Over the next few days, they continued exploring their connection with the Roots of the Mountain. The group slowly moved forward every time they visited the cave system, allowing themselves to get used to the pressure of the elemental energy that was only getting higher. And even Alliot wasn't passing out anymore while joining them for meditation sessions.

  The cave system was vast, with lots of passageways and caverns connected to each other. Day after day, they were going lower and lower.

  On some occasions, they were accompanied by the local enlightened. The attitude towards the city's guests had changed drastically after Khanorrh's decision to allow them access. But still, Aira, Lila, and Alliot were a bit surprised when Khanorrh joined them for one of the visits to the caves.

  "Carved by time, unbroken still," Khanorrh rumbled instead of greeting, his ancient eyes appraising them with weathered wisdom. "Your roots are reaching deeper than I expected. Even the blightborn learns to weather the mountain's breath." His gnarled hand gestured toward Alliot. "The stone does not forgive cracks, yet you've all shown more resilience than most. The mountain remembers those who respect its power."

  "Lila, please ask him if he anticipated what happened to Alliot that first day," said Aira. "Was that outcome part of his experiment?"

  When Lila relayed the question, Khanorrh's weathered face creased in something between a smile and a grimace. "The stone stands, while wind falls away. Remember that," he said, his tone measured. "We sense everything within the mountain's embrace. Your connection to the Nexus—it's like watching water carve new paths through ancient stone."

  He studied Aira with newfound interest. "The deepest cracks hold the oldest stories. Ainorrh saw something in you that I now begin to understand. Your connection has a different... resonance. It diffuses outward like roots cracking bedrock, changing those around you." His gaze shifted to Lila. "Already it flows through you, seedling."

  "But what about Alliot?" Lila addressed Khanorrh, and Aira heard the question as clearly as if it had been sent through the party chat.

  "As for Alliot," said Khanorrh, his eyes tracing the air patterns as if reading invisible signs, "the mountain crushes the foolish first. Yet he endures." His weathered hand made a dismissive gesture. "We were certain you'd weather the storm together, as roots do when winds howl. And I wouldn't be surprised if he's already been changed by your influence—like moss grows where stone meets shadow."

  "What do you mean by that?" asked Alliot. "What am I turning into?"

  "It's too early to draw the full shape of what's happening," said Khanorrh. "You know our ways—stone shifts, but it doesn't break for just anyone. The earth speaks only once before it moves. When the time comes, you'll feel it in your core, solid as bedrock."

  Then he turned to Aira but continued talking to Lila. "Lila, I hope you continue to translate our discussion to Aira. I have a couple of warnings I'd like to convey. First, I definitely felt that spike of energy on your first visit to the caves. We decided not to intervene, as it was quite insightful to us. As I mentioned, I may understand what Ainorrh wants of you."

  "And what is it?" Asked Aira. "She never asked anything in return. But I'm not sure that's the right approach."

  "I'm sure that one of the ways you repay her," said Khanorrh, "is exactly the same it is for us. You've given her a river of knowledge about the Nexus—carved new paths through ancient understanding." His eyes narrowed. "We, the enlightened, stand firm but not unbreakable. Our numbers don't swell like spring floods, and our grasp of the Nexus has grown over with moss—stagnant for decades, perhaps centuries."

  He paused momentarily to give Lila enough time to transfer the message. When Aira nodded, he continued: "Heed this warning: each shaman walks their own path through the elements. Our Earth affinity grows connections deep as roots, binding all things together. But we've been wind-snapped before. Our branches reached too far, offered too freely to outsiders—both human barbarians and enlightened from distant peaks." His voice lowered to a rumble, like stones shifting beneath the earth. "And Ainorrh... her methods are like trying to shape stone with air—tread lightly, lest the earth swallows you whole when you follow her currents."

  Alliot was visibly disturbed by these cryptic words. "And what do you mean by that?" he exclaimed.

  "Only what I said," Khanorrh replied. "Our ways are different, carved from time itself. Ainorrh was lucky to explore Aira's power earlier than all other shamans. But her talk of pushing the enlightened community forward through unification has always masked deeper currents. And while I commend her tenacity, solid as oak, I fear what she plans isn't unification of equals, but the stone's silence that isn't mercy—it's waiting for control. Even moss can smother if left unchecked."

  Alliot jumped to his feet and started pacing. "I can't believe that!" he said. "Her only goal is doing the best for our community! She states it plain and clear!"

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  "Do you know what exactly she considers the best?" asked Khanorrh. "Well, neither do I. I can only speculate, like reading cracks in ancient stone. We've weathered the same storms since the first days of enlightenment. The mountain crushes the foolish first—and I've seen her in situations that would make your roots tremble. Tread lightly, lest the earth swallows you whole when following her path."

  He turned to Aira again. "So, Lila, please ask the aberrant to be careful. I sense power of different affinities in her. And that may be a power that is just too coveted not to be able to control it."

  "Thank you, shaman," Aira sent her message to Lila, continuing to use the circumspect path of discussion. "But why shouldn't we suspect you of having your own agenda? Something you'd hide from us? Some way to use us in a similar way to what you just described."

  "My warning has exactly this goal—to make you watchful as shadows at dusk," Khanorrh said. "I am carved by time, unbroken still in my directness. Unlike Ainorrh, whose methods are like wind—ever-changing, difficult to grasp—I've told you our gains plainly. The stone never bends, even when pressed. There are deeper motivations buried like ore in mountain stone, but I'm not certain they're relevant to your path. Some words are meant to be held like stones in the mountain's heart—unyielding and private."

  "And the second warning?" asked Lila.

  "That's closer to the heartwood," said Khanorrh, pressing his palm against the nearby stone as if feeling its pulse. "You're approaching the mountain's core—where power flows deep as ancient roots. My warning stands firm as bedrock: cross me, and you'll crumble like dry stone. The Source isn't to be trifled with. You may believe you can harness this power, perhaps you can, but a boulder doesn't care if you break your back trying to move it. One wrong step, and the cliffs won't be kind—not just to you, but to your companions, my people, and beyond. The earth's oldest secret? It outlasts you."

  This time, Alliot answered for all of them, even more abrupt than usual. "Not to worry. We remember. We'll act accordingly."

  ***

  Alliot barely contained himself while they were walking back to their treehouse. The fact that his distress was evident to his fellow travelers made him only even more anxious, wanting to hide and rush away. Get some answers, like he did after Aira's outburst in Mountain View.

  Then, it was the amount of suffering he had to experience. It was… not compliant with the enlightened ways… inhumane… But Ainorrh had found the right words for him. Made him understand that Aira wasn't a proper enlightened. As Khanorrh had wisely put it, she was an aberrant. And he had to follow and watch after her for all the enlightened community.

  But now he had to process Khanorrh's words. It didn't disturb Alliot that the High Shaman spoke his mind so openly. In the end, Aira was right. He could have had his own agenda. He may have been not fully transparent or even misleading. What hit Alliot hard was how much the words of Ziemrot's top official resonated with what his rebellious friends were muttering in the darkest shades under the trees of Wentouk.

  There always were rumors. There always were dissidents and people who didn't like the leaders for one reason or another. Especially when the leader didn't plan to move aside in the foreseeable future. But he never considered them to be anything more than people with too vivid imagination. Troublemakers or do-gooders. Or maybe both.

  Alliot never was so close to considering their point a valid one.

  "I don't like this…" he started talking and stopped abruptly.

  "Do you need some space?" Aira asked. "Or would you like to talk?"

  "I'm not sure," Alliot said. "It all is very hard to process."

  "It's about what Khanorrh said, right?" Lila asked. "He was absolutely out of bounds."

  "No… Yes… I mean… I don't think so," said Alliot.

  Aira and Lila stared at Alliot in disbelief. Still, they were too afraid to spook the sudden act of epiphany happening in front of them.

  "He is the top enlightened here," Alliot said, as always on point. "He needs to be tough. To make hard decisions. His words disturbed me. But I don't think it was malicious. And… That's not the first time… I hear people saying this about Ainorrh. That her intentions may not be what she declares. But it was just noise!"

  Alliot looked at Aira and Lila with disbelief and utter confusion. He stepped aside and softly touched a tree. They were close to their treehouse but hadn't had a chance to get there yet, as Alliot was constantly lagging behind.

  "So, what are you telling us?" asked Aira.

  "Don't get me wrong," Alliot said. "These past weeks were inspiring. I should have said that earlier. I see that you resent some of my actions. But I have my duty."

  "Alright, we get that," said Lila.

  "These past weeks were… eye-opening," Alliot continued. "I have left my cozy shell. Explored the wider world. I never thought I'd like it. Especially as it appears to be not what I was prepared for. Not what I've been taught throughout my life."

  "Haha," Aira chuckled. "That's why people should travel. Life is multidimensional. And strange. Not that I recommend traveling as far as I went."

  "I understand there may be some local differences," Alliot nodded mechanically, his usually steady hands now fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. His eyes darted between Aira and Lila, never settling, like a leaf caught in contrary winds. "But I thought all of us had the same goal. We... don't. And now I…" his voice cracked, the sound foreign from someone usually so composed, "…I don't know who's right."

  Alliot drummed a beat with his fingers on the tree's bark. Momentarily, he looked absolutely lost.

  "I'm just a defender," he said. "Not a shaman. Not a… politician." His face betrayed a mix of emotions that surfaced from the depths of his soul. "Many things are limited to the inner circle only. But I have friends who have chosen different paths. And some of them disagree with Ainorrh. I always laughed their ideas off. So, they stopped sharing with me. And I thought that meant everything's fine again."

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  The Dark Lady's Guide to Villainy :)