The Newt and Demon - Book 4 Chapters 10,11,12 (Patreon)

Chapter 10

Honk

Pale evening light shone across the plains northeast of Broken Tusk. From his perch on the wall, Theo could almost spot the place where he was attacked. Slightly too distant and already repaired, the place should have struck him in the heart. A dagger-like spike driven into his heart, thrust by the Zagmon assassin. But those feelings never came. Not just from the comforting defensive towers resting near him, but the strength of the bond in his chest. Tresk stood nearby, looking out over the horizon as Alex honked.

“She’s real honky today,” Tresk said.

Theo nodded in response, still staring off in the distance. Plumes of dark black smoke rose from the harbor, a signal of the shipwright’s ineptitude. That might have been harsh, but the alchemist had high standards when it came to the creation of materials. Especially when those materials ran so close to his expertise. He recalled the description on the [Ogre Cypress Pitch], a material generated from the burning of the massive trees. It was labeled as an [Alchemy Ingredient], placing it firmly in his domain.

But he wouldn’t fault Laedria for working hard, trying to fulfill his order for a trader-style ship. Or was it a boat? Whatever the name of the vessel, the creation of pitch was the slowest part. His [Reagent Deconstruction] ability might be able to help, but it required experimentation. And time.

“Is that a boat?” Tresk asked, pointing toward the harbor.

Running down the channel, headed out to sea, was a single-masted boat. The Cork. Theo squinted, trying to get a better look at it, but it was too distant. They could only see the top of the mast as it passed down that wide waterway.

“I guess someone bought it,” Theo said.

“Bet it was Thronk,” Tresk said, chuckling.

“Get a few fishing nets on that thing. Skirt around the harbor, maybe fish the channel out to the open sea… Yeah, they’ll pull in some fish,” Theo said.

“Thinking of buying my brother’s business?” Tresk asked. “Sounds like you. Fascist.”

Theo almost rose to that, but realized the word suited his rule of the town. But he had no interest in buying a fishing business, let alone one owned by Thronk. It was a miracle the man even fed himself, let alone made any profit. The fishers of the town relied on [Water Motes] for their income. It was a silly strategy, seeing as [Earth Motes] were much more common. But they’d survived all these years, so who was he to judge? They were low on his list of priorities, as always.

“Maybe they need some help from the state.”

“Fascist says what?”

Theo narrowed his eyes at Tresk.

“Alright,” she said, holding her hands up. “I just skimmed that word from your brain. You’ve been thinking about it.”

With a sigh, Theo turned to regard his town. He saw the people moving around below, concluding their business for the day. Not that the fading light stopped Sledge from working her ass off. An Ogre Cypress fell in the distance, rumbling the ground. It was a sound that all citizens were used to by now. No one below flinched, and life went on.

“Is your shift over?” Theo asked. “I’m hungry.”

“You’re never hungry. But, yeah. Let’s eat.”

The pair enjoyed a pleasant dinner at Xam’s tavern. There were no unexpected interruptions to ruin the mood, and they soon found themselves soaking in the hot bath. Worries melted away as they discussed small topics. Alex was looking more like a real goose by the day, although her stage was still at [Gosling]. At level 6, she’d come a long way from when she was hatched. They still hadn’t figured out how to maximize her experience gain, but she was doing fine on her own.

“Think she’ll ever talk?” Tresk asked, gesturing to the swimming gosling.

“You’re the one that’s good at reading my mind. Can you read hers?” Theo asked.

“Kinda. All I get is a great sense that I should be eating bugs,” Tresk said, shrugging.

While the desire to check the conversations in his kingdom screen was great, Theo avoided that. He’d checked it at dinner, and was disappointed to see the shouting match between Alise an Alran. The leader of Rivers and Daub had hidden resources from her, and was doing his best to mend hurt feelings. At least he was trying, though. It wasn’t a surprise that the man would be trouble, not when their first interaction was an assassination attempt. Now his actions affected them all.

Putting aside those unpleasant thoughts, Theo enjoyed his bath. He took a stroll with Tresk afterward, not enjoying the warm night air. It was nice to stay up when the moons were out, even if the darkened one was nearly invisible. He searched for a long time without spotting it, but found comfort in the idea that the inquisition of the Burning Eye was stuck there. They stopped by the harbor, spotting the Cork coming into port. As expected, Tresk’s brother was the captain. Instead of sticking around, they wandered toward the lab.

Heading into the Dreamwalk for the night, Theo had several goals. Without the need to grind experience, he wanted to learn more about his new magic. He also needed to find a weapon that worked with both his new wards, and his potions. There was an idea, but he couldn’t get each to combine. He started by focusing on his gear, those pieces that allowed him to throw things better.

“Throwing weapons are common enough,” Tresk said, summoning a simple throwing knife. “I throw stuff often enough. Especially poisoned stuff.”

“Toru’aun’s magic is based on reactive intent,” Theo said, creating his own knife. “Maybe I can work with that.”

“Not to mention your constructs. What’s stopping you from just tossing constructs at people? Stone knives, maybe?”

Theo settled on the idea of a throwing weapon making sense. But it would be more than something it hit someone with. A combination of warded, poisoned, and construct-infused throwing weapons might be worth pursuing. That gave him the flexibility to use them as poisoned throwing daggers, or ward delivery systems. Without an expanded knowledge of Toru’aun’s magic, his plan hit a stand-still.

They settled down in the dream version of Broken Tusk’s harbor to talk it out, watching as Alex played in the water. Theo retold the story of Xol’sa being wounded, and shared his worries for the Elf. His initial confidence in finding a cure ran up against the reality of the injury.

“Your best bet is to import a healer,” Tresk said, nodding to herself. She kicked her feet in the water, slashing water at Alex. The gosling produced a honk-chirp of disapproval.

“I’m going to study magic tonight. Throwing weapons are a good idea, I need to learn more spells, though,” Theo said.

“Alright. I’m gonna fight stuff.”

Theo nodded, watching as his companion disappeared.

The first [Advanced Ward] Theo had learned was [Lesser Defense]. Pieces of that spell linked together, creating the story that fueled the spell. The alchemist summoned writing material, and began the laborious process of writing everything down. With a vision aid, it might be easier to understand how he could create another node to feed the spell. He spent hours in the dream realm staring at the paper, writing new things in the strange, custom language of the Demon God with little luck.

Alex waddled out of the harbor after a while, trundling over to the paper and placing a wet, webbed foot on the page. Theo gave her a look. She honked in his face, jabbing her bill into the page.

“Alright,” Theo said, looking at the part of the spell she’d indicated.

From what he could understand, the portion of the spell she’d doused was the defensive part of the spell. He’d taken to thinking of it like spokes on a wheel, where each segment connected to a hub, and a wheel to create the entire thing. While it was more complicated than that, this helped him visualize how other pieces would fit in. The damp footprint pulled everything together in his mind.

“Why didn’t I see that?” Theo asked.

The story was rife with filler. Connecting phrases that had something to do with the magic, but they were less important than the relevant sections. He saw the part of the story about the Dronon forming their defensive wall as the meat of the spell. That was the thing that gave the spell life. Understanding that, he found another section that curled around it. The part of the story where the Dronon counter-attacked seemed especially useful. It was the trigger for the spell. The alchemist drilled down onto each piece, finding more as he went. Until he realized how hard his [Toru’aun Mage’s Core] was spinning in his chest.

“Because the story matters less than the connective tissue?” Theo asked.

Alex produced an angry honk.

“Because… Wait, is there a connection elsewhere?” Theo asked.

A honk of approval.

Out of instinct, Theo produced a small vial of [Reveal Essence]. Toru’aun had thrown him off the trail. There was a connection between the forms of magic each Demon God used. Holding his hand out, Theo focused on drawing the primal nature of the [Reveal Essence] out. Black smoke rose from the vial, leaving behind a grainy dust that glowed silver. The Dreamwalk objected to his actions, but he pushed against it. Asserting his authority over Tero’gal and the Dreamwalk. It obeyed, for now.

Theo poured the [Primal Reveal] into his hand and stared at it for a long time. Between that powdery substance and his spellcraft, there was a connection. Some fundamental state that completed a circle. Not one to ignore the whispers of his cores, especially in the Dreamwalk, the alchemist licked his finger, pressed it into the dust, then placed it on his tongue. A rolling sense, like lightning dancing across his tongue, and then he felt something flood into his mind.

But system messages were hesitant to show themselves in the Dreamwalk, no matter how hard he forced his authority. Alex’s growing honks got him curious as to what the primal essence had added. The alchemist poked around in his interfaces before he found something. In his core screen, where he viewed all his currently slotted cores, there was a menu near his [Toru’aun Mage’s Core]. A list of spell components.

“Bingo.”

Honk.

There were a lot of confusing parts about the spells, but Theo could view the pieces he’d learned in the interface. There were 3 entries in the list, each providing a description of the part’s mode, the story he’d use to craft the spell, and the effects of the component.

[Attack]

[Ward Trigger Component]

Causes a ward to activate when attacked.

[Shield]

[Ward Effect Component]

Generates a shield, based on conditions.

[Reveal]

[Ward Effect Component]

Generates a field of reveal, based on conditions.

The most important thing Theo took away from it was that alchemy fed directly into his magic, now. He drew out the same spell he’d used before, following the parts of the story in his interface. Now the story was about a group of Dronon who were hiding from an enemy attack. They were still the last of their kind, and they were still losing the battle. But when he chanted the spell, applying it to an imagined stone, the ward contained within was different.

[Lesser Reveal]

[Advanced Ward]

Creates a reactive field of [Reveal]. Field only activates when attacked.

Trigger:

Attack

Duration:

1 day.

The last observation he made was that this form of taking alchemy effects and applying them to Toru’aun’s magic didn't go the other way. Theo didn’t have access to the [Defense] property on any reagents, and he couldn’t create it from the spell component. Stabbing the small stone with a dagger, Theo noted the field of [Reveal] that sprung up. It was very similar to using the property as a construct, but once the field diminished the stone was still active.

“Thanks for the tip,” Theo said, patting Alex on the head. “You are a smart goose, aren’t you?”

She honked in response, but the alchemist could feel more from that sound than just a honk. There was an underlying appreciation and willingness to work together. The alchemist stood, nodding as he realized the error in his ways. He should have been helping the gosling train, right?

“Alright,” Theo said. “So you can breathe fire, now?”

Alex honked in response.

“Let’s work on that.”

Theo worked with Alex for the rest of the night, coaching her on the fire attack. When they began, he got the impression that Tresk had already begun working with her. There was an underlying knowledge the gosling had about the flames, as though it were inherint within her. When she produced the first plume of fire, it struck a ridiculous scene. Still downy, and barely coming up to the alchemist’s knees, her bill opened up and fire rushed forth. The ball of feathers produced a stream of fire like a flamethrower, only stopping to cough up clouds of black smoke.

“Fire goose,” Theo said, patting her on the head.

While training with Alex, Theo spoke of advice as much as he did theories. Ideas on how to help Xol’sa get over the soul-slaying attack that bore no fruit. The only potions he had that cured specific things were his disease-curing potions and those that restored either limbs or digits. Nothing in his current arsenal healed the soul directly, but there were several unexplored options.

“I’ve always held the idea that the [Reagent Deconstruction] skill would allow me to learn more properties,” Theo said, watching as Alex shot another plume of fire. “Nice one.”

There was a list of ingredients that Theo hadn’t found the second property to, yet. Let alone the third property. Zarali claimed there was an entire universe of properties within each reagent, leading to further problems. But, the alchemist was content with understanding those that were readily available. Discovering the second property was done through eating the reagent, but his skill would discover the others.

“Focusing on which ones make sense,” Theo said, ducking his head to avoid another fireball. “[Spriggan Hearts] might have a useful third property. [Rejuvenate] might be helpful, too. [Swamp Truffles] might be worth inspecting. [Living Water]? Yeah, maybe. [Pozwa Horns] would give me a hat trick. Nothing else comes to mind.”

Honk.

“Right. We also have to consider the combinations of reagents,” Theo said. “Reducing essences to primals, then binding them with a [Suffuse Potion]. That could open a world of potions all on its own. What properties, when combined, would cure the soul?”

Chirp. Honk.

“No, I don’t feel as though [Regeneration] and [Cure Ailment] would work,” Theo said.

Honk.

“True enough. We’re talking about an extremely specific type of cure. I wouldn’t have thought [Healing] and [Regeneration] would create the limb-restoration potion.”

Honk. Honk honk.

“Well, if I had more undead pieces, I could test that. I’ve only ever seen a [Reanimated Skeleton Fragment], and that was system-generated. It produces the [Withering] property, which is alright for poisons. Not so much for cures.”

Honk honk honk honk… chirp.

“Indeed. We assume the undead attacking Gronro are reanimated by Balkor. Which means, of course, if they produce reagents they’ll be completely different. Balkor fell, right?” Honk. “If he fell, then there are pieces of him. You have to think about what those pieces produce, huh?”

Alex nodded.

“Are you talking to the goose?” Tresk asked. “Can you actually understand her?”

“No. Just feels better if I pretend I can,” Theo said. “Explaining a problem aloud can often be helpful.”

“Or… Hear me out on this one… You’re going nuts.”

“Well, I’m currently sitting in a dream realm. That dream realm is a reflection of my personal realm, which seems to be another dimension. Talking to my salamander-person life-bonded soul-mate thing while watching my goose shoot fire,” Theo said, running his fingers through Alex’s feathers. “Insanity would be an easy explanation for this.”

“Alright. Point taken,” Tresk said.

“I talked to your dad about making an airship,” Theo said, breaking away from the previous topic.

“How did that go?” Tresk said, drawing herself up. She did her best impression of her father. “Don’t I have enough work already? You’re working me to the bone, alchemist. I’m just so mad and grumpy all the time.”

“He reacted better than that,” Theo said. “Seemed interested in the problem.”

“Flying ships, right? Okay, I’ll bite. What’s the drawback? Why don’t we see them everywhere?”

“They’re hard to operate, according to him. It’s easy for someone to mess with the magic that runs the artifices. We’d need someone with powerful counter-magic potential to fly one,” Theo said.

“Someone with a class dedicated to warding, and a lab filled with [Anti-Mage] potions?” Tresk asked, wiggling her tail excitedly. “Alright, I’m on board. Screw the sailing ships, we need a flying one.”

Theo waved that thought away. There needed to be a drawback to flying ships, if most people used sailing ships. The continent wasn’t as advanced as the others, but there should have been some flying machines. It was likely a matter of cost, since artifices ran on motes. They likely ran on a lot of motes, making them prohibitively expensive. But the idea just wouldn’t leave his mind. He imagined himself flying over Rivers and Daub, lording over them with a massive airship.

“Kinda sounds like a weapon of war, though,” Tresk said.

“I don’t object to us having weapons of war,” Theo said. “That’s just a fact of life. I just don’t want to sell them to other people.”

“Alright. Let’s go. The dream is ending. We can ask around to see what people know about airships. Hey, if only there were a bunch of people from a more-advanced continent in town.”

“Funny how things fall into place like that.”

Chapter 11

Property Discovered

Theo spewed tea on the table of his private booth. Meeting with Gael over breakfast, he’d learned the reason sailing vessels were so prevalent in the world. The cost of materials for a single, fisher-style aircraft numbered not in gold, but spiritstone. Displaying only a single engine for propulsion, and four for levitation, these crafts contained some of the rarest materials an artificer could find. Compared to their sailing cousins, they were slow, cumbersome, and expensive to operate.

“That’s why we’ve made it as sailors,” Gael said, producing a rag to wipe down his face. “We can outfit a fleet for the cost of a single airship.”

“Time to shelve that idea,” Theo said, poking at his meal. He was suddenly far less hungry.

“I didn’t mean to bring you down, Archduke,” Gael said. “That’s just the reality of it.”

“No, don’t worry. I wouldn’t want a lie,” Theo said. “How are your people doing?”

Gael sipped his tea, pausing for a long moment. “Aside from the traitors? We’re doing very well.”

“No chance them Elves are coming for you?” Tresk asked.

“None. The laws are specific about traitor houses. We fled, as is afforded to us by law, so they cannot pursue. All sins are forgiven,” Gael said.

It was a strange system, but Theo didn’t question it. House Wavecrest fled Tarantham, and the Elven Empire was happy to let them go. It would be nice to establish trade deals with the Elves. But they’d let the smoke clear. Focus their efforts on other nations more willing to trade with the alliance. While Broken Tusk had massive quantities of exports ready to go, there were simply no ships coming to get the materials.

“What are we sitting on?” Theo asked, opening his administrative interface. Alise and Gwyn had spreadsheets detailing their potential profits. Production compared against previous trade deals. “10 gold a week, and that’s us reserving materials for our town.”

The alchemist tapped his foot, cycling through the screens. He found those detailing the production of the other towns in the alliance. Compared to Broken Tusk, the numbers were dismal. Gronro had a small mine, but it wasn’t much. Rivers and Daub actually had decent food production, but the overhead listed for the trade guilds was criminal. Theo took a deep breath and let that pass.

“I have a question, Archduke,” Gael said.

“I’m listening,” Theo said, his foot tapping quicker.

“I wanted to create an Elven council of—”

“Absolutely not,” Theo said, not waiting for the man to finish.

“We just haven’t found representation in the administration,” Gael said, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. “We don’t have a say.”

“You’re refugees,” Tresk said, glaring over from Alex’s box in the corner.

Theo held up a silencing hand and nodded. “I will never allow people to split off in town. I’m not here to split you up, and ruin your culture or whatever, but your people were integrated into the citizenry of Broken Tusk for a reason.”

Gael fiddled with his tea, sensing the tension. “I feel adrift.”

“Sailing pun!” Tresk shouted. “Love it.”

“Stop being so dramatic,” Theo said. “Broken Tusk isn’t a melting pot. It’s a place for people without a home. Both the Bantari and the Half-Ogres have no cultural link to this place. Nothing that goes back over… What, 200 years?”

“About that,” Tresk said. “300 for the Half-Ogres, I think.”

“I’m not even…” Theo stopped himself. Not everyone knew he was an outworlder. “I’m not even from this world. Neither is Xol’sa. Look, why don’t you serve with the administrators?”

“With those women?” Gael asked. “I saw Alise shout at someone the other day.”

“Yeah, there’s some shouting. I’ll even grant you a lord title if you do a good job,” Theo said.

Gael brought the tea to his lips again, taking slow sips. He pursed his lips after a moment and shrugged. “What would I be doing?”

Some people felt aimless like that. They found themselves adrift, as Gael said, in the sea of Broken Tusk. They might have moved with the flow of the tide, but that didn’t mean they took part. The Elves didn’t steer that ship they found themselves on, and that came with a sense of powerlessness. Like a ship without a rudder, they drifted.

“My administration staff handles everything in town. They coordinate with the Lord Merchant, help organize defenses with my Captain of the Guard, and other minor tasks.”

“Alright,” Gael said. “I’m interested.”

Theo worked the details out with the Elf. Gael’s heart was in the right place, but segmenting the Elves into another class within town was a dangerous move. How quickly would they split off after making that decision? Did the alchemist have the right to prevent something like that from happening? None of that mattered. It was his town, and his nation. He’d run it however he saw fit. The only evidence needed for his effective leadership was the growth of the town. Sure, he was cheating with the power of Drogramath, but that didn’t matter. It was his.

“I’ll report to Alise,” Gael said.

“Yeah. Earn your title,” Tresk said. “Speaking of, I still don’t have a title.”

The alchemist glared at his companion. He knew that wasn’t important to her, but she still asked. There wasn’t a good title to give the Marshling, though. She never took part in politics, or any large-scale projects. Tresk was an excellent adventurer, but that didn’t warrant a title.

“You’ll earn a title when you do something worth giving a title,” Theo said. “Also, yes. Gael, please keep Gwyn and Alise off my back. I’d like to get some things done today.”

Theo enjoyed his breakfast, even after dealing with Gael. When the Elf departed,  the pair settled on who was watching Alex that day. Tresk wanted to delve the dungeons today, having scheduled some work with Xol’sa to ‘tune’ them. The alchemist didn’t know what that meant, but he didn’t care either. The wizard’s experiments on the dungeons seemed fruitful, and there hadn’t been a wave in a while. That was a good sign, or a bad one. Time between waves often influenced their strength.

Zarali was working in her enchanting lab. When the alchemist entered, he found her inscribing something on a plank of wood. The same Drogramathi script she used to tell the story of her people, however imagined they were.

“Brother, nice of you to stop by. I have a commission from the fisherman,” she said.

Settling in on a chair, Theo sat to watch the priestess work. She wasn’t certain that the Ogre Cypress wood worked the same way on a boat as it did on his fermentation barrels. He’d forgotten she was such a cautious person, and enjoyed watching as she tried a few enchantments. The power condenser hummed in the room’s corner, focusing Drogramath’s energy to produce glowing purple runes on the length of wood.

“I can almost understand those,” Theo said, kneeling near the enchantments to inspect them.

“I’ve been trying to forget that you’ve taken a core from Toru’aun,” she said, tutting. “Why didn’t you take a mage core from Lord Drogramath?”

“Does he even offer mage-style cores?” Theo asked. “Two of his cores in my chest is enough.”

“Well, we should work on your spells.”

“Xol’sa has been helping me.”

“Dronon magic is different,” Zarali said. She moved to the far side of the room and turned the power condenser off.

Toru’aun’s magic was a lot different than what Theo had expected. A strange brand of chanting that even Xol’sa didn’t expect. The alchemist would have been upset about learning Axpashi for no reason, but he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t fun.

“How about a display?” Zarali asked, breaking Theo from his thoughts.

With a shrug, Theo found a length of unused wood. With a sharp breath, he held his hand out and chanted the [Lesser Reveal] spell. He got it in 2 tries this time, leaving behind the reactive ward as an inscription of shifting color. Zarali came over to inspect his work, nodding with appreciation.

“They seem like neighbors, don’t they?”

“What?” Theo asked, thinking for a moment. “Oh. Wards and enchantments. Yeah, I thought they were the same thing for a while.”

“But this is completely reactive,” Zarali said. “And it doesn’t require a power source? Interesting.”

Theo found his way back to the chair to relax. “I thought you’d come asking about it sooner.”

Zarali offered him a weak shrug. “I thought about it. Figured you’d want some time alone with the new core.”

“Well, I got that skill you were hounding me about. [Reagent Deconstruction],” Theo said.

“Oh,” Zarali said, leaning in. “Now that is a skill worth talking about. Come. I’ll instruct you on Belgar’s techniques.”

They departed the enchantment lab, bound for the alchemy lab. After a brief chat with Salire about incoming orders, Theo led his adoptive sister into his lab. His desire to remove the bedroom from the building and building somewhere else for him to sleep was still burning in his mind. The lab was feeling more cramped by the day, but it would require some modifications from the town’s [Fabricator].

Zarali seemed surprised that Theo had understood the method for breaking essences and reagents down. She expected to present a revelation about primal essences. Instead, she was surprised that he’d figured out how to use those primals for his magic. It was a path she hadn’t expected, but that was no surprise. There was no one living that held both Toru’aun’s cores and Drogramath’s cores. A dangerous fact, if not for the backing of Tero’gal. Core combinations could be dangerous, if one wasn’t careful.

“We should go through the list, then,” Zarali said, placing her hands on her hips and huffing. Theo had stolen her thunder. “At your level, you should get at least the third property. And the second and third for those you haven’t eaten.”

There were many reagents on that list. The task of listing the reagents he needed to check was daunting, let alone using his mana reserves to discover those properties. With a [Mage’s Bane] flower on the table, Zarali guided him through the process of discovering the third property. It wasn’t much different than his attempts to break materials down. He focused on the skill, and his intent to find the next property, allowing his mana to flow over the flower. The deconstruction sent plumes of black smoke into the air, flashing a notification in his vision.

[Property Discovered]!

Deconstructing the [Mage’s Bane] has revealed the property: [Mana Seep]

“That was easy enough,” Theo said. “But it took some mana.”

“Right. You’re meant to do this over time, although you can drink a potion if you need,” Zarali said, clapping her hands. “Let’s get going. There’s a big pile of reagents to get to.”

[Roc Berries] were a useful reagent. They provided the [Retreat] property, which was something Theo wanted to use to escape combat. When he was attacked by the Zagmon assassins, it was useless. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t worth producing potions made from the berry, so he deconstructed one. The smoke rose, and it revealed the [Wind Shell] property. Theo dismissed the notification and sat down, a headrush sending his vision fuzzy.

“You still need to get used to using your mana,” Zarali said, tutting.

“I’m fine,” Theo said, holding his head. He had only used about 25% of his mana, so the sensation was unexplained.

After some light conversation, the alchemist was ready to get back at it. His mana had regenerated slightly on its own, but hadn’t recovered the lost percentage. It was enough to continue, though. The [Widow Lily] had been a particularly annoying reagent to deal with. As it was poisonous, he couldn’t eat it to discover the property. When the gout of smoke shot from the reagent, reducing it to ashes that floated away at the slightest disturbance, the alchemist nodded with approval. The poisonous flower had two more properties, [Maim] and [Devour].

No additional information came with the names of the properties. Theo and Zarali were left to speculate. Alex put in the occasional honk, and an even rarer chirp when she felt the need. But the alchemist took another break, recovering his senses once again before pushing forward.

[Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] was Theo’s favorite reagent. It was easy to work with, and produced powerful healing potions. The reagent was native to the region, and grew in abundance even before his arrival in the town. The smoke that rose from the root was tinged with reds, giving it the appearance of an evil cloud. [Reagent Deconstructed] revealed the third property on the root to be [Flourish].

It was time to rest, yet again.

“I could have all this done in my realm,” Theo said. “But it’s more fun out here.”

“I’d like to learn more about your realm,” Zarali said.

Theo forgot that he hadn’t spoken to her about it much. She’d been distant for a few days, likely busy with whatever enchanter works he was doing. There was little to say about Tero’gal that she couldn’t figure out on her own. Like the god she worshiped, he had a private pocket of space that he could retreat to. Unlike Drogramath, his realm didn’t come with the same level of power.

“I know it will work out,” Zarali said, placing a comforting hand on Theo’s shoulder.

She mistook his silence for pensive contemplation. He wasn’t worried about any of that junk, he was thinking about the best ways to exploit his realm. In the past, he’d responded negatively when she pushed him to embrace Drogramath. But these were different times, even if it had only been weeks. The comfort of Tero’gal spread through him like a wildfire, now. It wreathed him in self-assured comfort, banishing away any malicious thought. The Tara’hek bond had bloomed from love, and was nourished in the goals that Theo and Tresk shared. It would only continue to grow in power.

“I have a feeling it will,” Theo said.

Exhaustion creeped in by the moment, grinding Theo’s motivation to get all his reagents down to nothingness. He managed two more reagents before calling it quits. The [Moss Nettle] produced the [Stamina Burst] property. It seemed similar to the second property on the reagent, [Stamina Surge], but the alchemist had a feeling it was different in application. The last reagent he processed for the day was a [Manashroom], which revealed the [Distortion] property. That one seemed impossible to guess at, so he didn’t attempt it.

Coming to rest in a chair, sweat beading on his forehead, Theo found his stamina and mana drained to almost empty. He ate a [Mana Pill], watching as it restored most of his mana, and then rested. It wouldn’t be wise to consume anything to increase his stamina. That often had consequences, such as an inability to sleep and the jitters. Instead, he talked with Zarali about the future of the town and her work.

“I’ve got faith,” Zarali said once mention of the undead was brought up.

“I don’t think Drogramath cares about the undead.”

“Not in him. In Gronro,” Zarali said. “They’ve done an incredible job holding the line, so far.”

“And we get to sit here, not a worry in the world.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic,” Zarali said, glaring. “Your people are supporting them with supplies. More than just your potions. They’re well-compensated for their work.”

That was true enough. Gronro-Dir could become the force they’d always wanted to be, something like an army of mercenaries. Aarok was already taking them around the dungeons to train them up. Banu’s ever-growing farm would feed them well enough, especially with the Guild’s harvesting of the wolf meat. There might be a day when the fishers even provided something worth note.

“We’re working on weapons designed for the undead,” Theo said.”Artifices that shoot potions. Like a stream of water.”

“Clever. Who came up with that?”

“Throk.”

“Of course. That Marshling is devious,” Zarali said. “Saw him toying with some explosives the other day. Out in the swamp. Suspiciously, I thought I detected a potion in the air after the explosion.”

A comforting silence washed over the room for a long moment. Theo’s mind lingered. “How is Xol’sa?”

“Do you want the truth? Of course you do, you’re not a pessimist. You’re a masochist. He’s declining,” Zarali said.

Theo tapped his foot on the wooden floor, his eyes going unfocused. He was right to fear a soul-slaying by a god, and was surprised that Zarali wasn’t as scared as he was. She could have been hiding it, though. A knock at the door brought him out of his stupor. Sledge didn’t wait for an invitation. She barged in with a wide smile, hands on her hips, to strike a heroic pose.

“Guess who figured out how that synergy crap works?” she asked.

Theo stood, gathering all the reagents he could think of testing along with both [Stamina Potions] and [Mana Potions]. With his inventory packed full, he regarded the Marshling with the best smile he could muster. He tucked Alex under his arm and stretched his will through the realms.

“Give me five minutes,” Theo said, pulling Alex with him through the realms. “Then we’ll get to work.”

Passing through darkness, Theo saw that the Bridge was in a much better state. He lingered for only a moment before falling onto the soft ground of Tero’gal. In an instant, the power of that realm flooded through his body. His mana and stamina crawled to full quicker than it would have on the mortal plane. The fear for his friend washed away in an instant.

The alchemist set the remaining reagents out as Alex ran over to the spring-fed pond. An icy wind blew through Tero’gal, sending a dulled chill up Theo’s spine. Benton stepped through, holding his arms wide and shouting with excitement.

“My favorite neighbor!” the bear-person yelled.

“My favorite lord of death!” Theo shouted back, laughing.

“Have you ever seen a god of death so cuddly?” Benton asked, folding his arms. “I think not. How’s it going? I sense urgency in your realm.”

Theo nodded, turning his attention to the remaining reagents on his table. “I need to cure a friend. Got hit with a soul-slaying magical attack from a god.”

“Which one?”

“Hard to say,” Theo said.

“Gonna use alchemy to fix it?”

Theo turned his attention away from the reagents and stared at the Toora god. “Unless you have a priest in the south of Iaredin that can cure it.”

“Nope. I got good herb-lore, though.”

“Excellent. Let’s get to work.”

Chapter 12

Synergistic Links

Benton’s joyous spirit was infectious. His belly-laughs, combined with the effects of Tero’gal, set Theo in an excellent mood. They’d taken a break from going over the reagents to have tea in the cottage. No heat came from the fire burning in the fireplace, just a sense of increasing comfort. The tea was hot, but not too hot, and the bear-god had even brought scones. The alchemist wouldn’t pause, considering how the hell that worked. He simply dipped a lemon-flavored scone in his moss tea and ate.

“You should get a hobby,” Benton said, spreading more confections on the table.

“I have enough work. Don’t need a hobby.”

Benton left the cottage, returning with a [Pozwa Horn]. He placed it on the table and chuckled. “Your brain is going to turn to dust. I was thinking. Had a few decades to do that, didn’t I? Thinking about your little mage core. Do you know what scrimshaw is?”

Theo ran his fingers over the twisting horn. “Nope.”

“Carving stuff out of ivory. Out of bone,” Benton said, withdrawing a knife from nowhere and going to work on the horn. In a few moments, he produced a finger-sized figurine. It was a Toora, perhaps even an image of the bear-god himself. “Pretty cool, right?”

“It looks like you,” Theo said, taking the carving. He rolled it over in his hands, appreciating how much detail was represented in such a small space. “Think it’ll help?”

“In more ways than one,” Benton said with a shrug. “We thought the Pozwa were extinct. Gardreth held them in secret, and when the Fallen Kingdom fell… Well, we thought they were all gone. But there’s more than alchemical uses for those horns.”

It was easy to follow Benton’s logic. But it was rude to steal the man’s thunder. “What do you mean?”

“Materials like these hold enchantments well. I think it should work for your new magic just as well,” Benton said.

“You’re saying I should make my weapons out of [Pozwa Horns]?” Theo asked, idly scratching his chin. His plan was to use the high-quality stone from Ziz’s quarry.

“Yeah, stuff you can just throw. Or set them down like little totems,” Benton said. “I got the idea from my homeland. From my people. We have a class that uses totemic magic. Usually made of wood, but I’ve seen bone before.”

“Interesting,” Theo said.

Mediums were often important in magic. Taking the golems as an example, Theo could see the wisdom in the god’s words. But that depended on how well the horns took his wards. Another example to consider was making the horns into a construct. It wouldn’t work, since they were alchemically reactive. But the alchemist could extract the properties from primal essences, and apply those to the carved horns. That led him down a trail of thought that was dizzying. His processes would change with the addition of his [Toru’aun Mage’s Core].

“Listen… Think it over. I’m just giving suggestions here. I’m going to pop off into some adjacent realms and see if anyone knows anything about curing a soul-slaying,” Benton said, placing a comforting hand on Theo’s shoulder.

“One question before you go,” Theo said, staring at the carved figure. “Why are you helping me?”

“Didn’t I say?” Benton said, laughing. “Our neighbors are assholes. “None have invited me for tea.”

“Thank you.”

Outside the cottage, an archway of ice rose. The Toora God of Winter and Death stepped through, vanishing from Tero’gal. It grew cold for only a moment, but that sensation subsided within moments. Theo was left in his cottage, snacking on scones and drinking his tea. He looked at the knife left behind by Benton, taking it in his hands and rolling it over. It seemed like a mundane thing, not noteworthy in any regard. But as he held it, pressing the blade into a length of horn, he found it dragged through the material with ease.

“Magic knife, or weird god rules?” Theo asked.

But the knife had no system message. When he pressed his intent upon it, nothing happened. A sense as though this thing existed only in his realm, just like those lemon-flavored scones, flooded his mind. He’d seen stranger things, but it was as though his hands moved on their own. They carved away at material as he watched, half-expecting the result of the possessed creation to be magnificent. The resulting sculpture was anything but impressive. The alchemist had produced a lop-sided figure—meant to represent himself—that looked more like a mutated goblin.

It was calming, though. Hours passed as he made more abominations. Alex played happily in the pond outside, although they should have been training. Snapping himself out of his trance, Theo sat near the pond with his growing gosling. He let time slip through his fingers, worries melting away as those moments passed, before the gate opened. Icy wind blew, stirring the stalks of wheat, and then the echoing laugh of the bear-god filled the realm.

“That was an adventure,” Benton said, coming to rest near the pond. The area where he stood seemed to bloom with frost, touching the edge of the water and freezing it. “Touched the edge of the high-heavens, and even the demon-realms, and found something interesting.”

“What did you find?”

“Well, one of the Drogramathi’s spirits was hiding within an infant realm,” Benton said, groaning to a seated position. He dunked his feet in the water, freezing it. Alex honked in anger, moving far away from the spreading ice. “Had a few words with him. Talked a lot about Telbaris. Spirits are weird that way.”

“Did you catch his name?”

“Nope. He’s wayward. Trying to find his way back to the mortal plane. But that’s not possible. So he’s losing his mind. I sent him back to his master’s embrace… Well, anyway. Telbaris. The shifting moon. When she’s green, you can trundle off into the swamp and find yourself a flower.”

Theo narrowed his eyes, mind spinning. “What am I looking for?”

“A flower that blooms only when the moon is green. It doesn’t glow or anything like that, so you’ll need a light. But, there’s a hidden property on the flower. Grind it up on a plate of Drogramathi Iron, set it on fire, capture the smoke, then use some ability on it. The Dronon said you’d have it if you were a decent alchemist.”

“Hidden properties?” Theo asked.

The way property discovery worked was well-established, wasn’t it? A hidden flower in the swamp. One that only bloomed when the moon was green. That seemed like a tale, rather than fact. But with no other options, and Benton’s trustworthiness, Theo had no other options. The steps seemed easy enough. [Reagent Deconstruction] was the ability he was talking about, there was no doubt about that.

“Yeah, he said you’d know what to do.”

“Thanks, Benton,” Theo said, nudging the bear-god with his elbow. “I really appreciate it.”

“Hey, no problem. I’m bored out of my mind, so I’ll help however I can,” Benton said. “Did you ever think you’d be friends with a god?”

“You’re not a powerful god, are you?” Theo asked.

“Nope. That’s true. I’m one of the weakest,” Benton said. “I ran into a Bantari god. Two of them. Twins, maybe?”

“I didn’t think the Marshlings had gods.”

“Well, when you’re in these new realms you’re a god in name only. We get a realm, we get to poke into the mortal world a bit, but… It’s not like the high realms. Nothing like the Prime Pantheon, or the Demonic one.”

“But gods seem to have something in common,” Theo said. “Good timing. What’s the phase of the moon tonight?”

Benton grinned, revealing his sharp teeth. “Green.”

“Interesting,” Theo said. “Anyway, look at the horrible creations I’ve made.”

Theo and Benton laughed for hours about the horrible scrimshaw he’d created. The god asked if he could keep a few, and the alchemist was too happy to rid himself of the abominations. With the solution to Xol’sa problem resting in the swamp, the pair chatted about realms and what they meant. They only lingered on larger topics for a while, preferring to talk about the small things of the world. The way things were before Benton ascended, and how his departure brought in a new era for his people.

The Toora bear-people, those peoples living in the mountains north of the Kingdom of Qavell, had a long, proud history. They had survived the cataclysm that destroyed the continent. Safe in their mountains, they spent their time reconnecting with their ancestors. They were a shamanistic people, and wanderers by nature. With the help of those that came before them, they settled down. They built something worth talking about.

When Qavell came to dominate them, they resisted. It was difficult for the kingdom to gain a foothold, losing soldiers, and so they settled on an agreement. Not quite the proud future they tried to forge, but not the subservience chained around the necks of the other towns in the kingdom. Benton had watched the undead wash across the land before he ascended. He’d seen them crash against the walls of Qavell before turning their eyes southward, as though their attention were caught by something else.

“Mortal interference,” Benton said with a sage-like nod. “Someone is steering those undead.”

“Why?”

“To spit in the face of the gods. To show them how impotent they are. They’re bound by their rules, but only when it suits them. It was their responsibility to clean up the mess left behind by Balkor, but they’ve failed,” Benton said.

That seemed like a point of hate within the bear-god. Theo wouldn’t disagree. He only hoped Khahar was making good on his promise to make them pay. He needed to trust that Yuri would do the right thing. To bring them to heel and make the heavens a better place. But what that meant was beyond mortal thinking. In realms where years passed in a day, how many moves had already been made?

The conversation shifted, and Theo battled his instinct to keep on working. It was nice to soak his feet in the cooled water, chatting with anyone. Benton had gone through similar trials as the alchemist. Leading people in a time of crisis, far before he was ready. Things moved fast when magic was involved. Too fast for the mortal mind to process. But that’s why he had his private realm, wasn’t it? A literal pool of reflection for him to sit by, enjoying silent moments without interruption.

“Tell me about your artifice work over there,” Benton said, gesturing to the stills and fermentation barrels.

Theo had placed 3 of his 5 new stills within Tero’gal. He’d replaced his older stills completely, and couldn’t be happier. He went on for as long as Benton would listen, telling him about all the features. Each peace that he’d had a hand in creating, and the master artificer who’d forged them. But as time dragged on, speeding and slowing as the alchemist’s concentration shifted, it was time to go.

“Great talking with you,” Benton said, shaking Theo’s hand. “If I don’t spot you crossing the Bridge, make sure to send me a mental message. I don’t want to miss our visits.”

“Me either,” Theo said, grinning at his godly friend.

The alchemist scooped Alex up under one arm, watching as Benton departed from his realm, and then fell over the edge of the island. The Bridge was still in silence. There was no sign of battle anywhere, and as he approached the mortal plane, he saw Zarali and Sledge arguing.

“A man doesn’t just vanish—Holy hells!” Sledge shouted.

Theo placed Alex in his satchel and laughed.

“Wasn’t quite 5 minutes, brother,” Zarali said, grimacing.

“Yeah, but I found what I needed,” Theo said. “Sledge, do you know about a flower that blooms when Telbaris is green?”

“We’re not going to talk about you vanishing? Whatever. Yeah, I’ve heard of it. In stories.”

“What’s going on, Theo?” Zarali asked.

“Got some insider information,” Theo said. “It’s a long story, but there’s a reagent in the swamp that can cure Xol’sa.”

“Really?” Zarali asked. She didn’t sound hopeful. “Who gave you this information?”

“A Drogramathi,” Theo said. He wouldn’t reveal that the information was second hand. Benton was as trustworthy as they came. “A wayward spirit.”

“What are we waiting for?” Zarali said, crossing the room without prompting. She had the door opened when Theo spoke next.

“Only blooms when Telbaris is green. At night,” Theo said.

The priestess relaxed. “You’re certain?”

“There’s nothing else we can do but wait,” Theo said. “You’re welcome to do more research until tonight. If you’d like to join me, that is.”

Zarali paused for a long moment. Theo informed Tresk through their communication skill. When she was done in her dungeon, she’d head to the guild and round up some adventurers for a stroll through the swamp at night.

“I will,” Zarali said. “Thank you, Theo.”

“No worries,” Theo said, waving her away. He downed an unmodified [Stamina Potion], watching his stamina bar fill. The energizing effects rushed through him, reducing the fatigue he’d felt that day. “Let’s go, Sledge.”

Alex honked, and the pair were off. Sledge led him down the southern road, making a line directly for the twin-smelters. Theo waved to Nira, who refused to wave back. She was instructing her workers and didn’t have the desire to give greetings.

“Can you see all those lines?” Sledge asked, bouncing excitedly.

“Nope.”

Sledge explained she could see lines running from each building. They fell into discussion on why she could see them, but he couldn’t. While Theo had purchased an upgrade for the town called [Synergistics], it was the [Fabricator’s Core] ability [Synergistic Links] that allowed her to see them. She explained the skill to him.

[Synergistic Links]

Fabricator Skill

Legendary

Apply production chain links between seed cores.

Effect:

Apply unaligned mana to establish bonuses to production chain buildings.

So anyone with that skill was only useful if the town they were in had the upgrade. That seemed like a very specific skill, but it depended on the bonuses they provided. Sledge explained the process, and more importantly, the requirements.

“Links cost the three M’s,” Sledge said. “Money, motes, and materials.”

“Alright,” Theo said, folding his arms. The last thing he needed was another expense. But he was too excited about the upgrades. Sledge shared the upgrade she wanted to apply to the nugget processing chain.

[Efficient Processing]

[Synergy Link]

Linked to:

[Smelter], [Mine]

Cost:

1 gold coin, 100 [Iron Bars]

Maintenance Cost:

100 Motes per week

Description:

Create a synergy link between a [Smelter] and a [Mine]. Nuggets which are mined from the attached [Mine] and processed in the attached [Smelter] are produced faster.

Effect:

Nuggets mined in the chain and produced in the chain will smelt 15% faster.

The cost wasn’t that bad. If they applied a few of these to the town, the costs would ramp up rapidly. Theo produced a single gold coin and handed it over. He approached the smelting building, withdrawing the [Iron Bars] without invitation. Nira didn’t turn her attention away from her work, too focused on the process. There were enough motes in the town’s infinite storage to maintain the effect. With the alchemist’s [Lesser Mud Golems], that wouldn’t be a problem.

Sledge held the coin above her head, standing on a pile of loose iron. Theo felt mana flowing from her [Fabricator’s Core], forming as motes of floating blue energy. They lingered in the air for a moment before forming a solid line that shot between the smelter and the mine. The pair watched as the line faded into nothing.

“There we go!” Sledge said, stumbling on the spot. She held her head. “Alright. That took a lot out of me.”

Theo moved to steady the Marshling, but she slapped his hands away. Fair enough. “Think you can do more?”

“Maybe one more,” Sledge said. “After I’ve had a mana potion. Wink wink.”

Theo produced a [Mana Potion] from his inventory and handed it over. She drank it down in one go, belching loudly. Trying to flex her muscles, or strike a heroic pose, she stumbled again. This time, the alchemist caught her before she fell. Alex let out a honk. While Sledge recovered, he thought about the best link to make next. While he would like to have a link between the farm and the weaver, the most important one would be between the sawmill and the harbor.

Sledge moved on her own after Theo summoned a few golems to carry her. Once the [Lesser Copper Golems] had their hands around her, she could miraculously walk. They made their way to the sawmill, where a gaggle of people worked to cut the massive Ogre Cypress trees into boards. The Marshling hummed to herself as she looked through the options. They all followed a theme of using the materials between the two buildings. But she settled on one, sharing it for the Archduke’s inspection.

[Thick Boards]

[Synergy Link]

Linked to:

[Sawmill], [Harbor]

Cost:

5 gold coin, 500 of any [Wood Planks], 100 [Iron Bars]

Maintenance Cost:

200 Motes per week

Description:

Create a synergy link between a [Sawmill] and a [Harbor]. Boards milled at the [Sawmill] and used in construction at the [Harbor] will add additional attributes to produced boats.

Effect:

Boats produced with boards milled at the [Sawmill] and used at the [Harbor] will produce a random enhancement on the finished boat.

Theo withdrew the materials from the town’s storage, setting them on the ground. Sledge clutched 5 gold coins in her hand, holding it above her head. She swayed on the spot as she applied the link, and collapsed afterward. Nothing a [Mana Potion] and a [Stamina Potion] couldn’t cure, but she left the encounter with a horrible headache. The act brought the alchemist’s funds down to 49 gold, but that last link was worth it. Perhaps that would invite the shipwrights to work faster. Who knew what bonus they’d get?