《The Chronicles of Arz Kurana》 Chapter 1 Two Years Ago Earth¡¯s night sky was an endless stretch of stars and swirls of purple and blue. It was the only glimpse of heaven Arz could ever hope to get. ¡°What do you think is up there?¡± His daughter¡¯s question whispered in the depths of his mind. ¡°Our ancestors, I think,¡± he had answered. ¡°Living on some other planet.¡± ¡°I want to see other planets,¡± Alorala had said. Arz Kurana walked up a slope, stopping at the top where he could see all of the beautiful city of Bralincote. He had conducted more than enough experiments within the city, which is why he knew that his current attempt could result in the destruction of a hefty chunk of the city, if he messed up. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t mess up. Why would that happen? It would go fine. When he had accepted a job as an alchemist for the Guild of mages, he had told them one thing. ¡°I want to make it incredibly clear that magic isn¡¯t real.¡± They hadn¡¯t taken that well. It had earned him a healthy amount of contempt. Five years later, and he was about to become their main enemies. Arz raised a hand, waving. A squad of city guards was rushing to him. Perhaps if they weren¡¯t weighed down by armor, they would make it. The captain yelled, waved his musket, and even tried to aim the unwieldy weapon, as if any of that would stop Arz. ¡°Go fuck yourself,¡± Arz shouted, making sure his voice carried down the hill to the decorated guards of Bralincote. ¡°Okay, okay, okay,¡± he whispered to himself. It was all unprecedented, and when things hadn¡¯t been done before, one just had to wing it a bit. Arz had gathered otherworldly ingredients, along with a set of high quality matches. He had crushed space rock and meteorite metal suspended in a bottle of red oil, which he had stolen from the Guild. It wasn¡¯t really stealing when he had been the one to originally acquire the red oil from Mount Parikus. Now, with the silverwater he had just harvested from the mountains north of Bralincote, he could, hopefully, see one of those new worlds for the first time. For Alorala. ¡°Stop!¡± Higgrion shouted. The captain of the guard ran as fast as he could manage. Arz struck a match and let the flames illuminate his grin as he lit the red oil bottle. The ingredients swirled and thrummed. As the bottle began to violently shake, Arz dropped it and poured the fresh silverwater on top. When the sparkling water touched the mixture, a portal ripped through the air in front of him. Arz let out a single, haughty laugh before he was pulled off his feet and tossed into the swirling, screaming void. Present Day Colors moved through the air, billowing as if in a rainbow storm following the flowing form of a jellyfish made of shadows. Never before would Arz have considered himself afraid of a jellyfish. Something so simple and so easily avoidable, but this, as it flew through the air, was entirely different. Arz watched the colors move through the air, colliding and spiraling, like rainbows in a whirlpool. There was plenty of beauty to watch, but Arz couldn''t wait around. The jellyfish was rushing toward him, which was likely dangerous. Arz watched for as long as he could before turning and continuing to run. His running needed work as he was thoroughly aware, but what he could do was trip over the rocks and fall just in time to avoid the dangerous shadow jellyfish. The trip wasn''t intentional, though it was helpful. The jellyfish slammed into the ground in front of Arz, giving him time to scramble to his feet and fish through the items in his belt pocket. After only a moment, Arz withdrew a small vial of whirling purple liquid. The jellyfish rose from the ground shaking itself out, letting shadows billow off of it as if it was dripping the darkness itself. A stream of rainbows descended underneath the jellyfish as the shadows dissipated. Arz held up the liquid, looking through it while holding it close to his eye. In his other hand he held an orange rock that glowed softly. The rock tingled in his hand, slightly burning his skin. Not enough to truly bother him. A smirk slowly curled Arz¡¯s lips as he lifted the rock into the air. The shadow jellyfish had no eyes with which to look at Arz but if it had, he knew it would be staring straight at him, glaring a hole through his forehead. The jellyfish knew what he was going to do. Arz smashed the rock on the ground, throwing a burst of sparks into the air. At the same time he popped the cork off the purple vial and poured the shimmering liquid onto the sparks. The substances interacted and spiraled out of control, ripping a hole right through the air. The portal blocked the shadow jellyfish from Arz and gave Arz an opening to return to the realm from which he came. Arz could have simply walked through the portal and returned home, but instead he waited a moment. He waited until he knew the shadow jellyfish could hear him and then he said, ¡°Not this time, lad.¡± It was at that moment he realized that was not the thing to say. There were so many better things, so many more heroic things that could have been said. But it was too late. The jellyfish had heard how uncool Arz was. It was over. It was unrecoverable. Arz stepped through the portal, leaving the shadow jellyfish and the inhospitable world behind to return to the comfort of his somewhat luxurious home. Arz took a deep breath as soon as he stepped into the soft, crackling glow of his study. A long green-brown eel swam in a tank nearby, crackling with electricity. It swam to the edge of the tank, practically pushing its face against the glass as it spotted Arz. The portal was loud as it whirled behind him, sounding like a distant tornado. It shrunk until it vanished, leaving the study in a peaceful silence. Arz took a few steps, shedding dust with each minute movement. He sat himself in a rickety chair beside the eel tank and heaved a sigh. ¡°Sal,¡± Arz said, ¡°that was close.¡± The eel continued staring at him. Arz nodded, as if he was listening to Sal respond. ¡°I know, Sal. Reckless.¡± It was the middle of the night back on Earth. That was fine with Arz, as he was usually awake at odd hours. Who needed sunlight? His study was high in a tower. It was really a small apartment, but a study made it sound far more suitable for his endeavors. Most of the room was filled with contraptions anyway. There was a single mattress stuffed into a corner with a thin blanket on top. Sleep was a waste of time, and the one thing Arz never felt he had enough of was time. He shed off his dusty clothes and dressed in a new blue suede jacket with a bright green tie. Sal had returned to swimming around the tank, doing his normal eel things. A series of tubes connected the main tank to small containers that Sal hardly fit in, now that he was fully grown. These containers were placed beneath huge contraptions for mixing and storing different components. Arz looked at himself in the mirror and frowned. The colors didn¡¯t seem like quite the right combination, but no matter how many times his wife had explained matching, he still didn¡¯t understand. What went with what? He shrugged and left his small dressing area behind. Arz didn¡¯t need to look at himself. It wouldn¡¯t matter if he matched or not. Instead, he walked to a lectern and flipped a massive tome to the next page. It was a blank, crisp sheet of paper. ¡°Sal,¡± Arz said without looking at the eel. He filled a pen with ink, careful not to get even a single extra drop on the blank page in front of him. ¡°Do you know what I¡¯ve discovered?¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The eel swam through one of the tubes until he reached the tank underneath the lectern. The open-topped container filled the whole space of the lectern, being much taller than it was wide. Most of Sal remained in the tube leading back to his main tank. ¡°I can sense your overwhelming curiosity.¡± Arz put the pen to the page and wrote ¡®Ebdovo¡¯ in large letters. ¡°This newest discovery was not really worth my time. It was, though, colorful. Can you see colors, Sal?¡± Arz bent down, putting his face near Sal¡¯s, which hovered right at the top of the water. The eel stared back at him. ¡°I will assume you can. You would like the colors. Alorala would have liked the colors and the jellyfish, though it wasn¡¯t much different from visiting a zoo. A zoo where you might be hunted, I guess. An odd idea. I hope that doesn¡¯t exist in some realm.¡± Arz leaned back over his paper and wrote every detail he could about the newest realm, which he had decided to call Ebdovo. Was that its real name? It didn¡¯t matter. There had been nobody there to argue with him. Nobody, except for the shadow jellyfish that seemed fully intent on killing him. The problem with such aggressive creatures was the lack of knowledge. Was that the only jellyfish on Ebdovo? Was it even from that realm? There was no way to know, so Arz had to make his best assumptions. Ebdovo was currently marked as ¡®Somewhat Dangerous.¡¯ Perhaps he would go back in the future, but for now, he had to mark it off limits since he had no means to protect himself. After a short paragraph describing the adventure, Arz wrote the word ¡®Recipe¡¯ in the best handwriting he could muster. It was legible, and that was the best he could say about it. ¡°You see Sal, without you, this recipe wouldn¡¯t have worked. Should I write that you put me in danger?¡± The eel looked blankly at him, as it always did. ¡°Fine, I will say it was bad luck.¡± Arz leaned to the side, looking around the lectern at a long table in the center of his study. It was big enough to have a council meeting with the Guild of Wizards, but nobody visited Arz. Nobody he wanted to see, at least. Random ingredients were spread across the tabletop, sitting in piles or sealed in jars and vials. One jar had only a thin layer of purple paste left in it. Some hardened, crusty remains of paste stuck to the inside of the jar, showing that it had once been full. ¡°You can¡¯t be a real alchemist without paste, Sal. I think we¡¯ll need to make a trip back to the Storm Land soon.¡± Even saying that name shook Arz. He saw the stormy skies of that land every time he slept. His dreams weren¡¯t on Earth anymore. Arz finished writing about Ebdovo. Sal followed him as he moved around the study, making his way to an alchemical workshop beside a massive window. The room was cramped because of everything he had fit inside, but the ceilings were high, giving the study a roomy feel. The night sky was dark and cloudy without even a single star visible. But below, the city of Bralincote was lit by gas lamps. People traveled through the night, going to jobs or returning home from long days of work. Everyone in Bralincote worked long hours. Everyone but the Guild of Wizards. Arz¡¯s study was hundreds of feet above the street below. The other rooms in the fortress were occupied primarily by foreign emissaries and people of great wealth. They never interacted with Arz. Probably because of his smell. He lifted an arm and took a sniff of his own armpit. Arz cleared his throat loudly as Sal popped his head out of a small tank nearby. The eel tended to follow Arz all around the study. He was likely just waiting for food, but Arz liked the company. ¡°All right, Sal. We need to explore somewhere new. Preferably without a flying jellyfish that wants to eat my skull. I¡¯m not really finding anything helpful so far. What¡¯s a jellyfish need my help with? Nothing, apart from maybe getting some food. But I don¡¯t want to be that food.¡± Arz grabbed the jar of purple paste. ¡°Can¡¯t have alchemy without paste. That¡¯s what I always say, isn¡¯t it?¡± He looked at Sal, who still decided not to respond. ¡°Yeah, it is what I always say.¡± Arz grabbed a spatula and scooped some paste from the bottom of the jar, scraping the sides to get some of the crusted remains on the edge. He smeared it on a marble tablet on the workstation in front of him. The tank by the alchemy station was higher, so Sal stayed underwater, watching what Arz did on the tabletop. The paste smelled of blackberries on the verge of spoiling. It was, of course, not even from Earth and shouldn¡¯t share any properties with blackberries. But perhaps it did. Either way, it was an integral component to his experiment. Arz turned back to the long table in the center of his room. An important part of the experimentation process of alchemy was combining things that had previously not been combined. That was becoming difficult without having a chance to collect samples in the new realms he traveled to. Arz ground some black pepper onto the purple paste and leaned close. He put a pair of spectacles on that magnified his vision. There was no reaction between the two. ¡°Ah. Scrap that idea, Sal. Perhaps with something else. I need to stop trying to use black pepper for anything or I won¡¯t have any for my dinner.¡± Arz grabbed a cinnamon stick. He poked it into the purple paste and immediately a thin wisp of smoke drifted into the air. The cinnamon stick was blackened, burnt on the very end. Arz poked his own finger into the paste. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had touched it, but he wanted to make sure it wasn¡¯t hot. When it felt normal, he looked closer at the cinnamon. No further burning occurred once the connection to the paste was severed. ¡°This is an opportunity, Sal.¡± Arz smiled at the eel and grabbed a knife that was stuck in a block to the side of the work station. He chopped the cinnamon into chunks, then used the edge of the blade to smash them into even smaller chunks. Arz dumped all of the cinnamon onto the smear of purple paste. Smoke immediately billowed out as the cinnamon burned and blackened, curling into even smaller pieces. The air smelled both sweet and bitter as the smoke wafted over his face. ¡°You know, I had a recipe partially prepared before.¡± Arz looked behind him, where he had emerged not long before. ¡°I guess it was incomplete. That moonstone ore didn¡¯t react quite the way it was intended.¡± A solid knock at the door almost made Arz drop the knife on his own bare feet. Instead, he gripped the knife tighter. ¡°Come in,¡± he shouted. The door creaked open slowly. An older man with heavy shadows under his eyes walked into the room. His cheeks sagged, almost like jowls on a dog. The guard captain looked more tired every time Arz saw him. ¡°Higgrion, you look exhausted,¡± Arz said. He put the knife back in the block, regretting it as soon as he realized he hadn¡¯t cleaned it. Now the whole block would need to be cleaned. There was nothing Arz hated more than cleaning. He corrected the thought in his head. There were only two things he hated more than cleaning. Higgrion sighed heavily. ¡°Arz Kurana, you are under arrest for disobeying the laws set forth by the Guild of Wizards.¡± ¡°Oh, that can¡¯t be right.¡± Arz grabbed a chunk of stone that looked like a little shining star. The white crystal was bright and grabbed Higgrion¡¯s eye. ¡°What is that, Arz?¡± ¡°What is what?¡± While still looking at the guard captain, Arz set the moonstone ore on the workstation and grabbed a small metal hammer. ¡°Arz,¡± Higgrion said, watching Arz¡¯s hand instead of his eyes. Arz grinned and smashed the stone. Bits of moonstone flew all around, but enough of the dust stayed on the workstation. Arz quickly dropped the hammer on the ground, letting it land heavily on the wooden floor. He hated the idea of leaving a hammer-shaped dent in the wood, but he had to act quickly if he wanted to keep away from the guard and the Guild. Arz pulled a leather glove over one hand and shoved the dust into his palm. He dropped it on top of the mixture and rolled the purple paste, shining moonstone ore, black pepper, and cinnamon mixture together. It formed a little purple log that continued spewing smoke. ¡°Arz, how many times have we done this?¡± Higgrion took a few steps forward, adjusting his grip on his musket as if he was inspecting it. ¡°Uh.¡± Arz looked back at his tome. ¡°I know I wrote it down.¡± Higgrion held a musket that was already loaded and ready to fire. The barrel pointed to the high ceilings of Arz¡¯s study, so Arz wasn¡¯t worried about the guard firing on him. At least, not yet. Sal swam through the tubes until he arrived closest to the door. Higgrion spared a moment to watch the eel, then turned his attention back to Arz. ¡°Can we get this over with?¡± ¡°Who sent you this time?¡± ¡°Jaralath.¡± Higgrion let the musket fall into a more comfortable position in his hands. The barrel pointed at the ground. Arz kept looking at it. He had had enough bad run-ins with less experienced guards who scared themselves with misfires. Arz casually lifted the log of ingredients and sniffed. It smelled rancid even with the smell of cinnamon. ¡°Jaralath has to grow bored of this at some point, right?¡± He took a long step over to the ingredients table. ¡°I doubt it, Arz. Your bounty will only go up if you run again. Just come with me.¡± Arz stared right at Higgrion as he reached across the table and grabbed two small vials of shimmering purple liquid. He slid them into his suede jacket pocket, then grabbed another vile of brown-orange dust. ¡°Arz,¡± Higgrion said, bringing the gun up. ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t do this again. I don¡¯t want to kill you.¡± ¡°Jaralath and the Guild of Wizards can call themselves whatever they want. You do realize there is no such thing as magic. Does magic exist?¡± Higgrion aimed the musket at Arz. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°You know it doesn¡¯t,¡± Arz said as he took a step back to his work station. ¡°It was a rhetorical question, so thank you for not answering. See, alchemy isn¡¯t all that difficult. It is mostly an experiment. But even those ¡°Wizards¡± as you call them can¡¯t complete the most basic alchemical formula. Meanwhile, I just found another recipe to open a portal.¡± ¡°Arz,¡± Higgrion said more seriously. His eyes seemed to focus and his face hardened as he took aim with the musket. ¡°You see, it was shining moonstone ore that I needed. Although, regular moonstone ore still did take me somewhere. Just, uh, jellyfish aren¡¯t my thing.¡± Sal swam back through the tubes, ending up at the open-topped container beside the workstation. Behind his back, Arz popped the cap off the vial filled with orange-brown dust. The storm dust was valuable, but necessary. He reached out and poured the entire vial onto the purple paste. The smoke drifting off screamed. ¡°Sal,¡± Arz said. ¡°Go ahead.¡± The eel stuck his head out and shocked the smoke. The screaming grew even louder as it ripped a hole through the air. ¡°Bye, Higgrion,¡± Arz said as he stepped through the portal. ¡°Dammit, Arz. Stop running!¡± The guard¡¯s voice drifted away as the portal closed behind him, leaving Arz in a new, unfamiliar realm. Chapter 2 ¡°Shit,¡± Arz said. The world around him was barren. If only that had been the first time. So many places he had been were barren and boring. He considered using a return portal immediately, but there was a good chance Higgrion would wait. Instead, Arz decided to take a stroll. It wouldn¡¯t matter where he went. Portals only ever opened at one spot in each realm. He could walk across this entire realm and still take a portal straight back to his study. The sky was yellow and looked toxic, though the air smelled clear and clean. Everything was brown and dry, covered in vertisols. Arz crouched and ran his hand over the dry ground, seeing if it would crumble to dust. It wasn¡¯t soil like he was used to on Earth. Each realm seemed to have its own ground composition that could be helpful for future experiments. ¡°Hopefully Higgrion didn¡¯t fire.¡± Arz jabbed his finger into the dirt until some of it crumbled. ¡°Sal wouldn¡¯t like it.¡± He used a vial to scoop the bit of dust in and sealed it with a cork. There were a dozen vials in the pocket on his belt, organized into four sections of three vials. It was always good to keep at least three return vials, because it was impossible to predict what might happen, even for Arz. Three glowing orange rocks stacked on top of each other in his inner jacket pocket. The fabric was thin enough that they sizzled and tingled the skin on his chest. It wasn¡¯t more than a little discomfort. Arz stared at the brown dust in the vial. He had trouble deciding what to do without thinking out loud, which had caused him some difficulties before. The Guild of Wizards specifically had been annoyed when Arz had thought through the reasons he didn¡¯t like them while they were all present. It wasn¡¯t his best habit, but it was one proven to work. ¡°This was an easy recipe.¡± He walked on, shaking the dust in the vial. There hadn¡¯t been much to collect, and it didn¡¯t feel worth the effort to collect something that might not be more than a little bit of dirt. ¡°I need to give Higgrion time to go home, but there¡¯s nothing here.¡± The ground was warm on his bare feet. It was easy to assume there was a sun somewhere above, but the thick yellow sky hid any sign of a sun or stars. Arz walked aimlessly for a while before finally stopping. ¡°Where am I?¡± He pulled a small notebook and a little pencil from the other side of his jacket. Everything would eventually be transferred to the tome in his study, but sometimes it was necessary to take notes while exploring. What if he forgot something? Not that he would. Arz never forgot anything. At least, not anything he remembered. Clouds of yellow gasses moved underneath the dimmer, paler yellow sky. Arz watched the clumps of gas that acted like clouds. ¡°If anything is worth gathering here, it¡¯s that.¡± The land in every direction was flat and cracked, just as it was directly beneath his feet. There was nowhere else to go. Arz sighed and sat down. He leaned back, lacing his fingers together to rest his head on. There was nothing better to do than sleep. It was night on Earth, and he wasn¡¯t concerned about being attacked while resting on the lifeless plain. Fire roared in the dark night. Smoke hung over Bralincote like a murderous storm. Arz dropped his papers and fell running down the street. Blood dripped onto his torn sleeves. Within the fire, they screamed. Arz sat up with tears in his eyes. Whatever sun had been hiding high in the sky had set, leaving a blanket of stars above the lifeless realm. Arz sighed, quickly realizing he didn¡¯t recognize any of them. ¡°All I need is that one answer.¡± He pulled his notebook out and jotted a few lines down. ¡°Is this a different planet or a different realm?¡± He put his pencil away and reread the lines he had just written. ¡°I can¡¯t keep using the word realm forever. It sounds ignorant.¡± Yellow clouds continued drifting through the air, too high for Arz to reach. Perhaps he would come back, but it would only be once he had figured out a way to harvest those. There was no real way to tell how long he had slept for. The day and night cycle could be very different from what he was used to. And there was no visible sun to track. Arz yawned and felt his skin ache for the first time. He gently pressed a hand to his cheek and scowled at the heat. Sunburn. His worst enemy. Arz withdrew a purple vial and an orange rock. He had some salve somewhere in the study for the burns. He tossed the rock onto the ground, sending up a cloud of sparks. He poured the purple liquid onto the sparks and took a half step back as the portal tore through reality. The warm glow of the rising sun greeted Arz, followed by a musket butt to the chest. Arz steadied himself by grabbing Higgrion¡¯s cheek. The portal was still open behind him, a whirling pool of darkness. Arz¡¯s pale skin couldn¡¯t take more time in the sun. Higgrion shoved Arz¡¯s hand away as the portal closed, forcing Arz to sit beside the lectern. Sal swam into the nearby container and pressed his face against the glass. ¡°Oh, Sal, you¡¯re safe. Good.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d hurt an animal?¡± Higgrion asked as he aimed the musket at Arz¡¯s chest. ¡°Now, Higgrion, I don¡¯t mean to demean you, but you are aware the two of us are animals. All humans are, in fact, animals.¡± Arz reached inside his jacket pocket. Higgrion placed his finger on the trigger. ¡°I¡¯ll shoot.¡± Arz put his hands up. ¡°You know, there are about a million things I need to do. Even the things I don¡¯t need to do sound more fun than visiting Jaralath. Can I, perhaps, clean a latrine with my tongue instead?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t look around, did you?¡± Behind Higgrion, Arz could only see the massive window looking out on Bralincote. That gave him a bad feeling. If Higgrion was confident, then Arz really was in a bad position. ¡°May I stand?¡± ¡°Keep your hands up.¡± Arz tried to stand with his hands raised and lost his balance, falling back onto the lectern. ¡°Fine, pushing yourself up,¡± Higgrion muttered. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gracious.¡± Arz grabbed the lectern near where his tome rested and pulled himself to his feet. An entire squad of city guards stood in the opening to Arz¡¯s study, spilling out into the fortress beyond. ¡°Okay, Higgrion, we¡¯re both aware their aim is probably as horrendous as your love life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m married, Arz.¡± ¡°Hm. This is the first time I¡¯m hearing about this. Is it new?¡± ¡°Thirty-five years.¡± ¡°She must truly know what suffering is.¡± ¡°Start walking. If those hands move at all¡ª¡± ¡°I know,¡± Arz interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re going to show me how tough you are.¡± He walked down the small set of stairs to the long dining table in the middle of the room. Arz lingered for a moment before pivoting around. ¡°As you can see, my skin is properly burnt. There is some salve here for¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Arz rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine.¡± A guard approached, nodding to Higgrion as he hesitantly came closer. They had certainly heard stories of Arz, but if they came from Jaralath or Higgrion, Arz couldn¡¯t be sure what they would¡¯ve heard. Were they scared of Arz or Higgrion? ¡°Take his belt and jacket,¡± Higgrion commanded. The guard reached out, looking at Arz as if asking for permission. Arz winked. ¡°Dangerous stuff in there.¡± The guard¡¯s scowl deepened as he undid the belt latch. Glass clinked as the vials were jumbled, causing the guard to flinch in fear. ¡°Could explode,¡± Arz said casually. He took off his own jacket and handed it over. ¡°What if there¡¯s a breeze?¡± ¡°Then I will haul your frozen corpse to the Wizards.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t call them that.¡± The nearby guard shackled Arz¡¯s hands behind his back. It irritated his shoulder, but it didn¡¯t seem worth mentioning. Higgrion was probably itching for a reason to shoot. The journey through the fortress and down the incredible spiral staircase went faster than Arz remembered. It had been a few weeks since he had left his study by any means other than a portal. He only had six portals logged, apart from his return ones. There were a few others, such as the one he had just returned from, that were logged for formulas to adjust, but not for destinations. Though that could be a decent place to escape to. Escapopolis. He would need to write that down as soon as he returned to the study. Arz hadn¡¯t even needed to get food lately with all the dehydrated, preserved foods stored around his residence. Sal would eat just about anything, and there were a few rare times that Arz had found something in one of the realms. His hope was to find a portal that led into the marketplace of Bralincote so he could buy food without ever having to go up or down the stairs. What a dream it would be. The Guild of Wizards, as they so grandly called themselves, was in the direct center of the city. They wanted their presence to be known. ¡°Where do you think the Wizards have their meetings?¡± Arz asked the guard escorting him. There were guards on all sides, completely surrounding him, but only one had a hand on his shackles, guiding him in the correct direction. ¡°Do you not know?¡± the guard asked. The man looked young enough, but Arz still expected him to catch onto the sarcasm. ¡°Uh, no.¡± A hand pointed out past Arz. ¡°That building.¡± It was by far the biggest building in Bralincote. All around them were towering structures of brick and metal, but in the center of the city, not terribly far from Arz¡¯s study, was a monstrosity. It was a mismatched limestone and marble structure almost twice as tall as any other building. The Prime Wizard building was a box with towers in each corner. One of the most famous pieces of the building was the incredibly detailed stained glass windows depicting some rather lewd images. These windows dominated each face of the Prime Wizard building, taking up almost the entire side. Arz always found it odd that the council leading the biggest city in the northern hemisphere worked under a window depicting oral sex. Was there no shame? ¡°And what does that window represent?¡± Arz asked the young man. ¡°Um . . .¡± The man leaned a little closer. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know but it looks like¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, I know what it looks like. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Jarreth.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Jarreth. Shame to know your parents hated you from the moment you were born.¡± ¡°I was an orphan, sir.¡± Arz coughed and cleared his throat. ¡°Yes, well . . . Nice to meet you. If you used one word to describe the windows on the Prime Wizard building, what would you choose?¡± ¡°Pornographic.¡± ¡°Fitting.¡± Arz let Jarreth and the city guards guide him the rest of the way without incident. He had a few ideas of ways in which to escape, but that would only cause Higgrion to hang around his study more often. He needed to wait for the right moment. They marched up the grand limestone staircase. There were people all around, watching the procession pass. None of them knew who Arz was. Why would they? Any attention on him would be attention away from the Wizards, and they loved attention. It was the best way to keep them focused on other issues. If the people of Bralincote were worried about Arz, then Higgrion would have grabbed him months sooner. Heavy stone doors three times taller than Arz were pulled open as they approached. They ground on the marble floor, running over worn grooves from the same repeated action. The Prime Wizard building was an incredible feat of architecture, even if there were some questionable design choices. The ceiling was so far above that the colorful glass on the ceiling looked like it was an aurora dancing in the night sky. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Let him go in alone,¡± Higgrion said behind Arz. The whole procession slowed to a stop in front of two more grand stone doors. Jarreth grabbed the shackles, but was stopped by Higgrion. ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to move his hands.¡± ¡°It helps me talk.¡± ¡°Shame it doesn¡¯t stop you from talking altogether.¡± The doors to the Guild chamber scraped open, grinding stone on stone as they slowly swung inward. A crystal table full of old people stared at him from inside, and behind them was the image of a man and a woman having an interesting night, forever frozen in glass. Arz chuckled to himself as he walked in. The doors closed behind him, grinding loudly as they fit back into place. ¡°I have to say, it is always humbling to stand before such a massive penis.¡± Arz smiled broadly at the Guild. At the head of the blue-crystal table was a man with long white hair and an even longer, even whiter beard. His skin was crinkled and weathered, and his eyes were piercing blue, nearing white. He was the embodiment of old. His stomach protruded despite his best efforts to hide it. The old man had been slim when Arz first met him, but that was a long time ago. Every other member of the Guild looked up at the stained glass image, but Jaralath, the oldest of the Wizards, stared straight at Arz. ¡°Finally, the famed alchemist visits.¡± Jaralath¡¯s voice boomed in the room, echoing up to the sky-like ceiling. ¡°Where?¡± Arz feigned looking behind him and around the room. The other seven Guild members looked back at Arz with disdain. Or contempt. He couldn¡¯t quite tell what it was, but he knew it wasn¡¯t joy. Or love. Or really anything positive. ¡°The Guild of Wizards charges Arz Kurana with treason against the natural order,¡± Jaralath said, still staring daggers at Arz. ¡°Okay,¡± Arz said. He meandered up to the open end of the table. ¡°I understand the charges, but I would love to know who the Wizards are.¡± Jaralath¡¯s face morphed from anger to just hatred. That was the face Arz was more familiar with. ¡°We are all aware of your criticisms of our organization,¡± Ellazahl said. She sat to Jaralath¡¯s right with perfect posture and composure. Arz thought perhaps Jaralath should reconsider the seating arrangements because his proximity to Ellazahl only made him look more haggard. She was well put together for such an old person. ¡°I have to say it is more than just criticism. If I called myself an eagle, well, that wouldn¡¯t be accurate, would it? I don¡¯t have wings or a beak. I might be a little overdo for a nail trimming, but they certainly aren¡¯t talons. If you¡¯re a Wizard, I would expect some type of magic. Even the slightest bit. If your little puppet guard would¡¯ve let me grab some things before heading here, I would¡¯ve brought a stick I found once that you could¡¯ve used as a wand to demonstrate some of your nifty little spells.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t use wands,¡± a stone-faced woman said. Her voice was deep and serious, as always. Sarcasm didn¡¯t seem to register with her. ¡°Ogatharix, I was kidding. You don¡¯t use anything because you can¡¯t use any spells.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Jaralath shouted. ¡°You continually waste our time hunting you down.¡± Arz gasped, feigning shock. ¡°Me? Wasting your time? No, no, no, Mister Wizard, you are wasting your own time. I am doing more than all eight of you combined, and I don¡¯t even call myself a Wizard. Did you notice that? I have seen other realms and fought things beyond your comprehension. And guess what? There isn¡¯t even a hint of magic involved.¡± Arz thought of dodging the jellyfish, or falling asleep out in the sun. Perhaps those things weren¡¯t beyond their comprehension. The Storm Land wasn¡¯t something he could easily explain, and the rest of the realms he had found had been mundane at best, but they didn¡¯t need to know that. They knew of the real reason Arz ripped holes in the universe. ¡°Have you found what you¡¯re looking for?¡± Jaralath asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. ¡°No.¡± Arz clenched his jaw. He shook his hands causing the cuffs to jingle. ¡°Is this necessary? What are you so scared of?¡± ¡°You,¡± Adrezor said. He was the tallest of the Guild and always looked like he was growing out of his clothes. They were all too short for him, though Arz was certain the man had met plenty of tailors in his long life. ¡°You are unpredictable, Arz.¡± Arz glared at the Wizard, trying to stop himself from grinding his teeth. ¡°Unpredictable? That¡¯s the best you have? What a joke. I¡¯m plenty predictable. You¡¯re all just too busy shoving your heads up each other¡¯s asses to notice. Let me out of these cuffs and I¡¯ll send you to a barren world to die alone.¡± The Guild watched Arz in stunned silence. ¡°Arz Kurana,¡± Jaralath finally said, ¡°We brought you here for a reason. Every time you travel, you threaten Bralincote.¡± He exchanged looks with the Guild. ¡°No, you threaten the Earth. Your portals could bring danger upon us or destroy the world itself. Under the authority of the Guild of Wizards . . .¡± Jaralath took a deep breath and stood. ¡°You are hereby sentenced to death.¡± Arz rolled his eyes. ¡°Why would I waste my time?¡± That question earned silence and more than a few confused looks. ¡°I¡¯ve got places to go,¡± Arz said. ¡°I made a promise, and it wasn¡¯t to any of you.¡± ¡°Stop this foolishness. You will be hanged for crimes against the natural order in front of the steps tomorrow.¡± Jaralath scanned the Guild before letting his gaze slowly return to Arz. ¡°Do you have any words for us?¡± ¡°How many of you are going to lick my ass while I hang?¡± Arz asked. Jaralath¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°How dare you?¡± Ellazahl said, slamming her hands on the table as her face twisted in anger. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not capable of it. I stretch, but come on. Flexibility like that is unheard of. Can you imagine?¡± Arz looked into the air and sighed as if he was dreaming something amazing. ¡°You are disgusting,¡± Upovira said. She had her hand on her pommel, ready to draw her sword. Arz rolled his eyes. She didn¡¯t even have a firearm. If he needed more reasons to believe the Guild were behind the times, Upovira was it. ¡°Are you looking forward to rotting?¡± Trallos asked. He stifled a yawn and looked at Arz with eyes that screamed boredom. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to a lot of things. It¡¯s just, uh, one of those things isn¡¯t seeing any of you.¡± Arz shook the shackles. ¡°Any chance we can remove these now? I¡¯d love to wave my goodbyes.¡± ¡°Take him away, Captain,¡± Jaralath commanded. He wouldn¡¯t even look at Arz as the guard captain dragged him away. Arz let himself be dragged from the room. There was no reason to rush. His belt was helpful, but he could survive without it. He had several others still hidden around the study. Higgrion shoved him into the wall as soon as they were outside the Guild chamber. ¡°You moron!¡± ¡°Me?¡± Higgrion scowled. ¡°You can¡¯t get any of this through your head, can you? Jaralath wanted to help you. He thought you were capable of greatness.¡± ¡°Of what?¡± Arz asked, playing dumb. He fought the urge to roll his eyes, knowing full well that Higgrion would simply punch him in the face. ¡°You¡¯re going to a cell now.¡± ¡°Great. I need a nap.¡± Higgrion gritted his teeth and shoved Arz forward, heading toward a dark staircase that led under the Prime Wizard building. The cells below got no light and were the most secure in all of Bralincote. Nobody could escape it. Well, almost nobody. ¡°Search him,¡± Higgrion commanded. A guard patted Arz¡¯s legs down and found nothing. They reached into his jacket and fumbled around, poking things and patting others. Arz fought to keep the smirk off his face. Everyone hated the smirk. It never really did manage to help him keep things secret. ¡°He¡¯s clean,¡± the guard said. ¡°Take him down.¡± Higgrion shoved Arz away, handing him off to the next guard. ¡°Your hanging will be during the sunset tomorrow.¡± The captain stormed back to the Guild Chamber, probably hoping for an opportunity to complain about Arz. The guards were silent as they guided Arz down a series of stairs, winding back and forth, taking sharp turns, and driving him deeper into the darkness beneath the Prime Wizard building. ¡°Is this worth our time?¡± Arz asked. Nobody responded. Higgrion had warned the guards. It was boring. Finally, they arrived at a hallway lit by a single flickering torch. It was damp with empty cells on both sides of the hallway. There was another door at the far end. ¡°What¡¯s down there?¡± Arz asked. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know.¡± The guard opened the first cell and shoved Arz inside. They undid the shackles and slammed the door. As soon as the guard put the keys into a pocket, Arz let the smirk slide onto his face. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± the guard asked. Arz reached into his jacket pocket and pushed aside a hidden flap. He pulled out a vial of shimmering liquid and a sparkstone. It was uncomfortable keeping the sparkstone so close to his armpit, pushed so far into the fabric, but it had its benefits. ¡°No,¡± the guard shouted. He immediately reached into his pocket and started fumbling with his keys. ¡°Oh, too late.¡± Arz smashed the sparkstone on the ground and popped the top off the vial. ¡°Tell Higgrion I said it was a nice try.¡± He poured the liquid onto the sparks and tore a hole through the air. Arz reached to the side and waved, making sure the guards could see it as Arz stepped through the portal. He appeared in his study and took a deep breath of fresh air. That damp prison air was too much for even a single breath. ¡°Sal,¡± Arz said as the eel swam into the container near the lectern. ¡°How¡¯s my friend?¡± Arz clapped his hands together and calmly walked through his study, past the ingredients table, past his bed, and over to the door. He closed it, locked it, barred it, added another lock, and then put a chair in front, just for good measure. ¡°You think this will work?¡± he asked. Sal didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Yeah, I think it will too.¡± Arz grabbed a piece of salted fish off the ingredients table and brushed some orange dust off it. A quick sniff told him it was still good to eat, so he took a big bite. It was flavorful, even if that flavor wasn¡¯t particularly pleasant. ¡°We have some work to do,¡± Arz said around the fish. He tore a chunk off and dropped it in Sal¡¯s container. ¡°Two half failures makes one full failure. So, let¡¯s find a success this time.¡± Arz stopped at his workstation and scowled. ¡°Is that right? Arithmetic isn¡¯t the same as alchemy, you know.¡± Sal didn¡¯t criticize him. Or even comment. Eels didn¡¯t talk. ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± Arz took the jar of purple paste and smeared another streak onto the workstation. He would have enough for two or three more trials, then he would need to hop back to the Storm Trees. Sal swam in circles in the nearby container, ready to zap when Arz needed it. He appreciated Sal¡¯s willingness to help. Finding jolts of electricity in everyday life would be difficult. ¡°Alright.¡± Arz left the paste smeared and returned the jar to the vast table of ingredients. He stuffed a few vials of purple return potions and a few orange sparkstones to his jacket pocket. ¡°Oh,¡± he said as he crouched and grabbed a new belt from beneath the table. ¡°I hope Higgrion enjoys the scraps left in that belt.¡± He said it, trying to convince himself he was fine losing any amount of ingredients. Every little thing could matter in the end, and there was no chance the guard captain would ever understand that. Arz stuffed a few sticks of jerky in the belt and zipped it shut. ¡°What do I use?¡± Each ingredient had value, some more than others. Vials of silverwater and red oil were particularly expensive, especially when Arz couldn''t gather them himself. He had jars of Storm Dust, Rainbow Salt, and different colored sparkstones sitting beside chunks of both shining and regular moonstone ore. There were a ton of normal household ingredients spread around as well, but those could be used without concern. Basil wasn¡¯t difficult to acquire. One jar stood out. It caught Arz¡¯s eye in a way the other ingredients hadn¡¯t. Celestial Essence. He picked it up and held it an inch from his face. The fog spun slowly inside the jar, even without wind to disrupt it. ¡°Celestial Essence could be used for something,¡± Arz mumbled, knowing Sal wouldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°The fog of the willow trees. Difficult to capture. It reacts strongly to silverwater.¡± Arz set the jar down and grabbed a vial of silverwater. The shining liquid even looked expensive. It was really nothing more than water with silver fully mixed in, but it was nearly impossible to naturally make. Silverwater was only easily extractable in one place. ¡°Is it worth it, Sal?¡± Arz asked himself. Celestial Essence and silverwater reacted strongly, and that could be enough to kickstart a full recipe. He exhaled through his nose, doing his best to not fog up the glass around him. ¡°Here we go.¡± Arz set the silverwater on the workstation and placed the Celestial Essence nearby. ¡°What if . . .¡± He dropped one last vial. This one was smaller than the others. He only had three total, including the one he was holding. There was a single drop of water inside. Right now, it looked normal and clear. When it was around firelight, it glowed like the sun. Arz set the vial near the others and hurried to his lectern. Higgrion and others would be arriving soon, and he would rather not be present. Even if they waited for him again. He opened the tome to a new page and grabbed a pen. New Recipe - Unnamed - Yet to be tested
  1. About a tablespoon of Storm Tree Paste - Intention of Opening a Portal
  2. A jar of Celestial Essence - We¡¯ll say about an ounce. Weighing fog is difficult. The willow fog can only be estimated - need to improve measurements later
  3. Silverwater - An entire vial - About 3 drams - Used to react with Celestial Essence
  4. ¡ª---
Arz stared at the page. Even imagining using one of his Drops of Heaven was painful. Each drop was worth a fortune on its own. If he was wrong and this recipe didn¡¯t work, he would be down one very valuable ingredient. There was a chance he would never see another outside the three in his possession. They were difficult to collect, and most people weren¡¯t even willing to go to the volcano where they formed. He sighed and continued.
  1. One Drop of Heaven added once the mixture is fully integrated into the Storm Tree paste.
Based on earlier tests, a Drop of Heaven should react with the Storm Tree. Fire and Storm Tree leaves have an incredible reaction unlike anything naturally occurring on Earth. The Drop of Heaven should take that reaction to a higher level. The two separate reactions occurring, with the Storm Tree leaf as a portal base, should easily tear a hole right before my eyes. If I don¡¯t return, Sal is my sole inheritor. The Guild of Wizards has no claim on my stuff. Only Sal. Arz closed the tome, grabbed the various ingredients, and returned to his workstation. Notes were useful more for helping Arz keep his thoughts in order than for teaching anyone how to make the recipes. He hoped Jaralath wouldn¡¯t grow bold enough to simply steal the tome, but that was always a possibility. A full raid on Arz¡¯s study would be quite the haul, if they were ever smart enough to do it. ¡°Alright.¡± Arz took the top off the jar and poured the Celestial Essence onto the paste. The fog floated down, heavier than the air, and settled on the purple surface. Arz¡¯s heartbeat sped up as he grabbed the silverwater. The thrill was from a mix of the expensive nature of the item and the unknown result of what would happen. There was excitement in each experiment, but that was closely followed by fear. If he found himself truly lost or hopeless, what would he do? He knew he was smart. That much was obvious. But last time he had been stranded, Arz was helpless for weeks. Was all of this danger worth it? Would Alorala be proud? ¡°Fuck it,¡± Arz said, dumping the silverwater onto the fog. His mind cleared as the silverwater hung, suspended in the air as it was pulled into rivulets that ran through the Celestial Essence. ¡°Perfect, Sal.¡± Arz grinned as the mixture settled. The silverwater pulled the Celestial Essence down until it all rested flat on the paste. ¡°Time to roll.¡± Rolling the paste was much like kneading dough. It was a skill Arz hadn¡¯t realized he had. Ziylara had taught him years ago, but he had only ever half paid attention. He was a scientist after all, why would he need to know how to knead? Arz¡¯s smile faded as he imagined Ziylara¡¯s lessons. She never stopped teaching him. Never stopped showing him the wonders of everyday life, of the things right before his eyes. The purple mixture was fully kneaded. Silver lines ran through the purple paste while fog drifted out, but hovered nearby. Arz grabbed a knife and cut the mixture into even slices. If he was right, he had just made enough for five different portals. Arz picked up a nearby vial and smashed the mixture into it, leaving a little room at the top. For cream, he thought, though drinking the mixture would certainly kill him. Silverwater was especially deadly. Celestial Essence wasn¡¯t too great on the body either. And Storm Tree leaves couldn¡¯t be good for a human¡¯s digestion either. It would be better not to eat it. ¡°See you soon, Sal,¡± Arz said. He held the portal potion and a cork in one hand, and the tiny vial of a Drop of Heaven in the other. ¡°If I¡¯m wrong, I¡¯m selling you to make up for the used Drop.¡± The eel didn¡¯t respond. Probably because he was offended. Arz used his thumb to toss the cork off the small vial. The little drop of water looked so ordinary at the moment. He poured it into the other vial and topped it with a cork immediately. The Drop of Heaven flared brightly as soon as it touched the mixture. The glass became incredibly hot, almost forcing Arz to drop it on the ground. Instead, he ground his teeth and stepped back, giving himself room to open the portal without accidentally pulling something else in. Glass shattered, cutting deep into his hand. Arz screamed as the molten mixture ran over his palm, searing the glass cuts closed. A portal appeared as the mixture fell, as if the broken vial cut a gash through reality. Arz pulled his injured hand to his chest as the portal pulled him inside. Chapter 3 Many portals opened on the ground. This one did not. Arz fell a few feet, landing heavily on solid ground. His first instinct was to curl up, still cradling his hand. It burned like he had held it in a fire for an hour. He whimpered and sucked in air, fighting the pain of landing from a hard fall and from being attacked by his own experiment. After a minute, Arz used his good hand to push himself up. He didn¡¯t even bother looking at his right hand. Seeing the seared flesh wouldn¡¯t help him focus. He needed to assess, and quickly. ¡°What,¡± Arz said breathlessly. A whole city covered the horizon. It was less than a mile away, standing taller than even the fortress in which he lived. But the buildings were all made of metal and glass. The city was grander than anything Arz had ever laid his eyes on, but there was one specific thing that stood out. What looked like a bubble encased the entire city, and that bubble had a shimmering gray-purple edge that looked like it was violently torn. Arz scrambled to his feet, looking up at the massive skyscrapers. There was never a building so tall on Earth. The land around him was covered in rocky mounds with thin, twisted trees that looked petrified. There was no green or wildlife visible. No flowers or color. ¡°Oh, Sal,¡± Arz whispered. ¡°Where did I end up?¡± The nearest metal skyscraper crumbled, shattering into millions of pieces that rained down on the lesser buildings around it, before those too crumbled to dust. Arz stood motionless, watching the whole catastrophe right before his eyes. A cloud of dust rushed out from the collapse, but it was contained to the shimmering bubble. Within moments, framing for a new structure appeared, rising higher and higher until the whole skyscraper was being built again right before his eyes. Arz carefully approached. The hard surface he had landed on was a paved road made from something that seemed far more durable than the cobblestones used in Bralincote. If he took a sample, perhaps he could find a way to help some people back home. Arz crouched on the road and ran his fingers along the pavement. It was rough, almost rocky. Too solid to break a piece off. He had the recipe. He could always return once he healed his hand. By the time Arz looked back at the city, the massive skyscraper stood tall again, nearly completed. The last pieces were fitted into place right before his eyes. Smaller buildings rose around it until the city was thriving again. It took Arz a while to approach the edge of the bubble, and by the time he could reach out to touch it, the skyscraper collapsed again. It was looping in a cycle from its birth to its death. What would happen if he touched it? Arz hovered his hand nearby, keeping it within inches of touching the shimmering bubble. It didn¡¯t feel like anything. It didn¡¯t sound like anything. Everything trapped inside was just that . . . trapped. He couldn¡¯t risk it. Not at the moment, at least. There was a whole realm, or planet or something, to explore. Getting caught in a time loop would only delay him. And who else would feed Sal? Arz followed the paved road away from the looping city. It cut through the rocky mounds, following a distinct, yet unclear path through the land. The massive city stayed on Arz¡¯s side the whole time, and it wasn¡¯t long before another city was visible in the distance. It too was trapped in a time bubble, looping from creation to destruction. The rest of the planet seemed stable, but still lifeless. What did the time bubbles do to the rest of the life? Was it as easy as things trapped inside stayed inside forever? Something pounded on the pavement nearby. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to shake the ground beneath Arz¡¯s feet, but it was loud enough to clearly reach his ears. He froze, waiting as the buildings nearby collapsed and formed again. It was rhythmic, as if something was walking. The road curved around a mound, hiding whatever moved beyond. As Arz stopped and listened, he realized it wasn¡¯t that loud. Everything else was just so quiet. Not a single sound escaped the bubbled cities. Even his breathing felt loud compared to the world around him. Arz stayed on the edge of the road, near the bubble, as the sound grew closer. He ran through ideas in his head.
  1. It is a monster. That was common enough in his travels.
  2. It is a natural event, which could be harmless in the grand picture, especially compared to the massive looping bubbles nearby.
  3. Arz had no idea. That was the worst option. How often did he not have an idea? Ideas were his thing.
A metal man appeared around the corner. His head was an oval with four glowing blue eyes. He had four arms, each wrapped around what looked like an advanced musket. It glowed with a gentle green, but Arz knew what a weapon looked like. The man¡¯s two legs cracked the ground as it stationed itself and pointed the glowing musket right at Arz. The words that came from it were jumbled, clearly a language Arz had yet to hear. ¡°I¡¯m harmless,¡± he shouted, throwing his hands into the air. The metal man said something else before his musket glowed brighter. ¡°Fuck,¡± Arz shouted, ducking just as a beam passed over his head. He scrambled along the pavement, rubbing his injured hand on the rough floor as he ran. The beams continued passing over his head, blasting against the shimmering bubble. They fizzled out as they struck. Arz continued running. He didn¡¯t need to find out what it would do to his flesh. He managed to duck behind a rocky mound right as another beam passed by. It burned through the mound, leaving a gouge in the stone with molten edges. ¡°Fuck,¡± Arz muttered again as he dropped to the ground. Another beam exploded above him, tossing stones out in a blast. ¡°I¡¯m a friendly,¡± Arz yelled. The metal man said something in return, but Arz still failed to understand it. He half crawled, half ran along the ground, ignoring the exploding pain in his right hand as he pushed against the rough pavement. The metal man continued talking, seemingly saying the same thing each time. Arz didn¡¯t understand any of it. More beams blasted overhead, leaving a trail of green light behind them. The metal footsteps came to a halt as Arz continued crawling on the ground. He stopped and slowly looked up until he stared right into the metal man¡¯s glowing blue eyes. They were like discs without pupils. It was impossible to tell if the metal man was actually looking at Arz or not, but the glowing tip of the gun was pointed right at his chest. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Arz turned and fell onto his bottom. Dust puffed out from under him on the hard ground as the metal man repeated the same thing again. The metal man¡¯s four arms were skeletal, little more than metal rods with thin strands like veins coiling around each arm. One arm had a tear in the coil, causing the veins to move away from the metal rod. The end of that hand had a finger that twitched, tapping the side of the gun. There seemed to be no sign that this thing was organic. No organs, no fluids. Nothing that would point Arz in the direction of a living creature. Yet, it still talked and probably threatened him. Its torso was similar to the bone structure of a human¡¯s, but the abdomen was a mess of coiled strands splitting off from a larger spine-like structure. It reminded Arz of the roots of a tree. Before Arz had a chance to observe more of the man, the damaged hand clenched the gun. It unexpectedly fired, shooting a beam right past Arz. Even the metal man seemed surprised for a stunned moment. Arz reached into his belt and grabbed an orange sparkstone. It tingled in his palm. The metal man aimed the gun again, letting its injured hand hang to the side. A list of possibilities ran through Arz¡¯s mind in a split second.
  1. The sparkstone would disrupt the weapon¡¯s functions
  2. The sparkstone could injure the creature, if not kill it outright. A human would be severely maimed from a sparkstone.
  3. It would harmlessly bounce off and Arz would die.
Some possibilities were better than others, but a true scientist considered all possibilities all of the time. Arz threw the sparkstone the best he could. Throwing was never his best action, he leaned more toward grinding with a mortar and pestle. The orange stone struck the metal man right in the chest and exploded into a cloud of sparks. Arz didn¡¯t wait to see if it had worked or not. He turned and ran over the mounds. The same unfamiliar words were repeated behind him, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to try to decipher them anymore. All the times he had heard it previously hadn¡¯t gotten him anywhere. After a few mounds, Arz was beginning to expect the whole landscape looked the exact same. A dry, rocky appearance. Something gray. He was embarrassed to have the thought. Something gray. Not ¡°what makes it gray?¡± No, he couldn¡¯t be bothered. It was gray and boring, and not a place he wanted to die. He skidded to a stop atop the last mound, almost sliding over the edge. Land dropped off before him into a blue-black crystallized glass. The entire canyon and the land beyond was made of the same material. What little light there was reflected off the uneven crystal-like ground far below. ¡°Shit,¡± Arz muttered, dropping to the ground. He had managed to put some distance between himself and the metal man, who continued repeating his phrase. There was no good place to hide, and climbing down seemed impossible. It was time to escape. Arz confidently stood up and withdrew a sparkstone and a purple vial. ¡°So long,¡± Arz said with a smirk. He smashed the sparkstone onto the ground and poured the vial on top of it. A sound much like a small dog growling escaped as a tiny tear opened before Arz. Before he knew it, the tear vanished and the rest of the potion fell through the sparks and sizzled on the stone. ¡°Oh.¡± The metal man repeated his phrase again. ¡°What are you saying? I don¡¯t understand you!¡± The metal man kept the gun aimed at Arz, but didn¡¯t fire as it walked closer, up and down the mounds. It stopped only a few feet away, still repeating its same line. Arz threw another sparkstone at it and followed it up with one of his return potions. A small tear began to form right above the metal man¡¯s shoulder. It ripped into the coiled veins, which instantly vanished through the tiny portal. Unfortunately, the portal still failed to form all the way. The upper right arm of the metal man crumpled to the ground as the portal fizzled out again. Climbing down the sheer face wasn¡¯t an option, and running alongside a dangerous cliff seemed like a bad idea. One simple misstep could end with Arz tumbling down the side. His only other option was a straight sprint at the metal man while it was disoriented. He moved before he even realized he had made a decision. A couple steps carried him close enough to shove the metal man over. It tumbled back, landing heavily on the stone mound. Arz kept running without looking back. He swerved back and forth a few times just to be safe, but no green beams fired at him again. Gray landscape swept by as he kept running until he reached the road that curved around the time-trapped city. Buildings were still forming and collapsing right before his eyes. There was finally a free moment to think, to breathe. ¡°Metal people,¡± Arz muttered, leaning against the trunk of a dry, twisted tree. ¡°Metal people and a weapon that shoots light. And my portals aren¡¯t working. I need to check the mixture.¡± Arz pulled out his last purple vial and swirled it before his eyes. Nothing was visibly wrong, and testing a fully homogeneous mixture would be difficult. But he had to try something more if he wanted to get home. Metallic voices reached his ears. Arz stuffed the vial in his jacket pocket and swept his eyes around. Shining metal heads with four eyes appeared over a hill just across the road. ¡°I wish I understood them.¡± Arz started running. He didn¡¯t need to wait to see if they all held weapons or not. It was easy enough to assume they did. He made it about a dozen steps before the first green beams struck the pavement nearby. Each impact left a folded chunk of molten rock. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Arz ducked just as another beam passed overhead. He sucked in air and focused on running forward. There was no chance he could dodge a single attack. Everything had been entirely luck. And Arz knew his luck wouldn¡¯t last forever. It never did. The road stuck close to the time bubble that enclosed the entire city, and as Arz ran farther down, he could see more and more cities in the distance. There were no clouds or mountains to obscure his view. The metal people moved slowly. They pursued without rushing. Maybe they couldn¡¯t run, or they just didn¡¯t see a need. It wasn¡¯t as if Arz was the biggest threat they¡¯d encountered. He could easily assume they had fought far deadlier foes with weapons like that. Arz stopped after only another minute as he approached a chasm in the road. It looked like the land had shifted, pulling the two halves apart. He was careful in his approach to look over the ledge. It was a far drop. Possibly safer than the glass canyon, but not by much. Arz wasn¡¯t an experienced climber. Or adventurer of any kind, really. He just needed to check his recipe so he could get home. That was all he needed, all he wanted to do. Even while running, he was thinking through possibilities in what might be out of balance within the purple vial. One small measurement mix up could cause the tear to only partially open. And a tear that small would be dangerous because it wouldn¡¯t pull everything through. Just like the metal man who had lost an arm from the tiny portal. The metallic voices repeated the same phrase that Arz still failed to recognize. Perhaps there was a language acquisition potion of some kind. He rolled his eyes at his own thought. That was too much, and not the right time to worry about it. The metal people weren¡¯t visible. He could only hear their voices and footsteps. They were a few bends back on the road. Where could he hide? Arz looked up as the tallest building in the close bubble collapsed to nothing. The metal people were never very close to the edge of the city. Perhaps he could hide nearby. He sprinted back the way he came, passing right in front of the five metal people. The injured one wasn¡¯t terribly far behind, walking in the same direction and repeating the same phrase as the others. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot,¡± Arz shouted, waving at them. All of them tried to aim their weapons and fired. Green beams shot in every direction as some guns were pointed too high, others too low, and one went all over as a metal person lost balance from the sudden movement and collapsed. Arz covered his head, as if his arm would protect from a beam of light, until he reached the edge of the time bubble. It was terrifying to be so close. He pivoted and followed the bubble down a slight hill. The buildings forming to his right were stout, warehouse-like buildings. It seemed to be the edge of whatever that city had once been. The ground leveled out for a brief time before turning into a plain of rolling mounds. One mound, taller than the rest, had a huge twisted tree on top. Its roots grew over the stone-like ground and disappeared into the time bubble. The mound was partially hollow, with a shallow cave somewhat under the mound and partially under the tree. It was like a tiny cave with only one entrance because the bubble formed the other wall. Arz pushed through the stiff roots and sat with his knees up in the darkness. Little bits of light made it through the roots, but it was difficult to see anything clearly. It wasn¡¯t long before the metal people walked past. They still repeated their phrase, but they kept walking. Arz didn¡¯t dare move until their footsteps had long since faded away. Chapter 4 There was little room in the cave underneath the tree, but any little thing could give him away to the metal people who continued patrolling the area. For whatever reason, they really wanted to find Arz. He emptied his jacket and his belt pocket, lying everything on the ground before him. It wasn¡¯t a lot. All of the ingredients and items on his table back in the study could fill up the bit of ground in the shallow cave several times over. Not that he felt his hiding spot was luxurious, or even comfortable. Arz leaned against the rocky mound, leaning so the bit of light that made it through the vines shone on his notebook. The metal people have forced me into hiding. I am in search of ways to both strengthen my portal and to understand the speech of these people. Being that they continually repeat the same thing, I believe, I have to assume it is an order or a warning of some kind. They have failed to hit me while firing, but there is the possibility these were merely warning shots as they were telling me to stop moving or to obey other orders. Either way, I would prefer to leave this place. The cities locked in time loops on this planet are interfering with my portals. Or so I assume. I have not interacted with the time bubbles and have no intention of doing such. I don¡¯t think I would escape if I were to touch it. I have one return potion remaining. I will need to find a way to test the mixture, as well as work to strengthen it with my limited resources. I have no more sparkstones, some moonstone dust, a bit of rainbow salt, and a little dab of Storm Tree paste. I have not seen anything that looks like worthwhile ingredients here, but there is potential. Can one harvest time? Arz stared at the wall of the time bubble as his pen hovered over the last sentence. The gray-purple wall looked as if it had torn apart the air on the other side of Arz¡¯s little hiding spot. He would need to test it. ¡°Alright,¡± Arz whispered to himself. He couldn¡¯t hear any metal people at the moment, but whispering still felt right while he was in such an odd position. ¡°I need a surface to test this, but pouring it on the ground could contaminate the mixture.¡± Arz frowned and looked at every last little thing nearby. ¡°I need a flat rock.¡± He stuck his head out of the roots and scanned nearby. No metal people. He shoved the items on the ground to one side, giving him just enough room to crawl out. ¡°A rock. A flat rock. Or a rock bowl.¡± The great thing about a rocky landscape was the absolute surplus of rocks. Arz sifted through a little pile, brushing some dust or dirt off each one until he found one that looked suitable. He put some of the dust back on, as it could be useful. Before long, familiar metal footsteps clanked against a stony mound higher up the hill, so Arz scurried back to his hiding spot. Fear was quickly becoming a numb feeling within him. It was difficult for him to be scared all of the time, especially when he was quickly getting lost in his own mind while trying to problem solve. When it seemed sufficiently cleaned, Arz placed the mostly flat rock between his feet. He sat in a way that he was able to access everything in the little cave. The rock was slightly indented. Not enough to be a bowl, but enough to keep the liquids steady. It seemed like it would be the best workstation he would be able to manage given his limited resources. But fear was exhausting, and thinking so hard was even more exhausting. There was an odd comfort to the position Arz found himself in. Comfortable enough that he rested his forehead on his knee and let his mind run simulations of possible recipes until he fell asleep. Sleep didn¡¯t last long. Not with the metal people marching around even in his dreams. Arz yawned, but kept to his same position, feeling a little bit refreshed and a lot of groggy. He poured the purple mixture right onto the rock. It moved around until it settled near the middle. Arz held his breath, waiting to see if whatever mineral the rock was made out of would react to his mixture. It did not. Arz carefully picked the stone up until it was an inch from his face. His eyes scanned the mixture, looking for even a slight discoloration or a chunk of something that wasn¡¯t properly mixed in. It looked fine. He hadn¡¯t messed up a return potion since he first started making them. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± he whispered, letting his frustration leak out. Arz set it back down and picked up the moonstone dust. It wasn¡¯t even from a shining moonstone, so he didn¡¯t know what to do with it. Why did he even bring it? He wanted to pretend he didn¡¯t have rainbow salt. At least, for now. A little sniff, or maybe more of a snort, would help him focus much better for a short time. It wasn¡¯t necessary yet. The fear was keeping Arz on enough of an edge for now. He carefully collected the return potion back into the vial and corked it. There was now a little bit of rock dust inside, but there was a good chance that didn¡¯t matter. The little rock was now going to be his work station. Arz pulled a spoon from his jacket. It had a long handle with a tiny little scoop on the end. While it was ideal for mixing and not much else, it would have to do for the other things he needed at the moment. It scooped a tiny sample of the Storm Tree paste out of the small vial easily and spread the paste across the stone. Arz pinched some of the dust he had collected earlier and sprinkled it on one edge, on a thin spot of some Storm Tree leaf paste. Nothing. He noted it down. A spoon covered in paste was not great for testing. He needed a wash station, which was going to be unlikely in his current predicament. Arz looked around the little cave for a while before sighing. His jacket would have to do. He wiped the spoon off on the fabric until there was no sign of any purple paste remaining. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He had previously tested normal moonstone and rainbow salt with Storm Tree paste. Almost every ingredient on Earth had been mixed with the paste at this point. Everything needed to be tested. But that meant he had nothing else to use to create a portal at the moment. Arz spent some time mixing his other ingredients with the stone dust from the planet outside, but nothing reacted. Perhaps he needed heat or electricity, but his options were severely limited. He sighed and leaned back. ¡°Hopeless.¡± The time bubble looked like a lake¡¯s surface on a windy day. Little ripples moved across it. From his current perspective, Arz could only see parts of buildings as they moved through their lives. He hadn¡¯t seen any living things inside. Maybe organic life couldn¡¯t survive the time loop. He leaned to the side to see more, but a root smacked him in the face. ¡°Ow.¡± Arz grabbed the root and tore. It came off easier than expected from how rough and solid the roots had been when he pushed in and out of the cave. The chunk of root was solid and had moist green flesh inside. ¡°Oh.¡± Arz grabbed his spoon and scooped some of the flesh out. He examined the rest of the root and decided he needed to start bringing a knife. It would make things much easier if he could scrape some of the root¡¯s skin off to test on its own. When pressed against the paste, the green flesh let off a stench much like red meat that had been sitting out too long. Something sour but not quite as unappetizing as he knew it should be. But a stench was a reaction. And a reaction was alchemy. A grin grew on Arz¡¯s face. He needed to figure out what else would force a reaction strong enough to tear a portal with the interference of the time bubbles. He tore off a few more roots and set them to the side. There was hardly enough paste for even one potion, so he collected and corked it to keep it safe. Arz put a little moonstone dust on the rock. He sighed as soon as he saw it. Shining moonstone would already be more helpful, but perhaps the moonstone dust could act as a catalyst or something. Arz placed a root on the stone and rolled the handle of the spoon over it, forcing some of the softer insides to push out of the torn end. Spit wasn¡¯t ideal when one needed water, but he figured spit would be easier than urine. At least, for now. He took a tiny pinch of rainbow salt, leaving enough for a mental boost if he needed it, and sprinkled it onto the rock. Nothing happened. Because he needed heat. Arz looked at everything he had again. What would be the best way to create a fire? If he hadn¡¯t thrown all of his sparkstones, everything would be easier. Sparkstones were easily the most helpful tool he normally carried. Arz gathered more roots and hollowed them out with the spoon. The inside had enough moisture that it would inhibit a fire, and smoke would easily draw attention to his position. He took the opportunity to fill some empty vials with the green flesh. The outer skin of the roots formed a pile on Arz¡¯s left against the stone wall. If he put the fire on the other side, it would potentially catch the roots and the whole tree on fire, which would destroy his hiding spot. A combustion reaction would cause enough heat for him to create the mixture on the rock, but what would react enough to start the roots on fire? He had to hunt. The idea of leaving the cave was terrifying. Nothing good could come of it. Except nothing good could come from staying inside either. It was a difficult predicament. There had to be more in the realm than he had found. He had the spiral trees and some mostly nonreactive rocks. It was impossible for there to be nothing else. But the whole time he had been in the realm, he had been up near the city. The hill continued going down just past his hiding spot as it got farther from the city¡¯s edge. If he traveled farther down, there was a chance he would find something worth testing. Arz ate one of the small pieces of jerky he had brought. Luckily, those mostly stayed in his belt pocket all the time. He didn¡¯t have time to get any other survival items, so he would need to make things last. But he was thirsty. Arz gathered his vials, checked for any nearby metal people, and scurried out of the cave. He ran like a mad man down the hill, letting big strides take him faster than he could actually control. A metal man said the same phrase, causing Arz to stop and skid down the hill. He wobbled and fought for balance, managing to grab hold of a twisted tree to stay on his feet at the last moment. There was no metal person in view. Who talked? He stayed frozen for a few breaths, then kept on down the hill. The landscape changed below, turning from the stone mound-covered hill to a plain of tall stalks that didn¡¯t have any more color than the rest of the planet. A few more petrified looking trees spiraled up out of the stalks. These ones were bigger than the rest he had seen, except maybe the one he had been hiding under. Arz pulled out his notebook and wrote as he walked. Spiralwood Trees seem to be the only tree-like plant that grows on his planet, which I am currently calling Time Bubble Metal Stone Place. The name needs work. I am searching for more ingredients, hoping to find something that can assist with creating a fire. I am working to create an acid from the Spiralwood roots, which can be created with a stable fire that will heat the mixture created from spit, the roots, and some rainbow salt. If I find water to drink, I¡¯ll use that instead of spit, but at least saliva is better than urine. A small win is still a win. Arz wasn¡¯t entirely sure who he was writing for. He wasn¡¯t likely to forget anything happening when his fears were so heightened. But it still felt like a good practice. Everything in the small notebook could be collected into the tome. The important bits, at least. But what was the tome for? It didn¡¯t matter. Not at the moment, at least. That was a mystery to figure out in the future. Maybe he could get it printed and distributed all around Bralincote just to shove the Wizards¡¯ faces into his exploits. He waved the idea away as he reached the stalks and ran his hand along them. They were taller than he was and harder even than the Spiralwood bark. Walking through them would be difficult, and he would certainly get lost. Arz broke a stalk in half. The inside looked like a stone with bubbles trapped inside, but it was certainly a plant. It gave off a somewhat floral smell. Maybe more like hay. Definitely more like hay. Arz broke the stalk into smaller pieces and stored them in his jacket pockets. If he moved wrong, they poked him, which would certainly irritate him before long. It was still better than having to carry giant stalks around with him. He hadn¡¯t seen a metal person in quite some time, which was starting to feel suspicious. Perhaps he should grab his stuff and bring it down the hill farther if the metal people were less present below. Arz finally looked back uphill, seeing the somewhat steep incline covered in mounds and different landings that weren¡¯t quite level. The city led part way downhill before ending at a cliff. Arz was now below that cliff, which had multiple caves leading into it. Arz sucked in air. He was trying to decide to explore more, or to go collect his things. He looked back and forth a few times before electing to go to the caves. They were closer. And he was tired. The stalks poked into his torso, probably tearing through his jacket and shirt. But he pretended to ignore it. Only the caves mattered. Arz pulled out his notebook again. Caves provided a unique opportunity for an alchemist with a good eye. Or two good eyes, as is my case. Both eyes are still working great. Caves are dark, damp, gross places, which is great for alchemical ingredients. Fungi, odd animals, and minerals all collect in caves. Although, I don¡¯t know if there are any fungi or fungi related things on this planet. What did I call it? The entrance to the cave was as dark and damp as he expected, but it had obviously been used for something by the inhabitants of the city above. The walls were carefully carved and supported, making it look more like a mine entrance than a naturally-occuring cave. Perhaps it was a mine. The ground was paved in a different material than the roads were above. It felt almost like metal but somehow softer. He tried to grab part of it, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Perhaps he could find a part that was broken. Arz took one more look around before venturing into the cave. No metal people were nearby. Hopefully it was safe. Chapter 5 A light source would make things significantly easier for Arz, but that was what brought him to the cave in the first place. The path dipped downward almost right away and the little light that made it in through the mouth of the cave vanished. Arz ran his healthy hand along the smooth gray stone walls, letting his fingertips guide him through the fading light. Whatever they had used to carve the tunnels made the walls exceptionally smooth, perhaps even smoother than the pieces of metal used to create their buildings. Whatever the ground was made out of stayed dry and the soles of his shoes gripped it well enough to keep him on his feet. Even when the walls grew damp with dew as the air became cooler inside the cave, the ground never became slippery. Arz walked blindly on, letting his thoughts wander as his eyes blindly darted about. With the minor reaction of the green root matter on the Storm Tree paste, an acid made from the roots should create a stronger reaction that could lead to a portal. At this point, he was open to a portal to anywhere. Any place had to be safer than a dead land where metal people were hunting him. What was he? A rabbit? Arz ran simulations of the experiments in his mind. He couldn¡¯t see any flaws in the plans, even after thinking about increasing or decreasing the amount of paste or rainbow salt. His first instinct had to be correct, as it often was. He stopped suddenly when he encountered light in the cave. It was dim at first, but upon leaning to the side, Arz saw a source of light, which in itself felt dangerous. Black flames burned and gave off a glow that was difficult for Arz to describe even as he looked at it. The cave was painted in a yellow-orange that flickered with blues in the shadows when the flames danced wildly. Arz watched the colors on the wall before looking right at the black fire. It stayed steady, burning over a pool of black liquid that was even darker than the fire. Nothing looked especially dangerous. The flames didn¡¯t necessarily look more dangerous than regular fire. Arz approached as if he were sneaking up on an unsuspecting victim. The flames didn¡¯t react, but Arz screamed and fell back as a figure appeared in his peripherals. He scurried, flinching as his injured hand scraped on the wall. His scream echoed up the cave, but no other sounds followed. Arz pressed himself against the smooth cave wall until his breathing calmed down. He winced as he closed his fist to stop himself from accidentally slapping his palm on something again. He sidled slowly around the edge of the curving cave until he saw the obviously dead skeleton of a person. ¡°Not even scary,¡± he muttered. The cave continued deeper, winding down into another tunnel of darkness. But Arz entered the little chamber that consisted of a pool of black liquid that burned with black flames and a skeleton slumped against the wall, a few feet from the pool. Arz crouched beside the skeleton and pulled out his notebook. The skull was elongated, about twice the height of a human skull without being any wider. There were four empty eye sockets, no spot for a nose, and only a small jaw and mouth. Whatever clothing the person had been wearing had mostly deteriorated long ago, and the bones were clean of any flesh or sinew. All four arms reached out to the pool of black fire, but the person wasn¡¯t close to reaching it when they had died. ¡°Is this what¡¯s beneath the metal?¡± Arz poked the skeleton and punctured a hole right through the bone. ¡°Oh, shit. That was more fragile than I expected.¡± He drew a rough sketch of the skeleton in the notebook and wrote a brief description underneath. ¡°This can¡¯t be right.¡± Arz followed the tip of his pen along the sketch, looking up to compare it to the skeleton. ¡°The torso doesn¡¯t match with the metal people. There would be no room for a bone skeleton underneath that metal. Their midsection was thinner than this.¡± He used the pen to poke at the spine of the skeleton, which also crumbled with the slightest bit of pressure. The whole skeleton crumpled and fell to the side as the spine broke. ¡°Ah, alright.¡± Arz tucked the notebook away and pulled out his spoon and an empty vial. He shifted over to the pool and held his hands out. It produced some heat, but it wasn¡¯t quite as hot as a normal flame would have been. Arz stuck the spoon into the flame and waited, watching for any color changes in the metal. After a minute, it hadn¡¯t gotten hot enough to even start to melt, which meant that the metal and glass should be able to withstand the heat. First, he tried to gather the flames themselves. It didn¡¯t work, as he expected. Flames can¡¯t be bottled. Flammable things could, of course, but that was only to create a flame. Arz lay flat on his stomach and inched closer to the pool. He carefully stuck the spoon into the black liquid and scooped some out. It pulled out like syrup, but even thicker and more viscous. Multiple spoonfuls worth clung to the spoon as Arz tried to navigate it to the mouth of the vial. It might not be hot enough to melt the instruments, but it would be hot enough to harm Arz if he let it fall onto his skin. He set the vial on the ground with the mouth on the edge of the pool and slowly pushed some of the liquid in until he had a full vial. It was hot to the touch, but not enough to immediately burn him. Arz filled a second vial, and a third. He shook the spoon, trying to clean it, but the black liquid clung tightly to the metal. Based on his experience with oils and syrup, he would just have to be patient and let the spoon clean itself. Everything would drip off eventually. Hopefully. Arz stashed the vials in his outer pocket where they wouldn¡¯t burn him and stood again. He held the spoon out to his side, letting the black liquid slowly drip off. Small black flames danced around the end of the spoon, giving Arz a little torch to use as he ventured deeper into the cave. The black fire gave enough light for Arz to walk down the center of the tunnel without the walls for guidance. He moved quicker than he had on the way down originally. Before long, he found a much wider chamber filled with dozens of black fire pools. More skeletons littered the place. Some arms and skulls were near the edge of the pools, as if the people had fallen in before dying. There were also buckets and big shovel-like devices resting beside some of the bigger pools. ¡°It¡¯s a mine,¡± Arz said, excited. ¡°Or collection station.¡± He picked up a bucket and examined it. It was one sheet of metal that was bent to form a perfect bucket. No screws or different pieces fitted together. Far beyond what they had on Earth for bucket technology. The inside was discolored from the liquid, but it was empty. ¡°Why would people hide in a mine or willingly crawl into burning oil?¡± Arz wrote down more notes as he thought out loud. ¡°Advanced technology, beyond Earth, willingly died or died in hiding. What is the connection to the time-locked city above?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. He had no answer. What was the connection? Was there a connection? He had no idea how to figure out how long these people had been dead for, and he assumed it was impossible to tell the age of a city that constantly looped through its own life. Either way, he had a source of heat, and that would be enough to create an acid. Arz could finally say goodbye to this realm, or planet, or something. He hurried back up the cave. By the time he made it to the entrance, most of the black liquid had dripped off his spoon. He wiped the remaining bits on one of the petrified stalks, which quickly caught fire. ¡°Oh, I should have seen that result earlier.¡± He stuffed the spoon away in his jacket pocket and ran up the hill as the fire spread from stalk to stalk. Arz looked over his shoulder as the black flames leapt across the field. ¡°That¡¯s going to be a big fire.¡± What were the chances the metal people wouldn¡¯t notice? Arz picked up his pace. The last thing he needed was to run into the metal people as he was scurrying back to his hiding spot. The cave would be safer, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to move everything at the moment. A quick experiment would let him escape anyway, so moving his spot wouldn¡¯t matter. He was almost gone. It was fine. He managed to get back to the tree without running into anyone. Crawling back through the roots brought dread again with the sense of wonder he had not long ago fading as he became cramped in the narrow space. The mixture on the top of the rock had separated a little bit. Arz spat on it again and mixed it together with his spoon. He placed the rock on his knees and positioned it to cook over a fire from the black oil. I have taken to thinking of this black liquid as Darkfire oil. It is a fitting name with the black flames and the viscous nature of liquid. With my limited space, I hope to heat the mixture enough to create an acid, but I fear I have too little salt. Still, I believe this should work. I just have to use my legs as a holder for the cooking stone. Hopefully I don¡¯t burn my legs off. He poured a vial¡¯s worth of Darkfire oil onto the ground. It took some harsh shakes of the vial to get most of the oil out. The black fire lifted off immediately, making the small area feel far too warm. Arz positioned his legs to balance to the rock right over the fire while he used the spoon to keep the mixture evenly heated. Before long, it boiled and released a stench that indicated it was working. Arz squeezed his eyes closed and held his breath as the fumes burned his face. With even one breath, he had felt like he was about to pass out. His best bet was to hold his breath until he absolutely needed to take another. Inhaling acid fumes was a sure way to die. With careful balance, he kept the mixture boiling as he readied the newly emptied vial for the acid. It still had small drops of Darkfire Oil inside, which could easily compromise the acid. There was no other option. He was out of storage. Arz carefully poured some of the liquid into the vial. A bit splashed onto the ground and sizzled. His eyes widened and he took extra care to keep his hands out of the way. How strong of acid did he just create? He didn¡¯t want to find out. Not yet, at least. Arz¡¯s breath caught as he heard a familiar sound. Footsteps of a metal person. And this time, there were plenty. Did they see the fire or did they smell the fumes? They didn¡¯t have noses, or at least not ones that Arz recognized. Still, was he compromised? He finished filling the vial and corked it. There was no immediate reaction with the Darkfire Oil, so he stuffed the vial in his pocket. There was still plenty of acid on the rock, and the oil on the ground kept burning, as it probably would forever. The metal people repeated the same damned phrase again, but their voices were far closer than Arz expected. He tried peeking through the roots, but couldn¡¯t make anything out at his current angle. With the oil and the acid-covered stone, he couldn¡¯t move much without potentially injuring himself, so he just had to work faster. Arz scooped a tiny piece of Storm Tree paste from his last supply and dropped it in the acid on the stone. No reaction. At least, no portal reaction. ¡°Shit.¡± He moved the purple paste aside. There was too little Storm Tree paste to waste it on a failed experiment. The footsteps were getting closer. They definitely knew he was under the tree. ¡°How do I do this?¡± he whispered to himself. His eyes scanned everything around him until they locked on the gray shimmering bubble. Arz reached the spoon out and poked it against the time bubble. When he pulled it out, a little bit of gray fluid filled the spoon. He dumped it on the rock, but nothing happened. The metal people repeated the phrase from before. ¡°Hurry,¡± Arz whispered. He leaned as far forward as he could scooped more of the gray fluid from the bubble. He poured it onto the acid on the rock and sprinkled the moonstone dust he had onto it, waiting for some reaction. His heart hammered as the footsteps stopped right outside the roots. As soon as the moonstone dust dissolved in the liquid, the entire rock disappeared. He felt its weight on his knees, but he couldn¡¯t see it at all. The glowing tip of a weapon pushed through the roots, brushing them to the side. Arz thought of all the reasons to not pour acid on himself, but he also couldn¡¯t stop staring at the invisible rock. He closed his eyes, grabbed the invisible rock, and poured it onto himself. It felt hot, but it didn¡¯t hurt. Not badly, at least. He held his breath and pushed himself against the stone in an attempt to make himself as small as possible. A head with four glowing blue eyes poked through the roots. The weapon¡¯s end swept back and forth before the metal person repeated the phrase again and backed away. Arz let out his breath and held up his hands, which weren¡¯t even visible to himself. He tried grabbing his notebook, but he couldn¡¯t quite find his jacket or the pocket with the invisibility. ¡°Incredible,¡± he whispered. All he had to do now was wait for it to wear off so he could keep working. Arz had let his mind wander through all the possibilities until he fell asleep. After a few hours, he twitched enough that the rock fell off his knees and onto his stomach, which jolted him awake. The Darkfire Oil continued burning and whatever sun there was had set. He couldn''t hear anything nearby and with the dim light of the Darkfire, he could see his hands. He immediately pulled out his notebook and wrote the recipe for the invisibility potion. That would be helpful later. ¡°Now I just need a portal.¡± He turned the vial of acid over the fire to see it better. The bits of oil in it had mixed with the acid, giving it a darker color than the first Spiraltree acid he had made. ¡°So, this mixed with the time bubble will do something. But if I had the Storm Tree for its portal properties, will it force something open? Maybe I didn¡¯t use enough Storm Tree.¡± The acid hadn¡¯t had the reaction he had expected from the simulations he had ran in his mind, but the time fluid seemed to react with everything, which could be enough to spur the paste into action. Arz shifted until he was able to crawl out of the little cave. His whole body was tight and cramped from having been in the same position for hours on end. When he finally stood upright again, he had to take a long moment to stretch. The closest building to the edge of the bubble appeared as scaffolding and quickly formed into a full tower. New pieces were added higher up until it resembled a tree more than a building. Arz reached back through the roots to gather all of his vials and a few roots, which he stuffed into his pockets beside the petrified stalks. Arz set the stone at his feet and crouched beside it. He poured the dark acid onto the stone, which actually started to sizzle and dissolve with the addition of the Darkfire Oil. ¡°Need to be quick.¡± He used the spoon to spread the rest of his Storm tree paste into the acid, which popped like food in cooking oil. It was promising. Arz used the spoon to scoop some of the liquid from the nearby bubble and stood tall as he poured it down onto the rock. The entire mixture glowed with the gray-purple color of the time bubble before it sounded like lightning struck. A portal roared to life right in front of Arz. A smirk spread across his face as he stepped through. Chapter 6 Arz stood above a swirling pink ball, something that looked like a cup of coffee that one had just poured cream into. He looked around, letting the air out from his lungs in one long exhale. He stood on a brownish gray rock, and everything around him felt empty, as if there was truly nothing there. When Arz tried to inhale, there was no air. Panic gripped him, heightening the need for air. Arz swept his gaze around, seeing nothing other than the swirling place far away, and some stars beyond. He looked to his right, seeing only a black sea like the night sky with stars. A thought occurred to Arz. Mostly a thought of death. A green bubble appeared around him and suddenly it felt as though the weight of the whole sky dropped on top of him, forcing him to take a deep breath in. He was outside for only seconds, and it had nearly cost him his life. The bubble lifted him off the rock and drifted to Arz¡¯s left. He leaned back, relieved that he wasn¡¯t going to die, until he noticed the giant metal object he was drifting toward. ¡°Oh, I am going to die,¡± he said. There wasn¡¯t worry or disappointment in the statement. It was more of a matter of fact realization. The last realm had metal people trying to hunt him down to kill him, and the only way he managed to escape was by ending up in the sky heading toward another metal place. Arz knew he wasn¡¯t the luckiest person, but things often had a way of working out. It was easiest to attribute that to his unquestionable intelligence, but it was just as easy for Arz to make mistakes as it was anyone else. He just usually had a solution to get out of those mistakes. Now, with an entire metal structure right before him, he was out of ideas. ¡°Will these ones be made of metal or flesh?¡± He relaxed as the idea of accepting his fate settled. Was he happy about dying? Of course not. His family needed to be avenged. The Guild of Wizards had Alorala¡¯s blood on their hands. The metal structure shifted like two doors parting, only to reveal a wall of green, much like the bubble, which passed through the wall without trouble. The bubble popped and disappeared, dropping Arz onto a cold metal floor inside a long corridor. A pile of sludge, or maybe slime, wiggled at Arz¡¯s feet. In any other situation, he wouldn¡¯t have thought about it at all. Different realms had different waste. Perhaps somebody had an accident in the corridor. Except, Arz knew better. The pile of slime in front of him wore a helmet and held onto a tall metal spear that had little bolts of electricity dancing around the tip. This slime was alive. ¡°Hello?¡± Arz asked as he cautiously stood. While on his feet, Arz towered over the slime creature. Its spear was hardly as tall as Arz, who wasn¡¯t all that tall for a human. The slime creature wriggled and moved a little closer, but if any words were spoken, they were lost to Arz. At least the metal people were clearly speaking a language he didn¡¯t know. ¡°Do you understand me?¡± The slime didn¡¯t react. A door opened, hissing as it slid aside. Three more slime creatures scooted into the room, pausing briefly beside the first one. Arz calmly watched the whole interaction, if one could even call it that. No words, no gestures. No type of communication that Arz understood happened. It wasn¡¯t long before the other slimes continued on, disappearing through another door. ¡°If you can understand me, thank you for saving me from the outside. I would like to return home.¡± Arz pulled his last purple vial out from his pocket. ¡°This could possibly get me home, but I need something to strengthen it, and I need a source of electricity.¡± The slime¡¯s spear angled down until the electrified tip buzzed in front of Arz¡¯s face. Little bolts of electricity danced in the air around the spear, as if the area around the tip was electrified. ¡°Can I use this?¡± The spear remained stationary. ¡°Or am I being threatened?¡± Arz took a small step backward, making sure to stay far enough away from the green doorway that led back out into space. ¡°Wow, what I would do to understand.¡± The slime turned, swinging the spear through the air. Arz was glad he had moved away from it or else that swing might have sliced his throat. When the slime started moving, Arz wasn¡¯t sure he should follow. His instincts wanted to warn him of obvious traps, but the slimes could have left him out in space. Would exploring the building be more dangerous? Arz felt that he had finely honed instincts, but they weren¡¯t sure how to react to piles of jelly with armor and spears. When he thought about it more, Arz supposed he didn¡¯t know how to react either. He let his mind wander, considering what his instincts would look like if they separated from him, as he followed the slime. There was a small sticky trail left wherever his escort passed, but it was minimal and seemed to evaporate or disintegrate over time. If not, it seemed like there would be trails everywhere. How would they mop? Arz considered the electrified spear and decided the slimes could figure out how to mop. They passed into a corridor of windows. Each panel was angled out, forming the whole corridor into a wedge with a wide top and narrow floor. The swirling ball was beautiful from the safety of the slimes¡¯ building. It was gigantic, Arz was realizing more than before. He fell behind as he stopped and watched trails of white swirl above a pink surface so far away. The slime was passing into a new chamber by the time Arz caught up. It was a big dome of a room with slimes all over the place. Some had no armor or weapons, others stood guard near the various doorways. Panels of light stretched before slimes on top of platforms all throughout the chamber, with the highest platform in the center. Light panels with images moving across surrounded the slime in the center. It was impossible to tell which panel the slime was looking at, as they were in all directions and there were no eyes or face to follow. Arz¡¯s slime continued, not slowing down at all in the vast chamber. Not that it was moving all that fast to begin with. He caught up each time by walking normally. It was a slow, lumbering walk to keep pace with the creature. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Arz asked, knowing he wouldn¡¯t get an answer. It was a lot like talking to Sal, he realized. Sometimes he was only talking for the fun of it. Working his voice, he could say. If nothing else, he was finding a way to enjoy himself. Nothing had tried to kill him since he stepped through the portal. Well, nothing living tried to kill him. He was away from the time bubbles and the metal people, and that was all that mattered. Before long, they wound their way through another corridor, only to end up in a small room with glass walls. Each pane of glass had tiny holes punched through it and one section with hinges that was obviously meant to be a door. The only issue was that it was as tall as the slimes. Arz¡¯s escort opened the door and seemed to be waiting for him to step inside. There was nothing but a bucket inside the glass room. Arz sighed. ¡°Is this a cell?¡± Of course, the slime pointed the electrified spear at Arz. ¡°Fine.¡± He ducked through the doorway and stood on the other side of the glass. Even his breathing seemed to echo in such a confined space. ¡°This is, uh, not great.¡± A panel slid open, leaving a trail of green slime that reminded Arz of the door he had passed through to end up inside the slime¡¯s vast building. He approached and crouched until he was at eye level. The slime backed away and waited beside the far wall. Arz sighed and sat down, which still kept him at eye level with the opening. He still had everything on him. Nobody had checked before they imprisoned him, which made him smirk. Even Higgrion was smarter than these creatures. Well, Arz wanted to take that back. Two more slimes entered the room. There wasn¡¯t any visible difference between the two who entered. Neither had armor nor weapons, so they only looked like indistinct blobs of green slime. One approached, holding two glass vials similar to those Arz carried. It stuck them through the slime wall and held them out in its tentacle-like arm until Arz grabbed them. The slimes waited, unmoving as Arz inspected the vials. One was filled with green slime, very similar to the creatures. It was so similar that Arz expected it to start moving inside the vial. The other had bits of orange-tinted gravel that seemed to send out sparks. In fact, Arz had seen something very similar before. ¡°Sparkstones?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. With that, he could escape. Arz pulled out the purple vial, but hesitated. Why would they lock him in a cell only to give him a way to leave. What was the green slime for? Arz carefully pulled out his notebook, keeping his eye on the slimes as he started to write. I had ended up in a facility with green slime creatures who are undoubtedly intelligent. I have seen no form of communication, but they seem to be communicating with each other in some way. I could escape after they have given me shards of sparkstones, but they have also given me a vial of slime. I would assume there is some use for this item. Is it a spy that will infiltrate Earth if I bring it back? Or is it an ingredient for a recipe they want me to make? I have decided that I will try to make a recipe using what they have given me, because they have been waiting patiently even as I write all this down. Arz took the top of the slime vial. It was a twisted top, like a screw, instead of a cork. He made a mental note. That would be useful for some materials. Like the darkfire oil that still burned even while in a glass container. The last thing Arz needed was a cork combusting while in his pocket. He sniffed the slime and recoiled. It smelled like flatulence. But even worse. The stench grew stronger and more potent the longer the cap was off. Arz screwed it back on and coughed, waving his hand to try to clear the smell. He looked closer at the contents of the vial, even holding it up to the slime door to compare. The vial had small bubbles and small fibers floating inside. It was already a potion of some kind. Compared to the slime door or the slimes beyond, the vial was filthy. There was so much floating inside, but it was all mixed that he hadn¡¯t even noticed right away. With the slimes still waiting for Arz, he figured the only ingredients he needed were in the vials. Why else would they only hand him the two? What was the purpose? He took the top of the sparkstone vial. It was as if they had ground up a stone and put the dust and chunks inside. Arz had never thought to do that because the full stones were already fragments of the larger geysers. And the full stones would explode into a cloud of sparks when thrown. The dust would do nothing if he poured it out. He held the vials side by side. The slime had some room at the top. Room for the dust, he guessed. Arz took a deep breath and took the top off the slime vial. Even with his breath held, he could feel the stench rise as small bubbles popped at the top of the slime. There was some doubt in Arz¡¯s mind. Was the slime vial really any other than just some vile mixture? Was this a joke for the slimes? His chest tightened as he started running out of air. He poured the sparkstone gravel out, shaking it into the slime. A bit missed, brushing against Arz¡¯s hand, where it stung like a little static shock. Inside the slime, the gravel immediately sank in and caused the mixture to heat up. More bubbles came out on top. There was a reaction, obviously, but what was the ideal result? Arz looked past the vial at the creatures on the other side of the wall. They hadn¡¯t moved since he started. He finally let his breath out. The smell had calmed some, but it still certainly reeked. ¡°Now what?¡± A tentacle-like arm popped out of a slime. The end of the arm morphed into the shape of the vial as the slime mimicked bending an elbow. ¡°Drink it?¡± Arz asked, astonished. The mixture looked horrendous. Even if it was safe for the slimes to consume, he couldn¡¯t imagine it would be safe for a human. The slime kept repeating the motion, clearly pretending to dump the vial into its mouth, if it had one. ¡°Well, if I die, it¡¯s your fault,¡± he said, knowing the slimes didn¡¯t care. ¡°Like a shot of alcohol.¡± Arz breathed loudly out his nose, put the vial to his lips, and tilted his head back. The potion stung as it ran over his tongue. It moved like thick water down his throat. Maybe more like syrup. Arz gagged and covered his mouth as he fought his own body. After what felt like an age, he forced the whole potion down. It stung as it passed through his system and rested in his stomach. ¡°Horrible, horrible, horrible.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°At least I¡¯m not dead.¡± ¡°Yes. This is a success, Wildil.¡± The voice was high-pitched and caused Arz to immediately stumble backward. ¡°Who said that?¡± The slimes had yet to move. ¡°When you are talking to Lord Jifftha, ensure you are using the proper titles,¡± another high-pitched voice said. Arz slowly approached the slime door. ¡°Are you talking?¡± he asked, looking right at the nearest slime. ¡°No, it was me.¡± The voice had no discernible origin. ¡°Okay, I apologize, but I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I thought you did understand.¡± Arz rubbed his eyes. His stomach gurgled as the potion settled. ¡°No, I understand your words. I don¡¯t understand who is talking. How can I tell?¡± ¡°It is not obvious?¡± ¡°Actually, no. Not at all.¡± ¡°Hm, something to note, Wildil,¡± the first voice said. ¡°Which one of you is Wildil?¡± Arz asked. The one who had passed the vials through the door moved a bit closer. ¡°I am Wildil, lead scientist of the Gargaxia Station.¡± ¡°Scientist? Oh, great. I¡¯d love to talk more. Who are the other two?¡± ¡°The other two?¡± Wildil suddenly sounded upset. ¡°The one behind me is Lord Jifftha of Gargaxia.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Arz bowed his head. ¡°Lord.¡± ¡°I have other duties. Inform me what you learn,¡± Jifftha said. The lord slime scooted away while Wildil and the guard remained in place. ¡°I thought he was going to stay and talk,¡± Arz said. ¡°You think the Lord of Gargaxia has time for you?¡± ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know anything about any of you.¡± Arz leaned his head against the glass beside the slime door. ¡°So, scientist, tell me what I drank.¡± Arz ran his finger over his injured hand. It was scabbed over, but still tender. ¡°That was a mix of Jumthin slime, Jumthin vine, and gas from the swamps of Jumtha.¡± ¡°You sure used that word a lot. What is Jumthin?¡± ¡°Us,¡± Wildil said. ¡°We are the Jumthins of Jumtha.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Arz¡¯s stomach gurgled again, suddenly feeling a lot worse. ¡°I just drank you?¡± ¡°In a way, I suppose. Slime is harvested from young Jumthins for this very purpose. If we encounter an intelligent being to communicate with, we need to be able to connect our minds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how we¡¯re talking?¡± ¡°Our DNA has mixed. Our words and your words are not the same, but your mind is now processing the communication between us in a singular way.¡± ¡°If I ran into another person that spoke even differently, would I understand them?¡± Arz asked. ¡°Only if their DNA is combined with yours and the slime.¡± Arz wrote notes down as Wildil talked. Those metal people continually repeated the same phrase. Perhaps he could return to that realm if he could understand them. ¡°Have you met other intelligent people?¡± Arz asked. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Before we continue, tell me who you are. We have not seen one such as you before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Earth. I¡¯m, uh, a human.¡± Arz looked at his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what to say. I¡¯m an alchemist that has been traveling to different realms.¡± ¡°Realms?¡± Wildil asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can open portals and I end up somewhere else.¡± ¡°Is that how you ended up on an asteroid outside our station?¡± ¡°Is an asteroid the rock I was on?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then yes.¡± Arz wrote another note, making sure to underline the word Asteroid. ¡°How do you make portals?¡± Arz wasn¡¯t sure if he should show the purple vial or not, but the slimes hadn¡¯t been too aggressive, even if he was currently locked in a cell. He would need to use it eventually, so he might as well see if Wildil would have some insight. Arz held the return potion up to the slime door. ¡°This is a recipe I made that returns me home. I use purple leaves from a different realm. I call them Storm Tree leaves.¡± ¡°This Storm Tree . . .¡± Wildil took the vial in a tentacle-like arm and held it for a moment before returning it to Arz. ¡°Is it from a storming planet with geysers of electricity?¡± ¡°Yes. That gravel you gave me was from there, right?¡± ¡°Yes. That is Glacirith. It was once a valuable planet of the people known as Ricarun.¡± ¡°I saw nobody there,¡± Arz said, thinking back to his first time in the Storm Lands. He had fled there in defiance to the Guild of Wizards, hoping to explore a new land for Alorala. He supposed he had explored, but a more realistic perspective would be that he had been trapped. ¡°The Ricarun are long dead, but their planets remain unique places. Where did you come from before appearing outside Gargaxia?¡± ¡°I was stuck in a place with time bubbles and metal people.¡± ¡°Ah, I know it. Doumenus was the last bastion of the Ricarun.¡± Wildil moved even closer to the wall and spoke quietly. ¡°You say metal people?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arz imagined the people in his mind. ¡°Four arms, four eyes, long heads.¡± ¡°Oh. AZ-32s. I assumed they had failed. Have you never heard of a robot?¡± ¡°A what?¡± Arz readied his pen. ¡°Robots are metal creatures made by the Ricarun. There are other models, but the AZ-32 model was their main guard force. They were created to look like the Ricarun themselves, which is an odd choice. Some of their other models were far more creative. The 32s you ran into must be ancient.¡± ¡°They looked like they were falling apart.¡± Arz underlined the word Robot three times in his notebook. ¡°Are they not alive?¡± ¡°That is a complicated question. One I am not fit to answer. The Jumthins do not use robots. We do not believe in creating false life.¡± ¡°So, they are alive?¡± Arz scribbled the word ¡®Alive?¡¯ beside Robot. ¡°It could be argued both ways.¡± Arz¡¯s stomach rumbled loudly. The translation potion only stirred his deep hunger. ¡°I need to return home. It has been a long time since I¡¯ve been back, and I have a friend that I want to ensure is being taken care of. Could I use the guard¡¯s spear to create a portal home?¡± ¡°No,¡± Wildil said. ¡°Oh. I thought we were getting along.¡± ¡°I will speak with Lord Jifftha. You may get comfortable in your cell.¡± ¡°Do you have food?¡± ¡°Not that you would want to consume.¡± Wildil scooted away, ignoring everything else Arz said. The guard remained stationary, not moving even a little. Arz sighed and leaned back against the glass wall. At least he had his notebook and plenty of notes to catch up on. The Ricarun, robots, and all the Jumtha or Jumthin related things. That was a lot of information at once, and he wasn¡¯t sure he even remembered all of it. I drank part of a slime to be able to understand their language. The potion was bitter and disgusting, but it has settled in my stomach without issue. If anything, it has made me more hungry and thirsty. I was trapped on the planet Doumenus, which was a bastion for the people known as Ricarun. Who are they? I don¡¯t know. But the metal people hunting me down were referred to as robots. Or more specifically, AZ-32s. They are both alive and not alive, and I don¡¯t really understand what that means. These Ricarun created robots. I think? All of this information came from a pile of slime, and I don¡¯t know if I even believe what I¡¯m writing. What I wouldn¡¯t give to be home, to be in Bralincote, to be the smartest man in the room again. Where was Higgrion or Jaralath when you needed them? I want to feel smart again, and the best way to do that is to surround yourself with idiots. Chapter 7 A purple shimmer danced through the clouds, like a snake of lightning. The world around him rumbled. A distant creature roared. A Storm Land. A death wish. He watched the clouds and saw fire. He saw death. He watched it, knowing he had no way to return things to normal. Arz slowly opened his eyes. He was still leaning against the glass wall, and new aches had formed in his neck and shoulder. He wasn¡¯t old, at least by his own standards, but sleeping in an odd position was never a great idea. ¡°Are you still there?¡± Arz asked without even turning. ¡°Yes,¡± the guard said in a high-pitched voice. ¡°Oh, at least you responded this time.¡± ¡°Oops,¡± the guard said quietly. Arz cracked a smile. He needed to wake himself up more. His mind needed to get moving. There had to be a way out. All he needed was some electricity. Hopefully. If the time bubbles were stopping his original return portal, then perhaps it would work fine aboard the Jumthin station. Perhaps. ¡°Can you tell the scientist that I¡¯m awake?¡± The guard didn¡¯t respond this time. ¡°Hello?¡± Arz said, loud enough to be obnoxious. He groaned and pushed himself up to his feet. Each movement cracked a new part of his body, with the loudest ones coming from his neck and back. Sleep had come so suddenly that it surprised Arz to wake up. But he would never show that surprise to another living creature. Surprise was the same as fear. If nothing could surprise him, then nothing could scare him. And what was more frightening than an enemy that you couldn¡¯t intimidate? ¡°How long have I been here?¡± Arz asked as he paced around the cell. His hand was mostly healed. It would scar, but he wasn¡¯t worried about using it anymore. Any opening and closing movements hardly irritated it at all. ¡°One day,¡± the guard said quickly. It wasn¡¯t as bad as Arz thought. He estimated somewhere between one half and one full day while on Doumenus. Two days away from home wasn¡¯t horrible. He paused and looked at the wound on his hand. Two days to heal that? ¡°One Gargaxian day,¡± the guard said, almost idly thinking it out loud. ¡°Whoa, hold on.¡± Arz pressed himself against the glass and stuck his face in front of the little slime door. ¡°How long is a Gargaxian day?¡± ¡°Roughly three Jumthin days.¡± Arz blankly stared at the guard. ¡°I want you to know that that information isn¡¯t helpful in any way. Literally nothing about that is helpful.¡± ¡°My job isn¡¯t to teach you.¡± Arz pointed at the slime. ¡°I will give you credit there. That¡¯s fair, actually. How long is a Doumenus day?¡± ¡°Why would I know?¡± Arz sighed. At least he got the guard talking. Even if the guard didn¡¯t seem very excited about the conversation. He tried a series of other questions with varying levels of success until the door hissed open and a new slime appeared. There was a tense silence as Arz stared at the slime, and he could only assume that it was staring back. ¡°What was your name?¡± the new slime asked. ¡°Arz Kurana.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Wildil?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh, good.¡± Arz thought the voice was familiar, but they were all higher-pitched. And with everyone looking the exact same, it wasn¡¯t ever easy to tell anyone apart. ¡°Am I getting out?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± Wildil slowly moved closer to the glass wall. ¡°While you are not officially our prisoner, we need to understand you better before we can allow you to leave.¡± ¡°That makes it sound like I am your prisoner.¡± ¡°Not officially.¡± Arz rolled his eyes. All he needed to do was wait until he passed one of the guards. The electrical charge would likely be enough to fuel his return portal. ¡°I will allow you out once you hand over your portal potion,¡± Wildil said, as if he could read Arz¡¯s mind. ¡°Not interested.¡± ¡°We will be traveling to Xylaphus where your human abilities will be tested.¡± Arz put his hand in his pocket and moved the return potion around. The only other alchemical ingredients he had were Darkfire oil, the reeds, and some parts of the Spiralwood roots. The best those could do would be to start a campfire, and it sure didn¡¯t seem like the slimes would care. ¡°I want to assure you that humans don¡¯t have abilities,¡± Arz said. ¡°How can we be certain? This is precisely what testing is for.¡± There was a possibility that a return portal would react strongly to fire. It was not something Arz had previously considered. There was a chance that perhaps the heat from the electricity was the real cause of the reaction that could tear those portals open. But it was only a possibility, and Darkfire oil barely burned hot enough to boil water. It was something he would need to test, but only once he had more return potions put together. A trip to the Storm Lands would have to be his first trip after returning home. Or, he remembered, it was called Glacirith. ¡°Will you leave the vial untampered with and return it after your tests?¡± Arz asked. ¡°You have my word as a fellow scientist.¡± Wildil extended a short, tentacle-like arm toward the slime door. Arz scowled as he passed the return potion through. He had considered sending the Darkfire oil, but he assumed slimes weren¡¯t colorblind, if they could see at all. Plus, the oil burned hot even while in the vial. ¡°In return for my cooperation, can I have a vial of your slime?¡± Arz asked, poking his finger at the slime door. ¡°Those doors are actually made from an entirely different type of slime,¡± Wildil said. The little arm pulled the vial back until it floated in the middle of Wildil. If nothing else, Arz could now easily recognize the scientist because of the floating portal mixture. ¡°It looks the exact same,¡± Arz said, still poking the slime. ¡°Science isn¡¯t all about appearances. Perhaps you will learn more from this than I will.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Is he calling me dumb?¡± Arz muttered. ¡°Where is this from then? Let me guess, the Jumtha.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± The glass door opened, letting in a gust of fresh air that smelled faintly like swamp gas. ¡°Accompany me to the transport.¡± ¡°You know, if I had the right ingredients and some time to prepare, I could maybe open a portal to Xylaphus instead.¡± ¡°Jumthins are not interested in portal transportation.¡± Wildil left the room without saying anything else. It almost felt like he was running, though it was impossible to tell with a slime. Were they running or just scooting along a little faster than before? Could they run? Would they run? Should they run? Too many questions and no answers. It was unlikely that any of the slimes would be interested in answering personal questions, if those were considered personal. The guard followed behind Arz as he caught up with Wildil. Following the suspended return potion made it significantly easier than if Arz was trying to follow the scientist blindly. There were so many Jumthins around that it was nearly impossible to tell anyone apart, other than the guards who wore armor and carried spears. The rest, when they were unadorned, were all piles of green slime. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to travel by portal?¡± Arz asked. He caught up enough to walk alongside Wildil, rather than behind him. ¡°Unpredictable. Look at you, for example. You are a prisoner aboard a Jumthin space station.¡± ¡°I thought you said I wasn¡¯t a prisoner.¡± ¡°I say what the lord of Gargaxia tells me to say. Do you feel like a prisoner?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You are capable of thought. You can figure this out yourself.¡± They walked through the long halls of the space station. Wildil greeted most slimes he passed, though they all moved out of his way. It seemed like the scientist had a lot of respect, if Arz was reading the interaction correctly. He could only dream of getting so much respect from the people around him. A massive green slime door sat in the middle of the wall, leading to a cylindrical object floating out in the darkness beyond the door. Wildil didn¡¯t slow down as he passed through the door, scooting across a short tunnel of slime before disappearing inside the metal cylinder. ¡°I¡¯m not doing that,¡± Arz said. ¡°That is a spaceship,¡± the guard said calmly behind him. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m still not walking across that.¡± The tip of the spear cracked with electricity. It slowly drifted in Arz¡¯s peripheral view. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, throwing his arms in the air. ¡°If I float away and die, you can live with it on your conscience.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t bother me.¡± Arz pulled out his notebook as he slowly approached the slime tunnel. ¡°What was your name?¡± ¡°I am officially Guard One while on duty.¡± Arz scowled. That wasn¡¯t what he expected. New enemy Guard One of the Jumthins. I don¡¯t know what his real name is. Fuck that guy. The slime was stable and felt just like the metal flooring inside the space station, despite being obviously made of slime again. For slime people, they sure did use slime in a lot of things. Arz figured it would be a lot like him decorating his study with the skin of Higgrion and Jaralath. The thought made him chuckle and analyze his own thoughts with a bit of concern. That was dark, even for them. Guard One followed behind Arz and stopped just inside the door. There were other slimes inside at various glowing panels with Wildil stopped near the front. Big glass windows covered the angled front of the ship where two slimes poked at glowing panels with their tentacle arms. ¡°Where do I sit?¡± Arz asked. ¡°Sit?¡± Wildil asked. ¡°You know,¡± Arz said, squatting down, pretending to sit. ¡°Ah, we don¡¯t do that. Ready for transport.¡± The ship undocked from the space station, shuttering as a door closed, shutting off the green slime tunnel. Arz was able to watch out the window, seeing Gargaxia spinning slowly like a gargantuan marble beneath them. ¡°Is that all you have?¡± Wildil asked. Arz looked around. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know . . .¡± Wildil moved a little closer. ¡°The sticks on both ends.¡± ¡°Sticks?¡± Arz stuck his arm out. ¡°My limbs?¡± ¡°Is that the word you use?¡± Arz fought the urge to sigh and rub at his face. He was talking to slime creatures. Of course they didn¡¯t know what limbs were called, even if they were technically speaking the same language. ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of a limb before? Like a tree limb?¡± ¡°Trees have sticks,¡± Wildil said confidently. ¡°Sure. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Ricarun had four sticks out of their top. It seemed more versatile than what you have.¡± Arz felt the need to cover his shoulders from the nonexistent eyes of the slime. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose to have two arms. That¡¯s what most people have.¡± ¡°Not everyone?¡± ¡°Well, no. Not necessarily. People can lose them or be born without limbs. It¡¯s uh . . . I don¡¯t know. This is odd. Are you going to have a lot more of these questions for me or are you running low at this point?¡± ¡°How do you humans procreate?¡± Arz sighed loudly and sat heavily on the floor. They had been floating along, drifting farther from the station and from Gargaxia, until finally the space before the window flashed white and blurred. Arz felt like he was going to be tossed backward with the sudden speed, but he didn¡¯t really move at all. Wildil and Arz chatted casually the whole time. Guard One seemed to be the only guard aboard at the time. Every other slime was preoccupied with whatever the glowing panels were before them. Tentacle arms reached out to poke different icons and images that flashed and disappeared quickly. Their conversation meandered until it eventually fizzled out. Arz lay back and stared at the metal girders along the ceiling until the ship lurched to a halt. He wasn¡¯t sure quite how much time had passed, but it felt like hours. By the time he made it to his feet, Xylaphus was in full view of the front window. The planet was densely green with stark white poles on the top and bottom ends. A few large rivers were visible passing through the deep green, but there weren¡¯t any massive bodies of water that Arz could see. Xylaphus grew bigger and bigger as the ship flew closer. Arz was glad he was sitting as the weight inside changed and he suddenly felt like he was being dragged down toward the floor. Arz slid over to the wall, pressing his hand against it beside Guard One. The slime was probably bothered, but without seeing his face, there was no way to tell. Arz hoped the guard was bothered. The ship moved closer quickly and soon the deep green became a dense forest of grand trees. They flew over the canopy, drifting slowly down until it felt like Arz could reach out and brush the tops of the leaves. A clearing opened up below them and the ship set down gently, ending with a thud that shook the walls. At the same time, the door hissed open and revealed the green slime door. ¡°Will you take me home in one of these?¡± Arz asked. ¡°What was your home called?¡± Wildil asked. ¡°Earth.¡± ¡°I have no idea what that is.¡± The scientist left the ship first while all of the other slimes waited. Arz glanced around, hesitating, but hopped out the slime door when nobody else moved. Having natural ground beneath his feet was refreshing. It was even better that this ground was covered in grass rather than the rough, rocky ground of Doumenus. There also seemed to be fewer robots around, though that wasn¡¯t certain yet. A domed building made of wood filled most of the clearing ahead of them. It was smaller than the Prime Wizard building, but it still felt massive compared to the landscape around it. Slimes moved about, mostly following trails where the grass had burned away, worn down by their slime residue. These trails led from the green slime doorway of the wooden building out into the forest beyond in branching paths. ¡°What are we doing here?¡± Arz asked. ¡°Testing your abilities.¡± ¡°I wish you would believe that I have none. You have seen about everything. I¡¯m best at solving puzzles.¡± ¡°Solving what?¡± ¡°Puzzles? You don¡¯t have those.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard the word.¡± Wildil led Arz away from the wooden building, instead turning toward the woods. They walked silently with Guard One following closely behind. At the base of an ancient tree waited three slimes. One had an electric spear and a helmet identical to the Gargaxia guards, while the other two were unadorned. ¡°Scientist,¡± one of the unadorned slimes said excitedly. ¡°Lord Yuther, are we ready to begin?¡± Wildil asked. ¡°Absolutely. Guard Fifty Six is eager to show you what he has learned on Xylaphus,¡± Lord Yuther said. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Arz asked. ¡°Oh, this one is disgusting,¡± Yuther said. ¡°Why is everyone so negative here?¡± Arz asked loudly. ¡°I see what you mean,¡± Yuther said. ¡°This is a wacky one.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what limbs are but you use the word ¡®wacky¡¯ like it¡¯s normal? What are you expecting me to do? Am I going to fight this oddly named guard?¡± Arz asked sarcastically. ¡°Yes,¡± Wildil said, obviously thinking it was an earnest question. ¡°I¡¯m not a fighter!¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Yuther said. The other unadorned slime scooted around in a circle, carving out an arena for Arz and Guard Fifty Six. Arz watched the agonizingly slow process and tried firing up his mind. He was desperately thirsty, and the hunger was an unending pain in his stomach. With each passing hour, it was getting more difficult to think clearly. And if Arz needed anything at the moment, it was clear thoughts. How would he get around the electric spear? One stab, and he was done for. Luck had gotten him far, but he couldn¡¯t rely on it forever. Chapter 8 ¡°Look, Fifty Six, I¡ª¡± ¡°Guard Fifty Six,¡± the slime said. Arz rubbed at his forehead as he stepped into the circle. ¡°Fine. Guard Fifty Six, do we really have to fight? I have no interest.¡± One of the unadorned slimes, Lord Yuther, scooted closer to the edge of the small arena. ¡°Don¡¯t let him trick you with his deceptive words, honorable Guard Fifty Six.¡± The tip of the guard¡¯s spear crackled as electricity danced around it. With a tentacle slime arm, he tilted it down until it was pointing right at Arz. ¡°For the glory of Jumtha! For the glory of Lord Yuther!¡± Despite the energy in his voice, Fifty Six moved agonizingly slow. A slow walk took Arz around the outside of the slime¡¯s path, letting him easily avoid the electrical spear. Other slimes had moved significantly faster back on the space station. Or, at least, he thought they did. ¡°He¡¯s fast,¡± Fifty Six said. ¡°I swear all of you were all moving faster when we were in the metal thing. Space station, right? Does that mean what it sounds like?¡± Arz looked up into the sky, still walking away from the electric spear. ¡°Yes,¡± Wildil answered. ¡°A whole city-sized building in space. It is how we live above Gargaxia because the planet itself is uninhabitable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s floating up there, right?¡± Arz stuck to the outside of the circle while Guard Fifty Six had stopped in the center. The spear wasn¡¯t quite long enough to reach the edge, so they were in a stalemate. ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°Perhaps we can discuss gravity and physics after you survive this,¡± Wildil said. Arz took a step closer until the spearhead was within an inch of his neck. He swatted it aside, easily knocking it out of the guard¡¯s slime grip. ¡°He¡¯s strong,¡± Guard Fifty Six said as he backed away. ¡°What¡¯s the ring for? If I step out, will I lose?¡± Arz asked as he walked over and grabbed the spear. A grunt escaped his lips as he hoisted the spear all the way up. It was far heavier than he expected. Were the slimes simply built of muscle? Had he misunderstood them this whole time? A quick glance reminded him that they are nothing more than piles of slime. Or a singular pile? It didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Correct. Stay within the boundary of the arena or you will lose.¡± Arz inched his feet up to the edge of the line. ¡°What happens if I lose?¡± ¡°Our experiment will need to continue.¡± ¡°Will it continue if I win?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arz rolled his eyes and walked out of the circle. Guard Fifty Six immediately cheered, even though he had been easily disarmed just moments before. ¡°You lost?¡± Wildil asked. Lord Yuther, the other unadorned slime, and Guard Fifty Six celebrated as if their whole planet had just been saved. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not a fighter, nor do I have any interest in fighting. I¡¯m really only here for one thing. Well, maybe two things. Primarily, I¡¯m looking to get back home because I really am starving.¡± ¡°What is the second thing?¡± Wildil asked. ¡°Hm?¡± Arz combed his fingers through his hair. It was far more greasy than he had expected, especially after running around the dusty land of Doumenus for a few days. ¡°I promised my daughter I would explore everything.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± Wildil scooted a little closer. ¡°What is a daughter?¡± ¡°A child. You know what that is, right?¡± ¡°Why do you risk your life if not for the thrill? Who is this daughter to you?¡± Arz stared past the slime, into the vast forest beyond. From what he saw on their approach, it looked as though it may encompass the entire planet. One massive forest that was undoubtedly connected. Rare ingredients certainly hid in the shadows of the forest floor. ¡°All I¡¯m doing, all I¡¯ve been doing for her.¡± ¡°What will exploring do? You are not a fighter, as you said yourself. Much of the galaxy is dangerous.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t figured that out yet. I promised I would, and that¡¯s enough for me.¡± Wildil slowly scooted closer. Even the scientist seemed to move faster than the guard had during the fight. ¡°Battle Guard Fifty Six one more time and I will return your potion.¡± ¡°Actually?¡± ¡°I swear. But you cannot forfeit this one.¡± Arz stepped right back into the arena. He wasn¡¯t a fighter, but that didn¡¯t mean he was incapable. There were always tricks up his sleeves. Or, more accurately, his jacket. ¡°Fight,¡± Lord Yuther said excitedly. ¡°Can I try?¡± Guard Fifty Six asked. ¡°Full speed ahead,¡± Wildil said. The slime dove at Arz, forcing him to dive to the side. A crackling spearhead missed by less than an inch, and the ground greeted Arz like it was made of solid stone. The wind left his lungs so fast that it felt like being outside the Gargaxia space station again. Arz rolled over and forced himself to his feet. As he moved, he pulled a petrified reed from his jacket and left it on the ground. The electric spear swung at him, but Guard Fifty Six had gotten too close, clotheslining Arz with the shaft of the spear rather than skewering him with the end. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. He landed on his back this time, which he wasn¡¯t grateful for. His shoulder throbbed, but now so did his neck, back, and head. Still, despite the pain and hunger, Arz kept his mind moving. He dropped more reeds, pulling the rest from his pockets as he stood up to face the slime again. Without looking, he tossed the rest to the side and pulled out the vial of Darkfire Oil. ¡°What is that?¡± Guard Fifty Six asked. While slimes didn¡¯t have visible faces, they obviously had a front. The guard turned to face Arz, fully shifting itself until they were face to face, or whatever the slime equivalent was. Arz flicked the cork out with his thumb and drained the bottle, igniting the stone reeds into bright, brilliant flames. The Darkfire oil continued burning with black flames underneath the bright orange fire that consumed the petrified reeds. Guard Fifty Six immediately backed away as the flames grew hotter and burned brighter. Arz crouched and watched the fire. With how hot the fires burned, all the reeds should have been nothing but ash, but still they burned brightly, with only the tops and edges charring under the heat. While the Darkfire oil alone didn¡¯t burn very hot, the flames it created burned as they normally would. This shouldn¡¯t have been such a surprise to Arz, but as always, it was impossible to know without testing. If he had anything engraved on a gravestone, it would be something along those lines, although he hoped it would be something much flashier. ¡°I knew it,¡± Wildil said. There was a triumphant confidence to his tone. ¡°No abilities,¡± Arz said, still crouching by the burning reeds. They were like coal that grew naturally. Something like that would be incredibly valuable to Bralincote. ¡°This was simple science. Very simple, actually.¡± Arz hopped to his feet. ¡°How are slimes with fire?¡± ¡°Weak,¡± Guard Fifty Six blurted. ¡°Oh?¡± Arz kicked one of the reeds toward the slime, who scurried away. The reed rolled and spun the flames as it continued to burn. Darkfire oil clung to the top and continued burning, as it always seemed to do. Nothing Arz had seen yet would put out the dark flames. In seconds, the slime had retreated across the line, leaving the circle. Arz was victorious, which felt insanely lucky. His chest and shoulder throbbed with new aches that would last weeks, at least. ¡°What was that?¡± Lord Yuther asked. ¡°Reeds from Doumenus with Darkfire oil. Also from Doumenus, I guess. There are scientific secrets all over. You just have to find them.¡± ¡°No secrets?¡± Yuther asked. Arz smirked. ¡°No secrets, friend. I have no need to lie to you. Wildil already promised me my ticket home back if I fought one more time, and here I am, victorious as always.¡± The return potion floated through Wildil until it reached the edge of his body. It continued extending on a thin, tentacle-like arm until Arz snatched the purple vial away. It was sticky with slime, but that hardly mattered. With Guard Fifty Six¡¯s spear nearby, he could return to Bralincote whenever he wanted. ¡°I believe I misunderstood you,¡± Wildil said. ¡°I think there could be something I could learn from you.¡± ¡°Perhaps another time. I haven¡¯t been home for a long time, and I am starving.¡± Arz couldn¡¯t help but imagine all the foods he could eat. The dried jerky and travel foods he had were so bland compared to the beautiful, incredible foods he could find just outside the fortress of his study. ¡°You are leaving?¡± Wildil asked. ¡°Well . . .¡± Arz pulled out his notebook and scribbled some notes down, making sure he wouldn¡¯t forget anything that had happened. ¡°I could use some of those ingredients you had in that translation potion.¡± ¡°Those are found only on Jumtha, you know.¡± Arz tapped his pen against his notebook. ¡°If I were to get some food and water, you know, to survive, would you be willing to bring me to Jumtha?¡± ¡°How does that benefit us?¡± Wildil asked. Arz held up the shimmering purple vial. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t intend to travel with portals, understanding them may be the difference between life and death. I know it sounds dramatic, but¡ª¡± ¡°It sounds what?¡± Lord Yuther asked. ¡°Dramatic? You don¡¯t have drama? Theater? Petty arguments? Honestly, that word can mean a lot.¡± All the slimes sat silently. ¡°Alright, great. How does it sound? I teach you what I know, you teach me what you know.¡± ¡°You will have to harvest the materials yourself. His Majesty wouldn¡¯t allow us to support you,¡± Wildil said. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°You are not Jumthin.¡± Arz shrugged. ¡°Fine by me. As long as I can travel as a guest, not your prisoner.¡± ¡°He seems dangerous,¡± Yuther said. It didn¡¯t even sound like the slime was trying to whisper. Although when he thought about it, Arz wasn¡¯t sure slimes were even capable of whispering. ¡°He would have poured the fire on top of Guard Fifty Six if he was dangerous,¡± Wildil said. ¡°Speaking of,¡± Arz interrupted. ¡°Any ideas on how we put this fire out?¡± The reeds still burned brightly, but they were nearing the end of their lives. Underneath the orange flames, the Darkfire oil continued burning just the same as when Arz found it in the cave. ¡°You did it. You need to figure it out,¡± Wildil said. ¡°I will be furious if you burn our forest down,¡± Yuther said. Arz looked around at the dense forest canopy. ¡°Isn¡¯t the entire planet a forest?¡± ¡°Well, yes,¡± Yuther said. ¡°So, you think I am capable of burning down an entire planet?¡± ¡°Perhaps eventually.¡± Arz thought about that with a smirk on his face. Capable of burning down a planet? Maybe someday. He crouched beside the reeds and waited for them to burn to ash. They crumpled into small piles on top of the Darkfire oil. Arz carefully scooped the ash into a vial, pushing it down with the cork as it had become almost like mud. ¡°Is it still burning?¡± Wildil asked. ¡°Yes. It never stops. Even now when it¡¯s mixed with the ash. I guess this might actually be a better way to manage it.¡± Arz collected the last few bits in other empty vials until all that remained was the ash from the reeds. Lord Yuther and Wildil talked briefly before Yuther led the guard away, heading back toward the wooden building. Arz did his best to give them privacy while he spread the ashes out to hopefully help fertilize the forest. ¡°Do you have any interest in staying on Xylaphus?¡± Wildil asked once Yuther was gone. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t have any interest in being here in the first place.¡± ¡°We traveled a long distance to get here.¡± Arz picked off a piece of bark nearby and shoved it in his pocket. ¡°A few samples and I have all I need. Apart from some food, actually. Any animals here to eat? Some meat, you know?¡± ¡°I do know what meat is.¡± Arz narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why does that sound like you¡¯re talking about me?¡± ¡°I think you may be imagining things.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± If slimes had senses of humor, Arz had yet to figure it out. He kept waiting for some sarcasm or a clear joke, but it was impossible to tell if Wildil was anything other than serious. ¡°Is it possible for one of the guards to hunt something for me?¡± ¡°We can not assist you, as I said.¡± ¡°Okay, but what if I¡¯m still your prisoner? You don¡¯t want me to wither and die, right?¡± The scientist slime sat silently. ¡°Wildil?¡± ¡°Yes? You want me to die?¡± ¡°I will see if a guard is available to hunt something.¡± Arz nodded. He reached up and grabbed a small leaf from the nearby tree and stuffed it in a different pocket. ¡°I¡¯m going to collect some samples while they do that.¡± Wildil waited silently nearby. ¡°Wildil,¡± Arz said as he crouched beside a small flower. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to find a guard to see if they¡¯ll go hunt?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Arz carefully plucked the flower, ensuring the leaves stayed attached to the stem. He managed to pull up the roots, which were thick, twisting things that kept dirt clung close. ¡°You said you were still our prisoner. I can¡¯t leave you unattended.¡± ¡°Where am I going to go? I need electricity to open my portal.¡± Wildil seemed to consider that before turning around. He followed Yuther¡¯s trail back to the clearing. Chapter 9 Apparently, Arz wasn¡¯t welcome inside Lord Yuther¡¯s wooden building. It was against the Xylaphus traditions, or something. As far as he understood, Xylaphus had only been a colony for about fifty years, which was nothing compared to the rest of the Jumthins. Wildil himself said he was almost two hundred years old, though Arz still wondered if their years were anything similar to human years. Using some fallen sticks and a tiny drop of Darkfire mud, Arz formed a fire for cooking the horrific creature the Jumthins brought him. Wildil watched from a distance while Arz roasted the whole creature over the fire. ¡°I know people with more experience skin the animals and uh, gut them and all that.¡± The hair of the squirrel-like creature burst into flames, quickly darkening into what looked like charcoal. ¡°That¡¯s probably why.¡± ¡°You have not done this before?¡± ¡°Not exactly this. I¡¯ve made food. We call that cooking. I just don¡¯t usually catch it myself.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t catch this one.¡± Arz rotated the stick, trying his best to keep the food from fully erupting in flames. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± By the time Arz pulled the creature off the end of the stick, it looked like anything other than appetizing. Luckily, the flesh fell off the bone easily. Unluckily, it tasted like a skunk smells. With how overwhelming his hunger had become, Arz felt like he could choke down just about any food. There was a stream of freshwater nearby, and that made Arz wonder why the slimes didn¡¯t just catch a fish. ¡°You ever fish?¡± Arz asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, nevermind.¡± Wildil stayed silent until Arz finished eating. The slime seemed infinitely patient, which did give the impression of a long, slow lifespan. ¡°Why did we come here?¡± Arz asked. He put out the fire and collected the small ash-filled Darkfire oil back into the vial. ¡°Xylaphus is the closest Jumthin colony to Gargaxia.¡± ¡°But why not test me there?¡± Wildil started to head back to the ship without waiting for Arz to catch up. He hurried to catch up, keeping his hands covering his overfilled pockets. They were filled with new flowers and leaves, plus some bark, grass, and dirt. Perhaps it was the same, or very similar to those plants on Earth. But there was only one way to tell. ¡°His Majesty King Gumathra requested we test you where there is true gravity and life, rather than aboard the artificial gravity of the Gargaxia Station. Slimes move differently in space than on land.¡± ¡°I could tell.¡± ¡°Guard Fifty Six was instructed to move slowly to see how you would react.¡± Arz stuffed a flower back into his pocket as it almost fell out, causing a few petals to drift slowly to the floor. ¡°I had a bad feeling that might be the case.¡± Wildil immediately scooted up the ramp into the ship. Arz hovered near the entrance for a moment, looking at Lord Yuther¡¯s wooden fortress. ¡°You cannot go inside,¡± Wildil said. ¡°Another time.¡± Arz climbed the ramp and sat on the floor with his back against the wall. A silent guard stood nearby. Arz wondered what its number was, but he assumed the guard wouldn¡¯t respond. ¡°How long does it take to get to Jumtha?¡± Arz wrote the brief adventure of Xylaphus into his notebook, making sure to exclude the guard going easy on him. ¡°Fifteen hours,¡± Wildil said, taking his position just behind the slimes controlling the ship. ¡°Jumthin hours?¡± Arz asked sarcastically. ¡°There is no other kind.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Arz wrote Jumthin Hours down on his list of his enemies, just to ensure he never forgot. ¡°Does King, uh, Something know I¡¯m coming?¡± ¡°His Majesty King Gumathra.¡± ¡°Yes, that one.¡± Arz hurriedly wrote the name down, knowing he was going to forget. It was a long name and there were so many more important things to remember. ¡°His Majesty is aware you are accompanying me. This journey will only give you a brief time to venture into the swamps of Jumtha.¡± ¡°All I need is a brief time.¡± There were certainly different biomes across Jumtha, but Arz wouldn¡¯t have time to explore everything. Just because he had a small meal didn¡¯t mean he was ready to go on such a grand adventure. Home still called to him. And Sal. Sal needed food. Well, if he was still alive. How long could eels go without food? Arz wrote Research eels into his notebook as he realized how little he actually knew. It wasn¡¯t every day someone offered to sell an electric eel. Of course he took that deal immediately. Arz relaxed to the calm rumble of the ship as they left Xylaphus. The ship lurched as white lines appeared and blurred through the front window. Before long, the ship steadied and hummed as space zipped past. ¡°Do you have a chance to talk?¡± Arz asked. Wildil left his station and scooted over until he rested in front of Arz. ¡°Only if it is scientific.¡± ¡°I believe it is.¡± ¡°Go ahead. I will answer what I can.¡± Arz tapped his pen against the notebook and squinted as if he was examining the pile of slime. ¡°That mixture you made me drink.¡± ¡°Was that a question?¡± Wildil asked. ¡°What? No. I was trying to figure out how to phrase the question.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t do that before you talk?¡± Arz pressed his lips together and fought the urge to write Wildil into his list of enemies. The hum of the ship made him sleepy again, though Arz didn¡¯t think he was actually tired. If anything, he was feeling better than he had since first arriving on Doumenus. ¡°If I was going to replicate the mixture that helped me understand your language, what do I need to gather?¡± ¡°Jumthin slime, electricity, gas and vines from the swamps of Jumtha, and most importantly, the DNA of the creature it is being used on.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
  1. Jumthin Slime - As far as I understand this, it is what they are made of. Would that still be important if I was going to try to understand the robots from Doumenus?
  2. Electricity - This was provided in the form of ground up sparkstones the first time. I think this is the smartest form, as far as I am currently aware, to drink electricity.
  3. Gas and Vines from the swamps of Jumtha - This fully explains the smell and taste. Horrible. I know nothing about these.
  4. DNA of the creature it is being used on - I assume drinking it is what provides the DNA. But, if I want to understand a robot - a non-living creature who cannot drink the mixture - I will need to reverse this. If I can find DNA from their creators, perhaps I can drink the potion and gain an understanding of them.
Arz put his pen down and looked back at Widil, who had yet to move. ¡°These Ricarun¡ª¡± ¡°Are extinct. What you saw were only robots.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Arz said. ¡°We went over this a while ago.¡± Wildil stayed silent. Arz expected some confirmation or an apology or something. But instead, the scientist simply waited. ¡°Is there any part of the Ricarun in those robots?¡± ¡°AZ-32s,¡± Wildil said. The guard nearby shivered, sending ripples all the way through his slime body. ¡°No,¡± Wildil continued. ¡°AZ-32s are entirely robotic. It is impossible to understand their language through our method.¡± ¡°Hypothetically, if I found some of their DNA, could I make it work where I drank it?¡± Wildil pondered the idea silently. Arz rested his head against the hull of the ship and watched out the window. White zipped by so fast that nothing was actually visible. Seeing what was out there would certainly blow his mind, but he couldn¡¯t complain about moving quickly. If his time-keeping skills were as good as he thought, then Arz had been gone for longer than ever before, except perhaps during his first journey to Glacirith. He grimaced thinking of the name, thinking of the realm. The Storm Lands still felt like a more fitting name, but perhaps it was better to call it by its real name. ¡°There is a faint possibility it could work. There were many trials before we finally succeeded in our method, and that was only to understand the Fruncha.¡± ¡°The who?¡± ¡°If you succeed, will you share your experience with us?¡± Arz nodded, still wondering who the Fruncha were. ¡°It would be an honor to share with another scientist.¡± A quick look at his notes reminded Arz of another important question. ¡°How do I get Jumthin slime?¡± The nearby guard shifted away as if he was prey under Arz¡¯s predator gaze. ¡°From a Jumthin,¡± Wildil said very matter-of-factly. ¡°If I remember right, you said it¡¯s usually harvested from young Jumthins.¡± ¡°Their slime is denser, richer, and generally better flavored.¡± Arz wrote down the word Flavor beside his other notes, making sure to bold a question mark at the end. ¡°Are Jumthins cannibals?¡± Arz asked. ¡°I am unfamiliar with this term.¡± ¡°It means to eat your own kind.¡± Arz scowled. The Jumthins had seemed plenty pleasant up until now, and Wildil¡¯s answer could quickly change that. ¡°Only for scientific purposes.¡± Arz¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°You seem upset,¡± Wildil said. ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t know. When you say scientific, do you mean like you do for this mixture or like you devour an entire young Jumthin just to see what happens?¡± ¡°The mixture. It is a crime to kill a fellow Jumthin.¡± Wildil¡¯s high-pitched voice went even higher. ¡°I have never been accused of something so horrific.¡± ¡°Accuse is a strong word,¡± Arz said, letting his words slowly drift off. Getting on the bad side of the slimes was a bad idea, especially while in a ship in space surrounded by only slimes. ¡°What is the punishment for killing a Jumthin?¡± ¡°The lord of the area will decide. Historically, it has been a trip to the boiler.¡± The nearby guard shivered again. ¡°To heat water?¡± Arz asked. His face was scrunched in confusion, but quickly shifted to a scowl again. ¡°Oh, wait. I get it. Are crimes common in Jumtha?¡± ¡°There has not been a Jumthin killed in centuries.¡± Arz¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Seriously? You mean by another Jumthin or in general?¡± ¡°In general,¡± Wildil said. Arz imagined that if Wildil had a torso, his chest would be puffed out in pride. ¡°That¡¯s incredible. I don¡¯t think humans go a day without killing each other.¡± Arz thought of Bralincote, which was widely considered one of the gems of the northern hemisphere. Even with the Guild of Wizards as the leader, it was still a cultural and scientific paradise for many. And still, there were stabbings in the street or the stray criminal who managed to get a musket. ¡°Are humans so uncivilized?¡± Wildil asked. Arz thought about his answer, turning it over in his head a few times. It could be yes, or it could be that the Jumthins just wouldn¡¯t understand the human experience. Was it uncivilized or was it just a different nature? ¡°Have you ever been so angry that you feel like you could kill someone?¡± Arz asked. ¡°Jumthins rarely feel anger. We are familiar with the emotion, but most Jumthins have never experienced it themselves. Has any slime here been angry?¡± Every slime aboard the ship denied ever feeling angry. ¡°Humans, uh, get angry easily. And frequently.¡± Arz sighed. It was difficult to admit one¡¯s own faults, especially to a bunch of blobs of slime without faces. Still, it felt good to even think about admitting what bothered him so often. ¡°I have been angry almost constantly for months. Human months. I¡¯ve been so angry I could kill.¡± He looked right at Wildil, right where it seemed like there would be eyes if slimes had them. ¡°So angry that I¡¯ve thought about killing the people who let my family burn. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m angry enough to kill. It¡¯s that I am so angry that I want to kill them. I will do whatever I need to to get my revenge, even if it means that I die in the process. I don¡¯t know what that revenge will look like. Not yet. I could leave their mangled corpses strung up for everyone in the universe to see, but that would just be an insult to the rest of the universe. A bunch of frail, old assholes sitting in their building, uncaring as people die around them every fucking day.¡± The ship was completely silent as Arz finished. He could hear his heart pounding in the near-complete silence. Only the hum of the ship cut through. Wildil finally shifted, getting a little closer to Arz. ¡°This is another human?¡± Arz nodded. ¡°A group of them.¡± ¡°While you are gathering materials, I can speak with His Majesty. Perhaps the Jumthins in other parts of the galaxy have encountered a human before.¡± The sentiment was nice, but Arz could tell Wildil didn¡¯t understand. The Guild of Wizards wasn¡¯t a real threat to Arz, and he wouldn¡¯t kill them. Not yet, at least. He hadn¡¯t figured out what revenge would look like or what it would mean. All he knew was that he hated them with every ounce of his being. ¡°Do Jumthins have families?¡± Arz asked. ¡°We are all family. Spawned from a single organism, the Grand Monarch, the true King of Slimes. His name cannot be spoken to outsiders.¡± Arz nodded again. ¡°Thank you for sharing so much with me, Wildil.¡± ¡°Alliances are important. The universe is far bigger than I once thought.¡± A smile forced its way onto Arz¡¯s face. ¡°I am glad I ended up outside Gargaxia. This has been the weirdest adventure of my life, but you are worth it, Wildil.¡± ¡°What will you do when you return home?¡± Wildil asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that.¡± Arz sighed and stretched out his legs. ¡°I think you¡¯re right about alliances. I think I¡¯ll keep traveling to meet new people. I can¡¯t stay home long. Some humans want to kill me.¡± ¡°Are these humans powerful?¡± Arz chuckled. ¡°Absolutely not. They¡¯re the leaders of the city where I live, but they are just old people.¡± Arz looked at Wildil. ¡°Not that there''s anything wrong with being old.¡± The slime didn¡¯t react. ¡°They claim I am breaking the laws of nature by creating portals.¡± ¡°Nature has no laws,¡± Wildil said. ¡°I like that.¡± Arz quickly wrote down the quote, attributing it to Wildil the Slime. ¡°I wonder if I can find other creatures that will work with me. Those AZ-32s don¡¯t like me, so I¡¯ll avoid them for now.¡± ¡°You do not need to like someone to be allies. Look at us.¡± Arz opened his mouth to speak, but scowled instead. ¡°That is Jumthin humor,¡± Wildil said in his normal high-pitched voice. ¡°I think that might be the first joke I¡¯ve heard from one of you.¡± ¡°Guard Thirty Two is the real comedian.¡± Wildil turned to the guard, who stayed motionless and silent. ¡°I can see it,¡± Arz muttered. They continued chatting for several more hours. As the conversation died, Arz wrote more notes with possible recipes to reverse engineer the translation potion. He had some ideas that were worth trying, and once he got back to Bralincote, he had some red oil that would significantly help the experiments. On top of that, he needed to test a more powerful return potion with the red oil. Would it be enough to overpower the time bubbles? And what would the sample from the time bubble do? He had a lot of experiments to run. But he couldn¡¯t until he made it back to his study. And to Sal. Assuming Sal was still alive. Arz kept reminding himself how little he knew about eels.