Chương 158: 55 - Meat Pies

"Do all the ruins look like this?" I ask, landing next to her.

"Not exactly like this, but the Ahuitl people were accomplished earth mages," explains Illiana as we start walking.

"Dryadil's swamp was not quite as large as it is today, but it still provided them protection, and they made it livable by pulling the bedrock up from deep in the ground."

"How come there are no actual ruins on top of the stone, though?"

"Dryadil thought they were ugly and destroyed them. There wasn't much to see up here, anyways. Most of their city was actually under ground." I frown, extending Food Sense downward. All I can sense is stone. No underground cities.

"How deep did they build?"" Very," says Illiana, jumping over a narrow canal.

"The Ahuitl weren't human. They were more comfortable below the surface anyways, and the world was better off for it."

"What were they?"

"Drow. A nasty people."

"That's kinda racist."

"Do you know what the drow are?"

"Aren't they just, like, dark elves?" Illiana snorts with laughter." Just dark elves. That line of thinking is how Elyria nearly fell." Damn, Abby, she's really racist.

"My database says that the dark elves are demon-blooded, so it may not be entirely false. You should ask more."

"What did the drow do?" I ask.

"Well, the drow were created by a particularly arrogant demon–""See?"

"–and are designed to be the opposite of true elves. True elves are a race of beauty and grace, and were given long lives so that they could master their crafts on a level deeper than any human or dwarf could. The gods wanted a race to represent the best parts of mortality, and create wonders that would last for an eternity.

"The drow were created by a demon to corrupt and defile. They do not create except for the purpose of destruction. They do not experience emotions the same way that the rest of the enlightened races do, being more similar to demons. They take pleasure in cruelty, and find joy in ruining the work of others.

"Three thousand years ago, they arrived on this continent from the mainland. The Elyrians had never heard of drow before, and welcomed them. They were treated with suspicion, but not openly shunned. Not at first.

"The drow are excellent at pretending to be normal, hiding their more sadistic urges from the other Enlightened races, and their creator imbued them with a gift for manipulation. Within half a century, they had infiltrated many of the continent's most important nations and organizations, rising to positions of power and using that power for their own purposes. By the time the Elyrians realized the scourge they had allowed in, it was almost too late.

"Eventually, they were driven here, to this very swamp, where they used the natural danger of the environment as a shield, and the threat of Dryadil's wrath if she was awoken violently as an insurance policy. They managed to survive here for another half century, plotting their revenge until they were destroyed by their own evil, after awakening something that never should have seen the light of day." Illiana glances up at me and smiles so innocently it's like she wasn't just talking about genocide.

"You look skeptical," she says.

"Well, yeah," I say.

"You're saying that there was an entire race of people that was just inherently evil?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Kinda."

"Interesting. Well, it may interest you to know that all drow are born with the Apathetic and Sadistic Traits. Apathetic makes them incapable of empathy, and Sadistic makes them take pleasure when causing suffering. It might also interest you to know that for the purpose of rituals and more esoteric tracking and identification spells, they register as demons."

"Hmmmm…"

"You still don't believe me?" asks Illiana.

"Well, you'll see if you ever meet a drow. They no longer exist in Elyria, but if you visit the mainland, you can still find small communities of them living deep in dangerous spawn zones, or even within Dungeons."

"I guess…"

"Ah, it looks like we're about here." I start paying attention to my surroundings, and suddenly notice that the ground and water are no longer the only things beneath us. A couple dozen meters ahead, there's a pit in the ground, and Food Sense can't see the bottom. It's covered by a large, thin stone, but beneath that, it's perfectly circular, with a spiral staircase carved into the wall leading endlessly down.

The stone covering it slots perfectly into the ground around it, but it's still pretty obvious where it is due to the perfectly circular ring of lichen growing out of the crack between it and the solid ground.

"So all the ruins have a big pit like this too?"

"Yes, and the cultists like to spend time in the ancient cities at the bottom."

"Why?"

"Remember when I said that the drow awoke something that never should have seen the light of day?"

"Yeah?" The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"The cultists believe it was a deity. A deity that was sealed away instead of killed, and that will reward them with wealth and power if they set it free."

"Huh." I look at the conspicuous lichen circle for a few seconds, then look back at her, narrowing my eyes.

"How do you know all this stuff?"

"I'm a people watcher, in your words," she says with a mysterious smile.

"I know a lot of things." Hmmmm… Okay, Abby, I think you're right. She's giving me some weird vibes.

"Well, you're the one who decided to come along anyway." Yeah, but that was only for the– Oh! The meat pies!

"So I guess we need to go down there too?" I say.

"Well, since there's no cultist activity up here, I would assume so. Are you ready?"

"Actually, I was just gonna say I think we should take a quick break. Maybe eat some snacks. We've been traveling for a few hours. I bet you could probably use some time to replenish your mana too, right?"

"My mana is alright, but I wouldn't mind a break. I actually brought snacks, if you want some."

"I never say no to a good snack."

"Well, I don't know if they're any good," she says, rummaging in the leather pouch at her hip.

"But I enjoy them." She pulls out a meat pie, and the scent of the mystery herb wafts up into the air. I successfully keep myself from drooling as she hands it to me. Her hand seems to move painfully slowly, but I remain polite, grabbing the meat pie delicately and waiting for her to get one for herself. Only when she takes her own first bite do I take mine.

"Mmmm…" I say involuntarily.

"You like it?" she asks, watching me with uncomfortable intensity. I finish chewing, making sure to savor the taste before swallowing and answering.

"It's delicious. Where did you get it? What's in it?"

"I make them myself, actually."

"You do? Do you have a chef Profession?"

"Something like that," she says.

"And that flavor you're tasting is called Dryadil herb. It grows within the body of Dryadil herself."

"Is it expensive?"

"Extremely." I look down at the meat pie in my hand, suddenly aware of how precious it is. If it's extremely expensive in Dryadil of all places, how much did that one bite cost? How much money is she just throwing around right now? She's giving this stuff away to stray cats? Illiana suddenly starts laughing and I look up at her in confusion.

"What?"

"Don't worry," she says, still chuckling.

"These meat pies aren't actually that valuable. I've heard you're an avid enjoyer of food, so you've surely noticed that the meat pie itself isn't anything special. And the herb… Do you want to know a secret?" I nod, and she leans in to whisper in my ear.

"If Dryadil is awake, and you ask nicely, she'll give you as much as you want for free." She leans back, and there's a expression on her face that looks like she's holding back a big smile.

"Why did you need to whisper that?" I ask.

"There's no one else out here."

"Well, secrets are meant to be whispered, aren't they?"

"I guess…"

"The point is, though, these meat pies cost me very little. I have more of that herb than I know what to do with. And more meat pies than I can possibly eat, so just let me know whenever you want another."

"I will definitely do that. By the way, how can you tell when Dryadil is awake, and how do you ask her for the herb?" Illiana shrugs.

"Dryadil's schedule is impossible to predict, and she rarely shows herself publicly, even when she is awake. She's a little shy, and doesn't like all the attention. But she can sense everything that happens in the swamp. There's always a chance she's listening. She could be listening to this very conversation right now." I glance around. There are no trees growing in this section of the swamp, but I can sense roots burrowing through the stone below.

I don't know if they're Dryadil's, but I don't know how many other tree's roots can burrow through solid stone, so it's probably a safe bet. I look back down at the meat pie, catching a glimpse of something faintly green in it. The herb is… interesting. I thought earlier that it tasted green, and now that I'm eating again, I think that description is about as accurate as it can be. If the color green had a flavor, it would be this. I can't think of a better way to describe it.

I think that it's probably a half step below the maligar fruit or the Interspace Tree Frog in terms of taste, but it's got an addicting quality to it that makes me want more. If Illiana told me this stuff was used for drugs, I'd believe her. Just seeing the meat pie has my mouth watering for more. I definitely want to get some of this herb, if possible. I glance up at her, and find that she's still looking at me while nibbling on her own meat pie. She seems to be waiting for something.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing," she says.

"No, you look like you're waiting for something."

"I was wondering if you were going to try talking to Dryadil right now."

"Should I?"

"It can't hurt, can it? What if she is listening right now, and you don't do it, and then she stops paying attention?"

"By that logic, shouldn't I be constantly asking her at all times."

"You could also do that."

"You just want to see me talking to myself."

"Maybe," she says with a shrug.

"And?" I don't really have a good response for that. It's not really that big of a deal, and she's right that it can't hurt. It still feels awkward to talk to someone I don't know is listening, but I clear my throat and try anyway.

"Uh, hey, Dryadil? Lady Dryadil? I don't know what you like to be called, but, uh, I think that your herb tastes really good. I would be, uh, really grateful if you could give me some of it. A lot of it, if possible…" I glance over at Illiana, who seems to be trying her best not to smile.

"Tell her that she's pretty," she suggests.

"She likes that."

"Are you messing with me?"

"Telling her she's pretty has worked before," she says with a shrug.

"Besides, who doesn't like being told they're pretty."

"But I don't even know what she looks like."

"Of course you do, silly," says Illiana, gesturing all around.

"This is Dryadil. This is her." She points behind her toward where the main tree rises above the treeline.

"That's also her. This whole place is her. You don't need to see her core to know she's pretty."

"I guess…" I say, eyeing her suspiciously. She's definitely messing with me, at least a little bit, but whatever. Screw it. I've already gone this far. If this gives me a better chance at the Dryadil herbs, whatever.

"By the way, Dryadil, you're really pretty," I say.

"I don't usually like places full of water like this, but this is probably the prettiest place I've ever been." I look over at Illiana again.

"Good enough?"

"I'm sure she would appreciate that, if she was listening." I nod, then go right back to my meat pie, not wanting to let it get too cold. We settle into a comfortable silence as we finish our meatpies, and then grab seconds, and for me, thirds. She doesn't eat a third, and while I could sit here eating these all day, it's probably not the best look. I can always ask for more later. So, after the third, I dust the crumbs off my shirt and turn my attention back to the pit.

"Alright," I say.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes. Let's go rob some cultists!"