The Newt and Demon - Book 4 Chapters 34,35,36

Chapter 34

A Temple

It was difficult to build things back on Earth. Humans there couldn’t carry impossibly heavy blocks of marble in magical inventories. Setting those massive stones in place was a chore unto itself. Medieval people used large wooden cranes. It was dirty, back-breaking work. But not here in Broken Tusk. Ziz and his gang were already building the foundation of the new temple. They had no shortage of stone, not with the magically regenerating quarry. No shortage of initiative, either.

Theo watched as they set the foundation stones by hand. A stoneworker would lift a block above his head—perhaps just showing off—before setting it in place on leveled ground. They applied mortar to bind the stones together. Whether that binder came from an ability, or was applied manually from their inventories, the effect was the same. It dried almost instantly, anchoring the rocks together with a grip that simply wouldn’t give.

The alchemist had no way to know how long this task would have taken on Earth. The way Ziz’s men were working, he thought it would take them only a few days. It was no surprise, judging by the pace they built the road. In classic fashion, the stoneworkers didn’t plan to build a small temple. They had their mind set on a grand scale, roping off a large section of earth and shoveling away to make it level. It appeared they planned to fit the entirety of Miana’s ranch inside.

This was the type of project Theo had been itching for. Something large, stupid, and interesting. It would lead to something good, that was certain, but standing on the outside it seemed like a waste of time and resources. Only Drogramath’s urging for him to dedicate the town to a patron proved that to be false. It would have a use. Whatever that might be.

“Let’s dedicate the temple to Marshy,” Tresk said, bouncing up and down next to Theo. She was among the many citizens clamoring for a better view at the construction.

“Marshy isn’t real.”

“We can make him real. If we just believe hard enough.”

“Pretty sure it doesn’t work that way. The good news is, we can see the temple from our back garden.”

Tresk scoffed. “Yeah, that’ll drive down the housing prices around here. No one wants to live near a church.”

“You made that up.”

“Yeah.”

Tresk stepped behind Theo, entering the shadow he cast from the fading light of the day. An instant later, and she was gone. The alchemist didn’t need to look for long to see what had sent her running so quickly. Alise approached, hands on her hips at first. Then her expression shifted, and she laughed, slapping Theo hard on the shoulder.

“She always runs when I’m angry.”

“I would if I could.” Theo turned his gaze away from the administrator, watching Ziz and his men do their work. It certainly was a sight. “Thanks for Sarisa and Rowan. Sneaky move, but I appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

“I thought you’d be more angry. You know, about me pulling Ziz off of projects.”

Alise gestured for Theo to follow. They made their way toward the harbor as they spoke. Toward the masts of boats bobbing in the water.

“If you want to drag them off your other projects, I don’t care. Throk’s artifice project is unnecessary already. So if you’re pulling Ziz off other vanity projects, that’s fine.”

Theo chuckled. That was one way of putting it. “I saw some other projects lined up. A highway to the [Swamp Dungeon]. A tunnel through the northern mountains.”

“Yeah, and you’re over here wanting to freeze the sea. And there’s a farm outside the walls that no one told me about.”

“I thought you’d be more angry about that.”

“Well, I had a meeting with Trevas Parn. The newly elected leader of Rivers and Daub seems competent. More than Alran ever was. And that portly man has settled into his role as a spymaster well.”

Theo tapped his chin. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? They had no problems with Grot, the leader of Gronro-Dir, but that was because he was too busy. Alran just needed a firm hand to put him in the right position. If this new guy, Trevas, would just fall into line then that was for the best.

“Has Trevas done anything for the poor, yet?” Theo asked.

“I’m pushing him hard on that. We had our meeting today, and things got heated.”

The pair pushed beyond the area that Theo’s greenhouses dominated, into the open fields and sparse trees. This area had always been a place of quiet reflection as the alchemist made his way to the harbor. Although he listened as Alise continued, he couldn’t help himself. He thought about how nice it would be if they designated some areas in town as parks. Calm places where a citizen could eat a meal, or meet up with friends.

Alise continued. “We threatened military action against Rivers. Trevas tried to call our bluff, but Aarok already had people in position. Several squads from the Gronro divisions and our own adventuring squads. We overcame their defenses without bloodshed.”

“Wow.” Theo paused where he stood, imagining his future park. He saw a place near a boulder that would be lovely for a fountain. “Bet that lit a fire under his ass.”

The pair continued walking, crunching through the sparse underbrush. “It did. I got him to sign a contract, but I have my doubts.”

They walked in silence for some time. Theo dragged his mind away from the park idea and faced reality. It was nice to daydream, especially in Broken Tusk. But those images of a peaceful park were replaced by the things he’d seen in Rivers. The squalor of the slums and the opulent manors of the Trade Chairs. The alchemist felt the sudden urge to burn it all down. As they approached the harbor, spotting the newest ship floating proud, he considered how to respond.

Rivers and Daub needed something to contribute. Theo’s mind wandered as he stood near the docks. Laedria shouted something at him, but he held up a silencing hand. He released his mind’s grip on that thought the moment he saw the Elf’s reaction. She was excited about the new boat, and he was cutting her off. A deep breath later, and a wide smile graced his face.

“Did you name it, yet?” Theo asked.

Laedria clapped her hands together, jumping with excitement. “Your companion came by earlier with a list of suggestions.”

It would be called ‘Boaty Boat Boat’ if Tresk had anything to say about it. Theo studied the proud ship floating in the harbor. It was a two-masted boat, significantly longer than the less impressive Cork. Sailors were on deck, practicing whatever it was sailors did with trained precision.

“Truly amazing,” Theo said, gazing at the boat. “Has Zarali come to enchant it, yet?”

“Ah, well. She’s been a bit busy with the wizard.”

Theo turned to Alise. “Did Zarali put in a request for someone to care for Xol’sa? No? Of course not, could you get someone to handle that? He’s staying in my manor.”

“Naturally.”

“Wait for the enchantments, but I’d love a diplomatic mission to the lizard islands.”

Laedria nodded with approval. “Yeah, we can do that. She’s pretty fast on her own, but once we get the enchantments she’ll cut through the water like a Brogling through Zee.”

“Because Broglings are famous for their consumption of Zee,” Theo said, missing the idiom entirely. “Alright. That’s awesome. Make sure to take some Bantari with you when you go. Also bring a gift. Gold? What do lizard-people like?”

“No idea,” Alise said. Theo could tell she was making notes in her interface. “We’ll talk to some of the elder Bantari Marshlings to figure that out.”

“The name,” Laedria interrupted. “Ya gotta name the boat.”

“Tusk’s Pride,” Theo said, nodding.

“Lame,” Alise said, waving the name away as though clearing a smell from the air.

“Wave Slapper.” Laedria nodded to herself. “That was one of Tresk’s ideas.”

“Even lamer,” Alise said.

“Well, damn Alise. I don’t see you coming up with awesome ideas,” Theo said.

“I’ve been sitting on one. The Wavecrest.”

“Ah, damn. That’s a good one,” Laedria admitted. “Honors our house name, and sounds really cool.”

“Yeah, alright,” Theo conceded. “That’s a cool name for a boat. It has my vote.”

“Right, we’ll sort everything out for the trip down to the southern islands. I’ll get with my people to find a minder for Xol’sa so Zarali can get to work.” Alise made some more notes in her interface, nodding to both Theo and Laedria.

“Sweet. Hey, you guys wanna come aboard?”

Theo shared a look with Alise. “Uh, yeah? Of course.”

Workers on the docks yanked on massive Starbristle ropes, dragging the boat closer to the dock. It hit the side of the lumber with a dull thud, angling well enough for them to climb a rope ladder on the side. Theo ascended with ease, turning back to help Alise up the last bit. The deck of the boat was wide. Bright blue ropes ran through the rigging above, down to cleats on the gunwale and to other places. The wheel rested on a raised platform, giving the captain a great view of the water ahead.

The Ogre Cypress had made a fine ship. It was clearly tougher than the Earth version of cypress trees. The workers had stained it with something, bringing out the darker shades of the wood. A mixture of darker browns mingled with yellow to create a bright pattern only set off by the pitch that plugged the gaps between boards. The nature of the cypress trees meant that they needed to shave them down from their massive form to create the two masts.

“The Wavecrest,” Theo said, smiling as he ran his hand across polished rails. “With more to come, right?”

Laedria was nearby, grinning as Theo inspected the boat. “We'll have a fleet before long.”

“I’m guessing the boat is lighter than the ones you’re used to building in Tarantham.”

“Far lighter. We’ve had to weigh her down a bit in the hold. Otherwise she’d just pitch to the side and roll over.”

“How easy would it be to adapt this for an airship?” Theo asked, inspecting everything about the boat. “Second question. Do you have designs for warships?”

Laedria laughed, slapping Theo on the shoulder. The alchemist grunted, falling forward a few steps. “Yeah, this is the material you’d want for an airship. Far lighter than Tarantham Oak, but also tough as nails. And yeah. I have the Wavecrest House’s designs for warships.”

Theo inspected the area on the deck. “We’ll hold off on those for now. Once Throk irons out his weapon design, I want those fitted on all our trade ships.”

There was enough space to mount one of Throk’s rail guns. The old Marshling needed to work out a system to rotate and pitch the gun, but it shouldn’t have taken up too much space. If the gunwales were in the way, obstructing the shot from the deck, they could raise the weapon up to clear that obstacle. Judging from the few tests they did, any other ship would need some serious defenses to stop one of their iron bar slugs.

“Got a mind for war, Archduke?” Laedria asked.

“I have a mind to defend our sailors. Best way to do that is with a big gun.”

“Agreed,” Alise said with a nod. “Throk is focusing on the weapon project for now. He’s been reporting to me about his challenges, but nothing he can’t handle. Not with Thim covering the smithy. He should have a working weapon and transport system soon.”

Theo tapped his foot on the ship’s deck. It made a nice sound as he thought. “You know my biggest concern is enemy airships.”

“Karasan’s airship,” Alise corrected.

“I want enough of Throk’s guns in town so that when we spot the ship, we can light it up.”

“You’re assuming Karasan isn’t some kind of genius,” Laedria said. “Bastard is responsible for the fall of a few houses in Tarantham, if you can believe it. He’s clever, Theo. There won’t be a frontal assault.”

“Then he’ll hardly expect when our airships blanket his city in fire.”

“Big talk,” Laedria said. “Think you can stomach killing civilians?”

“Nope. You’re right. I had a different plan for the airships. Something to help with the undead.”

Laedria and Alise chatted, taking Theo’s coming silence as a sign to talk about the boat. The plan for airships was loose, but the alchemist had the idea of dropping massive amounts of [Hallow Ground] potions on the undead creatures. For now, they needed the army of skeletons as a buffer between them and the angry king. But the sun was setting. His stomach was growling in protest, begging him to return to the manor for dinner. He’d missed his bath last night, and felt knots forming in his muscles that only the hot spring water could help.

After wrapping up business at the docks, Theo returned to his manor. The moment he came within range of the building’s influence, he felt a sense of calm wash over him. The scent of the food inside doubled that effect, drawing him to the dining room. Tresk sat at the head of the table, drumming her fingers impatiently. Alex was already eating a pile of bugs near the corner, honking. Zarali, Fenian, and Xol’sa were also gathered here tonight.

“Finally!” Tresk shouted, jabbing her finger at a seat. “Your servants won’t give us food until you get here.”

Theo found his seat, helping himself to a mug of Rivers mead. Sarisa and Rowan had catered food from the Marsh Wolf Tavern yet again, laying out a spread for the party to enjoy. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits except Zarali, who was upset about needing to leave Xol’sa’s side to do work. While he claimed to be fine, he wore a mask of exhaustion that he couldn’t hide.

Conversation around the table came between mouthfuls of Zee pasta with a cheesy sauce. The cheese produced from Karatan milk was extremely pungent, but it went in line with what the locals enjoyed. Fenian put in his opinion on most things, but Theo noticed how he shied away from larger topics. He was hiding something, or running from something. Either way, the Elf would have his hands full when he fully healed.

Xol’sa also had big plans for the future. His [Dungeon Engineer’s Core] was leveling at a steady rate, although it had been halted since he was injured. The road to recovery for him was slow, often measured in the improvement of mobility. But no one could give him a full time for recovery, and Theo didn’t have any ideas to speed the process.

Once dinner was done, Theo Tresk and Alex went off to have a soak in the bath. The alchemist thought about how it would be nice to have a closer bath, although that was a selfish thought. Sarisa and Rowan accompanied them, but they stayed outside of the private bath room. The water was as warm as ever, spreading a sense of calm through his body the moment he lowered himself to soak.

Tresk did her normal thing of swimming around the large pool, only surfacing to splash the nearest person. Theo just soaked, letting his worries wash away with the water.

“I feel less stressed,” Theo said, taking the chance when Tresk surfaced.

“Yeah. That rage I was experiencing from my cores is just about gone.”

I would like to feel rage, Alex said, honking. Or perhaps serenity.

“Those are conflicting feelings.”

They are extremes. Extremes are fun.

Theo could feel that Alex was close to getting her nature affinity. She was never tied closely to fire, even if she developed her skills in that domain well. He wasn’t sure why she wanted to align herself with those things, but it was her life. The goose often felt less like a familiar and more like a hanger-on to their [Tara’hek Core]. An independent little goose that did whatever she wanted.

“One day you’ll be a powerful goose-thing,” Theo said. “She’s already larger than Earth geese.”

“Really?” Tresk asked, studying the goose.

Alex’s plumage had mostly come in. There were still patches that were too fluffy, but it was mostly gone. She now bore the markings of an adult canadian goose from Earth. Her slender neck was marked by solid black, only ending with the brown on her body and strip of white on her head. It was hard not to wonder if she was going to continue to grow without end.

“Yeah, she’s big. Well, that’s a problem. Isn’t it?”

Why?

“You won’t fit inside eventually. If you keep growing like this.”

Oh no!

“No worries. We’ll build a temple for you,” Tresk said. “Did you see Ziz and his boys?”

Theo had indeed seen Ziz. They were still working, and would likely not stop until the temple was done. When they passed the construction site earlier, the alchemist saw that they had set all the foundation stones and had moved on to working on the walls. When Ziz got obsessed with a project like this, he went all in by chugging [Stamina Potions] until it was done. That’s likely how he got the road done so quickly.

“We’ll see what happens when Zarali blesses the temple.”

No one seemed willing to carry the conversation after that. A deep sense of relaxation filled the souls of each member in the Tara’hek. It was only when Sarisa and Rowan intruded, claiming the staff wanted them gone, that they headed back to the manor. The streets were quiet when they left. The moon glimmered a golden color tonight, although the dark moon wasn’t visible. No one was awake in the manor, even though a fire burned brightly in the sitting room.

Theo said goodnight to his assistants, working his way upstairs to flop into his bed. He nodded at Tresk before delving with her into the Dreamwalk.

Chapter 35

Baby Arm

The Dreamwalk was the perfect place to test the viability of the ocean freezing project. Theo stood with Alex on the deck of an imagined version of the Wavecrest, gazing down into the murky water. Somewhere below was the dream version of the dungeon, resting on the bed of the bay. Tresk was off somewhere, likely fighting dragons. She had been cagey about her progress lately, likely because she was hitting a wall.

Hitting walls like this was natural in the system’s progression. They popped up out of nowhere. Theo’s first theory was that they happened on multiples of 10, stopping a person’s progress before they could roll over to a new realm of power. While his [Tara’hek Core], [Governance Core], and [Toru’aun Mage’s Core] had experienced massive growth, the same couldn’t be said for his alchemy and herbalism cores.

The alchemist plopped one of Throk’s early sprayer artifices down onto the deck, fiddling with the spraying nozzle to aim at the water below. “Is the sprayer the right tool for the job?”

I’m just a goose, I don’t know. Alex honked.

“Then what happens if we cage the dungeon?”

Well, I know that one. The system will yell at you if you put objects too close to the dungeon.

“And how do you know that?”

Tresk tried to build an effigy of herself near the [Swamp Dungeon]. Since she’s the best adventurer, she wanted people to know. The system yelled at her when she built it too close.

“Alright.” Theo loaded his sprayer up with [Freeze Solution]. He flicked a switch on the side and let the device spray. Ice formed on the water immediately, freezing it solid in moments. Then the ice worked its way down toward the dungeon. “How waterproof do you think the stonework will be?”

Depends on who builds it. Ziz has an ability that creates a perfect seal between stones using mortar.

“So, you’re listening to what people say more often than I expected.” The ice bobbed in the water, pitching at a strange angle. But the sprayer continued its work, loading the bay with more of the solution. “This is gonna take a while.”

With the Wavecrest anchored firmly in the bay—Theo’s influence further keeping it still in the water—the alchemist set up his stills on the deck and got to work on grinding experience. Planters, stills, fermentation barrels, and rows of tables crowded the ship. Alex played on the ice as they chatted.

There was something very wrong with the way cores leveled. Logically, his personal level should have been an average of all his cores. That was clearly not the way things worked, since his average core level was about 20 while his personal level was 22. Instead, every action performed with a core provided an amount of experience to his personal level, depending on the core’s level. His level 6 [Toru’aun Mage’s Core] did not give as much personal experience as his level 23 [Drogramath Alchemy Core]. Making things more fiddly, his level 28 [Governance Core] didn’t give as much experience as the alchemy core!

“Slightly confusing,” Theo said, adjusting the direction of the sprayer.

Almost as though some cores are more important. Perhaps that’s the rarity?

That’s not what it felt like to Theo, though. It felt like the system wanted to base personal experience gain off of a single core, while the other cores were supplemental. For now, he shrugged it off. There was a good reason his experience was dragging with his alchemy core, and the slow pace of his herbalism core was clear. The new farm should help the herbalism core.

“But for my alchemy core,” Theo said, standing before a still and tapping his foot. “We’re missing something.”

The slightest twinge flickered through the alchemist’s mind. Alex was probing his thoughts, less elegantly than when Tresk did so.

Third tier potions! Alex shouted, honking and flapping over the ice. She pitched over, falling into the bay. She narrowly avoided being sprayed by the freezing solution.

“Yeah, I’ve just been brewing [Healing Potions]. But those are what I’m calling second tier.”

You should write a book.

Yeah, that was a good idea. If Theo’s plan worked with the temple, Salire would need a guide on how to level a [Drogramath Alchemy Core]. He pulled up his administration interface, created a private notes section, and wrote things down.

“Good idea. First, we’ll note how to brew first tier potions.”

That process was easy enough. A new Drogramathi alchemist only needed a simple copper still, reagents, and purified water to create essence. Then they only needed shavings to make a potion. The step that advanced a person to the next tier was pressure treating, done either in an evaporation pressurizer, as in his current model, or a pressure still. While Theo could create third tier suffuse potions, he hadn’t figured out the secret sauce for regular third tier potions.

“Something to do with the liquid, maybe.”

Tonight seemed like a good night for experimentation. While Theo thought about what to replace his still water with, he observed how well the [Freeze Solution] was working. A column of ice had formed under the surface, stretching at least half-way to the dungeon below. It had rolled over several times, creating odd sections of ice that stretched off in weird angles. But the sprayer continued its good work.

“I run into this problem often.” Theo stood over a still, looking down at the bubbling liquid. He had removed the lid of one to observe the effects of salt water mixed with reagents. It was reacting violently. “Hitting my head against a wall with no guidance.”

Be happy with the progress you have made. Alex followed her supportive comment up with an encouraging honk. The ice is forming well. What is the plan with the ice?

“My first idea was just to send Xol’sa down there to fix the dungeon.” Theo scratched his head, looking down at how the ice spread. It really didn’t consume that much solution. “Like I said, I’m thinking of building a waterproof tower around it.”

That sounds like a bad idea.

“I’ve had worse ideas. We’ve been talking about turning the dungeons into something like a theme park. If visitors wanted to use the [Ocean Dungeon], we’d need to have it accessible.”

Your first thought about that is an underwater tower?

There might have been a better way to do it. Theo couldn’t think of a better way, though. He needed to run the idea by Xol’sa before he pulled the trigger, but it was a straightforward way to get access to the dungeon. He had to consider how the monsters spawning from the dungeon would respond. How this affected a monster wave.

“What if I justify it by saying we’ll take the underwater tower above water? Turn it into a weapons platform or something.”

I’m not sold.

Theo grumbled. Most people just went along with what he suggested. Instead of trying to convince her with words, he imagined away the ice. He was happy enough with how it worked. They could dig down into the ice, creating a hollow cylinder all the way to the bottom of the bay. Instead, he replaced it with what he imagined would be the final product. A marble tower that went under the water, surrounding the rocky dungeon entrance below. He imagined a staircase that ran along the outside, giving easy access to the bottom.

From the deck of the boat, Theo looked out onto the bay. With monsters below and approaches from the sea from almost every direction, this place wasn’t defensible. The underwater tower sprung up, stretching high above the waves of the bay. The alchemist connected that tower with a new one on shore with a bridge, supported in the center with large marble pillars. Several more underwater towers rose from nowhere, filling the bay with weapons platforms. A ghostly navy loomed on the horizon.

“From here, we could hit anything between the canal and the barrier islands with Throk’s new weapons.”

Alright, I’m feeling this a little more, Alex said. A little town of interconnected towers. Maybe we can put platforms near the water so the fisher people can use them.

“Now we’re talking. Multiple uses. That’s how I’ll sell it.”

How viable is it to keep the sea out?

Theo didn’t have a good sense for that. He had a feeling that what he was doing in the Dreamwalk wasn’t falling in line with how things would work in reality. Stretching his senses over the dream realm, he pushed against it. It wouldn’t budge until Alex reached out with him. They forced it to follow something closer to reality, modeling the tower to be like something Ziz could build. A roar of water rushed into the towers, flooding them in an instant. They wobbled, almost collapsing.

Wow, that was completely expected.

“Alright. Just another problem we have to fix. Nothing to panic about.”

I’m sure we’ll find some magic water repelling potion you can use.

“Maybe. We can talk with Ziz when we wake up. See what he thinks about the idea.”

Yeah. Let’s go back to working on your alchemy problem.

Theo worked on the problem with Alex for hours. They tried various mediums for boiling reagents. Everything from Goblin blood to sand. Once that proved to be a dead end, they worked on changing the water used for distillation. That was more of a shot in the dark than anything, though. Altering the [Purified Water] seemed to be the way forward, but there were only so many ways to approach the problem.

The pair quickly found themselves resting on the deck of the Wavecrest, watching as most of the bay froze over. Theo left the spraying artifice on, even after he created a crowd of towers, just to see what would happen. The shadows swirled on the deck, and Tresk stepped out.

“Wow, sleeping on the job?” Tresk asked, pressing her boot into Theo’s leg.

“Meh, we’re taking a break.”

“A break from what,” Tresk said, gesturing at the towers. “Creating a bunch of useless towers?”

They’re not useless.

“Maybe not completely, but you guys suck at designing defensive structures.” Tresk waved her hand through the air. The dream realm bent from the enormity of her command. Theo thought it would crack under the pressure, but it held firm. A moment later, the scene had rearranged itself. “There. That’s a much better design.”

The location of the [Ocean Dungeon] ran in line with one of the canal’s walls. Tresk extended the edge of the canal all the way to the dungeon, ending that underwater wall in a tower. She mirrored the effect on the canal’s opposite side. All along the length of the wall were towers of increasing height. A wedge of other towers, expanding in either direction until they hit the coast, formed the shape of an arrowhead.

“If you’re going to go big, then go big,” Tresk said. “Once we have a tower over the [Ocean Dungeon], we’ll need a way to get people out here to maintain it. A big walkway makes the most sense. Then we go with the same theme, making towers with dad’s artifice shooters along the path.”

This was good. It reminded Theo of something he’d seen back on Earth. When medieval met with cannons, the design of defensive emplacements changed. What good was a straight wall of brick when a few well-placed shots from afar could make it crumble. Instead, they created forts with little points on the outside, allowing them to field long-range cannons that covered each other. Since Tresk designed the towers in a wedge, they’d be able to fire out to sea at the same time.

There was also something about the design that was imposing. It would tell visitors that they meant business, and they could stop people from coming into port without paying.

“I love this design,” Theo said, studying the towers. “Perhaps we can file this under ‘really cool but impractical projects’, if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah. That’s a lot of stone.” Tresk waved her hand again. The lead towers were replaced with stone statues of her and Theo. “I like this option better. Maybe we can put laser beams in their eyes.”

Theo looked up at the stone version of himself. The eyes glowed red, then it shot a solid bar of energy out to sea. The statues were too much, but this fell in line with something the alchemist had been interested in for a while. Ever since Ziz built the stone bridge over the river, he’d been thinking about structures that weren’t seed core buildings. The system-generated buildings were better by a long shot, but they came in predetermined designs. There was no ‘wall of towers with guns on them’ seed core. Not that he knew of.

Oh! We could put fire on the towers, Alex said, lighting the tops of each tower—and the statues—with roaring flames. A welcoming sight for our visitors.

“That makes us look evil.” Theo commanded the fires to dim. They crackled, then reduced to respectable campfires. “Better.”

I like mine better.

The group discussed the best way to defend the coast. They determined the best way was to just build a line of towers on the coast, never going out to sea. That left the problem of the [Ocean Dungeon] unresolved. By the time the Dreamwalk was ready to end, they had settled on the two designs and resigned themselves to asking around town for opinions.

“If we could just move the dang dungeon, we’d be set.” Tresk tapped her chin. “Whoops, that’s dawn. Let’s go.”

Theo had no say in what happened next. The Dreamwalk swirled around him, sending him tumbling back into his sleeping body in an instant. He rose, blinking away the confusion in his mind. It was better when Tresk gave him more warning than that. But the little Marshling was already out of her bed, scampering off without a word. The alchemist found his way to the dining room, getting a report from Sarisa while they waited for food.

The more time Theo spent around his new assistants, the more he had a sense for the magic that cloaked their forms. He’d been neglecting his magical training, but that was to be expected. Xol’sa had always been the person to push him forward. Now he was left to be distracted by whatever shiny new thing jumped into his mind. The reports delivered were mundane. Nothing had happened in the night, and the events of yesterday were all according to plan.

Once all the freeloaders had gathered for breakfast, Rowan served them. Theo charged them all with the task of thinking of a better defensive idea for the coast. The opinion was split, but it seemed Xol’sa would have the final word.

“You’re too many steps ahead, Theo,” the Elf said. “Get me down to the dungeon, then we can talk about what to do. Once I understand where the [Ocean Dungeon] is at, I’ll have a recommendation.”

Tresk forced the conversation away from the problem after that. Theo picked what he wanted from his breakfast before taking his tea, retreating to the garden. Ziz’s guys had worked through the night, which was expected. From his comfortable chair, the alchemist could see walls poking up over the shrubs and the fence. Those crazy Half-Ogres would work until they collapsed.

Xol’sa joined Theo out in the garden, eventually. He was joined by his minder, an angry little Marshling that the alchemist hadn’t had the time to meet properly. He was just there to make sure the Elf was alright, nothing more.

“I have the strength to see the dungeon today. If you have the desire,” Xol’sa said.

Theo wanted nothing more than to get the [Ocean Dungeon] under control. He agreed to the Elf’s plans, but didn’t depart immediately. That was wasted energy. Instead, he asked Sarisa to inform the Adventurer’s Guild and the administrators about their plan. They would need a unit of the regulars to guard them while they did their work, and some laborers to excavate the ice once it had been set. She departed after a quick bow, jumping over the fence instead of taking the gate.

“She takes things too seriously,” Xol’sa said, falling into a fit of coughs shortly after that.

“There has to be a potion that can help you.”

“If Drogramath’s power can’t help me, I don’t know if there’s a potion that will.”

An unexpected twinge of guilt shot through Theo’s chest. He should have never agreed to let Xol’sa spy on his realm. He should have known that there would be consequences—the rules were very clear about a mortal delving into the realms. It was a foolish thing to think the extra-planar Elf would have been an exception.

“It should heal with time. Right?”

Xol’sa managed to laugh before coughing again. “It is getting better Theo. There’s just some things that don’t heal overnight.”

“Like my little baby arm!” Fenian said, almost flipping his wheelchair as he entered the garden from the manor. He had his recovering limb exposed. Theo looked away as quickly as he could. It appeared as though someone had grafted a child’s limb to his body.

“That’s absolutely disgusting.”

“This is your handiwork, my dear alchemist. Bask in its glory.” Fenian edged closer to Theo, poking him in the face with his new limb. “Bask!”

“I’m basking, alright?” Theo asked, standing up and edging away from Fenian. “But that thing is creepy.”

“There we are. Keep basking.”

“The longer I know you, the more I realize how weird you are.”

Fenian pretended to be offended. “Theo, do you realize how long I spent fighting Karasan in the realms? Eons! We fought in the deepest dungeons and the highest peaks. Until… at last! I smote my enemy upon the mountainside.”

“But you lost the fight.” Theo narrowed his eyes at the Elf.

“Alright. I made that last part up. He cut off my arm and leg and I ran away like a coward. Are you happy? Now I am sad.”

Theo groaned, jumping over the fence so that the Elven trader could not pursue.

“I’m not done!” Fenian shouted. “Come back so I can wave my baby arm in your face again!”

“NO!”

Chapter 36

A Soul Come to Roost

Theo stood on the deck of the Wavecrest, marveling at how Laedria’s crew worked. Alise had assembled a small team for the task, although the administrator herself was missing from the boat. Tresk, Alex, Rowan, and Sarisa had joined to guard the alchemist, while one squad of ranged adventurers and another of front-liners stood crowded on the boat.

“Look at them work those ropes,” Tresk said with a nod. “I do not know what they’re doing.”

It was impossible for Theo to understand what every rope did. But the upgrades on the harbor were doing a lot of the heavy lifting. They coasted through the churn of river and sea water as though it were nothing. The alchemist finally gained appreciation for just how amazing the canal was. Two of their trader-style ships could fit in the waterway at once. But the constant bucking of the boat caused Xol’sa’s pale skin to turn a strange shade of green. Zarali was nearby, offering words of comfort.

“There’s the Cork!” Laedria shouted, pointing off into the distance. A single-masted ship, baring the hallmark blue sails of Broken Tusk, looked like a dot on the horizon.

“Guess it’s safe enough to fish that far out,” Theo grumbled. Perhaps the [Ocean Dungeon] wasn’t as much of a threat as he first thought.

The Wavecrest pushed through the final length of the canal, a stiff breeze pushing from inland. The sails overhead billowed, catching the wind and sending them lurching forward. Even without Zarali’s enchantments on the boat, the clipped over the waves as though racing to the dungeon. Laedria let out a hoot of excitement, the sailors coming to cheer with her shortly after.

Theo braced himself against the gunwale, locking his eyes on the horizon to avoid seasickness. Once the boat had cleared the area near shore, the turgid waves calmed down. It wasn’t a glassy bay, but it was calm enough to stave off that feeling of nausea in his stomach. Tresk wasn’t doing much better than him, but it didn’t affect Alex at all. She honked with excitement, shooting fire off the side of the boat that had the sailors scrambling to snap her bill closed.

The bay was massive. It was enclosed on the east and west by large tracts of land, crowded with hills and mountains. To the south were chains of barrier islands, shielding the bay from whatever squalls brewed in the open sea. Here the water was warm and inviting. As sea spray doused those onboard, Theo could feel the heat from the saltwater. Laedria wasn’t interested in just taking them to the dungeon. She angled the Wavecrest out to those barrier islands, something the alchemist wouldn’t object to.

Before long, they pulled alongside the Cork. Thronk and his Marshling fishermen were onboard, waving up to the crew with excitement.

“Finally!” he shouted, jumping up and down on the small deck. “Another boat in the bay!”

“You lazy lizard!” Tresk shouted down at her brother. “Get back to work!”

“You first!”

“Nerd!”

“That’s quite enough of this,” Theo said, but it was hard to keep his gaze off the barrier islands.

The islands that separated the open sea from the bay were sandy things, dotted with patches of grass and tropical trees. Crustaceans scuttled along the shore, snapping their claws defiantly. The sea was a vast spread of blue, twinkling with specks that looked like shining diamonds. Without a cloud overhead, the heat bore down on the crew. Only the breeze provided relief.

Tresk and Thronk argued for some time, but Theo noticed the behavior of the Elves. The members of House Wavecrest took deep breaths, closing their eyes to take in the senses of the sea. This is where they wanted to be above all else. This was the place where they were the most at home. Once the Elves were happy enough with seeing the open ocean, they plotted a course for the [Ocean Dungeon]. The Marshlings argued until their shouts no longer carried over the waves.

Theo was left to set up one of Throk’s sprayers while the crew dropped the anchor. The Wavecrest swayed with the wind until they trimmed the sails, leaving only the gentle rock of the sea. Tresk pointed out where the dungeon should have been, and the alchemist activated the sprayer. It was more temperamental than the version he summoned in the Dreamwalk, but it would do the job. Ice spread across the surface of the bay, snaking outward before digging into the columns of water.

“This is going to take a while,” Theo said, withdrawing several flasks of [Freeze Solution] with the [Solidify] modifier from his inventory. He set it out for everyone onboard to keep cool.

“You’ve been holding out on us,” Laedria said, slathering the mixture on her skin.

“This is available for purchase in my shop,” Theo shot back, winking at the Elf.

“Wow, what a generous man,” Zarali said, still coddling Xol’sa on the deck.

Theo cleared his throat. “Get comfortable. This is going to take a few hours.”

Tresk wasn’t content with sitting around and waiting for things to happen. She assembled some members of each adventuring team for a journey to the bottom of the bay. Of course they needed Theo’s [Potion of Wake] to get the job done, and he was happy to provide what little he made. They all jumped in the water, despite Laedria’s protests, and swam to the bottom of the bay. The Marshling kept him updated about how things were going, making note that there were only a few Fald swimming around.

The [Ocean Dungeon] was still at a low level, at least compared to the [Swamp Dungeon]. Theo hoped that meant that Xol’sa’s job would be easier. But the Elf was getting greener by the moment, no longer able to keep from vomiting over the side of the boat.

“If only I had some [Sanchrin Leaves],” Theo said, rubbing Xol’sa’s back as he puked. Zarali gave him a pained look.

“Would that help him?” she asked.

“The description says it relieves nausea. But I don’t have any.”

“Anything else that might help?” Zarali pleaded.

There was only one thing that Theo could think of that might help someone stop vomiting. He withdrew a clump of [Moss Nettle] from his inventory, smashing it in his hands until the yellow liquid flowed from the moss. He handed it to Xol’sa, stopping the Elf before he popped it in his mouth.

“Chew on this. Swallow the juice, but not the moss.”

Xol’sa nodded once, then placed the moss in his mouth. He chewed for a while, spitting several times and coughing a lot, but eventually he let out a sigh of relief. While Tresk updated Theo about the dungeon—it seemed fine to her—he ran through the other reagents in his inventory. Chewing on raw reagents would produce a minor effect compared to the distilled version. Of the many things the alchemist kept on hand, [Moss Nettle] was the best candidate. He withdrew a sheet of [River Kelp] and shoved it back into his inventory when he smelled it.

“Too fishy,” Theo said. “That’s just gonna make him more sick.”

Theo scrolled through his many items. He spotted a potion he meant to put into the shop and clapped his hands together. He withdrew a [Vigor Potion] from his inventory, inspecting it before handing it over.

[Vigor Potion]

[Refined Elemental Earth]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance vigor.

Drink to increase resistance scaling.

Effect:

+14 Vigor for 1.75 hours.

For 1.25 hours, your physical resistances scale 1.30 times better than normal.

“More vigor should help with feeling sick, right? 14 vigor is a lot,” Theo said.

Zarali helped Xol’sa tip the option back. The Elf shook after quaffing the entire thing, blinking rapidly. Then he stood up straight, looking around the deck of the boat with fresh eyes.

“The hells… it worked,” Xol’sa said. “I don’t feel so sick anymore—Theo I don’t feel as much like a pile of Karatan dung.”

Zarali ran her fingers through Xol’sa’s hair. She bit her bottom lip, staving off tears. The stress of his condition was getting to her. But not everything fell to Theo to fix. If the alchemist fixed the Elf’s soul all the way, it would take him a long time to figure out the correct method. For now, he’d be happy that he was standing straight for once.

Theo handed over all the [Vigor Potions] he had, then settled in on the deck for a long wait. It took the sprayer longer than he expected to create the column of downward-facing ice. Tresk and her advance team had swam back and forth several times before the ice spread outward, signaling that they now had a connection to the bay’s base. The adventurers confirmed that moments later.

The laborers were at the ready, prepared with pickaxes to hew a path downward. On a whim, Theo tried his [Tunneling Potion]. It worked. The man in charge of the laboring squad gave the alchemist a confused look as the ice etched itself into shape.

“We’re still getting paid, right?”

“Naturally,” Theo said.

The [Tunneling Potion] made quick work of the column of ice. Theo directed it to move in a circular pattern, creating a spiral staircase of ice all the way to the bottom of the bay. While Xol’sa and the adventurers prepared to go under, the alchemist manned the sprayer to insure it wouldn’t melt around them. Alex stayed with him, along with some adventurers, the laborers, and the crew from the boat.

It made for a pleasant bit of relaxation. Theo spent his time admiring Throk’s artifice device. The man had come a long way from making heating elements. It appeared the only limitation to his ability was his imagination. On that thought, he wondered how high the Marshling had gotten with his core. Then he got suspicious that the old man had done a sneaky thing, taking an aligned [Artificer’s Core] with no one knowing. That fell in line with how the man behaved, after all.

“That’s Marshlings for ya,” Theo muttered.

Tresk’s telepathic reports about the dungeon were uninteresting. The only notable thing was how spry Xol’sa seemed to be. He was moving normally now, and was even joking at the bottom of the ice stairs. The Elf worked his [Dungeon Engineer’s Core] on the dungeon below, messing with the way it worked until he was satisfied. Just as the ice was failing on the exterior of the column, the group ascended to board the boat.

“How did it go?” Theo asked, helping Xol’sa to the deck.

“Very well,” Xol’sa said. “The [Ocean Dungeon] is barely level 10, so it was simple to tame. I changed the flow of energy, redirecting the excess to the realms. It will no longer spawn monsters around it, and we can control when the waves come.”

“But…” Tresk started.

Xol’sa picked it up before she could continue. “We need to clear the dungeon just about every three days. All that energy has to go somewhere, even if I redirected most of it.”

“So, we’ll need to build the silly tower.” Tresk nodded, proud of her contribution to the conversation.

“I would like to have access to the dungeon for regular upkeep.” Xol’sa withdrew a pen and parchment from nowhere, dropping to the deck to scribble notes. “I’m recommending that we redirect resources to make the same accommodations for every other dungeon. Including the [River Dungeon].”

Theo couldn’t believe how different the Elf was acting. Moments ago, he looked as though he was going to collapse. Now, chewing on the moss with a [Vigor Potion] running through his body, he seemed like a new man. Both things were non-addictive and could be taken one after the other with no issues. There shouldn’t be a problem with that, but the alchemist needed to monitor it.

“Ziz and his guys are going to be pissed that we’re not working on the maglev,” Theo said.

“They can wait.” Xol’sa waved an impatient hand. “And you’ve been slacking on your development. You need to practice your wards more. Turn your alchemy into magic, doubling your effectiveness. Come, we need to meet with Alise before she’s buried so deep in bureaucratic crap that she has to clear the muck from her eyes.”

Theo stood at attention, offering a mock-salute. “Yes, sir.”

The Wavecrest left the massive chunk of ice to melt on its own, making its way back to town. Despite going up-river, the boat seemed to be pulled into the harbor by the power of the upgrades. When Theo disembarked from the boat, he felt himself sway on the spot. He sent his assistants off to call for an emergency meeting, something he knew Ziz would be upset about. Alise might be pissed about it, but she could deal.

“Maybe that’s why she’s always mad at you,” Tresk mused. “You’re always pulling her in every direction.”

Theo waved the thought away. “I’m the archduke, remember? I’m supposed to be a jerk.”

Without stopping for anything, Theo and his group made their way to the town hall. Sarisa reported everyone was gathering for the meeting, so they made their way to the massive meeting room on the second floor. There was now a third floor to the building, but they had not moved the meeting area. Xol’sa, Theo, Tresk, Rowan, Sarisa, and Zarali were gathered around the large table before anyone showed up. The alchemist studied the extra-planar Elf as they waited, studying his behavior. He just seemed normal.

That’s a good thing, Tresk said, reading Theo’s thoughts.

Very good! Alex put in. He looks so happy.

This might be a temporary solution. We need something long-lasting.

All members of the meeting gathered in time. Alise wasn’t annoyed at all, despite Theo’s thoughts on the matter. She was excited that the alchemist went above what he normally did to bring the group together. Ziz seemed to appreciate the break, his body covered in a sheen of slick sweat.

When Theo went to speak, Xol’sa took the reins.

“We’re gathered to go over some important facts about our dungeons,” Xol’sa started, standing from his chair and gesturing at the group. “They aren’t normal dungeons. They’re weird things connected to the heavenly realms. These dungeons need more attention than normal dungeons.”

Zarali had her hands clasped together, watching as her beloved spoke well for the first time in a while. Theo just hoped it wasn’t a momentary surge of energy, and that the potion and moss actually helped his condition. There was a pause in what the Elf said. The alchemist took that as a chance to speak.

“Ziz, can you make water-tight stonework?”

“Hells yeah I can.” The stoneworker looked manic. Theo would have questioned it, but doubted the man had slept since yesterday.

Theo laid out the plan for the underwater tower. Ziz responded as though the job would be effortless, then the table turned to discussing the practicality of defending the coast. When the conversation dragged on, Xol’sa brought it back to the subject at hand.

“Access to the dungeons is more important than defending the coast, I’m afraid,” he said with a solemn nod.

“I can expand my team to take on more jobs…” Ziz fidgeted as his thoughts gathered. “But that only goes so far. We’ll have the temple done soon enough—faster if Sledge gets off her lazy butt.”

“If our plan is to make more hand-built things, we need a larger stoneworking team,” Alise said. “We’ve had an influx of cash, and we’re expecting more traders any day.”

Theo fought the urge to steer the conversation away from the topic. But he wouldn’t steal Xol’sa’s thunder. The Elf went on with animated gestures, bouncing ideas off of Ziz for better dungeon access. Alise chipped in when she could, helping them riddle out the best approach for each one. Since there were five dungeons, there was a massive amount of work to be done.

“This might be a chance to get some migrants from Rivers and Daub.” Alise commanded the floor again.

“Migrant workers, huh?” Theo asked. “I think we have a better chance of getting the Ogres to stick around.”

“Ogres are on their way,” Alise said. “Alran has made that clear. It seems they’re not seafaring people, so it’s taking them a while.”

There was a lot to take in about their plans. Theo was feeling overwhelmed by it all. Perhaps that sensation didn’t come in a negative way. Like a rush of information flooding his mind, he needed time to process it. Snap judgements were the things he was known for, but not now. Now he could retreat into his realm for five minutes to understand what he was thinking. The alchemist took Tresk’s hand and Alex’s foot in his hands, pressing himself against the [Tero’gal Dreampassage] ability. They sensed his need and pushed with him.

“Be right back,” Theo said, vanishing from the spot.

They passed over the Bridge, which showed no changes, before landing in Tero’gal. Theo made to walk forward but stopped. Benton’s icy gate sat awkwardly on the grass, the bear god himself lingering nearby. The moment he spotted the group, he stammered, gesturing toward a figure.

The vague shape of a man, transparent and shrouded in a purple smoke, floated near the gate. It floated over the grounds of Tero’gal, coming to kneel before Theo. It looked like a ghost. The figure was only vaguely the shape of a man, showing absolutely no details. The alchemist could have been imagining the way it knelt, but then the voice came.

“Allow me into your realm,” the ghost said.

Benton ran over, grabbing at the ghost. His hands passed through, grasping nothing. “Sorry about this, Theo. I told him not to come—I really did. He followed me through your gate when I sensed you entering your realm.”

Theo looked down at the purple ghost. He could hear his heart hammering hard in his ears. It drowned out the sound of Tresk laughing. She felt it too. The Marshling knew who the ghost was. All members of the Tara’hek knew where the figure had come from and why he was here.

“Your name,” Theo said, staring down at the wayward soul. A lost spirit that had lived between the realms all this time. One that had denied its god’s request to come home after death. “What is it?”

“Come on,” Benton groaned. “Don’t do this to him, man.”

“I can handle myself,” Theo said, fixing his gaze on the bear god. But the ghost remained silent. “I can sort out the soul of Belgar without your help.”