The Newt and Demon - Book 4 Chapters 55,56,57 (Patreon)

Chapter 55

Wards and Wills

It was always a good idea to get some fresh air after talking to Fenian. That guy had so many grand designs going on at the same time, it left Theo feeling drained. How could one man be so single-minded? The alchemist shook off the dust of ambition and went off to check on a few projects. Projects always made him feel better.

Outside of the manor, in the heat of the Season of Fire, things were normal. The alchemist stood on the road’s edge for some time, waving at people as they passed by. A breeze blew in from the east, bringing with it the faint scent of the sea. There must have been a powerful gust pushing up from the bay, flooding over the harbor and then the town. The sparse grasses that grew throughout town shook, as though through anticipation. Theo took a deep breath and headed off to the boiler shack.

One advantage of turning mundane buildings into core buildings was their longevity. From what Theo understood, the buildings would never decay so long as there were supplies to keep them repaired within the town. Broken Tusk had infinite storage for materials, allowing them to stockpile absurd amounts of materials. It was part of the strategy that Aarok and Luras cooked up, which wasn’t much of a strategy at all. Turtle up, and hope they could outlast whatever it was that came to get them.

The boiler shack was an unassuming building between the Artificer’s Workshop, and Miana’s ranch. It rested among saplings and a scatter of unused lumber, humming away endlessly. Even at a distance, the alchemist could feel that the building was ready for an upgrade. Unlike the temple, which seemed hellbent on remaining without upgrades forever. Inside were a group of boilers, fed by copper pipes that snaked their way underground.

Theo pressed the first [Monster Core] into the building, nodding to himself as the building accepted it. He didn’t get the same feeling he got from true seed core buildings. It was as though this building was siphoning power from the town itself, much like the synergistics upgrades. The alchemist thought about those synergy upgrades as he shoved cores into the building. They were useful, but expensive.

There were several things to note about the way incorporated core buildings worked. As Theo leveled the building up, he observed that the building did not expand in size with every level. Next, the boiler shack leveled past level 5 without receiving an upgrade. That seemed like a low cost to pay for the chance to make any building a core building, and as the shack reached level 10 he finally got a prompt to apply upgrades.

Of course, this process was different as well. He wasn’t presented with a list of three things to pick from. He was presented with one option, which was automatically accepted by the building. Anything was better than nothing. Theo inspected the Level 10 upgrade.

[Efficient Purification]

All water purifying devices within this building will operate more efficiently.

Less resources to run the shack was good. The shack contained both artifices to purify the water, and a backup alchemy based system. While his original plan was to only use alchemy to purify the water, it was soon made evident that they should take advantage of the natural resources of the land. Motes were in abundance. Why not use them? The alchemist continued on with the upgrade, intent on seeing what Level 20 would bring him. As expected, Level 15 brought nothing. At least Level 20 brought something interesting. He inspected the option, only after it selected itself.

[Rapid Heating]

The time required to purify water by heat is halved.

That was a pretty good upgrade. Theo knew little about how long the individual boilers took to heat the water up. The [Flame Artifice] design Throk had used to design the shack was pretty old. They made up for this fact by putting a bunch of heating elements in there. It was likely that the upgrades the alchemist just applied only brought the boilers up to standard. That was a better alternative than bothering Throk for another job.

“One less angry Marshling to deal with,” Theo muttered, exiting the building.

Level 20 was fine for now. The boiler shack didn’t really need upgrades. Not like the other production buildings in town. It was just a fun thing to do. Before heading off to inspect Ziz’s work, he renamed and inspected the building.

[Boiler Shack]

[Love Shack]

Owner: [Broken Tusk]

Faction: [Southlands Alliance]

Level: 20 (2%)

Rent Due: 4 Days

Expansions:

[Efficient Heating]

[Rapid Heating]

“Heh.”

The harbor was an interesting mix of people. Laedria had recruited a few foreign workers to help her build the boats. Theo didn’t recall seeing another trade ship enter port, but brushed it off. She also drew from the rowdy natives of the town, bolstering her flagging work force. The bulk of her people were sailing to Tarantham or the lizard islands. Those mysterious islands, just a hop and a skip over the ocean to the south, still didn’t have a name in the alchemist’s mind. The Elven shipwright was far too busy to speak, but gave in to brief pleasantries before vanishing behind a half-completed boat.

Focusing on building a fleet of trade-style ships, Laedria had thrown herself into her craft. Theo knew nothing of boats, but they floated. Better still, they moved when the sails caught the wind. Shadows swirled nearby—the last stretch of shaded area from here to the beach—and Rowan sprung forth. He looked frustrated. Maybe slightly annoyed.

“Hot day,” Rowan said, grimacing.

Theo fished a vial of the cooling gel from his inventory, holding it out for his bodyguard to take. Rowan tried, and failed, to dump it over his head. Instead, he slathered it on his skin, breathing a sigh of relief. The alchemist tried some of the gel, putting thin strips of it on his neck. The effect was immediate and intense, as though someone was holding ice cubes against his skin.

“This stuff is pretty nice,” Theo said, leading Rowan toward the retaining wall of the canal.

They walked along the canal’s edge like kids on railroad tracks. The water flowed from the river, racing through the tract of land before impacting the rushing seawater. Rowan had a few things to say as they walked. Both he and Sarisa were interested in actually training with Theo and Tresk. A desire for more power wasn’t at all uncommon for people. It didn’t really matter what world they were in, they always wanted either themselves or things to be better.

“Been a few slow weeks, huh?” Rowan asked.

The coast was in sight by the time he asked the question.

“Mercifully slow. Like any good summer should be.”

“That’s what you call the Season of Fire, right?”

“Yeah. We also don’t just cram all the days into one season. We have a few months per season.”

“Weird.”

Before Ziz’s work, the retaining wall ran to the ocean and stopped. Theo stood at the edge of the old end, staring off at the Half-Ogre’s newest creation. Two causeways raced out into the bay, both ending with a tower that stood taller than the walls back in town. A bridge spanned between the towers near the top. The walkways out to sea were wider than the wall in the canal, allowing four people to walk shoulder-to-shoulder. The pair walked out onto the path, passing by other citizens as they went.

It was nice that people wanted to get out and enjoy nature, but there were dangers involved. From what Theo understood, the dungeon didn’t spawn monsters directly on top of itself. Those generated monsters could spawn anywhere around the dungeon, circumventing the original idea of the underwater tower. The new value of this effort rested in the concept of controlling the dungeon with Xol’sa’s [Dungeon Engineer’s Core].

“Damn, this is pretty,” Theo said. They had arrived at one tower and had taken to ascending the stairs. Built directly into the tower itself, the stairs spiraled upward. Tiny windows gave them different views of the world outside, until they emerged onto the bridge spanning the two towers.

“I’m uncertain of the defensive value here,” Rowan said, folding his arms. “But it does look neat.”

“I agree,” Theo said, gazing out into the bay. He could see the Cork fishing near the barrier islands in the distance. Barely more than speck on the horizon. “Come. Let’s ascend to the top. Then the bottom.”

Theo and Rowan stood atop the tower. They could almost see Broken Tusk from here, but it was too distant. A low haze had fallen over the swamp, which was unsurprising. The alchemist leaned over the edge of the tower, spotting fish moving around in the calmer sections of the bay. The area at the top of the tower provided enough space for Throk’s rail gun, but little else.

“Hmmm. Did you end up serving in the Irregulars?” Theo asked.

“Didn’t get that far.”

“Huh. You already told me that, didn’t you? Well, how would you defend the bay?”

Rowan looked back toward the canal, then out to the bay. He scanned the area, some kind of instinct taking over as he formed a plan in his mind. “Imagine you have a weapon to repel invaders. The new gun you’re working on. Why wouldn’t the invaders have something similar?”

Theo smiled at his bodyguard. Making the assumption that attackers wouldn’t have similar technology was silly. Assuming they didn’t have siege techniques beyond his comprehension was another folly. Broken Tusk had always relied on the powerful nations of the world being too busy to deal with them. He stood there for a long time, his mind splitting in several directions as he thought.

Several of those disparate strands of thought joined together at the same time. Something shivered in his chest as the realization of another ward trigger flooded into his [Toru’aun Mage’s Core]. Theo knelt to the ground, pressing his hand against the warm stone of the tower. He searched it tentatively, squeezing out as much of his senses as he could. They were underdeveloped, giving him only a vague sense of how agreeable the stone was for his wards.

“Seems like this would take a lot of mana,” Theo said, drawing himself up again.

“Your warding magic?”

The alchemist drank an [Intelligence Potion]. His mind buzzed as though stung by electric bees. Thoughts expanding out like a balloon, he understood slightly more of what he needed to ward the entire tower. In Toru’aun’s tongue he chanted a new spell, his mind focused inward as he cast. Mana flowed from his body like the river feeding into the sea. An endless pour into a gluttonous mouth.

Ten high-grade [Mana Potions] later, and the spell was taking shape. Pure mana from the Demon Queen of Mysteries stung the air. Rowan swatted stray clouds of the magic away as though he were slapping at hungry mosquitoes. The spell formation wasn’t even that complex. He formed the [Shield] component of his spells with the [Detect Attack] trigger he had just learned. Interlaced with a few extra supportive rings, it wasn’t even the most difficult spell circle he had crafted. But binding it to the entire tower was daunting.

“You alright, boss?” Rowan asked.

Theo gritted his teeth, downing another [Mana Potion]. “Good thing these potions don’t fill me up,” he grunted. “Yeah, this binding is complex. Feels like there’s an entire layer of spellwork under this thing.”

“How does it normally feel?”

“Like I’m painting the spellwords on a wall. Now it feels like I’m attaching each point of the spell to a place on the tower,” Theo said. He continued his chanting as Rowan watched, concern flitting across the Half-Ogre’s face.

“Hold on. No, not literally—keep doing your thing,” Rowan said, running into the tower. He vanished for quite some time.

Theo managed to attach more of the spell to the tower, slicing parts out that weren’t working for different poems. Each failure resulted in a small spike of experience for his mage core. It felt like he was wrestling with the tower itself. Almost like it had a will of its own.

“Yep!” Rowan said, huffing as he ascended the stairs. “Sledge did the incorporation thing on the tower already.”

The alchemist groaned. After the revelation, he could feel it. He wasn’t wrestling with the stones of some massive tower, he was fighting against the willpower of the town. The moment he thought of a battle of wills, he could feel something in the back of his mind. A scouring spotlight examining his distress. A faint popping sound issued from behind him, then a squeal of excitement and a honk.

“Did somebody think about willpower?” Tresk asked. “Well, I’ve been described as having a ‘mountainous willpower, dwarfing all others’ by more than one person. Even a god!”

Theo groaned, wrapping his mana around the stable formations and keeping them there. “Khahar said it was like an ocean.”

“I thought he said mountain,” Tresk said.

“Help me, please.”

The pressure of the town’s will lifted in an instant. The spell snapped into place without another word chanted. Theo fell back in a heap, breathing a sigh of relief. Only now did he realize how low the sun had gotten in the sky. It was closer to dusk than noon by this point.

“Damn. Thanks,” Theo said.

And I helped! Alex proclaimed.

“Yes, you’re a good goose. Who's a good goose? You are!”

The underpinnings of the ward felt slightly different. All that work to get the spellwords attached to the right spots had left something of a mark on the tower. Something Theo could follow with his weak senses, tracking connections throughout the building. He couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but his latest mage ability for his core had changed the spellwork.

“How fast do you think Xol’sa would come if I called him?” Theo asked, examining the ward.

“Immediately,” Tresk said.

Theo sent an alert for the wizard to come to the tower, then read the description on the ward.

[Defense]

[Advanced Ward]

Creates a reactive barrier. Barrier only responds when attacked.

Trigger:

Detect Attack

Duration:

5 days.

The second tier version of the [Defense] ward wasn’t much to look at. But the magical base of the ward was powerful. The principles he learned from the action were more important than anything else. Theo could ward the walls. With whatever he wanted to, so long as he had Tresk nearby. The Marshling wouldn’t mention it, but the effort she put into overpowering the town was vast. Something deep within her had drained away, leaving exhaustion in its wake.

“Easy as pie,” Tresk said, hiding her shallow breaths.

“Let’s check it out while we wait,” Theo said, leading the way down the stairs.

The group gathered on the causeway, standing far enough to see the effects of the shield. But they were close enough that Theo could toss a dagger to activate his new ward. Once everyone was assembled, he removed an unimbued knife from his inventory and tossed it with force, directly at the tower. Before the weapon could clatter against the white stone, the familiar shield sprung up. It moved in uneven patterns at first, as though it was struggling against its own shape. Shimmering white energy blasted outward until it formed the shape of a bubble covering the entire tower.

“That’s a big shield,” Rowan said, gazing at the spectacle.

“We should shoot it with a rail gun,” Tresk added.

Honk!

The ward settled down after a while, collapsing into the tower and becoming inactive. The group chatted about the new defensive measure while they waited for Xol’sa. After a few minutes, his shimmering portal of blue and silver sprung up along the causeway. The wizard stepped out, Zarali following close behind.

“Hey guys,” Theo said, waving. “Look what I did.”

“You’re studying?” Xol’sa asked. “Without being berated by me? Magical experimentations, and I didn’t need to slap you upside the head?”

“Our little Theo is growing up,” Zarali cooed.

Xol’sa chuckled dryly, then held out his hand. A webwork of arcane symbols sprung out, forming an ever-expanding circle from his palm. The air stung with magical power, visible motes of energy flowing from the Elf’s body. Without warning he closed his fist, sending a ripple of power over the waves to either side.

“There are some very interesting interactions going on here,” Xol’sa said, withdrawing a small black notebook and a pen. He took some notes. “I’m glad you called for me. This might help me understand a problem I’m—”

The Elf narrowed his gaze, spinning around to glare at his portal. A confused-looking Half-Ogre stepped out of the portal. “Uh. This isn’t the town…”

Xol’sa stomped over to the lost adventurer, shoving him toward the glowing portal. “Give me five minutes. I’ll point the portal back to town when I’m done here. Shoo! Off with you!”

The adventurer fell into the portal, hands held up defensively as the Elf banished him. With a frustrated breath, Xol’sa turned back to the group. “Now. Where were we? Right. Magic. Your bindings are weak. Anchors are almost non-existent.”

“But it worked.”

“I’m proud of you, Theo,” Zarali said, clapping her hands.

But the ward was a team effort. Without Tresk’s willpower the spell wouldn’t have formed. Those underpinnings weren’t complex, it was the opposing will that made the task hard. The alchemist settled on his first analogy as the correct one. Painting a picture versus connecting distinct pieces of an image. While he wanted to do it, Theo decided not to shoot their new tower with a rail gun.

Chapter 56

Lizard Dudes

Tero’gal was unrecognizable. Theo stood near his fields of spirit fruit, eyes lingering over the crowds that had assembled to welcome him. Benton and Belgar led the procession, singing a song and waving banners. The alchemist was immediately uncomfortable with the admiration. He had hardly provided anything to the lost souls of the void. But safe haven and a diet of spirit fruit did wonders for the wayward spirits. The assembled welcoming party wasn’t even the most noticeable change about the realm.

With the expansion of the landmass, and expansive forests, the lost souls had created a town. The workmanship of some buildings was questionable, and the road didn’t always move in a straight direction. Wisps of smoke rose from chimneys while the scent of baked goods lingered in the air. Benton pulled the alchemist into a tight hug, laughing as he gestured to the assembled group. They represented a vast range of races from the world, even some he hadn’t seen before.

“This is like nothing else, Theo,” Benton said, refusing to let him out of the hug.

“Alright… I still need to… breathe in this realm.”

Benton released him, slapping the alchemist on the back. “I knew there was something funny about your realm from the start. It’s like a magnet for lost souls.”

Theo’s eyes lingered not over the souls he had accepted, but those awaiting his approval. Another fifty-something people were waiting for his blessing. Were things getting out of hand, or was this just a one-off rush of the lost hearing about his realm? As if answering his thoughts, space rippled nearby and Khahar stepped out.

“Good to see you mingling, Theo,” the Arbiter said with a chuckle. He nodded to the bear god. “Come for a walk, old friend.”

Theo didn’t object, he just fell in line with Khahar, tracking a path around the gathered ground and through the village. The closer he got to the homes, the more he realized how well the spirits had done. Without cores, they had assembled an acceptable grouping of homes. That was more than he could have done. The duo found their way to one harvesting array. It was a grouping of metal plates, coated on top with a black material, that spread out like the petals on a flower. Dotting the area were massive towers that stabbed skyward. Those were little more than plain stone towers, each topped with a gem.

Khahar sat on a log, hunched forward with his hands steepled. “This is about as far as I saw before I ascended.”

“Yeah, I’d like to know what ‘this’ is. Tero’gal doesn’t make sense, if you think about the way the other gods work.”

“Well, you’re not a god. The system doesn’t know what to do with what you are, so it lets you tap into the god system. When each throne is occupied, you’ll become something else entirely.”

“Neat. How do I get Fenian to Balkor’s realm?” Theo asked. He hadn’t taken a seat next to his old friend. There was still much of his realm to explore. Even more when he accepted those spirits into his embrace.

“You’ve been practicing. You’ll need Tresk and Alex’s power.”

“My interdiction practice. Gotcha. So, is this my entire purpose? To slingshot Fenian so he can kill Karasan so he can take the throne so he can… do what, exactly?”

“Remake the world, of course. No, this isn’t your purpose. I’ve said this before, but I didn’t know it was you that was being brought over. All I knew was that there was someone entering the body of a Drogramathi man. Drogramath and I conspired, pushing things over the eons to make your bond happen. The key is the twins, you know.”

“The twin Marshling gods?” Theo asked.

“Yes. They found a similar path to godhood, but… Well, they’re not true gods. They’re like you. Destined to sit where you sit, they bit the hands that fed them.”

“They bit your hand. But you don’t seem mad about it.”

Khahar shrugged. “You can’t fault someone for taking control of their destiny. Making themselves more than they were.”

“So what happens if I refuse to help?”

Khahar turned his gaze to Theo, piercing him with those sand-colored eyes. “While I hope you won’t do that, I won’t stop you. We’ll adjust our plan and move forward. Time marches on.”

“You know I believe in Fenian’s idiot plan too much. He’s bringing Balkor back, isn’t he?”

“Not really. Kind of. Well, we’re going to find out. Balkor broke an oath no god can break. He moved his physical body into the mortal realm. We don’t know what will happen to his soul when his realm is returned. Perhaps that’s just another scheme in a long line of schemes.”

“Alright. Enough talking shop. How are you doing? How is Khahak and the other realms?”

Khahar laughed Yuri’s laugh, placing a comforting hand on Theo’s shoulder. “Order has been restored to the heavens.”

Theo and Khahar chatted for a few hours. The spot he had selected near the forest was lovely. Errant breezes blew across the open fields, rustling the leaves within the forest. It created a pleasant, soothing sound that seemed to wash away all the alchemist’s worries. The Arbiter was spending a lot of his time enforcing the law of the heavens. When he wasn’t doing that, he was pursing things he enjoyed back on Earth. Things he couldn’t do as the leader of the Khahari. Fishing, playing cards, and of course his metalworking.

Yuri had worked his way through the Moscovian spy network as a support specialist, not an asset. Theo had only seen the man’s metal sculptures a few times, and he wasn’t impressed. Art wasn’t the alchemist’s strongest affinity, and he wouldn’t pretend otherwise. At the end of his life, he had gained a new appreciation for the things his old friend created. Something to leave behind. Even if it would have been destroyed by the sun.

Khahar departed after having some tea with Benton. The bear god had brought some new confections. Sweet things that Theo didn’t even have a name for. As always, they were incredibly delicious. Then it was time for business. Accepting the new souls into Tero’gal. They all formed an orderly line and pledged themselves to the realm. After getting the alchemist’s blessing, the wandered off to explore their new realm.

With every soul accepted, the realm grew a bit more. It was hard to tell how much it was growing, but Theo assumed it would double in size after he finished. He would also get another upgrade, which he was looking forward to. But the work was exhausting. He realized it was taking more than his physical stamina to accept the new people, dipping into a resource he didn’t know he had. Some manner of spiritual endurance trickled out of him with every new soul.

Theo moved away from the group after finishing the job, mopping his brow with a rag. He stripped down, stowing his clothes in his inventory, before plunging into the cold spring water. His body seized with the shock at first, but quickly adapted. The water was cool and clear, a purifying current to scour the stain of exhaustion from his soul. When Belgar drew close to the pool, taking tentative steps, he withdrew Zarali’s latest note and exchanged it for the Dronon’s.

The spirits Theo had accepted gave him three upgrades worth of levels. Three upgrades he had to thumb through, finding the best one. While the alchemist had intended to select the [Bubble] upgrade, the three new ones he was presented with were pretty good. He went through them one at a time, reserving his judgment until he was done.

[Anchor Point]

Creates a spiritual anchor point within your realm. So long as there is power within your realm, you may use this anchor to navigate through the void.

This upgrade was questionable to Theo. He didn’t have trouble finding Tero’gal, thanks to his Tara’hek skill. The urge he had was to take the skill, then dive into the void to make it work. But the other upgrades were also very good. He didn’t select the upgrade, moving on to inspect the next one.

[Landscape Manipulation]

Allows the owner(s) of this realm to manipulate the landscape. They may move, add, and change the landscape at the cost of realm power.

Theo selected this upgrade as one of his three picks right away. Changing the way Tero’gal looked would be awesome. Currently, it was a blank reflection of what he and Tresk wanted out of their realm. But there were spots that would be better suited for other purposes. The alchemist moved on to the last available skill.

[Guardians of Faith]

Guardian of Faith allows the realm to generate heavenly defenders. The amount of defenders is equal to half the total number of souls.

This one was interesting. The alchemist didn’t know how good the souls in his realm were at defending it. He had the towers, but that was it. This was a comparison of [Bubble], [Anchor Point], and [Guardians of Faith]. He could only pick two. Several hours passed by before he decided. More souls would come, and he would get the option to pick [Anchor Point] again. For now, he picked [Guardians of Faith] and [Bubble]. He inspected the realm after that.

[Tero’Gal]

Mortal Dreamrealm

Owners: Theo Spencer, Tresk

Faction: Unaffiliated

Level: 26

Souls: 109

Expansions:

[Harvesting Array]

[Defensive Towers]

[Landscape Manipulation]

[Guardians of Faith]

[Bubble]

Pending Requests: 0

Theo didn’t have the desire to craft anything while he was within the realm. He got dressed and picked a [Fairy Plum] from the grove and moved off, traveling through his new realm without an aim. No one joined him, leaving him to his exploration. The alchemist took his first bite of the incredibly sweet fruit before getting a system message.

[Spirit Fruit Consumed]!

You have eaten a portion of a spirit fruit. Your natural wisdom has increased slightly. You may only eat one whole spirit fruit per day.

[Property Discovered]!

Deconstructing the [Fairy Plum] has revealed the property: [Fairy’s Blessing]

As always with the spirit fruit, the properties seemed tied to some lore. Theo didn’t know what a fairy’s blessing would be, but it was the fruit representing Wisdom. And it was delicious. A bit too sweet for his taste, but that was to be expected. Even the sweetest thing Benton could create paled when compared. But the rate at which the fruit grew was slow with only a few sprouting every real-world day. At first, the alchemist thought the residents of Tero’gal were eating them. He was corrected earlier, and had thought nothing more of it.

There were bigger problems to consider within the realm. With the expansion of the realm came the expansion of his time within. But even those extra hours weren’t enough for him to travel across the length of the land. He made it as far as a mountain range to the west before giving up at the base of those jagged crags. As the owner of the realm, he should have been able to move around it freely. But whatever technique allowed him to do so escaped his grasp. Instead, he relaxed in a forest, near a babbling brook.

Something to note about Tero’gal was that there was no wildlife. No creatures roamed the land. There didn’t seem to be seasons, although things grew. It was a confusing comparison between here and the real world. Theo thought about that for a while before diving back to the mortal realm. Food had already been prepared, and he was eager to eat.

Fenian was looking more healthy by the day. Theo was confident the man could stand, but he remained in his wheelchair. The alchemist ate as quickly as he could, dragging Tresk over to the bathhouse. As expected, others had welcomed themselves into his private room. He didn’t mind, happily sharing it with the other citizens. No matter how much they insisted, he made them stay. Tomorrow was a big day, and it was all he could think about.

According to Alran’s reports, their liaison to the lizard islands to the south would return tomorrow. With company. That was enough to drive Theo to bed as quickly as possible, sending him, Tresk, and Alex off to the Dreamwalk. As always, the Marshling was eager to strategize. The alchemist wanted to go over their cores.

The progress for their [Tara’hek Core] had ceased. It refused to gain another point of experience and they couldn’t figure it out. Theo’s alchemy and herbalist cores were moving along, although it was quite slow. His [Governance Core] had recently reached level 30, and fell in line with the [Tara’hek Core], refusing to move. He would inspect the available skills for that core later. The only core of his that was getting decent experience was his [Toru’aun Mage’s Core], which was at level 14.

“Same thing for me,” Tresk said, dangling her feet over the harbor’s edge.

Theo picked through skills for his [Governance Core]. The last ability he got for that core was [National Status], something that seemed made for leaders of nations. It allowed him and his administrators to see information about the entire nation. The ability created a new tab in their administration screens, providing vital information about the other towns in their territory. He was searching for an ability that synergized with [National Status]. Instead, he found a few abilities that would help the towns during attacks, settling on one.

[Rally]

Governance Skill

Epic

Grants the leader of each town the ability to use the [Rally] effect once every 5 days. This effect lasts one hour. The cooldown is per town leader.

Effect:

[Rally] grants all allies within a town enhanced abilities. Increases all attributes by 1.25x, damage by 1.15x, health regeneration by 1.5x, mana regeneration by 1.75x, and stamina regeneration by 1.5x.

The cooldown on that ability was bad, but the effect was good. Theo selected that as his level 30 ability for his [Governance Core]. Then he and Tresk got to discussing their halted progress.

“I bet it has to do with our personal levels. Once those get to level 30, we’ll be good,” Tresk said.

“That might be true. Or there’s another barrier. People are always talking about level 30. The training wheels come off after that.”

That sounds scary.

Theo stroked Alex, shaking his head. “No, we just need to be ready. I think we’re more prepared than most.”

“Especially since you’re a champion. How does it feel?”

“No idea. I’ve been one this whole time and I didn’t know it. I don’t know what it feels like to not be a champion. You saw how Fenian fought those Zagmon Dronon.  Do you think I can do something like that?”

“Doubt it!” Tresk shouted, falling back to stare up at the sky. “You’re the champion for a non-combat class. Just makes your potions better, doesn’t it?”

Theo fell back with his companion onto the hard ground. “Yeah. That’s true.” He continued, explaining the situation in Tero’gal. Tresk had apparently already visited today. She just forgot to tell him about the line of souls waiting for some kind of absolution. But she was excited to see how their world had changed. And eager to exert her will to teleport around the place. If anyone could do it, she could.

They lingered on the topic of their realm and Fenian for a while. Tresk was the most distrustful person Theo had met in his life, but she liked the Elf. That might have been because of her internal doctrine of ‘burn it all to the ground and let the gods sort them out’. Theo had to convince himself that they were doing the right thing. That the souls would arrive in a better place after they were gone. He still didn’t believe it. What he knew was that he knew less than Khahar. He knew who Yuri was sixty-thousand years ago.

It was good enough.

Theo and Tresk had been spending more and more of their time relaxing. They didn’t grind experience while they were in the Dreamwalk today. They hung out and helped Alex get better with her nature aspect. The Marshling was a shockingly good teacher. That was only because the system that familiars got fell in line with her strengths. It was more about understanding herself as a goose with magic powers than selecting an ability from a list. The way she summoned the vines fell closer to manipulation of will than anything else.

Alex’s control was increasing by the day. Once she broke into the realm of nature, she took off like a goose in flight. Her powers focused on the manipulation of natural elements, such as plants, but extended beyond that. The vines she conjured weren’t a magic spell that summoned vines. She forced her will into existing plant life, twisting it to become those vines.

“You have an affinity for this,” Theo said, watching as Alex forced a blade of grass to become a spiked vine.

“Affinity?” Tresk scoffed. “Nah. She has stubborn, hard-headed willpower. Just like her mama.”

Mama! Alex honked.

“Or she’s borrowing the will from you.”

“Hey, there’s no shame in that. You do it all the time,” Tresk said. “But, no. I’m not lending her a drop of my will. She’s doing this all herself. Aren’t you, cutie?”

Honk honk!

Alex often reverted to her goose-self when she got excited. She flapped her wings, honking repeatedly as more vines sprung up. Once she got the hang of her nature powers, Theo would consider her one of three wizards in town. She would likely become the second-most skilled user of magic. He was always hopeless when it came to magical studies, always sticking to what he knew. But the power of his [Toru’aun Mage’s Core] was being wasted. Wasn’t it?

The alchemist would look to Alex for inspiration. Motivation to become better at the gift given to him by the Queen of Mystery. Even if that gift came with invisible strings he knew were there. Theo turned to the goose and smiled. “Alright. Back to training. We need to meet some lizard-dudes tomorrow.”

“Lizard dudes!” Tresk shouted, pumping her fist. “My ancestors!”

Hoooonk!

Chapter 57

Meeting the Lizard-folk

Theo could hardly think about breakfast the next morning. Despite Xam’s amazing cooking, his mind was firmly placed on the date. It was the twentieth day of the Season of Fire. The day when the expedition to the lizard-islands was scheduled to return. The alchemist knew that his excitement was an emotion belonging to Tresk. Her thoughts seemed centered entirely on her ancestors. The chain of islands that held her people was isolationist, according to Fenian.

There were several things to be concerned about with the alliance’s first contact. They could react poorly to outsiders coming in, even if it was lost kin. Theo busied himself with his breakfast, focusing on the way things could go right. If he allowed his thoughts to linger on how things could go wrong, he would fall into a spiral. It was best to stay on top of those things.

“What do you think they call themselves?” Tresk asked.

Theo lazily speared a sausage with his fork, shrugging. “The lizard-folk? Not sure.”

“Humantiles,” Tresk said, nodding with resolute conviction. “Mantiles? I like that one better.”

“You just put the words ‘human’ and ‘reptile’ together. I don’t think an entire civilization would build their identity on that.”

“But they could!”

Theo busied himself with his administration reports, unable to keep his laughter back. Tresk gave him a sly look, nodding to herself with approval. There were a few things to note within the reports. Gronro needed more juice to fight the undead. That wasn’t surprising. They effectively got the means to keep the undead back for free. It wasn’t an arrangement the alchemist hated. Since the brave defenders in the north provided a protective curtain, he would pay any price.

As expected, the tactical maps and chat that Aarok had access to was on fire. The small fleet of boats they had in the bay had reported no activity that morning, so there was no reason to rush. Any attack on the town would take place on land, anyway. Theo skimmed through the messages, anyway. It was better to be prepared than to be caught with his pants down.

Xol’sa wrote a few complaints to the town about the monster waves. He had failed to check the schedule to see that the expedition was returning today. Instead of taking charge of his mistake, he blamed others. There was a tone of frustration in his complaints that resonated with Theo more than he cared to admit. The alchemist liked doing things when he wanted to do them, not on someone else’s schedule.

Tresk left with Alex and Fenian to join the militia. The Elven trader was well enough to stand. Anyone who would attack the town with him around was in for a surprise. Theo remained behind, sipping tea with Rowan and Sarisa for a while before heading out to talk with Salire. There were always orders in at the alchemy shop, and it wouldn’t hurt to get another batch of [Hallow Ground Essence] rolling for the day.

While it was difficult to handle the raw truffle, the alchemist was happy enough to let his apprentice take the wheel on this one. There were enough truffles in his stocks to supply Gronro for a while, so a bit of waste wasn’t bad. Salire needed the practice, anyway. Well, she needed to grind a ton of experience and practice her mana control. Unlike Theo, she hadn’t abandoned her dreams of becoming a shopkeeper. She still held that core in her chest, leveling it every day. Without the responsibilities of running a town, she was free to pursue that.

Before they headed off to the Newt and Demon, Theo lingered near the entrance of his manor. It was normally bustling with activity. That morning, it was cleared out. It was a kind of silence he didn’t know he hated. The alchemist left before more of the deafening sound could darken his day, heading off to meet with the bubbly Half-Ogre. She was, as always, excited to get to work. Rowan and Sarisa ran off to help with the assembling military while they prepared a fair amount of their [Swamp Truffle] stock.

The task was a simple one with so many stills. Thim and Throk’s modifications to the old design made things easier. The tube system running overhead made it easier still. Gone were the days of worrying about mixing two essences. The magic of the building took care of that, and the pair pulled flexible pipes down from the rafters. They attached them to the condenser’s outputs and activated the suction feature.

“Are you that worried about the envoy?” Salire asked.

Theo was standing over a table, carving out and enchanting several bone knives. He looked up from his work, tilting his head to the side as he thought about it. Being worried about everything kept him alive back on Earth. A paranoia that always rested below the surface, no matter how cool his countenance. “I’m worried about everything. So, yes. I’m worried about the lizard-folk. Do they even speak Qavelli?”

“You know more than just Qavelli, right?”

“Well, yeah. I hope they speak Bantari.”

“Hmmm. What are the chances of that?”

Wisdom of the Soul suggested that they might speak a sister-language of Bantari. That was based on Theo’s knowledge of the Marshling’s migration to the mainland. But if the boat returned from the islands, they made contact.

The work went on for a while before Theo was called into action. He made a few last-minute adjustments to the stills before handing it off to his assistant. The administration staff had assembled with some of the military staff in the harbor. Alise, Gwyn, and Gael representing the admins. Aarok, Luras, and Alran were there to represent the military staff. Azrug stood off to the side with Xol’sa, Zarali, and Fenian.

“The Cork reported to me a few minutes ago,” Alise said, bouncing on the spot. She was more excited than normal. “They reported that all is well on the deck. A few lizard-folk and our own people.”

“Good. Guess I was worried about nothing,” Theo said.

The group stood on the battlements on the harbor, looking over the canal and out into the bay. The Cork wasn’t even visible at that moment, but Theo would trust their reports for now. Tension, hanging in the air, broke after several minutes. In classic fashion, the Broken Tuskers got bored of being worried, breaking into small groups that chatted about the incoming lizard-folk. The alchemist sensed Tresk nearby, running around with the stealthers to do whatever it was they did. He guessed they were ranging around the canal, or down near the shore.

An hour passed with nothing happening. Then the advanced scouts reported sightings of their boat pushing through the bay. It was escorted by the Cork and one of their remaining merchant vessels. Theo finally got a look at the emissaries from the lizard-folk as the boat worked its way up the canal. Dressed in flowing robes of gold, a blue-skinned scaly lizard-person stood near the front. They were far taller than Marshlings. Almost as tall as a Half-Ogre or Dronon. Where a Marshling’s features reminded the alchemist of a salamander, or an axolotl, this lizard person looked more like a classic lizard. Blue scales, with greenish frills on their head that blew in the wind.

Sword at their hip, and a quarterstaff in hand, they struck an imposing image.

“Ready?” Alise asked.

“Damn. I’m supposed to give some kind of speech. Right?” Theo asked, rubbing his chin. “Do we know if they speak Qavelli?”

“I’m not sure,” Alise said, checking her notes.

Theo cleared his throat, descending the steps as the ships passed by underneath. He locked eyes with the lizard-person for a moment, then felt an intense pressure wash over him. It faded in a moment, but was still noticeable. The alchemist rolled his shoulders, then found his way to the dock. What few dockhands were left tended to the vessel, positioning and dropping a gang plank.

You got this, buddy, Tresk said, sensing his discomfort.

Fenian rested a comforting hand on the alchemist’s shoulder. He was just glad that the baby's arm was gone. “Make your opening statement in Bantari. This is Xquiq Akubae. A spiritual leader of the Saetalein Ya’ax.”

“Yeah, that would have been useful when we were eating breakfast.”

Fenian shrugged. “I didn’t know which one they would send.”

Theo took a deep breath as the majestic lizard-person descended the plank, attended by several other lizard-folk. He tried his best to keep his accent out of his speech, channeling some of Tresk’s knowledge. “Welcome to Broken Tusk and the Southlands Alliance. My name is Theo Spencer and I welcome you.”

Tresk was suddenly at his side, radiating a sense of extreme comfort.

“I accept your welcome,” Xquiq said with a shallow bow. “Xquiq Akubae Saetalein  Ya’ax Nojoh.”

“Did he say his name was ‘Squeak’? I like it,” Tresk whispered.

The lizard-person emissary smiled, nodding to Tresk. “I am happy to be called ‘Squeak’ within your borders, lost sister.”

Squeak spoke perfect Bantari. Far better than Theo could manage on his own. A Wisdom of the Soul message popped up, providing the alchemist with a bit more information about the lizard-person. His name was Xquiq and he was from the city of Akubae. He was part of a subrace called the Najoh, which belonged to the Saetalein Ya’ax chain of islands to the south. The alchemist felt some familiarity with the style of those names, but it was a distant thing. As though he had seen similar text in a book a lifetime ago.

“Shall we discuss matters in private?” Theo offered, gesturing toward the town.

“Of course,” Squeak said with another shallow bow. “I hope my attendants can accompany me.”

“Absolutely. Do you need any snacks?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say no to snacks.”

“Rowan, could you get a cheese platter or something from Xam?” Theo asked, turning to locate his bodyguard. He couldn’t spot the Half-Ogre, but Gael stepped up to the plate.

Tresk joined by Theo and Squeak’s side as they walked the streets of Broken Tusk. The lizard-man’s guards lingered back with the administration staff, trailing close behind them.

“You caught us in a rare time of peace,” Squeak said, his lips curled. Theo suspected that was his attempt at a smile.

“Ah, well… We’re at war. I guess,” Theo said with a shrug. “I’m sure you heard about the undead.”

“Our seers have brought that to my attention. Although I hope you understand, I am not the leader of my people.”

“We’re just happy to make contact with the sons and daughters of Saetalein Ya’ax,” Tresk said, nodding eagerly.

“Is that so?” Squeak asked, raising one scaled brow. “Perhaps you’ll enjoy learning Yaxian. The local language.”

“Broken Tusk is very excited to take part in cultural exchanges. But I’ll be honest with you. We’re more interested in trade than anything else. Alliances with outside nations,” Theo said. The group was approaching the town hall.

Squeak clicked his tongue, then nodded. “That is understandable.”

Theo spotted the administration staff rushing up and down the staircases, clearly just having prepared a room on the third floor. The group ascended, finding themselves in a common meeting room. It gave them a pleasant view of the western gate and the surrounding businesses. Citizens went about their days as though it were any other. Unbothered by the envoy’s arrival. They all took their seats within the meeting room. Fenian, Azrug, Gwyn, and Gael all waited in the wings, leaving the meeting to Tresk, Theo, and Alise.

It was a curious thing watching Alise attend the meeting. She had prepared well for her meeting with the Yaxi people, but she had neglected to learn any Bantari. The administrator had a confused look on her face, but nodded along when anyone spoke.

“Forgive me if this is rude, great leader of Broken Tusk,” Squeak said, bowing his head toward the alchemist. “But why is it you wish to conduct trade? One doesn’t require a sa’tet to see you are well-off.”

Theo looked to Tresk. He didn’t understand one of those words.

“Uh… Well…” Tresk said in Qavelli. “High perch?”

That was good enough for Theo. He nodded as he understood the meaning. “Good observation. But we gained this position by being proactive. And some really favorable conditions. As much as we could provide you with important goods, you could do the same for us.”

“Well, I’m happy to hear that.”

A knock came at the door, then a procession of people carrying trays. Dried meats, cheeses, and flat Zee bread scattered across platters. They were arranged over the table neatly, and Squeak was immediately licking his lips. He was the first to reach over, grabbing both cheese and meat even before the porters left.

“You would have won me over with the cheese alone,” Squeak said, tossing a small brick of cheese into his mouth. He closed his eyes as he ate, finally letting out a heavy sigh as his eyes snapped open. “Before we talk trade, I would present you with an offer.”

“Please.”

“Open borders and a ferry that runs between our two lands.”

Theo turned to Alise, expecting her to object. He realized she couldn’t understand the man, so he repeated the offer.

“Oh, I don’t see a problem with that. I need to run it by Aarok, but every Bantari Marshling in town is talking about this meeting. This is a chance to exchange cultures that none have had in the past. Seems too good to pass up. Right?”

“Agreed,” Theo said in Qavelli. He switched to Bantari again. “We’re excited about that. We’re building out our fleet, but I’m sure we can use the boats for a double-purpose. Trade and passengers shouldn’t be a problem.”

“And you’ll skip across the ocean quicker with our assistance,” Squeak said, smiling. “Not through magic or technology. We fished the coast of the mainland in the past. We know the best routes.”

“We cede to your wisdom,” Theo said, laughing.

“Alright. We’re best friends now,” Tresk said, drumming her fingers on the table. “I need to know. Do people like me still exist in Saetalein?”

Squeak gave her a heart-warming smile. Even with his lizard-like features, there was a warmness that radiated forth. “They are called Wotox. They are similar to the Bantari in both appearance and language. Which is why we are able to have this meeting, I suppose.”

Tresk and Squeak spoke about unimportant things for quite some time. The envoy of the lizard-folk was happy to go on about his homeland. The Marshling wouldn’t stop asking stupid questions, and he wouldn’t stop answering them. But Theo let them go on for as long as they wanted. He knew that she needed this. It was always just under the surface for her.

And it was strange to consider how close those islands were. Somehow, the Yaxian people remained cloistered. It wasn’t as though they were entirely uncontacted, they just didn’t like hanging out with other peoples. But the Bantari weren’t just some random group of Humans, Elves, or Ogres. They were descendants of the Wotox.

Squeak let his eyes drag between Theo and Tresk, a smile resting on his face. “You must have expected me to ask this,” he said, chomping another piece of cheese. “How did you achieve the Tara’hek bond?”

Theo and Tresk shared a look, trying not to let the surprise they felt bleed into their expressions. This was the question that had lingered in the alchemist’s mind. Surely the progenitors of the Bantari race should know more about it. He didn’t need his Wisdom of the Soul messages to let him know Squeak was being truthful. Better to weasel his way out of the question.

“We don’t know how it happened. Well, I suppose we felt it,” Theo said. “After that, it was easy to establish the Tara’hek.”

Squeak leaned in. “And that realm I’m feeling?” he asked, sniffing the air. “It is a heady mixture of mortal and godly scents.”

“That’s more complicated,” Theo said.

Squeak smiled once again. “No matter. There have been several Tara’hek bonds within the jungles. My people record their histories. Down to their daily activities. Those who hold the bond are considered sacred. You must be familiar with Bah’at.”

“The Twins,” Tresk said, filling in the gaps of Theo’s knowledge. “We’ve heard of them. That’s about it.”

“Rising to godhood with the bond is said to be difficult. But those two managed. Perhaps you’ll make it there one day.” Squeak suddenly clapped his hands together. “Right. Let us talk about trade.”

Theo left the room, inviting Azrug and Fenian in to take over. Tresk was going to stay behind to play interpreter. The alchemist had learned long ago to leave all things related to trade to those more capable. He had been criticized for his trade skills in the past, and didn’t care to endure more of the teasing. He met with Rowan and Sarisa outside of the meeting room.

“He seems nice,” Theo said. “His people want to reconnect with the lost Bantari. To have some kind of cultural exchange program. Anything shady out here?”

Rowan grunted.

“Fenian would have detected it,” Sarisa said. “But, no. He brought like four people total. Hardly an invasion force.”

“Depends on the level of the invader, I guess. Alright. I’m going to help Salire with this order for Gronro. Let me know if I’m needed.”

Rowan and Sarisa nodded as the alchemist departed. The meeting with Squeak was more pleasant than he had expected. All the nervousness about making a good impression vanished in an instant. They just wanted to have a line of communication with the lost Bantari. It didn’t pass his notice, though. The interest Squeak took in Tero’gal. But that seemed benign.

“Oh, man,” Theo said to himself. “What about a maglev over the ocean?”

Deep in concentration in his artificer’s workshop, Throk felt a shiver run up his spine.