The Newt and Demon - Book 8 Chapters 82,83,84

Chapter 82

Distractions

Tresk wiped her brow as she walked through the streets of Broken Tusk. Some might not have noticed it, but the air had changed significantly. All her cores had been disabled except for her Dreamer’s core. From what she understood, Fenian had used his advanced Celestial Cultivation to his advantage. After starting the reforging process, the system decided that was the perfect time to lock everyone’s system in the sector. Didn’t seem to phase the elf, since he just went on slaughtering all those pale elves that had poured from those portals.

Tresk shook her head, locking those memories away. She had moved Theo to the manor, tucking him into bed. Hell, she even sent Alex with him into the Dreamwalk to keep him company. But the moment the memories of Fenian came back to her, he could see the discomfort on her companion’s face. Everything was fine, though. The super scary dragons he brought back, the world-shaking power he now had, and even the alchemist’s dead wife…

Theo shook again, and Tresk got a tighter lock on her thoughts.

“Stop thinking about… Yep, gotta go get distracted,” Tresk muttered. “You got this?”

“Not really,” Luras muttered.

“Good job, buddy.” Tresk patted the big man on the butt. He was too tall, but seemed unaffected by the HR nightmare. “I’ve gotta do some tweaks.”

Luras grunted.

Tresk cracked her knuckles. She might’ve cast the Reforge Many spell with little issue, but there were some nuances she didn’t really understand. Theo had a backup plan nestled in that dome of his, so it would be a problem. As long as she went from person to person, giving them a specific dose of that same magical energy. There was no way to figure out where to start, so she simply headed out onto the street and got to work on everyone.

Most people in Broken Tusk were making their way back to the arena. Theo had, after all, promised more games once they had arrived on the other side. Even if the reforging process was painful, everyone was excited for some more games. Working on the people was easy enough. The alchemist had created a pretty easy mental checklist based on too much or too little reforging energy. His plan was to give everyone the perfect dose, because he was lazy. Some hard work wouldn’t kill Tresk, though, so she just got to it.

“Nice to meet’cha,” Tresk said, shaking a human’s hand as she zapped him with reforging power. “Yeah, that looks like it hurts.”

“How ya doing?” Tresk asked, slapping an ogre on the butt. She was on a roll with the loud clapping sounds she was getting today. A moment later, the ogre was holding its chest as though it were on fire. “Walk it off.”

At first, there seemed to be no end of the issues people were having. Siphoning the reforging energy off was a big pain in the ass. She worked for a few hours, following everyone as they went to the arena. Good thing Alise had her head on her shoulders, though. She had organized some simple games to keep everyone entertained while the administrators figured out exactly what was going on. Truth was, everyone was taking this really well. Maybe too well.

Maybe they were just too hungover to care…

The games were actually pretty interesting. Tresk used some borrowed aura from Theo, scanning everyone to make sure they were reforged correctly as she watched the games. With systems being disabled, people were less strong. Yeah, they still had the effects of their attributes, but they didn’t have access to any abilities, skills, or spells. That made for some extremely interesting fights… even if the weapons were cloth-padded wooden weapons. Tresk eventually settled into the commentator box, finding most of the administration team there.

“How is it?” Tresk asked, scratching her head. “Are we doing good? I’m kinda confused.”

Alise nodded. She looked tired, but was holding on. “It happened so quickly, I don’t blame you. Stocks of food made it. Most magical items aren’t working, all the seed core stuff is suspended, Throk’s artifices aren’t functional… But Aarok is organizing everyone to stabilize the edges of the island. Early reports, which have to be carried by hand, are good.”

Tresk tapped her chin. “Well, where the hell is Belgar?”

“Are we expecting him?”

Tresk shrugged. “I thought Theo had worked something out with him!”

“Perhaps you could make yourself useful and figure that part out.” Alise sighed. “All our food came over, and the Dimensional Storage is still working. But it isn’t infinite, and once these people understand they’re trapped, we’re going to have a big problem.”

“Still, Theo brought a lot of land…”

“To the edge of Gronro,” Alise confirmed. “How he did it is beyond me. And he shaped his aura to do so… Seriously have to question how that guy does half of what he does. Anyway, make yourself useful. See if you can get us off this rock.”

Tresk nodded, reaching out to the void to use Theo’s folding technique. But it wasn’t there for her to grab. With a frown, she tried again, and still nothing. “No more fast-travel, I guess. Looks like the system is in full lockdown mode.”

“Well, you better get running,” Alise said with a laugh. “How long is that going to be entertaining?”

Tresk nodded, heading off without another word. Without her class-based shadow teleportation or the void folding technique, she had to run. According to Theo’s memories, he kept most of the swamp, including the mountains to the south to keep everything mostly together. Relying only on her absurd level of Celestial Cultivation, Tresk dashed toward the coast. The sea was completely gone, revealing the seafloor and stranded boats stuck in the mud. Ignoring that, she went a bit further, heading to the southeast until she found the edge.

“That’s a fall,” Tresk said, swallowing nervously.

Maybe she could survive the drop. Maybe not. But she didn’t have to think about death-defying leaps for much longer. Lurching with a rocky motion, a boat appeared. A flying boat, containing none other than Belgar with a broad grin on his face. The airship didn’t look worthy of flying, but it came up all the same. Tresk placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head as the demon made a dangerous landing in the mud. He jumped from the railing, landing with a bit too much grace.

“Huzzah!” Belgar shouted, pumping his fist in the air. “The madman actually did it!”

“Damn, so did you. Airships? Really?” Tresk asked.

“Well, this is something of an experiment. We have bigger ones, but they’re going to take some more work to complete,” Belgar admitted. “We have a few people that developed powerful systems, and they’re all working together to get transport projects done. The Gates are still functional, even with the reset going on.”

So there were some things immune to the reset, such as the Middle Realms. Tresk breathed a sigh of relief. That meant the heavens were still going strong, which had been a big concern from the start. Defending against outside gods was a problem, and she wasn’t sure how much the reset would affect.

After a few long moments of silence, Belgar spoke. “So… wanna go for a ride?”

“Duh.”

Tresk jumped into the boat. It was about thirty feet long, and had been made by someone who created boats when they were alive. Since it was designed far too much like a boat and not an airship, she figured they had just gone with what they knew. The airship rose into the air, slowly at first. It lurched, whatever artifice machinery making it go humming to life as more power was given to levitation artifices. Then they were off, zipping over the new landscape of Broken Tusk and what was left of the Southlands Alliance.

Belgar gave a tour of the area, skimming the landmass’s edge to take in all the new details. Theo had done a great job carving out all the important parts, including a bit of Gronro. It wasn’t a lot, but it was good enough for now. The airship slowed near the northernmost part of the island about an hour later where they hovered.

“This is actually very stable,” Tresk said with a laugh. “Your boys really outdid themselves.”

Belgar bowed his head. “We’re just doing whatever we can. Let’s take her back over the arena. You said the locals might be concerned about leaving?”

Tresk nodded, and they were off.

The airship did a tight tour around the arena, giving everyone a good look at what they had to look forward to. Without instant communication, Tresk just had to assume that Alise got the message before they departed. Belgar and his crew flew them down to Boar Hollow, which had changed slightly since the last time she had seen it. It wasn’t just that they were building “slightly larger” airships. They were building massive ones made from timber. They were so large that gigantic supports had been erected to keep them in place.

“How many of the big ones?” Tresk asked.

“We have two of the big ones, and about thirty of the skiffs in production,” Belgar said. “Everyone came together to get this started.”

“Well, I know a marshling up on the island that might be interested in helping. Even if my dad can’t use his class, he knows a lot about this crap.”

“Of course!” Belgar said, chuckling. He cleared his throat, giving her a more serious look. “But first, would you like something to eat?”

Tresk patted her belly. “Yeah, I’m starving.”

***

Death hadn’t expected to perform the Procession. Of all his plans, this was the most far-fetched one. But as his fingers curled around the hand of the woman he loved, he could only feel contentment. When Fenian had emerged from Death’s Gate, he thought that was the end. The elf had moved with the power of a god. A real one. In his footsteps, destruction followed. When Fenian seized him by the throat, crushing his windpipe and shattering some of his spine, he was certain that was it.

“What troubles you, my dear?” the Lady asked.

Death laughed to himself, absently rubbing his throat. “Our bargain. I never thought I’d see it through.”

“Oh, you have such little faith in me!” the Lady said, her voice filled with mirth and confidence. “From the moment we met, I knew you would do great things. Imprisoned as you were, I knew you had the resolve to see our plan through. We now walk hand-in-hand, the Lady of Light and the Lord of Death. Igse and Inte, Antalis and Telbaris. Yin, Yang… Whatever you want to call it.”

Death looked over his shoulder. He saw the beast riddled with chains, drawing behind it a carriage of brilliant silver and white. He saw the lumpen skin of that beast and the perfect paneling of the carriage. They were two completely different things, yet they had been bound for one purpose. Within the Carriage of Light and Death rode the souls of the dead. The new Procession of Light and Dark represented the cycle of life and rebirth. From the start of Death’s Road, they set out with new cargo. The end of their journey was Death’s Gate, where those souls awaited judgement.

In the old system, the weight of a soul was one god’s decision. Now it fell into the hands of two. Igse and Inte. Antalis and Telbaris. The weighty crown of determination, too heavy for one head, now fell onto two. A perfect balance where the fate of a soul could be determined without bias.

“There is the matter of Balkor to consider,” Death admitted. “His soul slipped free from the sector. In the exact moment you manifested yourself.”

“Hah! Tricky little imp.” The Lady laughed politely. “Oh, please tell me another story about him. Your time here must’ve been so trying, and you’ve done so well to keep yourself together. What do you remember of Balkor?”

Death cleared his throat, his grip tightening on the Lady’s hand. “Balkor was a selfless man. He loved the undead because only he understood what they were. Not wraiths or ghouls, serving only their master. He understood those that were afflicted with the condition and gave them a home. More than anyone, he understands those who straddle the barrier between light and dark.”

“Igse and Inte. Antalis and Telbaris,” the Lady nodded with approval. “More tales, please. I’d like to hear what you’ve been doing for the past 60,000 years.”

“Where to start…”

Chapter 83

The Gods Aren’t Talking

It took Theo a while to wake up and when he did, something was missing. His dreams had been strange, and it took him a long time to realize it was because he was dreaming inside the Dreamwalk. His constant companion was Alex, who had assumed the form of a gosling and never left his side since the start. When he awoke, he did so with a start. His body was covered in sweat and he felt a deep hole in his chest.

He had been wrong.

Moving the island to Tero’gal had taken from him more than he had to give. He felt it in his aura. A piece of his soul had been torn away, removing from him something he had worked so hard to build. Perhaps that was better, though. It fell in line with what the reset represented. And without sacrifice, could he truly claim he had done everything he could in his position as the Dreamwalker?

Most concerning of all was his connection with the void. It had evaporated into nothing, making him feel more disconnected than ever. His chest ached, head pounded, and all his joints were generally sore. But when he finally pushed himself into a seated position, he felt more content than he had in quite a long time. It had taken a long time to awaken, and getting to his feet was just as difficult. Theo took unsteady steps at first, eventually finding a broom handle to steady himself. The stairs were the worst. The alchemist clutched the railing, taking them one at a time, eventually working his way to the front door of the manor.

Opening the door, Theo was greeted with brilliant light from the sky above, and cool winds blowing over Broken Tusk. He spotted a group of people chatting in the distance, instantly recognizing Alise and her team of administrators. As the alchemist hobbled over, he caught her attention. The woman’s eyes went wide and she rushed over, barking reproachful words at him.

“You need to be in bed!” she shouted, supporting as much weight as she could. “Someone go grab an ogre!”

The administrators scattered, and Alise looked up at Theo with a concerned expression.

“I’m fine,” he said. He wasn’t fine, of course. Everything hurt. “Just wanna see my town.”

Alise scoffed. “That’s no excuse for pushing yourself like this.” She looked over her shoulder, finding Bilgrob, of all people, thundering over. “Bilgrob, can you hoist this idiot into your loving embrace?”

A crooked smile spread across the ogre’s face. Before Theo could say anything, he was locked in a princess carry he had no hope of escaping. “I got you, little friend.”

“I’d rather die than endure this humiliation,” Theo grumbled.

“Two options.” Alise held up two fingers. “I know you’re stubborn. Too stubborn to realize you should be in bed. So, you can go to bed, or Bilgrob can carry you around like a doll. Which option do you pick?”

Theo looked up at Bilgrob with a wince of pain. “I guess I’m taking the Ogre Express…”

“Good. You’ve been out for about a week.” Alise gave him an even sterner look. “Did you forget about my wedding?”

“It might’ve slipped my mind.”

“Good. We’re planning that right now. Decorations, flowers, all that fun stuff.” Alise pushed some hair from her face that had been matted down by sweat. It didn’t seem like she had time to breathe, let alone take care of herself. “The airships are running decently, and we’ve seen a migration out of the Alliance. By the way, we need a new name for it, since we’re no longer in the Southlands.”

“Right… We’ll have to name a lot of things, I think.” Theo let out a sigh, feeling some pain still in his ribs. “The new system hasn’t established itself, yet?”

“Not as far as we know. But communication isn’t easy. We’re basically isolated to the region, but Belgar is collecting all the information he can with his network.” Alise let out a heavy sigh. “Don’t worry about that stuff right now. I’m sure you want to see your work… Bilgrob, could you take him for a walk?”

“Certainly,” Bilgrob said, ignoring Theo’s protests. “I shall bear the weight of the infirmed.”

Theo couldn’t deny how much he wanted to explore their new world. He had to come to terms with the idea that his body wouldn’t allow him to do so, meaning he had to deal with being carried around by the ogre. One thing he wouldn’t say was how worried he was about Fenian. What little he could glean from Tresk’s memories, she was clearly guarding her thoughts, the elf had gone apeshit. World-shaking, planet-destroying, absolutely batshit insane, powerful. What happened to him after the battle on Iaredin was anyone’s guess. With communication basically gone, they wouldn’t know for quite some time.

“So, you decided to stay?” Theo asked.

Bilgrob laughed. The big ogre was carrying him toward the harbor, which had been completely drained of water. Resting in the muddy bottom were several ships, the crews of which were either doing their best to salvage the wrecks, or had otherwise abandoned them. The ogre came to a stop near the stone edge, allowing Theo to walk on his own, even if that was under his support.

“Where else would I go?” Bilgrob asked. “Lots of work to do here. Plenty of people to help, even if I don’t have my powers.”

“I should’ve considered the water situation.” Theo laughed, shaking his head. Even that small action had him swaying. He was glad that the ogre wanted to stay, and had to wonder what kind of loyalty he held for Broken Tusk and her people. “Lots of work to do, huh? Are the gods still around?”

Bilgrob nodded. “They are. I’m trying to become a Follower of Hallow, but the gods aren’t talking anymore.”

It was faint but Theo could feel it. A proper Seal of Passage had been put in place. The system finally fixed some problems with the sector’s system, and he hoped the other facets were functional. But his connection to his Dreamwalker’s Core was weird, coming to him as a faint waft of what it once was, rather than a torrent. The change had been so sudden, even if he had been out for a week or whatever. That was hardly enough time to adjust to such a change.

“We can fix the water stuff later,” Bilgrob said.

“Well, what the hell can we fix right now?” Theo asked.

Bilgrob’s substantial hand fell on Theo’s shoulder. “That’s your problem. There’s nothing to fix. This new land is forming. Fonts of water magic are forming upriver. People are coming and going via the airships. As hard as this might be for you, there’s nothing for you to fix. The only thing you can do is get ready for the wedding. Pick some flowers. Help Alise and Nira select the venue. Rest, Theo.”

Blowing out a heavy breath, Theo felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. The rush up until the reset had been constant. Hell, it had been constant since he arrived in Broken Tusk. Gazing off into the empty harbor, the sick feeling in the alchemist’s stomach finally faded.

“Are the trams working?”

“Nope.”

The alchemist released another sigh. “Interested in carrying me to tour the island?”

“Carry you?” Bilgrob snorted. “We’ll take a skiff.”

To Theo’s surprise, a “skiff” meant a tiny airship. He didn’t have a single clue how Belgar had mastered the technology that had been out of his reach for so long, but a small boat-shaped airship was waiting for them back in Broken Tusk. Apparently, Tresk and Alex were busy somewhere. The connection of the Tara’hek had not been destroyed, but the abilities associated with it were gone. No more easy communication.

When the airship, piloted by a Drogramathi Dronon Theo didn’t recognize, finally took off, it was wobbly. Theo sat, holding on for dear life as they ascended through the clouds. Below him, even before they reached their maximum height, he saw the sprawling landscape of the new floating island nation. Sure enough, a small creek was forming to the north, where the once-mighty river split Rivers and Daub in half.

“Take us down,” Theo said, gesturing toward Rivers. Another skiff was taking off from the town, zipping eastward. “Softly, please.”

The skiff landed outside of the walls. By the time Theo disembarked, Bilgrob hoisted him up into his arms again. As humiliating as it was, seeing Rivers and Daub again was amazing. Since the last time he had given the town a good tour, there had been many improvements. Not just improvements focused on dismantling the Mercantile Chair system, but the quality of the buildings. The best thing of all was how many people were there, just going about their day as though nothing had happened.

“Harvest is looking good,” one passing human farmer said, elbowing his companion with a broad smile.

“Slow growing stuff now,” the other sighed. “Patience required…”

“I don’t really give a karatan’s ass who runs the place.” A passing elf, black haired with sharp features, said. “As long as I get to hunt the land and sell game meat, I’m happy.”

Theo took his time eavesdropping. The people in Rivers and Daub were hopeful, and very happy with their new lives. This new pace of things was agreeable to them, and the near-infinite amount of food meant no one was going hungry. Maybe they had only prepared for the arena games, but the stocks they had accumulated were absolutely vast.

“Archduke Spencer!” Alran Cherman’s voice called out from afar. The portly man came rushing down the road, his cheeks flushed red. “Thought you’d never awaken!” After he caught his breath, he pointed at Bilgrob. “Shame you’re exploiting Noble Bilgrob’s kindness this way.”

“I offer my services happily,” Bilgrob said, bowing his head. “Good to see you well, Alran.”

“Everyone is happy,” Theo said with a laugh. “How is Gronro doing?”

“Fine, just fine.” Alran dabbed his forehead. “You saved quite a lot of their area. Impressive as that is, the dwarves wanted more.”

Theo laughed, breaking into a coughing fit. His chest burned and his stomach soured. “Ugh. Do you think the items in my inventory will be there when I get my system back?”

“Not likely.” Alran shrugged. “Well, don’t count on it anyway. Anyway, who cares?! We’re alive! Huzzah!”

Anyone who heard Alran’s declaration cheered along with him, and Theo had trouble holding back his laughter. He gave a half-hearted “woot,” but ended up coughing a lot. Bilgrob continued the tour of Rivers and Daub, eventually returning them to the skiff and taking off for the north. They eventually got to a point where the mighty river was spewing a decent amount of water.

Even before the skiff descended to the rocky slopes of Gronro, Theo could see Grot working his men outside of the gates. The town itself had been saved completely, but their land only went as far north as the bridge. That meant they really got screwed on territory. Of course, the alchemist knew how lucky they had been. Without the advanced aura-shaping technique, they would’ve had absolutely nothing.

If the dwarven leader had any issues with this, he didn’t express it upon first seeing Theo. Grot waved his arms through the air as the skiff landed, bounding over and pumping his axe in the air. “What an absolutely wild ride, archduke!”

Held firmly in the hands of Bilgrob, Theo nodded. “How is Gronro-Dir doing after the switch?”

“We’re fine! Better than your ogre-bound ass, anyway! HAH!”

Theo forced a smile on his face. “Mind giving me a tour? I don’t think we can reshape what you have, but with the seed core system dead, we could expand your holdings to the south.”

“Why?” Grot asked. “We’re taking a page out of the dwarves of old. Do you have any idea how much underground you brought along?”

“No?”

“Halms of it! We’re gonna carve out a city!” Grot slammed his fist into his chest. He laughed a bunch and then sighed. “Wanna see?”

“Absolutely.”

Chapter 84

Fishing

The dwarves had taken their lack of space in stride. Instead of complaining about it, they did as they had often done before. They dug deep into the ground, like their cousins elsewhere in the world, creating something of a city directly beneath Gronro. Grot led the way through tight tunnels as Theo was carried by the powerful ogre. Humiliation had all but faded. His first fear was that others would judge him for being weak, but the opposite had been the case. Several dwarves in the small town above had saluted him or otherwise expressed their gratitude for the difficulty of his task.

Being crippled didn't seem so bad, so long as others understood that it had been a self-inflicted condition. One meant to give them all a chance at a better life.

“Now everything you see here is temporary,” Grot said, gesturing to a broad series of caverns that currently did not seem to have much use. Torches burned on the walls, but every couple of tunnels revealed the use of magically powered life sources. "We're working on the first floor, which will be our primary living area and a space for the craftspeople, but I think what you'll find truly interesting is on the bottom floor."

The confusing series of tunnels continued to lead down. Theo took in all the details, looking at the way the dwarves had hewn into the rock with appreciation. It was a job done completely without tools. Every piece of rock that had been moved or shaped had been done by hand. An increase in base strength and endurance likely helped them, but it wasn't enough to excuse the absolute enormity of everything around them. Between each floor, they didn't have stairs but ramps, and the alchemists saw several people pushing carts along temporary mine tracks.

"It's amazing what you can get done when you're bored," Theo said with a soft chuckle.

Bilgrob laughed as well, shaking his massive head. "Except now you're on a forced vacation. If I see you so much as lifting a finger, I'll take that finger off."  

“Noted. This is kind of a haunting position I find myself in, so you'll have to forgive me.”

"Anyway, these lower floors here are primarily meant for storage of materials, but in this upcoming room is the big reveal. I know you'll be happy about this, Archduke."

Most of the caverns they had seen up until that point were fairly massive. The smallest they had seen was a hundred square feet and seemed to be a particular place for a cluster of homes to be built. Some of those homes were already being worked on and had been chiseled from the rock itself. The workers who moved through the caverns all held hammers and large metal chisels. Movement for the stones was taken upward toward the surface. But as the group descended, they found one room that was positively massive. That was an even more interesting part on the far side of the room. Bright sunlight shone through, and Theo realized they had reached the underside of the island.

Grott sauntered across the massive cavern, strolling over to something that looked like a boat. It was about 15 feet long and had a series of mechanisms near the back and underside. Theo recognized them as proto-artifices.

"Meet our first round of airships made by hand. No classes, just good dwarven ingenuity." 

Theo wiggled in the ogre's grasp, eventually getting him to place him on the ground. Without missing a beat, Bilgrob snatched a pick from a nearby dwarf and handed it over to the alchemist. "At least use a cane, old man. I don't want to see you collapse."

Theo reluctantly took his cane and hobbled forward a few times. That caused Grot to laugh. He came over and gave the alchemist some instructions on how to walk. It was Theo's left side that seemed most affected by whatever ailed him, as it felt stiff and there was a clear pain that ran from the top of his kneecap all the way to his shoulder, coming in staggering waves.

"Hold the cane in the hand on the side that isn't injured. When you step with your injured side, put your weight on the cane. That will take the stress off your body and let you move more smoothly. Don't go too quickly. Take it slow. Take it easy."

To Theo’s complete surprise. The dwarf’s instructions helped. It took a little getting used to, and his instinct was to hold the makeshift cane in the hand of the hurt side, but once he got the rhythm of it, he was moving pretty decently. Grot ran off and shouted something to some of his people as the alchemist and BIlgrob approached the newly created airship.

"Imagine the level of craftsmanship it took to make that thing," Theo said, running his hand along the wood. It was just normal wood, the same stuff they would use to create the ships and the harbour. He then turned his attention to the artifices, which were little more than tubes and containers of mana meant to direct energy toward the little bumps on the underside of the ship. He suspected those were something like anti-gravity nodes, although the specifics were likely more complicated than that.

“They did all of this without a system, huh? I can't say I envy them for making it happen, but I am impressed.” Bilgrob walked around the airship nodding with approval at each new feature he saw.

It took Grot a while to return. When he did, he did so with a finely crafted wooden cane, which made Theo laugh. "Just a quick job to give you something more dignified than a heavy old pickaxe."

Theo accepted his new cane and used it to hobble around the contraption. "You truly made this all on your own. This honestly doesn't look like your work. Did you copy something else?"

Grot laughed a deep dwarven belly laugh. "You've got too keen of an eye, Archduke. We copied the models from the surface and we're working on some bigger ones, but unfortunately your man on the ground stole Throk from me, so I've only made it so far on my own."

Theo had made his way to the dwarven town on an airship. While the one that Grott had created was similar, it was unique enough to be considered its own thing. Whatever Belgar had been crafting on the ground was less elegant. These were the early days of airship travel, so he wasn't about to be concerned about details. As long as they ran, that was all that mattered.

"But it's still impressive," Theo said, "and your prototypes are functional. How many of them do you have?"

"We're cranking them out. This is currently our best model that is mostly stable. The problem is it needs to be fed mana manually, so anyone who can't control their mana can't fly it.”

“Can I have it?” Theo asked.

Grot blinked a few times. “Uh. I guess?”

Theo nodded, trying to swing his leg over the side of the airship but failing to do so. Instead, Bilgrob lifted him and placed him inside. The ogre joined him a moment later, adding significantly to the weight of the machine. Grot gave him a quick rundown of the controls, and before long, the airship was hovering a few feet off the ground. Although these were all prototypes, they seemed quite stable to the alchemist. There was no sign that the massive weight within it was a problem.

“Thanks for the tour,” Theo said with a nod. “And for the airship.”

Grot laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, no problem. Let me know if you need any other free things.”

Theo winked, urging the airship forward. A moment later, they were out in the open air, under the flying landmass. The flight was smoother than the airship they had taken to get to Gronro. It didn't lurch or move around much in the air, even with the turbulent winds underneath the island. Theo guided the airship not back up to his island but down toward Boar Hollow. The view from above was stunning. There were the rolling forests he remembered from the early days of the planet and the now sprawling town that seemed more like a city. Belgar had truly done an amazing job with the region. Roads led in each cardinal direction, and each was packed with travelers going from here to there.

Remembering the location of this throne far in the distance, Theo reached out and attempted to make some connection with his authority as the Dreamwalker. But whatever thread would establish was vague at best. The system still wasn't done rebooting itself. He had a feeling it would be some time before that process was completed. The alchemist slowed the pace of the airship, finding a level where the wind wasn't whipping by them so fast.  

"How many people do you think are going to leave this place? How many people are going to go to Erradon to fight the days away?"

"Hard to say. We're still in the early days of everything, Theo. People are just excited to get out there and explore the world. From what I've heard, Tero’gal has a lot of opportunities to spread out and create settlements. There's plenty of adventure to be had in any direction you can think of."

Theo smiled to himself. He sent the airship shooting forward again, angling for a place he remembered well. It didn't take long by airship, but the pair eventually spotted a sprawling sea in the distance. Elves had settled around this area, and while the alchemist was sure they had given it a name, he didn't know it. He saw the buildings made from local timber and the sprawling white sands of a beach. From a great height, the sea below looked like a deep blue curtain strewn with glittering diamonds.

The airship landed silently on the beach. It was an empty tract of land, far enough away from the elves so as not to disturb them. Theo removed himself bodily from the airship, pulling his cane with him, and eventually righting himself and dusting himself off. He no longer wore the Coat of Rake, which had been stripped of its powers and rendered useless. The clothes he now wore reminded him more of the rags he had when first arriving on Iaredin.

Without a word, Theo kicked off his boots and approached the line of water, racing back and forth over the sand. The wet spots it left glittered with small shells poking through here and there. If he dug his toes deep enough in the places where the wet sand met the dry sand, he could feel small creatures moving around. Maybe they were sand fleas or whatever equivalent this world had. Bilgrob plopped down on a dry spot, digging his toes into the warm sands.

The waves pushed and pulled. Fish darted somewhere just under the waves. The sun blazed overhead, making the top of Theo’s head uncomfortably hot. Sweat formed on his brow, dripping down his face and into the water. Ever-present on the beach was the taste of the sea on the air, the call of sea birds overhead, and the constant sound of waves rushing in and drawing out. Somewhere in the distance, a tiny fishing boat worked an area with large nets, the sound of them impacting the water almost audible from such a distance.

The reset had come so quickly. So much activity had kicked off and then left, like a pilfering goblin in the night. Theo drew his knees up to his chest, listening only to the sound of silence in his mind. He knew it would fix itself. The alchemist knew the system would fully reset given enough time. But for now, the silence of his own thoughts was deafening. Louder than the birds. Or the waves. It screamed…

“Do you like seafood?” Bilgrob asked.

Theo tried not to smile. He wanted to bury himself in his own thoughts and sulk. Maybe he wanted to hate himself with Tresk and Alex. Maybe that was a person who truly deserved to be hated. Who he was before accepting the Tara’hek was a construct, he realized. It wasn’t that who he had become was fake, it was the other way around. Only when he had accepted the bond had he really figured out who he was. Now, he only had to endure the construct for a while before he was once again granted his peace.

“That depends. Deep fried?” Theo asked.

Bilgrob made an offended sound. “You could deep-fry anything and it’d be good. That’s cheating.”

“Then, no. I hate fish.”