As he was wont to do, Icarus found his inquisitive nature driving him forth to an otherwise-unknown land. His mind was such that he sought to improve himself in all manners of combat, mysticism, and information. In this matter, he pursues finding more information of the residents and the lands to be found in the miasmatic tip of the continent. Others likely found it too daunting or perilous, given that, to his knowledge, none but gods had ever visited this land beyond the residents found there.

He had seen it while within the Void, a land cast in seeming darkness but lacking in the malevolent forces that often designed a curse of shadow upon regions. Indeed, his astral projection let him witness much within the world during his recent seclusion, including the recent events brewing between gods when they were outside their realms and the conclave. Icarus was certain the blessings of the Tree permitted them to see him while he watched from afar, but so far, none had given him a second glance. He was merely an observer, an outsider looking through figurative glass.

Stepping from the event horizon of the Gate he created, he placed the mask of his master on his face. Every time he saw it, he remembered the immortal Cain and felt a degree of sorrow and loss at the fact he had chosen to rest eternally to bind Obelisk to their original world. In that respect, he had granted all realities a boon. It was only due to this that all realities stood a fighting chance against the End of All; for, whenever he emerged, it was merely an avatar and nothing truly akin to the horror whose mere presence reduced all life to ash. 

Icarus looked down at his hand. He once felt divinity within his own world and knew there was no armor more effective in countering that ability. The gods here would either be ready when the time came, or he would be forced to establish a Gate at the cost of this new life to transport everyone he could to his home. It remained the only sanctuary from him due to the existence of two Trees and the strength of the Veil.

As he cast his view from a rocky pinnacle down into the swampy lands before him, he felt the surge of renewed vigor that often accompanied his adventures. For being a man rightly in his 60’s with the body of a 20-something man, these experiences were no longer normative. He would have to enjoy this because he did not know when he would have another feeling of euphoria such as this.

~She has others for this kind of work, why send one such as myself for this tedious job?!~

This thought, among similar, were running through her mind as she tracked down a few various plants. The six-and-a-half-foot tall female Wasp humanoid angrily buzzed her wings under her cloak as she reached down and carefully picked another bloom. This Sharifa placed carefully in a pouch with the others she had collected so far. Angela had asked her to gather the plants that were used for remedies and other medicines, probably having picked Shar more for her knowledge of Onnen than anything else. Sharifa was a scout and sometimes wet worker for Angela, so this duty was a bit beneath her, at least in Shar’s own opinion, but she would do it regardless.

Her second objective, should it come to that, was to make contact with the native Khantsi tribe and attempt to establish trace between them and Angela. This would allow Angela to easily send another of her people to Akan to retrieve new flowers a little easier from the locals. The Khantsi weren’t the kind to explore outside of their island home that much, so all trade with them had to happen on Akan itself. To have the locals gather up the flowers for them and then pay them in easily obtained good in exchange would expedite how fast they would get to Angela and her people. This was a job that Sharifa knew she had been sent for only because she was already a native of Onnen, being an Amhara and all, so the Khantsi would at least be more familiar with her than a human or something from Canelux.

Stepping into a spot of the trees that she could actually see through Sharifa stopped and looked around, her hooded head and cloaked body made it hard to tell what she was. Her solid black eyes narrowed as she glanced behind her, hm, interesting. She reached up and removed the hood from her head, exposing her angular features and antenna. Her soft black and gold down like fur around her neck and on her head as ‘hair’ had a bit of a shine on the light, as he did her black skin. It was hard to tell at the moment but Sharifa was also wearing her chitinous armour, and the tip of a sword sheath poked out and then from under her cloak.

Watching behind her for a moment longer she turned to keep going when her eyes caught something above her. Being an insect she was more apt to look up then some species. On a rocky pinnacle above her Sharifa could see a figure standing there. He was no native of Akan that much she could tell but that was all from here. Passing that off as the reasons she felt like she was being watched the Wasp woman flipped her hood back up over her head and continued to look for more flowers.

As harsh as the environment below promised, Icarus didn’t hesitate to enjoy the fresh air. The depths of the Void simply didn’t have fresh air as all the details found within the abstract realm were subject to the whims of those found therein. Minute differences in the consistency of fragrance, humidity, and temperature were subject to even the most subtle adjustment in perception. He had actually had a few instances in his experience there were he found the air so sweet, he actually vomited.

Here, if nothing was adjusted, nature simply provided air as is. Even better, it was far away from the overwhelming metropolitan lands he had experienced across Canelux. Sensing it would be best to scout the land before he chose to descend, he focused his six-foot frame into that of a large hawk through his polymorphic magic. His vision took a moment to get used to and he hopped around on taloned feet as he practiced balancing and providing lift with his new wings. 

Within the next moment or two, he was soaring down from the cliff and over the trees, activating his aura sense as he felt the strain of using multiple spells at a time. It wasn’t the heaviest burden, especially compared to his previous foray when he transformed into a stone-skinned monkey-man and had to continue draining enemies on the battlefield to support it. Still, Icarus had adjusted his mana attunement within the Void over the past several months to continuously charge him as long as he touched shadow, meaning now he was expending mana at a higher rate than he was replenishing. 

After soaring a few brief minutes, he caught sight of the life aura of someone or something reminiscent of the bug warriors he had previously faced in that excursion. Unknown to him, the insectile humanoid had already noticed him in his natural form, but perhaps not quite this polymorphed form. He came to rest on a sturdy branch overhead, cawing as naturally as possible and watching as she continued searching for something.

Icarus couldn’t quite figure out why this person was hiding beneath a robe, but the aura of her race was unmistakable. He only hoped that she was one of the more peaceful of her kind, if she was in fact related to his previous foes. Taking another chance, he hopped to a separate branch to get ahead of her and casually observe her further to take this opportunity to study.

The call of a hawk caught Shar’s attention for a moment and she looked up to see the bird watching her from a branch above. Watching it for a moment she shrugged and continued forward, again thinking that the bird watching her was the source of what the sense of being watched she was feeling. Finding another bloom that she wanted Sharifa collected it only to look up again to see that the hawk had moved to a branch ahead of her and was still watching. Narrowing her eyes the Wasp removed her hood and waved her hand at the bird as if to shoo it away. ”I’m not your prey, hawk.” Sharifa spoke and went to take a step.

But the hiss from behind her signaled that, perhaps, something larger thought she was prey. ~Shit.~ Sharifa turned around to see not one , but TWO large alligators moving towards her. She eyed them as they hissed again and took a couple more steps closer, these weren’t wild, she could see markings on their scales. Pets from the local tribe, great, if she killed them, even in defence, that would tank her chances of a talk. If she didn’t kill them in defence, they’d probably kill her unless their handler arrived before that.

One went to charge her but Shar flung a hand out and a snap of lightning snapped out and struck the ground before the gator. It hissed and backed up allowing Sharifa to popped her wings out from under her cloak and buzz into a tree. She hoped that the resulting thunder clap from the lightning would get the attention of the handler.

She looked around and saw the large hawk again. ”What are you looking at, bird brain?” She made a motion with her head like she was rolling her eyes, but since they were pitch black that was hard to see.

Icarus watched as the bug lady became confronted with a pair of large alligators from up high. His enhanced vision from his polymorphed form allowed him to see several markings on them. To him, they seemed to be guard dogs, of a different sort. He didn’t quite know what the capabilities of the other person were, but if they were somewhat talented, they had chosen simply to not engage the alligators for reasons unknown.

How curious, he thought while he contemplated his next course of action. Well, the drain on my mana is negligible here in the shade, so I have plenty in my reserves. I think I have just the thing.

Stepping a bit closer to the tree itself, he released the polymorph and returned to his normal physical form. Reaching into his bag as a minor gesture, he summoned his Staff of Feasting from the Void. As well trained as pets may be, a carnivore would never hesitate to enjoy a free meal. Focusing for a moment, he used the full power of the staff to produce only cooked meat of multiple varieties. Overall, it would feed roughly a dozen people with more than 50 pounds of food, but in this case, it might merely serve as a small luncheon for the two alligators below. 

”Well that was rather rude. I’m just an old hermit that likes to watch the world here and there. I’m unfamiliar with this land and figured it would be wiser to blend in than traipse about when there’s strange folks around,” he explained as he called out to the insect lady about ten meters away in another tree.

His legs swung down below him and he was thankful he picked a somewhat higher branch so the alligators wouldn’t have any inclination to try coming at him. After all, what good was preparing a feast if he was to become a menu item? With the same spell, he pushed the staff back down into the bag and returned it to the Void.

”Pretty sure that will tie them over for a bit. Some friends of yours having a row at you or are the locals letting pets off their leashes?” he asked with a chuckle.

Shar watched as the food appeared before the alligators, all meats that were cooked. Where had that come from?! Looking around she spotted the man in the tree about ten feet away just as he started to speak. He had to have been the bird from before! She watched him put a staff back into a bag, probably using some kind of spell, and at the same time the two gators started to show down on the meat that had appeared before them.

Turning in the tree to face him better the Wasp shrugged at his question. ”I think they’re a bit off the leash, as you say, probably pets for the locals that wondered off, but they do act as guards as well.” Sharifa replied. ”Also, I do apologize for calling you a bird brain.” She chuckled lightly and glanced back to the alligators again for a moment. ”I am Sharifa, I am, or rather was, part of the Amhara hive, or, Wasps, as you might call us.” She introduced herself. ”You said you are new to these lands? May I ask, where did you come from? You are in a rather isolated part of Onnen after all, are you looking for any place in particular?”

Icarus scratched his head, considering the word “Amhara”. It wasn’t a race he was familiar with, but if she were a member of the race he last fought a war against, he’d certainly remember the information. At her next question, he shrugged. He didn’t have a real destination planned ahead of when he actually came out here.

”It’s as you say, I’m new to Onnen and it’s perhaps best to say I’m from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Paradoxical, I know, but it’s perhaps the most accurate statement I can make,” he explained as he looked to the ground below.

A horn sounded in the distance and the pair of alligators began to stomp off. As they left, one let out a guttural hiss that more or less served as either a warning or a thanks for the meal. Icarus was of the mindset that it would be best to believe it the former while hoping for the latter. He casually looked back over to the Amharan.

”It’s actually a funny story. I sit around meditating at home for weeks or months on end at times and only come out when something catches my eye. In this case, it was just a land I’m unfamiliar with. I had no direction or purpose prior to passing through the veil with my gate. It probably would be a good idea to check in on some folks, I wonder if Angie is out trying to make people pregnant as a prank again…” he trailed off.

Indeed, Icarus had his connections among at least a couple of deities that he essentially left behind without really any notice. His ascetic pursuits the past two years were more out of necessity than want. Still, when he needed to help out against some calamity or other, he had a habit of chiming in and nudging a battle slightly toward an outcome he preferred. Overall, his intent to be a minor tipping force had worked thus far and the real purpose of this foray into the world was to see if he should return permanently from the Void. 

”Ah well, I may have gone on quite a bit. What brings you out here?” he asked as he sat down against the connection where the branch met the trunk.

Sharifa would have raised a brow at his answer if she had one to raise, instead she had her head cocked to one side in question. Everyone and nowhere at once? How was that possible? The sound of the horn caught her attention and Sharifa looked around from above as the gators moved on back to their masters. She still needed to visit the locals but that could wait until she knew more about this man. He continued on afterwards and what he said still made no sense to the Wasp, who wasn’t familiar with travel between worlds, like it he seemed to be implying happened to him?

The name Angie, however, caught Sharifa’s attention, that had the getting people pregnant as a prank. Sharifa knew someone that was capable of doing such a thing, she worked for her. But first she answered his question, carefully. ”I’m out here to visit the locals and make a deal with them on behalf of my, oh what’s the word you humans use… uh, benefactor, yes, that’s it. My benefactor is a healer and she wants easy access to the plants and herbs that grow in these swamps. I’m here to gather a sampling of what is out here for her, she’s not from Onnen, oh, the continent that you’re on now, but I am. I know the lands so I come here for her. I’ll get what I know the locals use for her test with and make a deal with the locals to have them gather for us instead. That way I can just come here, grab what has been gathered by them, pay and leave, instead of wondering the swamps as I am now.” She explained, seeing no harm in telling him what it was she was doing. It was no innocuous that she didn’t think anyone would seek to actively stop her from seeing the locals.

She paused a moment and went back to something he had said before. ”You mentioned before a name, a woman, I presume, you called Angie. She could make people pregnant as a prank? How is such a thing possible?” Shar paused and then realized she hadn’t given her name, nor had he for that matter. ”I am Sharifa, but if that proves too hard to say most call me Shar for short.” When that had started to happen when she had first moved to Sularia with Angela Sharifa had hated it, seeing being called by that short hand name as a mark like she was a pet or something. But now she had heard it so often and those she had told to stop had continued anyway, and she realized that they hadn’t meant to use it in any derogatory way, she had accepted it.

With no more than playful attention, Icarus continued to sway his legs back and forth while he listened. Sharifa was fairly intent on explaining her situation and business in a benign manner. She wasn’t giving up much information, merely enough to answer his question. Fair enough; he hadn’t been intending an interrogation, but there was likely at least value in identifying her “benefactor”. 

Although it might seem important to few, a healer intending to expand their inventory was always something of note. The more versatile a healer, the more useful their services and the more knowledgeable when it came to more… exotic afflictions. After all, the temporary schism he had experienced with the beast of the Void could have been avoided rather easily if he had assistance to suppress it. Instead, his consciousness had remained in the Void while his corpse ran around devouring the undead.

It took him nearly two years to summon it back and later merge with it to master the darkness as well as his own master. Overall, it was two years he needn’t have lost due to his lack of control. Fortunately, he had been able to overcome that adversity as likely no one else ever had.

At her inquiry of “Angie” and her introduction, he realized that perhaps not everyone was as versed on the pastimes of the “gods”. Indeed, it was a strange thing; understanding the Tree of this world was fickle and chose its servants on a whim. Still, it could have made worse choices, all things considered.

”Ah yes, Angie, Angela, ole Rosey herself. I’ve been out of contact, but at last I recall, she was chosen as a love goddess. Maybe life as well? I don’t remember, it’s been a while. Anyway, yes, she had a nasty habit of defying the conventional laws of reality with her power and occasionally made someone pregnant as a prank. It was absurd, but it fit in with my understanding of Rosenite pranks,” he explained.

”Alas, I digress. I haven’t even seen her since… well, since I wasn’t exactly myself. Perhaps ask her sometime about Icarus if she ever deigns to grant you an audience. You’ll likely have a laugh if you ask some of her daughters. Well, now that the pets have vanished, shall we bid adieu or would you like some help?” he asked, ready to go down whichever path his new acquaintance chose.

At his explanation of Angela the wasp almost face palmed herself four times over, of course it was that Angela. At his offer of help though she shrugged her top two arms. ”I don’t really need the help, but I’m not going to stop you if you want to tag along. The locals aren’t always as friendly with humans, so if you want to look around without being bothered too much going into their village with me is probably your best bet.” Sharifa explained.

A small grin appeared on Shar’s face. ”As for Angela, I shall ask her just that once I get back with the herbs I am collecting.” The wasp have a small chuckle. ”You are correct, Angela is Goddess of Life and Love. I am her… ambassador to Onnen, being a native and all helps, she brought me on board with her after the invasion attempt failed. I’m helping her make contacts throughout Onnen, such as what I intend to do today.” Shar left out the parts where she would also act as Angela’s sometimes wet worker when she wanted something taken care of but didn’t want her name attached to it. Sharifa was a spy and scout by training so keep to the shadows wasn’t something that was hard for her to do.

With that explained she looked back to the village and then to Icarus again. ”Joining me then?”