Mage Wall – The split between worlds (Breast/butt expansion story)

From across the room Abigail stared into the elders eyes. All three of them. Two in the normal place eyes were supposed to be, and a third one in between. Each a red orb pierced with a black center, all boring into her own. She hated it. Like she was staring into the eyes of some sort of monster looking for a meal.

But she suppressed her revulsion with a frown. A slight one. Too small to really mean any offense. Especially in a room so dark, where she could barely see her own hands or Calad sitting next to her.

And as she looked at him, as he stared at the elder, their eyes meeting at the same time as hers, she realized that something was very wrong here. 

The watchers, who escorted them here, they were gone. The room was empty, save for just them. Or at least, as far as she could tell. Which left them with a seemingly perfect chance to escape. All they'd need to do was knock out the elder - he looked pretty frail - and escape out the window behind him. 

They were fast enough to outrun, or at least lose, the watchers in the forest. Calad certainly was, and she was no slouch either. 

It was a perfect plan.

Thwarted by two little details.

One, the watchers were capable of invisibility. They were still probably in here somewhere. Two, the elder looked frail but for all she knew that could be an illusion.

Both were issues that might not even be true, though, so there was also that to consider. So for now, while she waited for the elder to either speak or order their death, she began to consider. Analyzing the room for any more weaknesses, anything else she may not have noticed.

And as she was in the middle of doing so, eyeing the strange design of the floor, the elder spoke.

"Human. Tell me, where did you come from? How did you get here? Why are you here? Answer or perish."

Abigail didn't. Every instinct in her body was telling her not to. It was common sense not to. He was a stranger, just had her kidnapped, and called her 'human' - and not in the normal way. There was no way she could trust him.

So, she shut her mouth and tried to think of something quick.

Calad was quicker.

"Not sure she can answer that chief. For as long I've known her she's been a bit... Absentminded. If you know what I mean."

"And how long have you known her?"

"Long enough to get an-"

"So you can't say for certain than can-"

"I fell through a portal. And I'm pretty sure it closed behind me. I'm here cause I need to get to the capital, and really I just wanna go home. Is that good enough?" 

The elder blinked all three of his eyes. Then he stood, paced around a bit, and sat back down. Closer this time, only a few feet separating them. 

Close enough that she could see the red of his eyes. The black edges that they swam in, piercing into her own.

"Where did the portal come from? Tell me and I shall let you go."

"Uhh... I'm not entirely sure. A... A friend of mine accidentally made it and..." She didn't know what else to say, or how to say anymore and keep her mentors existence a secret. But an answer was clearly expected. Something more. So she let her tongue move on it's own, unsure of where it would take her.

"... And I don't know if he can make another one." A mistake, realized as the elders face lit up with a sly grin.

"So your friend is here, on our side of the mage wall with you?" He asked, question too close to everything she wanted to avoid answering.

Again, Calad came to her rescue.

"Maybe. I think he's dead."

Or he tried. Words biting like vipers into her side. The urge to immediately deny the idea rising up, only to be suppressed just as quick. Instead she frowned a little and kept silent. Waiting to see how the elder reacted.

He saw through it.

"But you don't." He said to her, leaning in close. "You think he's still alive and your looking for him, am I correct?"

Reluctantly, Abigail nodded. "My friend isn't one to go down easy. Or quietly."

Thoughtfully, the elder did the same. "... As promised I will let you go. You have told me all I need to know and you don't seem... As evil as I was led to believe." Then, with a shout in some tongue Abigail didn't speak, he called the watchers back.

Four of them appeared out of thin air behind him, Wulren amongst them. All of their eyes cast toward the ground as they bowed to their elder. Who regarded them with a steely gaze.

"They may go. Give them a map and lead them out of the village." He said, and they nodded.

Then, just as quick as before, they teleported behind her and Calad, holding the door open. 

And as sunlight from outside blasted in, allowing her to finally see the room in full, Abigail stood and walked past them. Out into the village proper, taking a moment to give it a once over. And again she saw a marvel of limited engineering. A sight that she enjoyed for a few seconds more before the watchers started toward one of the many hanging tents.

Together with Calad she followed them, climbing up several massive trees. Each one a miniature town in its own right. Hosting several families that stared at her as she passed them by. Some selling wares to their neighbors. Both strange and familiar.

Blocks of wood carved into heart shaped effigies. Bows and blades for hunting. Meats both red and purple. Necklaces made of scales and teeth. And one of them was selling a wooden stick inlaid with a pristine red jewel. 

It was Esbern's wand. 

Abigail recognized it as soon as she laid eyes on it, and immediately changed course. Hopping down to it in a single leap off of one of the branches they were ascending. Ignoring the frightened looks some of the elves were giving her as she walked towards the elf selling the wand.

And when she got to his little stall built into the tree, slamming her palms down on its surface, she tried not to let her rage get the best of her. Resisting her first instinct to grab him by his shirt and ask how he got it.

Instead, gentle as a child, she asked him politely. "Where did you get that?" 

And his eyes were locked onto her still wobbling chest.

So, she asked again, less gentle this time. "Where'd you get that wand?"

And he looked up at her, making brief eye contact before his gaze - almost naturally - started to fall lower. A descent he stopped before it could reach its target destination.

"Uh. I, uh, um, I bought it from a, a guardsmen that passed through here not too long ago. Yeah."

That was a start. 

But right as she was about to ask for more details, a hand fell on her shoulder. It was heavy, calloused, and it's grip firm. Pulling her back from the stall and turning her around. Where she was greeted with Welrun frowning down at her. Brows quirked, as if he was waiting for a response.

"That... Wand, it belonged to my friend." Was the one she gave.

And for the watcher, it seemed to be enough. Prompting him to bark something at the - still staring - merchant. Who gave him the wand, only for him to give it to her and then usher her onward.

Upward, toward their original destination.

And when they reached it, quickly stepping inside, Abigail found her gaze stolen by an array of maps. Each varying in size and displayed geography. Showing routes in and out of the forest. All of it written in some tongue she didn't speak.

Fortunately, Calad did.

"This one." He said, pointing at a map in the far back of the tent. "How safe is this route?"

"Trine forest is never safe." 

"Yeah, but comparatively?"

"It's safe." Welrun interjected. "Safer than the route you were originally taking at the very least. Now grab it and let's go."

At that, Abigail breathed a sigh of relief. Inwardly. Then she followed the watchers right back out of the tent. Admiring Esbern's wand as she went. Taking in the beauty of it's craft. From the smoothened wood etched with runes, to the red jewel that served as it's heart. 

She could literally feel power radiating from it. Almost like it was a living thing all it's own.

A gift. And one that Esbern would never willingly part with. 

She pocketed it down her sleeve. Eyes leaving the wand and refocusing on the path in front of her. On the village as they left it behind, and taking a moment to look on it once more.

Eyeing the spiring tree that housed the elder, and smaller giants orbiting it. Each leafless trunk hosting a small community. The village spreading both outward and upward. 

It seemed like a good place to live. At least, based off what she saw. Still, despite that impression, she was somewhat glad to leave it behind. Like it was a quick resting stop. 

A temporary stay, to stop and refill. Or in her case, get interrogated and do a little interrogating of her own.

And with it behind her, she dove back into the forest again. Kicking off a tree, hearing a branch snap off of it, and bouncing toward the watchers. Who were all gathered at the edge of the villages territory, standing behind Calad. 

Who, himself, was staring down at the map in his hands. No doubt trying to decipher it. Bore into his memory for, either the trip back, or the next time he'd have to cross through here.

Which, when she thought about it, seemed like an awfully good idea. One she kept in the back of her mind as she approached the assassin. Stopping behind him as he tore his eyes away from the map for a second.

"Ready to go?"

She nodded. And tried to ignore the motions that followed, ripping through her chest. Off sync with her head. 

"Whenever you are."

He nodded back, putting the map away as he did. 

And then they were off, dashing through the trees along the route provided to them. And as they went, Abigail couldn't help but feel like she was finally making progress. Getting closer to her goal. That'd she'd see Esbern soon enough.