The Newt and Demon - Book 6 Chapters 49,50,51

Chapter 49

Quindalias

There was nothing quite like being at ground-zero for a pressure still explosion. Theo dusted himself off after standing right next to one of Throk’s pressure stills after it blew up. At least he was within the Dreamwalk, immune to injuries. But he had only added the alchemical residue to the container, nothing else. The combination of heat and pressure was enough to set it off. At least he could use the iron paddles a few times before throwing them away… as long as he scraped the junk off of them first.

Boiling the residue only made it burn to the bottom of the pan. When Theo thought he was onto something with an idea about binding the residue with another element, the Dreamwalk blocked his progress. He jumped when Tresk snuck up behind him, stabbing him in the back.

“Not fast enough, baby!” she shouted. “We gotta get up.”

“Oh. Right. The dragon,” Theo said, nodding. “Is there enough room on Alex for me?”

“I am powerful,” Alex said, her forepaws flopping around. They weren’t quite like that of a dragon’s legs yet. But they were getting there. Slowly.

“You are very powerful,” Theo said. “What time is it, anyway?”

“I dunno about an hour before dawn,” Tresk said. “Still looks dark out there, ya know?”

“We should get going,” Theo said. “There’s gonna be a fight and a turtle at the wedding. Can’t miss the turtle.”

“I love the turtle wrastlin’.”

Sarisa and Rowan had awoken early, although Theo didn’t know how they had done so without an alarm clock. Rowan’s frequent trips to the bathroom during breakfast revealed they had consumed a lot of water the night before. Breakfast was leftover steak, which was always welcome. The alchemist didn’t find himself as hungry as the night before, barely eating much of his steak. Despite how delicious it was, he had only ever picked at his breakfast.

Standing outside of the manor before dawn had even broken, Theo looked Alex up and down. “How do you hold on?”

“For dear life,” Tresk said.

Alex dipped her head low enough for Theo to give her some pets. He rubbed the top of her head, finding the start of a pair of horns poking from underneath her feathers. He shook his head, climbing on her back awkwardly. Why Tresk had gone all this time without finding someone to make her a saddle was beyond him. But there was enough space between her wings and her neck for both to sit. He wouldn’t call it comfortable, but they were sitting.

“I’m taking no risks,” Theo said, holding a Retreat potion with the Featherfall modifier on it. He wrapped his arms around her neck and prepared for an uncomfortable experience. Only a moment in the air revealed how wise of a move that was. It wasn’t comfortable. Each stroke of Alex’s wings was an uncomfortable lurching sensation that threatened to reveal what little steak he had eaten that morning.

Alex was unforgiving with her speed, heading in a direction. Theo couldn’t tell what the direction was, as his face was buried in a mass of scales and feathers. The air grew colder and thinner before they finally landed on a ledge overlooking the region below. While it was still too dark to see anything, the alchemist suspected Broken Tusk was somewhere below.

“Why did I agree to this?” Theo asked, preparing to use his Earth Sorcerer’s Core. He didn’t need to see, though. Whatever happened to this dragon, it had been embedded in a layer of crumbled rock. A rock slide had encased it, only exposing some sections of bone to the elements.

“Just do your thing. I don’t wanna see a giant skeleton dragon running around.” Tresk folded her arms.

Theo shook his head, spreading his senses over the piles of rock. He wrapped his will around each thing that wasn’t a bone and lifted, separating the pile in the air to allow for the bones caught between to fall to the ground. With a flick of his will, he sent the stones sailing through the air and continued working. As he worked, he felt the energy of the bones soaking into the air. It became more oppressive as more of the bones were revealed.

“How strong was this dragon?” Theo asked, grunting as he tossed a house-sized rock into the distance.

“I don’t know, but it is delicious,” Alex said, snapping at a large bone. It was far too large for her to eat.

“Can you take the bones into your inventory?” Theo asked.

“No,” Tresk said, producing a comically large saw from nowhere. “They’re too big. The system complains when I try. We normally just come here and chip a bit off.”

Theo watched as Tresk pulled aside a massive bone, getting to work with her saw. In classic Tresk fashion, she had tried and failed to pull a bone into her inventory. Rather than cutting the bones down, she chipped away at the bones here daily. The alchemist finished the rocks, and got to work on the earth that had been scattered over the bones.

Tresk made a sound and a face, but continued her work on the bones. There were far too many of them for Alex to eat. With plenty of bones to go around, she wouldn’t have to worry about Theo stealing all the bones for alchemy. The system was happy to take three-foot lengths of bones, but seemed more concerned about each bone. Theo joined in the sawing, but was just as slow as Tresk with his relatively low strength.

“Why do you keep making that face?” Theo asked, tossing Tresk another cut bone. “Are you just super excited about cutting up a dead dragon?”

“I mean… look at it,” Tresk said, gesturing to what remained of the skeleton. “This is more bones than Pogo had.”

Theo scratched his chin, looking at the length of the bones they were cutting. Tresk must have paid a good amount for the saws since they were finely made and of Drogramathi Iron. There was slightly too much preparation for a job Tresk would do. The alchemist picked up a length of bone he had cut, inspecting it.

[Quindalias Bone]

[Alchemy Ingredient] [Dragon Ascendant Bone]

A piece of the Dragon Ascendant Quindalias’ skeleton.

Properties:

[????] [????] [????]

“Tresk… are you feeding the bones of a god to our goose?” Theo asked.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Tresk said, going to work on another section.

Theo pinched the bridge of his nose, his mind reeling at the implications. He wasn’t aware of any dragons that had ascended to false godhood. The only dragon he knew by name was Pogo, and she was gone. An ascendant had left something behind before, and it never ended well. Balkor’s corruption had ruined an entire continent, so it was interesting to see a fallen ascendant so close to Broken Tusk. When had it fallen and why?

“Well, she isn’t dead. I guess that’s the good news,” Theo said. “But we don’t know what long-term exposure to this kind of stuff will do.”

“It turns geese into dragons. Duh. Should we take the bones to our world?”

“Absolutely not. That’s going to violate some rule. How could it not? The dragon was likely killed for coming down here without permission. Maybe. I guess it depends on what age it came here.”

“Okay, cool. We can talk about accidentally ending the world later. Help me stuff these bones in the shared inventory.”

Theo and Tresk got back to work on the bones, spending a few hours before and after dawn getting them processed. The skull was too much for them to deal with for now, so they left it. Which was likely not a good idea, but there was nothing more they could do. There was a wedding to attend.

“We can talk about how wrong this is later,” Theo said, mounting Alex. “Is there a Draconic Pantheon?”

“I dunno. I’m just a cute little lizard,” Tresk said, blinking rapidly as she climbed aboard.

Theo could barely think on the way back to Broken Tusk. The sun had risen, casting the town in shades of pale orange. Long shadows stretched across the streets, stabbing westward. The alchemist was certain an ascendant’s bones had been used to start the undead plague. He needed to know more about this dragon to ensure nothing weird would happen. At least most of those bones were now in a dimensional storage container, which should have prevented them from influencing the world.

Even before they landed in town, Theo could see people gathering for the wedding. It would not be a ceremony like he had originally expected, but more like a continuous party with events scattered throughout the day. When they landed, Tresk and Alex scampered off to do goblin stuff—the way they always did—leaving the alchemist behind with his thoughts.

“How was the trip?” Sarisa asked, coming up alongside him.

“Concerning. I need to make a trip to Khahak before the wedding starts. Wanna come?”

“Sure. Why not,” Sarisa said.

“Really?”

“Count me out,” Rowan said, waving them away. “I’ve got things to do.”

Theo shrugged, placing a hand on Sarisa’s shoulder. She yelled as they fell through the veil, finding themselves floating in space. Thanks to the authority of his Dreamwalker’s Core, he could move easily enough through the swirling blackness. He angled them toward Khahar’s orb which orbited the mass in the center just like Tero’gal. A blink later and they were standing atop the Arbiter’s Tower in the center of the world.

“An unexpected visit,” Khahar said, turning from his pristine window to smile at Theo. “What’s up?”

“I just need information on the ancient pantheons,” Theo said. “You know, nothing big.”

“Which one?” Khahar asked.

“The Draconic Pantheon.”

“There was never a true Draconic Pantheon. A few tried, but failed.”

“That’s interesting.”

“Why?”

“The dragon you left under my town is gone, but I sensed more draconic energy nearby,” Theo said, shaking his head. “You can understand my concern with what happened with Balkor.”

“Ah, yes. I would be concerned, too.” Khahar said, turning away. “Are we allowed to bring mortals here?”

Sarisa vomited on the ground. “I’m good,” she gurgled, giving the thumbs-up.

“I can clean that up,” Theo said. “Also, I dunno. Thanks, Khahar. I need to attend a wedding, but I thought I’d ask.”

“Anytime, Theo.”

Theo placed a hand on Sarisa’s shoulder. “Hold onto your butt.”

Sarisa placed either hand on either cheek and made a low grumbling noise.

An instant later, Theo was standing in Drogramath’s village on Tero’gal. He took a breath of the swamp air and smiled. Sarisa’s face became less pale as she looked around. Something of a smile tugged at her features, but she was still too shaken to produce anything more.

“This looks like home.”

“Yeah, this is where Drogramath settled,” Theo said, waving to a dronon guard. “Where’s the boss?”

The guard gestured in a vague direction, which Theo followed. They had done a lot for the small town since the last time he was here. While he hadn’t figured out how to produce cores for the people here, they had gone off on their own to do all this by hand. The problem of cores in the Throneworld was something he could solve, given time. Tero’gal might figure it out before him, though.

“Old Droggy,” Theo said, placing his hands on his hips as he approached a clearing at the end of the road.

Drogramath stood with a few other dronon, smiling as he turned to wave at Theo. “The master of the house has returned. Are you well?”

“Very well,” Theo said, exchanging his Earth Sorcerer’s Core for his new Shadow core. “I need your amazing memory for something. Sarisa, could you go look for some turtles or something?”

“Oh, I love turtles,” Sarisa said, turning and scampering off.

“Why don’t you show her around?” Drogramath said to those he had gathered. They nodded and ran to join the half-ogre.

“Looks like you’re making a new Broken Tusk,” Theo said, laughing as he expanded his shadowy willpower. They were encased in a field of silence. While he didn’t expect prying eyes in his own world, it was good to be safe. Zaul—Shadow—was too insane for him to worry about. The gods would know about what he was doing because they were gods.

“I’m doing what I can. Which is hard, without alchemy. Why the need for secrecy.”

Theo laughed to himself, shaking his head. “When I first arrived, I saw you as an enemy. I could never have seen you as… this. A mayor of some small swamp town.”

“I am but a dronon.”

“True. The secrecy? I need information on fallen pantheons. Khahar wasn’t in the heavens back in the day. But you were.”

“Which pantheon do you want to know about?”

Theo was tempted to withdraw a bone from his shared inventory, but resisted the urge. That wouldn’t end well. “The Draconic Pantheon.”

Drogramath raised an eyebrow. “You found a fallen dragon.”

Theo snapped his fingers. “I knew you’d know. What can you tell me about them?”

“I can tell you they’re powerful reagents. The dragon ascendants were pure aspects of… something. Fire, earth, water, and so on. We don’t know where they came from, but I know it wasn’t my world or Earth. They were natural to the world, or came from a third world. I cannot say.”

“What would happen—hypothetically—if a goose familiar were to eat about two-hundred pounds of the bones?”

“I don’t know what a pound is, but I’m guessing that’s a lot of weight?”

“About as heavy as the average half-ogre.”

Drogramath laughed, clapping a hand on Theo’s shoulder. “You would get a dragon-goose. Alex should be fine consuming the power of the dragons.They’re representations of pure aspects, uncorrupted like the rest of us.”

“Well, that’s a relief. Because she ate at least four-hundred pounds of bones and is looking more like a dragon by the day. Anything else you can tell me about the dragons?”

“Not much,” Drogramath shrugged. “They were secretive in our day. Even before we ascended. Each found a corner of the world to live in. They went into hiding and we never heard much from them. Those that ascended did so secretly. Only Toru’aun figured out they had truly ascended, and she doesn’t share secrets lightly.”

Theo remembered hearing about dragon ascendants in the past. There was a mix of opinions on them, but he got the impression that people assumed anything could ascend. The underground dungeon was close to ascending before they knocked it down a few levels, so why not? He wouldn’t be surprised if there were intelligent badger ascendants somewhere in the expansive pantheon. Well, before they were nuked.

“Where is Toru’aun, anyway?”

Drogramath laughed again. “Who knows. She’s impossible to pin down.”

“Thanks for the information,” Theo said, reaching out to shake Drogramath’s hand. “I’m proud of the town you’ve built.”

“Thank you, father.”

Theo chuckled, running off to collect Sarisa. This was fun, and moderately insightful, but he had a wedding to attend. He swapped back to his Earth Sorcerer’s Core. “Get off that turtle. We’re heading back.”

“Already?” Sarisa groaned. The dronon around her issued similar groans of disappointment. “We were just about to wrestle.”

Chapter 50

Don’t Kill Each Other

The scent of roasted meat floating through the air as Theo returned to Broken Tusk. Sarisa almost threw up again, but only heaved a few times. They hadn’t been gone long, but the town was coming alive. People ran through the streets with cloth streamers, some with cartoon representations of Zarali and Xol’sa. Several small fights had already broken out, but were contained to polite skirmishes.

“This is already shaping up to look fun,” Theo said, smiling as he watched more banners stream past. “How similar is this to a local wedding?”

“Very similar,” Sarisa said with a contented sigh. “The smell of that roasting hog reminds me of the old days. When there were still hogs in the swamp.”

Theo planned to forbid himself from doing work today. He was going to mingle and participate in the games people were running. This was the first wedding in Broken Tusk since he arrived, and he wanted to see what traditions Zarali and Xol’sa had adopted. He made his way north at first, walking along the road and passing by one hog-roasting station. A pig on a spit rotated over an open fire, filling the air with a pleasant smoky smell and the scent of roasting meat. The half-ogres who were in charge of cooking looked up with smiles on their faces, careful to baste the pig with every turn.

There was no tradition of gift-giving they had adopted for the wedding. Instead, everyone was expected to run an event or participate. The big stuff would happen in the afternoon, pushing into night. For now it was smaller games, starting from the northernmost part of town and crawling all the way to the mine. Theo and Sarisa arrive at the quarry, finding Ziz and his expanding gang of stoneworkers ushering people to a playing field.

“There he is!” Ziz shouted, waving for Theo to approach.

Theo looked over the court. Lanes had been created with piles of gravel, including a starting point. He watched as people stood at the line, tossing large stones as far as they could. If a person got the rock over a certain point, they were given a carved stone statue, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand.

“Looks like you’re running a carnival game,” Theo said, patting Ziz on the back.

“Dunno what that is!” Ziz shouted with a laugh.

Somehow, Theo had a beer in one hand and a rock in the other.

“Give it a toss!”

Theo held his hand out, taking a swig of his beer. It was some of that rotgut stuff Ziz and his boys enjoyed so much. The alchemist didn’t toss the stone. It shot forward, skipping over a hill far in the distance and vanishing into the blue sky. “How’d I do?”

“You cheated.” Ziz frowned.

“Did I win?”

“No. Drink your beer.”

Theo stepped back, watching as people played the right way. Ziz didn’t make the game hard. It seemed like he created the game to give free statues away. They depicted various things, like wolves and half-ogres. The quality was fine, but he seemed quite proud of his work. Sarisa took her turn at tossing the rocks, having far too much fun. She was refused after winning her third trophy, resulting in a new rule. One statue per person.

The alchemist had done his best to avoid looking at the other events as he had walked to the quarry. His first stop after the quarry was Stabby Groves, where Zan’kir and Zan’sal were running a knife-throwing event along with some feats of strength. Theo watched as others tried the event, tossing knives into a log. They were given three knives and had to throw them into one of many rings on the log. The different sized rings would provide different points. The red was the smallest, barely the size of Theo’s palm.

“Care to give it a try?” Zan’kir asked, patting Theo on the back.

“I think it would be cheating.”

“Nonsense. You’re an alchemist,” Zan’kir said, clearing not on the list of people who knew about his heightened Dexterity. He handed over three knives.”

Theo took the knives, standing at the line. He cleared his throat, holding the first knife at the ready. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it dead-center on the smallest target. He gave Zan’kir a smile.

“Woah. Uh… next one, I guess?”

Two more knives flew out, slamming right beside the first.

“Guess you were cheating,” Zan’kir said with a nod. “We don’t have prizes like the other events. I’ll ask you to not come back. Thanks.”

“I want to try,” Sarisa said, rolling her shoulders. She stepped up to the line and released the first dagger. It hit a larger circle, and the next one was even closer. The last almost hit the smallest circle. “Pretty good!”

“Not bad at all. Great work,” Zan’kir said, patting her on the back.

Theo and Sarisa watched the others try for a while, somehow gaining streamers of their own. They went between events before returning to the town square. After waiting for a while, they finally caught sight of the bride and groom.

Xol’sa wore blue robes embroidered with intricate patterns made from silver thread. He had cut his hair short, wearing two ornate earrings in either ear. He only nodded and waved as he passed by Theo, parading like royalty around the town.

Zarali looked even better, wearing a dress that swept the ground everywhere she went. It was made of black and dark purple silk, hanging from her shoulders with chains of silver holding it in place. She let her hair loose, although it had been straightened and pinned with several purple butterfly pins. Where she walked was left a glittering trail of stars. Which was likely an enchantment placed by Xol’sa.

Theo waved like an idiot as they passed, following them south on their parade through town. Perhaps it was best to be seen taking part in the events. He didn’t want to give the wrong impression about his support. They did several laps around the town before settling in at the square around midday. Tables were arranged—organized by Alise—and the married couple sat to talk to those in attendance. There was no ceremony for them to be married. Not in the local tradition, anyway. All they needed to do was claim to be married, and it was done.

“This is much easier than Earth marriages,” Theo said, elbowing Rowan.

“Seems pretty hard to me. Look at all that stuff.” Rowan gestured to the plates being served on the many tables. While it wasn’t time to eat the hogs, Xam had created platters of dried meats and cheeses to keep everyone satisfied until the main course.

After some snacking and general mingling, Miana called the throng to order. The town wasn’t just packed with locals, but people from Rivers, Gronro, and Qavell. Who didn’t like a carnival?

“As is tradition, we’re gonna have a fight!” Miana shouted. “Xol’sa versus Zarali!”

The crowd cheered. Half-ogres loved a good fight. That apparently extended to recently married couples.

“Xol’sa, who do you pick as your champion?” Miana asked.

Theo felt the color drain from his face. He watched the crowd react before they should have. They all turned to him, cheering with excitement. “Damn.”

“Theo Spencer,” Xol’sa said, gesturing to the alchemist. The crowd reacted just like his advanced Wisdom predicted.

“Zarali, who do you pick as your champion?” Mian asked once again.

Theo watched as a familiar face strode from the crowd. He groaned, shaking his head. Fenian was on some super secret mission. When had the bastard returned?

“Fenian Feintleaf!” Zarali shouted. The crowd reacted as expected.

Theo walked over, glowering at Xol’sa as he stood in a circle created by the crowd. “I thought you went to Tarantham.”

“Oh, I couldn’t miss this,” Fenian said, almost giggling with excitement. “A battle with another holder of a throne. All for fun, of course.”

“As is tradition, the marriage battle will restrict the combatants. You may not use abilities, skills, items, weapons, or any other nonsense. Sulvan is on hand to heal you if you should become injured.” Miana’s voice echoed through the cheers of the crowd, somehow cutting through them.

“I think we’ll need a bigger battlefield,” Fenian said, raising his finger and smiling. “I wouldn’t want to destroy this lovely town.”

“If the crowd would proceed to the fields outside of the harbor gate, we can begin,” Miana said, clapping her hands.

Theo walked with Fenian over the road, nudging him with his shoulder. “I might give you some trouble this time.”

“Do you think so? What level are you?”

“Thirty.”

“I’ll be fine,” Fenian said, waving him away. “Even without my swords, you don’t stand a chance.”

Theo was mortified when his name was first called. But his effective level had grown. For all the good things Fenian had done for the town, he was still eager to give him a good thrashing. Perhaps this was the perfect way to get that aggression out of his body.

“So what does the winner get?” Theo asked.

“No idea. I was told there would be a fight, so here I am.”

The crowd assembled on one side of the river as Theo and Fenian were led to the other. The rules were stated a few more times before the fight would begin. Theo allowed his future-prediction senses to reach as far as they wanted to go. He watched Fenian lunge at him, fist coiled, over thirty seconds before he actually moved. Like scrubbing through a video, he searched that fated timeline, his intent influencing what he saw. Ducking at the last moment and driving up with his fist would send the elf tumbling back, giving him time for a counter-attack.

“Begin!” Miana shouted.

Theo’s absurd Dexterity had him falling into a crouch faster than should have been possible. He jabbed upward, landing a hit to Fenian’s gut that sent him reeling back with wide eyes. Half of the crowd gasped, while the other cheered.

Fenian coughed into his hands, tilting his head to the side. “Oh, you sneaky little devil.”

“Come on, Mister Feintleaf,” Theo said, raising his fists to protect his face. Just like the good old days. Yuri would be proud. “Show me what you got.”

Fenian launched into a series of attacks. Swift jabs and hooks sought to defeat his defenses. Theo felt the strikes deep in his bones, relying on his high Vigor to see him through. Even if Fenian put all his points into any attribute, he couldn’t overcome the cheat the alchemist had pulled. Ducking to the side—watching as Fenian reacted in the future—he connected with the elf’s jaw.

“Rip his head off!” Tresk shouted from the crowd.

“Just how fast are you?” Fenian laughed, rolling his shoulders and assuming a more relaxed posture.

Theo watched Fenian turn to the left side in the future, bringing his guard up. The alchemist feinted, going to the right instead. The elf slid across the ground, tumbling far into the distance and leaving a trail of dust.

“Okay!” Fenian shouted, standing to his feet and dusting himself off. “I’m done going easy! Is that okay!?”

“You may fight as hard as you like,” Miana shouted back. “Just don’t kill each other.”

Fenian crouched on the spot. The earth beneath his feet cracked as a plume of dirt and stones shot into the air. Theo could barely register how fast he was going, his raw speed almost overcoming the predictive powers of 342 Wisdom. The alchemist blocked a shot that sent a shockwave of force radiating out. He answered with a kick to the knee, and got a knee to the chest in return. A rib cracked somewhere, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop the Tara’hek Union skill from bleeding into his body. Theo drew more attributes from Tresk.

An exchange of blows thundered over the landscape. Each time Fenian landed a strike, he would miss five, giving Theo time to counter. The intensity of the fight increased as the pair dashed across the landscape. The crowd was going completely insane by this point, some rushing over the bridge to witness the clash. Theo watched as another series of blows came straight for him, only to move out of the way. It became a battle of attrition, lasting for an hour at a complete stalemate.

“My sweet alchemist!” Fenian shouted about twenty paces distant. “You used to be so innocent. What’s that fighting style called?”

“Boxing? I guess,” Theo said, taking a deep breath. “This is what they taught us on Earth.”

“Perhaps you can give me some pointers,” Fenian said. Theo watched him cheat in the future. Well, he withdrew his weapons but didn’t act. “Why don’t we test exactly how strong you are?”

Twin rapiers appeared in Fenian’s hands. Theo pulled a Dragon’s Breath Potion from his inventory, ready to use it well before the elf acted.

“We have a draw!” Miana shouted from afar. The crowd went wilder. If that was even possible.

“Bah. Another time, perhaps.” Fenian placed his weapons back in storage. Theo did the same, watching as his opponent sauntered over with all the grace he could muster. He limped over the last few steps. “I think you broke something.”

Theo smiled, his teeth stained with red. “Yeah, most of my ribs are done.”

Fenian placed his arm around Theo’s shoulder, pulling him close. “You little potion-exploiter, you. You’ll have to show me how to do it.”

“It’s a one-time thing,” Theo said, walking with Fenian as though they hadn’t just beaten each other. He was right, though. It made him feel slightly better. “So, where have you been?”

“Well, I went to kill Kuzan, but he wasn’t home.” Fenian hummed to himself, limping along as he waved to the crowds. “Drove my carriage right into the royal palace and everything. What a waste.”

“That sucks, man.”

“Indeed, it does. He won’t act until the man he’s after appears. Still lost in the queue, that one.”

“Who is he looking for?”

Fenian waved to the crowd, bowing as the people cheered some more. He flashed that smile everyone seemed to swoon over. “A hero from another world. Someone who united others against him way-back-when. Those were the days.”

“How long ago was this?”

Fenian winked. “Your godly friends might reveal too much information, but I won’t. You’ll never get me to talk. Not even if you pour ten mugs of mead down my throat. Please don’t do it.”

“I’ll figure it out. Along with your real name,” Theo said with his own wink. He didn’t feel as sly as the elf when he did it.

“How high was that wisdom?” Fenian asked.

“342.”

“Ah. I should mind what I say.” Fenian winced as Sulvan healed his wounds. “My given name starts with an ‘i’. I’ll give you that much.”

“Ienian,” Theo said. “Or Ian. That’s all I got.”

Fenian slapped Theo on the back. Perhaps a little too hard. “That’s the spirit! Now let’s drink until we can’t see. Then we’ll drink some more!”

Chapter 51

Can We Go To Bed?

Theo had never seen such a large array of kegs, casks, and bottles in his life. Someone—likely Alise—had imported enough booze to burn the town to the ground. Not that the drinks themselves would destroy the town, but the temperment of half-ogres after consuming them. He watched as Tresk danced to the music coming from a wooden stage, sipping on sweet mead and taking in the sights. The poor marshling still couldn’t dance, but she certainly tried her best.

“What’s wrong with your goose?” Fenian asked. He had his feet kicked up, head lolling back as he watched the festivities with a dizzy expression.

“She wants to be a dragon,” Theo said with a shrug. “Who am I to stop her?”

“You’re so coy. The locals might not catch on, but I know a familiar doesn’t spontaneously evolve.”

“I like how you call me coy while being coy,” Theo said, taking another sip. “Interesting.”

“Bah. You’re so hard to deal with. Where did she get the dragon’s bones and can I have some?”

Theo smiled to himself. Fenian always pretended as though he was clueless. But the man had a handle on almost everything. The alchemist would only be surprised if he didn’t know something. “Tell me why you want them. My intuition says you want to inspect the item to learn the dragon’s name.”

“I like the stupid version of you better.”

“Why would you care about the dragon’s name?”

Fenian sighed. “An interest in history.”

“Why would you care about history? Just a passing fancy?”

“An obsession,” Fenian corrected.  “I need to know what happened before my time.”

Fenian had an interesting way to phrase things. ‘Before my time’ was oddly specific, even for him. From what Theo could gather, Fenian had been operating for at least 100 years. He suspected the elf’s wife died at that time, meaning they lived a meaningful life before that. But where his story started before that catalyst of a moment was still unknown.

“I suppose most people don’t know about the dragon ascendants,” Theo started, watching the slight twitch on Fenian’s face. “But I guess you do.”

“Which one was it?” Fenian asked.

Theo smiled to himself. “Quindalias.”

Fenian withdrew a notebook, writing the name down. Theo wasn’t surprised that he couldn’t read the words on the page. It wasn’t just in another language, but some enchantment prevented anyone but the elf from reading it.

“It doesn’t say which Dragon Aspect she was, does it?”

Theo withdrew a small chunk of the bone. He withdrew his hand when Fenian grasped for it. “We’re working on being honest, aren’t we?”

“That goes both ways,” Fenian said, hiccuping.

Theo handed the bone over, reclining on the bench. “I might as well hand a sample over before I turn the others into a potion. For now, I want them locked up in dimensional spaces. Anyone with a brain knows what you did with Balkor’s bone.”

Fenian laughed, shaking his head. “They used to say if you had a piece of divinity, you could attain it yourself. A pass to the old heavens, perhaps.”

“Was that true?”

“No. Making a pact with an ascendant was the best way to get up there. The bones of a fallen ascendant are only good for influencing the world with their power. Like an invisible well gushing aligned water.”

“So, you poisoned the land to get at Karasan,” Theo said, pursing his lips. Perhaps another person would see Fenian in chains—or worse—for such a thing. But the elf was calculating. He was vengeful, but there were always many parts to his schemes. “Explain that to me. Justify yourself.”

Fenian smiled, draining his glass and getting another. He held his mug up, toasting. “Balkor’s Betrayal. More like Balkor’s Gambit. Descending to the mortal plane was a way for him to seed his bones, revealing the Thrones of Power. I wasn’t part of the plan to start, but found a niche to fill. Karasan was being controlled, and would have destroyed your alliance.”

“You had to unleash an undead plague to stop him?” Theo asked.

“I’m just one elf. Balkor’s realm was part of my plan. The only way to get there was to awaken it. I intended to die in that realm, you know. Once I got my revenge, I thought the thirst would end. But it didn’t. I used my wife’s anti-mage cores to do it, you know? Could you imagine?”

Theo’s face darkened, his face fixed in a grimace. “I can’t imagine that.”

“Bleeding the energy from the bones was the only way I could find to destroy the shadow of Balkor on the mortal realm.”

“Yet you let the last piece get away.”

Fenian shook his head. “An oversight. One I’ve been trying to fix.”

“I’m trying to justify what you did in my mind. If a bomb were going to explode, I’m not sure if I’d have the will to bring it to the doorstep of my enemy.”

“You’re looking at it the wrong way,” Fenian said. He stopped to drain another cup. “I reduced the power of the bomb before setting it off. Were innocent people truly harmed? I think not. They have all reincarnated, haven’t they?”

“Did you know they would come back?”

“Not for certain,” Fenian admitted. He sighed. “Are you trying to convince me of my sins, or absolve yourself of yours?”

Theo shook his head. He didn’t enjoy being read so openly. “Absolution, I think. I don’t think we can judge anyone for what they’re doing right now. This world is so messed up, with so many things to fix. People like Balkor were trying what they knew to fix it, then you had to come along and clean up the mess. I want a world where there are no messes to clean up. Where the system works as it was intended.”

“That’s right. You’re the new Guardian of the Shard, aren’t you?” Fenian asked with a laugh.

“That appears to be the case.”

“Oh! Come with me, dear alchemist,” Fenian said, clapping with excitement. He stopped half-way before getting up from his chair. “Have you forgiven me? Are we best friends again?”

“You were never on trial,” Theo said, standing and stretching. “You were right. I was just trying to justify my old life.”

“Begone with your old life. That’s long-dead.” Fenian grabbed Theo by the arm, dragging him toward the celebrations.

Both Zarali and Xol’sa were performing a slow dance. They were in the center of a ring of people. Some had hands clasped over their hearts while others were cheering and hooting. All assembled were slightly more influenced by the many libations than they should have been. Fenian grabbed Theo’s arm, pressing his head against the alchemist and cooing at the couple. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remove the elf.

When the dance was over, and the crowd rushed into the space, Fenian whistled. Everyone—including the band—stopped.

“What an excellent celebration!” Fenian shouted, holding his hands high to further gain the crowd’s attention. “Not only are we here today to get piss drunk…” He paused for cheers. “But also to celebrate the joining of two hearts. The finest elven artisans have joined their efforts to create a monument to this moment. I’d like to present a special gift to the newly married couple.”

Theo watched future events unfold long before they actually did. He groaned.

A statue appeared from Fenian’s inventory, falling into place on the ground and settling there. Laughter came next, followed by a splash of pink spreading across Xol’sa’s cheeks. Zarali barked a laugh, clapping her hand over it an instant later.

“Behold!” Fenian shouted. “A masterpiece.”

The statue was cast in what looked like bronze, sitting on a silver platform. Two figures were depicted, twice the size of their real-world counterparts. A version of Zarali stood, holding an ornate sword aloft. She wore almost nothing, clad in tattered armor with her hair billowing in the wind. Theo didn’t remember her being so absurdly muscular, but the statue depicted her as such. Xol’sa had both hands wrapped around her leg, sitting at the base of the statue. His statue version looked up to her with an expression of reverence to her… muscles.

Fenian scampered off, shoving the couple forward to get a better look at the statue. “I think we captured you both perfectly.”

“Are you certain?” Zarali asked with a wince. “Why does he look so… scared?”

“That’s not fear, darling,” Fenian said. “Our resident space elf is experiencing awe at your majesty.”

“I like it,” Xol’sa said, nodding as he gazed up at the barbarian version of his wife. 

“I’m afraid,” Theo said.

“I want one!” Tresk shouted.

“Funny you should ask,” Fenian said, motioning as though to pull another statue from nowhere. He shrugged. “Just kidding, Theo. I know your chaste heart would burst if you saw a giant, muscular marshling up there.”

“This certainly is something,” Theo said, trying not to laugh. “I’m not sure you gave the artist an accurate description, though.”

“Come, now,” Fenian said, looking between the statue and real versions of the wedded couple. “I can’t tell the difference!”

“I need more wine,” Zarali said, turning and breaking away from the group.

After the reveal of the statue, the music continued. The dancing and drinking resumed as Theo found his way to the back of the crowd. Fenian was done with their conversation, although it was hard to tell if the elf’s plan was to gain forgiveness, a piece of a dragon, or something else. Whatever the case, he had made an interesting impression on the celebration, cementing himself as something else entirely.

Although the sun had fallen, and a few people had broken off from the party, the games, fights, and drinking went on well into the night. Theo would have gone to bed hours ago, but Tresk was insistent on continuing the celebration. He didn’t mind, as he was mostly relieved about what the wedding party was. And he was shocked to see only minor damage had been inflicted onto the town. A few windows were broken from friendly fights, but that was it. Sulvan had a night off after healing Theo and Fenian.

Not only was today important because of the wedding. But it was the first day of the Season of Death. Not that Broken Tusk would experience much of autumn. They were far south enough as to almost be tropical. Where Qavell had been in a temperate climate, the southlands had always been hot. Theo hoped for the weather to calm down. If only a little. He wasn’t confident about crafting enough fuel for the town’s air conditioners with his new alchemy system. Perhaps they could cool the important buildings, but no more.

Theo watched as an improvised bonfire blazed near the town’s monolith. Most of the band that had been playing were passed out, only the drummer still beating a steady rhythm. Tresk danced arm-in-arm with a random elf. A scattering of other people stood around, half-heartedly swaying with the slowing beat. The alchemist sipped his mead, never having drank enough to feel much. This seemed like a decent end to a strange time. He hadn’t yet fixed the space elves or the shards, but he had a path forward. With such a strange issue, he couldn’t expect more than that.

“I’m sleepy,” Tresk said, shuffling over to sit near Theo. “You just gonna sit all night?”

Theo gestured to the thinning crowd. It must have been past midnight. “With such a lively crowd, I’d rather just watch.”

“Good one. Eavesdropped on you talking with Fenian. You giving my dragon bones away?”

“He really enjoyed the piece I gave him. Sometimes you just have to give the man a bone to chew on. Y’know?”

“I most certainly do not.” Tresk slumped forward. “Can we go to bed?”

“Yeah,” Theo said. He helped Tresk stand as he did. Alex had already returned to her comfortable barn. Zarali and Xol’sa retreated to the tower hours ago. There wasn’t much left to enjoy here. The pair headed for the manor.

Xol’sa was responsible for creating the tethers and beacons Theo would need to bring the shards back. It might be hard placing them throughout the world, but that was a problem for another time. So long as the space elf wasn’t busy with his marital duties, it wouldn’t take that long to finish.

Theo and Tresk returned to the manor, finding it silent. Sarisa and Rowan were already asleep. Just like most of the town. They made their way to the top floor bedroom, falling into what thin amount of the Dreamwalk was left. The moment they entered, all sense of tiredness washed away. A phantom scene of the party they had just attended appeared, revelers fighting through the streets and draining entire kegs into their opened mouths. This was a fond memory for Tresk… apparently.

Alex came flapping in from the sky, stirring up the dirt over the cobbles. She landed, the ground shaking beneath her.

“What’s your plan for the night, buddy?” Tresk asked.

Theo clicked his tongue, shrugging. “I’m not sure I’ll do much. Until Throk makes the next iteration of my stills, I’m just waiting.”

“Wanna spy on some dreams?” Tresk asked, wiggling her eyebrows. Well, she didn’t have eyebrows, but she tried.

Theo shrugged. “Why not? Nothing creepy.”

“All I’ve got is creepy,” Tresk said, waving her hand through the air. Nothing happened immediately, but the scene shifted in time. They stood at the base of a ziggurat, an elven man Theo recognized as a colonist from the Wavecrest House standing near the bottom. Snakes were hissing from the steps. “This guy always dreams about the snakes. No idea what his deal is.”

“So, what value does this power from the Dreamer’s Core have?” Theo asked. “Spying on dreams is interesting, but how is it helpful for you? As the Dreamer?”

“When we’re trapped in heaven, I can go between dreams and deliver messages,” Tresk said. “It is a foolproof way to communicate with the mortal realm without being slapped by the gods.”

“Who are you people?” the elf said, turning and looking at the group with horror. “Archduke Theo… No, I swear I filled my production quota. Don’t beat me again!”

“I never beat him,” Theo said.

“Sounds like you beat him, though,” Tresk said, shaking her head.

The elven man cowered, holding his hands up defensively. “Not again!”

“How are you going to talk to them if they’re all like this?” Theo asked. “He isn’t making sense.”

“He makes a lot of sense if you think about it. You abuser.”

“I’ve never hit this man,” Theo said, folding his arms. “I would have remembered it.”

The man screamed.

“Let’s get out of here,” Tresk said, scoffing. “I’d rather not think about the obvious history of abuse you’ve laid, like the foundation to your own downfall. This is how you make a revolution, you know?”

Theo glared at Tresk. “Take us somewhere more interesting.”

Tresk laughed, the scene shifting again. “We’re just gonna snoop. Do a little snooping.”

Theo braced himself to view more weird dreams. At least it was an interesting distraction.