The Newt and Demon - Book 5 Chapters 28,29,30 (Patreon)

Chapter 28

Imbue Phylactery

Theo took several steadying breaths, all while Fenian babbled about being trapped in the realm of a necromancer god. The good news was that he had indeed killed Karasan, resurrected Balkor, and survived. But only just.

“I’m just happy more time hasn’t passed. Balkor has been lording over me as though he did me a great favor,” Fenian’s voice echoed through Theo’s mind. He held the crystal tightly in his hand, unsure of what to do. “The potion you sent me saved my life, but I’m afraid it wasn’t enough to escape.”

“Good to hear,” Theo said, nodding. It was hard to contain his excitement. But sending the potion had come at a cost. They had to find another way to send stuff to the elven trader, as Uz’Xulven’s actions had closed that bridge. Perhaps it was as easy as… “Just take the Bridge. Leave.”

“Leaving requires permission. Well, I have a plan for that. Listen closely…”

Fenian’s plan was horrible. Theo shook his head the entire time the elf described his hair-brained scheme to escape Balkor’s clutches. The alchemist was certain the plan wouldn’t work. The first step was to deliver a few items to Balkor’s realm, which the demon god surely wouldn’t allow. Then the wayward trader wanted to die and be reborn on the mortal plane. The various gods gathered in Tero’gal seemed to have no opinion.

“Just give me more information,” Theo said, trying not to let the frustration he felt bleed into his thoughts. “I’ll come up with something. So long as we can use these stones to talk, we can work it out.”

“I have faith in you, Theo. But consider my plan. Balkor isn’t the best company, and I’m bored out of my mind. A man can only be on the verge of death for so long until he’s bored to death!”

Fenian cut the connection through the crystal after relaying everything he knew. Theo was left in his realm, feeling more confused than helpless. He couldn’t believe that the elf didn’t have an exit strategy. If his plan boiled down to entering Balkor’s domain, killing Karasan then hoping for the best, it was an ill-conceived plan.

“Why is it my job to save Fenian?” Theo asked, turning to the gods standing near him. “You guys are way more powerful than me. This doesn’t make sense.”

“Rules,” Khahar said. “A stable world requires rules. If we break those rules, what’s the point?”

“Instead, we’re going to bend the rules.” Theo massaged the bridge of his nose, pinching his eyes shut. “Fine. Guess I’ll add this to my list of projects.”

Both Khahar and Drogramath seemed as though they wanted to tell him how to do it. But they couldn’t. Instead, Theo went off in his mind to think of a way to break Fenian out. Even with Tresk’s considerable willpower, it wasn’t possible to interdict him. The owner of a realm, especially one so old and powerful, wouldn’t allow it. Perhaps they could bend the rules a little, sending an item into the realm. That came with its own problems, but was the first thing the alchemist thought of that he didn’t shoot down immediately.

“I’m not gonna solve this in a day,” Theo said, stretching. “I’m headed back to the mortal realm. Pretty sure I can do better testing there.”

Once again, the pair of gods looked eager to speak. But after a long pause, Theo determined they wouldn’t. He fell through the realms, landing back where he had left. He felt Tresk’s mind consuming the information he had learned, sapping away his knowledge and forming her own opinions. But there were important things to attend to. The alchemist made his way back to the manor, intent on eating and taking a nice long bath. Sarisa and Rowan had already started making dinner, and he sat alone at the overly-long table waiting for his companions.

Tresk appeared from the shadows, plopping into her chair and slumping. “If that knife-eared bastard got himself stuck, why do we have to pull him out?”

“Cause no one else will.”

Honk!

Theo went to the front door, letting Alex in. She honked in appreciation, then found a spot on the floor to rest.

“I have a few ideas,” Tresk said. “We need outside help for all of them.”

Theo was never as good as Tresk at reading the minds of the Tara’hek. He still got vague impressions of what she was feeling and had never learned how to skim her mind. It was a trait unique to her. “We’ll go over your ideas in the Dreamwalk.”

The group ate their dinner, then spent time in their private bath at Xam’s bathhouse. Tresk was good about not bringing up her ideas, but Theo could feel them brewing in her mind. They entered the Dreamwalk as soon as possible, the sun barely dipping below the horizon when they delved. The alchemist shifted the scene when they arrived, recreating Balkor’s realm as described by Fenian.

Hoi’ch was a realm of undeath. Everything lingered between a state of living and death, and appeared as a mockery of the real world. Rolling fields of bones and twisted trees dotted the landscape. The air was filled with a foul scent and an oppressive green aura clouded everything.

“I don’t like this place,” Theo said, shaking his head. “Fenian has been trapped for a few hundred years. I think his bravado was false.”

“Yeah. Screw this place,” Tresk said. “Alright. First plan.”

Tresk imagined a version of Fenian laying prone on the ground. Theo didn’t remember him looking like such a damsel in distress, but he dismissed the thought. The marshling showed her plan to sneak into Balkor’s realm somehow, steal away the damsel on the back of a dragon, and return to the mortal realm. She explained none of the steps, including how she would get there or how she would convince Pogo to take part.

“Okay… My turn?” Theo asked.

“Uh. Sure.”

Theo didn’t have a plan. He explained Fenian’s plan instead. “He’s convinced he can reincarnate on the mortal plane. This plan will not work, but he wants us to rip his [Elven Trader’s Core] from his chest, then bring it back to the mortal world.”

“Yeah, not gonna happen. That requires us to go there. And we can’t go there.”

“Right? That’s what I said. But that got me thinking.”

“I can feel something brewing in your brain, buddy,” Tresk said, rubbing her hands together. “Let me hear it.”

Theo imagined a [Imbue Phylactery] potion. The purple-green thing swirled in the flask, emitting an aura stronger than the imagined realm itself. He and Tresk examined it.

[Imbue Phylactery]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Theo Spencer

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion removes your soul from your body, transferring it to an object of your choosing. Creating a phylactery designates you as undead, specifically a lich. You gain innate power of all undead creatures (based on your level and willpower), but may not level up through the normal system.

“We’re gonna turn Fenian into a lich?” Tresk asked.

“According to the description, this removes someone’s soul from their body. I’m not confident we can get ourselves into Balkor’s realm, but an item? Yeah, I think we can do that.”

“Fenian gets the bottle and a rock to stow his soul, then we get the rock back here. Then he… dies?”

“Research is required,” Theo said, nodding.

But that was the basic plan. Theo had thought the phylactery potion was useless, borderline dangerous when he first discovered it. Now they faced a tough decision filled with assumptions. Fenian had to accept the plan to start. Then they had to find a way to return the object he placed his soul into back to the mortal realm. Finally they would need to resurrect their friend.

“That’s a fitting outcome, huh?” Tresk asked. “He used the undead to get what he wanted, now he has to become one.”

“We should run the plan past the gods before we do it, though. They’ll tell me the right answer if I’ve already discovered it.”

Tresk and Theo went back and forth on the matter. They argued about the logistics of this plan, and the need for another. The problem was that Fenian entered Balkor’s realm when he was dormant, allowing him to pass without question. Now that the god was awakened, he would never let him leave. Not unless they did something drastic. The marshling was convinced that even this wouldn’t work, and planned to pursue other avenues.

Theo was certain that Xol’sa would have some valuable information about the heist. The extra-planar elf hadn’t traveled through the void since he came to the mortal plane, but he had an innate sense for it. That was the alchemist’s first stop after the Dreamwalk ended. For now, he let those worrying thoughts fall away to focus on leveling his cores. He spent his time brewing potions, constructing golems, and tending sprawling gardens. Of course, the pair shifted the scene before they got to training. Neither cared for the rotting smell within Balkor’s realm.

When morning finally came, Theo withdrew from the Dreamwalk feeling fresh. While there was a lot of work to do outside of his newest project, he wanted to visit Xol’sa’s tower first. After checking in with Salire, of course. The half-ogre woman had been doing well enough on her own, but there was still a lot of stuff she couldn’t make. She also couldn’t touch the advanced essences without blowing them up, complicating matters. The alchemist helped her in the first few hours of the morning, setting everything up to brew on its own. Their stock of Hallow the Soil potions wasn’t thinning, but the defenses he had placed in Gronro needed attention.

“Another thing to tend,” Theo said, clapping a hand on Salire’s shoulder. “I’m off to see a wizard.”

The citizens in the town were in a good mood today. Those that Theo passed by on his way to the portal waved excitedly, or offered hearty greetings. He stepped through the shimmering portal, finding himself on the first floor of the tower in an instant. As expected, Xol’sa was musing about the dungeons on the roof.

“Come! Look at this!” Xol’sa shouted the moment he spotted Theo. The elf waved him over, far too excited for the early hour of the day.

Theo had trouble understanding what the floating cloud of sigils said. He stared at it for a while, hoping that Xol’sa would tell him what it was. The alchemist cleared his throat. “What am I looking at?”

“Your new upgrade allowed me to create automations. I can move power around through our local dungeons, making sure none are growing too fast. When one dungeon gets too high, this procedure will send power to another.”

“That’s actually cool,” Theo said, leaning closer to get a better look. He still couldn’t make sense of the sigils, though. “How complex can you make those commands?”

“At my skill level, they’re fairly basic. I assume that will change with time. The worrying part of it all is the level of power has been fluctuating. We gained an increase in power yesterday. Slight, but noticeable.”

Theo nodded. “A few souls joined my realm yesterday.”

“Yep. That’ll do it. Let’s remember that. The more your realm grows in strength, the stronger our dungeons get.”

It was a concept that had scared Theo from the start. The only thing they could do was to be proactive, making sure everything was managed by the day. The alchemist cleared his throat, his thoughts about the dungeons falling away. “I had a question.”

“Oh, right!” Xol’sa said, clapping his hands and turning to meet Theo’s gaze. “What’s going on?”

Theo explained his plan to send an item into Balkor’s realm, then bring it back. Xol’sa didn’t need to know what item he was sending in there, though. The elf nodded along politely, then swiped his hand through the air to clear the cluster of sigils. He began drawing a diagram with his finger. It represented the realms as orbs floating in the void, each with their own bubble protecting them from intrusion.

“You can’t force yourself through this barrier, right?” Xol’sa said, gesturing to the bubbles.

“That’s right.”

“You lack the authority. But what is authority? Ownership rights established by the system. Just like you can’t access my inventory, you can’t force yourself into Balkor’s realm.”

“I’m following you.”

“Good. What happens if we try sending something owned by Balkor back to him?” Xol’sa asked, his brows raising.

That was a damn good idea. Balkor was the only god to ever break into the mortal realm, so far as anyone knew. Pieces of his heavenly body were still around, spreading corruption wherever they went. If they found a piece of bone and shoved it through the bubble, as Xol’sa had represented, it might work. They might even piggy-back a potion on that.

“How about returning the bone to the mortal realm?” Theo asked.

“Easy enough. I can tag it with a marker, returning the item. That should work even across the realms.”

Theo felt excitement welling in his chest. But he paused, tilting his head to the side as he observed Xol’sa. “You’re happier than normal.”

“Oh! Wondrous!” Xol’sa said, clapping again. “I’m glad you noticed. I have quaffed your potion, reducing the effects of my above-average intelligence.”

“We should investigate a way to take more than one of those potions. I’m not looking forward to how more Intelligence makes me feel.”

“A great idea. For now, I can only thank you.”

Theo shrugged. “It’s the least I can do for the town’s wizard.”

“Oh, how splendid,” Xol’sa said, smiling. “Want to learn more about my dungeon project?”

“Not really. I have some ammunition to make.”

“Of course. Off you go!”

Theo left the tower feeling more confident about Fenian’s problem than before. Even if the whole lich thing was a no-go, there was a chance they could use the item-teleporting strategy to their advantage. As always, he prepared himself to switch between strategies when appropriate. It had worked well before and he knew it would work well now. The alchemist departed from the tower, taking the portal back to the town’s square.

“Theo,” a familiar, grumbling voice called from behind.

Theo turned, spotting Sulvan approaching. The man had embraced the lifestyle of Glantheir, assuming a humble posture and the clothes of their order. The god of healing preferred colors of white, blue, and gold. Sulvan wore simple robes of blue and white, with a dangling golden chain displaying the image of his patron.

“How is it going?”

“Well enough. I’ve had trouble adjusting,” Sulvan admitted, his eyes locked on the ground. “Like my mind has been torn apart and remade. As though I’ve been transported back in time and left to reconcile who I had become.”

“One step at a time.”

“Indeed. Glantheir’s blessings are endless. I’m leveling his core, but progress is slower than I would have liked. I wanted to help with the undead.”

“Just take your time. You’ll get there.”

Sulvan nodded. It was odd to see him so small. When Theo had first met the inquisitor of the Burning Eye, he was an imposing figure. But even back then, the man was fair. So long as the alchemist wasn’t breaking those stupid rules, everything was fine. Uharis was the real problem within the Cult of the Eye. Now the jerk was stuck on the moon.

“I appreciate the kind words and the warm bed. I hope I can live up to your expectations,” Sulvan said, bowing at the waist. He departed shortly after, his eyes locked on a horizon Theo couldn’t see.

Theo messed around town for a while. There was nothing for him to do until the latest batch of Hallow the Soil essence was brewed. Once his intuition told him it was ready, he headed back to the lab to check it out. Salire was busy with a customer, leaving him to check the stills and sort out the resulting essence. After all the essence was in the building’s storage, he got to work cleaning each still and setting up the resulting essence to make Hallow the Soil potions.

Salire joined him in time, setting everything up to brew. They would take a while to turn into the true potions, so they were placed into barrels and set aside. Theo considered the stock in his lab, and remembered the serious lack of River Clam Pearls. It was the one reagent he didn’t have easy access to, but was required to make the Anti-Magical Infusion Constructs.

“Feel free to use the stills,” Theo said, slapping the side of a Drogramathi Iron Still. “I need to talk to Tresk’s brother about harvesting clams.”

Salire laughed, watching as the alchemist departed from the lab. He headed off to the harbor and was unsurprised to see the Cork not docked. The fishermen were already out in the bay, harvesting the bounty of the sea. Theo waited for a while, not willing to do much else than watch the boats as they came and went. Thronk brought his boat into port, eventually.

It wasn’t hard to convince the industrious fisherman to turn his attention to the river. A few gold coins and promises of more had the little marshling eager to scour the river for pearls. Theo made sure he knew that the only thing he needed were the pearls, not the clams themselves. Instead of waiting for a more opportune time to start his new venture, Thronk unloaded the fish he and his workers had caught and went straight for the river.

“Works for me,” Theo said, smiling to himself.

Excitement bubbled in his chest for the new shots for their weapons. If everything went right, they could stockpile the Drogramathi Iron Shots, rather than relying on his wards. When Qavell finally arrived, they would be ready to shoot it down.

Chapter 29

Don’t Turn Fenian Into a Lich

Theo, Tresk, and Alex stood among gods. In the realm of Tero’gal, Uz’Xulven, Drogramath, Benton, and Khahar had gathered for tea the moment the Tara’hek entered. The expanded cottage was perfect for fitting more people, allowing everyone to sit around a large table, enjoying sweet treats and sipping on delicious tea. This wasn’t the alchemist’s intentions when he asked his companion to join, but it was nice to take a moment before poking various bears.

“So…” Theo took a long pause, watching as the head of four gods turned to him. “We have a plan for Fenian. Just wanted to see if anyone has a problem with it.”

“We put a lot of thought into it,” Tresk added, nodding.

“If the lizard came up with the plan, my champion is doomed,” Uz’Xulven said.

Tresk glowered, but somehow managed to keep her temper in check. She took the lead, explaining the plan. The marshling took care to express how the plan had several parts. If one part wasn’t viable, they could move on to another plan with the other parts. The most important thing to note was their ability to send an item into Balkor’s realm. Everything else could float around.

“Your plan is to kill my champion,” Uz’Xulven said, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. “That’s hardly a plan.”

“The plan before was for him to off himself, then magically reincarnate.” Theo shot a look at the shadowy god. She could be so spiky.

“It should work,” Khahar said. “You’ve figured out the meaning of heavenly authority on your own, so I can tell you that. Fenian has to agree to become a lich, though.”

“What other options do they have?” Drogramath stared into his cup, not wanting to meet the gaze of the others.

“He could ascend,” Benton shrugged. “Right?”

“He cannot,” Khahar said. “Holding the throne prevents him from ascension.”

“We could attack Balkor’s realm.” Drogramath shrugged, clearly not interested in his suggestion. “Or blow it up.”

“Killing my champion!” Uz’Xulven protested. “Let me bring Parantheir into your realm, Theo. See what he has to say about you murdering our champion.”

Moments after giving the suggestion, Theo felt the familiar tickle in his mind. Parantheir had requested entrance to Tero’gal. He knocked on the bubble of the realm politely, and the alchemist didn’t know if he should accept. After only a breath of hesitation, he accepted.

“Greetings!” a boisterous voice called from the threshold of the room.

In stepped Parantheir. Flowing strands of raven black hair followed behind the elven god. Piercing amethyst eyes scanned the room. The god’s smile lit up the room, beaming for all to see. He was clad in silver armor, ornate in every place it could be. Resting on his hips were two rapiers, each adorned with more gems than Theo could count. Without missing a beat, he strode across the room and took a seat at the table.

“So this is the Mortal Dreamrealm I’ve heard so much about. Is it to be our new place of meeting? Our new sanctuary?” Parantheir didn’t drop his smile as he looked around the table. There was something infectiously bubbly about him.

“Welcome. We’re just talking about…” Theo paused. There was no good way of saying it.

“Turning your champion into a lich,” Tresk finished.

“Oh? Now that sounds interesting,” Parantheir nodded, leaning in over the table. “Who tasked the mortals with the rescue? Send me, Khahar. I’ll have the boy back before you can scratch your furry ass.”

“Watch it,” Khahar growled. “Unless you want to declare war, Hoi’ch is off-limits.”

“Pah!”

“You don’t care. Of course you don’t care.” Uz’Xulven sighed, smacking her forehead into the table. She groaned, refusing to pick her head up.

Tresk explained the plan to Parantheir, who nodded along politely as she talked. That smile never dropped from his face.

“Well, I’ve seen stupider plans work,” the elven god of dueling scratched his chin. “You said his current plan was to die, reincarnating on the mortal plane? I doubt it would work.”

“It won’t work,” Khahar said. “His soul would remain trapped in Hoi’ch. Which is the problem.”

The arguments went back and forth for a while. Theo wasn’t surprised with how everyone felt heated about the problem. There was no simple solution, unless Khahar wanted to tear down all he had worked toward for sixty-thousand years. Turning Fenian into a lich was the best plan, and that rubbed the alchemist the wrong way. Unless they discovered way to remove the elf’s soul from his body without him becoming a lich, this was the best method. And the gods agreed.

“It might be nice to have an undead on the team. What with the—”

Parantheir’s words were cut short. Khahar’s hand clapped over his mouth in an instant. “You’ve read the rules, elf.”

Parantheir nodded his agreement. Khahar removed his hand, narrowing his eyes as though predicting another outburst.

“We’ll get to that part later, I guess,” Parantheir said. “By the way. Who made the cookies?”

Benton raised his hand, a nervous smile on his face.

“Excellent work, sir. I’m eager to try more of your creations.”

The party spent some of their time at the table discussing plans to help Fenian. But folks broke off into conversation about other things, rendering the strange scene even stranger. Theo mostly watched, especially when Tresk joined in to throw her non-existent weight against the gods. The alchemist had expected gods to treat mortals like children, but that was almost never the case. While the gods interacted in the godly realms, they weren’t able to meddle on the mortal plane.

Theo, Tresk, and Alex broke off from the group, sending themselves to the far-flung reaches of the realm. Standing on a mountainside, they looked over a slice of their world. The alchemist withdrew the crystal given to him by Fenian, squeezing it tightly in his hand. He felt the familiar buzz in his mind as the two crystals connected. A linking threat wormed its way through the realms.

“My alchemist!” Fenian said, his voice dripping with dramatic flair. “Tell me you’ve made progress. I cannot stand being taunted by Balkor for another year.”

“Pretty sure we can get you back…” Theo let his thoughts trail off as he thought about the only option they had. “How do you feel about becoming a lich?”

“Well, I don’t like the idea at all!”

Theo scratched his head before responding. It was the best idea they had so far, but he realized his lack of knowledge on lichdom. “That’s the only way we could find to get your soul out. Can’t you strike a deal with Balkor?”

“That’s the problem. He wants me to become an undead to join some empire he’s forming.”

Theo sighed and shook his head. “Is Balkor there? Can you tell him to come to my realm?”

“I suggested as much to him. He hurled a series of insults so damaging I may never recover.”

There was no progress to be made with Fenian. He was being too stubborn, and Theo found his patience waning by the moment. “We’ll look for another way. Just hold tight.”

“Not like I have anywhere to go. Not like I’m dying or anything. Take your time.”

Theo grumbled, returning the crystal to his inventory.

“At least he’s in a good mood,” Tresk said, giving Theo the thumbs-up.

The time-dilation provided by Tero’gal gave Theo time to think, though. He had noticed how closely Khahar was observing the problem, meaning there was a solution at hand. He went over all that was available to them with Tresk. Neither minded the icy wind whipping across the mountain, although the howling wind made conversation difficult. They communicated with their connection, expressing their thoughts as ideas rather than words.

They decided that Drogramath’s behavior was the key to figuring it out. He had been averting his gaze, trying not to lock eyes with Theo. There was an alchemical means to sort Fenian out. The trio teleported to the ocean, sitting at the edge of the dunes to watch the waves lap against the shore. A few minutes of silent conversation later, and the demon god of potions himself was coming to take a seat nearby.

“I miss the ocean,” Drogramath said, polishing a pink apple on his coat. He took a bite. “Never cared for spirit fruit, though.”

Theo narrowed his eyes. “What do you prefer?”

“Roc Berries.”

Returning to the town square, Theo loaded his inventory with Fairy Plums. The Tara’hek returned to the mortal plane, finding themselves at the spot where they left. Sarisa and Rowan were somewhere in the building, leveling their servant cores.

“The rules the gods have to follow are silly,” Theo said. Tresk joined him as he headed for the lab.

“He can suggest what we should do, but can’t tell us? Khahar needs to get his house in order.”

“Agreed. He wants me to combine the Fairy’s Blessing property with the Retreat property. Still doesn’t fix one problem.”

“Finding a bone,” Tresk said with a nod. “We might have to stretch the intent with that one.”

Salire was working in the lab when they arrived. She chuckled nervously, waving away a cloud of smoke. One of the most important things about starting with alchemy was to blow a few things up. With the extractor fan on, Theo ground his Fairy Plums up, taking one still in the rows of stills. Next, he prepared the still for his Roc Berries, finding them equally simple to grind. Those berries were common enough, and the lab always had a large stock of them. Although the Fairy Plums had been growing for a while, the two-hundred units in the still represented everything he had.

“So, what are we doing?” Salire asked.

“Long story,” Theo said, leaving the temperature low on both stills. “Pretty sure Drogramath just told me how to make a potion that should bring Fenian back without turning him into a lich.”

“Uh-huh.”

“We just need a bone from Balkor. One of those skeletal minion bones might work, though.”

Any bone they used to send the potion to Fenian would need to come from outside of Gronro. All bones within would have been purified by the hallowed aura. The alchemist stretched his will as far as it would go, sending his senses to the metal golem patrolling Gronro. He ordered the construct to deactivate its aura and search for usable bone samples. The golem sent back a faint message, but it seemed to understand.

“I’m just here for the ride,” Tresk said, kicking back in a chair.

“Can you send the potion from here?” Theo asked.

“Yeah. So long as Uz doesn’t stop me.”

“Why do I feel so out of place?” Salire asked, holding her hands up as though she didn’t even want to touch the subject.

Theo ignored his assistant’s statement. Most people felt out of place with the heavenly realms. Because they weren’t supposed to be involved. “How about we go over what you’re working on.”

Salire’s nervousness melted away. “Well, it’s taking me forever to get to Level 10. But I’ve been practicing my mana control, and I’m excited to get to work on second-tier stuff.”

Theo inspected the stills that she had running, finding the standard brews for restoration potions. Not only were those great for practice, but they sold well. Everyone needed some healing, even with Sulvan in town. The alchemist had some pointers for her, but there was hardly anything to criticize. Salire had helped write the book on standard Drogramathi Alchemy, after all.

Salire faced a pretty interesting problem that Theo had considered before. She was working with high-quality equipment, and highly cultivated reagents. That left her fighting an uphill battle, honing her skills to fight against those things as she learned. Theo almost felt guilty about it, but as he watched the skill with which she worked the stills, he realized how valuable it was. A less tenacious person would have given up a long time ago, but her persistence was inspiring.

“So, how does this process work?” Salire asked, watching as the rare Fairy’s Blessing Essence dripped into a glass flask.

“Suffusion?” Theo asked, scratching his chin. “That’s why your mana practice is so important.”

Theo went into lecture mode, not noticing that Salire was just being polite. She had already edited and corrected a few things in their co-authored book about the topic. He went on about pulling impurities out of essences for too long. Tresk giggled in the rooms’ corner, shaking her head. It was still fun to babble on about alchemy, especially around someone who was interested in it.

When the essence was done distilling, Theo swirled the Fairy’s Blessing Essence in its flask. It was faintly pink and smelled like cherry blossoms. Unlike regular essences, this one sparkled if the light hit it correctly. The Retreat Essence was already familiar to him. While he often modified the resulting potion, the alchemist always had some kind of Retreat Potion on hand, just in case he needed to make a quick retreat.

“We’ll work with single-unit amounts for now,” Theo said, pouring a unit of the Fairy’s Blessing Essence into another flask.

The alchemist held his hand over the flask, concentrating on his mana. Like the other spirit essences, this one was willful. He let the mana in his chest crawl through his body, dripping out of his palm like water. It infused into the essence, drawing out the impure parts with plumes of acrid smoke. After clearing the cloud away, he took a look at the primal essence. It was little more than a pile of pink ash at the bottom of the glass container, still glittering with flecks of white and red. Theo found the Retreat Essence much easier to deal with, creating the primal essence for that easily.

“And we have plenty of Suffuse Potion,” Theo said, plucking a flask of Greater Suffuse Potion from one of the many storage containers in the lab.

Adding the three ingredients together, Theo watched as they reacted. The liquid bubbled, leaving frothy foam at the top. Some suffuse potions required a lot of time to brew. Others didn’t. It depended on the way the two primal essences interacted, along with some unknown magical nonsense. Theo got the impression that the swirling mixture before him wouldn’t take long. A few hours at most.

“The waiting game,” Tresk said with a sigh.

“Salire, once we get our Clam River Pearls in we need a decent batch of those running.” Theo rummaged through their supplies, checking what else they had on hand. Thanks to the golems, they were doing well enough on the basic things. As he checked the crates, the golem in Gronro sent him a mental ping. “Ah. The golem found some bones.”

“Good!” Tresk shouted, her boredom bubbling over. “Let’s go!”

Theo’s first reaction was to object, but the brewing potion would take about two to three hours to finish. Just enough time to take the train to Gronro and back. Finally, he shrugged and departed from the lab. They left Salire behind to work on her alchemy. While she made excuses about watching the shop and leveling her core, the reason for her refusal was clear. Most people didn’t enjoy riding the tram.

As Theo and Tresk loaded into the next available train. They blasted down the track at obscene speeds. While the marshling cheered, the alchemist grimaced. They still hadn’t sorted out the windshield problem, resulting in a constant blast of air as they traveled down the track. The journey didn’t take long at all. Theo departed from the train on shaky legs, marching to the town square to deactivate the ward placed upon the town’s seed core. Once it was clear, he had the golem march the bones inside and stowed them in his inventory.

“Look at that guy,” Tresk said, patting the golem on the leg. “Strong independent boy.”

“Throk’s artifices are working well,” Theo said. He was happy that everything was running normally. He sent the golem back to work, then placed his ward back on the town.

As the group was preparing to leave, Grot came to check what was going on. He was happy enough that Theo was visiting his town, let alone checking on their little experiments. The mayor had nothing to report about the undead corruption. Things were going well in town. Fewer people were getting sick, and some wildlife was returning to the mountain pass. It was only a matter of time before they figured out how to push that bubble outward, cleansing more of the land.

“The new ward will last five days,” Theo said, shaking Grot’s hand. “Send me a message if I don’t refresh it.”

“Will do! If there’s any way we can help with the cleanup effort, let me know. I’d like to reclaim more of the mountain.”

Theo nodded, heading off with Tresk to catch the next train. The conductor had specifically waited for them, but was growing impatient. They boarded the train, zipping down the line at break-neck speeds. The alchemist tried to shut out the sound of the wind whipping by as he reviewed his administrative screens. He referenced the sections with plans for curing the corruption, which only made him frustrated. With everything going on, he had gotten distracted from the task.

“Remind me to make an army of golems to scour the land when we get back,” Theo spoke into Tresk’s mind. She only laughed in response.

Half-way back to Broken Tusk, Theo felt a haptic buzz in his mind. He sifted through his interfaces before finding a new chat started by Alise.

Alise: Salire says you’re gonna wanna see the new potion. Claims it’ll solve all your problems. Whatever that means.

Theo: :O omw

Alise: >:|

Chapter 30

Potion of Return

The afternoon sun shone over Broken Tusk, rendering it in shades of orange mingling with green. From the train, Theo and Tresk were given an amazing view of the town. Atop a hill, speeding at an impossible pace, they glimpsed their town from afar. It was a rare sight for the alchemist. The images fed to him by Alex didn’t do the place justice, and they were soon speeding into the station. He exited the train with wobbly legs and a general feeling as though he would vomit at any moment.

Theo tried not to walk too fast toward his lab, as though he had any shame for the excitement he felt. He imagined how people’s eyes would linger on him, wondering what exciting discovery the lab had made. If Salire was coy about the new potion, he was confident it would work. She wasn’t in the store when he arrived, or on the second floor experimentation and storage room. The half-ogre apprentice was on the top floor, a big smile on her face as she hid something behind her back.

“Try to contain your excitement,” Salire said, the smile on her face tugging further at the corners of her mouth. She whipped an ornate vial around. It had far more details than her normal decorative vials, even displaying a glass gem near the top.

Theo crossed the room, taking the vial gingerly. The liquid inside was a swirling mix of pink and blue as though two parts refused to mix. But as he inspected the potion, he realized it was a completed potion. A Tier 3 suffuse potion that would save Fenian.

[Potion of Return]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Theo Spencer

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Minor Bond)

Imbibing this potion will return the drinker to the place where they were born. If that location would bring harm to the drinker, the next nearest location will be chosen.

“This is it,” Theo said, staring at the potion.

The alchemist got a Wisdom of the Soul popup, and a general sense from his alchemical intuition. He could feel the metaphysical importance of the item. Distance didn’t matter. Neither did the realm which a person was sent to. His Wisdom message informed him that if he drank it, he would be taken to where Belgar was born. Not Earth.

“Yeehaw. I can teleport about as far as I can throw a rock,” Tresk mocked.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Salire asked, bouncing on the spot.

Theo’s first impulse was to contact Xol’sa for a consultation. But would the wizard be able to resist the urge to drink the potion, returning to wherever he was born? No, that man knew how dangerous it was to mess around in the void. There was no guarantee that the extra-planar elves even had a home out there, let alone one that could support life. The alchemist sent a message, summoning the wizard to his lab.

“We could send this now,” Theo said. “We could get Fenian out of Hoi’ch right now. That’s insane.”

“That’s dangerous, though,” Tresk objected, pointing a finger in the air. “Fenian was born in Tarantham, right? Where a civil war is raging.”

Tapping his foot, Theo considered the best course. He needed to talk to Uz’Xulven about this. It would take them a week to get a ship to the continent, and another week to bring him back. The alchemist had too many concerns to act now. As sad as it was, maybe Fenian was safer in Balkor’s realm than anywhere else. He needed medical treatment when he arrived. Glantheir’s own hands would be best, but Sulvan could manage.

“Damn. We have it, but…” Theo paused. Xol’sa entered the room, a stupid smile on his face. The elf snatched the potion out of the alchemist’s hands, nearly pressing it against his face.

“What a find,” Xol’sa said, his voice barely a whisper. “You’ve done it, Theo. I can feel it. This potion will pierce the veil.”

Theo considered taking his potion back, but decided against it. Salire had only bottled it. They had enough to make ten more of the same potion. Instead, he thanked Xol’sa for his expert opinion and left the lab. Tresk trailed behind him, sensing his intent. They headed for the temple. With his Dreampassage ability on cooldown, he had no other way to contact the gods. The only one that would answer him was Drogramath, and that was good enough.

The temple had a scatter of people praying to their respective deities. Theo felt as though he was showing off when he approached the dais, looking up at the windows and holding his patron’s name in his mind. Drogramath’s recognition shivered across the realms. A breath passed, and the form of the demon god appeared near the altar, towering high above.

“Fool mortal!” Drogramath shouted. “I was experimenting. And you’ve drawn me out of it!”

Theo cleared his throat. “Cut the tough guy act. I need some help.”

The ethereal image of Drogramath cleared his throat. His eyes, like massive glittering purple orbs, scanned the room. “Fine. What do you need?”

Theo explained the situation. He wasn’t looking for a solution, though. For once, he was looking for guidance. The pieces he had to put together were scattered. If Fenian drank the potion, appearing in the center of a conflict he would die. The alchemist needed to know how much strength the elf could muster, which potions he needed to steal a boat and leave the elven homeland, and how much Uz’Xulven could help.

“Wait a moment. I’ll return to the temple after I have gathered information. You’ll owe me after this. Just so we’re clear.”

Nodding, Theo watched as the image of his patron vanished. He turned, feeling Tresk’s comforting thoughts flow off her like an untamed river. All she had to do was share a smile and it brought his spirits up. What few people were in the temple were muttering amongst themselves, marveling at the appearance of a real god.

“This is way better than being a lich,” she said.

“Agreed. Are you up to the challenge? Think you can reach Hoi’ch from here?”

Tresk blew raspberries. “I could reach Khahak from here, dude. So long as I had one of Khahar’s bones.”

It was concerning that they couldn’t find a genuine piece of Balkor, but this should be fine. Tresk wasn’t overstating her abilities here. She could pierce the veil, sending whatever items Fenian needed into Balkor’s realm without detection. That level of will and control was surprising, but she had this innate affinity for the task. Five minutes after Drogramath vanished, he reappeared in the temple with a smile on his face.

“It took some convincing, but I invited Uz’Xulven to my realm,” Drogramath said. There was a look of pride on his face that was undeniable. “The elf is confident he could escape anything with the right potions. Unfortunately, without his enchanted carriage he cannot use the Bridge. Old-fashioned escape is the only option.”

Drogramath gave Theo a list of potions that Fenian requested. Uz’Xulven had served as an intermediary for a conversation. Theo committed those potions to memory, intending to make everything he didn’t have today. The time dilation of the realms meant that for every minute he spent getting ready, four hours would pass in the divine realms. He thanked his patron for his time, then dashed out of the temple.

Theo burst into the lab, causing Salire to jump in fright. “Prepare those stills. Get ready for a big batch.”

Fenian’s request was pretty standard, but it revealed a lot about his situation. He wanted all the restoration potions they could make, but that was no surprise. He also needed combat potions, and an assortment of bombs. Retreat potions, Limited Foresight potions, Featherfall potions. The list went on. While Tresk worked on the delivery method, Theo and Salire worked the stills. There were also items that the elf didn’t request, which the alchemist intended to include.

Even after the sun set outside, the group worked on the project. Tresk stood before a large, mundane crate with her hands on her hips. Theo had already popped a Greater Stamina Potion, and was feeling buzzed from its effects. He stood next to the crate, tutting.

“You just taped the bones to a box,” he said, kicking the box’s side.

“Yeah, well… It’ll work.”

Salire was dead on her feet. She brought the last of the potion over, placing a modified Retreat Potion into the crate. It was filled to the top, almost to where the lid wouldn’t fit. Tresk was convinced that all she needed was a vessel to carry the potions. Anything within that container would pierce the veil. Theo wanted to doubt her, but the level of confidence she had was unreal.

“Last thing,” Theo said, finding empty spaces to place bone throwing knives. He had warded them with Dragon’s Dance “That’s it. Right?”

“Yep,” Tresk said, kneeling near the box. She withdrew a hammer and nails from nowhere and sealed the crate shut. “That’s it. We ready?”

“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Theo said with a nod.

“Ready!” Salire brought forth the last of her energy for a cheer.

All the color drained from the room. Theo looked at his companion in shock. A visible well of manifested willpower pooled at her feet, bending the light. Things fell off tables as she drew on the combined will of herself, the Tara’hek, and Tero’gal. The alchemist felt his golems collapse in the distance, some bursting into flames. The marshling’s concentration was absolute as their realms authority filled the room. Salire went rigid, falling over with a thunk. The alchemist fell to his knees.

“So long, box! Fenian Southblade,” Tresk shouted, pouring everything she had gathered into the wooden crate. With a snap, it vanished.

The color returned to the room in an instant. The building groaned as it shifted back into place. Salire took in a sharp breath, then began coughing.

“Holy shit,” Theo said, coughing as the breath returned to his lungs.

Salire tried to say something, but just ended up in another coughing fit. Before long, someone was beating on the door downstairs. Theo was unsurprised to find the town’s guard coming to investigate. The general alarm had been raised, a bell clattering somewhere distant. The army was assembling to defend the town, and the alchemist had to talk them down. Aarok and Luras showed up, sleepy-eyed and in their full gear.

“That was us,” Theo said, holding his hands up apologetically. “Sorry.”

“Dammit, Theo,” Aarok said, glaring.

“It was pretty cool,” Luras said.

“Go call off the guard,” Aarok said, waving Luras away. “Let’s go. You got some explaining to do.”

Theo invited Aarok up to the lab. Salire was still recovering, sitting in a chair and drinking something strong. Tresk was doing a jig and Alex was honking with excitement. The alchemist explained what had happened, but the moment he reached the climax of the story he felt something twinge in his mind. The familiar haptic buzzing of a call from the communication crystal in his inventory. He withdrew it mid-sentence, squeezing it tightly in his hand.

“Dear alchemist! This is the worst plan ever!” Fenian shouted into his mind. “It dropped me in a war zone!”

Theo clicked his tongue. “We were worried about that.”

Fenian explained his situation. Balkor’s pride had been wounded when the box appeared. Since time moved differently in the heavenly realms, Fenian had to bargain for his freedom. Through smooth-talking trickery, the elf escaped. When he arrived in Tarantham, he appeared in a burned-out city. Two armies were engaging each other, and he burned through half the potions Theo gave him just to stay alive. He was currently running for the coast, intent on stealing a boat to escape.

“But you’re not a lich,” Theo said. “That counts for something.”

“Yes, I suppose it does. Also, you could have left a note. When I tossed one of your daggers, it turned a group of soldiers into paste! Oh, the experience gains were magnificent, but the shock was damaging to my psyche. Also, I’m naked!”

“Just come back alive. Alright?”

“I’ll do my best!”

Fenian cut the connection through the crystal. Theo breathed a sigh of relief, relaying the tale to all those gathered. Salire had regained her composure, and Aarok was shaking his head in disbelief. This ordeal ended better than anyone could have expected. The Herald was now back on the mortal plane, even if he was in danger. The alchemist could feel some amount of order restored to the world. It was as though another piece of something important had been set in place.

Aarok withdrew a wineskin from his inventory, drinking directly from it. “Well, now that you woke me up, we can have a drink.”

Theo took the skin when offered, and chugged more than his fair share. Tresk drank some as well, but continued dancing. Salire drank more than anyone else. There were some things a mortal body wasn’t meant to witness. Aarok went off to smooth everything over with both the administrators and his army. Theo and Tresk escorted the shell-shocked assistant to her house, then lingered outside under the stars.

“I find it hard to remember that those even exist,” Tresk said, pointing skyward.

The setting of the sun did little to stifle the constant heat brought by the Season of Fire. Theo gazed at the stars, not even needing to give his response to his companion. This felt like a turning point for them. The holder of the Throne of the Arbiter was in the heavens, and the holder of the Throne of the Herald was on the mortal plane. It didn’t hurt that they had removed their friend from Balkor’s realm, but that was another thing to consider. The Demon God of Necromancy didn’t seem to keep Fenian there out of malice. From everything the alchemist heard, it sounded more like he wanted to recruit him for something.

Why would the other gods support the resurrection of another if it wasn’t for the greater good?

“We should get some sleep,” Tresk said, resting a hand on Theo’s shoulder.

Theo didn’t look away from the stars. He knew it was the best option. The Dreamwalk had a way of soothing all the rough parts of his mind, just as well as Tero’gal did. He simply rose, walking down the road with his companions. Alex waddled along, honking on occasion. They locked up the Newt and Demon before heading off to the manor. Sarisa and Rowan were in the sitting room, sleeping on the sofa. The scent of food still lingered in the air. They had made dinner, set everything out, then waited for Theo and Tresk to return.

“They’re tuckered out,” Theo said, smiling at his assistants. “Come on guys. Get to bed.”

“I’m up,” Rowan said, bolting upright then falling on his face. “Ow.”

Theo helped the pair get to bed before sitting down with Tresk and Alex to eat the cold food. It was still good. When they were finished, they headed upstairs and fell into the Dreamwalk. Tresk summoned a calming scene, soothing both of their minds. Instead of getting to work, they sat on an imagined sandy beach to watch the waves.

“Pretty sure I’m supposed to do something big,” Tresk said, fidgeting with a seashell.

“Yeah. Kinda obvious, isn’t it?”

“I thought so,” Alex chimed in, diving into the water.

“Mortals aren’t supposed to hold a tangible realm. I think Khahar changed that when he broke the system’s limits.” Theo pushed his feet through the white sand, digging his toes in as far as they would go.

A smile crept across Tresk’s face. The members of the Tara’hek often didn’t need to share their thoughts verbally. Theo knew she had already found what she was looking for. That thing that would give her great power. Maybe she had ascended those steps already, or already had one foot on the first one. The alchemist didn’t know if he wanted to take the steps when it was his turn, but perhaps it was too late to turn back.

The group didn’t get any work done in the Dreamwalk that night. They sat on the beach, sharing both silence and stories about Fenian. That elf had enough luck to pull him through anything.

“He’ll be fine,” Theo said, reassuring himself as much as Tresk. “He’s always fine.”