MAZE - The Endless Quest

Everyone walked slowly towards the pagoda. Yuwei still being carried by Vulcan. The girl wasn’t able to wake up, but her complexion was improving. According to Forge, her temperature also was decreasing now that the harsh cold of the island felt more subdued.

It was strange. There was nothing around the area that should be able to increase the temperature like that. Yet, that’s what happened. As they stepped across this small path, if it could be called that, leading to the pagoda, the group looked around. Tiny patches of white grass and flowers were growing from the snow itself. More and more vegetation appeared the closer they got to the structure, but it was still curious since there was no actual land here, only ice and snow.

The pagoda itself was a sight to behold. It had seven floors, all made out of what could only be described as wooden ice. Each layer was a marvel of crafting, with intricate carvings that utilized even the smallest pieces of the sunlight to refract and create incredible patterns of iridescent blue and white across the surrounding landscape. The way the light bounced showed even more vegetation on the sides of the pagoda, but not all of it was real. A good amount of the grass and flowers were but illusions generated by this unique light display.

The base of the building was a solid, immaculately carved block of ice, radiating a faint otherworldly blue glow from within, and a thin layer of mist rolled down from under the steps leading inside. Massive ice columns, as clear as polished glass, supported the weight of the entire structure. Those columns were adorned with carvings of ancient runes and symbols, their meaning lost to Hera and Helena, but still able to emanate energy, not just containing the ice, but reinforcing it.

Each floor of the pagoda was a bit smaller than the previous, as one was to expect. The dark blue roof tiles contrasting against the blue sky, almost like a wave frozen in time that defied the heavens themselves. But on a closer inspection, each of the tiles had delicate patterns carved on to them, sunflowers, calendulas, marigolds, and morning glories were depicted. Every single one of those shingles had a unique version of one or a combination of those flowers. Along with carvings of butterflies and moths, grass with morning dew, and pictures of fields of wheat. Without exception, every one of them had one unique image. Icicles hang from the edges of the roof, glistening like natural chandeliers that chimed softly in the cold wind.

In the very last floor stood a slender spire, tapering to a fine point that vanished in the sky. The spire was capped with a sculpted ice lotus, but it was unfinished. At the very center of that flower was an empty seat, waiting for something, or someone, who would be able to complete the arrangement.

Inside, every chamber was bathed in a cool, calming blue light. The walls were smooth and translucence, allowing the light from the outside world to filter through while also dimming it, so the structure never received the full force of the sun. Each floor was connected by a spiral staircase carved directly into the ice. The steps adorned with even more carvings, but these depicting ancient legends of ice dragons, snow spirits, and celestial guardians. Small alcoves lined the walls, each holding delicate ice sculptures. Some of mythical creatures, others of warriors, or monsters. And others of people, orcish people that Hera couldn’t recognize.

Everything in the pagoda was masterfully carved. Created by someone with decades, if not centuries, of experience. But those sculptures, the ones in the alcoves, didn’t have the same polish. Some were crude, clearly the work of someone who has yet to truly understand their craft. Even so, they slowly improved. From the misshapen chunks of ice that attempted to replicate a bear, to the more detailed flower, simple yet elegant. Made with a technique that required precision even if the result didn’t look as impressive as other sculptures. Aside from that, various chairs, rugs, couches, and tables were spread out, creating an elegant ambiance in every room. Yet, all the furniture was made out of ice and snow. Even if it didn’t look like it on a first glance.

“Leave the child in the room to your left. The rest of you may meet me upstairs,” the voice rang in their minds once more. The one that Yulan said belonged to Yuwei’s mother.

This time, Hera noticed two things. First, the voice was commanding, but kind. It showed no hostility or annoyance. Second, it wasn’t like she was talking to her court. As if the voice was going directly into her mind. Instead, it was as if she heard it through earbuds that were even closer to her inner ear than the one she was already wearing.

Before anyone had a chance to ask, one of the walls to their left shifted. What seemed like solid ice instead being a sliding door that revealed a second room. One that went directly against many of the clearly intentional effects of the pagoda. Instead of dimming the sunlight, inside, the light from the outside was empowered, becoming even brighter and even warmer. The color also shifted. The blues gave way to whites that now looked more like yellow as the sun refracted on to the walls. In the center of this room was a futon placed on top of a thick layer of some sort of fiber that stopped the cold from going all the way through it.

After getting a confirmation from Hera, Vulcan stepped forward and gently placed Yuwei on the bed. He pulled the covers over the girl’s body and turned to the Empress, who replied before he even asked.

“Do you want to stay here to make sure she’s ok?”

“May I?” Vulcan asked.

Hera nodded, “Sure. We’ll do the conga line to keep the connection.”

Forge smiled, his eyes showing an unusual kindness. Vulcan wasn’t the type to lash out for no reason unless the Daemonic Influence became too strong. However, he was the kind of person to keep it to himself, and always made sure to keep some distance between him and everyone. Yet, now, with this young girl, he acted like a concerned parent. Hera notice all that and felt it was better to let him continue. Letting the titled blade explore this new side of him could bring benefits, and she could tell he was just worried about Yuwei.

Along with Yulan and Helena, the Ophidianite started going up the stairs. Leaving one of her blades on each floor, but making sure that Nimbus, Lurize, Livy, and the twins were by her side. They climbed only two floors, being guided by a small gust of cold wind to a large room in the center of the third floor.

“You may enter,” a soft but icy voice rang from the other side of a sliding door disguised as a wall. The block of ice shifted and revealed the interior of the room.

It was much like the rest of the pagoda. All furniture made out of ice in a way that it was hard to believe. The tapestry moved like proper fabric, even if it was simply packed snow, the chairs and tables didn’t radiate the cold that one would expect of ice. There were three chairs a few steps beyond the door, and on the opposite end of a long corridor, a woman stood looking at them.

She had pale green skin, something similar to how Yulan’s skin looked after a thin layer of snow covered her arm. But for this woman, that was her natural state. She wasn’t as bulky as one would expect from an Orc, however, that was only on a first look. Despite her lean build, this woman was extremely toned, her muscles seemed to be carved in granite, or, in this case, ice. Her clothes allowed the group to notice that. Long flowing robes of deep blue and white embroidery with silver threads creating patterns of frost and snowflakes covered her torso, but unlike the classic cultivator that Hera knew, her clothes were sleeveless. The robes were also extremely thin, and in some places, almost see through. The only part of her clothing that looked actually made for the cold weather was her boots. A pair of fur-lined boots that went almost to her knees, clearly made with parts of the monsters that lived on the island.

Yuwei’s mother had sharp and chiseled features with high cheekbones and a jawline that gave off a regal apparency. Her tusks were smaller and more refined than most Orcs, looking almost like inverted vampire fangs instead of the imposing teeth of a warthog. Around her neck was a simple pendant with a piece of deep blue ice encasing something metallic that none of them could make it from this distance. Her eyes were piercing icy blue, a blue that made all the surrounding colors seem dull.

Hera, Helena and Yulan stepped forward once their shock dissipated and sat on the chairs, as the eyes of this Orc woman seemed to be commanding them to do.

“I thank you for escorting my daughter so far. That being said, I do not appreciate you bringing her to my doorstep,” the woman said, her voice carrying through the hallway perfectly even if those listening were at least twenty meters away.

Yulan quickly got up and bowed, placing one open hand over a closed fist in front of her, “My apologies, master Yu. Lady Yu was adamant about searching for you, and I assumed that humoring her request would lead us nowhere. Once she grew tired, we could simply return to the Moonlit Harbor. I had no idea this island was truly here.”

Master Yu nodded, “That is not your fault, Qing Yulan. I was unaware the Moonlit Harbor was this close myself. The island must have drifted further west.”

“Oh, it’s a floating island. Ok, that makes much more sense,” Helena turned to Hera, who nodded in response.

“What do you mean, floating island? It’s an iceberg. What did you expect? The ice to reach the bottom of the ocean?” Hera tilted her head.

“Sort of? I mean, people were calling this ice island, so I kind of figured there would be actual land here. Even if everything was covered in ice,” the mage explained.

“Even then. You and your companions should’ve left once they realized this place was not for Yuwei, lady Qing,” master Yu cut the conversation.

Hera turned to the master, “Yuwei protested against us coming back. And personally, I felt like trying to just bring her away could make her do something even more stupid on her own. So the plan was to try to find you and if we failed by the point where we felt Yuwei’s condition was getting serious, we would bail and leave the island.”

“In fact. When we found that passage, we were just looking for a place to reinforce some of the protections from Yuwei before leaving,” Helena added. Not needing to talk to Hera to understand what she was going for. However, the mage didn’t expect the Ophidianite to continue.

“And honestly, it’s very funny to see you concerned about her wellbeing. It took only what? Ten years?” Hera turned to Yulan, “That’s about it, right?”

Yulan’s eyes went wide, but she still nodded in response.

“Yeah, ten years and only when Yuwei showed up with a fever at your doorstep, you, the alleged mother, seemed to care enough to even acknowledge her.”

‘Mum… You are projecting a bit here,’ Daskka warned.

Despite the warning, the Empress continued, “Let me guess. You are doing this for her own good? Because you know better. Of course.”

‘Hera…’ Nimbus tried to stop her, but the Ophidianite got up and took a step forward.

“Or is it just because you couldn’t take being her mother for more than a few years? What happened? Did she complain about chores one too many times and you grew tired of being a mother?”

‘Empress. Can you just… Chill?’ Livy spoke up, trying to crack a joke to break the tension, but her attempt was ignored.

“Oh, oh. I know! Did you finally realize the sorry excuse for a mother you are and decided she was better on her own? At least you got that right!”

At the end of her sentence, there was an explosion of movement. Master Yu dashed forward, slamming her open palm onto Hera’s stomach. Or that was the target. Instead, Viper and Crimson flew to the Empress’ hands to block the attack. Still, the impact sent her flying out of the pagoda, crashing through the ice wall. Nimbus had to move quickly to catch her and help the Ophidianite land safely. But that wasn’t all. Once they reached the ground, master Yu jumped from the pagoda, hundreds of blades of ice forming around her, every single one tracking the woman who just berated her for being a bad mother.

Hera stared at that with rage in her eyes, she didn’t care if this was supposed to be a master, or whatever she was. If there was one thing Hera knew well, it was how it was to have a bad mother, and this master Yu was certainly one of them.