The Newt and Demon - Book 4 Chapters 16,17,18 (Patreon)

Chapter 16

You Can Never Have Too Much Training

Theo ran his fingers through his hair, straightening it the best he could before stepping off the island. He slipped through the space between worlds like a ghost, only briefly flashing over the Bridge. That shadowy world was once again filled with conflict, a signal that Fenian was drawing closer. While it was an assumption, the alchemist figured it was a good one.

Stepping as though it was normal, Theo appeared in the meeting room of the town hall. Tresk offered a simple wave, while both Alise and Alran shrieked. The alchemist didn’t break his stride, coming to rest the head chair. He stirred his tea, grabbed some Zee flatbread, and regarded those gathered before him. With plenty of time to consider the meeting, he presented a cold exterior. On the inside, excitement buzzed for his magical progress. Benton had insights, after all.

“We’re here to put old things behind us,” he said. “If you haven’t left your feelings at the door, then leave.”

The Archduke’s eyes were locked on Alise. He didn’t blame her for the problems with Rivers. Those sins fell on Alran, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Like a good spy, he was concerned about his situation. There was nothing worse than lacking information when you were in the business.

“I’ve brought nothing but good intentions,” Alran said.

“As have I,” Alise said. “I’m ready to settle this misunderstanding.”

“Right,” Theo said. Benton said they would be more hostile to his intentions. The alchemist made a mental note about the bear-god.

“So, Alran is a dirtbag who hid his stock of gold and food,” Tresk said, setting the table the way only an assassin could. “Alise is a hot-head with a mean temper. Dirtbag gives up his seat, dissolves the Chairs. Hot-head goes home to her lover. We’re all happy.”

Theo cleared his throat. That was the breadth of their conversation today. Put so simply, it sounded silly. But there were more subtle things in motion there.

“And Alran gets our support as a Spymaster,” Theo said. “Which god gave you cores to do the spying?”

Alran shifted uncomfortably again. He might have been a smart man, under all that fat and bluster, but he wasn’t smart enough to spy from such a great distance. Even with agents, the task would be too much. From experience, Theo knew spies were the first ones to jump ship when things got too hot. His mind spun out ideas, ranging from autonomous constructs to flying, drone-like creations.

“Well, you’ve got me by the tail,” Alran said.

“Wasn’t Fan’glir or Zagmon. They’re dead,” Theo said.

“You can’t really kill a god,” Arlan said.

“Ulvoqor,” Theo said, nodding to himself. “Good, he’s an ally.”

“Perhaps you should be the spymaster,” Alran said.

“I’m too busy.”

But it was obvious. Ulvuqor represented knowledge in the Prime Pantheon. Most considered them a neutral god, and the concepts represented lined up with spy craft. There was also the chance it was a specialized core, designed specifically for the task. How the head of a merchant organization got ahold of the core was a mystery, but the motivation was not. The core would make deals effortless. Updated prices across the globe, the sudden shift of the wind at his fingertips…

“[Ulvuqor Spy’s Core]. There. Simple as that,” Alran said. “I can view through the eyes of any agent without detection, enhancing their stealth abilities at will.”

“Didn’t expect that,” Theo said, leaning in over the table. He took tentative bites of the flat bread, washing it down with tea. “Well, that settles it. Doesn’t it?”

“I’m not sure it does,” Alise said, drumming her fingers on the table. “We need to solidify his position in the nation. Give him a title, a contract, and so on.”

“You’re willing to dissolve the Chairs?” Theo asked.

“I’m prepared to do so,” Alran said. “I’ve been watching my allies closely. And I’ve come to realize something.”

“That you’re super weak and stupid?” Tresk asked, laughing.

“Weak, not stupid,” Alran corrected. “Smart, I’d like to think. Only a smart man would bow when he knows he’d be bested before the fight started. You were planning to… remove me from my position by force.”

“We were,” Theo said, nodding. “Which means you have agents in my town. That’s fine. First, tell me everything you know about the war. Both of them.”

Alran finally brightened up. He threw his shoulders back and his eyes shimmered with a pale silver light. “Veosta has retreated beyond the spine. They’re having trouble holding back the tide. Karasan is missing from Qavell, and the undead have pushed to their gates. The surprise is that there are interlopers on Iaredin. Masked soldiers my spies don’t recognize, conducting hit-and-run tactics in the sea. Hamstringing fleets from Tarantham.”

That was to be expected. Theo didn’t know who would want to attack the Elves, but it didn’t matter. Karasan being missing lined up. He was likely fighting with Fenian in the heavens. Why they fought was beyond the alchemist, but that hardly mattered. It was nice to know that the spine was holding, leaving the Veostians alive for a time. He wanted to trade with them, if there was anything left of their nation at the end of the war.

“Any spies in the Khahari desert?” Theo asked.

“A few,” Alran said. “Nothing interesting there, I assure you. Khahar ascended, taking several million of his people with him. What remains are custodians. The southern islands are sending a small trade fleet north. They’ve gotten word we have a port to trade. Partopour also has a single scout vessel coming, as does Bantein.”

“Seems like you could have told us that,” Alise said, trying not to fume.

“I was gathering information, double-checking everything before bringing it to the Archduke’s attention,” Alran said.

There were several times Theo had reported information before getting the whole picture. The crater that was once Berlin flashed in his mind for a single moment, but it vanished before it could take hold. Alran was more clever than he thought. Farseeing abilities like these would be useful. Not just useful. Vital.

“That’s an impressive network of informants you’ve gathered,” Theo said.

Alran swelled at the compliment. “Decades of work.”

“Let’s set the terms of the contract,” Theo said. “You use your abilities to better the nation, dissolve the chairs, and offer a decent Duke or Duchess. You’ll promise never to harm our people directly, give away information, and so on.”

“What do I get?” Alran asked.

“The full support of the nation,” Alise said. “As our official spy master. Access to our resources. Our port. A potential for you to spread your web tighter over the globe. Your spies don’t work for free, do they?”

“They’re indebted,” Alran said, offering a grim smile. “But those terms are more than agreeable. I’ve been eager to shake off the mantle of Chair for some time. I have no love for the Merchant Chairs. No love for Rivers and Daub—not that you should tell anyone that.”

“He has a love for his craft,” Tresk said, nodding with approval. She climbed on the table, crawling across to poke a finger in the spy’s chest. “I like that.”

“Me, too,” Theo said. He went into his administration interface. It was hard to find Alran’s name. He had to select the option labeled ‘Rivers and Daub’ to find the man. “You want ‘Spymaster’ or ‘Lord Spymaster’?”

Alran rubbed his hands together. “I’d like the one with ‘lord’ in the title, please.”

Theo made it so, closing the interface to draw up the contract. They went back-and-forth on the matter, changing things to suit the needs of both towns. Everyone was glad with an absurdly verbose contract, binding each party to specific needs. When the tension in the room cleared, they sat and ate breakfast.

This was the first time Theo had spoken to Alran about things other than their towns. The Spymaster was eager to share tales of his journeys. Before he’d settled down as a Merchant Chair, he was an adventurer. With several cores, all related to stealth, he’d traveled the world and made his fortune. After gaining his spy core, he settled down and pushed things from afar.

“My plans changed when Theo took over Broken Tusk. They changed again when you mentioned a position as a spy,” Alran said. He sipped his tea with grace, bringing the cup to his lips and slurping politely.

“How many backup plans did you have?” Theo asked. “For if we didn’t work with you.”

“He really was like me, wasn’t he?” Alran asked, looking for sympathetic responses from both Tresk and Alise. The Marshling nodded excitedly while the Lady Administrator gave a curt nod. “Four plans. Including this.”

The Spymaster withdrew something from nowhere, placing it down on the table. It looked like a jumble of artifices duct-taped together. They surrounded a pulsing core. Radiating an energy of pure chaos, the item vibrated on the table. Alran stored it back in his inventory, chuckling.

“That would have split a hole in the realm. Allowed me to jump onto the Bridge and get out of here. Some sunny beach in the Khahari Desert,” Arlan said. There was a tone of pride in his voice, and Theo wouldn’t blame him. Splitting reality like that wouldn’t have been easy.

“But the path on the other side would have been dangerous,” Theo said.

The meeting had gone on long enough. One mention of the Bridge and his mind darted back to his injured friend. Xol’sa, resting in his tower. Waiting for someone to come up with a solution for his illness. Theo withdrew the potion he’d crafted from his inventory, unable to hide the smile spreading across his face. Ignoring the questions of his staff, he inspected it.

[Reforge Soul]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion reforges a mortal’s soul. The process is extremely painful, but all impurities, imperfections, and scars are cleansed.

“That looks expensive,” Alran said, leaning to get a better look.

Instead of pulling it back, Theo held it out for the man to inspect. The Spymaster let out a whistle, shaking his head.

“You couldn’t even put a price on this,” Theo said, staring into the silver substance. It was more opaque than his normal potions, holding flecks of both red and silver powder. It caught the light from the window, glinting in the sun. “Or this one.”

The alchemist withdrew another potion for the group to inspect. While the [Reforge Soul] potion was made with the [Primal Soul] and [Primal Searing Regeneration], this was the failed attempt using [Primal Rejuvenation] and [Primal Soul].

[Cleanse Soul]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion removes the yearly requirement for soul-forging tasks. This potion may only be drunk once per season (70 days).

“I don’t even know what soul-forging is,” Theo said. “Is that like core forging?”

“Never heard of it,” Alran said, shrugging.

“Don’t look at me,” Tresk said, crossing her arms. “Does it make me stab better? No? I don’t care.”

“Archduke, you could scour the world asking for coin for those potions,” Alran said. “And you would find not a soul willing to give you a price.”

“Priceless potions,” Alise said with a nod. “Well, Spymaster, I just wanted to say… I’m very happy that we’ve come to an agreement, and I apologize for yelling at you.”

“It was good fun,” Alran said, waving a dismissive hand. “This is a calling for me. Something like you’d never believe. I can serve with my passion. How many people can say that?”

“To the Southlands Alliance,” Theo said, holding his teacup in salute. The others joined, and they drained the moss tea away.

Theo nodded for Tresk to join him, leaving Alran and Alise to mend fences. He’d steered them both in the right direction, but now it was up to them to finish the job. As their leader, he needed to find that balance between telling people what to do and putting them in the right direction. Too firm a hand led to folks relying on him for everything. Too gentle, and he’d find himself with rogue factions within his nation. It was a fact he wasn’t ready to face, but time wouldn’t wait for him. His confidence was bolstered beyond anything possible before thanks to Tero’gal. Twelve hours of reflection a day did wonders for him.

Could you prepare a group of adventurers. I need to go to Xol’sa’s tower, Theo said, using their communication skill.

Tresk saluted and disappeared, leaving Theo in the town hall. There were crowds forming below. The junior administrators were handling requests from citizens. Getting them on paper and shuffling those words off to whoever needed to hear them. He even spotted some people who weren’t from town. This was the center of the alliance, so that made sense.

Theo made his way out of the town hall and onto the street. He took a breath of the stifling morning air, thanking the sparse trees overhead for their cover. The heat of the day was ramping up, something the Season of Fire would make worse by the day. He walked to Zarali’s place, not surprised to see her working on something within. He could feel the presence of the enchantments, even read some of the script. The alchemist should have told her he’d found a cure earlier. She was trying to fix her betrothed with Drogramathi enchantments.

“I figured it out,” Theo said, producing the potion from his inventory.

Zarali looked up from her work. Her eyes were rimmed red. Hurrying over, she inspected the potion. Joy mingled with sorrow as she wept on her brother’s shoulder. Minutes passed before her words became understandable.

“I knew you’d figure it out.”

“Did you?” Theo asked. He stopped himself before going on. It didn’t matter who was right, he had the cure for a failed soul-slaying in his hands. “Right, you did. Tresk is assembling a team of adventurers to escort us to the tower.”

“Thank you, Theo,” Zarali said, pulling him into a tighter hug.

Theo hugged her back, letting out a sigh as she rested her head on his shoulder. Xol’sa meant more to her than he first expected, but their bond ran deep.

“I’d lie if I said it wasn’t a fluke,” Theo said. “That bear-god I mentioned was helpful.”

Zarali couldn’t shower enough praise on Theo, but the alchemist had to remind her of the risks. The potion said the process would be ‘extremely painful’, but she promised she could handle it. The priestess had been hiking all the way out to the wizard’s tower daily, taking care of him as he rested. But things were getting worse. The wound, which she expected to close, had widened. Theo didn’t want to share his theories.

The first he had was that Xol’sa wasn’t from this plan. As an extra-planar being, the rules might not apply to him the same. The second theory was that the wound was just that deep, and perhaps his extra-planar nature was the only thing that prevented a true slaying. In the alchemist’s mind, the mention of slaying wasn’t in regard to killing someone. A soul-slaying attack was deeper than that. A strike meant to remove someone from existence entirely. He shook those thoughts away as Tresk sent a mental message.

“We’re ready,” Theo said.

Near the town square, an army of adventurers stood ready. Trainees from Gronro-Dir stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the local adventurers. Aarok and Luras headed the group, standing at attention before an army, 100 strong. At the sight of their Archduke, they saluted, offering different gestures depending on their culture.

“When the Archduke calls,” Aarok started.

“We answer,” the group finished, a thunder of voices that echoed through the town.

Tresk was somewhere nearby, laughing her ass off.

Aarok approached the alchemist, bringing him close with a sly smile. “Just a training exercise. Organization, formations, stuff like that. Tresk said we’re just going to the tower, but you can’t throw these chances away.”

“Understood,” Theo said, letting his eyes linger on the soldiers.

Soldiers. That’s what they were. Arrayed like that on the cobbles of his town. Disciplined peoples, holding no regard for their disparate races. Cultures clashed together like the armor they wore. Elves from Tarantham, clad in their finely crafted scale armors. Dwarves from Gronro, wearing pitted and burned plate armor. Bantari Marshlings and the wayward Half-Ogres, wearing a hodgepodge of whatever they could strap to their bodies. There were even at least two Humans from Rivers.

Aarok and Luras must have been having a blast. When they gave the order to march, the army filed out into distinct columns. They didn’t segment themselves by race, or their hometowns, but by specializations. The stealthers, led by Tresk, went first into the swamp. Then those wearing heavy armor, close-range fighters mostly likely. Then the ranged folks, some holding bows and others throwing weapons.

Bringing up the rear were the only two spellcasters. Theo, representing the only standing wizard in town, and Zarali. A chant of words, exalting Lord Drogramath, and the army moved faster. Her blessing fell over them like a soothing rain, washing away the heat. With unnecessary organization, they forged a way through the swamp. To save their wizard.

“It’s a bit much,” Theo said, leaning in to laugh with Zarali.

“A training exercise, he said,” Zarali giggled. “I think Aarok is worried about our wizard.”

“You can never have too much training,” Luras said, falling back to walk with Theo and Zarali. “Not when an army of bones is knocking on your door.”

Chapter 17

The Cure

The small army split off half-way to the wizard’s tower. They hardly needed one escort, let alone the army. Today, the swamp was calm. Unlike the other night, when wisps and wolves seemed to poke their heads out of every corner. Theo still viewed the exercise with respect, locking the image in his mind. It seemed significant. A turning point for the alliance, although it had only just formed.

A point of pride for Aarok, and a sense of comfort for Theo.

Walking up the gentle ramp of the tower, bringing his soggy feet onto the wide flagstones, Theo felt something. A prickle of energy ran up his spine, sending the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He held a hand out, stopping Tresk and Zarali where they were.

“Did he leave his defenses up?” Theo asked.

“Maybe,” Zarali said. A wave of energy flowed from the priestess, slamming against something near the tower. A bubble of energy appeared, covered in Axpashi runes and bristling with power. “Well…”

While Theo could read some of the spells wrought in the air, he couldn’t make out their meaning. Images of well-intentioned explorers flashed into his mind. People exploring ancient ruins, only to find their end at the hands of a long-dead wizard. The power within Xol’sa’s barrier radiated outward, warning those with magical senses away.

“That’s a problem,” Theo said, studying the symbols. “Why would he throw up a barrier?”

“He was talking about something,” Zarali said, taking a deep breath. Theo could feel her on the verge of tears. A wave of emotion to match the strength of that shield. “He thought someone was after him. Through the veil.”

“The veil being the place between realms,” Theo said, leaning closer to observe the runes. Energy crackled, and electricity jumped to sting his nose. “Yep. That’ll kill us.”

“Think he’ll share the secret of the murder shell with me?” Tresk asked, getting too close to the barrier. Theo held a hand out, keeping her from going closer.

The alchemist didn’t respond. He flopped onto the floor, sitting cross-legged near the barrier’s edge. His mind flashed as he inspected his memories of applicable potions. Potions were always the solution, after all. [Anti-Mage] was one of his favorite modifiers. He had an arsenal of the potions within his inventory at that very moment. But their usefulness was questionable. Theo flicked through them in his mind before he settled on one.

“You’ll thank me for being over-prepared,” Theo said, withdrawing a [Carapace Potion] from his inventory. He inspected it, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. It paid to have so many potions at his fingertips.

[Carapace Potion]

[Anti-Mage]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A defensive potion. Drink to gain segmented plates over your body, significantly increasing your defense.

Effect:

Covers your body with flexible, chitinous plates. Effect lasts 30 minutes, or until the plates are destroyed.

Chitinous plates are covered in a field of anti-magic. Reduces damage dealt by magical attacks, and absorbs those spells to increase the duration of this potion.

“Theo, we should think about this,” Zarali said.

But Theo had learned to trust the description of potions. And it wasn’t as though he was going to drink a single potion, that would be foolish. Since the effects stacked, there was no reason not to drink as many potions as he could. Without waiting for more objections, the alchemist quaffed his potions. A [Dexterity Potion] with the [Anti-Mage] modifier gave him +13 [Dexterity] and a [Magic Shell] effect. A [Vigor Potion] with [Refined Elemental Earth], giving him +14 [Vigor] and a scaling bonus to his resistances. Both tasted similar to fizzing mud. He drank a [Regeneration Potion], his [Anti-Mage] [Carapace Potion], then finally turned to regard his companions.

Chitinous plates sprung up around the alchemist as his entire body buzzed. The plates were heavy, stifling his movement. His body objected to the sudden increase in attributes, making his movements strange. A visible field of anti-magic fizzled around him, the dual-effects warring with each other.

“Don’t bother yelling at him,” Tresk said, bouncing up and down with excitement. “This is gonna be so cool.”

Theo drank his last potion, winking at his adoptive sister. The power of the [Retreat Potion] sent him hurtling backward at impossible speeds. He slammed hard against the wizard’s door, causing the wood to splinter, but it didn’t break. Bolts of lightning sprung from the barrier, slamming into the twin-barriers fizzling around the alchemist. It arced onto his chitinous plates, the potion absorbing the attack entirely only to fall away moments later.

Tresk gave a thumbs-up.

“That was dangerous!” Zarali shouted. Her voice came in a wavering tone, as though the barrier blocked more than just entrance. It distorted the air around him, sending a strange feeling of electricity through his being. But the lightning had stopped.

“We’re still good!” Theo shouted, giving Tresk the thumbs-up back.

“Want me to come?” Tresk asked.

“You can’t go!” Zarali said, groaning. “That was so incredibly dangerous.”

“Lady, I can pass through realms. Two of us is better than one,” Tresk said, vanishing from the spot with Alex.

She’d reappear wherever she was done in Tero’gal, likely 5 minutes from now. Theo still didn’t know what she did with her time in the realm besides training with Benton. It didn’t matter. All the excitement for using his potions had distracted the alchemist from his goal. His friend was in trouble. Somewhere within the tower, dying from a soul-slaying. While Zarali shouted something at him, he redoubled his concentration. Focusing his mind on the task at hand. He entered the tower and closed the door behind him, drowning out the shouts of protest.

The situation was real, now. Theo had wanted to test some potions, and he was happy that they worked, but now was the time for caution. Xol’sa was paranoid. There could be more traps. He quaffed an [Intelligence Potion] and a [Wisdom Potion] before sitting on the floor to have a think. His mind rushed with the sudden +13 to both attributes, sending him reeling and light headed. Both attributes burst through thresholds, sending his thoughts racing at an uncomfortable pace.

Suddenly, he had a better understanding of the barrier outside. It wasn’t created by the wizard himself, but the tower. An automated response meant to defend its owner. While that was a comforting thought, the alchemist wanted more than his logical reassurances. He needed Alex and Tresk by his side to bounce ideas off of. Instead of forging ahead, he waited for five minutes.

With an indistinct popping sound, Tresk and Alex appeared before him. She struck a heroic pose. “Phew. Really gives you time to think. Doesn’t it?”

“It does,” Theo said, the cocktail of potions still thundering through his system.

Alex honked, then spat a small gout of fire.

“Talked to Benton. He went off and found that dead Dronon’s spirit again. The spirit was impressed with your work, and wants to live in Tero’gal, but I said I had to talk to you first,” Tresk said, taking a deep breath. “Well, anyway… [Reforge Soul] is dangerous, so we need to be there to feed Xol’sa healing potions. The spirit guy said to apply [Healing Essence] directly to the wizard’s chest before we make him drink the forging potion. It’ll reduce the pain.”

Theo nodded, standing and looking at his companions. Twelve hours had passed for Tresk, allowing her to sort her thoughts. The alchemist’s mind was a whirl of ideas and emotions that he found difficult to direct. With his friends, he’d find a way to pull them in. To make those errant things obey his command.

“Let’s gooooo!” Tresk shouted, pointing to the staircase.

Theo led the way, counting on his lingering [Dexterity Potion’s] shell effect to mitigate any magical attacks. But the floors were clear of traps, and they found the wizard asleep in his bed. Heaving breath and covered in a sheen of sweat, Xol’sa had never looked worse. The markings that covered his body, normally shifting with a constant pulse of blue energy, were dim. The alchemist could feel the power in the man’s chest fading, even if he hadn’t mastered that skill. Zarali would be useful here.

“He should have given command of the tower to someone else,” Theo said, coming to kneel next to the bed. “We could disable the shield. Damn.”

“Get to work, alchemist,” Tresk said, rummaging through the room. “Check the top floor, Alex.”

Xol’sa’s breath came in ragged gasps. Theo got near, checking what he knew to check and shaking his head. The man’s pulse was slow, his breathing shallow. Clammy skin and eyes that remained unfocused when exposed to light. The alchemist started with the [Healing Essence], unceremoniously pulling the Elf’s robes up and dripping it on his chest.

“Sorry, bud,” Theo said, watching as the essences sizzled. He’d never applied it directly to the skin, and doubted it was safe.

Before continuing, Theo set out everything he’d need on a table. [Healing Potions], [Stamina Potions], [Mana Potions], his [Reforge Soul] potion, and a pitcher of drinking water to start. He considered his more esoteric potions before moving on. On instinct, the alchemist tipped Xol’sa’s head back and poured a [Vigor Potion] inside. The Elf drank it weakly, coughing and muttering something.

“How did he get so bad?” Theo asked, watching as Tresk rummaged through the room.

“Must’ve happened overnight,” Tresk said. “Zarali is a worrier. She would have said something.”

“We’re gonna start,” Theo said, gesturing for his companion to come over. “Help me hold him.”

Tresk waddled over to the bed, jumping and landing atop the Elf. She held both his arms down, putting her minimal weight on his torso. “Let’s go.”

Theo poured the [Reforge Soul] potion into his friend’s mouth. Xol’sa let out a guttural scream the moment the potion slid down his throat. The room filled with shifting hues of red and blue, pulsing between them. Alex came down the stairs, honking repeatedly. The alchemist understood the honks to mean there was nothing on the roof. The Elf’s mouth opened wide, shafts of solid blue light shooting out.

“Damn!” Tresk shouted, struggling to keep the Elf under control. “Once that light goes, feed him a [Healing Potion]. Maybe a regen, too?”

“Yeah,” Theo said, trying his hardest to keep the Elf still. “We’ll just shove everything down his gullet.”

There was no care needed when pouring potions down the Elf’s throat. Common potions like [Healing Potions] didn’t have a cooldown, or adverse effects when taken back-to-back. Several minutes into their efforts, when the light had died down, the tower shimmered around them. Moments later, Zarali came wailing up the stairs. She threw herself over Xol’sa, lingered there for only a moment, then called upon the power of Drogramath. The intensity of the request sent a ripple through the realms, something that Theo, Tresk, and Alex felt in their bones.

“The worst is done,” Zarali said, stifling sobs. “His soul is knitting together.”

With the priestess’ support, keeping Xol’sa alive became effortless. She sent a constant stream of Drogramathi mana into the man’s body, pulling together the parts of him that were burnt by the reforging. Theo applied more [Healing Essence] to the Elf’s chest, finding himself feeling more like a member of a trauma team than an alchemist, Hours passed, but the light faded.

The reforging was completed.

Xol’sa’s breath came with the steady rising and falling of his chest. His sweat-soaked body dried out, aided by a pile of damp cloth. Best of all, Zarali claimed that his soul had been made stronger. Forged into something better than it was before, with all the cracks and dents mended. The group collapsed with exhaustion just as Aarok ascended the tower.

“Everything alright?” he asked.

“It is. Now, anyway,” Theo said, mopping his brow.

Alex honked with encouragement, letting a small stream of fire out of her bill.

“He must have crashed overnight,” Tresk said, bringing another length of cloth soaked in water. “He’d be dead if we didn’t find the right potion. Forget waiting for a healer to show up, he had hours.”

“Is there a lesson to be learned here?” Aarok asked.

“Yeah. Don’t poke your head into the realms unless you’re ready to get your soul slain,” Theo said.

While Theo and Tresk departed with the main force of the adventurers, Aarok left soldiers behind. Guards were stationed outside of the tower, meant to hold a respectful vigil for the night. While the alchemist was happy to see his friend in a better state, he had concerns. Not just about what the wizard had done, what with poking into the realms and all, and not just about his willingness to facilitate those actions. Fenian would arrive tomorrow. He trudged through the swamp with Tresk, sharing his concerns.

“Fenian has never been in serious trouble,” Theo said. “And look what he’s brought through the Bridge. That damned giant construct. Artifice-weapon. Whatever it was.”

The soldiers marching ahead showed interest in the topic. Aarok fell behind, holding the pair back to get out of earshot. With the midday sun overhead, they constructed their stratagem.

“We’ve got a big problem, Theo,” Aarok said. “Defensibility of the eastern side of town is lacking.”

That was owing to the shape of the walls there. During previous attacks, they enjoyed a four-sided wall, with no strange nooks. Now, with the town expanded past the river only where the harbor rested, they had a vulnerable spot. But Theo wasn’t so sure that was allogether bad. It just depended on where the Elven trader appeared. The group made their way back to town without incident, Luras and Aarok joining them to the eastern wall.

“This actually works,” Theo said, shrugging. “There’s something about the space over the river, right on the road, that’s screaming to me.”

“Me, too,” Tresk said.

“Like a rip in reality. A place where Fenian can bring his carriage. He’ll appear in the same spot he’s always appeared.” Theo took only a moment to draw a line in his mind’s eye. “If something comes through the portal to the Bridge, it’s going to get slammed by the harbor’s wall. Then, the eastern wall.”

Aarok grunted a response. Luras simply nodded before saying, “Decent crossfire. We’d have a better idea if the [River Dungeon] spawned some monsters.”

The river dungeon was gently north of the bridge, at the thickest point of the river from there until the sea. From what Tresk had said, it was deep and difficult to reach. Theo shook thoughts away, trying not to imagine what would happen when they expanded the town over the dungeon.

“We can sprint for another upgrade with the town,” Theo said, drumming his fingers on the hard stone. “Not sure if that will help.”

“How about trying to upgrade the nation?” Aarok asked.

They hadn’t tested how that worked. Theo’s intuition said it was just like upgrading the town, just more expensive. “How many [Monster Cores] do we have? Between us? I have about 200 level 30 cores. Don’t look at me like that, I’ve been saving them. I’m busy.”

“I’ve got a few hundred at level 20,” Aarok said. Luras pooled his cores with the guild, so he had none to offer.

“Yeah, I got like 500 between level 5 and 20,” Tresk said, picking something out of her teeth. Only then did Theo realize she’d been chewing on those waxy leaves.

“I keep forgetting to make salt,” Theo grumbled. He clapped his hands, banishing the thought away. “Let’s do some testing.”

The group moved to the monolith in the town’s center. Theo understood the mechanics of building upgrading, but they were convoluted. Using a [Monster Core] above or at the level of the building resulted in a flat rate of experience gain. 5 cores to advance to the new level. Applying a [Monster Core] under the level of the building was more confusing. It dropped off at a rate, likely defined by some mathematical function. But the point was, underleveled cores were less effective.

“We’re starting at level 1, at 0% experience,” Theo said. “I’ll apply a [Monster Core] at level 30, so we’ll see how well they work.”

The [Monster Core] easily slipped inside the monolith, moving with the intent to upgrade the nation, not the town. Theo checked the nation afterward.

[Small Free City Alliance]

Name: Southlands Alliance

Leader: Archduke Theo Spencer

Level: 1 (2%)

Core Towns:

Broken Tusk (Capital)

Rivers and Daub

Gronro-Dir

Current Energy:

45%

Upgrades:

None

“Rats,” Theo said, tapping his foot on the hard cobbles. “50 to upgrade to level 2. I mean, that makes sense. Nations are expensive.”

“Alright. Let’s shove this frogopus full of cores!” Tresk shouted, withdrawing a pile of cores from her [Dimensional Storage Sack].

“I could go for some frog,” Luras said, watching from a distance.

As expected, it took 51 cores to upgrade to level 2. But Theo observed something annoying on the next go. Perhaps it was the lingering effects of his [Intelligence Potion], but he came up with the formula for upgrading the nation.

“Annoying, but not horrible,” Theo said. “50 plus the nation’s level.”

“At least it’s not exponential,” Tresk said, giggling.

It took some effort, but the Southlands Alliance hit level 5. Theo looked over the upgrades and snorted a laugh. They weren’t great.

[Zorp]

Once per day, you may transfer resources between towns. Quantity is limited to nation’s level at a rate of n*100. E.g. At level 1, you may transfer 100 of any resource, at level 2 you may transfer 200 of any resource, and so on.

[Trade Boost]

Carts traveling between towns within the nation will travel 1.5x faster, so long as they are designated for trade.

[Share Information]

Allows leaders to send mental messages to each other. Limited number of messages per day, based on nation’s level at a rate of n*10. E.g. At level 1, you may send 10 messages, at level 2 you may send 20, and so on.

“[Share Information] is useless to us. [Trade Boost] is alright, but I wouldn’t want Azrug’s carts to break the sound barrier.”

“Leaving [Zorp],” Tresk said, laughing. “Zorp! What kind of word is that?”

“That’s the sound someone makes when they teleport,” Aarok said, nodding. “I’ve heard it before. The saying is extremely common.”

Theo reluctantly selected the [Zorp] option, although he disagreed with the naming. By the time the nation reached level 10, they were almost entirely out of [Monster Cores]. But when the new option arrived, the alchemist rubbed his hands together.

[Controlled Fire]

All tower-style weapons, mounted to mounting points using the [Defensive Emplacements] require 1/3 less motes to operate, and fire 1.25x faster.

“Perfect,” Theo said. He didn’t consult his friends before selecting it, and went on to inspect the nation.

[Small Free City Alliance]

Name: Southlands Alliance

Leader: Archduke Theo Spencer

Level: 10 (1%)

Core Towns:

Broken Tusk (Capital)

Rivers and Daub

Gronro-Dir

Current Energy:

45%

Upgrades:

[Zorp]

[Controlled Fire]

A flat rate was nice, even if Theo liked upgrades that scaled. He wouldn’t say no to a quarter better firing rate. The group discussed what they could do to make things better. The alchemist had an idea, utilizing his newest core. They lingered there for some time, but for his plan to work he needed someone. Then he spotted a group of burly Half-Ogres walking over the bridge, headed back to town. Theo grinned.

“Hey, Ziz!” Theo shouted, once the man was within range. “Want a job?”

Chapter 18

Big Rock

The effort to move a massive slab of marble from the quarry to near the eastern gate was titanic. It had taken most of the day and no small amount of help from the locals. Theo stood before the rough-cut stone. It stood twice his height, having rough alcoves carved where Ziz intended to hew blocks. But the stoneworkers was happy to give it up, submitting to the alchemist’s whims for defense.

“Big rock,” Tresk said, slapping her hand on the upright monolith.

“Use your words.”

“Why do we need a big rock, good sir?” Tresk asked.

Alex honked, joining her voice to the questioning.

“Check it out,” Theo said, holding his hand out.

Chanting the words to the [Lesser Defense] ward, Theo felt more mana flow from his cores than ever before. The air crackled with magic, visible motes of Toru’aun mana drifting and popping in the wind. On his sixth chant of the spell, the alchemist popped a [Mana Pill]. Sweat formed on his brow from the effort, straining both his concentration and his mana. By the tenth chant, and another pill, the spell fulminated.

Space distorted around the stone for a single breath. Ziz let out a whistle of approval. The spell had bound to the stone in spectacular fashion, gaining Theo 25% experience in his [Toru’aun Mage’s Core] for his efforts. But more than that, he had something between where Fenian would appear and his town.

“Explain the idea to me,” Aarok said, gesturing vaguely to the stone. “Looks like you just made a big spot where Ziz needs to lay more road.”

Theo gestured to the far side of the new stone bridge. “The portal will appear there. And whatever Fenian brings with him comes along.” He traced his finger, drawing a straight line between the bridge and his new stone. “Anything that bursts from the portal will hit the stone.”

“Oh, so the stone absorbs random attacks.” Tresk nodded, cupping her chin in her hand. “Interesting tactic, fine sir. Absolutely splendid.”

“Yeah. Laser beams, fireballs, flying exploding monkeys. Just seems like a low-effort defensive measure,” Theo said.

Aarok shrugged at that. The effort to bring the stone over was indeed minimal. Ziz donated the stone to the town for free, and Theo made his own mana pills. If the rock caught a single attack, it would pay for itself. And it wasn’t stationary. They could move it to a new spot or add new stones. Once the alchemist had consumed more primal essences, he’d be more flexible. He’d have more effects at his fingertips, although a new trigger method was what he needed.

“We have the soldiers from Gronro for Fenian’s arrival,” Aarok said, holding one finger up. He continued with more fingers. “[Healing Potions], your limb-regeneration thing, tons of motes for the towers. I think we’re ready for whatever comes through.”

“Good. Have you checked on Ral lately?” Theo asked.

“Yeah, he has a little baby leg right now,” Aarok said. “It’s creepy, but coming along.”

“Excellent. Baby leg aside, that’s good to hear.”

“Another hole plugged in the never-ending saga of Theo’s need to be a mother hen,” Tresk said, nodding sage-like.

“I feel like a mother hen,” Theo said. His mind drifted.

“Hah! He’s thinking about upgrading buildings. With our last few [Monster Cores],” Tresk said, laughing. “Look at the mother hen go!”

It was hard to be mad when she was right. HIs mind had gone directly to using the last of the cores he was sitting on. With their purpose served, he wanted to rid himself of the rest. Sledge hadn’t come calling since she applied the last 2 synergy upgrades. The alchemist didn’t know if he wanted her to come back, as those upgrades cost resources to maintain. But there were several buildings he could bring up to level 10 with the few cores he had.

First, there was Whisper’s butcher. The Toora woman didn’t seem to need anything. Once she got the air conditioner, she was happy. Even if her building could be seen with frost rimming the windows. Kaya, the Elven woman that didn’t speak Qavelli, ran the weaver. That could use a few upgrades, but once again it was a matter of need. Neither citizen had been loud about their desire for upgrades, placing them firmly on the back burner.

Now would be a great time to help them out.

“Off to upgrade buildings,” Theo said, dismissing the crowd without another word.

The citizens of Broken Tusk were accustomed to their Archduke’s sudden shift of attention. It wasn’t as bad in recent times, but the memories lingered. He made his way to Whisper’s place first, finding her inside. She was butchering animal carcasses and bowed her head when she entered. Theo wished his robes were twice as thick the moment he stepped in, almost slipping on a slick of blood-ice. He noted the cleanliness of her fur, thanks to a simple leather apron.

“Everything going well?” Theo asked.

“Yes,” she said, bowing her head again.

“I’m going to upgrade your building to level 10.”

“As you will.”

Easy enough. Theo inspected the building before proceeding.

[Butcher]

[Hoary Frost]

Owners: Theo Spencer

Operator: Whisper

Faction: [Southlands Alliance]

Level: 1 (0%)

Rent Due: 1 Day

Expansions:

None

“Dunno what Hoary means,” Theo said.

“It’s poetic,” Whisper assured him.

“Alright. Gonna read off some upgrades. Tell me what you think,” Theo said.

To upgrade the building to level 10 would be simple. Even low-level cores would work here, and they had plenty of those. It was only an issue of upgrading when the building’s level was too high, but these fledgling buildings were a joy to work with. The alchemist shoved low-level [Monster Cores] inside, reading the upgrades out when the building hit level 5. He favored the rear of the building for expansions.

[Cold Storage]

A new room appears in your building. Food items placed inside will not rot.

[Keen Knives]

Knives used for the purpose of butchering will be more effective.

[Spoilage Prevention]

Allows you to process more from each animal carcass.

Whisper tapped her chin for a while. Theo’s sense for these upgrades wasn’t great. The building was already ice-cold, he knew nothing about butchering, but maybe there was value in getting more from each animal?

“[Keen Knives],” Whisper said.

Theo nodded, picking the upgrade. He shoved more cores in the building, selecting random directions for expansion. When the time came, he read the level 10 upgrade out to her.

[Drying Room]

A new room appears in your building. Processed food items placed in this room will dry at twice the rate as normal. The room is humidity and temperature controlled, resulting in perfectly dried meats.

“That’s a good one,” Whisper said, smiling. “I want that one.”

Theo selected the [Drying Room] upgrade and the building lurched beneath their feet. A door appeared to his right, but Whisper was already moving to check it out. The room was small, with several metal bars with hooks hanging throughout. It felt dry in there, like the desert powers of the Khahari with none of the sandy after-effects.

“Thank you,” Whisper said.

And that was all that she said. She left the drying room and got back to work on the wolves, cutting them down for consumption. If they weren’t careful, they’d be exporting more dried meats than stone and lumber.

The Weaver’s shop was on the newest road in town. South of Zarali’s workshop, and slightly north of Luras’ old leatherworking shop, a road branched from the main. It headed west, toward the swamp, creating a small grid where new buildings were meant to go. Currently occupied by only Kaya’s weaver, it was lonely. A few deft knocks and the aging Elven woman opened the door, offering a curt nod of her head.

“Come in,” she said, unable to hide her smile.

“You’re speaking Qavelli!” Theo shouted.

“Some,” she said, holding hand out. She was urging him to slow down.

“I’m upgrading your building,” Theo said, gesturing to the cramped space inside.

On the far end of the interior were racks that contained lengths of [Starbristle Flax]. The blue flax was amazing when processed correctly, displaying a hue like a tropical ocean’s waves. Slight variations from light to dark gave the finalized cloth a wave-like appearance, and the sample of sailing canvas she was working on was amazing to behold.

“Yes,” she said.

Theo inspected the building before continuing.

[Weaver]

[Fields of Blue]

Owners: Theo Spencer

Operator: Kaya Wavecrest

Faction: [Southlands Alliance]

Level: 1 (0%)

Rent Due: 1 Day

Expansions:

None

No surprises that she hadn’t upgraded, but he liked the name. It was a reference to the massive field of cultivated [Starbristle Flax] at the farm. Or maybe it was a reference to the ocean? Or a bunch of ships on the sea, displaying the Starbristle sails? Whatever the case, it was nice. Instead of reading the upgrades out to Kaya, the alchemist urged her to read them herself. She could do this by inspecting the building alongside him, although giving those instructions was tough enough.

[Fiber Reclamation]

When processing fibers, experience less loss from the process.

[Soothing Mist]

The building is filled with a constant cooling mist that imbues all processed fibers. The resulting cloth will be softer.

[Efficient Spindles]

Your weaving process is more efficient, resulting in a significant time-reduction when turning thread into cloth.

These were actually decent upgrades. Theo didn’t know if the [Soothing Mist] upgrade was decent, but that didn’t matter. The others were great. Kaya didn’t have the words for which upgrade she wanted. She repeated a word in the Elven tongue a few times before letting out a breath of frustration. Snatching a spindle from her work area, she held it up.

“Gotcha,” Theo said, selecting the [Efficient Spindles] upgrade.

The level 10 upgrade was interesting, and Theo could tell Kaya was torn.

[Tough Fibers]

Cloth produced in this workshop will be stronger than it normally would.

She wanted [Fiber Reclamation], but [Tough Fibers] would be perfect for their sail-making industry. After some pidgin-conversation, they agreed on [Tough Fibers]. To make up for it, Theo took the building up to level 15.

[Processing Room]

A new room appears in your building. All processing actions performed inside the room will be faster, and consume less stamina.

Kaya jumped up and down for that one. Theo selected it without question, feeling the building rumble under his feet as a new room appeared. It was an empty room, but the Elf moved her equipment in without hesitation. The alchemist helped. Processing the flax was the most annoying part of the process. Smacking the fibers and combing them out looked laborious, so anything that helped the process would be nice.

When Theo turned to leave, Kaya pulled him into a hug. The alchemist awkwardly patted her back as she poured thanks in her native tongue. He left her workshop with an armful of cloth he didn’t need. But it was nice to see the product of the weaver, even if he’d take it directly to the harbor for the shipwright to use. [Starbristle Cloth] was soft for something made of flax. He hadn’t experienced it back on Earth, but assumed it would be coarse. Instead, the sailing canvas was soft and strong at the same time.

Dismissing the idea to make T-shirts, Theo visited his town hall. While the building could be upgraded, he hadn’t done so. He stood outside of the white building for a while, trying to find a good name for it. Naming buildings wasn’t necessary, but it always added flair. A bit of personality on an otherwise uninteresting structure. Alise should have found a good name for it by now, so he named it “T-shirts for sale”.

Naming things stupidly often brought her out of the woodwork.

Theo entered the building, waving to the functionaries who worked there. He made his way to the meeting room on the second floor, the one with north-facing windows, and found Alise, Gwyn, and Gael inside. They stopped talking, waiting for him to plop down in a chair.

“Can we help you, Archduke?” Alise asked.

Parchment ruffled, then a quill and ink clattered onto the table. Theo consulted his notes about Toru’aun’s magic, finally withdrawing Xol’sa’s book of theories before he answered.

“No, continue,” Theo said, sketching out new diagrams.

It took a moment for the group to carry on, but they managed. The problem with warding magic was the trigger. With only one trigger to his name, Theo was stuck with ‘attack’. That one factor limited him in his weaving of spells, leaving him feeling as though the core was useless. Hidden inside those endless, confusing poems about Dronon fighting things, there was an answer.

Rewriting that portion of the spell manually didn’t work at first. The more the group prattled on about issues within the town, the closer he got to the answer. Something about the low buzz of their excited conversation felt inspiring. There was a pattern in Toru’aun’s stories. Something about the way the parts of spells connected spoke to him, and he rewrote a story.

Using the sections of the spell for the [Reveal] spell effect, Theo wrote a story about Dronon hidden in the forest. They weren’t defending this time, they were waiting for someone. An ambush of an enemy force. Several rewrites later, and something clicked within the alchemist’s mind. It was like gears turning over, changing to a faster pace in the cycle.

“You sure look pleased with yourself,” Alise said, gazing at the alchemist over a sheet of parchment.

Theo didn’t respond, he held his hand out and chanted his new spell. Focusing on the table, it took five tries to get it right. When the spell took hold, the table shivered. He inspected it, drilling down to the ward’s description.

[Lesser Reveal]

[Advanced Ward]

Creates a reactive field of [Reveal]. Field only activates when enemies are detected in range.

Trigger:

Detect Enemy

Duration:

1 day.

“Cool,” Theo said. “Your table will now reveal enemies.”

“Thanks. I guess,” Alise said, chuckling. “You really don’t need anything?”

“We have some reports if you want to be bored to death,” Gwyn said.

“Bore me to death, please.”

The reports were more boring than Theo could have imagined. Alise only brought a single item to his attention that was interesting. Between the farms, hunting in the swamp, and a sudden influx of fish, their food reserves were bolstered. So much that they had spare food to export. That brought into question the usefulness of Rivers and Daub.

“That’s why we’re restructuring them,” Gael said. He seemed awkward at the table, but the Elf was doing his best. No need to beat him down for being weird when he just started the job.

“Old Gael here has a lot of insight,” Gwyn said, nodding to her peer. “Who knew. Being the leader of an Elven house has its advantages.”

“Barely a leader,” Gael said, shaking his head. “Barely surviving before Feintleaf saved us. But, you’re not wrong. I’ve seen mistakes in Tarantham. Mistakes I’d rather not see replicated in the Southlands Alliance.”

“We’re eager to install different industries in both Rivers and Gronro,” Gwyn said.

“And we’re talking about keeping track of upgrading the buildings,” Alise said. Her eyes went glassy. “Even the town hall isn’t… who named the town hall ‘T-shirts for sale’, and what is a t-shirt?”

“Must’ve been Tresk,” Theo said, waving the question away. “Better find a better name before she does it again.”

“Fine,” Alise said.

“So, what’s your take on Alran? All of you.”

Gwyn offered her opinion first. “Reminds me of a wayward soul. Just trying to do what he loves, then he gets stuck doing crap work.”

“He emulated the Mercantile Chair model from the Qavelli dogs,” Gael said, chuckling wryly. “A model doomed for failure.”

Alise’s eyes refocused. “It was a better end than taking his head. Once we opened the gates for him, he went wild. Been feeding us reports since he left town.”

“Any update on that?” Theo asked. “You know. Undead army and all that.”

“That part of the war is going fine,” Alise said. “Fine for us, anyway. Throk is working on new weapons, but your potions are doing the job for now.”

“Always good to hear,” Theo said standing from his chair. “See, the ward I put on the table is excellent.”

“Why?”

“Because it didn’t activate,” Theo said, turning and leaving the town hall.

Long shadows dominated the streets of Broken Tusk by the time Theo was done in the town hall. He had no desire to upgrade the town hall today. Instead, he sent a mental command to Tresk. It was dinner time, and if the scent wafting from the north was anything to go by, the food would be delicious tonight. Settling into his booth, he waited for his companions to arrive.

After sipping on a mug of mead for a while, Tresk finally arrived. She was out of breath, but excited. Aarok had ordered her to oversee the changing of the guard for Xol’sa’s tower, and the wizard had regained consciousness for a few moments. He was out again, but improving.

Their wait for the food was short. Tresk rubbed her hands together as the server placed bowls and plates on the table. Buttered Zee bread was becoming a common food in the town, but that didn’t make it any less delicious. Theo’s eyes were on the bowls of creamy soup, though. He never cared much for fish, what little he’d had on Earth, but the soup was great.

“Caught by my brother,” Tresk said proudly.

“You never talk to your brother,” Theo said. “How can you possibly have pride in anything he’s done?”

“Alex doesn’t talk, but we still love her,” Tresk said, shrugging.

Theo conceded the point, although he disagreed. The Bantari were truly a mysterious group.