Rebirth and Second Chances

Chapter 147: Saor City

Once I had the Sithern organized, with areas of unspoiled nature perfect for the proliferation of the Volar-fey, and clear demarcations between Court, office, and personal zones, I moved on to the hardest step, attempting to expand the Sithern to remove the limits of Underhill and to exceed the internal boundaries so that the Sithern enclosed the valley. I wanted to create a bubble dimension, a pocket of space that existed on both sides of Underhill. One that was contained within the boundaries of hill and sea.

I started by envisioning the city, creating zones. Business, homes, schools, and a harbor with a port authority. I thought it best to imagine a completed city, hoping I could extend the Sithern to create the harbor and dock. I wasn't sure any of this was going to work, but I was going to aim for the largest expansion I thought feasible.

I didn't want towering edifices of metal and glass; I was going for something more picturesque, something more in keeping with and homage the deep ties between nature and Sidhe that existed. We Sidhe appreciated and respected craftsman that were capable of creating works of art, it would be nice if my city to reflect that aesthetic. Certainly, I planned on modern affinities, but there was no reason that functionality couldn't be merged with beauty.

Instead of building up, I envisioned enclaves that burrowed deep. Buildings tailored to different Sidhe based on size. I refused to create Seelie and Unseelie division, those that wished to reside in this city would do so knowing their neighbor might be anyone, but I was willing to make concessions based on size.

Communities that were suited to Wisp, Abhaic, and Aziza were built with amenities and spaces that were tailored to their size.

I built the business district so that it encircled an open-air market, a place full of colorful stalls and room for carts. A place that allowed for craftsmen and traders to hawk goods and display their treasures. I placed the infrastructure for Blacksmiths, Tailors, Jewelers, and Carpenters, a city within the city that was geared toward the production classes.

I allowed the buildings to allow for some adaption. Those that purchased or rented them would be able to select from a drop-down menu that would allow for customization, an interface between Sithern and building. Access was severely restricted, I was worried about someone would find a way to hack that access and gain control of Sithern, so I set flags to immediately notify me if someone made the attempt.

The greenscape was abundant. I didn't use trees for buildings; the valley wasn't suited as a forest. The Sithern could have adapted the area and created the perfect environment for trees, but I decided to employ flowers. Fields and fields of riotous colors, every kind of flower that could be found on Talahm. A place for the Volar-fey, safely housed within the Sithern, to enjoy the freedom of open skies.

The final touch was Monarch House. The building that the residents, the World would identify with when thinking of me. I needed something majestic, but without the stark harshness of fortification. I had always hated Kel Keep. It was sturdy enough, having been built so long ago, but it was more utilitarian than functional or comfortable. I wanted something impressive and modern. Something without cold drafts and creepy emptiness.

The Sidhe were creatures of fairy, and I wanted a fairytale castle. It needed walls, towers, portcullis, baileys, and the subsequent support buildings, but things like moats, murder holes, and lists were useless. Honestly, the entire concept of using stone fortification and arrow holes for protection was a waste of materials, I decided. They would be easily breached or destroyed by a powerful enough Sidhe with even the slightest Earth affinity, and the Sithern had better defensive abilities.

Instead, I decided on a sprawling estate, a mansion with modern touches instead of Gothic opulence. I wanted clean lines, white marble walls and support columns, a grand entrance with a sweeping dual staircase that led to a second floor. The receiving room floor inlay would display my House crest, and furnishings would be robust yet elegant.

I wanted the shape of the main house to extend and contain two diverging wings, one for visiting guests and dignitaries, the other for staff. I envisioned a large fountain with the Statues and Shine that I'd created in CERN and dedicated to the Tuatha de Danaan placed before the entrance and taking pride of place.

It was an interesting mental endeavor, the fine details of constructing a city, government residence, harbor, and dock. Managing to keep the entirety in place, I used my glamour and illusion to share, shape, and save each aspect as I finalized the details. A three-dimensional model that was detailed enough that I could differentiate between each flower in bloom.

Once I was satisfied with the layout of the City and how the Monarch Estate looked came the hard part. How I was going to get the Sithern to stretch beyond the confines of Underhill and make real the miniature glamour I had created. I tried everything I could think of to get it to work, the closest I came to success was when I linked the bond between the Sithern and me with the small trace of power I had established with the glamour, the trickle of energy I supplied to keep it from fading.

The Duchess had been observing, but she had no helpful advice. Although, she'd been to the World Capital, so she knew what I was attempting was possible, she had no idea how it was done. It was Aspen and Pine that supplied the solution. That reminded me of the power of three.

Triangles are the most stable shape for building. They established a base that allowed the force to be spread out among the three sides. My attempts thus far had relied on a duality of connections, the bond between the Sithern and I, and the link between the glamour and me. I needed a third branch to provide enough stability that the Sithern would be able to counteract the dimensional restrictions, and enough force to maintain the structure.

Approaching the Celtic Knot that the Cernunnos had crafted, Aspen teased open that final knot that had been tied. Gathering the intertwined elements, she motioned for me to approach. "Try adding this," she said as she deftly transferred the energy she held easily, releasing control to me.

I connected with the construct that she and Pine had made and formed that energy into the third leg of my triangle. I linked the three disparate types of connections together, and it seemed to work. The idea hadn't manifested into a city, not yet, but it did seem to be the piece I was missing. At least this, once linked didn't fall apart or end in failure. The process was held in abeyance, waiting for me to take the next step.

I was still missing something, but I was tantalizing close to success. I could feel it, just the slightest nudge before the Sithern would expand and the city would be realized. Because I had three different threads of energy under control, I did the only thing I could think of and began to braid each thread, weaving them over, under, and around.

The air pressure reacted, like a soap bubble that had popped, the difference in pressure was balanced. The new atmosphere causing our ears to pop as our Eustachian tubes opened and returned our eardrums to normalcy.

The Sithern expanded, released from dimensional constraints of Underhill, to fill the Valley, merging with the glamour of the city I had modeled, enlarging until the images were superimposed and fit the dimensions of the Valley exactly.

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[System Notice: Sithern dimension expands - You have blended intent, intelligence, and power together. Would you like to set separate restrictions for the expanded Sithern and control features?]

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[Yes/No]

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