[Im getting tired of blacking out all the time.] Icarus could feel Terra give his hand a gentle squeeze.
Dont worry this illness will pass soon enough.
Icarus had awoken moments before to find himself inside of a very cozy room. From what Icarus could see of the room it was a bit of a mess. Dwarven clothes and armor lay across the floor, dozens of different weapons were hung along the left hand wall, and finally all sorts of papers covered every table surface in this room. A single window sized opening towards Icarus right allowed pleasant warmth to enter the room. The warm air wasnt the only thing that came from the window as the sound of a waterfall could clearly be heard.
It seems the little tike has woken up Doc. Ulfrik sat in a corner whittling away at a block of wood. The dwarf met Icarus stare for a second before getting back to work.
Apparently so, thank you Master Ulfrik. The older dwarf, simply called Doc, quickly wheeled over a cart full of different plants, rocks, and liquids.
Icarus was a little hesitant with being touched by a stranger, but Terra told him that there was nothing to worry about. After another minute of examining him, Doc shoved a bitter purple plant inside of Icarus mouth quickly followed by some red dust.
Chew on this for a few minutes then swallow it.
It was a fight not to both spit out the weed and throw up, but Icarus knew that there was a reason behind this madness.
[What is wrong with me?] Terra was kind enough to relay the question to the doctor. The old dwarf thought the question over for a second to find the best way to answer it.
This is only my hypothesis from what all Terra has told me, but what is affecting you right now is mainly caused by three main factors.
Icarus first problem was that his immune system was exceedingly weak. It was weaker than most children that looked Icarus age. Terra didnt correct the doctor saying that Icarus was in his twenties by her best guess. The second problem was that both giants and dwarves have highly resistant bodies that can easily fight off all but the most powerful of viruses. Icarus had contracted a giant sized flu from his time in Terras home village. This powerful virus combined with Icarus weak immune system only spelled disaster.
The third problem had hit both Icarus and Terra the hardest of all. When Icarus used his magic there was a drain in his stamina depending on what he was trying to accomplish. It was amazing that Icarus was able to perform such amazing feats of magic that most elven adult would have trouble doing. To put it simply, Icarus was a magical prodigy. The problem was that while Icarus was extremely skilled in the use of magic, his magical stamina was below that of what an average elf would be. The physical drain from using so much magic also caused Icarus to weaken in other ways such as his immune system. Icarus would make a full recovery in no time, but they had to be careful when they used his magic so that he doesnt catch something even more deadly next time.
Ulfrik offered the older dwarf a few coins for his troubles but Doc kindly refused. He used the term Master yet again, but unlike Icarus Doc wasnt a slave. Icarus was a little too restless to ponder on the subject for long as he noticed Terra stand up.
[Where are you going?] Terra paused for a second to unlock Icarus magic.
I have to go with Ulfrik for a little bit but Ill be back. Just stay here and regain your strength.
Terra gave Icarus a light kiss on the forehead before heading out. Icarus was feeling a little a lonely until a familiar voice spoke up beside of him.
Wanna go exploring nyaa? Nyarl was leaning up beside the bed in his human form. Icarus held onto Nyarls tail as he allowed his magic to flow.
[Terra said to stay here.]
Are you truly willing to wait here when we could be out exploring? It was true that Icarus was a little bored at the moment.
[Wont we get lost in the crowds?]
Youve been asleep all day and it is the middle of the night-nyaa.
Icarus didnt want to go against Terras wishes, but he really wanted to explore the city of the dwarves just a little bit. Getting up slowly, Icarus was glad that the dizziness had gone away. He was feeling a little weak, but this he could go through. Nyarl was already standing over at the window as Icarus joined him.
Its amazing-nyaa.
Icarus was glad that he was at a dwarven place because everything was built for people of dwarven height. The ceilings were no problem for Terra at all, but everything was a little bit lower than what they should normally have been. This allowed Icarus to look out the window without any difficulty.
Ulfriks window looked out into a massive underground cavern. Lanterns filled with Saphirite lined the walls giving light to the room. Below Icarus was a dark lake of water that seemed to empty out into a tunnel that Icarus couldnt quite see. Beyond the lake was a large stone platform with a large bridge on either side that led into the mountain. The stone must have been brought into the cavern somehow because the white material seemed unnatural compared to the dark grey that surrounded the cavern.
In the middle of the platform was a large stone throne adorn with gold and precious jewels. Behind the throne was a pathway that leads into a single tunnel in the back of the cavern. Above this tunnel was a stone structure that split the water falling on it so that the pathway remained dry. It wasnt the mighty throne, nor the master stonework that could be described as the most beautiful thing in this cavern. It was the mighty waterfall that fell from one end of the cavern to the other.
I wonder how it works? Icarus began massaging his head because of a sudden headache as he began to answer the question.
[The water from this lake flows underground back towards the throne,] Icarus pointed forward to make his point. [There is another much larger lake underneath this one that sits right underneath of the great dwarven forges and a tunnel heated by molted rock. The heat from these two sources boil the water that then evaporates into small cracks into a much cooler chamber. From there the steam turns back into water which eventually makes its way back down that waterfall into the lake below. Of course Ariel was so fascinated by it that she ordered the best elven architects to make a duplicate of this waterfall back home.]
How do you know so, Nyarl stopped half way through his sentence as he looked upon Icarus, much?
[I dont know,] Icarus finally noticed the warm tears that were flowing down his face.
Are you okay-nyaa?
[Im fine, must be the flu or something.] Icarus quickly wiped away the tears not knowing what had just happened.
The two of them quietly made their way out of Ulfriks room into the tunnels. It was almost completely empty except for a random dwarf walking the halls for only god knows what reasons. Needless to say that nobody stopped to ask questions as the two continued to walk. In truth the two had no idea where they were going, but their goal was to make it to the throne room. Icarus didnt know why, but for some reason he knew that they were on the right track.
Hold up a second, Nyarl quickly grabbed ahold of Icarus and pinned him to a small opening in the wall. Nyarl quickly covered Icarus mouth as a group of two dozen guards walked pass them. Nyarl waited a few seconds for the guards to pass before sticking his head out to check the passageway.
Must be changing out with the night guard, whispered Nyarl.
[You can let go of my mouth, I couldnt talk even if I wanted to.] A hint of amusement could be heard in Icarus thought at the uselessness of Nyarls act. He was the last person to let out a peep.
Sorry about that, old habits I guess.
Nyarl would have been content with walking around aimlessly, but Icarus seemed to know where to go. A few minutes and a couple of turns later the two found themselves standing upon the very bridge that they had looked on just a moment ago. Icarus could make out the window of Ulfriks room from where they stood. Terra should be back soon and neither one of them wanted to see her angry.
[Lets get this over with,] Icarus was the first one to make it to the throne. He was content with just looking at it, but Nyarl wasnt that kind of person.
Looks like Im King under the moew-tain. Nyarl struck his most regal pose as he sat down on the thrown. Icarus couldnt help but laugh, silently, at the stupidity of the joke.
[Curiosity killed the cat]
What was that Icarus-nyaa, I couldnt hear nyaa. Cat got your tongue?
[If you dont get out of that chair then were going to have a catastrophe. ]
The two called it a draw with the cat puns for now. They had only one more thing to explore before making it back to Ulfriks room. Icarus and Nyarl walked the path towards the back of the cavern, taking a second to admire the massive waterfall up close. The tunnel had extended another thirty feet pass the waterfall where it came up to a very simple set of double doors. In front of the doors was a very thin gold line that ran along the walls and ceiling to make a golden loop. The purpose of this line was a mystery to the duo until Nyarl tried to cross it.
A little help-nyaa? asked Nyarl as he fought against some sort of invisible barrier. Icarus tried to push Nyarl through but their combined strength could do nothing to advance Nyarl further. After a full minute the two had given up on getting through.
Must be some sort of magic? Nyarl was scratching the back of his ear as he pondered the puzzle before him.
[Dont look at me, I dont know what it is,] Icarus was as puzzled about the golden line and barrier as much as Nyarl was. Icarus was a little too busy looking at the golden line that he didnt notice Nyarl come up behind him before it was too late. With a quick shove Icarus stumbled over the line and ran into the double doors.
Looks like one of us can cross this line-nyaa. Go ahead and check it out.
Icarus took one last look back at Nyarl before opening the double doors. Whatever was behind this, Icarus was about to find out.
Giantess World
Author's Chapter Notes:
Hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter, or at least enjoy it enough to review it. Some very important information is going to be revealed next chapter as well as a special chapter if enough people give me some feedback. As always enjoy!
Chapter End Notes:
We'll learn the importance of this ring in the next chapter. In the mean time feel free to take a guess.