fixed her robes.

  "But enough about me," she said, "Tell me more about your world, Aira. Never before had any of us met an outworlder. I see that it has some differences pared to ours, but what else could you tell me about it?"

  Aira smiled, a mix of nostalgia aermination in her eyes. "My world… It's a pagid mystery, of challenges and quests. And dungeons..." she said, a mix of emotions c her as a wave. "In many ways it's very different from this world. Or, at least, from the things I've seen in the past months here. We also have a magical System. But it was introduced to us in time immemorial."

  "There are no people who remember that moment?" asked Ainorrh. "How iing! Well, there should be no human barbaria who had withe Fall. So, I probably shouldn't be that surprised."

  "Not only are there no living beings who withat moment," said Aira. "It is lost in the darkness of history and myths, so long ago it had happened. For all of us, it is like it had always been there. It acts a bit differently, but probably you are right, it doesn't matter that much. Ohing that boggles my mind, though, is that here you have two separate unities. People who have magid others who don't. We don't have it the same way in my world."

  "Ah…" said Ainorrh, "You mean the barbarians. But had you ever sidered that it may have been the same in your world and all non-magic people had just died out?"

  "Hm... No, that had never occurred to me," asked Aira. "But why do you always call them that?"

  "What? Who? Barbarians? But how should I call them other than that?" said Ainorrh incredulously. "That's what they are. They don't have a e with the Nexus. They don't progress. They only use what the remnants of their old civilization provide them. And when the great ge happeheir first impulse was to destroy what they couldn't uand. To destroy us… That's what barbarians do."

  Ainorrh looked at Li and theurned her gaze to Aira. "I see that your… friend… may be different," she said. "I guess there may be at least some humans who aren't natural borroyers of everything alive. But I have my reports and know at least about some of your enters with other humans. Their attitude haven't ged over the past turies. Even though we don't usually fight with them as much as we had to in the beginning. But, please, let's return to your world. I'm curious to learn more."

  For a moment, Aira felt like she was talking to a trader. Exging information bit by bit. She wasn't surprised by Ainorrh's curiosity. But for every piece of knowledge about the enlightened unity or the history of this world, she had to give away something from her past.

  However, it's not like you meet a person from a different world every day. She could uand Ainorrh's curiosity. Aira herself had never met anyone like that before she became an outworlder. Luckily, it wasn't like sharing this information was a security risk for Aira. It wasn't like Airnorrh could invade her world and wreak havoc there. Even if she'd find a way to get there, Aira would also be happy to learn that method. And then, Ainorrh's level wasn't high enough for her to be a real threat.

  The discussion tinued for a while. Aira transferred it in portions to Li aurned some of her human friend's ents back to Ainorrh. Every time she gave something to the enlightened shaman, she got something back. Adding more and more pieces to the puzzle of this world.

  "My world is also a pce where I belong, and I'm trying to find a way back," Aira finally said. "Perhaps uanding your world better will help me on that quest."

  "Do you know how you got here?" Ainorrh asked.

  "Not a clue," answered Aira. "But hope to find an ao this question as well. Maybe it will help me find my way back. But I'd pay dear for that kind of information. Something had brought me here. Maybe there is a reason for that. Maybe it was just a fluke of the System."

  "Fluke of the System," said Ainorrh. "That's an iing way to put it. Did you ever know about anything like that happening?"

  "You mean outworlders ing to my world?" asked Aira. "No, I don't think so. I would remember if I read anything about that. And it would have been so helpful to have any information about traveliween the worlds before doing that yourself, right?"

  Aira paused once again to retell their discussion to Li.

  "Do you think it's wise to tell Li everything about your skills and ic?" asked Ainorrh, correctly interpreting the pause. "Not that she use it. But she could pass it to the wrong people."

  "She's my partner," said Aira. "She's been nothing but helpful in most dire situations. I trust her pletely. If you excuse my straightforwardness, I trust her much more than I trust you."

  "Well, that's only reasonable, we just met," said Ainorrh. "I will trust your judgment ing Li. At least for now. It's not like we make her fet that magic exists after she saw what you do."

  After giving that brief report to Li, Aira returned her attention to Ainorrh.

  "So, we came here for a reason," she said. "I have a strong feeling that your city is important for my quest. I 't be absolutely sure about that. But something pulled me here. And your… spy… his dires affected our decision to e here only in part. We po make tact with your people anyway."

  "His decision to lead both of you here has stirred a bit of troversy iouk, I wouldn't deny that," said Ainorrh. "It's not like we have humas here very often. You could probably guess that because of their barbarian attitude toward us, we prefer to keep our distance. But I'm gd that fate brought you to me."

  "We are a package," said Aira. "If she's not wele here, I'd have to leave too."

  "No, no, no, don't worry," said Ainorrh, rising and starting to pace. "Let me officially extend an invitation to stay here with us. To both of you. We have so many things to discuss and learn from each other."

  Aira looked at Li and expined Ainorrh's offer.

  "Thank you for that invitation. We'd be happy to stay here for a while," Aira said in a moment. "At least until we have a better uanding of our destination."

  Aira's radio chose precisely that moment to speak out:

  --- pleted Quests ---1. Make tact with the undead (Reward: 100,000 XP)2. Defend the base (Reward: 300,000 XP, Skill)3. Find a better way to unicate with humans (Reward: 100,000 XP)[...]

  Ainorrh was a bit spooked by the ued sound. "What is it?" she asked.

  "That's one of the ways the System unicates with me in this world," answered Aira, slightly tapping on the radio. "I 't say it's the best way. I hate to rely on artifacts. But it is what it is..."

  "As I mentioned before," said Ainorrh. "We have a lot to discuss and learn from each other. The way the Nexus, or the System, as you call it, is with you may teach us a lot about our own abilities and powers. So, what did it say?"

  "It just firmed that I made the right decision by ing here," said Aira. "I'm on the right path."

  "How peculiar..." said Ainorrh, "So, Nexus guides you and gives you dires? Not only by providing you with skills but also in some other ways? I hope you tell me more about that when we meet ime. But now, I have to attend to some other things. I still have other duties and responsibilities."

  Ainestured to a couple of enlightened who were waiting nearby. "These two are my assistants," she said. "They will guide you to the house that was assigo you. You are free to walk around. You'll be safe here. But it seems that uniay be an issue."

  Ainorrh paused, looking first at Aira and then at Li. "For both of you, obviously," she said, pointedly. "So, maybe, wait for me to e in the m."

  Carried away by their talk, Aira didn't even notice the time passing. The shadows were getting longer, and the day was waning. And even if Aira didn't have to rest, Li o recuperate a some sleep after a long day of walking and watg the silent versations of strange people around her.

  After leaving the orchard, Aira and Li were led to a small picturesque quarter of trees that, at closer examination, appeared to be houses built or probably even grown to have their shapes. This se of the city was set aside from other areas of the enlightened settlement. Was it a pound fuests of this settlement? Without any knowledge of the traditions of the locals, it was hard to guess the fun. But that was what its fun had to be for Aira and Li. And all the details could be figured out ter.

  For now, what mattered was that they were assigned one of these houses that allowed them at least a bit of privacy. Like the dwellings o it, the structure looked like it was grown and shaped by magieither Li nor Aira could see any signs that ordinary tools were used to shape it. As soon as they entered, it became apparent that not only the house itself but also everything in it seemed to be formed with the same approach, with lots of curves and a ck of straight angles.

  Ainorrh was right, of course, there was no way to unicate with the guides other than by usiures. And even that was a very limited tool.

  There still remained an option of upgrading Aira's skill to get more party invitations. But then, to Ainorrh to join seemed like a y. And it was already a security risk to have one enlightened person browsing through Aira's stats. Adding more unknown people to the party was a dubious idea at best. At least for now.

  So, they gestured their appreciation to the guides and were promptly left alone.

  "By the roots, they’ve got a nook for a human like me over here," said Li. "If they’re like you, they’d sooner shadowfoot it all night than bother with beds, wouldn’t they?"

  "That's a good point," said Aira. "But we don't know enough about them yet. Maybe they still like to spend their nights resting? This looks like a guest area of their city. Maybe there are different people among the enlightened who need different care a routines? Not to rub it in, but your people aren't in a hurry to learn more about the traditions of the undead."

  Aira approached one of the beds that, like everything in this house, looked like it was grown from the same stuff the house itself was made of. She touched it, fog on the are energies.

  "It feels alive," she transmitted to Li. "It is as if not only this treehouse is still a live tree, but also everything inside is its integral living part."

  "Think you could draw from this pce," said Li. "Like you did with the trees in the forest?"

  "I ," Aira answered. "But I don't want to endanger our new retionship with the people of this city. I'm not sure if that's something we do without asking. I'll have to talk to Ainorrh about it."

  She looked around, her gaze being distant. And Li reized that Aira robing around with her magical senses.

  "By the frost on the pine, what else is it telling you?" asked Li.

  "This area is more intehan any forest I sed before," said Aira. "Even more than that. But I 't say what it is yet. It is so powerful that it's hard for me to distinguish separate signatures. I'll probably have to focus aate. Teach myself to fiune my senses."

  Aira looked at Li once again, smiling.

  "Anyway, it looks like we are safe for now," she said. "It seems that our worst fears did not e true. But we found even more mysteries to solve. In any case, you definitely have to rest after this long day. And I will solidate my new experiences iation. See you in the m! Maybe tomorrow we'll find a library where you read some old books or something."

  Li smiled dreamily and then yawned. Only moments ter, she closed her mouth with her hand as if only then realizing what she was doing.

  "Sorry, you are right," she said. "I was trying so hard to catch even a sliver of what you two were discussing, but it was like chasing shadows. It wore me out just sitting there, watg you both go bad forth silently, trying to read your faces. A, it’s got me rattled like a loose gear. I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep tonight. There’s so much tangled up in my mind to sort through. Feels like my whole world’s been turned upside down again!"

  "I get that," said Aira, hugging Li. "But you'll need all the energy you get. Try to find at least some rest. And I'll try to figure out at least some things through my meditation."