Mind over Matter - Glint - 22/06/2022

No walls.

No ceiling.

Only the dark void and the remnants of a city long gone.

Glint opened his eyes first. He hated that he was getting used to it. To getting into others' minds. They had a noble intention of course – to bring Coll back. But that was the thing about noble intentions… people who mess with others' minds always seem to have them. He huffed with disdain and turned around. The look of his companions was unusual. Velania and Sorrel each appeared to be at least a decade younger. Only Laurel looked exactly as they appeared in real life. Glint looked away. If this mind, the same as a gith, was shaped by its visitors, he didn't need a mirror to know how he looked. He reeked of fire and brimstone.

The others were coming to their senses, glancing around with wonderment and caution. They were on a small area of cobbled road, floating in the void. All around, chunks of masonry and entire building floors collided with each other, sending fountains of debris all around. All in complete silence.

This place bore an uncanny resemblance to the gith mage's mind that he visited earlier this month. So, Glint reasoned, perhaps the same approach would work. He concentrated on getting to Coll, imagined the road he usually took to the bar of Fort Ettin. He squinted, remembering the texture of gravel in the Fort courtyard under his boots, the smell of grass from the surrounding fields… As he opened his eyes, another patch of cobblestone formed in front of him. Making their way like this would take ages, and they only had one hour. He couldn't let Velania down again.

"If this is Coll's mind," he told the others over their telepathic link. "Perhaps it's worth calling him? He might help…"

Velania wasted no time shouting Coll's name and sending a shining stone up to act as a beacon. It was risky, but who was Glint to caution those who did silly things for love? More to the point, who was he to caution Velania, who proved herself to be the most courageous and kind woman he's met, who was apparently visiting Coll weekly since the accident?

Would you do that for him? Would you be going back if there's no one to come back to?

He turned hurriedly, his eyes scanning the remains of the architecture around them. A doorframe there; a top of a column here; two roofs colliding right in front of him. There was something about these shards… The shapes, the cuts of the stone, the curve of the windowsills... There was something familiar about them, but also…

Something wrong.

"This doesn't look like the Dawnlands," he said without turning back, shifting to chase away the cold prickling sensation in his spine. "I don't think we're in Coll's mind…"

"There!" Laurel called, pointing at what looked like just another shard in the void. "I saw Coll there, he was pulled away!"

Velania peered anxiously into the darkness. "How do we reach him from here?" She asked, and Glint caught the barest hint of desperation in her voice.

"Can we fly here?" Sorrel mused.

"Only one way to find out!" Zola grinned and walked off the edge.

Glint's heart skipped a bit, but before he could cast Featherfall, the drow paladin floated effortlessly onto the next platform. Velania followed her example without hesitation, accompanied by Sorrel. Glint hung back in case Laurel needed help, but eventually they both made their way towards the piece of debris, albeit much less gracefully than the younger adventurers.

They were jumping and skipping across the void. The building fragments were all at odd angles to each other, but it seemed to matter little. Whatever side they landed on provided both support and gravity for them to move on. As soon as they would turn the corner, up became down and down became up, sensation of direction disappeared, and there was no way of telling where they were coming from or going towards. They just floated forward in the endless darkness of space.

Velania took out a rope so that they wouldn't lose each other in the void. She led the way, skipping ahead with iron will and determination, her white robes flowing behind her like wings, like moonrise against the surrounding darkness.

Being the third in their arrangement, Glint didn't notice it immediately, but there were two figures ahead. One of them was Coll, held in chains, face and body contorted in pain. He was held by another figure, someone wearing a hood and having what looked like wings. The figure seemed familiar. They looked like someone's vague idea of a celestial, and were in the process of casting a spell.

Sorrel shot them on sight, embedding several arrows in their shoulder.

Glint stared at the figure. It wasn't an illusion, but wasn't quite there, either. It was… unreal.

Is this something you see or something you want to see? A tangible enemy to defeat and save the day? Wouldn't it be so easy?

The wizard's head was beginning to hurt from the strangeness of this place. Meanwhile, the figure turned, and hurled a javelin made out of lightning and light, back at Sorrel. At such a large distance, it was no surprise it missed.

"You'll have to come over to get me," she gave the figure a lopsided grin.

Glint was about to try and reason with both the figure and his own companions, but the figure looked like they were about to cast another spell at Coll.

The longer you hold out, the more people will get hurt.

Glint swore in Primordial under his breath, feeling the flame inside of him flare at the injustice. He contained it, materialising a lance of smoke and cinder, and hurled it at the figure. The lance hit, and the creature, whatever it was, went down in flames.

The chains holding Coll immediately fell, and he looked… at peace. The stones, large and small, started to coalesce, as if a new centre of gravity dragged them together across the vastness of the void. And that centre of gravity was Coll.

Walls began to grow around them like an enormous puzzle assembling itself. In several moments, they were in a large chamber full of people. One person stood next to a large lever. They pulled it, and outside the newly formed window, the landscape drifted downward. Everyone cheered. Bits of joyous and excited conversations were interjected by ovations. The scene seemed distant, distorted, like a tree reflecting in flowing water.

Glint raked his memory. What they've just witnessed didn't look like the initiation rituals he'd seen in gith's mind. Was it possible the gith got it wrong? But the flare of hope in his chest went out as quickly as it appeared, his brain providing a more suitable explanation.

"Seemed like a show ceremony," he projected almost unconsciously onto the telepathic link. "Gadenthor's maiden flight…"

The entire scene along with the audience dissipated, and so did Coll, fading away into thin air. Velania immediately took off, calling him, and tugging Glint and Laurel, who didn't untie themselves from the rope, after her. Zola and Sorrel were hot on her hills. At the edge of the now-repaired part of the city, she stopped and turned to the others, excitement written all over her glowing features.

"I've just seen Coll over there! He wanted to get to me, but was dragged away by a large dragon!"

"I also see a dragon!" Laurel pointed into the void. Glint followed the direction of their gaze, but didn't see anything.

Zola took out the twin blades and held them in an impressive stance. Sorrel notched an arrow, her lively eyes searching for a target.

"Wait a moment!" Glint raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Zola, you wanted to fly, and started flying… I materialised some cobblestones… This place responds to our thoughts! If we keep thinking about a dragon, that's what we'll get! Let's think about dragons as something harmless!"

Sorrel's brow furrowed as the ranger quickly processing the information.

"Let's think about the dragons as birds?"

"Or make them cat-sized?" Glint suggested.

"Don't think about the dragons," Zola said like a mantra.

Laurel gave a concerned sigh.

"I guess if some of us are thinking about birds, and some not thinking about the dragons at all, it might not affect anything. Glint, you seem to have a good idea of what to think about, maybe you can show it?"

Glint nodded, conjuring a minor illusion of a small pseudo-dragon almost automatically. He walked towards the edge of the abyss, holding his illusion aloft for the others to see like it was a torch or a beacon. He peered into the void. From the darkness itself, a huge dragon coalesced, flying right at them, holding Coll in its paw. It took all Glint's courage and then some to hold his ground. He could feel his friends behind him concentrating on his illusion, and after the longest moment…

The creature started shrinking, and ended up no larger than a horse. It hurled Coll into the nearest wall. He impacted heavily, leaving a dent in the stone. The wall started wrapping around him immediately, like the earthen grasp spell. The dragon dissipated in a flurry of dust and glitter, and instead of it, another cloaked figure appeared. It took out a large flaming sword and prepared to strike Coll with it.

Glint held up his new platinum-covered dragon scale, reciting the newest spell in his collection. A large shield appeared in front of Coll, blocking the fiery sword. Sorrel shot the figure, three arrows killing them immediately. They fell heavily on the ground, long red hair visible under the hood.

Immediately, another room reformed, as if an explosion took place in reverse.

"This is wonderful!" Distant voices said. "If we pour our minds into it, we can make the city even better!"

They saw people, magicians, sitting in chairs and wearing crystal crowns connected to the city itself through arcane apparatuses. A wall released Coll from its grasp, and he disappeared, along with the scene, just like the first time.

Glint frowned. An uneasy feeling in his chest and a tingling sensation in his spine set him on edge. 

An enemy to defeat and save the day. But whose enemy is that?

He overtook the party and turned sharply, blocking the others' way.

"Can't we think about what we're doing for a moment?" He asked, failing to keep the notes of panic out of his voice. "Look around. We're rebuilding Gadenthor! Don't you think that we might be helping the githyanki somehow?"

Velania gave him a stubborn look.

"These creatures are hurting Coll. I'm not going to let them."

"If this really is Coll… We don't know that!" Glint said. He looked into her eyes, and felt his heart break in a thousand pieces, each one hurting like a stab wound. She had hope, and he was taking it away from her. He swallowed painfully, disgusted with himself for having to be the one to bring it up. His looked from one of his companion to another, but none was showing much support for his words. He averted his eyes with a sigh. "Well, I guess… Only one way to find out," he winked at Zola with a sad smile.

The paladin walked past him, holding her sword in front of her, Laurel on her heels, casting some helpful spell or another. Glint let the others pass and dragged himself behind Velania and Sorrel. He briefly considered if that was how the pieces of stone drifting around felt after colliding with their neighbours.

Zola reached a structure with the dome on top of it, and manifested a door. They walked in quietly, but not trying to hide. There were three figures inside, wearing silver, green, and black cloaks, respectively. They didn't react to the adventurers walking in, concentrated on their task. Between them was a large column of light. Right in the centre stood Coll, bound by a chain. A lightning would pass through the chain now and again, each time causing Coll to contort in agonizing pain. Glint asked the figures to release their prisoner, but they didn't deign him with a reply, and didn't even seem to be aware of the party's presence.

"If we manifested the door, maybe we can get rid of the chain?" Laurel mused, and their face froze in concentration. A moment passed, and nothing changed. The Halfling looked up at the others and shook their head, a hint of disappointment in their eyes.

"I'll try," Zola said, pointing at the chain with her swords. Nothing was happening.

With a huff, Sorrel turned to Glint and shook him by the lapels of the jacket he wore over the armour.

"Come on, Glint, wreak your big brain and incinerate that thing!"

The wizard nodded, more terrified than actually agreeing. He stared at the chain, and felt the fire on his head spread to his shoulders and hands, similarly to how his mother's fire was.

The chain ignited like a trail of smokepowder, and dissipated into thin air. At that, the green and the black cloaks turned to them, and started running.

Glint's eyes were glued to the figure in silver. Enemies running at them at full speed – unpleasant, but he could deal with that. Enemies not even acknowledging they were there? That was properly scary.

He tried banishing them to the Astral Sea, but was too far away for the spell to work. Sorrel followed the direction of his gaze, and shot an arrow at the silver-cloaked figure. The arrow connected, its tip sinking into the flesh, but the figure didn't turn, didn't even flinch.

Zola ran up to the silver-clad figure and told them in a low, even voice: "I think you should start paying attention to me." She raised the twin blades, her magic turning her skin into a semblance of moonlight flickering across the dark sky, her eyes changing colours from amber to black sclera and red irises, and back to amber.

Laurel snuck forward, and attempted to dispel the cell holding Coll. Glint could see their magic wrapping around the light cage, but eventually dissipating as the holding spell appeared to be too strong even for them.

Velania shouted Coll's name and rushed to him, summoning her spiritual weapon as she ran. The crescent-pointed spear slashed at the silver-cloaked person, but even that did not persuaded them to turn.

The green cloak unfurled as the figure ran, and a wave of daggers flew at Sorrel, three of them connecting. As his friend staggered backwards, bleeding from her wounds, Glint felt the flame inside him coalesce in his fingertips as protectiveness fully kicked in, overshadowing his pacifism.

None of it is real. Just let it all burn.

And for the first time in years, he decided to listen to his subconsciousness. He raised his hand, letting the fire stream freely through his fingers. Five flaming bolts flew at the green cloak, four hitting their mark. As the figure in front of him went up in flames, Glint caught the briefest glimpse of their face. It was a human male, and looking too much like Coll not to be a familiar connection.

"Wait, I don't think we should kill them-" Two shots from the black-cloaked figure's crossbow caught him off guard. He managed to block one of them with his magical shield, but another would hit him in the eye if not for Sorrel's quick spell. As it was, it merely grazed his cheek.

He glanced at his saviour, and they exchanged a quick nod of gratitude. In a blink, Sorrel moved forward and shot at the silver figure. As another arrow embedded itself in their spine, they turned around, stumbling, and came face to face with Velania. The cleric froze mid-spell as she was staring at herself. The silver-cloaked Velania fell on the ground, dead, and dissipated in a whiff of glittery dust, as the real one was left standing in shock.

Zola turned to the black cloaked figure, and, with a single precise movement, stabbed them through. They fell backwards, revealing a face that also uncannily resembled Coll.

As the adventurers stared at each other, shocked into silence, the remainder of the city rebuilt itself. The light cage around Coll disappeared, and he walked towards Velania with open arms. To Glint's surprise, the cleric staggered away from her love.

"Where is he?" She asked sternly.

"Who?" Coll answered, but the voice didn't belong to him.

"Coll."

"The Magister is held in Interrogation Room One in the City-State of Gadenthor," came an emotionless, mechanistic reply.

Would you be able to recognise him? By a single glance, a single gesture?

Velania frowned, eyeing Coll's body with suspicion.

"Aren't we in Gadenthor?"

"This is a simulation."

"Are you… Gadenthor, then?"

"I am the central neural matrix of the City-State of Gadenthor. I am Xeron," came the same flat response.

"So was it your voice that Coll was hearing in his head?"

"It's possible."

"You were held by something…" Velania trailed off, still very unsure.

"Yes. Your help is appreciated. The integrity of the matrix is restored. During the transfer, parts of the Magister's subconscious were fighting back. Now, the transfer is complete," Xeron said. Glint could have sworn he heard some satisfaction in their tone. Not the dark satisfaction of an enemy, but a simple relief of a job complete. It still irritated him.

"Why did they look like real people?" Glint snarled.

Xeron's eyes rolled back in their skull for a moment, until they came back with a reply.

"According to the database, they took the shape of someone to whom the Magister had emotional attachment."

Glint's eyes flickered to Velania, but she didn't seem to react to this information, staring in shock at the creature in front of her.

"So, if you're complete, can you control Gadenthor?" Sorrel asked, giving Xeron a hopeful look.

After another consideration, and the eyes rolling back unnaturally, Xeron replied.

"I have the full access to the entire database of the City-State of Gadenthor. However, my authorizations for the controls appear to be changed. A manual override is possible in the Central Control Panel of the State-City of Gadenthor."

"Is Coll alive?" Velania demanded.

"The mind of the previous host of this body is safely stored in a crystal in Interrogation Room One that was re-designated from Simulation Room One-"

"But Coll's controlling Gadenthor!" Sorrel interjected. "You'll need to get to Interrogation Room One to get control of the city?" 

"No, I can do it through the manual override at the Central Control Panel."

"Wait, so you'll need to be…" Glint shook his head. "This body needs to be physically brought to Gadenthor for it?"

Xeron nodded, and the entire world was momentarily replaced with light as the entire party was rather unceremoniously thrust back into their physical bodies back on the Material Plane.

"What the hell?..." Oriloki trailed off as Xeron stood up from the chair and removed the circlet enabling the mind transfer from their head.

The adventurers quickly relayed the summary of their journey to Aurelia. They have just reached the part of Xeron's revelations regarding the Interrogation Room One when the matrix interrupted their haphazard tale.

"The beacon has been activated. Gadenthor now knows my exact location," they stated with the same tone of barely perceptible relief at the job well done.

Everyone in the room exchanged the same glance of doomed realisation.

"We're bringing him to Fort Ettin," Aurelia said in a tone that offered no space for arguments.

"The final stand," Zola nodded with understanding.

"At the current speed the City-State of Gadenthor will reach that geographic location in…" Another contemplative eye roll. "Approximately one week."

A heavy silence hung over the room...

Over the empty streets of Daring Heights...

Over the vast expanse of the dark void...