Chapter 41 - Fire Sky

"-so even with multi-layered Runic Circuits, you can only make them bigger, or more intricate."

"Absurd..."

"Twelve above..."

scribble-scribble

Right now, I was giving a lecture and review on rune circuitry. This little bastard, Papalymo, ended up creating an Aether Battery. I didn't even consider something like that. Previous to his discovery, Eorzea was using Crystals to fuel their needs. 

A stove, for example, was fueled with Fire Crystals. A small apparatus within the stove-top would squeeze the crystal slightly to emit heat, and with the internal chamber's design, that heat could be directed up towards the burner.

To make a battery like this, even in its infancy, could overturn this world's technological development beyond what I could understand. Luckily Papalymo and my Y'shtola were in a bit of a bind. If they tried to show this off to the Forum in Sharlayan, it would be strictly controlled, if not outright banned. And if it came out that they had a hand in the Aether Battery's creation or that they were involved with its sudden appearance in Eorzea, the Forum would surely dish out severe punishments. I would destroy those fuckers if they put their hands on my Y'shtola of course, but the danger was still there.

When Papalymo figured out how to gather Aether ambiently to fuel his battery instead of using his own Aetherpool, the world would flip upside-down for sure. The myriad ways this could unfold gave me a slight headache. They weren't the Circle of Knowing for nothing I supposed.

Every one of them passed rigorous exams and testing to earn their Archon marks, decoding something as fundamental as my runes was easily within their wheelhouse. With just a bit of exposure and a push, they were able to take my runes this far. They didn't understand electricity or resistance, but perhaps they would with time. A self-closing rune gate would also be a given with enough time.

"Winnie-"

"Who in the hells is Winnie?"

"What would a more intricate circuit look like if it weren't multi-layered?"

I flicked through my fading memory of what I knew about the nano-level of technology that humanity had established on Earth. Could there be such an equivalent on Eorzea? Did I need to explain atoms? Microelectronics?

"Good question."

Perhaps I wouldn't. They just needed to understand that after a certain point, using your hands to make these runes wouldn't be enough anymore. You'd need either precision machinery or a fine control of some kind of carving magicks.

[Water Jet]

snap

From my finger, a sliver of pressurized water spiraled out. Even this spell wasn't the best that could be used. To cram everything into a pebble that was around the size of a quarter, I'd need something far more sophisticated. If I ever found Cid, perhaps we could dive into that subject a bit deeper.

"What an annoying magicks."

"Mhm. Agreed."

I ignored their comments and picked up a stone while turning my Water Jet into a finer point. A thin white fiber of water slowly carved a barely visible rune into the stone. After I finished my work and dispelled my magic, I gave the stone to Y'shtola and Papalymo while explaining.

"After a certain point, to achieve details like this, a chisel would be too large. A hammer would be too imprecise. Even with the aid of the most masterful Goldsmith, you still would reach a hard limit on what you can achieve. To make more intricate circuits, a size that's even smaller than this would be required at the bare minimum."

Both Archons looked up at me with shock painting their faces. My Y'shtola looked cute when she was surprised too.

"T-Th-"

"BARE MINIMUM?! TWELVE ABOVE! HOW FRIGHTENING!"

Papalymo was practically jumping up and down in his seat.

"HOW IN THE HELLS..."

I left them to contemplate in silence. Of course I couldn't be around to carve every single rune circuit they had designed. There had to be something that they could use with their own two hands.

"A crane pen perhaps."

"Hrm?"

Y'shtola spoke first.

"I've oft read that airship engineers use a type of pulley crane system to position their ship components whilst working upon them. If such a thing were scaled down, then with the aid of a smaller smaller set of levers and pulleys, we mayhap to use a type of pen with a fine point to carve the runes. And a magnifying glass would be our optical lens."

"But, how would we carve through stone with such a thin pen? The point would be likely to snap. And we cannot use a softer stone, else the Aether would begin corroding its structure, allowing the Aether to spill out of its channels. Rather than a pen... we might need a needle."

"An Aetheric Needle, I assume you mean?"

"Indeed. Or an equivalent such as the Palladium Needle. When charged, either could pierce through most materials. Combined with this pulley system you've come up with-"

The two went back and forth on the inner workings of what assumed was a lathe. Did they not have such a thing in XIV? Maybe it was a Garlean exclusive tool? Well, I didn't help them design it. I would be a shitty teacher if I couldn't let my students use their own heads to think.

I stood back with pride as they evolved the design into something more akin to a drill press on top, then something to move a vice on the bottom. Rather than the head moving and potentially causing inaccuracies, they could slide the stone around with the cranks and come out the other side with a reasonably precise result.

Machinists back on Earth would spend days or even weeks slowly tuning their machines, shaving down gears and tapers, tapping on chucks with hammers, all for the sake of getting that extra bit of precision. They spent almost as much time tuning as they did actually machining. I had no idea if any of that was necessary, as it wasn't my profession nor hobby, but I was happy to not be involved. The process sounded like hell.

As I listened to their chatter, I continued to refine my next steps in my head. The Aetheryte Network was an amazing thing. It allowed countries to teleport people and sometimes items through with instantaneous travel. As far as I knew, this travel was actually linked somewhat to the Lifestream. The Aetheryte rings could turn and align a traveler with any other Aetheryte within the network.

However, there was a predictable limitation. Without precise coordination, it was almost impossible to aim an Aetheryte from one place to another. It was why tax-payer gil was spent on attendants who could maintain lines of communication with other city-state attendants within the Eorzean Alliance and tune the Aetherytes accordingly.

With the coming of the Age of Calm however, the Eorzean Alliance fell onto the back burner. While lines of communication were still open, not every single Aetheryte continued to be maintained. In addition, during this time, Ishgard actually pulled out of the Eorzean Alliance. The likely reason was to focus on their self-inflicted and everlasting gunshot wound. 

The Dragonsong War.

This conflict spanned over 1000 years. And the blood spilled soaked into the soil and polluted the clouds. Every snowflake represented a life lost for such a vain and stupid reason. Naturally, bringing the end to a 1000 year war was not easy. Especially when your enemy was eternal and potentially could herald their own Calamity if they so chose. Only through their arrogance and lethargy was Hydaelyn allowed to exist for this long.

When they pulled out of the Eorzean Alliance, Ishgard also disconnected their Aetheryte from the network. Even if you could cast Teleport, which most people could not, you wouldn't be able to aim your spell towards their city. In addition, airships refused to fly anywhere near the city-state for fear of Dragon attacks. There was only one way into Ishgard, and by extension the Dravanian Hinterlands. And that was on foot.

North of Mor Dhona and northwest of the Black Shroud, was a region of vast grasslands and rough, jagged mountains. A thick turf of green blades stubbornly hung to each cliff and every square of stone. Rough and stubby pine trees grew up and to the side in a chaotic bid to survive the suffocating altitude and relentless winds. Coerthas was very different than what I remembered. In 2.0, it was a disgusting hellscape of ice and cold. The enemies were fierce and illogical, their attacks were debilitating, and without the ability to fly, moving around, up and down those steep hills...I hated thinking about it.

Ishgard was placed on the highest of mountains. Unlike Limsa Lominsa who carved herself into the blanched stone spires that jutted out from the sea, Ishgard arrogantly carved themselves out of the mountains. The very peak of the Holy See was once the peak of a mountain that sat there. Every inch of frozen rock was chipped away, every road cut into pieces and paved over with blocks of the mountain's corpse. Despite the altitude very obviously being hostile to mortal lungs, the residents of Ishgard lived and prayed there regardless.

To reach this city-state that sat deep within the hazy clouds, one needed to use a massive bridge that couldn't have possibly been made with mortal hands. Just like their city, the Gates of Judgement was an arrogant display of Ishgard's might and a testament to their will. The bridge spanned a massive gap, cutting through the air and jutting a height taller than the highest palaces within Ul'dah. It lay in the air, supported by thick stone block pillars for a distance that might have been as massive in length as a city.

To even gain access to those gates, I would need the authorization of a high-ranking official within Ishgard. Or perhaps a forgotten heir that was placed just outside the gates. An honorable knight who was determined to hold his station at Camp Dragonhead, a remote fort in Coerthas' Highlands, until his body dropped dead and froze the world with its determination. His destiny was written, but I wouldn't allow for it to repeat. His, was another fate that I was determined to rewrite. Another story that needed an edit.

---

Kan-E-Senna had been hearing worrying things from the elements for half a moon now. It began when her darling Winter came to Gridania, they whispered in nervous tones about a danger that would consume the Twelveswood. After Winter departed for Limsa Lominsa, and she promised to continue her training, with particular stipulations, she once again began her serious communications with the troublesome things.

At first they bickered at her for neglecting her duty, but through a bit of blustering and a lot of maintenance, she had won their favor once more. The Twelveswood required certain creatures to be slain and herded, else the balance would shift and then eventually break. While it was usually the job of the Wood Wailers, Kan-E had the pleasure of getting her hands dirty as compensation for dirtying the Lotus Stand and ignoring the elements for so long. Even so, Kan-E found the crime to be more than worth the punishment.

Today was another one of those days, where she patiently herded and soothed the various creatures within this forest and listened to the elements chip and chirp with intent. E-Sumi-Yan had up and disappeared again, she didn't know exactly where to, but his disappearance did not interfere with her duties or her training.

'Moon...fall...fire...stone...sky...fire...fall'

They had been speaking like that for a while and Kan-E couldn't decipher what they could possibly mean. Every time she looked up at the moon, it looked the same as it always had. Perhaps even a bit brighter. The elements would sometimes speak nonsense, but she had never heard them go on like this for so long. It made Kan-E somewhat shaken, but with reassurance from her man, the Seedseer was determined to continue with her duties.

[Repose]

Kan-E waved her staff and felt her Aether collect into its tip as a soothing wave of violet ripples washed over a lone Treant, preventing it from eating yet another Wild Hog. It was still somewhat baffling to her that the trees were going around eating creatures. Did it digest them? Did the tree even have a stomach?

creeeeeakkk

GRRRRRRUUUUUU...

The Treant, annoyed, put the Wild Hog, who was scared out of its wits, down and watched with deep reluctance as it scurried away into the brush with reluctance.

"Don't complain. You know well that you've done too much."

GRRRRUUUUUUEEEEE...

Kan-E was not willing to tolerate back-talk from this Treant. She had spoiled it far too much already.

"Go back. And if I must return to this portion of forest for a fourth time today..."

G-GRUUUUEE...

It behaved like a child who just got its toy taken away, but Kan-E paid it no mind. The elements spoke to the creatures of these woods just as much, if not more than they talked to the Padjal. The walking tree knew better than to consume creatures endlessly.

Kan-E turned and continued her patrol, going places that would be more dangerous for the Wood Wailers. She was afforded an amount of safety in these woods thanks to her nature as a Padjal, so Kan-E tended to ease their burden by going where it would be too dangerous for the Wood Wailers to traverse. Every now and again, she would take Minfilia into these places to help her cull the creatures that had gone out of control or threatened the balance. It was impressive how, within two weeks, Minfilia's proficiency with a bow started to resemble a senior member of the Archers' guild.

Her determination, her focus, her poise, they were all things that Kan-E sought to motivate herself to become stronger. Minfilia was incredible, though the woman herself tended to deny it with a shy smile. Kan-E was determined to slam some pride into her head if it was the last thing she did. With all that strength, at some point, it would become hampered if she didn't recognize her talents.

Kan-E glanced to the left and stared at a Water Sprite that was "juggling" its "limbs" in provocation. There was nothing particularly grotesque about a blue orb throwing smaller blue orbs, but it was still obnoxious to look at. While it angered her slightly and she almost fell into a state of blood-lust, the Seedseer held back her instinct and made yet another mental note to inflict upon her man tonight. She ignored the Water Sprite, it wasn't on the culling list for some reason, but the next time a Water Sprite needed to be cleansed, Kan-E vowed to rush here before anywhere else and find that Sprite in particular.

'Fire...fall...moon...fall...sky...burn...star...'

Kan-E still couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening and with E-Sumi-Yan's constant running about, it was difficult to organize time for counsel. For now, she'd have to bear with it. Whatever it was that the elements could sense and she could not, would make itself known in time.