A month later a torus of magicicles had fully formed around the crystalline ring under the Magic Mill. It was a doughnut shaped dense cloud of magicicles that circled in time with the core. It also had begun spinning around the ring core as well. I'm not sure if that twisting around the ring has been caused by the axial tilt of the core, or from the up swell of magicicles from deeper under the mill. I was hoping that it might reach the point of producing liquid magicicle similar to the cyclones in my core. 

The tap was turning out to be a much more difficult endeavor. I had envisioned creating a fulgurite style siphon in the Mill stone that I could quit literally use as a straw. I could probably do so now but I'm sure that either the pressure around the core would explode up through the straw, or it wouldn't work at all. I was still thinking on it. 

It was becoming a concern as I was running out of internal power. Between "cooking" marbles for everyone to eat, zapping the de-rezz of monsters that wandered out of the fields, firing new obsidian blocks for Cupe, or the new voracious appetite of the cyclones I was soon going to be dry.  

Earlier I had placed some of the marbles from our patrol onto the mill stone. I was rolling one in circles beneath my palm as I thought about spigots, syphons and oil rigs. I was trying to break the habit of rubbing my nose as I thought, or the new, more embarrassing, habit of scratching my head that I had inherited from the monkey marble.  

“Sir Volk, the men are done clearing out the warehouses. Everyone is waiting on you.”- Nen 

I looked up from the mill stone and towards the door of the grain mill. Nen was standing with her hands crossed in front of her and wearing a martyred look. I smiled. 

“Was I standing here too long?”- Me 

“That depends on if you have solved your ‘tap’ problem.”- Nen 

I walked towards the door on the insulating pavers that I had placed on the floor. 

“No. My ‘tap’ problem is still without a solution.”- Me 

Nen stepped out of the door as I approached, and reset her sling. 

“Then standing there again tomorrow might be long enough.”- Nen 

Sooty was standing at guard while Cupe and Trasig were discussing something over a long piece of wood that Trasig was holding. The two seemed to be fairly engrossed in their latest project as only Sooty noticed as Nen and I approached. I winked at Sooty as a big grin spread over my face. 

“See Nen. It is not just me that gets caught up in their projects.”- Me 

Cupe looked up, her cheeks blushing. Then her eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed my impish grin. 

“I assume that if you have time to comment on other’s work, then you have time to be firing more obsidian blocks for me.”- Cupe 

-Opps, I guess I shouldn’t have poked this particular bear. 

I quickly wiped the grin from my face as I looked away from the bear's cold stare. 

“Ah yes. That might have to wait. I was thinking that we should check on the copse of trees that is down-river a way. Maybe we will get lucky and find some new materials to use.”- Me 

-And I totally did not add that last part to distract Cupe, and save me from firing yet another block of retched black glass. 

Cupe’s eyes narrowed just a slight bit more. 

“Sooty, if you would take the lead, please.”- Me 

Sooty turned and caught sight of Cupe’s narrowed eyes, and hastily lifted his sword to his shoulder and started walking. 

“Yes Sir.”- Sooty 

I quickly followed. 

We walked along the gravelled road past the tannery and out of the town. Sooty and Trasig dealt with the pair of goblins that attacked from the grain field on the left while I kept an eye on the river to the right. The girls kept their slings ready.  

While I was zapping the disproportionally large black whirlpool that goblins always leave, Cupe and Nen’s slings started to whistle. I looked up in time to see two sling stone streaking down the road, to end with a sickening crunching sound as they impacted in a humanoid shape that had stepped out from the trees ahead. The warthog headed ork howled in pain, one of the stones had mangled it’ snout, while the other had left a dent in its chest. Sooty grabbed Trasig’s shoulder as he was about to run down the road. 

“Wait till the girls are done. You don’t want to get in their line of fire.”- Sooty 

Trasig nodded and stopped. 

“Cursed orks! They should all be killed!”- Trasig 

The howling ork’s cry seemed to rise in time with the rising whistle of the girl’s slings. As the ork recovered and stepped forward, the next two stones streaked down the road. It blocked one from its face with its arm, while the second impacted on its left calf. The ork fell hard to the ground as its leg was knocked violent out from under it.  

I abandoned the goblins and hurried back to the girls. 

“Cupe, Nen! Move closer to the river then fire when it gets back up. Sooty take Trasig on the left!” – Me 

Sooty dragged Trasig with him along the edge of the grain field as I moved the girls of to the right of the road. 

“One more shot when It gets up, then leave the rest to the men!”- Me 

I called out loud so Sooty could hear me as I ordered the girls. The rising whistle of the girl’s slings soon started again as Sooty and Trasig jogged aloud the field line, quickly approaching the tree line and the screeching ork.  

“Now!”- Me 

Two more stones impacted on the ork as it was trying to get up while protecting its head. The ork fell back to the ground as Sooty and Trasig sprinted the last bit of distance. Trasvig screamed as he brought his wooden sword down on the prone ork. Sooty slowed and kept an eye out as Trasig repeatedly attacked the squealing form. The results were mercifully hidden from my sight by the tall grass.   

“We should catch up, just keep the slings ready.”- Me 

I motioned the girls to follow as I started down the road.  

When we arrived, Sooty had his hand on Trasig’s heaving shoulder, having stopped his frantic beat-down of the ork. Traig looked both tired and relieved. 

I zapped the ork’s de-rezz after I asked the girls to keep an eye out. 

“I saw what these things did during the war. It was horrible. I lost count of the villages that we saw after these rabid beasts had passed through.”- Trasig  

Trasig put his sword down and as he kneeled down, he started to sob. 

“So many people in those animal’s stew pots. So many small bones.”- Trasig 

I was a bit too vigorous with my application of lightening as I listened to Trasig sob. The pale bead that floated off into the trees was very small and dull. 

-Dirty pig should be thanking me for saving it from being devoured by its own black whirlpool. 

I picked up the silvery marble that was left behind, and handed it to Trasig. 

“Here. Keep this till you're ready to get a little of your own back.”- Me 

-And we’ll totally ignore the whole ‘Who’s is eating Who? 

I looked into the forest as Trasig picked up his sword and stood, the marble clenched in his fist.  

Cupe swished her skirts a bit and spoke up, changing the subject. 

“Are these the Phantom trees you have talked about?”- Cupe 

I shook my head no. 

“You’ll know what I’m talking about if you ever see it. These are just plain ordinary deciduous trees, probably left for harvesting firewood or a tame preserve for the lord to hunt in.”- Me 

Sooty nodded. 

“I heard that the Lord would hunt grouse and small game here when He was in residence.”- Sooty 

“My husband would complain that the Reeve would play favorites and only some of the craftsmen were allowed to harvest trees here.”- Cupe 

“It is sad to hear that my lord’s grandson was such a poor judge of character.”- Sooty 

During our evening talks, Cupe and Sooty had learned that the Lord from Sooty’s life was the grandfather of the Lord from Cupe’s life. 

-Nicely proving my theory that the after-life’s time line is not concurrent with the living world. Now the next question; Is the after-life a single point with no time-line, or does it touch the living world in a non-sequential manner. Like two strings all mixed and tangled into a rat’s nest? 

“The living use of the forest aside, let’s do some exploring and see what we can find for it.”- Me 

The copse of trees turned out to be a small forest, mostly clear of underbrush, and made up of a mix of hard and soft wood trees. It was also inhabited by a large population of small aggressive critters, from the multitude of rabbit types, to the always present goblins. As we travelled deeper the trees got bigger and the travelling got rockier. We passed several meandering streams, wild flower speckled meadows, and deeply shadowed dead falls. We had already filled one of our baskets with marbles when a comment from Nen caused us to stop. 

“Sir Volk. I think I found your Phantom Forest”- Nen 

She was pointing towards small rise just visible through the forest. A large translucent tree was refracting the light, sending rainbow-coloured beams through the forest surround. 

“That would be it. Everyone please be on alert, Phantom trees mean large monsters. Sooty if you could take the lead again.”- Me 

-I don’t know if I should be happy, or not, that there is a Phantom Forest on this side of the river. Not to mention that I didn’t want to expose the others to this level of danger yet. 

I reset the gold needle marble in my hand and looked to see how much free magicicles I had available. 

-I pretty bare. I should’ve been more conservative with zapping the de-rezz’s on the way here. Now I’ve pretty much painted myself into corner. I’m going to have show everyone how I recharge my magic. 

A glittering caught my attention. As I looked closer a could make out a faint crystalline tail trailing behind one of the ‘planets’ that was orbiting my core. 

-I’ll have to look at that closer later. 

I followed Sooty’s steps deeper into the forest.  

….. 

The trees parted to revel a large pond backed by a 5-meter-tall rock escarpment crowned by a huge phantom oak tree. 

-It’s like a fantasy drawing, just missing the dragon sleeping around the tree. 

The others followed me out to the slightly rocky shore of the pond, captivated by the scene. A giant stag that I had failed to notice was standing by the pond. It bellowed loudly once, then charged off into the trees, sending a wave of similarly unnoticed animals scurrying into the forest. As we paused, boots crunching in the pebbles, several pale beads of light floated across the pond, up the escarpment, and merged in to the phantom tree above. 

-Looks like there is only the single tree and it seems to work the same as the ones in the forest. I hope it has a few phantom plants accompanying it that I can use to charge. 

I heard the girl's breath catch as more pale lights moved from the tree line to dance across the pond, and eventually follow all the previous beads up and into the prismatic tree. 

“So, this is where all the little lights fly off too.”-Sooty 

“They always seem to head for the nearest phantom forest, or I should say, the nearest phantom tree.”-Me 

I ran my thumb along the bridge of my nose as I stared up at the translucent giant Bonzi shaped oak. 

“This is the first one I have seen by its self. I wonder how it differs? Hmm.”-Me 

“It is very pretty here. It feels so very different from when I was alive.”-Cupe 

My thumb stopped, as Cupe’s comment paused my contemplation. 

-I really just take these things as a piece to fit into a puzzle. Have I lost the ability to see the wonder, or am I taking all of this as just a game, or story, that I’m part of? 

“Is that our Fate, Sir Volk? Too lose all that was gold and silver from our lives, and what is left will dance in the air till we pass through one of these trees and onto a new life?”-Nen 

I nodded. 

“I think that is essentially what happens. We shed all of our grey memories, and our form. The Gods reclaim the gold they shared onto our lives, with a bit of the silver power we accumulated. The black miasma that invaded us eats everything it can before it forced to return to its masters. Lastly, our pale soul carries whatever silver glitter is left. Traveling off to the Phantom trees, and into what I suspect is the sea of magic that leads back to the living world.”-Me 

More pale beads floated by as everyone, lost in their thoughts, watched the scene. 

“It seems so unfair.”-Nen 

“It does seem kind of disheartening that our souls aren't much different than all the monsters.”-Sooty 

“No. I meant that even in death we pay taxes in silver.”-Nen 

Our abrupt laughter scared off the last of the small critters away from the pond. 

….. 

I followed behind Sooty, slightly off to his right, as we slowly crept toward the phantom tree. We had spent awhile finding a way through the forest, and up to the top of the escarpment. Our travel had been complicated by the annoying tenacity of the under growth, and the increase in the number of encounters with aggressive critters.  

-Are they more aggressive because of the phantom tree, or do they travel towards the phantom trees as they get more aggressive? 

Sooty’s blade cut through the air, ripping through the underbrush, to end with a thud in the side of a rabbit. It barred its fangs and tried to drag its crushed body towards us, digging it’s oversized 4cm long claws across the ground. Sooty cracked it over the head with a short swing, sending the gardeners nightmare into de-rezz. 

Sooty scowled and stage whispered. 

“I hate forest work. Can't get a good swing with a proper weapon.”-Sooty 

I ignored the snort that probably came from a frustrated Cupe behind us. Neither of the women could even think about using their slings in this brush. 

-Ok idiot, focus. Speculating later. Creepy, hungry, aggressive monsters now. 

I indicated to Sooty to continue moving. As we approached the phantom 4-meter-tall bonzi shaped oak, the under growth thinned out, making our travel a lot easier. The forest ended 10 meters from the escarpment edge, leaving an open clearing around the phantom tree bathed in the rainbow hued light filtered through the oak’s translucent leaves. Phantom mosses and shrubs filled in the spaces between the jumbled boulders that the tree roots covered.  Pale beads floated in a swirl amongst the Bonzi’s twisted branches, seemingly dancing in joy, before merging into the tree’s heavily ridged bark. 

“Looks like it’s just the one tree and small amount of under-growth making up this Phantom Forest. I hope that means no large sized monsters.”-Me 

I contemplated the clearing ahead. 

“Lots of room to swing, but the footing is really bad.”-Sooty 

Sooty’s head scanning left to right, then looking down at a loose, fist sized rock he nudged with his foot. We continued to crouch, basking in glow of our wise caution. 

“Oh, for Life’s sake, will the two of you move!”-Cupe 

Cupe prodded us from behind. I rolled my eyes at Sooty, then stepped out into the rock-strewn clearing. Sooty snorted and followed me, allowing the girls to move off our crudely blazed trail. As we moved around the clearing, I soon came to appreciate Sooty’s comment more. Walking around on the loose, uneven ground was a pain. I kind of half climb, half walked my way closer to the phantom tree, and consequently, the escarpment’s edge. 

“The view is quite nice, too bad getting here is so annoying.”-Me 

-I was hoping to find safer access to re-fill my magic. Looks like this would be trading safer for hard to get to. 

“Sooty. If you and the others could keep an eye out, I have some business with the phantom tree.”- Me 

Sooty nodded, and took a good position to cover access from the forest, while Cupe and Nen got their slings ready.  

-I didn’t really want to reveal this part to the other just yet, but we’re here, and I don’t doubt that Nen has already pieced together most of how this works. I’m going to have to find her a good magic related marble for her soon, or she’s liable to experiment on her own. 

I shuddered at the thought of any one ever being exposed the life of a lizard mage, even second hand. I wobbled and hoped around the torso sized boulders at the base of the phantom Bonzi, till I found a blade of phantom grass that was pointed in a safe direction. Looking up I caught Nen paying more attention to my antics than keeping an eye out for danger. 

-As I thought. Better show off all of the precautions while she’s peeking, and explain the why later. See if she gets that “Oh, that’s why he did that” moment, and the reinforced impression it will bring.  

I rammed the chosen blade of grass into my hand, and started opening holes with the crystal drill. Magicles started to stream out of the holes, slowly spreading out to fill the near empty space. 

-This is going to take too long. These smaller grasses really can’t allow the volume through that the shrubs can. When the holes close, I’ll move to something larger. I can explain to Nen the differences when she asks why later.  

I waited for the grass to seal closed as I amused myself plotting how play the wise teacher.  It didn’t take long before I moved to a mid-sized plant with a conveniently pointy branch aimed in a safe direction. Again, I made sure my actions were a bit exaggerated, if not obvious, for the audience. I inserted the branch into my hand, and started drilling holes. The magicicles started to flood out in a strong stream. 

-I wonder just how strong the flow from a phantom tree is? 

I inadvertently bonked my lightening marble against my nose as I was contemplating the phantom Bonzi’s branches above my head. 

-I really have to do something about this “getting lost in thought” habit of mine. 

I refocused on the stream on magicicles, and getting them moving towards my crystal core. The thickening haze was starting to be pulled into a spiral by my cores pull, and a fair bit of nudging on my part. I must have been concentrating hard as I didn’t hear anything till Cupe screamed. My eyes flew open, as I turned to where Cupe had cried out. The others had also turned at Cupe’s cry, and were looking with surprise towards the escarpment's edge where she was pointing. 

-Damn, I assumed that any danger would be from the forest! 

I quickly turned my head to see a gigantic, translucent tube rising over the rocky edge. 

“Wha...”-Me 

“It’s a Water Fiend!”-Sooty 

“What's a...”-Me 

“Disgusting leach!”-Cupe 

Cupe’s sling whirled, launching a stone at the translucent tube. The stone’s impact made a disturbing wet suction sound, as it pierced into the creatures hide. I could make out the stones shape through the creature's skin, along with many more objects trapped in a similar fashion. I started to push magicicles into the lightening marble as I raised my free arm. A second stone impacted into the creature’s thick skin was followed by a frustrated cry. I could see Nen flailing around, having rolled her ankle on the loose footing as she fired her sling.  

“Damned Rocks!”-Sooty 

Sooty was also having a hard time, trying to move past the girls towards the edge.  

-Did this thing just appear, or was it hiding in the pond bellow? 

My leader from the gold spiked marble landed on the creature's side, followed by a crackling blue arc. The lightening seemed to splash and spread over the Water Fiend’s skin, leaving charred black lines radiating from the strike. A second arc snapped shortly after, leaving a new set of black lines. The end of the Water Fiend split open like a mucus coated flower bud reveling a mass of withering pseudo pods. One whipped toward the clearing, sending a glob of fluid flying, passing by a stone fired by Cupe. The glob slammed into a rock near where Nen had fallen, then started to fly back towards the Fiend’s mouth caring the head sized stone. Nen Screamed and started to scramble back, and I could see Sooty trying to madly make his way to cover her. As I landed my next leader, I notices a long glint of light from the flying rock towards the pseudo pod that fired the glob. 

-It looks like a spider web! It fires a glue ball at prey, trailing a line behind, then reals it back in to eat. 

This time I poured a steady stream of magic through the marble, tracing a long arc of charred skin across the Feind’s side. It withered then fired more globs towards the clearing, fortunately only hitting rocks and shrubs. 

-I don’t think I’m really doing any real damage. My lightening is only playing over its skin, and not penetrating. Seems to be screwing up its aim though. 

I tried to draw as many magicicles as I could from the shrub that was still in my right hand, but that was going to be a lost cause soon, as the holes were closing up. When it looked like the creature had gained its balance again, I fired off another long arc of blue lightening. Another stone whizzed past and into the Fiend’s hide. 

-I'm going to run empty really quick, no time to draw from the ground, neither Sooty or Trasig will be able to reach it with their blades, and the girls' slings can’t do enough damage!  

I fired again as Sooty reached Nen, helping her to stand. Cupe’s sling was a constant blur. I looked around for a way out of this, my eyes stopping on a pointed branch end of the phantom Bonzi. 

“Goblin Shit! I need more power!”-Me 

-This is not a good idea! 

I fired off a short lightning strike, all that I could muster, as the Water Fiend lobed a new barrage of sticky globs. Luckly none landed on anything but the rocky ground. 

“Sooty! Grab the girls and retreat!”-Me 

I ripped my right hand off of the shrub, stood up and slammed in onto the branch I had spotted before. I started the crystal drill without my customary caution, I pushed it hard against the branches bark and wrenched it sideways ripping a huge gash across its surface. A massive tide of magicicles surged out of the gaping wound, hammering down my arm and formed a roiling sandstorm like cloud engulfing my core. 

“ARRRH!”-Me 

The massive flood sent pain pounding into my mind, causing me to lose peripheral vision and any idea what was happening to my companions. I managed to hold my sight on the Fiend, and more importantly, enough control of the massive flood raging through my body to push magicicles into my gold needled marble. A new line of snapping blue raced over the Water Fiend's skin, leaving behind burst charred flesh. Followed by a second even stronger bolt. I augured the crystal drill across the branch again, pulling an even greater flood of magicicles through me, past my core and down into the lightening marble. 

-My head is splitting open, but I have to give Sooty time to get everyone away! 

I could feel the gold needle marble starting to crack as I pushed a third massive arc through it. The Water Fiend’s hide was flayed open where the arc passed, and I could see that the lightening was starting to reach the inner layers beyond the creature's thick skin. I landed a leader into one of the deep wounds from my previous bolt, and immediately released another massive arc deep into the rent flesh. I felt the marble shatter from the strain, shards lacerating my fingers, but I didn’t pay it much mind as I watched the Water Fiend shudder and shake. 

-Yes! I got through. Now I'm going to fry you till you run back to your next mommy! 

I twisted the magicicles around my left hand and concentrated on landing a new batch of leaders on the smoking Feind. Once the leaders were placed, I shifted my concentration back to the “twist” around my left hand. I focused on the image that was captured in the gold needled marbles, trying to picture in surrounding my hand, the gold needle now between my fingers. Then I pushed. For a brief moment I’m sure I saw the complex shape appear around my hands before a blinding blue lightning bolt blew into the Water Feind’s side. Blue ethereal flames burst from the charred scars that marred it’s hide. The pseudo pods whipped, and bent at odd angles as the Fiend’s body stood rigid, barely shivering till it seemed to still, and turn the grey of de-rezz. 

“Chicken! You could have stuck around longer!”-Me 

I dropped my numb left arm with relief, and was about to turn and look to see where everyone else had gotten too when I was hit with a new wave of pain. I quickly focused inward, only to see a wall of dense magicicles, completely blocking my sight. Looking at my right hand I could see lines of white light spreading over my skin. 

-Oh. That can't be good. 

I could see that the end of the branch wasn’t closing up, it was breaking open wider as I watched. 

-Last time it was that bear that welded me to a tree, now I’ve gone and done it to my-self.  

I watched as the branch blew apart inside my hand.