The Newt and Demon - Book 8 Chapters 31,32,33 (Patreon)

Chapter 31

Tripping

The sound of an engine stalled to a stop, shuddering a few times before going silent. Next came a door slamming closed, followed by the sound of hard-soled shoes echoing across the concrete. A key turned in a lock next, and then the door opened. Loosening her tie, she stepped into the house as a wave of exhaustion washed over her.

“Honey, I’m home!” Tresk shouted.

From deep within the bowels of the home came a familiar voice. “I’m in the living room,” it shouted back. A smile spread across Tresk’s face. Another day was done, and they were waiting for her. She walked through the home, popping off her dust shoes and hanging her jacket by the door. The sensation of the shag carpet under her toes was amazing. She found her family in the living room, sitting on the floor and playing a board game.

“Jimmy!” Tresk shouted, kneeling and holding our arms open. The purple-pink marshaling sprang from the ground, rushing over to embrace her. “How was your day?”

“Fine,” Jimmy said after a long pause. “Mom is very bad at Chutes and Ladders.”

“I let him win,” mouthed Maribel, still sitting on the ground and smiling up at her.

The days might have been exhausting, but they were good. Tresk had settled into a familiar routine, but she couldn’t deny there was something niggling at the back of her mind, trying to grab her attention. She had ignored it for the past 15 years and planned to continue doing so until she died. After all, tonight was family night, which meant going out for dinner to a place that Maribel would likely pick and enjoying themselves. What was the point of working so hard if they didn’t occasionally play?

As always, it took Jimmy forever to get ready. Maribel had already gotten dressed and was ready to head out the door, but the young marshal dragged his feet. It was about thirty minutes before they were in the car, heading to their favorite Italian place just down the street. Finding seating was easy enough, and they were soon all staring at the menu, waiting for the server to come back and take their order.

“I’m having pasketti,” Jimmy proclaimed.

“Are we ready to order?” the server asked.

Tresk looked up, her brows kitting. They had come to Big Tony’s Pastaria once a week for the past two months, but she had never seen the server. Almost everyone was in town, but this guy was a dronon. His black hair was slicked back, and his horns gracefully traced the shape of his skull.

“Do I know you?” Tresk asked, her eyes darting to his nametag. It read ‘Theo.’

“I’m new here,” Theo said, offering a soft smile and waving at young Jimmy. “Can I get you started with something to drink?”

“Oh, I’ll have the Ascendant Potion of Impossible Dexterity, please,” Maribel said, preening. She gave Tresk a knowing look. “We can afford it.”

“I would like a Greater Potion of Aura,” Jimmy said.

“Such a kid’s choice…” Maribel said, shaking her head.

“And for you?” Theo asked.

“Uh…” Tresk trailed off, blinking rapidly. Something was wrong. That sensation she had felt at the back of her mind was growing. Although she couldn’t place it, she could feel it. Looking down at the menu, she found something that caught her eye. “Guess I’ll have the Greater Venom.”

“Tresk!” Maribel said, elbowing her with a scandalized look. “You’re watching your weight, aren’t you? Remember what the doctor said.”

Tresk grumbled. “Fine. Just a Lesser Healing Potion for me.”

“I’ll be back in a moment,” Theo said, bowing his head slightly and departing.

“What’s wrong with you tonight?” Maribel asked, placing a comforting hand on Tresk’s shoulder. “You seem more distant. You love Big Tony’s, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do,” Tresk said, trying to shake away that thought, but it wouldn’t dislodge. “Just… Something feels weird.”

“We can go home if you want,” Maribel said. “There’s no reason to stick around if you’re feeling odd.”

But, there was no time to think. Theo was coming around the corner, holding a tray that held their orders. Of course, the portion that Maribel had ordered was glowing and bubbling within the tall vial. He placed them down on the table one by one and then stood at attention as though waiting to take their order.

“You really have a dangerously creative mind, Tresk,” Theo said, looking down at her and shaking his head. “But I think it’s time to get out of here.”

“Do you want us to leave Big Tony’s?” Tresk asked. “But I was going to order the spicy noodles.”

“Come on,” Theo said, extending his hand.

Tresk wasn’t sure why, but she trusted this guy. She had just met him, yet he radiated an aura that felt extremely familiar to her. She clenched her jaw while looking at her family before glancing back at the drone before her. She took his hand, and suddenly the world swirled. Big Tony’s collapsed into light and sound, and soon she found herself startling awake back in the real world.

***

“What the HELL was that!?” Tresk shouted, looking around. “Where’s Jimmy!? Where’s my wife!?”

Theo slapped his face, shaking his head as he groaned. “What happened?” he asked. “Did you fall into another realm, or was that just some figment of your imagination?”

“This isn’t good,” Tresk said, shaking her head. “I’ve got to be back to work in the morning. Where am I?”

Searching Tresk’s memories caused Theo’s mouth to fall open. He scanned through them, finding about 28 years of memories that extended back to her birth in some facsimile of Earth. After a few minutes of scanning, he deduced that she had just had the most intense acid trip ever experienced, perhaps in the history of forever. The one silver lining was that the memories seemed to be partitioned, as though her mind was rejecting them as false.

“Let me take a look at that,” Theo said, kneeling near the bed and placing his hands on her head. She swatted them away at first, but eventually relented.

Theo figured that since he could create barriers in the real world, he could section these memories off. It was something he doubted he could do for anybody outside of their bond, but with it, he could seal them away or at least make it so this wasn’t part of her personality. It was effectively brainwashing that would delete the past 28 years of her life. There were some moral quandaries to consider, but he didn’t care. His power flared, and his aura extended, extinguishing the vestiges of a fake family.

Tresk blinked a few times, looking around with wide eyes. “That… was an experience.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Theo said.

“How long was I out?”

“About thirty seconds,” Theo said. “So, you had a wife? And a kid?”

“Yeah, Jimmy,” Tresk said. Theo could feel her probing those memories in her mind. “He was a good kid. Kinda dumb, but you know.”

“Well, we don’t have to do it again if you like,” Theo said. “We can postpone the next one until you’ve recovered.”

“Are you kidding? That was awesome!” Tresk shouted, jumping up from the bed and pumping her fist. “I want another family. Do you think it will be called Jimmy again?” 

“Your psychotic. You want to go through that again?”

“Hells yeah I do! Wait, let me share the message I got…”

A message appeared in Theo’s vision. He gawked at it.

[Unknown Potion Consumed]

Calculating effects… Unknown effects… Finding nearest…

Dexterity attribute increased by 400.

You may not consume another of these potions until the cycle resets.

This permanent effect can only be granted once. 4 more Celestial Potions of Dexterity may be consumed in this sector. Reset in 20 cycles.

“400?” Theo asked, his mouth still hanging open. “I thought we’d get another 50 points…”

“Yeah, you thought wrong,” Tresk said. “We’re gonna catapult our dream team into SPACE!”

If one wanted to become overpowered, they only had to accept the idea of tripping out for about 28 years. Theo wasn’t sure why he didn’t experience something similar when he had consumed the Intelligence version of the potion, but Tresk’s mind was much weaker. Perhaps his enhanced willpower saw him through. Whatever the case, Tresk was happy to take another and he wouldn’t stop her.

“I’ll pull you out like last time,” Theo said, handing over the Strength potion.

“Oh, that was really you in Big Tony’s Pastaria?” Tresk asked.

“I took over the body at the end,” Theo said, pushing the potion further toward Tresk. “Drink up.”

Tresk drank the potion and fell back asleep right away. According to her memories, this would be the one she ran into problems with. She wouldn’t be able to go over her potential. Although it would still be a massive boost for her, she would be missing out on a couple of points from the potion. He probed her mind every two seconds, looking for an opening. It wouldn’t allow him to pull her out quickly, so he had to wait a bit. Eventually, he found an opening and inserted himself into some jet ski adventure she was on. This time, she was single and without family, somewhere in the Caribbean, having the time of her life.

“Don’t harsh my buzz, man! Where am I?” Tresk asked.

Theo slapped his face again. This time, he planned to put a seal on her mind before she went in. He patched up her brain, hoping there was no permanent damage. Her old personality returned immediately.

“That’s trippy,” Tresk said, rubbing her forehead.

“I’ll seal your mind off before you go in this time. What message did you get?”

“Here, let me share,” Tresk said, and the message flared in his vision.

[Unknown Potion Consumed]

Calculating effects… Unknown effects… Finding nearest…

Strength attribute increased by 280. Remaining points lost due to potential.

You may not consume another of these potions until the cycle resets.

This permanent effect can only be granted once. 4 more Celestial Potions of Strength may be consumed in this sector. Reset in 20 cycles.

“As expected,” Theo said, placing the seal on her brain. “Ready for the next round?”

“Let’s go.”

As expected, Tresk got to live a few more lives. She got the full 400 points for Vigor, only 180 points for Intelligence, and 250 for Wisdom. Gaining any permanent attributes was a boon, so she wasn’t about to complain. The lingering effects of those weird memories she held was a problem, though. Theo had a plan.

“Two ideas,” Theo said. “We can reforge your mind, or we can go visit Glantheir.”

“Think he’ll let us in?” Tresk asked.

Theo wasn’t planning on knocking, but realized that would be the polite thing. Silver had allowed them in her realm, so why couldn’t old Hallow do the same? The alchemist weighed his options, and decided it would be best if they did things the right way. Heading outside, they found most of Boar Hollow playing with Alex.

“We’ll come back to get you, okay?” Theo asked, patting the massive creature on the head.

“This is fine. I am having fun,” she said.

A moment later, Theo and Tresk were standing in the system’s meeting area. The crystalline figure flared to light in the center of the circle, making an annoyed groaning sound.

“You two are annoying,” she declared.

“Come on. We’ve been good lately,” Theo said.

“I guess! But not really. Whatever, let me call him.”

A moment later, Hallow appeared in his spot in the circle. He had a smile on his face. “Ah, someone needs a favor.”

“I broke my brain,” Tresk said, tapping her skull. “Can you un-break it?”

Hallow’s gaze shifted to the system, who nodded. “Finally. I can show you the new Halls of Healing.”

Theo smiled as they were drawn into the god’s power. He didn’t expect this realm to look much different, but he was excited to get some time in the heavens. The time dilation in there was pretty good. And the visit would be perfect if Hallow had some nice tea.

Chapter 32

Hallow’s Venison

Hallow’s realm hadn't just received an upgrade. Instead, it had been changed entirely. The moment Theo stepped foot into the halls of healing, he sensed that it was a different place altogether. That meant that somewhere in the void, his old realm still lingered. The new version was thick with godly energy but appeared much like the old one. The buildings were made from wood and often carved from the very trees themselves.

Elven residents of the heavenly realm walked here and there, only bowing their heads slightly as they passed. Hallow led the way forward, a smile hanging on his face the entire time they trod along the hard-packed earth path. One enormous building stood out among the others. It was grand in scale and was topped with a crystal that shone with a brilliant silver light.

“Love what you’ve done with the place,” Tresk said. “Very godly.”

“I do what I can,” Hallow said. “Honestly, things have been boring. We’re all waiting for the reset to see what truly happens. We’ve been told this will be hard for us. The system is preparing us for a war we know nothing about, and all we can do is wait.”

“Well, I’m happy to share information,” Theo said. “If you can cure Tresk’s brain.”

“I already did,” Hallow said, waving a dismissive hand. “What kind of information do you have?”

"I have a lot of suspicions, but I'm not sure if all of them are true. I'm sure you've been able to deduce that we're in some kind of bubble and there's something outside of that bubble. Can we assume we'll be attacked when the bubble falls after the reset?"

"I think that's the only logical course," Hallow said. "The way the system talked to us made it seem like we're in for a fight."

“Bring ‘em on!” Tresk shouted. Several nearby elves jumped in fright.

“I sense your power has grown significantly, Tresk,” Hallow said, all but confirming he couldn’t peer into Tero’gal. The mortal realm might’ve still been accessible to him, though.

“Yeah, I’m basically pretty strong now,” Tresk said.

They wove a path through the god's realm, eventually finding their way to one particular building. After ascending the steps, they entered, where a pot of tea was already on. The interior was sparse but decorated with eye-catching iconography of the god. There were tables, chairs, and comfortable-looking sofas, and the aroma of the tea was inviting. Theo and Tresk found seats while Hallow readied the tea.

As Hallow poured the tea into cups, the fragrance doubled, filling the room with a pleasant scent. Theo couldn't deny that it smelled like the best cup of tea he had ever encountered in his life and cursed the gods for their all-powerful tea-making skills.

"So," the god said, finding a seat after distributing the tea. "How have things been going?"

Theo took a sip of the tea and found that the taste was even better than the smell. It was sweet, although he doubted that any sugar had been added. He smacked his lips after the first sip and shook his head. “You know, if you ever want to have a disciple of tea-making back in the mortal plane, let me know.”

"Are you dodging my question?" Hallow asked with a wink. "That's fine. I get it. There's a separation between the mortal and heavenly realms now."

“No, he just really likes the tea,” Tresk said with a laugh. She downed the entire cup in one go, no doubt burning herself in the process. “Things are good. We figured out some secrets. Wanna hear some secrets?”

Hallow leaned in. “I love secrets.”

Tresk explained how she had figured out how everything worked. She told him about the way that the magic provided by the system was only one piece of the puzzle and that everything else rested on her own ability. The celestial power that she had discovered was at the center of her theories.

“Took you long enough,” Hallow said. “That’s a requirement for ascension and something we were sealed from speaking of.”

Theo couldn’t blame anyone for not spilling the beans, then. They were sealed from talking about it, meaning they could never speak on it. This implied the system’s intervention early on, which he didn’t know the meaning of. All he knew was that this was good. They were on the right track to get more powerful before the reset.

“Can you tell us more secrets?” Theo asked with a wink. He took another sip of his tea, knowing the answer.

“Just that you’re on the right track. Since the system changed, you won’t ascend like we did.”

“Can you explain any of that process?” Theo asked. “I know you guys tricked the system into creating the ascendant system… And I guess I can guess that you tapped into this celestial power to do it.”

“I can’t say anything more,” Hallow said, waving a dismissive hand. “In truth, you’ll be ahead of us soon. Well, everyone but Khahar. He had more secrets than any of us can imagine.”

“I’m unsure how to handle the Khahar situation,” Theo said. “He wants to keep his secrets to himself. But some of those secrets might be useful.”

“The great Theo Spencer asking me for advice?” Hallow asked with a laugh. “Never thought I’d see that. What you must remember is that his ‘secrets’ aren’t his to share. If he’s found information that might be useful to you, he might be bound by the system. She has been desperate to keep everything together, and things have finally gone her way. But she’s scared things will slip away if she blinks for even a moment.”

That made sense to Theo. He knew all about the way this place had been messed up by the ascendants. Did he blame Glantheir for what he had done back in the day? Yup. He was just as much at fault as the original gods who all sought power for themselves. Maybe that was a ploy to keep them from doing bad things or something, but they were still responsible. The only person who didn’t have blood on their hands was Khahar. Well, he had far less than all the others. He had spent his time meditating in the desert, waiting for the right time to strike to bring the gods down.

His plan had worked better than expected, resulting in the current reset they faced down. Once Theo moved all the shards to the mortal realm, it would start. Then the real challenge would begin.

“I appreciate the tips,” Theo said. “Got more tea?”

“And food, if you want,” Hallow said with a shrug.

“Yes, please.”

Hallow clapped his hands and a few moments later elven attendants were entering the room. They had plates loaded with food. Meat, cheese, fruits, and baked confections were spread across platters. The elves even brought in tables to set them upon and they all had smiles on their faces. The god of the world had gone with a white toga theme for his people, and Theo couldn’t deny that it looked incredibly comfortable. Sitting in the chair in his leather coat, thick boots, and gloves he thought more about comfort. But then again, no one was subject to random attack while within the Halls of Healing.

“From the Realm of Healing to the Halls of Healing,” Theo said to himself, plucking a grape from the plate and popping it in his mouth. “Did it ever have an elvish name?”

“Yeah, the Realm of Healing is the direct translation from the elven tongue,” Hallow said.

“Is this venison?” Tresk asked through a mouthful of meat. “Good stuff.”

“Indeed it is.”

“So, how does this work?” Theo asked. “Do you guys go hunting to get the meat? Or is it all magical?”

“Just like the middle realms, we have to produce our own food,” Hallow said. “The game is plentiful and our crops produce a bounty. But we still have to collect it.”

“And how big is the world?” Theo asked.

“Twice as large as the mortal realm, at least. We span several continents with a few large cities. Are you just making idle chat or what, Theo?”

Shrugging, the alchemist peered outside a nearby window. That was a good question. He had expected the godly worlds to be different from his own. But it really wasn’t. The people here were functionally immortal, so their lives were very different, but the mechanisms they lived by were much the same.

“Guess I just thought it’d be different,” Theo said. “I’m just happy the system let us in.”

“You’re valuable to it, now.”

“We like to think of the system as a girl, thank you very much,” Tresk said.

“Well, she is very fair,” Hallow said. “Perhaps she’ll let you visit these realms more often.”

”Depends,” Theo said with a shrug. “We were drawn into Silver’s realm before. I mean, think about it. We’re supposed to defend this place or whatever, so we need to work together.”

”Right!?” Tresk shouted. “How we gonna do our job if we can’t do our job?”

Hallow rubbed his chin, taking another sip of his tea. After a while, he chewed on a slice of apple. “We’ll make it work, because we need to.”

”On that front, how are the gods working together? Are you guys ready?” Theo asked.

Hallow shook his head. “No. We’re not working well together at all. But I’m working on it.”

“What are the chances you guys will kiss and make up?” Theo asked.

“There’s no choice,” Hallow said. “We’re going to work together or burn. There might be losses during the change, but it won’t be me. My bastion is secured.”

Theo had no doubt about that. When he was Glantheir, Hallow had done well to somehow be a pacifist and the strongest ascendant around. While the alchemist didn’t know about the specific dealings, he knew enough to have respect. Fortunately, shop talk was over. They instead shifted to subjects about the world and the various interesting features. It operated much like the mortal world, making it easy to relate to the beaches, mountain trails, and so on.

“We’re gonna head on out,” Theo said, standing after a while. “Been a long, weird day.”

“When one spends their ‘day’ in the span of a few years, things get weird,” Glantheir said with a chuckle. “Tresk had it even worse.”

“Yeah. I still miss Tommy,” she said, frowning.

“Wasn’t his name Jimmy?” Theo asked.

“Anyway, bye!” Tresk said, nudging Theo in the ribs with her elbow.

Theo felt as though he truly needed a break. Although he thought he could be away from the mortal realm forever, he wasn’t actually completely attuned to Tero’gal or the mortal realm. Folding the void on itself was harder from within Hallow’s world, but he managed to bring them both back to Tero’gal to pick up Alex and then to Broken Tusk without issue. Tresk’s gaze dragged over the landscape as she blinked slowly, seeming as though she’d fall asleep at any moment.

“Wanna go to bed?” Theo asked.

Tresk looked at the sky. “Dusk is pretty far off.”

“So, you’re not sleepy?”

“Sleepy? No. Mentally and physically exhausted? Yeah,” Tresk said.

After letting Sarisa and Rowan know they were back, Theo and Tresk instead retreated to the bath. Soaking in the restorative waters was amazing, and the alchemist felt much of himself coming back. The break would be woefully brief. Once they dropped into the Dreamwalk, Tresk planned to train him on absorbing that celestial energy. If he wanted to get the most out of the potions, he needed to increase his potential.

“Screw your potential, I’m relaxing,” Tresk said, up to her neck in the water. “We did too much. When do we tell Fenian about the potions being done?”

“Good question,” Theo said. “Do we trust him?”

Tresk shrugged. “Who cares? Aren’t we past that?”

“Yeah. Guess we’re in too deep to care about that… Although, that might be the exhaustion talking.”

“Exactly. Just shut up and soak up this magic water.”

Chapter 33

Blast from the Past

3rd Day, Season of Death,

872nd Year of Balkor’s Betrayal,

The Year Before Theo’s Arrival on Iaredin.

The road between Broken Tusk and Rivers and Daub could be daunting, even treacherous at times. Luras shouldered his pack, grunting as he rose back to his feet. The day was cool, with a pleasant breeze blowing from the north and the sun shining overhead. Although a storm had whipped through the region a week back, the roads had since dried out, making travel possible. With a firm smack on his back, Aarok took the lead and trudged forward.

“The Irregulars don’t rest,” Aarok said, a wide grin painting his face.

“These Irregulars don’t get paid, either.”

“Just think of that sweet Rivers mead.”

Luras could think of nothing else. Whatever profit he would make selling the materials he had gathered would be minimal, as it always was. A few Monster Cores, spare hides, and crude leather goods he had sewn together himself filled both his and Aarok’s bag. If they were lucky, they’d find a few monsters along the arduous journey. The reward was enough money to keep things going for a while, and a few too many mugs of the delicious mead.

“Miana is in a foul mood lately,” Aarok said. “You’d think the king himself had been along to crap in her bed.”

“Do kings often crap in beds?” Luras asked.

“That’s an expression.”

“I haven’t heard it.”

Aarok delivered a swift punch to Luras’s arm and laughed. “Anyway, this isn’t her normal horrible mood. There’s something different about it.”

Luras paid no attention to Miana’s mood. He didn’t like her. Almost no one liked her, and more than a few members of Broken Tusk outright hated her. As a mayor, she was easily the worst. The Southlands was considered the least-producing area in the kingdom and it was hard to imagine why Qavell hadn’t intervened. But this was nothing new. This was the legacy of the union between the half-ogres and marshlings.

Yet Gronro and Rivers still refuse to unite. Curious how we keep ourselves down this way.

“Stop sulking,” Aarok ordered. “We’re on a march, soldier.”

Luras barked a laugh, offering a snappy salute. “Yes, sir.”

The walk today would be pleasant. Luras knew it. With a clear sky, decent temperature, and some extremely funny banter with Aarok, it was bound to be a great day.

“Get a look at this guy,” Aarok said, shoving Luras playfully.

Up ahead, trudging along on the road on short legs, was a man. Luras thought it was a man, but he had never seen someone from such a pudgy, diminutive race. He wore threadbare robes, guiding his steps with a staff as he peaked out from under a floppy, pointed hat. Barring the way, the tiny man held his arms wide.

“Pardon me, good sirs!” he shouted, gesturing widely with his staff. “Could I get some directions?”

Aarok’s eyes narrowed. “We normally introduce ourselves. Especially on the road. Brigands and all that.”

“My apologies,” the man said, performing a sweeping bow. Luras was certain his nose had touched the ground. “The name is Howd.”

“As in… How’d a man with such short legs make it this far into the Southlands without collapsing?” Aarok asked. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop himself from giggling.

“Exactly! May I have your names, if the local tradition is to give one’s name in kind?”

“Luras and Aarok,” Luras said, gesturing between himself and his companion.

“And there it is! We’re all friends now, so… am I going in the right direction?”

“Depends on which direction that is,” Luras said. “North gets you to Rivers and Gronro. West is mountains, south is Broken Tusk, and east is a whole lot of nothing.”

“Ah! Broken Tusk! That’s the one… I think,” Howd said, scratching his chin. When he did so, his chubby cheeks wobbled. “Well, it has been a pleasure!”

Aarok and Luras watched as the man went. They stood there for a long while, blinking away their confusion before they continued down the path. The little guy vanished into the distance before long, seemingly annoyed with something as he cursed.

“Stupid system!” Howd shouted, swatting away at the messages that just wouldn’t leave. Ever since he had arrived on Iaredin, they had hounded him. But a keen insider tip told him to ignore them, instead accepting the consolation prize of a temporary core and a whole crapload of attributes. He cleared his throat, tempering his frustration. He swatted the message away once again, but it just popped up again.

[System Merge]

You’re using an outdated version of the M-200 system (M-100). Your attributes have been adjusted to reflect the progress you made before the advancement of the M-100 to the M-200 system during the migration. Accepting the change will provide you with the following:

Legendary to Mythic cores,

Legendary to Mythic abilities,

Increase to base attributes,

Increase to depth and breadth of soul,

Potential access to artifact-quality items in recognition of service (War of the Shards)

“A tempting flower I must resist the urge to sniff,” Howd said, humming a lively song. “Assuming Ivaran is right, anyway. Snot-nosed little prick… Yeah, we get it. Your wife is dead. I NEVER HAD A WIFE.”

It was a good thing the road was empty. Howd’s words went unheard by anyone, which was hardly a comfort. Sometimes a bit of attention was nice.

The world’s magic looked as though someone had put it together with bubblegum and prayers. Howd shook his head every time he observed any facet of it, lamenting the poor condition of the smallest weave to the most complex array. When he had first visited from Earth, 60,000 years ago by the local standard and some smattering of years by his own recollection, the System was in a state of harmony. Now, the whole thing was so badly tangled and he had to wonder how anything was held together.

Extending a hand, he poked at a dormant thread, infusing it with his magic and chuckling as it vibrated. Each piece was wound so tightly, he wasn’t sure if strumming those pieces would cause the entire thing to snap. Also, the local ‘gods’ were getting kinda pissed off. Which made Howd laugh.

“Just try to do something, ya little jerks. No one’s better at thumbing their nose at the System.”

Howd made his way to the local town, staying on the outskirts as he mapped out the local field. One thing hadn’t changed from the old system, and it really needed a patch. After disabling the alarm that should have informed some fake god about some poor future Earthling’s arrival, he poisoned a few other arrays until a nosy god turned their stupid schnoz in his direction. After shaking his fist at the sky, Howd departed from the small town via the sea.

The local authorities took notice of teleportation, but surfing across the sea with magic was totally cool. Flying magic was a gray area he wouldn’t push for now.

“Just a few more bloops to bleep,” Howd said, catching a sick wave. “Then we’re golden!”

***

Miana wiped sweat from her brow, looking up at the cursed night’s sky. From what she understood, the stars had lined correctly. They were in position for one to fall from the heavens, finally gracing Broken Tusk in whatever horrid way it would. This was a tide she had fought against her entire life. Yet she had never found a place to root herself. It was only the unending tide and her inability to fight against it.

What could one person do against such powerful external forces?

“All lined up, then?” the familiar, grating voice cut through the night’s air.

The Season of Blooms had already come, ushering in the 873rd year of Balkor’s Betrayal. “I hate you,” Miana growled, looking back to the sky. In those stars, there were promises. “Can I have my slots back?”

“Don’t look at me.” Howd strode from the shadows, pushing his pudgy belly out as he stretched. “I’m not a part of that plan. Wouldn’t do something so cruel.”

“Yet your master would, which speaks a lot about you.”

Pointing with a single finger, Howd shook his head. “That part of the plan is more complicated than you think. But I’m sure you’ll get all kinds of fun stuff for your part. We’ve got some fertile ground here.”

Miana grunted, finally resorting to dabbing her forehead with a cloth. It might’ve been a cooler season than Fire, but she was sweating as though she were standing in the open sun on the hottest day. The ‘fertile ground’ he spoke of was Broken Tusk. Why this place was beyond her, but it was too late to care. Everyone was lined up, ready for the celestial game to begin.

“Awfully silent tonight,” Howd said, coming alongside her and peering out into the marsh. “I used to live in the city. At first, silence like this bothered me. I always wanted to hear the sounds of the city outside my window. Sirens, talking, screaming… I had a lot of trouble when I first got here.”

“Is there a point?”

“Right now, your head is noisy. The people in Broken Tusk aren’t living the high life, but they’re safe and fed. You’re dirt poor, but happy.” Howd let the words hang in the air for an uncomfortably long time.

Miana could feel that he wanted her to jump at the bait, but she refused. She was too tired. She simply couldn’t see a life where her head wasn’t swimming with the ‘noise’ he talked about. Because, of course, he was right. There wasn’t a moment in her life where Miana’s mind wasn’t screaming at her. Get out of Broken Tusk. Cross the sea. Place this burden on someone else. It was almost too much for her to endure.

“In Karasan’s grand plan, he requires one thing. Silent towns who don’t cause a fuss. He doesn’t care if your town produces nothing, because he doesn’t need anything other than a string of towns. Anything he tells you otherwise is theater.”

Miana released a sigh. For a moment, she thought her anxious nature would calm for a moment. Then the noise came again. “Please.”

Howd looked up at her, his dark eyes glittering in the night. She could barely see them under that stupid floppy hat of his. “If you grew this town like you wanted, you’d all be dead. The funny thing about finding system loopholes is you need to jump through some pretty unintuitive hoops. I might just be here on the back end of this journey, but I can tell you from experience… It isn’t easy.”

“You can squawk about the betterment of the world all day, and I’ll still hate you.”

“Why not? I am a very despicable man.” Howd giggled to himself before going silent. “Unfortunately, we won’t see each other for a very long time after this. Once I crack this seal, I’ll have to go take a little nap.”

Miana might’ve been a lot of things, but she wasn’t without pity. She felt a twinge in her heart for the man, knowing deep down that he was doing something necessary. She knew about sacrifice and she could feel it plainly in his voice. But she didn’t jump to his defense. If anything, she coiled back in on herself. She returned to the comfortable defensive curl she had known her whole life.

“How dreadful.”

“Oh, you’ve just got a heart of stone!” Howd shouted, soon falling once again into a fit of laughter. “That’s why I like you, Miana. You’re cool in my book.”

The pair remained there in the moonlight for some time. Miana’s eyes dragged over the landscape, sweat dripping down her forehead. She almost jumped when Howd pressed his head against her side, the oversized melon of a thing digging into her hip uncomfortably. But as they stood there, swaying with the breeze and feeling the bristling energy of something approaching, the sounds muted. The voices of doubt that screamed at her day and night went silent.

For a moment, Miana took pride in what she had done. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to be seen as the least-productive town in the Kingdom of Qavell. No one in town knew it besides her. But something was coming. Something that would shape the course of the entire world.